The Dark History Of Racism In The Heavy Metal Genre

November 17, 2023 Kirsten Moreton

November 17 | Written by Jessica Wilkinson

Content warning:

This article discusses themes that some may find upsetting, including racism, antisemitism, and sexual assault.

Like many genres of music, metal (and all of its niche sub-genres) enables listeners to express themselves freely. There are few other genres of music that encourage such inhibition and aggression, that provides the opportunity to flail, shriek and cause permanent damage to your neck. Unfortunately, this freedom that metal nurtures is often abused by the artists, and turned into a justification for bigoted behaviour.

A fitting example of the freedom of metal being misused by the artist is Pantera. In 2016, Phil Anselmo, lead singer of the Texas heavy metal band infamously roared “white power,” and performed an unmistakable Nazi salute. At first, Anselmo refused to apologise for his actions, stating that he was referencing the white wine served backstage as well as jokes that the band had been making before performing. Later on, he did issue an apology.

However, this is not the first time that Anselmo has exhibited highly problematic actions. In an interview with MTV in 1994, Anselmo expressed that he thought it was “cool” to write controversial lyrics. The song “5 Minutes Alone” is one of the most referenced in terms of Anselmo’s racist lyrics: “You used complexion of my skin / For a counter racist tool.” Anselmo was not the only member of the band to attract controversy; the band’s late guitarist Dimebag Darrel was documented using a racial slur towards a fan who had asked for his guitar to be signed.

White supremacy is a reccuring theme across Anselmo’s career: refusing to call out fans for shouting “white power” at their concerts; calling one of their gigs a “white thing”; displaying the Confederate flag in the album cover for his other band Superjoint Ritual, and more. He gave his justification for his controversial behaviour in an interview with Decibel Magazine, which is now available on the Metal Injection website: “Maybe I’ve said controversial things, but that’s the school of music that I come from. If you want safe music and safe spaces and all that type of shit, then run screaming in the other direction, please, and go toward yon safety.”

Anselmo’s philosophy exemplifies the danger of misusing the freedom and inhibition of metal. He condemns listeners for wanting “safe” music and pulls the “snowflake generation” card: “Way back when, if you didn’t like what someone was saying, you change the channel. It’s not all that difficult.” However, wanting to listen to music that isn’t harmful to minority groups is not wanting “safe,” sanitised, unadventurous music. Anselmo justifies his actions with the nature of metal, the “school of music” that he comes from. But this approach is very harmful to the reputation of metal.

All alternative music, whether it be metal, punk, etc., is about freedom to be who you are and to express yourself, not to give permission to express prejudices. Pantera’s history with racism and white supremacy demonstrates how the ideology of metal can be misused, often resulting in a harmful perception of the genre from other music fans.

Pantera is not the only heavy band to have a problematic history. An Astral Noize article highlights how the black metal genre in particular is prone to controversy and discriminatory actions. Burzum is one such artist, a notorious neo-Nazi who went to prison for murder and arson. The article also highlights bands like Rotting Christ and Winterfylleth to have been involved in controversy of this kind. Further, Marilyn Manson is a highly notorious figure within the heavy music genre, with numerous assault allegations and affiliations with Nazism. The list goes on.

By only focusing on the bands mentioned here, the image of the metal genre is unpleasant; racism, white supremacy, abuse and neo-Nazis seem to dominate the industry. However, this is not the case. While the bands mentioned here are deeply problematic, there are many heavy bands that go against this image.

For example, Nova Twins, a London-based rock duo. Amy Love and Georgia South are two black women who make music that tears apart the racism that exists in their industry. Their song Cleopatra does this particularly well, with the lyrics challenging the stereotypical image of what rock musicians should be: “Blacker than the leather that’s holding our boots together.” They also criticised the idea of black women’s features being monopolised by white people: “When I was a kid they always called me a freak / And now them little bitches wanna look like me / They’ll be injecting, imperfecting, till it starts to weep / You can buy your looks but you can’t change your genes.”

Tom Morello, Rage Against the Machine’s guitarist and one of Nova Twins’ celebrity fans, said to the Guardian that he often receives backlash when fans discover that he is black. He believes this is because his position “disrupts the false narrative that music like mine can only be made by people who look like them.” This statement could not be better fitted to Nova Twins, who challenge what rock musicians are stereotyped to be. This is what freedom within metal means: the freedom to be whatever kind of artist you want, not to be a bigot.

Banshee is another artist that challenges the metal stereotype. This Jewish-American trap-metal act expresses her rage over her experience of sexual assault through the guttaral shrieks that truly live up to her stage name. Her song “DEATH OF A PREDATOR” is an unapologetic, cathartic celebration of her abuser dying: “I'm not saying he deserved it / Just kidding / I'm absolutely saying he deserved it / You choked in your last breaths / Poetic justice / That's hilarious bitch / That's hilarious.” She refuses to grant respect to the person who dehumanised and assaulted her, instead being thrilled that she no longer has to worry about him.

This is another example of using the freedom that metal allows correctly; for Banshee, the fury she can express through her music is her way for processing her assault. The singer said in an interview with Loudwire that “Metal became so closely associated with abuse for me that it became a trigger… When Banshee started taking off, I started associating metal with Banshee, not bad memories. Facing trauma through music has given me the agency to love the things I used to love.” Banshee takes ownership of her trauma and turns it into something that can help others feel seen, to express their own rage.

Banshee and Nova Twins are just two examples of how freedom and pushing boundaries in metal does not have to mean being racist or extremist. This philosophy goes against everything that alternative music truly stands for. Metal allows artists and listeners to express themselves and experience cathartic release; it does not give permission to be prejudiced and write it off as “that’s just how this genre works.” Nova Twins, Banshee and more are proof of this.