Ever since its conception in the early 1970s, metal has been growing. Today it has taken over all of Europe and North America and much of South America. Now, metal is pushing East. In their respective books, Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Resistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam and Metal Rules the Globe, Mark LeVine and Jeremy Wallach, Harris M. Berger, and Paul D. Greene (hereafter Wallach et.al.), illustrate the expansion of metal into the Middle East as well as other places. As metal expands into the Middle East it is beginning to come into contact with people who are extremely devoted to their religion—Islam or Hinduism—and have never come into contact with metal before. When metal is presented to these people they have one of two reactions. They either accept metal or they reject it. When it is rejected, though, it is rejected on religious grounds.
Below is a map showing the number of metal bands per country in the late 1990's early 2000's.
Below is a map showing the number of metal bands per country in the late 1990's early 2000's.
Clearly, the United States and European countries, the birth places of metal, have the largest number of bands, but look at where the number of bands are growing (6-25, 26-50, and 51-100). Today there are metal bands all throughout Asia. Most surprisingly, metal bands are forming and often thriving in the religiously dominated and war torn countries of the Middle East. By examining the map below (and the others in this link), one can see that over the past 60 years borders in the Middle East have never been firm ("Middle East Conflict"). They are constantly changing and almost always as a result of physical violence, terrorism, and war.
Just as LeVine states in Heavy Metal Islam, metal and Islam come into contact in many of the most violent parts of the world (106-110). In this book, LeVine describes the struggles of the metal scenes in the war-torn countries of Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Palestine, and Iran (Heavy Metal Islam 21-211). In these countries, the metal scene must remain underground and hidden lest it be discovered and its practitioners persecuted by those of the Muslim faith. Unlike in the western world where people lead primarily secular lives, Islam permeates all facets of life for the people of the Middle East. Governments enforce the religious laws and are often founded through support of the Muslim faith (LeVine, “Doing the Devil’s Work” 564-66). Because of this enforcement, the metalheads of the Middle East were often accused of devil-worship and Satanism (for more information on Satanism click here). In these countries, Satanism and metal became synonymous and those accused of either were arrested, beaten, and tortured until they admitted their assumed guilt (LeVine, "Doing the Devil's Work" 566-67). Despite the obvious rejection of heavy metal by Islam, the metalheads of the Middle East do not reject Islam
Instead of rejecting Islam in the same way that it rejects metal, many metal bands and fans embrace Islam and incorporate it into their music. Take Orphaned Land for example. They describe themselves as the most popular Israeli metal band and accredit their success to their massive following of Muslims and Arabics ("Orphaned Land Official Website"). This clearly displays metal's ability to embrace religion. Just one look at Orphaned Land's website and one can easily see both the Islamic and Arabic influences on their music. Scenes of religious devotion are not uncommon in Orphaned Land's shows and albums nor is it uncommon in many of the subject matter of other Middle Eastern bands. They have embraced the religion that had rejected them.
|
(Orphaned Land)
To see a translation of these lyrics click here.
|
Today, metal and Islam play a more synergistic role. Following Orphaned Land's example a large majority of the metal artists from the Middle East are incorporating Islamic themes and musical styles into their music. This creates an incredibly unique and religious sound in an often secular musical genre. Not only are the metalheads embracing Islam, but many of the religious people are embracing metal. They are beginning to recognize it as the freedom-fighting and people empowering movement that it is (LeVine, Heavy Metal Islam 114-19). Despite its history with Satanism, heavy metal becoming another venue for religion in the Middle East.