It’s a late Friday evening, which means whilst everyone else is out either getting laid or getting drunk, I’m once again stuck inside, writing for Dose of Metal and publishing this week’s Friday Top 10.
Metal as a genre is undoubtedly one that is full of controversies, stories of self-mutilation, murder, drugs and religious intolerance. Sure, these are often unjustified criticisms directed at the genre by conservative morons, and I am by no means trying to play into these idiots’ hands, but the purpose of this Top 10 is going to revel in some of the “edgier” sides of Metal.
So if you’re interested in reading about some of the more controversial, notorious and outrageous Rock and Metal acts, then just make the motherfucking jump.
10. Skrewdriver
Poor old Ian Stuart Donaldson, the “brain washing”, “Marxist”, “biased”, “leftist” media and society never was kind to this articulate and intelligent individual responsible for some of the most technical and important Rock music of all time.
That’s something along the line of what members of neo-Nazi group Stormfront may write, but for the purposes of intelligent individuals, here’s a quick translation: Ian Stuart Donaldson was the mentally-challenged frontman of the retarded fish-frog band, Skrewdriver. As regulars on the bonehead British National Front scene, the band continued to produce some of the most revolting racist and anti-Semitic crap, until Donaldson died in 1993. In addition, the band were well known for attracting violence at shows, and it has been reported that Bob Geldof was knocked unconscious by a friend of Donaldson at a show.
In their near 20 years career, the band failed to write anything close to what can be called actual music, but thanks to the Jewish cover band (with an anti-racist spin), Jewdriver, a top laugh can be had by all.
9. Shining
Shining are a band I’ve only recently discovered, but they are quickly becoming favorites of mine. The band are a Progressive suicidal Black Metal band. What makes them “suicidal” Black Metal band, you may ask. Well, that right there is the reason for Shining’s inclusion in this list.
The band actively encourage and condone both self-harm and suicide. In particular the band’s frontman even promised that he will take his own life before not too long. At one point it seemed that this had happened, when it had been reported that Niklas Kvarforth had killed himself. The band promised they would continue with a new singer, known only as ‘Ghoul’.
When the band played their ‘comeback’ show it was revealed that Ghoul was actually Niklas, and the whole thing was faked. During the show razor blades were handed to the crowd, who were encouraged to cut and attack Niklas. The manic vocalist, Niklas, was covered in cuts and his own blood.
8. Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy might seem like a bit of a softy these days, and a bit pedestrian compared to some of the other acts in this list, but Metal is one genre that should never forget its roots. Back in the day, Ozzy and Black Sabbath were more than capable of kicking up a fair bit of fuss and controversy.
Everyone, of course, remembers the certain bat biting incident, but that wasn’t the only time Ozzy has been reported to bite the head off of an animal. Ozzy has also allegedly (and unlike the bat incident) intentionally bitten the head off of a dove whilst meeting his new record company CBS in 1981. He’s also been arrested for pissing on the Alamo while wearing one of wife Sharon’s dresses.
And then there was the time Ozzy was sued by the parents of teenager John McCollum, who killed himself in 1984, because they claimed that Ozzy’s song ’Suicide Solution’ had encouraged the suicide. Speaking of such suits…
7. Judas Priest
Much like Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest again may seem a little pedestrian, but if you can cast your minds back to 1990, you may remember a huge court case centering around the band being sued for two boys’ attempt at suicide in Nevada (one succeeded in his attempt, the other didn’t).
The song in question, ‘Better By You Better Than Me’, allegedly contained a subliminal message that said “do it, do it” when played in reverse. The claims were obviously bullshit, and Rob Halford’s defence put things into perspective with ease. ‘We would have inserted “buy more of our records” if we knew how’. The case was subsequently dismissed.
Perhaps the most shocking act the band have ever pulled however, is possibly the infamous “farewell tour” of 2011 of which isn’t actually signalling the end of the band, despite K.K. Downing pulling out before the farewell tour even took place.
6. W.A.S.P.
Nothing kicks up a fuss like releasing a debut single with the title ‘Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)’, featuring a cover of a woman and canine involved in a sex act. The song itself kick started a campaign by lame ass soccer moms to have Rock music censored. The campaign in question fucking sucked a fat one.
The songs are just the start of W.A.S.P.’s controversy though. It’s the live shows that gained them the most notoriety, with naked women being whipped on torture racks, and live rats being thrown into meat grinders, that sprayed the audience with the blood and guts of the decimated rats.
5. GG Allin
Dose of Metal writer, Guido, once claimed that GG Allin was perhaps the most fucked up man on this planet, so why would he only make number 5 on my list? Well it’s mostly because whilst he was attempting to provoke moral outrage, trying to attack the crowd at his shows, and trying to rape or force women to orally pleasure him, whilst throwing his own excrement at people, most of the world sat by, shrugged their shoulders and thought “what a prize twat”. Plus his music was shit. He was arrested a few times, and eventually died at a party (or something).
4. Rammstein
Since Rammstein formed in 1994, the band have continued to create much controversy and face backlash from the media. Til and Flake have even spent a night in jail for one of their performances in Worcester, Massachusetts, in which Til used a oversized dildo to ejaculate onto Flake, who was ballgagged.
In addition to the controversial sexual images the band have been known to use, they have often been accused as holding fascist and Nazi sympathies, which the band have long denied. Rammstein have said they don’t want to be viewed as “political”, but when it comes down to it, they’re closer to the left than the right of the political spectrum. That didn’t stop the original Herzeleid cover being banned in America, for depicting the bandmembers in a similar style to that of Strength Through Joy.
3. Slayer
Yeah, you know what this one is going to be about right? It’s the whole “Slayer are Nazis” and “Slayer are Satanists” thing. Despite rejecting both of these belief systems, the accusations have never stopped. Their shows were once met with protests and violence, their 1986 classic Reign in Blood was rejected by their original record label and the song ‘Angel of Death’ which described the shocking acts of German SS officer Josef Mengele.
The controversy didn’t stop there, like Ozzy and Judas Priest, Slayer were also sued (in 1996) by parents of Elyse Pahler, who was murdered in 1995 by three insane Slayer fans.
2. Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth have done such awesome things as impaled sheep heads on stakes at their shows, leaving litres and litres of blood pouring into the stage, and having naked men and women crucified on stage. Normally this kind of thing is the sort of porn I’d be searching for, if I wasn’t worried about people thinking I was weird. This stage show was exactly what the band put on in Poland though, being recorded for DVD, but it was put to a stop by Polish police, the band were arrested and the footage confiscated. Damn, I’ll never get to see that DVD 🙁
Former frontman Gaahl has also been known for his controversial ideologies. Having once sympathised with Nazi ideologies (although later dismissing these beliefs), and claiming to being a Satanist (but again dismissing this belief system) didn’t go down very well with many religious groups.
1. Varg Vikerness (Burzum)/Mayhem
Well this had to make number one, didn’t it? With just a few musicians, we have stories of suicide, death and violence. Not only was Burzum’s Varg Vikerness arrested for countless church burnings in the early 1990s, but it was the chilling murder of Mayhem guitarist Euronymous that led to his conviction and sentence of 21 years. Varg is also known as a prominent neo-Nazi and argues against what he considers Americanization, racial-mixing and capitalism.
It doesn’t end there either. On top of murder, Mayhem’s frontman, the aptly named ‘Dead’, committed suicide in 1991 and left a note apologizing for the blood (his sense of humor is nearly as dark as mine). It was later revealed that Euronymous took pictures of the corpse before calling the police, so he could use it as a future album cover. Euronymous also made necklaces with bits of Dead’s skull. Gruesome huh?
