Racist music
Encyclopedia
Racist music is music associated with and promoting racism. Although musicologists
point out that many, if not most early cultures had songs to promote themselves and denigrate any perceived enemies, the origins of racist music is tied to the 1950s.
Racist music adopts the musical conventions and trappings, rhythms and forms of non-racist music to advance extreme white racism in various music genres, including pop
and rock. By 2001, there were many music genres with white power rock, including Nazi Punk
, hatecore and National Socialist black metal
. Racist country music is mainly an American phenomenon. Other racist music genres include fascist experimental music and racist folk music.
"racist music is principally derived from the far-right skinhead movement and, through the Internet, this music has become perhaps the most important tool of the international neo-Nazi movement to gain revenue and new recruits." The article "The Hardest Hate: A Sociological Analysis of Country Hate Music: From Rebel Records to Prussian Blue: A History of White Racialist Music in the United States" says "musicians believe not only that music could be a successful vehicle for their specific ideology but that is also could advance the movement by framing it in a positive manner."
The music is more pervasive in Europe than the United States, despite many European countries banning or curtailing distribution. European governments regularly deport "extremist aliens", ban racist music groups and raid racist organizations that produce and distribute the music. As of 2001, there were albums from 123 US-based bands and 229 from other countries, mostly Europe. In the United States, however, racist music is protected freedom of speech in the United States
by the First Amendment
to the U.S. Constitution
.
have been intertwined with country music
, which evolved from traditional English and Irish folk music that came to the US in the 1800s. This relationship can be traced back to political barbecues held in Virginia during the colonial era. According to some writers, the politics of country music are perhaps best aligned with populism
.
Country music has spawned several subgenres, including racist country music. Populist sentiments remained in the racist subgenre — also referred to as segregationist music — which came about in response to the American civil rights movement. The songs expressed resistance to the federal government and civil rights advocates who were challenging well-established, white supremacist system and racist practices endemic in the American southern states. There were also changes in the music recording industry in the 1940s and 1950s that allowed regional recording companies to form across the US, addressing small specialized markets. B.C. Malone writes:
Racist country music was used by white racial extremists to "advance their goals and movement objectives through lyrics that dehumanize African-Americans and create imagery of white unity and solidarity."
In the mid-1960s, the civil rights movement reached a "fever pitch", and in 1966 businessman Jay "J.D." Miller created a niche record label for his company, the defiantly segregationist Reb Rebel label. It was arguably the most notable of the racist country music record labels. The artists often adopted pseudonym
s, and some of their music was "highly confrontational, making explicit use of racial epithets, stereotypes and threats of violence against Civil Rights activists."
Much of the music "featured blatantly racist stereotypes that dehumanized African Americans", equating them with animals or by "using cartoonish imagery associated with “Jigaboos”". Lyrics warned of "white violence" on African Americans if they insisted on being treated as equals. Other songs were more subtle couching racist messages behind social critiques and political action calls. The lyrics, in the tradition of populism, questioned the legitimacy of the federal government and rallied whites to protect "Southern rights" and traditions. The racist country music song "Black Power" includes the lyrics:
Reb Rebels released 21 singles and For Segregationists Only, an album of its ten bestselling songs, four of which were Johnny Rebel's. The label's first single, "Dear Mr. President" (referring to then-president Lyndon B. Johnson
), by Happy Fats (Leroy Leblanc), sold more than 200,000 copies. The song parodied Johnson's Great Society
programs which aimed to eliminate poverty and racial injustice. Other songs were primarily about civil rights or the Vietnam War, "but never really attacked black people." The studio's second release, "Flight NAACP 105" by "the Son of Mississippi" (Joe Norris), was the label's bestseller; the track was a "spontaneous skit in the vein of Amos 'n' Andy
." It was the first in a series of "highly racist take-offs" of Amos n’ Andy.
Few of Miller’s racist records were played on the radio in Louisiana. Sample suggests that Ku Klux Klan
and White Citizens' Council
members made up the bulk of the underground network.
, the pseudonym that Cajun country musician Clifford Joseph Trahane used on racist recordings issued in the 1960s, became the "forefather of white power music." Johnny Rebel's six singles
(12 songs altogether), frequently use the racial epithet nigger, and often voiced sympathy for racial segregation
and the Ku Klux Klan
(KKK), such as his first B-side "Kajun Klu Klux Klan", which was a "cautionary tale centered on the story of 'Levi Coon' who dared to demand that he be served in a café." The songs were "vehemently anti-black, its pro-segregationist lyrics set to the twangs of the era's swampbilly craze."
