You know what’s wrong with us Christians? We’re too reasonable and ordered and not passionate enough. We could really learn a thing or two if, like fans of heavy metal music, we’d embrace the “liberative theology of darkness.”
So says Rev Rachel Mann, the latest whackadoodle Church of England cleric to claim that the problem with Christians is that we aren’t quite worldly enough.
The priest admits that many will be “concerned” about metal lyrics praising Satan and mocking Christianity, but insists it is just a form of “play-acting”.
Well, of course they’re play-acting. It’s not like they could be serious since that would imply that Satan actually exists. And who hasn’t jokingly referred to the Bride of Christ as an “abortion”? Everyone knows that just a term of endearment. It’s all in good fun, a way to show that we can embrace the darkness.
Miss Mann, priest-in-charge of St Nicholas’s, Burnage, writes in this week’s Church Times: “Since Black Sabbath effectively created it in 1969 by using the dissonant sound of the medieval ‘Devil’s chord’, heavy metal has been cast as dumb, crass, and on, occasions satanic; music hardly fit for intelligent debate, led alone theological reflection.
“And yet, as both priest and metal musician and fan, it strikes me that the Church, especially at this agonized time, has a serious gospel lesson to learn from this darkest and heaviest music.”
Music that praises Satan and mocks Christianity has a serious gospel lesson? Counter-intuitive contrarianism like that is bound to earn Rev. Mann a regular column at Slate.com.
Miss Mann says that heavy metal songs, characterized by distorted guitar sounds, “intense” beats and “muscular” vocals, are “unafraid to deal with death, violence and destruction”.
Its “predominantly male and white” fans “generally like tattoos and piercings” but are “graceful, welcoming and gentle”.
At the end of the article the reporter adds this line: “In the 1990s, followers of Norway’s “black metal” scene went further by burning dozens of churches.” Yes, but surely they were graceful, gentle church arsonists.
“The music’s willingness to deal with nihilistic and, on occasion, extremely unpleasant subjects seems to offer its fans a space to accept others in a way that shames many Christians.
So the lesson is that if we Christians would embrace nihilism and songs about rape and murder and other unpleasant subjects we could be as tolerant as heavy metal fans? Do you think heavy metal fans are accepting of others who, say, think heavy metal music is nihilistic trash? Yeah, probably not.
“Metal’s refusal to repress the bleak and violent truths of human nature liberates its fans to be more relaxed and fun people”.
She goes on to claim that “metal has no fear of human darkness” and while some Christians are similarly unafraid, “many are yet to discover its potential as a place of integration”.
I remember hearing a guy claim, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Wasn’t it the lead singer of Slayer?
Perhaps I’m just too “reasonable and ordered” but I tend to think what the world needs is more Jesus Christ and less Ozzy Osbourne.
(Via: Ian Narbeth)
September 1st, 2010 | 3:01 pm
It’s certainly an arguable point that we’re too reasonable and ordered and not passionate enough, as a group. Where she goes (with astonishing speed) off the deep end into whackadoodle land is the proposal that the remedy is to become passionate and adventurous in favor of and by means of things that stand in precise symbolic and conceptual opposition to the light of God.
Or maybe that’s just me.
September 1st, 2010 | 3:28 pm
True, of course, but one shouldn’t confuse a medium with the messages it is often used to promote. Generally speaking, the problem is not the style of music but its application.
Flannery O’Connor and Tolkien used dark stories to confront the ugliness of our world and to call attention to the spiritual struggle which permeates it. O’Connor argued that a morally deaf people must be forced to reflect by dramatic images and themes.
Heavy metal can, and is, used for good in this way. Metal lyrics are sometimes a cry for justice, as in Metallica’s critique of the American legal system (“seeking no truth / winning is all”), or a call for truth and reflection, as in Anthrax’s admonishment of “packaged rebellion”.
That such lyrics are exceptional is no more a testament against the medium of metal music than the preference of horror and fantasy authors for indulgent themes is a testament against those genres of writing.
Though some varieties of metal, such as black metal, involve musical practices (like intentionally horrid “singing”) which are objectively corrupt, the general tone of metal is not unlike much music that conservative Christians have accepted for centuries. Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King”, Mussorgsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain” and Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” are examples. Likewise, the instrumentation is not a far cry from the natural distortion of brass instruments or the pounding drums of so many classical scores. In fact, many metal musicians are classically trained and inspired by such music.
Heavy metal arose as an anti-hippie movement. While so many in the West rejected masculinity outright, metal embraced and celebrated masculine instincts, understandably emphasizing emotions like anger and themes like war. As political correctness and such foolishness continues, it is understandable, if regrettable, that the genre has pushed ever further into unhealthy extremes. But there remains a number of metal musicians who employ the medium for good.
Even Ozzy occasionally writes morally acceptable lyrics, like in “Goodbye to Romance” or “Mama, I’m Coming Home”, while producing admirable melodies and harmonies.
There is a difference between using darkness as a theme and indulging in darkness. Sadness and anger exist only because sin exists. It is joy we are meant for and so joy we should focus on, including in our art. But if God occasionally acts in sadness and anger, then surely we should as well. And some artists are inevitably better at expressing darker themes than joyful ones.
Again, the problem is the application of the medium, not the medium itself. Heavy metal may be used for good and praise.
