Blasphemous assault: A content analysis on the anti-Christian semantics in black metal music

Abstract

The study is a content analysis of three prominent “Black Metal” bands and the sensitive anti religious content of two selected songs from each album belonging to each of the various artists. The study also provided a brief background for each artist, the chosen songs and its corresponding albums. The chosen artists, two selected songs and the albums are as follows: Gorgoroth’s The Devil is Calling, Revelation of Doom from Under the Sign of Hell (1997), Urgehal’s Goatcraft Torment, Gathered under the Horns from Goatcraft Torment (2006) and Deiphago’s Filipino Antichrist and Satan, Semen and Blood from Filipino Antichrist (2009). Black Metal in general is an extreme sub-genre of Heavy Metal that includes traits such as fast tempos, high-pitched shrieking vocal styles, heavily distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, raw recording, unconventional song structures, and an emphasis on atmosphere. Lyrical themes and concepts commonly portray Satanism and Anti-Christianity as a driving force in the artistic background of Black Metal. The study provided a description in the history of Satanism. It also stated the practice of Satanism based upon the works of Anton Szanor LaVey and the involvement of the Church of Satan.