Because of bootlegged records and Internet interest, Johnny Rebel's career never ended; in the late 1990s he was re-discovered, and he re-released his music on CD and promoted it with his own website. The site, however, did not spark new interest outside his fanbase until September 11 attacks of 2001. Johnny Rebel recorded and released "Infidel Anthem", about "the whipping America should lay on Osama bin Laden," leading to an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, where his new compilation CD and the new song were promoted. At the time, Stern's show had a peak audience of around 20 million.
Michael Wade argues that Johnny Rebel "influenced British racist musicians, notably the band Skrewdriver
, which inspired other right-wing musicians."
music is stylistically similar to most forms of punk rock
, although it differs by having lyrics that express hatred of Jews, homosexuals
, communists
, anarchists
, anti-racists
and people who are not considered white
, as opposed to the often liberal and left-wing lyrics of mainstream punk rock. In 1978 in Britain
, the white nationalist
National Front (NF) had a punk-oriented youth organization called the Punk Front. Although the Punk Front only lasted one year, it included a number of white power
punk bands such as The Dentists, The Ventz, Tragic Minds and White Boss. The Nazi punk subculture appeared in the United States
by the early 1980s, during, the rise of the hardcore punk
scene.
The Rock Against Communism
movement originated in the United Kingdom
in late 1978 with activists associated with the NF. The most notable RAC band was Skrewdriver
, which started out as a non-political punk band but evolved into a white power skinhead band after the original lineup broke up and a new lineup was formed. They were the "most dominant white racial extremist band" and were idealized in the "emerging movement that arose in response to perceptions of political liberalism, diversity, and the loss of a power in the white community." Skrewdriver advocated on behalf of extreme right-wingand racist politics, and Donaldson self-identified as a British neo-Nazi
. The group performed mainly for other white power skinheads and "asserted the need for extremist political violence." Bands that followed their lead also "fused racist ideology, heavy metal and hard rock styles", embracing "aggressive racism and ethnic nationalism
".
National Socialist black metal
(NSBM) is black metal
that promotes National Socialist (Nazi)
beliefs through their lyrics and imagery. These beliefs often include: white supremacy
, racial separatism
, antisemitism, heterosexism
, and Nazi interpretations of paganism
or Satanism
(Nazi mysticism
). According to Mattias Gardell, NSBM musicians see "national socialism as a logical extension of the political and spiritual dissidence inherent in black metal. Bands whose members hold Nazi beliefs but do not express these through their lyrics are generally not considered NSBM by black metal musicians, but are labelled as such in media reports. Some black metal bands have made references to Nazi Germany
purely for shock value
, much like some punk rock
and heavy metal
bands. According to Christian Dornbusch and Hans-Peter Killguss, völkisch
pagan metal
and neo-Nazism are the current trends in the black metal scene, and are affecting the broader metal scene. Mattias Gardell
, however, sees NSBM artists as a minority within black metal.
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
point out that many, if not most early cultures had songs to promote themselves and denigrate any perceived enemies, the origins of racist music is tied to the 1950s.
Racist music adopts the musical conventions and trappings, rhythms and forms of non-racist music to advance extreme white racism in various music genres, including pop
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
and rock. By 2001, there were many music genres with white power rock, including Nazi Punk
Nazi punk
A Nazi punk is a neo-Nazi who is part of the punk subculture. The term also describes the related type of music. Nazi punk music sounds similar to most forms of punk rock, but it differs by having lyrics that express hatred of Jews, homosexuals, communists, anarchists, anti-racists and people who...
, hatecore and National Socialist black metal
National Socialist black metal
National Socialist black metal is black metal that promotes National Socialist beliefs through their lyrics and imagery. These beliefs often include: white supremacy, racial separatism, antisemitism, heterosexism, and Nazi interpretations of paganism or Satanism...
. Racist country music is mainly an American phenomenon. Other racist music genres include fascist experimental music and racist folk music.
Role in the white power movement
Barbara Perry writes that contemporary white supremacist groups include "subcultural factions that are largely organized around the promotion and distribution of racist music." According to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity CommissionHuman Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
The Australian Human Rights Commission is a national human rights institution, a statutory body funded by, but operating independently of, the Australian Government. It has the responsibility for investigating alleged infringements under Australia’s anti-discrimination legislation...
"racist music is principally derived from the far-right skinhead movement and, through the Internet, this music has become perhaps the most important tool of the international neo-Nazi movement to gain revenue and new recruits." The article "The Hardest Hate: A Sociological Analysis of Country Hate Music: From Rebel Records to Prussian Blue: A History of White Racialist Music in the United States" says "musicians believe not only that music could be a successful vehicle for their specific ideology but that is also could advance the movement by framing it in a positive manner."