September 1st, 2010 | 4:14 pm
The Rev. Mann isn’t up on current metal trends, apparently. She should give a listen to Flyleaf’s “Beautiful Bride.” I challenge any metal song to shred harder, yet it also speaks eloquently (without losing that all-important *dark and heavy* edge) about the Catholic Church. As a matter of fact, radio stations dedicated only to Christian metal exist all over the U.S. Rev. Mann needs to move out of the Ozzy-tinged past and look around at the modern landscape.
September 1st, 2010 | 6:27 pm
While Joe is right to be critical of those who do not think metal music or its accompanying lyrics can be used for the Church, the Church IS responsible to listen to and know what the is going on in the world – including the darkness, fear, anger and nihilism that heavy metal reveals is underlying much of modern life. The Church ought would be unfaithful to ignore it.
So, in a convoluted way, Rev. Mann may be right to say we should not ignore metal music, and the accompanying culture, but rather should confront it and offer to it the rebuttle of Christ who has been to those depths. The example of Flannery O’Connor is right on target – she has some of the darkest fiction, yet unlike someone such as Faulkner, there is always the ray of redemption in there that offers true, though not easy, hope to an all too hopeless and fickle world. Part of our mission as the body of Christ is to confront the world in its darkness.
Interestingly, also, would be the question not just of the lyrics – for such genres as bluegrass and folk often have as atrocious lyrics – but of the music itself and its affects on the listeners. Far too often we ignore the dumbing affects of modern pop music as well as (maybe?) the creativity and complexity that may be learned from secular metal. This seems to confront the question of why we read, listen to, view secular art at all. To what end?
September 1st, 2010 | 7:58 pm
Rev. Mann needs to move out of the Ozzy-tinged past and look around at the modern landscape.
You might be missing the point, Kafbst. Perhaps she likes the “Ozzy-tinged past.” Or maybe she just likes attention.
September 1st, 2010 | 8:41 pm
Though their tune “After Forever” has Christian lyrics.
It’s a good tune.
September 1st, 2010 | 8:51 pm
“A woman preaching is like a dog walking on its hind legs. It isn’t done well, but the wonder is that it is done at all”. — Dr. Johnson. Sorry, a little off topic, but I couldn’t help myself.
September 2nd, 2010 | 12:18 am
Black Sabbath were originally a bluesy band called Earth. They re-named themselves after a cheesy Italian horror movie featuring Boris Karloff.
The members of Sabbath were working class kids from Birmingham. While some of their songs dealt with the occult, NONE of their songs urged us to worship Satan, nor did anyone in the band pursue the occult seriously.
Now, SOME kooks who WERE serious about the occult did embrace Black Sabbath. But the band had no use or respect for that crowd. Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi likes to tell this story: one night, a coven of genuine witches and warlocks was parading outside their hotel, chanting pagan hymns. Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward came out, sang “Happy Birthday to You,” blew out their candles, and went back to bed.
September 2nd, 2010 | 9:08 am
Punk rules, metal drools!
September 2nd, 2010 | 9:31 am
But on a serious note. As long as the Rev. Rachel Mann isn’t a practicing lesbian or male-to-female transgender, I suppose this is the best we have any right to hope for out of the Church of England.
September 2nd, 2010 | 10:54 am
Sorry, missed the whole Heavy Metal thing. I was too busy listening to Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Steely Dan, in other words people who could craft good music.
September 2nd, 2010 | 1:04 pm
Feeney,
As songwriters and musical innovators, Sabbath stands toe to toe with every band you mentioned.
September 2nd, 2010 | 2:00 pm
I disagree that metal rose out of an anti-hippie music. It comes from bands like Blue Cheer of the 60s, who were straight up hippies. Punk rock came from an anti-hippie movement. I’ll admit that punk rock influences some metal.
I agree that metal music can blend easier with Christian themes, especially medieval / gothic ones than punk rock can. Punk rock is punk rock, metal can be more. Check out Avenged SevenFold.
September 5th, 2010 | 2:38 am
The Rev. Mann no doubt wanted to stir up enough controversy to get in the paper, and that leads to the deeply ignorant and silly things she says both about Christianity and metal, but as a fan of both I don’t think there’s as deep a contrast as she wants there to be.
Sabbath’s early albums tended to the dark, sure, but it was always fear of the dark (hmm, wrong metal band). The song “Black Sabbath” is about fleeing a devil’s mass. Their third album is called “Master of Reality,” and given the contrast with the song title “Lord of This World” as Satan, is almost certainly meant to signify God. The fascination with the occult matched with the lower musical register, though, certainly led later bands to use dark or Satanic themes in a more pro-evil way.
Still, satanism is overrated in metal. Slayer and Danzig are the biggest examples, but most bands that use satanic references are on the outside the mainstream, generally Eastern European black/death metal. Other bands like Metallica are critical of Christianity or religion without being pro-Satan. The most common use of occult/Satanic imagery isn’t in the music itself at all, actually – it’s album covers and tour props, because it provides an easy and striking visual iconography.
A few metal bands use Christian themes, like Savatage, but as with every other genre born in the 20th century, explicit religious references in metal are rare (which makes the aforementioned “After Forever,” with its positive comments about God and the pope, pretty striking). But my favorite “Christian metal band” (though not because of the musical quality) has to be Fratello Metallo:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbiItSiC4fo
P.S. When looking up a few things for this comment, I came across a metal band called Rondellus that did medieval-style, all-Latin covers of Sabbath on an album called “Sabbatum.” Going to listen to it immediately…
P.P.S. Steely Dan has a more anti-Christian band name than any metal band mentioned here.
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