The impact of the Black Metal in Malaysia

(Originally taken from http://blackmetaltowhite.blogspot.com/)

KOMEN: Pada aku tulisan ini agak bias pada rujukan-rujukan dari media sensasi Harian Metro dan Mastika yang mana kebenarannya diragui, terutama apabila melibatkan "scene" Black Metal tempatan. Mungkin penulis tidak rapat atau langsung tidak mengetahui apa yang berlaku sebenarnya di dalam "scene" Black Metal tempatan. Sesebuah artikel yang ditulis mestilah disahihkan kebenaran dan "source"nya. Apapun, peringatan yang diberikan dari artikel ini supaya peminat "muzik" Black Metal supaya tidak melampau perlu diambil perhatian dan tidak boleh diambil ringan. Jadikan muzik sekadar muzik dan tidak lebih dari itu.

Introduction

Black metal is a musical genre which emerged in the early 1980s and come out with extreme image of heavy metal. Black Metal is divided into two fragmentations. One is a form of music which adhere to particular style in order to be part of the genre while second is a ideology of music to define the genre itself. The pioneers of black metal are bands from Venom, Bathory and Mayhem.

Black Metal music often has these characteristics such as fast strumming and riffing guitar, lyrics about satanic, pessimistic, pagan or occult themes, electronic keyboard, distorted screeching vocals, swift percussion, aggressive drum and gloomy or melancholy atmosphere. The distinct feature of the black metal is the use of corpse paint, a special kind of black and white make-up which was used to make the wearer look like a corpse.

A few years back we were shocked when a local tabloid reveal the Black Metal culture in Sungai Petani where schoolgoing teenagers were involved. We were lucky because our next generation future saved by the National Fatwa Council. With their authority they banned the Black Metal Culture in Malaysia. What a relieve. But why are we so easy to be influenced by a culture which is not ours? Are we being brought up to be a down to earth individual? Why must we accept and adapt whatever comes from the West? In the 60's there was this hippies and woodstock culture where drug abuse came into the picture and the effect remains till now and getting serious day by day. All effort by the government and NGOs to fight the menace is just like throwing away taxpayers money into the drain. Why don’t if we try to stop history from repeating itself?


Impact of the Black Metal culture towards Malaysian youth

First of all, let us take a look and determine why do the young generation or youth prefer and interested in Black Metal culture? Why do they so easy get influenced by the culture? Youth are the generation that often enticed by phenomenon that project a sense of adventure and experimentation. As most of them are generally impulsive at this age, they often act without thinking of the consequences. Most of this group of people, they have their own needs which are not fulfilled. Schools, for example, place too much emphasis on academic excellence, and those who have talents in other areas are deemed as being useless with little possibility for a bright future. Such individuals who have not cultivated a sense of belonging are then drawn into seeking out groups who will accept them.

If they are interested in myths, darkness, cults and at the same time Black Metal culture exist in Malaysia. They will find that this group have a common element with them that there are certain rituals all members have to adhere to act as a signs, codenames and a similar sense of style. This is a basic way of reinforcing to the members that the generation belongs to a group. The Black Metal culture itself appear to be anti social and when the young generation join or involve with this group they tend to be among their members only and did not mix with others. As a result, those who are in the group will become less productive. We are talking about the young generation as a future leader. The future of Malaysia is in their hand and they are the one who will lead the leadership of Malaysia.

When the youth mind is being polluted with the Black Metal ideology it may reflect to the future of Malaysia. In term of decision making that will be made by this group of people of course it would not a relevant decision. It will deny the human rights, where what is right become wrong and vice versa. Involve in Black Metal culture will make the person or an individual become more aggressive and might create uncomfortable surrounding for those around them. They will become a bad tempered person and it is not to be shocked if they start killing people when they feel intimidated being around with those who did not involve in Black Metal culture. When we go for the lyrics of the Black Metal songs, they did mentioned about the worshipping, occult metal ideology which prevails Satanism, mystic and supernatural.