The music is more pervasive in Europe than the United States, despite many European countries banning or curtailing distribution. European governments regularly deport "extremist aliens", ban racist music groups and raid racist organizations that produce and distribute the music. As of 2001, there were albums from 123 US-based bands and 229 from other countries, mostly Europe. In the United States, however, racist music is protected freedom of speech in the United States
Freedom of speech in the United States
Freedom of speech in the United States is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and by many state constitutions and state and federal laws, with the exception of obscenity, defamation, incitement to riot, and fighting words, as well as harassment, privileged...
by the First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
to the U.S. Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
.
Racist country and folk music
Politics of the Southern United StatesPolitics of the Southern United States
Politics of the Southern United States refers to the political landscape of the Southern United States. Due to the region's unique cultural and historic heritage, the American South has been prominently involved in numerous political issues faced by the United States as a whole, including States'...
have been intertwined with country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, which evolved from traditional English and Irish folk music that came to the US in the 1800s. This relationship can be traced back to political barbecues held in Virginia during the colonial era. According to some writers, the politics of country music are perhaps best aligned with populism
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
.
Country music has spawned several subgenres, including racist country music. Populist sentiments remained in the racist subgenre — also referred to as segregationist music — which came about in response to the American civil rights movement. The songs expressed resistance to the federal government and civil rights advocates who were challenging well-established, white supremacist system and racist practices endemic in the American southern states. There were also changes in the music recording industry in the 1940s and 1950s that allowed regional recording companies to form across the US, addressing small specialized markets. B.C. Malone writes:
the struggles waged by black Americans to attain economic dignity and racial justice provided one of the ugliest chapters in country music history, an outpouring of racist records on small labels, mostly from Crowley, LouisianaCrowley, LouisianaCrowley is a city in and the parish seat of Acadia Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 14,225 at the 2000 census. The city is noted for its annual International Rice Festival. Crowley has the nickname of "Rice Capital of America", because at one time it was a major center for...
, which lauded the Ku Klux KlanKu Klux KlanKu Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
and attacked blacks (generally called niggers and coons) in the most vicious of stereotypes terms.”
Racist country music was used by white racial extremists to "advance their goals and movement objectives through lyrics that dehumanize African-Americans and create imagery of white unity and solidarity."
In the mid-1960s, the civil rights movement reached a "fever pitch", and in 1966 businessman Jay "J.D." Miller created a niche record label for his company, the defiantly segregationist Reb Rebel label. It was arguably the most notable of the racist country music record labels. The artists often adopted pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s, and some of their music was "highly confrontational, making explicit use of racial epithets, stereotypes and threats of violence against Civil Rights activists."
Much of the music "featured blatantly racist stereotypes that dehumanized African Americans", equating them with animals or by "using cartoonish imagery associated with “Jigaboos”". Lyrics warned of "white violence" on African Americans if they insisted on being treated as equals. Other songs were more subtle couching racist messages behind social critiques and political action calls. The lyrics, in the tradition of populism, questioned the legitimacy of the federal government and rallied whites to protect "Southern rights" and traditions. The racist country music song "Black Power" includes the lyrics:
Reb Rebels released 21 singles and For Segregationists Only, an album of its ten bestselling songs, four of which were Johnny Rebel's. The label's first single, "Dear Mr. President" (referring to then-president Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
), by Happy Fats (Leroy Leblanc), sold more than 200,000 copies. The song parodied Johnson's Great Society
Great Society
The Great Society was a set of domestic programs in the United States promoted by President Lyndon B. Johnson and fellow Democrats in Congress in the 1960s. Two main goals of the Great Society social reforms were the elimination of poverty and racial injustice...
programs which aimed to eliminate poverty and racial injustice. Other songs were primarily about civil rights or the Vietnam War, "but never really attacked black people." The studio's second release, "Flight NAACP 105" by "the Son of Mississippi" (Joe Norris), was the label's bestseller; the track was a "spontaneous skit in the vein of Amos 'n' Andy
Amos 'n' Andy
Amos 'n' Andy is a situation comedy set in the African-American community. It was very popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s on both radio and television....
." It was the first in a series of "highly racist take-offs" of Amos n’ Andy.
Few of Miller’s racist records were played on the radio in Louisiana. Sample suggests that Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
and White Citizens' Council
White Citizens' Council
The White Citizens' Council was an American white supremacist organization formed on July 11, 1954. After 1956, it was known as the Citizens' Councils of America...
members made up the bulk of the underground network.
