Geodissonance

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

Taake_Hellfest_2009_14_NB

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…)