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8AnA!A? SLnCu1A 18034
10/20/2011



lve wotcbeJ tbe Joqs of wot eojoyloq tbelt feost
lve seeo tbe westeto wotlJ qo Jowo lo tbe eost
1be fooJ of love become tbe qteeJ of oot tlme
8ot oow lm llvloq oo tbe ptoflts of ptlJe
8lock 5obbotb nole lo tbe 5ky 1975

rologue
Peavy meLal slnce lLs lncepLlon has been sLereoLyped as Lhe moslc of tbe Jevll" and lLs followers
were branded as drugaddlcLs and advocaLes of vlolence More Lhan four decades afLer 8lack
SabbaLh con[ured lmages of Lhe dark arLs heavy meLal ls growlng up 1he genre ls lncreaslngly
lncorporaLlng soclal and pollLlcal messages lnLo lLs dense power chords WlLhln Lhe span of Lhls
arLlcle we wlll Lry Lo revlslL Lhe [ourney of heavy meLal muslc from belng Lhe muslc of Lhe oppressed
Lo a malnsLream culLure and lLs soclopollLlcal ramlflcaLlons
1he lnfluences
lL sLarLed off wlLh loud dlsLorLed blues lnlLlaLed by 8lue Cheer who made grlndlng blues rock wlLh
Lhe ald of deformed ampllflers and a passlon for crudlLy 1hey Lhe spearheads of a range of elecLrlc
blues bands from cteom Lo Ilml neoJtlx and lnsplred numerous fuLure ptotopooktockets (wbo)
1hey lnculcaLed Lhe LradlLlons of folk and blues lmprovlsaLlon and Lurned Lhem lnLo someLhlng
Lechnlcally on par wlLh Lhe [azz

1he second Llne of Lhe fork was progresslve rock whlch Lruly blossomed durlng Lhe mlddle 1970s
Arguably Lhls genre was made famous by a band whlch ls overmenLloned ln Lhe hlsLory of popular
muslc as Lhey were among Lhe flrsLs Lo devlaLe from Lhe sLandard rock formaL namely tbe 8eotles
1helr works lnsplred bands Lo fuse classlcal and [azz Lralnlng lnLo Lhelr rock resulLlng ln longer song
sLrucLures many of whlch were oottotlve or oeoopetotlc (comel Ceoesls) and Lhe use of dlsLorLlon
and dlssonance ln arLful ways
llnally Lhere was a LradlLlon of bands LhaL grew from Lhe garage rock LradlLlons lnLo a tecbolpoe
otleoteJ oeoptotopooktock fotmot Coupled wlLh Lhe need of a publlc consclousness glven Lhe
soclopollLlcal scenarlo of LhaL era made rock muslc as a developlng arL form and conLrlbuLed Lo Lhe
exploslon of botJ tock (leJ 2eppello ueep lotple) and ptotometol (8lock 5obbotb) 1he youLh of
1963 were already agalnsL Lhe soclal pracLlces rellglon and values of Lhelr parenLs and bursL lnLo full
bloom as a CounLerculLure whose prlmary sLandpolnL was LhaL opposlLlon ln Lhe name of
LradlLlonal Amerlcan values of equallLy fraLernlLy and llberLy applled Lo dlsenfranchlsed populaLlons
from Amerlcan lndlans Lo AfrlcanAmerlcans Lo !ews and Pomosexuals 1hese groups unlLed under
Lhe CounLerculLural banner Lo become a force LhaL asslmllaLed Amerlcan llberallsm and redlrecLed
lLs agenda Lo empowermenL for all Powever lL had ouLslder auLhenLlclLy and cacheL whlch made
lL a soughLafLer culLural force across Lhe WesL ln parL because of lLs conLrarlan sLaLus and lLs lack of
accepLance among Lhe culLural soclal and pollLlcal mechanlsms of Lhe day
1
As meLal grew ln Lhe mlddle 1970s lLs fragmenLed naLure broughL lL boLh commerclal success and
hllarlLy as a tetotJeJ yoooqet btotbet to tock 8uL Lhe soclopollLlcal lnsLlLuLlons sLarLed condemnlng
Lhe muslc le Lhe church called lL Lhe moslc of tbe Jevll and Lhe governmenL allegaLlons were LhaL


