![]() (Shutterstock)Īs someone who studies religion, I believe that writers, musicians and listeners of death metal who are attuned to spiritual matters believe there’s more to the world than meets the eye. Possessed, Death, Deicide and Morbid Angel are a few of the first bands to fall into the death metal genre. Rebelling against religion and the status quo seems to be one of the reasons this kind of music is so popular.Īnother possible answer could be that death metal and its parent, heavy metal, are trying to find a language to express their dark mystical experiences - metal is attuned to spirituality. One apparent answer to the proposed question would be that death metal, like other forms of rock, is anti-establishment. So, the question remains, why is death metal so obsessed with spiritual and religious themes? Perhaps the only other genre that is so preoccupied with religion and spirituality in such a focused way is gospel music, yet the two seem like complete opposites. O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer Īnd by night, but find no rest.” Death metal’s obsession with religious themes Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? ![]() “You sit and watch, in all your splendour The song Away from God by Immolation discusses salvation, heaven and hell in a way that could be seen as an extreme form of biblical lament. ![]() PMRC’s biggest issue was over anti-Christian sentiments. This didn’t deter death metal musicians or followers, but hardened their criticism of mainstream religion. In the mid-80s, Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was born, an institution focused on increasing parental control over access to music that was deemed violent or satanic. Morbid Angel’s music video for God of EmptinessĪs the connection between death metal and religion solidified, so did its controversy. And Deicide has written about ritual sacrifices, the crucifixion, Satan, Jesus and anti-Christian sentiments. Morbid Angel has written songs such as God of Emptiness, Rapture, Immortal Rites, Chapel of Ghouls, Angel of Disease and Blessed are the Sick. ‘Chapel of Ghouls’ and ‘Blessed are the Sick’ĭeath metal then appeared with the fusion of thrash metal and first-wave black metal in the 1980s. Thus, the relationship between heavy metal and religion was born.Ĭhristie points out in his book, Sounds of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal that anthropological history is interwoven with metal’s musical history as “the rise of black metal coincided with the thousand-year anniversary of Christianity in Norway, when two pagan kings violently imposed religion on the western coast of Norway,” the territory that has most influenced black metal. The fourth track on the album is called N.I.B., which was written from Lucifer’s point of view. When the album is opened it reveals an inverted cross and a disturbing poem. Many metal historians such as Ian Christie have said that the history of heavy metal begins with Black Sabbath’s debut studio album, “Black Sabbath,” released in 1970. “What is fascinating here is the consistency with which black metal has pursued religious forms Such religious pluralism begs the question as to whether these are just new and interesting attempts at youth rebellion, or whether something more is playing itself out.” ![]() In 2010, historian James Robertson published an article called “ Death metal: A ‘pipeline to God?’” One of the few published articles that examines the connection between death metal and religion, Robertson writes: ![]()
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