Satanic musicians

[VioletVortex]

As a fan of metal, I find that a lot of musicians, especially in black metal and occasionally, death metal claim to be Satanists. I used to take these people seriously, but now I see these individuals as pretentious, using their espoused religion to give themselves a gimmick or selling point. For example, someone like Euronymous, the guitarist of Mayhem, claimed to be an "Evilist Satanist", worshiping Satan as a literal deity of evil. There is no way I can take that seriously, unless he was insane. Arguably, he had mild megalomania, and he certainly developed an obsession with his image, but I doubt he was sociopathic enough to venerate suffering in the way he claimed to have done.

How is someone like Infernus from Gorgoroth any different? Are such people being pressured by the record companies to claim to be Satanists as a gimmick? What are your thoughts?

 

[Mindmaster]

As a fan of metal, I find that a lot of musicians, especially in black metal and occasionally, death metal claim to be Satanists. I used to take these people seriously, but now I see these individuals as pretentious, using their espoused religion to give themselves a gimmick or selling point. For example, someone like Euronymous, the guitarist of Mayhem, claimed to be an "Evilist Satanist", worshiping Satan as a literal deity of evil. There is no way I can take that seriously, unless he was insane. Arguably, he had mild megalomania, and he certainly developed an obsession with his image, but I doubt he was sociopathic enough to venerate suffering in the way he claimed to have done.

How is someone like Infernus from Gorgoroth any different? Are such people being pressured by the record companies to claim to be Satanists as a gimmick? What are your thoughts?

Hmm, it's hard to say... functionally it doesn't matter - you like the music, you like it.

For me, the Satanic music was an outlet for the beliefs that I was not allowed to have in "real" life without facing persecution, or otherwise jeopardizing my future. Most of these bands came out of the 90s and were right in the midst of the Satanic Panic - people your age just aren't going to know how tough it was. In many ways, these bands certainly stoked the fear and profited from it, but so do horror movies and we accept them right? There are certainly some tall tales, etc., especially in regard to the Norwegian scene.

Secondly, the market for black metal isn't big enough to bother faking it - I'm sure that a few people are, but if you could play some other variation of metal it'd be more profitable. If you're doing it for the money there are better ways. For that reason, I'd conclude most of them actually believe what they are writing about to some degree or they wouldn't bother. While the corpse paint is a bit campy (but obviously Kiss inspired) - all of the problems related to Poe's Law do apply. You simply cannot tell a parody of an extreme position from the reality of one without knowing someone in the flesh.

Personally, I don't worry about it. I like some of that type of music, and whether I agree with the songwriters or not is irrelevant. I listen to death metal, but I don't think about going on killing sprees. People listen to gangster rap, and don't go shooting others up.

As far as "Satan as evil", I view the destructive elements of Satan as a cathartic process - necessary for progress. Similarly to the way Kali and other such figures are viewed... WIthout testing our forms and conceptions of the world, and the people in it we allow mediocrity to fester and slowly drain us of our potential, like a parasite on the entire human race. Destruction can be a good thing...

 

[SabahTheLoner]

The only person in the metal scene that lives up to any form of Satanism that I actually listen to is Marilyn Manson, who had a strong relationship to LaVey prior to the Black Pope's passing away. His music has been more appreciated by me personally after I discovered Satanism through LaVey's work.

Off topic somewhat, I found a symphonic metal band recently called Therion with music titles and lyrics relating to occult topics. They're pretty good, actually. The lyricist also founded a Draconian temple in Sweden (which is how I found out about the band).

 

[Liu]

It really depends. I would assume that there are a few genuine ones. Some lyrics at least make it clear that their authors have spent some time studying the occult in general.
For example, the text of the song "Rite of the Slaying Tongue" by the band Nightbringer is pretty clearly about the historic Indian Vamacaris (about the Kapalikas among others), with some metaphors and references one wouldn't understand (let alone make) if one doesn't have at least some knowledge of it. Or the albums by Shaarimoth, one of which contains invocations to Sumerian deities, the other to Qliphotic ones (both from an anti-cosmic/gnostic perspecive).
What that says about their actual beliefs is a different matter - let alone about their actual practices. But I would doubt that one would write such if one's beliefs have nothing to do with it.