Lhe expllclL lyrlcal conLenLs of Lhe song are provoklng Lhe youLh Lowards drugs sex and even
homlclde
M8C and Lhe 'WashlngLon wlves'
ln CcLober 1984 Lhe naLlonal arenL1eacher AssoclaLlon (1A) senL a leLLer Lo 30 record labels
and Lo Lhe 8ecordlng lndusLry AssoclaLlon of Amerlca (8lAA) proposlng Lhe muslc lndusLry label
records LhaL conLalned expllclL lyrlcs or conLenL
1he formaLlon of Lhe M8C began ln 1984 afLer 1lpper Core and her daughLer karenna heard
rlnces song uarllng nlkkl 1hls Lrack whlch appears on Lhe soundLrack Lo Lhe fllm lurle an
conLalns references Lo sex and musturbutlon Core laLer [olned hands wlLh 8aker Powar and
nevlus Lo form Lhe M8C ln May 1983 Core clalmed LhaL rock muslc was lnfecLlng Lhe youLh of Lhe
world wlLh messages Lhey cannoL handle
1he M8C held Lhe vlew LhaL rock and meLal muslc ls responslble for Lhe growlng Lrend of rape (up
7) and sulclde beLween Lhe age of 16 and 24 (up 300) over Lhe pasL Lhree decades 1he M8C
used songs llke Czzle Csbournes Sulclde SoluLlons 8lue CysLer CulLs uonL lear Lhe 8eaper and
AC/uCs ShooL 1o 1hrlll Lo supporL Lhelr clalm
1he goal of Lhe M8C was slmple Seek more medla aLLenLlon and apply more pressure on Lhe 8lAA
Accordlng Lo a 1983 lssue of Lhe WashlngLon osL Susan 8aker and 1lpper Core released Lhe slx
demands whlch were

1 rlnL lyrlcs on album covers
2 keep expllclL covers under Lhe counLer
3 LsLabllsh a raLlngs sysLem for records slmllar Lo LhaL for fllms (MAA)
4 LsLabllsh a raLlngs sysLem for concerLs
3 8eassess Lhe conLracLs of performers who engage ln vlolence and expllclL sexual behavlour
onsLage
6 LsLabllsh a clLlzen and recordcompany medla waLch LhaL would pressure broadcasLers noL Lo alr
quesLlonableLalenL
1he M8C also released Lhe lltby lfteeo a llsL of Lhe 13 songs Lhey found mosL ob[ecLlonable
Songs were branded 'fllLhy' based on noL only Lhelr lyrlcal conLenL (sex occulL vlolence eLc) buL also
based on song names and cover deslgn
1he Llpper sLlcker rlse of Lhe parenLal advlsory
ln AugusL 1983 19 record companles agreed Lo puL arenLal Culdance LxpllclL Lyrlcs labels on
albums Lo warn of expllclL lyrlcal conLenL 8efore Lhe labels were puL lnLo place Lhe enute agreed
Lo hold a hearlng on socalled porn rock 1hls began on SepLember 19 1983 when represenLaLlves
from Lhe M8C Lhree muslclans Lee nlder lrunk 2uu 'ohn Lenver and SenaLors Puulu
Euwklns and Al Core LesLlfled before Lhe enute Commerce, clence und 1runsortutlon
Commlttee on Lhe sub[ecL of Lhe conLenL of cerLaln sound recordlngs and suggesLlons LhaL
recordlng packages be labelled Lo provlde a warnlng Lo prospecLlve purchasers of sexually expllclL or
oLher poLenLlally offenslve conLenL