Of course by joining a Black Metal culture youth will also follow the way their favorite Black Metal band dress up. Black t-shirt, jeans, leather jacket, spikes, boot, and other accessories such pentagram. All these stuff that wore by our Malaysian youth will reflect to a bad impression of the outsiders towards our community society. We used to hear the statement of “do not judge a book by its cover”. Its indicate a first impression of others towards you. Which mean, if our youth come out or present themselves with all those dressings, others will underestimate and might create a low level of confident towards them. As a result its also may affect the work performance and achievement of our Malaysian youth. In the real world or situation, when they sit for an interview they will be evaluated not only in terms of dressing but also the way they market themselves. Anti social, aggressiveness, bad tempered and many more are the appearance of the Black Metal followers, so will they get a good marks in the evaluation? Will they succeed in the interview? Will others confidence with our Malaysian youth?

Against our religions and culture

Black Metal culture has been declared as a deviation from Islamic teachings and those found practicing it could be penalized under syariah law. The National Fatwa Council ruled that Black Metal culture was totally against the syariat (Islamic principles) and could lead its followers to being murtad (apostate). Although Black Metal was just a form of music, its culture would lead followers to worship Satan and to rebel, kill and incite hatred. Plus Black Metal culture also influenced its followers to perform rituals such as drinking one's blood mixed with that of a goat’s blood and burning Islam's holy text, the Koran.

It is a drastic action taken by the government to overcome the Black Metal before it become worst. In the Black Metal culture, from the start we did mention about the worshipping or ritual that need to perform by their followers. This is where the rituals involve irrelevant procedure for those who wanted to join the community he or she need to give their blood which will mix up with goat’s blood. This routine is not suitable with our religion and culture.

The youth themselves should not get involve with this culture from the first place. For example, Islam did not stop Muslims from get involve with the community society. And for those wanted to join a society they don’t even have to any irrelevant guidelines because they can simply join or set up community society as long as its not against the Islamic teachings. In their ritual they need to tear up the holy Quran and burn it together when the drink the blood that mix with the goat’s blood. Quran is guidance of Muslims and Muslims recite Quran every time they perform solah. But the Black Metal culture came, it ruin the Muslims mind and as a result it makes the Muslims themselves do not know to distinguish what is bad and what is good including forgetting their routine to perform solah five times a day. The Black Metal culture is not only restricted for Muslims but also to other religions. Every religions in this planet do want the follower to do only a good thing and avoid bad things. It is also the same when it goes to the culture.

Speaking of culture, those who involve with the Black Metal culture tend to follow every single thing that the community does. The follower does have their favorite band and they will try to become just like their idol. The Black Metal bands itself will come out their creepy image with piercing n tattoos. This is not our culture and it becomes worse when the followers follow every single things that done by the artist himself. For example in 1991, Black Metal scene gained some unsought mass media attention when Mayhem's frontman Dead committed suicide by a shotgun blast to his head. His note simply read "Excuse all the blood". His body was discovered by Aarseth who, instead of calling the police, ran to a nearby convenience store and bought a disposable camera which he used to photograph the corpse for a future Mayhem album cover (Dawn of the Black Hearts). Apocryphal reports also claim that he then took some pieces of Dead's splattered brains and made a stew out of them and members of the band took bone fragments from their friend's skull and made necklaces out of them. The consequences of what have been made by the Mayhem band members make several of their fans commit suicide and the same things happen to the corpse of their fans who commit suicide.

Related with other social problem

How many black metal bands do you know who promote a positive message in their music? Although not all its band members or listeners are directly involved in devil worship, it's not a sweeping statement to say that all black metal bands sing about mutilation, death, fornication, and frustration. True, we have the freedom to express ourselves by playing aggressive music to vent our feelings. However, we cannot deny that people will be drastically influenced by the suggestive lyrics of the songs. If you hear someone yelling about torture, free sex, and anti-establishment propaganda into your ears long enough, surely you will soon take those ideas as your own creed. If you have an interest towards such music, one can also conclude that you are tolerant towards violence and commend such behaviour.

Black metal band members explain that the songs that contain anti-God propaganda and descriptions of killings actually represent their point of view about certain issues, such as Hitler's genocidal warfare, abusive parents, etc. They say they are not promoting such destructive attitudes, and they are just "giving a picture". Actually, that is just a cover up. Even if they are telling the truth, it still doesn't justify the fact that it influences its listeners negatively. The listeners don't learn about how destructive war or child abuse can be or learn to avoid it. They merely listen about the process of killings and torture itself. When such negative ideas get into one's head, it causes someone to have a negative outlook towards life or indulge in those activities himself.

