Metal between noise, leather and ideology
Metal is loud and often proud to cross borders – aesthetic, social, musical. But for decades one question has appeared again and again: How on the right is metal? The discussion is often led heated – between flat -rate suspicion and full trivialization.
Historical roots: anti -authoritarian origins with dark shadows
Metal was created in the late 1960s and early 1970s – with bands such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. The scene was originally rebellious, anti -authoritarian, even socially criticalfor example through dealing with war, religion or oppression. The classic metal of the 1980s was mostly apolitical or libertarianbut rarely explicitly on the right.
But with the advent of more extreme subgenres like Black Metal and Death Metal In the 1990s, the dynamics changed: ideologies, crossing border and provocations became more central – also from the need to radically break away from the mainstream culture.
Black Metal and Nationalism: The Competition Extremeich
Hardly any subgenre is faced with the allegation of right -wing fault than the Black Metal. Origin in Norway, early 90s. With torches, corps painting and church fire as a symbolism, an aesthetics of the destruction were cultivated – often mixed with Anti -Christian, pagan or romantic rhetoric.
NSBM – National Socialist Black Metal
A particularly problematic sub -area is that NSBM (National Socialist Black Metal). This scene propagates openly National Socialist, racist, anti -Semitic and revisionist content. The aggressive aesthetics of Black Metal are used to transport ideology – with relevant symbolism, texts and sound carriers.
Examples of well-known NSBM bands:
Absurd (Germany): Founding members were convicted of murder; Texts glorify violence, National Socialism and Germaning.
Nocturnal Mortum (Ukraine): Earlier openly NSBM-Nah, later slightly distant-continued to be controversial musically, since elements and symbolism continue to exist.
Temnozor (Russia): Pölkisch, nationalist and paganistically shaped; Often present at right -wing extremities.
The striker (Greece): One of the most extreme groups in the scene, with clearly anti -Semitic messages.
Graveland (Poland): The musician Rob Darken propagates ethnonationalist and racist content, even if the band has not started as a NSBM in the narrower sense.
These bands rarely play at big festivals, but act over Underground networks, small labels and online sales. Some are led on the index, others consciously move in the legal gray area.
Gray areas, provocation and ignorance
Not every musician in the metal is right, but Not every provocation is apolitical. Many bands use shock aesthetics or historical symbolism (e.g. runes, uniforms, martial language) without positioning themselves politically-which is often ignorant or negligent is criticized. An example: The Swedish band Marduk has been under observation because of the alleged proximity to the right – evidence remains vague, clear demarcations are a matter of interpretation. The band seems to be fleeing in role prose.
Provocation is often in metal aesthetic meansno ideological statement. But those who flirted with National Socialist or racist symbolism contribute to Normalization of dangerous ideologies at – whether conscious or not.
Differentiation and resistance from the scene
Many metal bands, festivals and labels position themselves Clearly against right. Examples:
Heaven Shall Burn from Thuringia: anti -fascist attitude, clear political texts.
Napalm Death: Grindcore legends with a clear anti-racism message.
Also festivals like that Wacken Open Air or that Summer Breeze In their guidelines, emphasize that rights and symbolism are not tolerated. Initiatives such as “Loud against Nazis” or “Metal against racism” are active within the scene – also in response to right tendencies in parts of the community.
Right -wing radical infrastructure and networks
However, it would be naive to say that right actors are meaningless in metal. Especially in rural regions of Europe Right -wing extremist structuresthat use metal specifically for their purposes-for example with conspiratorial concerts, underground labels or right online platforms, link metal aesthetics with ideology.
Right -wing extremists specifically try to Music in subcultures – This applies to Black Metal as well as to Neofolk or Dark Ambient. The transition between radical aesthetics and ideological capture can be fluid.
Metal as a counter -culture – not automatically right
Metal was and is a counterculture. Many fans feel misunderstood, marginalized or angry on political and social conditions. This basic attitude can be open to different political directions – but it is not on the right per se. On the contrary: for many is metal A valve against authority, nationalism and exclusion.
The scene is too diverseto reduce them in a political direction. Everything is possible between Satanian symbolism, Viking myth, feminist doom metal, queer metal acts and socially critical grindcore.
Right tendencies in the metal – marginal phenomenon with effect
How on the right is metal? The honest answer: A small part of the scene is open right -wing extremist – visible, loud and dangerous. A larger part is indifferent or provocativewithout a clear position. And many – maybe the majority – are deliberately apolitical, critical or explicitly anti -law.
Metal is not a closed world view, but a mirror of social conflicts – with all its breaks, gray areas and fights. Anyone who moves in this scene should know: Ignorance is not an excuse. Positioning is possible – and necessary.
New section: right -wing extremist networks, labels and platforms
Many right metal bands publish about Own or close labelse.g. B.:
They use encrypted telegram channels, decentralized blogs or darknet shops for distribution. Concerts often find half -public or secret Instead of – in barns, bunkers or remote event halls, mostly outside of urban control.
Counter movement in the scene
Many scenic sizes are actively distance:
Intestinal throne: Formerly with misleading symbolism, today clearly antinational.
Enlaved: Stand up for inclusion.
Gaahl (ex-gorgoroth): Open homosexual in the black metal scene, which is considered a conscious counter-draft to NSBM.