Double Standards in Music Do Not Work

It has never been a hidden fact to the world that in the United States metal has been relegated to the back alley venues and footnotes of the annals of music. It is chastised when someone that has the smallest bit of relation to the music does something wrong and is never given credit for the good it does, both socially and musically. For every nutbag like Varg Vikernes (crazy Nazi/arsonist/murderer/douchebag) there are several groups like Riffs Not Riots who generally promote good vibes through harsh music. The strange thing is that when looking at mainstream music, the “artists” that are most popular tend to do some pretty awful stuff all the time and the masses seem to only care for a short period of time then welcome them back with open arms. Take for example Chris Brown, a generic R&B singer who beat his girlfriend to a bloody pulp but still is loved by thousands of people, mainly women!! In today’s society it is absolutely horrific that someone can display that type of behavior and not be vilified for life. But that double standard does not work for metal musicians. If a genuinely talented person who plays metal music does something that is against the social norms of the general populace, they are slandered. And this is mainly because metal music and its participants are labeled as degenerates, as lowlifes not worthy of praise.


I bring this up because of some recent events in Poland, where one of metal’s most beloved men has been kicked off of a nationally broadcasted show. We all know that metal in Europe is much more appreciated by a broader spectrum of people than here in the US, but they can still fall into the same pitfalls. Behemoth’s Nergal was hired to be a judge on “The Voice of Poland,” a singing competition that is similar to “American Idol” and the countless other comparable shows. It is amazing that a musician like Nergal would even be considered in the first place, but the downfall that came to him was a similar story to that of many previous metal aficionados. They are standing up for something they believe in and are showcasing it in a way that is normal for performers, yet when the moral majority decides it’s against what they believe in they get their way. So when Nergal decided to demonstrate his beliefs against organized religion on stage in front of people who paid to be there, who wanted to be there, his high profile gig was taken away from him. Its not like he went on national tv and started spouting ignorant rants to fans and non-fans alike, he was simply performing in the same way he has for years to an audience that knew what he was about and paid to be there. What I am assuming is that there is no such thing as freedom of speech in Poland and that anyone standing up for their own beliefs are liable to anyone. But the really sad thing is, its not even the government that is trying to put a stop to Nergal this time (he was put on trial for tearing up a Bible on stage during one of Behemoth’s shows in Poland, which he was found not guilty). This time it is the Catholic Church imposing their will on a television production company. There were no laws being broken, just one group of people saying no to someone and others following suit. I have a problem with this as I am a Catholic, and I find it terrible that the Church would do something like this towards someone who simply does not believe in the same thing they do.

What I am getting at with all this ranting is that I cannot stand double standards in any form. Music is art and musicians should be able to perform in any way they want, assuming no physical harm comes to anyone. When rap stars are getting arrested for gun offenses, pop stars are getting arrested for drug charges, and r&b stars are getting arrested for battery against their girlfriends yet are still loved by thousands, it makes me sad. Highly talented musicians that happen to play music that is not palatable to the majority of Americans automatically makes them degenerates. However, people that perform other people’s music that is mind numbingly boring and predictable gives them a pass on being horrible people. I always hear people on tv crying for tolerance yet they are not willing to open their minds to something new. Metal music is not an easily digested music form and it takes time to fully understand what it is, yet when people do, they are changed for life.