top of page
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Satanism and Rock: So Yesterday’s News

rbedwell3

I have been struck lately with the realisation that there is something very strange going on in the music industry. Firstly, the ‘music industry’ is something completely detached from real musicians and music in general. It is a corporate entity that uses talent to transfer wealth, influence society (especially the young) and coerce musicians into a never ending life of non-disclosure agreements and threats of legal action if their contracts are infringed in any way. Many have come forward to state on record that there is far worse going on too, linked to the hideous practises associated with Hollywood. If you know what I mean.

Back in the late 1960’s we witnessed the selling of rock bands, such as Black Sabbath, as satanic, demonic and other suitable adjectives. They were marketed as selling the hedonistic lifestyle, not giving a damn what society thought, and being kind of cool in a anti-establishment, James Dean kind of way. This seemed to catch on in the pop (rock is a sub-genre of pop) world, and more bands started marketing themselves as down with the devil, with bands like AC/DC even depicting Angus Young with horns and a tail on their album covers.

But the question that arises is, why? At what point did someone, probably high up in the ‘music industry’ decide that to be cool meant from now on being associated with satan, Hell and all that other dreary, naff stuff? I mean, think about it, if you are mentioning the devil and its minions in your music and videos, and that you work for him, then you are implying that God is real and you prefer his enemy. So not only are they saying in their propaganda that they are religious, but that also they are siding with the one who wants to pull us all into the fiery pit. Why?

Are the ones who sat around the table in some executive suite and voted for satanism in music to make its debut, the same ones who years later sat around and decided that Hip Hop needed far more swearing and references to gun crime? I would bet on red.

Now, hard rock and heavy metal, both being rather tired sub-genres of pop that are trying to market themselves as anti-establishment are really the complete opposite. The cool, trendy period of needing tattoos, eye liner, black clothing and singing/growling about being tough and slightly demonic are now so passé that rock has descended into drop infinity guitars that churn constantly like a industrial washing machine with tired angry looking blokes called Adrian and Kevin pretending to be ex-hitmen or so evil that just to look at them is an act of defiance. What a joke.

Well, it’s bs. It is a marketing ploy that is not working anymore. The bubble-gum pop world of pretty girls and boys singing about who cares what as long as it is 2 minutes 45 seconds long, has three choruses and one key change has entered the world of satanism, strangely enough, and the symbolism turns up regularly in its propaganda.

Dozens of ‘artists’ have horns, pentagrams, goat-headed deities, sacrifice, rituals and many other things in their videos and paraphernalia, so much so that it is not only not shocking anymore, but has even become old hat. Yup, the devil is so yesterday.

Whatever the reason that satanism was introduced into the music business to begin with, at the start of the appearance of rock music, and bizarrely burrowed into the world of pop, designed for immature teenagers or even younger, it seems to be coming to an end. Thank God.

So do me a favour, if you are in a rock band, or play cool, blistering, soulful guitar, give it a rest with that ‘I’m tough/scary/evil/annoyed’ rubbish. No more grimacing on album covers. That is so pro-establishment that it is embarrassing. More than likely, you are a working class/middle class person who loves music and has dedicated a lot of your time to expressing yourself via practise and study as well as rehearsing and the hardships of travel and performing. Don’t give it the ‘I’m angry coz I play in a rock band’ posing, it’s boring but also far worse, its a corporate strategy and is dead.

Kids I teach now don’t want to see horns on Angus Young, Ozzy drinking blood, and all the other gimmicks. That is kitsch, tacky and looks like the equivalent of VHS as compared to Bluray. Leave it in the dustbin, eh, and that tacky horned mask, candles, pentagram and devil outfit in the back of the wardrobe with all the other Halloween tat. Lets see more self empowering/inspiring messages out there, at least we know that is free from the taint of the music industry. Thanks.


2 views0 comments

Comentarios


© 2023 Robert Bedwell

bottom of page