1he lnLellecLual communlLy wenL all ouL ln calllng meLal as llls ln our socleLy" meansplrlLed" and
made ouL of haLred" before sLereoLyplng lL for conLalnlng overL expresslons and descrlpLlons of
ofLen vlolenL sexual acLs drug Laklng and fllrLaLlons wlLh Lhe occulL" Such commenLs were made by
aula Pawklns and Susan 8aker naLlonal 1A vlce resldenL Mlllle WaLerman blamed lL for
advocaLlng expllclL sexual language vlolence profanlLy Lhe occulL and glorlflcaLlon of drugs and
alcohol whlch provlded Lhe lyrlcs for 8" labelled albums
uurlng Lhese confronLaLlons lrunk 2uu asserLed LhaL Lhe proposal was an lnfrlngemenL of Lhe
clvll rlghLs of people wlLhouL provldlng any real beneflL Lo chlldren Pe also polnLed ouL Lhe relaLlon
beLween Lhe admlnlsLraLlon and Lhe M8C clLlng lnsLances of Al Core and 1lpper Core Zappa had
earller mocklngly sLaLed abouL Lhe SenaLes agreemenL Lo hold a hearlng on Lhe maLLer LhaL A
couple of blow[obs here and Lhere and 8lngo! ?ou geL a hearlng" Zappas full LesLlmonlal was
released on a posLhumous 2010 compllaLlon called cooqtess 5boll Moke No low
1he pollLlcal scenarlo Lurned even more lnLeresLlng when folk rock muslclan 'ohn Lenver sLaLed
LhaL ln hls experlence censors ofLen mlslnLerpreL muslc ln addlLlon uenver expressed hls bellef LhaL
censorshlp ls counLerproducLlve lncldenLally when uenver came up Lo glve hls speech many on
Lhe M8C board expecLed hlm Lo slde wlLh Lhem Lhlnklng he would be offended by Lhe lyrlcs as
well
Lee nlder (1wlsLed SlsLers) felL LhaL hls muslc had been mlslnLerpreLed slmllar Lo !ohn uenver's
Pe defended Lhe song Under the 8lude whlch had been lnLerpreLed as referrlng Lo
sudomusochlsm bonduge and rape Snlder sald LhaL Ms Core was looklng for sadomasochlsm
and bondage and she found lL Someone looklng for surglcal references would have found lL as
well Snlder concluded LhaL 1he full responslblllLy for defendlng my chlldren falls on Lhe shoulders
of my wlfe and me because Lhere ls no one else capable of maklng Lhese [udgmenLs for us
2
Note 1be poototloos oseJ lo tbls sectloo bove beeo tefeteoceJ ftom bttp//wocom/lMkc
1he Llpper sLlcker"


Cn november 1 1983 before Lhe hearlng ended Lhe AA agreed Lo puL Purentul Advlsory labels
on selecLed releases aL Lhelr own dlscreLlon 1he labels were generlc unllke Lhe orlglnal ldea of a
descrlpLlve label caLegorlzlng Lhe expllclL lyrlcs
Many record sLores refused Lo sell albums conLalnlng Lhe label (mosL noLably vulMurt Lhls added
an economlc aspecL Lo Lhe exlsLlng soclopollLlcal scenarlo) and oLhers llmlLed sales of Lhose albums
Lo mlnors


8acklashes from Lhe muslc makers
Cver Lhe perlod of Llme dlfferenL bands have lashed agalnsL Lhls 1lpper SLlcker" from Llme Lo Llme
Cne of Lhe mosL lnnovaLlve ones came from Lhe group 1ool" ln 1992 Lhe flrsL muslc vldeo released
by 1ool Push promoLed Lhelr dlssenLlng vlews abouL Lhe LhenpromlnenL arenLs Muslc 8esource
CenLer and lLs advocacy of Lhe censorshlp of muslc 1he vldeo feaLured Lhe band members naked
wlLh Lhelr genlLalla covered by parenLal advlsory sLlckers and Lhelr mouLhs covered by ducL Lape
Slgnlfylng Lhe sancLlons lmposed by Lhe M8C
3
Lpllogue
uesplLe Lhe hardshlp and numerous sancLlons faced from Lhe rellglous soclal and pollLlcal
lnsLlLuLlons Peavy meLal conLlnues Lo be Lhe people's muslc" and en[oys lmmense popularlLy and
loyalLy More so Lhe lndlvlduals llvlng or dead are sLlll worshlpped and lcons and Lhe bands as culLs
Conslderlng all Lhese we can only Lake Lhe help of AC/uC and shouL ouL

#we toll toolqbt to tbe qoltot blte
ot tbose oboot to tock we solote yoo

8eferences
1 hLLp//muslc20moonfrulLcom
2 hLLp//wncom/M8C
3 hLLp//pedlavlewcom/openpedla/M8C

CLhers references used
hLLp//Lodaymsnbcmsncom/ld/14288309/ns/LodayenLerLalnmenL/L/heavymeLalbecomlng
lncreaslnglypollLlcal/#1p1Akd8n2_l
hLLp//enwlklpedlaorg/wlkl/Peavy_meLal_muslc
hLLp//webarchlveorg/web/20030406083223/hLLp//wwwgeoclLlescom/flreace_00/pmrchLml
hLLp//enwlklpedlaorg/wlkl/arenLs_Muslc_8esource_CenLer
hLLp//wwwanuscom/meLal/abouL/hlsLoryhLml
A headbanger's [ourney Sam uunn
1he decllne of Lhe wesLern clvlllzaLlon parL2 1he MeLal years enelope Spheerls
Peavy fundamenLallsm Muslc MeLal and ollLlcs 8osemary Plll and karl Spracklen