Geodissonance

Geodissonance

Russian Rock Band LOUNA Protests Against Religious Roots of Modern Violence

Louna-Band

Geo·dissonance: the metal movement is proliferating to all corners of the globe. In its relentless display of vitriolic truths and the ugliest questions of existence, we can hear the resounding riffs of heavy metal in the most conservative pockets of society. As your Punjabi, riff-worshiping correspondent, I'vxe created Geodissonance to report the controversy: as metal unveils dissonance in cradles of brutality around the world.

A proliferating element of today's world is ideologically-inspired violence. While, with the recent cascade of unspeakably violent events such as the Boston bombings and Wisconsin Sikh Temple Massacre – the violence may seem unpredictable, and at times baseless – as the Russian band Louna points out, there is a potent sociopolitical seed behind every violent act. Yet, the terror and bloodshed experienced in North America is not symptomatic of the United States, alone. Looking at the ongoing massacring of innocent civilians in Syria, recent conviction of José Efraín Ríos Montt for genocide and crimes against humanity in Guatemala, through to the 1000 theatergoers who were taken hostage and terrorized by Chechniyan religious zealots in 2004, examples of geographically widespread violence are alarmingly easy to find. The commonality? As Louna points out in their recent music video release, entitled "Business," extreme divisions between religious and political groups often cultivate the hatred. While empathetically acknowledging the grief of families around the world, Louna demands that we alleviate the seeming epidemic of violence by rejecting political and religious oppression. (more…)

Geodissonance

Misogynistic Backlash Spurs Kashmiri All-Girl Rock Band to Split

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Geo·dissonance: the metal movement is proliferating to all corners of the globe. In its relentless display of vitriolic truths and the ugliest questions of existence, we can hear the resounding riffs of heavy metal in the most conservative pockets of society. As your Punjabi, riff-worshiping correspondent, I've created Geodissonance to report the controversy: as metal unveils dissonance in cradles of brutality around the world.

As an Indian metalhead myself, I can't help but wonder if an all girl Kashmir-based band like Pragaash would be universally welcomed by the scene if its members had the Y chromosomes and facial hair to meet a strangely unevolved and archaic set of gender norms. The band recently disbanded after receiving a series of death threats, so, too, a formal demand from Kashmir's state appointed cleric, Mufti Bashiruddin Ahmad, to cease activity as a group. Despite this religious intervention and societal disparagement, you might be shocked to discover that Pragaash's music was nothing more than fun, innocuous rock – the sonic and thematic opposite of such politically charged, all-girl groups like Pussy Riot. (more…)

Geodissonance

Heavy Metal Concert Sparks "Satanic Worship" Investigation in Cairo

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Geo·dissonance: the metal movement is proliferating to all corners of the globe. In its relentless display of vitriolic truths and the ugliest questions of existence, we can hear the resounding riffs of heavy metal in the most conservative pockets of society. As your Punjabi, riff-worshiping correspondent, I've created Geodissonance to report the controversy: as metal unveils dissonance in cradles of brutality around the world.

In Cairo, an Egyptian lawyer and Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) member is determined to keep allegedly “satanic” metal underground. After a heavy metal concert at one of the city’s respected cultural centers – the El-Sawy Culture Wheel – Ismail el-Washahi filed a suit against the venue, accusing it of holding an event where “Satanic rituals were held.” The allegation quickly catapulted into an ongoing police investigation, though the center continues to deny el-Washahi’s claims. (more…)

Geodissonance

JANAZA: A Hoax, or Case of Metal Self-Preservation?

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Geo·dissonance: the metal movement is proliferating to all corners of the globe. In its relentless display of vitriolic truths and the ugliest questions of existence, we can hear the resounding riffs of heavy metal in the most conservative pockets of society. As your Punjabi, riff-worshiping correspondent, I've created Geodissonance to report the controversy: as metal unveils dissonance in cradles of brutality around the world.

Almost exactly one year ago, we raved about the emergence of a black metal artist unlike any blasphemers within the scene: Janaza, a young, female-fronted black metal band from Iraq. Given a political regime as shamelessly conservative as its terror-driven bearers of violence, many metalheads around the globe supported front-woman Anahita's decision to lay low. With recent and emerging evidence against the authenticity of this so-called, groundbreaking Janaza – however – the metal media has begged the question of whether the group truly exists, and if so, how they could justify their blatant plagiarism of album artwork. This, coupled with a history of brief interviews, conducted exclusively through Facebook, has fed a long trail of speculations regarding the validity of Anahita's spawns of (questionable) possession. (more…)

Geodissonance

Heavy Metal is the New Patriotism in Botswana, Africa.

