You can't write about heavy metal these days without mentioning black metal, which was really a flavor of heavy metal (Venom) until Bathory and Hellhammer came around. Then it burst into full blaze in Norway in the early 1990s with the classics Mayhem, Burzum, Immortal, Enslaved, Darkthrone and Emperor.
In addition to firing up some great music, these bands also fired up some churches. Their war is against all things modern, and the basic idea of modernity is that we're all equal and can do whatever we think we want to do. Even though that sounds good to most of us, black metal saw it the other way: a species growing out of control, like fast food and Wal-Mart, more than a political issue.
The root of this, they believed, came from the Christian dogma that every person was equal in the sight of God, and that richer and more competent people were not the favored ones -- "the meek" were. So these early black metallers burned churches. 77 of them.
And in the USA, a few churches burned and we thought it might be the Klan, but it turned out to be insurance scams and coverups for thefts, for the most part. A few black metallers in L.A. spray-painted an obscene message to God in a church and went to jail for it. So it goes.
But now, there's a big story breaking in Texas. Nine churches have burned since the start of the year, and at least seven of those are confirmed as arsons. What's more, here's the description of the perps:
The sketches depict two short-haired men -- one with a flame-like tattoo on his neck, the other with an inverted cross on his left forearm and elbow. A third man has longer hair.
Oops. That sounds like black metal-listening Hessians to me. Not many people have noted this correlation yet, although the Dark Legions Archive beat us to the punch a few days ago, and indie filmmaker Audrey Ewell (of the brilliant Until the Light Takes Us) made note of this on Facebook during the last 24.
Let's keep watching this story as it develops.
Comments
If the man had an inverted cross on his arm then he was pro-christian according to the scripture. Saint Peter was crucified upside down by his own wishes. So upside down crosses are actually more of christian support than difiance.
But If people want to do this illegal activity for recreation, more power to them. I am all for the destruction of middle Eastern Religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Scorge of the Earth these 'religions' (cults).
Beat "us" to the punch? You're closely linked with the people at DLA and you know it. The "us" you refer to <em>is</em> DLA, Brett.
And naturally there is nothing wrong with being tied in. I am also a member of the DLA.
And not to divert too much of the subject, DLA is a great site I have come to enjoy because of the knowledge it portrays, and that fact that you should not be ashamed to defend what you feel. I feel that in some way my Southern Italian up bringing sort of intertwines with the sort of knowledge and if you will elite mindset that both share. So for me elitism is not a word I use lightly or much, but here I describe it as the individual who dives into knowledge, truth with passion..
Your article may have some validity but you slid in an absurd premise. You claim that Black Metal opposes the modern idea that everyone is equal and that it opposes the Church because of your belief that all are equal. Rubbish. We oppose the church because we believe all are equal and that as a result we should be free from the oppression of a religion that forces its beliefs on others and restricts our freedom.
You in the USA have fostered the absurd idea that you are a "Christian Nation" and that the founding fathers were intent on basing your laws on biblical principles. The Bible tolerates bigotry and states that Africans, as descendants of Moses' cursed son Ham, are condemned by God to slavery. The Bible claims that women are inferior because of Eve's sin in Eden. The Bible promotes the death penalty for homosexuality. Christianity is a movement that promotes oppression of people it defines as inferior and we can not tolerate that. So we burn your precious idols.
Burning churches won't solve the problem.
@ Dave - Black metal isn't about egalitarianism. Maybe it is in England, which is where I assume you're from (and which explains a lot about the poor quality of UKBM).
Do not show the images of the perps, man. This way you're helping the authorities ti catch them!
@Dave: Hah! someone's never read a Bible.
Kinkade, as it is the earliest use of the inverted cross to show christian support, it is used in black metal as an anti-god symbol. I can't imagine someone supporting christianity and then burning the churches.
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