Johnny Rebel
Johnny RebelJohnny Rebel (singer)
Johnny Rebel is the pseudonym of Cajun country musician Clifford Joseph Trahan , also known as Pee Wee Trahan. Trahan has used this pseudonym most notably on racist recordings issued in the 1960s on J. D. "Jay" Miller's Reb Rebel label of Crowley, Louisiana...
, the pseudonym that Cajun country musician Clifford Joseph Trahane used on racist recordings issued in the 1960s, became the "forefather of white power music." Johnny Rebel's six singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
(12 songs altogether), frequently use the racial epithet nigger, and often voiced sympathy for racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
and the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
(KKK), such as his first B-side "Kajun Klu Klux Klan", which was a "cautionary tale centered on the story of 'Levi Coon' who dared to demand that he be served in a café." The songs were "vehemently anti-black, its pro-segregationist lyrics set to the twangs of the era's swampbilly craze."
Because of bootlegged records and Internet interest, Johnny Rebel's career never ended; in the late 1990s he was re-discovered, and he re-released his music on CD and promoted it with his own website. The site, however, did not spark new interest outside his fanbase until September 11 attacks of 2001. Johnny Rebel recorded and released "Infidel Anthem", about "the whipping America should lay on Osama bin Laden," leading to an appearance on The Howard Stern Show, where his new compilation CD and the new song were promoted. At the time, Stern's show had a peak audience of around 20 million.
Michael Wade argues that Johnny Rebel "influenced British racist musicians, notably the band Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver was an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde in 1976. They later evolved into one of the first neo-Nazi rock bands, playing a leading role in the Rock Against Communism movement and becoming known as the most prominent white power skinhead...
, which inspired other right-wing musicians."
White power rock music
Nazi punkNazi punk
A Nazi punk is a neo-Nazi who is part of the punk subculture. The term also describes the related type of music. Nazi punk music sounds similar to most forms of punk rock, but it differs by having lyrics that express hatred of Jews, homosexuals, communists, anarchists, anti-racists and people who...
music is stylistically similar to most forms of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, although it differs by having lyrics that express hatred of Jews, homosexuals
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, communists
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, anarchists
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
, anti-racists
Anti-racism
Anti-racism includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. In general, anti-racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, however defined...
and people who are not considered white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
, as opposed to the often liberal and left-wing lyrics of mainstream punk rock. In 1978 in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the white nationalist
White nationalism
White nationalism is a political ideology which advocates a racial definition of national identity for white people. White separatism and white supremacism are subgroups within white nationalism. The former seek a separate white nation state, while the latter add ideas from social Darwinism and...
National Front (NF) had a punk-oriented youth organization called the Punk Front. Although the Punk Front only lasted one year, it included a number of white power
White supremacy
White supremacy is the belief, and promotion of the belief, that white people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds. The term is sometimes used specifically to describe a political ideology that advocates the social and political dominance by whites.White supremacy, as with racial...
punk bands such as The Dentists, The Ventz, Tragic Minds and White Boss. The Nazi punk subculture appeared in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by the early 1980s, during, the rise of the hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
scene.
The Rock Against Communism
Rock Against Communism
Rock Against Communism started out as series of white power rock concerts in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s, and is also a name for the subsequent music genre. Despite its name, RAC song lyrics rarely focus on the specific topic of anti-communism...
movement originated in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in late 1978 with activists associated with the NF. The most notable RAC band was Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver was an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde in 1976. They later evolved into one of the first neo-Nazi rock bands, playing a leading role in the Rock Against Communism movement and becoming known as the most prominent white power skinhead...
, which started out as a non-political punk band but evolved into a white power skinhead band after the original lineup broke up and a new lineup was formed. They were the "most dominant white racial extremist band" and were idealized in the "emerging movement that arose in response to perceptions of political liberalism, diversity, and the loss of a power in the white community." Skrewdriver advocated on behalf of extreme right-wingand racist politics, and Donaldson self-identified as a British neo-Nazi
History of British fascism since 1945
The Far right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, fascist-right and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. The terms are often used to imply that someone is an extremist...
. The group performed mainly for other white power skinheads and "asserted the need for extremist political violence." Bands that followed their lead also "fused racist ideology, heavy metal and hard rock styles", embracing "aggressive racism and ethnic nationalism
Ethnic nationalism
Ethnic nationalism is a form of nationalism wherein the "nation" is defined in terms of ethnicity. Whatever specific ethnicity is involved, ethnic nationalism always includes some element of descent from previous generations and the implied claim of ethnic essentialism, i.e...