 

[Kapalika]

Akercocke comes to mind first, they are progressive blackened death metal. They are real Satanists. Youtube should have a couple of interviews. Looking it up it seems the band just released a new album last month! They seem to be a very much you do you and you do me kind of group.

For a more LaVeyan flavor, there is always Acheron who has ties to the Church of Satan. Metal. I don't know much about them personally.

SickTanicK used to be a Satanist, but follows Thelema and last I checked is in the O.T.O. His earlier work was much more "shock" based but still had roots in Satanic philosophy. His earlier work is considered horrorcore but I think he considers himself "occult rap" now. He has elements of hip-hop and metal. Satan is still often part of his music.

There's a lot of random metal, electronic / EDM / industrial and rap that come close but it's hard as heck for me to tell but I suspect as such. Particularly with electro-industrial. I don't have access to my computer with my collection atm so I can't pull them up but those are the 3 that came to mind that i know for sure are Satanic. And plenty of darkpsy surely fit dark themes.

I also of course at kapalika.com make LHP/Satanic/Shaivite music. (industrial/psytrance w/ metal and some other influences).

If any more come to me I will try to remember to post here.

 

[EtuMalku]

We musicians have been aligned with the devil since time immemorial!
e.g. Paganini, Robert Johnson

The archetypes of Lucifer & Satan both personify Wisdom through Adversity, the mastery of one's carnal self and the design of sovereignty in this existence as well as the atonement with One's higher Self. When you find these principles in music then you have found Luciferian / Satanic Music.

That said, I find improvised musics to be way more Satanic than anything else as they provide the above requirements, as well as freedom of expression. Listening to a master improviser, you hear virtuosity (mastery of craft) combined with true creation (mastery of self) and moments of pure Artistry (atonement with Self).

 

[Mindmaster]

The only person in the metal scene that lives up to any form of Satanism that I actually listen to is Marilyn Manson, who had a strong relationship to LaVey prior to the Black Pope's passing away. His music has been more appreciated by me personally after I discovered Satanism through LaVey's work.

Off topic somewhat, I found a symphonic metal band recently called Therion with music titles and lyrics relating to occult topics. They're pretty good, actually. The lyricist also founded a Draconian temple in Sweden (which is how I found out about the band).

Hmm, I know a few bands that are 100% Satanist or Luciferian but Manson and Sammy Davis were just like "honorary" members, as far as I can tell. That's to say they've never had any actual public disclosure of those beliefs or involvement in any organization.

Some others:

Deicide's Glen Benton has always admitted his theistic Satanism.

Vital Remains' Brian Werner (ditto), though often nebulous about it especially when he was in TST, but pretty open about it in person/everywhere else.

Watain (Whole Band is/are/were MLO) and very open about their beliefs. Seth (the guitarist) was also in Dissection (another openly Satanic/MLO band).

Thomas Thorn (Electric Hellfire Club, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult) is a known LaVeyan Satanist.

Acheron's Vincent Crowley is a known LaVey Satanist as well.

Behemoth is completely LHP due to the themes, they hide a lot of complex stuff in their imagery/music that non-Satanists/LHP will completely miss.

Dark Funeral, Marduk, and Mayhem are also very openly Satanic...

Anyway... there is a bunch lol...

Most of these folks I've met in person, so I'm sure of their beliefs... Dunno about the rest..

 

[EtuMalku]

Hmm, I know a few bands that are 100% Satanist or Luciferian but Manson and Sammy Davis were just like "honorary" members, as far as I can tell. That's to say they've never had any actual public disclosure of those beliefs or involvement in any organization.

Some others:

Deicide's Glen Benton has always admitted his theistic Satanism.

Vital Remains' Brian Werner (ditto), though often nebulous about it especially when he was in TST, but pretty open about it in person/everywhere else.