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Geo·dissonance: the metal movement is proliferating to all corners of the globe. In its relentless display of vitriolic truths and the ugliest questions of existence, we can hear the resounding riffs of heavy metal in the most conservative pockets of society. As your Punjabi, riff-worshiping correspondent, I've created Geodissonance to report the controversy: as metal unveils dissonance in cradles of brutality around the world.

In the streets of Botswana, the patriotic identity has evolved into a form deceptively close to our own: heavy metal counter-culture. The sight of young metalheads in tight leather clothes, spikes, and chains – what we might classify as a throwback to the NWOBHM form – has become the national image of a modern-age, guardian angel. Youth aspire to adopt the metal “way,” and parents encourage their children to interact with members of this burgeoning, local culture. Thus, in a country known exceedingly for its wildlife preserves and representative democracy, heavy metal has found an unexpected niche, and is claiming its rights to defy old stereotypes, and encapsulate African culture. The proof? It can easily be found in the lyrics of Botswanan band Skinflint, through to the treasured, metal library purportedly possessed by the country’s president, himself, Ian Khama. (more…)

Geodissonance

LAMB OF GOD Seeks Global Fans for 2012 Documentary

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Geo·dissonance: the metal movement is proliferating to all corners of the globe. In its relentless display of vitriolic truths and the ugliest questions of existence, we can hear the resounding riffs of heavy metal in the most conservative pockets of society. As your Punjabi, riff-worshiping correspondent, I've created Geodissonance to report the controversy: as metal unveils dissonance in cradles of brutality around the world.

It appears our beloved Richmond, VA-based metal titans – Lamb of God – are infiltrating the houses of the [un]holy and global, metal gospel; with the recognition that their fan-base has extended far into the obscurest reaches of the Asian subcontinent and Middle East, Lamb of God has chosen one of the most politically turbulent, terror-stricken regions for their upcoming documentary: the Gaza Strip. In their documentary, the band will intersperse footing of their 2012, world tour with the most compelling stories of their fans, who hail from all over the world. (more…)

Geodissonance

Israeli Band ORPHANED LAND Unifying Religious Groups

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Geo·dissonance: the metal movement is proliferating to all corners of the globe. In its relentless display of vitriolic truths and the ugliest questions of existence, we can hear the resounding riffs of heavy metal in the most conservative pockets of society. As your Punjabi, riff-worshiping correspondent, I've created Geodissonance to report the controversy: as metal unveils dissonance in cradles of brutality around the world.

In Israel, the voices of alliance can be found directly in the underground. Despite the infamous and frequently explosive hostilities between religious groups – namely, Jewish and Muslim populations – Orphaned Land is emerging as the humble yet heavy metaphor for peace in an all too divisive climate. So, who are they exactly? Far from your revivalist political party or religious sect, this is a metal band- that's mending old religious wounds, and uniting the Israeli youth, beneath a much damaged, national surface. (more…)

Geodissonance

Russian All-Girl Punk Band Pussy Riot Arrested for Political Protestations

Pussy Riot

Geo·dissonance: the metal movement is proliferating to all corners of the globe. In its relentless display of vitriolic truths and the ugliest questions of existence, we can hear the resounding riffs of heavy metal in the most conservative pockets of society. As your Punjabi, riff-worshiping correspondent, I've created Geodissonance to report the controversy: as metal unveils dissonance in cradles of brutality around the world. Read previous Geo-dissonance reports.

Setting the record straight for Russian church-goers and Putin-o-philes alike is all-girl, punk outfit, Pussy Riot; with their recent protestations (held rather unabashedly before an Orthodox Christian Church), the band’s voices inflamed Russian state officials beyond your ordinary “cat-fight” proportions. With sufficient proof of the damage done, written in the papers of The Moscow Times and on the lips of some offended, Orthodox folks, the band will now face “hooliganism charges” for their demonstrations against their current Prime Minister; if the charges come through, the band will be forced to serve seven years in jail. The state has issued their defenses on the charge, but many have been left wondering – what exactly constitutes the criminal charge of “hooliganism?” (more…)

Geodissonance

TAAKE'S Nomination for National Award Causes Debacle Due To Anti-Islamic Lyrics

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Geo·dissonance: the metal movement is proliferating to all corners of the globe. In its relentless display of vitriolic truths and the ugliest questions of existence, we can hear the resounding riffs of heavy metal in the most conservative pockets of society. As your Punjabi, riff-worshiping correspondent, I've created Geodissonance to report the controversy: as metal unveils dissonance in cradles of brutality around the world.

