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Is it hypocritcal to listen to both Christian music and death metal?

Wow this blew up... I'll touch on the christian music side of things. For me I don't personally associate myself with any religion really but I do believe in the possibility of some sort of higher power. To be honest spirituality is something I sort of struggle with but I think a lot of people do but just don't admit it. If there is a god I don't think of the old guy with a grey beard up on clouds casting people to hell or letting them into heaven. I think that if there is a god he she or it isn't going to be anything like people's interpretation.

With that said I despise most christian music because it's too preachy, cheesy and just talentless in general, but there are some artists that I think make genuinely good music and while it may have a message they don't go overboard and bash people over the head with it. I think the guy from Switchfoot put it best...

"We've always been very open and honest about where the songs are coming from. For us, these songs are for everyone. Calling us 'Christian rock' tends to be a box that closes some people out and excludes them, and that's not what we're trying to do. Music has always opened my mind—and that's what we want".

Either way, while I don't consider myself a christian I do get an uplifting or spiritual feeling from some of it for lack of better terms. This song would be a good example...



So while I don't consider myself a christian I respect people that do as long as they aren't judgemental. On the split side of things I also listen to music by people that have burned down churches and killed people but for me it isn't an issue because I don't have to like the person to like their art. There's plenty of famous painters poets and the like that were less than savory people but people are still able to admire their art. For me music is no different.
 
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I must admit I didn't know the difference between black metal and death metal. People say death metal was invented in Norway, but maybe that's black metal. I believe Vikernes calles himself an "Odinist" these days but that could be a word for any pagan/witch craft religion. Maybe he just thinks it sounds respectable.
 
You're getting black metal and death metal mixed up. Death metal definitely didn't originate from Norway. Although it's origins are somewhat debatable, it's basically Norway that originated what most people think of as black metal. Venom (an English band) made a record titled Black Metal but it would be considered thrash metal by today's standards. As far as Odinism, it's not synonymous with just any form of paganism. It's a specific type.
 
All of that passed me by since I was more into alternative rock bands, like Radiohead. Speaking of which, Thom Yorke briefly mocks Christ in the beginning of one of their first videos, maybe as a bid for fame. But most rock stars do some kind of symbology like that, even if it's just displaying pentagrams, or whatever.
 
alasdairm said:
why?

you're essentially saying that it's not possible to listen to something without agreeing with it. that's absurd.

alasdair
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Not quite what i meant.
Of course, music is music and can be enjoyed for its own sake. I said it "could" be hypocritical if it is viewed as such.

Personally I think most death metal is about as boring as the watered down christian pop on the other end of the spectrum.
 
The satanic themes of black metal never bothered me, and I've stopped really even noticing them. Its atmspheric. These guys are no more satanic monsters than the director of the Exorcist.

I have wondered whether I should struggle with some of the far-right black metal artists. I don't especially like that many of them, but of course Burzum is probably my favorite black metal band and he is an extreme far-right, racist nutcase. At the end of the day, I have paid money for his music but I only enjoy the music, I find everything else about him pretty abhorrent. Though his bizarre beliefs enhance the weirdness of much of his earlier music. I used to feel uncomfortable, I really don't anymore, I listen to a smattering of music by awful people. Whatever.0

Ninae said:
I must admit I didn't know the difference between black metal and death metal. People say death metal was invented in Norway, but maybe that's black metal. I believe Vikernes calles himself an "Odinist" these days but that could be a word for any pagan/witch craft religion. Maybe he just thinks it sounds respectable.
Click to expand...

He actually describes it as Odalism. Amongst other things, he has a belief that true Nordic people are either related to polar bears and neanderthals. He's batshit.

Musical genius in the truest sense though.

 
Maybe I'll check his blog out. It sounds entertaining. He seems like he was out of this world when he was young already.
 
Weird stuff. I wonder what SKL thinks ;)
 
/\ What do you think about Antestor? Apparently they caused some stir in the Norwegian black metal scene when it first was starting lol...

Crush Evil era

In 1990, the band was formed under the name "Crush Evil" by Lars Stokstad, Kjetil Molnes, Øyvind Hope and Erling Jørgensen in Jessheim, Norway. Paul W joined them as a drummer later on. Back then, the band's music style was a mixture of death metal, doom metal, and thrash metal.[7] In 1991, they recorded and released their first demo, The Defeat of Satan, which contains three songs and an outro. The band is Christian and over the course of their career have received death threats because of this.[8]

The existence of the band itself caused a debate in the metal underground. For example, during the early 1990s, Bård Faust of Emperor brought up the subject when he discussed with Euronymous, guitarist/vocalist from the seminal black metal band Mayhem, in his zine Orcustus about the Norwegian scene.[9] Faust asked: "Don't you think that something is terribly wrong when it has gone so far that we have a Christian "death metal" band here (Crush Evil)? Any advice on how we should kill them?"[9] Euronymous replied to this: "It's bad enough to have a couple of society bands, but a Christian band is too much. But don't worry, we have plans. They will not continue for a very long time."[9] However, the band persevered despite these threats. Antestor was never forced to split apart, and in an almost ironic twist of fate, Jan Axel Blomberg (better known as Hellhammer, the drummer for Mayhem) was Antestor's session drummer on their latest two releases.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antestor

Trve Kvlt Unblack Metal!!!...



I found more...

 
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Seems like nationalism and racism is his main interest these days. Must be a fun way to live your life. It's true they are ruining Europe, though, as anyone can see. Seems like no one has heard of moderation.
 
^Who's ruining Europe?

Nutty, never got into Antestor. Mainly due to their Christianity! ;)
 
Found this better than a lot of new black metal bands out there imo. I think you at least gotta admit that they got some chops...

 
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