Marduk/Unleashed - 23 Nov 2007 - Klubben

So, I'm not really a big Black Metal fan. Some of it's good: Venom, Bathory...but when the music turns into this "I'm more evile than you" thing, I sorta start to giggle. (I'll probably get burned at the stake if anyone in the Sthlm Black Metal Ring of Death is reading this. Sorry, MLO).

Which made Marduk "just okay" for me. Judging by the crowd's response, they put on a really good show, and I admit, I got into a few songs and sorta dug the singer's menacing voice. But, I left early. I really went to this show to see the opener, Unleashed.

Now, there's this ongoing conversation that I've been having with a friend of mine about Unleashed.

You see, I love Unleashed. I love their groovy, death metal style of music. I love the rhythms, I love the riffs...I love it all. I think they're one of the best death metal bands out there, and really personify the Scandinavian death metal sound.

My friend, however, says that the Unleashed guys are racist, that their lyrics expressly illustrate that, and that he's not into them because of that. I've never met the guys, so I can't say anything about them personally. But I did go and read some Unleashed lyrics. There was alot of "Viking this" and "Viking that", but I didn't pick up anything racist. He insists. The only "proof" I have is that they haven't joined Metalheads Against Racism. I don't know. You be the judge. Any comments, Unleashed?

It brings up this bigger issue, though, of separating "music" from "values". I definitely understand both sides of the argument.

One being, separate the music from the values of the people in the band. They're separate entities and should be treated as such. The actions/views of the band members should not influence the band's musical merit.

The other being that the music and the people creating the music are one in the same, and that if the people are despicable, it makes the music despicable. Period.

I tend to side with the first argument. I think if I started judging musicians for what they said or how they acted, I probably wouldn't have a lot of bands left to listen to.

That said, this was the first time Unleashed has played in Stockholm in 15 years!!? Why, I have no idea. It was also the first time I've ever gotten to see them play, unluckily missing them at every festival they've played. So, I especially enjoyed it, and they were brutal as ever, playing a lot of my old favorites like "Never Ending Hate" and "To Asgaard We Fly".

Sadly, I can't seem to locate any video of the Stockholm show, so check out Unleashed in Germany, in 1994 playing "Never Ending Hate":



\m/
-parastoo-