In another turn of controversial, black metal events, Taake was nominated for the Spelleman Award: the Norwegian incarnate of the American Grammy, or British Brit Award. Given the band's overtly anti-religious sentiments and racist symbols on stage, the national recognition has rubbed many citizens the wrong way. The general upsurge of anger, resentment, and anti-xenophobic sentiments has galvanized Taake fans, as well as Spelleman judges, from the rest of the nation. But the larger than life, European fanbase of Taake implies that the controversy will only continue to proliferate, bringing to question how far "too far" is, in the context of freedom of expression. Despite all of this, judges of the committee have expressed no regret towards their nomination of Taake, declaring that, "[we] enjoy full freedom of expression in Norway, and a Spellemann jury is not going to censor content in any way."  (more…)

Geodissonance

Indonesian Police Shave, Detain, and Cleanse Punk Concertgoers

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Geo·dissonance: the metal movement is proliferating to all corners of the globe. In its relentless display of vitriolic truths and the ugliest questions of existence, we can hear the resounding riffs of heavy metal in the most conservative pockets of society. As your Punjabi, riff-worshiping correspondent, I've created Geodissonance to report the controversy: as metal unveils dissonance in cradles of brutality around the world.

Personal expression clashed with “morality” this past Wednesday, when Indonesian police officers raided a punk rock show, detained fans, and forcibly shaved off their mohawks. In a coercive and unrelenting display of big-brother conformity, body piercings were stripped off, while dog-collars and chains of concert-goers were dumped into pools of water for "spiritual cleansing.” The justification for this violent, borderline masochistic line of action? A politically identified “threat” to Islamic values, and the social order. Ironically, their “solution” may just be planting deeper seeds of hostility, in the youth of Banda Aceh, Indonesia. (more…)

Geodissonance

Is Heavy Metal a Threat to Afghani Culture? Local Youth Shreds to Differ.

The White Page

Geo·dissonance: the metal movement is proliferating to all corners of the globe. In its relentless display of vitriolic truths and the ugliest questions of existence, we can hear the resounding riffs of heavy metal in the most conservative pockets of society. As your Punjabi, riff-worshiping correspondent, I've created Geodissonance to report the controversy: as metal unveils dissonance in cradles of brutality around the world.

To some, the notion of “Western” culture may call to mind dust bowls, the Wild West, and cheesy cowboy flicks; to much of Afghanistan, it represents a threat to a national history, culture, and honor. In the last year in a half, local Afghani bands D.U. and The White Page have pushed for a cultural evolution, via incitation of a movement most notably “Western” in its roots: heavy metal. In November 2010, D.U. ripped out a cover of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” the Eurythmics song that was effectively set into the air-waves by Ohio-based shock rocker, Marilyn Manson. If their intent was to “shock,” their goal was well-achieved; since their appearance upon the stage, as a bunch of raging, Afghani metalheads (à la leather jackets, metal chains, and long black hair whipping across their guitars and bass), many locals have identified the groups as “trashy Western music,” representing the “cultural imperialism” of the Western world. (more…)

Geodissonance

JANAZA: A Female Blasphemous Black Metal Solo Project From Iraq

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In a country that boasts of our first amendment, we've taken our liberties to speak, shred, and blast beat out – in the name of anti-clerical, anarchic causes, and pure metal blasphemy. This anti-clerical expression is far from confined to the states; we get such doses from the finest black metal bands of Finland, to the "Antichristian Phenomenon" riffs of Poland-based Behemoth. Yet in Iraqi society – where to wear outfits even the least bit revealing (and by revealing, I mean a few cubic centimeters of flesh) is taboo, it takes an iron pair and a hell of a lot of strong-will to conceive an anti-religious band. Speaking of such daring, meet Janaza: a newly surfacing female-fronted, black metal "solo project" that's inverting its stakes, redefining blasphemy, and delivering it in record form.
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Geodissonance

BEHEMOTH’S Frontman Formally Charged for Bible Destruction

By: Navjot Kaur Sobti


With close to two decades of music that feeds upon the ideals of all that is Pagan and “Antichristian,” it seems that Poland-based blackened death metallers Behemoth have made an all-too overt statement contra their Roman Catholic critics. On Monday, March 8th, frontman Adam “Nergal” Darski was formally charged for insults towards Catholicism, which is the majority faith in Poland.
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