Pagan Metal and the (perceived) unfortunate racist connection.

OK, so this is a bit of a touchy subject, but one I feel compelled to write about, especially since learning that one of my favourite pagan metal bands has decided to alter their own logo in attempt to appease the ignorant masses. You see, as I mentioned in my previous blog Latvia’s Skyforger have removed the Latvian thunder cross symbol that made up part of their logo. The reason for this is apparently due to the constant negative comments and reactions they had received from people who had perceived it, and the band of being racist. Of course, this is far from the reality of the situation. The symbol in question is a variation of the swastika, but not in the Nazi sense, of course as that would be racist. The swastika is actually a symbol that has been used throughout the world for thousands of years, and in Europe the sun cross, for example, is a pagan symbol that has existed since the Bronze Age and therefore pre-dates Christianity by a considerable length of time. The fact that the band felt the need to remove it is a sad indictment of our current, modern fascination with so-called “political correctness”. People need to actually do a little research before pointing the finger at others. Now, I am not for a moment, advocating racism, but the facts are that Europe, as a continent, has a very rich and varied cultural history going back many thousands of years, and we should all be proud of this, and should preserve this heritage at all costs, and without being made to feel guilty for it. What do we have to feel guilty about? As far as I can see, the answer is nothing. I am all for immigration at all levels (OK, maybe not illegal), and feel that people should have the right to settle wherever they please, providing they have the means to provide for themselves, and that they respect the culture, history, heritage and traditions of the country they are moving to. For the most part, however, the majority of people are more than willing to do this, and it is, in fact, the people in charge of the country and the do-gooders that are responsible for making us feel shameful about our own traditions and, in many cases, for banning them for fear of offending those non-natives.  They are instilling themselves as the moral guardians, and are, in most cases, wrongly assuming that they are doing what is “best” for people.

But, I am getting away from my own point a little here. The problem is that, it is the ignorant, hateful and downright disgusting behaviour of a very small minority within the black metal scene that is ruining the perception of the genre as a whole, not just from the perception of the general public, but also from other quarters within the metal spectrum. I am talking, mainly of the NSBM (National Socialist Black Metal) sub-genre, although this frankly scary attitude does not end with them, and is present throughout the black metal genre (and it’s myriad sub-genres). The problem this causes is that bands, such as Skyforger, Glittertind, Forefather, and many others that write about national pride, get accused of racism. What is racist about being proud of the country that you live in, and that your ancestors lived in? What is racist about singing of the natural beauty around you, or of long gone customs, traditions and tribes? Of course, the answer is nothing. The unfortunate and sad fact is that people, in general, seem unable to distinguish between Nationalism and National Socialism. A person who is a nationalist is not necessarily a racist (although of course they can be), and in the majority of cases, is merely expressing a feeling of identity, of belonging, a love of their culture and country. For the most part this does not involve the hatred of other social or racial groups. Of course, there is also the issue of those racists hiding within the Nationalist pagan metal scene and behind the facade of an apparently innocent pagan symbol. This makes it even more difficult to distinguish between the bands that are true pagans, and those who are a far more worrying, and in some cases, dangerous prospect.

What can we do about this? Well, obviously, people are entitled to believe what they please, and this applies to the NSBM bands too, of course. I would never suggest otherwise, as that is what the whole system of democracy is built on. So, personally, I will try to avoid (knowingly) buying anything released by a racist band, but of course this is an individual choice. If you want to boycott these bands too, but are not sure if a particular band is NS or merely pagan, the internet is obviously a valuable resource. There are a number of websites you can look at to learn about the lyrical themes and/or content of any given band. One such site is Encyclopaedia Metallum.

I don’t want to dwell on this subject, or go into too much boring detail, so I will leave it there.

Oh, and in the immortal words of The Dead Kennedys “Nazi Punks, Fuck Off!”