Many things have been said about the Black Metal culture. Some defend it, some are against it. But not enough people have risen to the occasion to point out that this entire Black Metal situation is merely scapegoating. In fact, the more we debate over the Black Metal culture, the more we are ignoring the problem at hand. The problem at hand is, there are rising cases of satan worshippers amongst Malaysian youth. There are rising cases of immoral activities. Free sex is on the rise amidst Malaysian teenagers. Generally, the Malaysian youth seem to be more immoral and carefree about these things.

Those who involve in Black Metal culture they cannot escape from alcohol, free sex and drugs. These are the “crucial” components in Black Metal culture. This is because those who member of the Black Metal culture will go for a gigs which not only to watch band performing but also to take all the alcoholic and drugs. At the early age youth already get used with the alcoholic drinks, what would be happen after the individual reach the age of 40-50 or maybe less than that. Of course it will affect their health. Not only that, alcohol also might make the individual commit in criminal. When an individual is under influence of alcohol he or she cannot control themselves. They might do anything without their consideration. And it become worst when because of the alcoholic drinks, it affect others who is near to them. The victim might be their family member, friends and maybe someone that they don’t even know who is unfortunate. Alcohol is similar like drugs where both will make the individual addicted to its. For the beginning it might be fine and everything is under control because the individual can afford to buy the alcoholic drink and as well as drugs. But then after several periods, they become addicted and cannot control themselves, they might lose their job, fail in their study and of course in terms of money it will decrease. As a result they tend to involve in crime activities such as snatch things. In terms of health, there are several health problem that might the individual face such as heart damage, high blood pressure and stroke, liver damage, brain damage with mood and personality changes, and concentration and memory problems. Mentally a regular drinker may develop tolerance and dependence. Tolerance means that they need more alcohol to achieve the same effect or they feel less effect than they used to with the same amount of alcohol. Dependence means that the alcohol becomes central in their life a lot of time is spent thinking about alcohol, obtaining it, consuming it and recovering from it. The person will find it difficult to stop drinking or to control the amount consumed.

As what has been mentioned earlier, other than addiction of alcohol n drugs, there is one major problem that results from the Black Metal culture which is free sex. This is where the followers of the Black Metal culture will simply having sex with whoever they wanted to for the sake to fulfill the requirement to be in the community. It is restricted by the religions and cultures, and the question here is that why do the free sex is restricted and against our religions teaching and cultures. First of all it is not our culture because it will give a bad affect to those involve with the free sex and also to the community society. Free sex exposes the practitioners to the HIV disease and other related diseases such as herpes infections. To the community society, it will give a bad reflect to the community. When we talk about the community and Black Metal culture, its interrelated with Malay youth which are Muslims. Even though there are non Muslim who involve in Black Metal culture, but majority of them are Malay youth and they will underestimated by others who from other religions.

Conclusion

Black metal is too extreme. Its anti everything good, promotes hatred. It's the opposite of everything. The music is one form of mental reprogramming meant to erase all the good teachings from our mind. It pollutes the mind just like cigarette destroy our lungs, liquor damage our liver, and garbage in, garbage out. One may still pray 5 times a day and praise the lord, but the damage is done.

Even though government and National Fatwa Council already play their role by banning the Black Metal culture, but a better way to overcome the problem effectively is still to make sure parents do their job at disciplining their children. Religion may no longer be the answer as people are already playing God either in computer games or cloning humans. Children’s mind is no longer shape only by the parent because in this 21st century everything is possible. They can simply download the mp3s, video clips and even pictures from the internet. So its parent responsibility to monitor what sites does their children log on to. It is not to control the children but it’s for their own good. Just that by monitoring them, the parent can stop and tell their children what is good and what is bad. Then the religion can be a guideline for the children because advice from their parent plus the religion teachings would be a good combination to shape a good individual for the future.

Posted by Mohd Izazul Rahim Saifullah b. Mohd Ikram