Pantera ~ Racism in Metal

I dont think Phil Anselmo is actually a racist or that he believes in that White Power noise. I think, as someone already mentioned, that he's an idiot who gets perhaps a bit too drunk a bit too often as well as having already mostly ruined himself with drugs and alcohol. He says dumb shit without thinking about it and regrets it later (or regrets being called out on it, either way).

Is there racism in Metal? Definitely. But I dont think its very common. The only places where I've actually seen it are online, in the comment sections of various websites or on forums. Yea, there are some bands that have or used to have those beliefs but as long as they're just talking about it and not acting on it then I dont think there's much to do other then call em out and then be done with it.

As for disclaimers, as long as you put in the info section things like "lyrical content: nazism" or "genre: pornogrind" then people should know what they're getting into when they listen to the band. A database should be just that. I mean, you dont call anyone working at the local libary a nazi because the library has books on the subject.

Unitron wrote: Polymorphia wrote: siLLy puPPy wrote: Sex with toasters?  Toaster Fucker, the new hit Grindcore band on the scene.

In response to all this controversy, FUCK IT! This is metal. This is where everyone has the right to express their demented views no matter how twisted it is. Bring it on, bitches! Letting sick fucks express themselves is key to finding cures for the poisons. The universe has a bias for love over hate (science in action) so let all the hate spew forth in the metal world and we can either agree or disagree accordingly. I hardly agree with the lyrics of every album i like. I am however able to separate musical talent from psyochological development. 

that's standard operating procedure for football hooligans

Polymorphia wrote: siLLy puPPy wrote: Sex with toasters?

Okay, back on topic. Yes Anselmo's outbursts are a problem. It's not a disagreement over a favourite football team, beer, which women are fit or if a band is shit or not. This hurts people.

Our inclusiveness is already something that sets us aside from other sites like e.g. encyclopedia metallum, but if that is our policy (it is) then it has to run both ways: including metal bands we don't like, not just including metal bands that they don't like/don't consider metal

I wouldn't listen to them either, LittleBig.

Little Big, understand your position but we do already have a very large number of bands covering unsavoury topics. We'd end up removing some of the bigger bands as well as more obscure ones if we were to take that approach. And while it would be nice to think (and I do think) that everyone here finds rape, torture and racial superiority politics objectionable, at what place to you set the barrier? I like dark occultist music but don't listen to explicitly satanic bands. Others would feel I'm missing out on some good music and stories. Is a song about a rape or lynching the same as one that glorifies it? Does the fact that EM / SOM / HME and other sites list a band not place us out of kilter if we don't?

My view is that we list everything , but call out in a matter of fact those that may cause offence. Honor is a Polish RAC / neo-nazi band. Cock And ball Torture is a porno-grind band from Germany. Readers will know then what the're viewing.

A site-wide disclaimer will outline MMAs position. And should someone want to review a nazi band, it would obviously have to be done objectively on the music else the Admins will pull it for being offensive. I don't think though that we get many reviews of far right nationalist bands. Most listeners will be reviewing on more niche sites I assume. That said, I'd welcome reviews of Moshpit so long as it was objective and focussed on the music.

Unitron wrote: I agree that there should be a disclaimer in the "About MMA" section of something like that. If there was a disclaimer on the artist page of every single band that has questionable views, that could get a bit annoying and redundant. Also, sometimes it's hard to differentiate what's real and what's for shock value and/or humor. On one hand you do have neo-nazi bands, but you also have bands like Acidrodent who's lyrics I doubt are meant to be taken seriously.

If we need a disclaimer I agree it should be a general disclaimer for the Whole site. We shouldn´t let it be up to the individual collab if a profile needs a disclaimer.