A
Anonymous
Guest
February 1978, British Heavy Metal band “Judas Priest” release their fourth studio album, “Stained Class”.
December, 1985, Nevada schoolboys James Vance & Ray Belkap shoot themselves. Belkap dies instantly, while Vance survives for 3 years before eventually succumbing to the same fate…
January 1981, Ex Black Sabbath vocalist “Ozzy Osbourne” realesed his first solo album titled “The Blizzard of Oz”
1984 – ’87, Three separate teenagers commit suicide and Ozzy is held responsible in the court of law for “assisting” them by means of “subliminal messages”.
August 1985, Thrash Metal band Slayer release their second studio album, “Hell Awaits”.
July 1995, Three teenage boys (Royce Casey, Jacob Delashmutt & Joseph Fiorella) rape and murder 15 year old Elyse Pahler and finally “sacrifice her to the devil”.
In all three aforementioned cases, the band/artist was held responsible. In all three cases, the cases were dismissed/rejected for various reasons.
Now those of you who know me, will know that I’m a very dedicated fan of heavy metal music, and so, I feel my views on this issue would be biased. However, I ask you… Is music to blame here?
Is it the supposed hidden meaning behind these “evil lyrics” and their apparent satanistic performers?
Be it Marilyn Manson being blamed for the ’99 Coulumbine shootings, or even the relatively new cases of people blaming video-games (case in point being the ever popular “Grand Theft Auto” series)
Is it simply a case of misinterpretation, or does the root lie deeper?
Are parents using music as a scapegoat here? Shunning their own responsibilities and failures onto music or other forms of popular entertainment?
Or is it just a case of the young mind gone astray? Depression & drugs making the final call on the disillusioned youth?
Who do you hold responsible in such cases?
December, 1985, Nevada schoolboys James Vance & Ray Belkap shoot themselves. Belkap dies instantly, while Vance survives for 3 years before eventually succumbing to the same fate…
***
January 1981, Ex Black Sabbath vocalist “Ozzy Osbourne” realesed his first solo album titled “The Blizzard of Oz”
1984 – ’87, Three separate teenagers commit suicide and Ozzy is held responsible in the court of law for “assisting” them by means of “subliminal messages”.
***
August 1985, Thrash Metal band Slayer release their second studio album, “Hell Awaits”.
July 1995, Three teenage boys (Royce Casey, Jacob Delashmutt & Joseph Fiorella) rape and murder 15 year old Elyse Pahler and finally “sacrifice her to the devil”.
***
In all three aforementioned cases, the band/artist was held responsible. In all three cases, the cases were dismissed/rejected for various reasons.
Now those of you who know me, will know that I’m a very dedicated fan of heavy metal music, and so, I feel my views on this issue would be biased. However, I ask you… Is music to blame here?
Is it the supposed hidden meaning behind these “evil lyrics” and their apparent satanistic performers?
Be it Marilyn Manson being blamed for the ’99 Coulumbine shootings, or even the relatively new cases of people blaming video-games (case in point being the ever popular “Grand Theft Auto” series)
Is it simply a case of misinterpretation, or does the root lie deeper?
Are parents using music as a scapegoat here? Shunning their own responsibilities and failures onto music or other forms of popular entertainment?
Or is it just a case of the young mind gone astray? Depression & drugs making the final call on the disillusioned youth?
Who do you hold responsible in such cases?