Extreme Sells
Perhaps the biggest reason that Metal bands try to "appear" Satanic is for shock value. Put simply, extreme sells. Bands have been trying to "one up" each other ever since The Beatles became popular (Trzcinski). Although the bands use these extreme ideas which go against religious and social norms, they are only shock value, and are not actually trying to show their love to Satan.
Metal bands have been attempting to be more extreme than each other for a long time. One example of this is Twisted Sister in the subgenre Glam Metal. This genre emphasized guys who dressed up as women; wearing make-up, wigs, and tight leather pants, Glam Metal appealed to the public during the disco age. The band Twisted Sister gained incredible popularity in no small part to the fact that they were one of the most extreme bands out there. Their appearance made them fun to watch and they were so different that many people "gave them a shot", which led to an increase in exposure as well as record sales.
In the case of real Metal music (Glam Metal doesn't count), a different form of being extreme exists. Often times, this wanting to be extreme causes the band to lead to the appearance of Satanism in their music. This is because, well, Satanism is about as extreme as you can get.
Album artwork is one area in which Metal bands are often criticized. Cordero explains, "Death skulls, skeletons, and graves communicate an association with the darker side of life" (5).
Metal bands have been attempting to be more extreme than each other for a long time. One example of this is Twisted Sister in the subgenre Glam Metal. This genre emphasized guys who dressed up as women; wearing make-up, wigs, and tight leather pants, Glam Metal appealed to the public during the disco age. The band Twisted Sister gained incredible popularity in no small part to the fact that they were one of the most extreme bands out there. Their appearance made them fun to watch and they were so different that many people "gave them a shot", which led to an increase in exposure as well as record sales.
In the case of real Metal music (Glam Metal doesn't count), a different form of being extreme exists. Often times, this wanting to be extreme causes the band to lead to the appearance of Satanism in their music. This is because, well, Satanism is about as extreme as you can get.
Album artwork is one area in which Metal bands are often criticized. Cordero explains, "Death skulls, skeletons, and graves communicate an association with the darker side of life" (5).
Here, Dio's album artwork is shown. It can be seen by all that the artwork displays a Devil like figure who is condemning/ killing a priest.
This is a good example of how extreme can sell. The attempt by Dio to create album artwork like this is to appeal to the younger generation that may be tired of an authority figure telling them what to do and to take the power back. The idea is not that the customer is the Devil, but rather that the customer is not helpless. |
It is also important to remember that the audience of Heavy Metal in America is regarded as being oppressed and feeling helpless. Satanic ideas in the music, while not genuine, give the people a sense of power that no one can take from them.
Album artwork is also a way to sell to people who don't truly understand the concepts that are shown. People are able to recognize the type of music that they are going to buy, even if they can't read it (some bands use latin in their covers).
So if a teen is angry (pathos), he may go to the store and buy the nastiest album that he can, simply because he is pissed off and it will make him feel better about his situation. |
Critics say that these types of covers shown above should not be on the shelves of stores because it allows children to see these things and may intrigue them as to what it is. Trzcinski states that the covers are actually helpful for children not wanting to buy the music because they do not want to see things of that nature, unless they already have a mental stigma in their minds that draw them to the gore (Trzcinski).
Defenders of the Music
Fans of Heavy Metal music say that the album covers go along with the music, no different than a horror movie has a cover of a serial killer. They say that the cover lets them know what they are to expect when they listen to the sound.