Despite the fact that almost none of these bands ever sold as many records as a lukewarm Captain and Tennille album, the phenomenon was taken very seriously by the media and churches; the 1980's weren't the 1960's. The conservative 80's saw a bizarre anti-Satanic grassroots wellspring, which ultimately became one of the great witch hunts (literal) of the last couple of hundred years. Using "recovered memory therapy", stories of ritual satanic abuse and sacrifice wound up circulating on TV talk shows; if all of the accusations had been correct, satanic ritual sacrifice was the #3 killer of Americans in the US, ahead of homicide and just behind cancer and heart disease. Yet, no cadre of ritual sacrificers were found, no evidence, no bodies.
While these accusations and the methods that brought out these "memories" have since been discredited (after ruining numerous lives of the unjustly accused), they helped to illustrate what a powerful signifier satanism is in the imaginations of the simplest of people; as a result, satanic rock didn't just not go away, it once again entered the mainstream; Motley Crue had a huge seller with Shout at The Devil. Slayer incorporated a pentagram into their logo. The Christian rock act Stryper became something of the anti-Satanic metal band, tossing bibles to the audience.
The suicides of some rock listeners after listening to albums by Judas Priest and Ozzy Osbourne helped lend the PMRC some muscle, which played a hand in getting their rating stickers on CD's. During the witch-hunt years, back-masking, the technique of recording subliminal messages backwards on an album, gained attention. At first, it was claimed that "Stairway to Heaven" played backwards concealed Satanic exhortations. Then other songs, until, perhaps as an example of how the anti-Satanists were truly grasping at straws, it was announced that the theme to the TV series "Mr. Ed" also hid a Satanic message.
Naturally, some bands decided to try this gimmick after hearing these stories. However, psychology has never accepted backwards masking as a way of instilling a subliminal suggestion; brains don't process backwards sounds very well.
Part IV: Satanism in rock today
Today, rock audiences are a little more sophisticated than they once were, and it takes more to shock. Marilyn Manson was rumored to be a minister in the Church of Satan, and persued a shock agenda, which included his choice of stage name. Rob Zombie is another dabbler in luciferian imagery. However, after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, there seems to have been yet another waning in Satanic concerns (suggesting that Satanism may be the pastime of the idle middle-class; when survival becomes an issue, Satanism suddenly loses its allure).
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Al Barger
UAO, this is an outstanding historical overview. Good work.
I note that this quote is definitely more an argument of Satanism in the pop group than of cleanliness in the Satanic group. "And the Carpenters are just as Satanic as Venom."
However, I think that perhaps you missed the most Truly Satanic singer in the land.
2 - Michael J. West
Quite excellent, indeed. I learned some stuff!
What do you think about the darker stuff like Roky Erickson's The Evil One or Skinny Puppy's The Process, which also flirt with satanic imagery but don't have the glammy overtones?
I was also reminded of Funkadelic's America Eats Its Young, with the liner notes by Process Church of the Final Judgement...but then again, liner notes don't really count, do they?
3 - Guppusmaximus
Uao,
Very Good!!! Cheers.... Ofcourse, here's my feedback: Even though Venom may have put Satanistic themed music on the map for us "severely disaffected " youth, it was Slayer who apitimized the exploitation of Satan in Metal for mere profit. King Diamond was another figure who brought the satanistic theme into a Drama set. Kind of like Queen meets Lucifer...but overall, The band Deicide was the only Metal band in the early 90's who had actual Satanists that broke through into the mainstream...
4 - Vern Halen
Great article - only one correction: I believe the saying is, "Never trust anyone UNDER thirty." Yeah, I'm pretty sure about that one.........
5 - uao
doh! Thanks Vern Halen. Me and my typing.
And thanks everyone else; this was a very tricky topic to address and research. There's a lot of rubbish from Christians and Satanists on the internet, but I couldn't find any kind of sober article on just, historically, what the connection between Satanism and rock was. So, this is a step in that direction.
The really scary stuff are the Norwegian scenes, which is already the subject of a couple of books.
Slayer was more prominant overall in rock in the 80's; I gave Venom a little more attention as they debuted a little earlier. Didn't mean to slight Slayer, though.
6 - Al Barger
Yes UAO, this was a good step in the direction of starting to untangle and define the Satanic influence.
But you're missing the real stuff, Satan wise. You start with the argument that those who openly profess Satanism in their music really aren't Satanic.
Consider then an alternate view. Perhaps their is no ONE being who is Satan. I could well imagine that "Satan" is really a committee.
Obviously, the chairman of that committee is Kenny Rogers. Is he or is he not the face of true evil? Of course, he has junior members of prominent standing on the committe with him, such as Garth Brooks, the anti-Hank.
Why don't you look into them? Wonder what kind of backwards masked messages you'd get out of "Coward of the County." What's this? "Shop at Wal-Mart. Vote Republican. Go see a Tom Cruise movie. Become a Scientologist."
7 - Guppusmaximus
UAO,
Don't get me wrong...Excellent Article!! I was just saying that Slayer was the Britney Spears of Satanic Pop...lol:) As for Kenny Rogers, He is just Pure Evil.... Very Scary.
8 - uao
Michael West--
A fuller history would have to include more on industrial rock, Skinny Puppy, etc.; they've always been on the Satanic fringe. Genesis POrrige of Psychick TV used plenty of Satanic devices and moved in some satanic circles. As noted in the article, Trent Reznor had a Manson fixation.
Funkadelic did indeed include liner notes by the Process Church; that could go in there, too. It's part of the packaging.
I haven't heard the Roky Erikson album you menison; I mostly just know 13th Fl. Elevators. But I'll look into it; been meaning to get to him for awhile.