".
National Socialist black metal
National Socialist black metal
National Socialist black metal is black metal that promotes National Socialist beliefs through their lyrics and imagery. These beliefs often include: white supremacy, racial separatism, antisemitism, heterosexism, and Nazi interpretations of paganism or Satanism...
(NSBM) is black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
that promotes National Socialist (Nazi)
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
beliefs through their lyrics and imagery. These beliefs often include: white supremacy
White supremacy
White supremacy is the belief, and promotion of the belief, that white people are superior to people of other racial backgrounds. The term is sometimes used specifically to describe a political ideology that advocates the social and political dominance by whites.White supremacy, as with racial...
, racial separatism
Racial separatism
Racial separatism refers to a belief that people of different races should live apart. It can be used in either the sense of:* Racial segregation* White separatism or Black separatism...
, antisemitism, heterosexism
Heterosexism
Heterosexism is a system of attitudes, bias, and discrimination in favor of opposite-sex sexuality and relationships. It can include the presumption that everyone is heterosexual or that opposite-sex attractions and relationships are the only norm and therefore superior...
, and Nazi interpretations of paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
or Satanism
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
(Nazi mysticism
Nazi mysticism
Speculation about Nazism and occultism has become part of popular culture since 1959. Aside from several popular documentaries, there are numerous books on the topic, most notably The Morning of the Magicians and The Spear of Destiny ....
). According to Mattias Gardell, NSBM musicians see "national socialism as a logical extension of the political and spiritual dissidence inherent in black metal. Bands whose members hold Nazi beliefs but do not express these through their lyrics are generally not considered NSBM by black metal musicians, but are labelled as such in media reports. Some black metal bands have made references to Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
purely for shock value
Shock value
Shock value is the potential of an action , image, text, or other form of communication to provoke a reaction of disgust, shock, anger, fear, or similar negative emotions.-Shock value as humor:...
, much like some punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
bands. According to Christian Dornbusch and Hans-Peter Killguss, völkisch
Völkisch movement
The volkisch movement is the German interpretation of the populist movement, with a romantic focus on folklore and the "organic"...
pagan metal
Pagan metal
Pagan metal is an umbrella term for heavy metal music which fuses extreme metal with "the pre-Christian traditions of a specific culture or region through thematic concept, rustic melodies, unusual instruments or archaic languages", usually referring to folk metal or black metal. The Norwegian band...
and neo-Nazism are the current trends in the black metal scene, and are affecting the broader metal scene. Mattias Gardell
Mattias Gardell
Hans Bertil Mattias Gardell is a Swedish scholar of comparative religion. He is the current holder of the Nathan Söderblom Chair of Comparative Religion at Uppsala University, Sweden....
, however, sees NSBM artists as a minority within black metal.
See also
- "Das Judenthum in der MusikDas Judenthum in der MusikDas Judenthum in der Musik is an essay by Richard Wagner, attacking Jews in general and the composers Giacomo Meyerbeer and Felix Mendelssohn in particular, which was published under a pseudonym in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik of Leipzig in...
" ("Jewishness in Music") - essay by composer Richard WagnerRichard WagnerWilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas... - List of neo-Nazi bands
- List of organizations designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as hate groups
- Louis and the NazisLouis and the NazisLouis and the Nazis is a British documentary that was televised on 21 December 2003. It was directed by Stuart Cabb and written by Louis Theroux. The documentary ran for 80 minutes....
- 2003 documentary about American neo-Nazis - OdinismOdinismOdinism is a type of Germanic Neopaganism.Odinism may also refer to:*Norse paganism** the cult of Odin- See also :*Odinist Fellowship*Odinic Rite*The Odin Brotherhood*Wotanism, a Völkisch / White Nationalist movement*Wodenism...
- Nazi punkNazi punkA Nazi punk is a neo-Nazi who is part of the punk subculture. The term also describes the related type of music. Nazi punk music sounds similar to most forms of punk rock, but it differs by having lyrics that express hatred of Jews, homosexuals, communists, anarchists, anti-racists and people who...
- Stop murder music
- WotanismWotanismWotanism is the name of an American Heathen religion or socio-political current based on Germanic paganism and the doctrines of David Lane. Wotan is the German name for the Germanic god known in Norse as Odin...
Further reading
- Farmelo, Allen. "Another History of Bluegrass: The Segregation of American Popular Music, 1820-1900." Popular Music and Society, 25.1-2 (2001): 179-204.
- Hill, Jane H. (2008). The Everyday Language of White Racism. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.