Watain (Whole Band is/are/were MLO) and very open about their beliefs. Seth (the guitarist) was also in Dissection (another openly Satanic/MLO band).

Thomas Thorn (Electric Hellfire Club, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult) is a known LaVeyan Satanist.

Acheron's Vincent Crowley is a known LaVey Satanist as well.

Behemoth is completely LHP due to the themes, they hide a lot of complex stuff in their imagery/music that non-Satanists/LHP will completely miss.

Dark Funeral, Marduk, and Mayhem are also very openly Satanic...

Anyway... there is a bunch lol...

Most of these folks I've met in person, so I'm sure of their beliefs... Dunno about the rest..

Drummer from Tool is a Thelemite (if that counts)
Jimmy Page is a Rosicrucian

 

[VioletVortex]

We musicians have been aligned with the devil since time immemorial!
e.g. Paganini, Robert Johnson

The archetypes of Lucifer & Satan both personify Wisdom through Adversity, the mastery of one's carnal self and the design of sovereignty in this existence as well as the atonement with One's higher Self. When you find these principles in music then you have found Luciferian / Satanic Music.

That said, I find improvised musics to be way more Satanic than anything else as they provide the above requirements, as well as freedom of expression. Listening to a master improviser, you hear virtuosity (mastery of craft) combined with true creation (mastery of self) and moments of pure Artistry (atonement with Self).

I think that art is Luciferian. To me, the Left Hand Path is extreme humanism; and art reflects the teachings of humanism more than anything else. It's what separates humans from other animals; our ability to bypass our own instincts forgive purposes of pure enjoyment. That includes music, so yes, music is in essence Satanic by its own nature.

You've brought to my attention an excellent conclusion to my inquisition here. It is less important that a musician claims to be a Satanist than it is that the music itself is "Satanic", the term in that sense meaning "representative of the spirit of art". I am currently listening to the death metal band Cryptopsy, and I have to say that the music strikes me as being rather Satanic, even though I know nothing about the musicians' personal beliefs.

 

[Liu]

If we take the lyrics at face value, then there really are tons of bands that have not been mentioned yet and whose lyrics at least sometimes are not just anti-christian babble but hint at the true spirituality of their authors:

A huge part are anticosmic/gnostic Satanists: Portrait, The Devil's Blood, Arckanum and possible all those listed here: Search results - Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives

But also more generally Satanistic and/or LHP ones, e.g. Deathspell Omega, Abigor, Thy Darkened Shade, Mortuus, Black Anvil, Kult of Taurus, Inquisition, Esbbat, Schammasch, In Solitude, Chaos Invocation, Emperor, Horna, Behexen, and, arguably, Ghost,
and many many more.
I don't read that many interviews, so I don't know for sure in all cases whether the bands officially confirmed or denied their Satanism, but the lyrics speak for themselves.

 

[Kapalika]

Watain (Whole Band is/are/were MLO) and very open about their beliefs. Seth (the guitarist) was also in Dissection (another openly Satanic/MLO band).

Crap, I forgot about Watain (but I don't really listen to them). Didn't they write some book even on it?

As far as the earlier statement about Black Metal faking it... I'd say that it's more so that for many Satanism was just a vessel for them as many moved onto Scandinavian neo-paganism after that. For them it was the anti-christian sentiment that after it cooled down was a return to what they were really after, their native roots.

That said many probably still are, or new ones developing, to some degree are truly Satanic... but Satanic doesn't mean Satanist. So for both of those reasons I'm not as fast as you to say that most Black Metal acts have a Satanist or Satanists writing or performing for them. I think that the percentage of Satanist acts would be smaller than the percentage of Satanist fans, which might make the perception of them lopsided.

 

[Liu]

Crap, I forgot about Watain (but I don't really listen to them). Didn't they write some book even on it?

They published two videos about their spirituality (one in the name of the band, the other one about the vocalist alone). But I don't think they published any book.

Maybe you had in mind Shamaatae, who is the only member of Arckanum and has published several books on his chaos-gnostic beliefs.

 

[Sutekh]

Anyone listen to Obituary?