Al Barger:
Well, LaVey saw Satan as ambient energy in the universe which makes more sense to me than a deposed diety. So sure, that makes Kenny Rogers satanic.
And again, a Satanist will tell you that strumming a single chord is Satanic; it's done for no other purpose than pleasure, like all the best things in Satanic life.
Personally I always thought the Carpenters were Satanic, and still do even, even though they'd be appalled at the notion.
Guppusmaximus:
I'm going to look into some of the bands you mentioned in your first post; someday, I'd like to flesh this piece out more. Thanks!
9 - Vern Halen
My understanding about Roky Erikson was that he faked schizoprenia to avoid the draft, but then became an LSD casualty. He came to believe that vampire aliens were coming after him or something weird like that. So, if he's mentally wrecked, I don't know if that qualifies as true Satanism or not. He had a few good but lyrically odd tunes: Before in the Beginning, Two Headed Dog, etc., but most people will never hear them - he'll always be on to the fringes of rock 'n' roll.
10 - Andrew Ian Dodge
Good over-view of the Satanic metal movement. The one thing that has always made me laugh is those who don't get that venom were seriously taking the piss. They never took themselves too seriously; course that could be said for quite a few of the extreme/black metal bands in Norway and other parts of Scandinavia. After I know of a band that insisted on going on first at a major gig (Inferno London) even thought they headlined so they could go fishing!
BTW I have met a few satanists in my time; they tend to be collosal bores. Rather like their happy-clappy opponents actually....funny dat!
11 - godoggo
Since a good 50%+ of my tastes in rock music center around bands from the LA punk scene when I was in high school, the 2 Satanic bands that come to mind are the Flesheaters and Christian Death.
Regarding the former, I remember reading that some TV preacher waved their A Minute To Pray, A Second To Die album before the camera while (just a moment, thesaurus.com time) seething that "You can buy this trash at K-Mart!" which took me pleasantly by surprise. This was the X/Blasters lineup, whose rockabilly image in the album photo were kind of at odds with all the occult gobbledygook that surrounded it, or so it seemed to me.
Regarding Christian Death, I was a fan mainly because they had bitchen punk rock guitarist Rik Agnew from the Adolescents. In any case, at least one member (bassist I think) took the Satan stuff pretty seriously, as I recall reading him say after he'd repented. Which brings us to what makes me most uncomfortable about Satanism: my suspicion that inside the belly of every believer lies a Christian waiting to be born again.
12 - uao
I'm an Angeleno myself godoggo, and have always been interested in the history of LA-area music too.
In fact, for one year I worked at a cemetery in Hollywood where Roz Williams' cremated remains are on display in a columbarium with some poetry and pics and things. I used to have to dust the columbarium daily (I have a much better job elsewhere now), so I saw Roz (and fan-pilgrims who came to the cemetery) all the time.
I always thought of Christian Death as Goth more than Satanic, but now that you mention it, Only Theater Of Pain did have some fairly explicitly Satanic songs on it. So they could qualify too.
I've actually never heard the Flesheaters (not sure I've even heard of them although I know X and the Blasters well). I'll look into them too, thanks!
13 - godoggo
Of course, there was no such word as "Goth" then. Meanwhile, all these bouncy young Suicide Girls just look like punk rock chicks to me. I'm starting to understand where Billy Joel was coming from back in the day.
14 - tony
what are you kidding me?? a lot of those bands were not satan worshippers and especially the blues thats deff. not i just think its dumb you actually take time to do this stuff
15 - LEE
FUCK SATAN! HE SUCKS... BUT I LOVE HIM.. REMEMBER HIM ALWAYS...
16 - Sully
Chuck (Garvey) is Satan!
17 - StingK
It may well be that I'm just drunk but, I'd just like to say that this was a fascinating article. :)
Got any more?
18 - rotting angel
Satan is something or it isn't but peopple that follow him are really lost in a world of shit drugs and rock and roll .they follow it no matter if it suks .They need Jesus or the list a Psycologist .Follow nobady
19 - satan fuckin rules
dude yall forgot so many bands cradle of filth job for acowbor and lots more dam yalls arent even really satanic
20 - Jeff
Awesome article, blues is very symbolically satanic, and I mean that in the most artistically positive way possible. Satanic rock is not religious in my views, but rather just a way to be symbolically rebellious towards the white establishment. The white youth of the 60's dissented from what it is to be a "white" American. So ironically, Satanic Rock is about equality, and requires an open mind to discern the "evil" in it.
21 - Will Brennan
Great article. There was blues guitarist who Robert Johnson actually mentored with during that year he disappeared. But he was devil haunted, that's for sure. Some of the Norwegian bands are the real thing. I like Bob Dylan's line, "I accept chaos. I'm not sure whether chaos accepts me." The universe is a complicated thing.
22 - lazar
good work,lot of facts.I love rock so God help us all! Greeting from Serbia
23 - Gravy
Great article.
The Norway bands are no more or less "evil" than anything else, there are a few morons that exist anywhere. Most Norway satanic bands are about anti-christianity, not hurting people.
Venom, if you read their website, was all about the "show" as is Rob Zombie. It's like classic horror, only musically.
As, of course previously mentioned in the article and this blog, ALL music is about the show, and done for personal pleasure, and is, thus, satanic.
Think of that next time you sing "Silent Night" after Christmas Ham!
24 - Tyler
ok,ok this is a load of bull, Music has no effect on your religion. im a christian and i listen to rock/heavy metal. Led Zeppelin is my favorite band, it is just that the church is to hypocritical.
25 - Marilyn Manson
My life is gooood and my music is better than my every aspect of life.