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Satanism and heavy metal seem to go hand in hand. True Satanists do not necessarily listen exclusively to heavy metal music, nor are all heavy metal listeners Satanists. The place Satan plays in heavy metal has less to do with Satanism and more to do with what Satan represents to the listener.

Most new recruits to heavy metal are outcast teens looking for a place to fit in. Satan is one of the best known outcasts of all time. Satan was rejected by God and thrown into a place of despair for all eternity. What outcast teen could not relate to that.

The introduction of Satan to heavy metal was actually more of a rebellious move than a Satanic movement. In the early days of heavy metal, Satan was the representation of everything that respectable society loathed. Growing up in the 70's I was required to go to church on Sundays, believe in the Bible, and never question any of the religious teachings I had learned. Heavy Metal was in total opposition of all of those things. What a wonderful tool for the rebellious soul. Not only did this music denounce all that which was considered moral, it drove our parents crazy, even to the point where they would burn our records.

I recall in the early 80's when religious organizations would even go to the point of playing the albums backwards and deciphering messages from Satan. Did this scare us metal heads? No, for we already knew the message of Satan was loud and clear. Did it cause the average metal head to go out and commit human sacrifice or light candles on a pentagram? Of course not. Metal simply gave those of us who felt rejected and misunderstood a meeting ground. We did not choose metal in order to worship Satan, we chose metal because it was dark and shocking. It expressed the way we were feeling.

Satan was the greatest rebel of all time. Is it any wonder that so many rebellious teens are drawn to heavy metal? It does make me wonder though, are children who are raised by true Satanists rebelling by listening to The Backstreet Boys?

Learn more about this author, Jeannie Trudell.
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