Who would have thought that Davey would be daft enough to give the reigns of his fledgling series of serious musical business to such a close-minded metalhead as myself? This is, after all, the 6th iteration of this column – a number that is damn good for us sometimes lethargic and apathetic staff members, but I’m here to show you that it’s not just Davey who has a desire to generate good discussion. Let’s not dwell on the who and the what, though, since before Davey changes his mind and decides that this guest appearance was a terrible idea indeed, I have a few opinionated…erm… opinions to share with you all. Actually, I’m more looking for your vehement disagreement or even a casual word or two about an over-arching topic that has come up many times around not only this site’s review threads, but also has permeated the world of popular music and underground scenes alike.

Lyrics are most certainly their own form of poetry, and like poetry the words contained in a song’s lyrics are simply the metaphorical tip of the iceberg in terms of what the artist is really trying to say. On occasion, things are right there for all to see, but more often than not the true meaning of a song can be buried beneath layers of metaphor. Could it be, then, that the meaning of a song and the attitudes that meaning projects onto the artist be that of a more… unsavory nature? Moreover, can this sometimes morally objectionable material be discarded as simply fodder meant to garner attention or generate a buzz? Is the person behind the pen simply practicing some sort of subversion wherein they try to make the taboo subject matter of their lyrics as mainstream and acceptable as some of the music these artists create?

Sure, the extreme attitudes taken by some artists are not necessarily held high in the world’s spotlight, but even the attitudes of underground metal bands like Arghoslent, M8L8TH, Graveland, and many others in the NS scene make waves among the larger audience of extreme metal enthusiasts. Even the venerable black metal legends Darkthrone emblazoned the slogan Norsk Arisk Black Metal (“Norwegian Aryan Black Metal”) on the back of their seminal album Transilvanian Hunger. Rampant racism and xenophobia, anti-Semitism, unbridled support of extreme-right wing politics, calls for genocide – these are all themes explored in vivid detail in the imagery and lyrics of these bands, but do we have a moral obligation to boycott their music based on the themes behind it? Similarly, on a broader world stage, it is no secret that Eminem reveled in the explicit murder fantasy of “Kim”, or that pop stars like Robin Thicke spew misogyny from every crevice in tracks like “Blurred Lines”. Even mainstream rap culture has long been a proponent for serious, illegal drug use and trafficking, but to many themes such as these hardly an eye is bat in their direction.

That begs the question of where we draw the line. There is a vocal group who detest the senseless hatred of NSBM or other metal bands in the thematic extremities of a genre already classified as extreme metal, but there is little in the way of public outcry towards Snoop Dogg’s ceaseless promoting of what is, in nearly all parts of the world, a drug that is quite simply illegal. There is no legion of angered pop or hip-hop fans banging at the door of LMFAO for their portrayal of women as inferior play-things that exist only to please men, or for their similarly explicit support of drug use. How is this kind of thing OK for children and adults to consume every time a radio is within earshot, yet we hide our children and avert our own gaze when the themes shift towards Nazism or even Eminem’s earnest advice to Grady in “Guilty Conscience” to murder his cheating wife and kidnap his child, or for Stan to rape a roofied 15 year old girl a few verses earlier. Surely no sane person would promote such acts, so why is it that we can promote the song as a whole when its entire focus is fixated on human depravity?

Should there be a place where we define how far is too far? Should we be able to appreciate music as art without taking to heart the message that lurks beneath the instruments? Would we be indirectly supporting the ideology of the artist if we were to just praise the music while ignoring the message? How far can lyrics go before they are at the point where public outcry occurs? Will that bar change to be more lenient or stringent as time goes on?

Let’s discuss, and see what sense and clarity we can bring to such an opaque, amorphous barrier.