Music Industry Discussion

I was reading an issue of Metal Maniacs which is one of my fav mags that are out there when I finally realised something. Now don't get me wrong on this cause I am never one to say that music TOTALLY influences behavior but in every single issue there are people in the mail section that are looking for pen pals.

Nothing wrong with some pen pals i'm all for meeting new people and haveing a friend when you are in your time of need. Within the metal scene there are so many different types of hardcore music. You have standard death metal then hard core prog or whatever you want to call it. Some bands out there are pretty kick ass like NILE. I love NILE "Black Seeds of Vengence" is one of my all time favorite albums.

The thing about NILE though is that they don't dress anything up. They let there music speak for them. Now I don't know of anyone that was a fan of NILE going off and murdering someone or killing themselves I dare say that the reason behind this is that they themselves aren't extreme violent individuals. They sing about things that interest them and they actually study on what they are singing and not just throwing a buntch of barks out there.

I'll get to the meat of this subject at this point since it would take me forever to explain everything. In the magazine where the mail section is there are alot of people writing from Medium security prisons as well as maximum security prisons. They claim to be priests of satanism and looking for pen pals. Another says that she wants to meet other people into vampirism and black magick.

Once I saw this and I thought about all the articles I just read in the mag people actually imulate what these people are singing. They had a GREAT story on a band called The True Mayhem. Those guy's have been through hell and back and they are still pushing through. I commend them for there courage after all the bullshit and craziness they were put through.

I am not sure how it happened but a person they were going to get to play either guitar or bass guitar ended up murdering someone so he couldn't play in the band cause he was in jail. The next was a man they knew that was part of an occult simply called the MLO or the MOL something like that. Well that guy ended up killing himself. After that happened the drummer and someone else took pieces of his skull and made necklaces out of them. I understand loving someone and of course that was there reason for doing it. I respect that.

I don't think Hellhammer the drummer would ever go out of his way to slaughter someone just cause he had the urge to do it but yet alot of the fans in this scene are either trying or just by hapenstance they end up getting into trouble.

I myself had a friend who was into that style of music pretty deep. He let his life go out of control and ended up killing himself with an overdose of Lithium. The band members he played with were streight edge then all of a sudden they were out drinking up a storm and taking drugs. What prompted the behavior?

Again I hate to be a person who says that music influences people but within this genre there is a little bit of this happening. It sould just be that it's only those who already have mental issues i'm not sure which people are effected and which ones aren't but I do know that majority of people who are deeply involved in this music seem to make really really rash and bad decisions in there life. As you can read in Metal Maniacs they are in either a medium or maximum security prison.

There was one metal head in the back that made a very interesting point and even Hellhammer from Mayhem made a good quote. The guy in the mail section was asking why the hostility towards christianity. He brought up all the ones i've heard people yell before. "Oh your shoving it down my throat" blah blah blah. I personally don't care what you believe if you think the grass is blue and the sky is green then so be it. Doesn't affect me one way or the other.

He basically wanted people to just chill out. Stop trying to find excuses to get into fights. I think it was Hellhammer that stated that groups like the MLO or the MOL, Terrorists, people who strap bombs to them and blow them up around innocent people that is the real threat not christianity. I don't know why the statement ended that way but it is a good point. It's good to see someone in the metal scene that isn't promoting USELESS violence. I'm sure the guy would bash someones head in if they f**k with him and that is his god given right to but he's not gonna walk up to someone and just kill them.

I think the metal scene needs to re-think it's approach with the whole doom horseshit. Some people are just to impresionable for it. At least let people know that it's just an act it's makeup and effects nothing more nothing less. The guy's from Mayhem seem like an awesome group of guy's I wish them all the luck in the future and beyond we need more people like these guy's out there that can distinguish between Art and reality.

This question is too vague. What kind of action? Moshpit action or like killing someone?

When it comes to Mayhem and the whole Norwegian Black Metal scene - they do believe in what they write. It's not like most metal that is portraying an image or painting a picture of something they study and are interested in. The Norwegian’s are rebelling against a "repressive religious and social system" and are committing real violence in doing so.

Where I bang my head and laugh at the gore/horror in a slayer song, I don't take Norweigen Black Metal so lightly. They really believe in this sh*t.
It wouldn't surprise me that their fans do too and act it out.

There is a couple of good books out about it as well as a good look inside of the scene in the film "Metal : A Headbanger's Journey"

I answered the poll Q yes I feel music can and does "influence" That does not infer that the nusic is responsable for the stupidity of action of the listener. criminals seek validation just as do all people and it is well know if not spoken that (in general) people into black majic vaparism etc. are easy marks for most forms of mind control or manipulation. This is why the prison populations seek them out. The old saying that If you dont stand for something you will fall for anything, has much validity. Bottom line stupid people do stupid sh*t. and they alone are responsable for those actions.

I must say yes as well. Music has a strong influence on people. I know that when Metallica released "Fade to Black," that people were killing themselves to the song because of its depressing meaning. F**king insane if you ask me.

Some people let music influence them too deeply. Some music can be very inspirational, that is one thing, but when it becomes an influence of bad qualities, that is another.

I do not think anyone should take music too seriously, when you do you get sucked up into it and wind up emulating its lyrical content.

That is my take on it.

Peace out, GuitarAnatomy.

Guitaranatomy,
Your post brought back a memory...back in the day I was a HUGE Metallica fan. WHen the news hit of Cliff's death my friends and I were doing alot of drugs and drinking in his honor, listening to Ride...we all thought about killing ourselves over the idea Metallica would break up.

LOL - Now that I'm older, I reflect on what complete dumbasses we were.

I had no other point to make, just commenting on the memory you triggered. LMAO!

Glad your still with us Chris.

Lmao! Holy sh*t man, I cannot believe you guys actually thought about killing yourselves over Metallica's break up. Heck, they came back with Jason Newsted, he was not half bad. The only problem was you could barely hear him on And Justice For All, but he was great on The Black Album (AKA Metallica).


I do not think I have ever been influenced by a band in a bad way, at least not that I can recall in my 19 years.

Thanks for sharing the story.

Peace out, GuitarAnatomy.

I thought about killing myself when I heard "and Justice For all" with Jason Newstead. lol

Or was that killing Jason? lol

In any case.... LOL

Lmao. That poor guy takes a lot of slack.

He is a good bassist in my opinion, although it is funny how he barely ever uses his fingers. He is very strict to using that pick.

I played bass with a pick as well. It is all about what you are comfortable with/ style you play in.

Gimme a break!

"The devil made me do it!"

Music, novels, visual art...these are ways to vent, sometimes. If ppl are so stupid that they are swayed by the arts to commit suicide or harm other ppl, they're only proving Darwin was right, & they need to be removed from intelligent polite society.

The artist does not become responsible for every nutcase out there who hears voices. If the artist wants to vent, let him vent.

It's up to the audience to take what they can out of the result. It is thier responsibility to do the right thing. After all, the artist found a way to deal with those negative energies. Shouldn't his audience be expected to do the same?

I'll agree with you for sure philbymon. My old man was fond of saying the best censor was the Top Left button (off Button on our old TV)
Seems like a bunch of folk today want something else to be responsable for their stupidity.

philbymon, you're right but there is some resposability to the artist if they are instructing their fans to act. It goes beyond "venting".
Such as the extreme death metal bands in Europe that rally their fans to go out and burn down churches and commit acts of violence.
That goes far beyond "art" or "expression" - I'm not talking about stuff like Ozzy singing "Suicide Solution" but extremists using music as a pulpit to insight their fans.
IMO - it's no diferent than someone motivating/instigating a mob to go and riot.
Yes - the followers who commit those deeds are gullable and idiots but they were manipulated and put into action.

So where does one draw the line, hmm?

Are you condoning (GASP!!) censorship?

Seriously, there have always been the wierdos, outcasts, & false prophets calling for violence & chaos.

I, personally, have some very strong opinions about our government and our society, & would love to see changes across the board.

Should my views be censored as well?

Nah...that's like saying tha Thomas Painne was wholly responsible for the American revolution, cuz he printed some pamphlets urging ppl to act.

There will always be stupid sheep willing to follow any pied piper, yes. But I hold to my opinion that it isn't necessarilly the piper's fault if they are so gullible as to follow through on his "devil's music."

(Please note that I am not saying that those who revolted against the monarchy were stupid sheep...I happen to hold our founding fathers in very high esteem, unlike our present gov't, our school systems, our courts, etc.)

If left alone, the market will decide whether or not these morons will have a say on the airwaves, or a podium in your local pub.

There has always been, & will always be, the underground; a place for these radical mouthpieces of disorder.

Arm yourself appropriately against them, but don't hunt them down untli they act. And don't bother to muzzle 'em...They're kinda cute, in an angry little shrewish sorta way.