WARNING: This post may contain traces of Satan

Dear Readers,

In staying up-to-date with my favorite bands, I came across this interesting story.

Apparently, a music venue in Nashville has booked my favorite metal band, The Black Dahlia Murder. Good for them, I say! I saw this act a few weeks ago when it rumbled through Chicago, and it was amazing, as usual. So what's the big deal? Oh, right. Rocketown is a Christian youth hangout. I'm sure the brutal, pummeling, shrieking songs about necrophilia, suicide, and blood-soaked battlefields will fit right in. Oops!

As great admirer of both The Black Dahlia Murder and the First Amendment of our Constitution's Bill of Rights, I am more than happy to comment on this.

First, I want to make one thing clear. When I read this article, the last thing on my mind is the grave and menacing threat that the band poses to society. They are not Satan-worshippers. No, they don't actually have sex with corpses. Nor do they encourage their fans to commit suicide or shoot people or even to stop brushing their teeth. Not an ounce of their content contains any trace of explicitly or even implicitly harmful messages to any average adult.

So, if they're not actually maniacal Satan-worshiping killers, then what is the real issue here? Well, there's three interesting fronts: the business side, the parenting side, and good old freedom of speech.

First, it sounds like a pretty shady move on part of Rocketown. The majority of its customers seem to think that it is a Christian venue, but Rocketown disagrees. But, if they booked only Christian acts and made themselves the clean, safe teenage hangout spot, then they need to man up to the identity they made for themselves. Instead, they had an opportunity to book a great act that would bring a huge, energetic crowd full of new customers. So, they made a shrewd business decision at the expense of their customer base - their Christian community. However, if this booking is actually not inconsistent with past shows at Rocketown, and this is simply a small contingent of parents that don't like the bands, then there's no reason that the show should be prevented.

Second, should that concerned father let his 16 year-old son get into The Black Dahlia Murder? Probably not now. But not because TBDM are evil and likely lead his son down a bad road. Rather, it is because the father already has bigger issues to worry about, like why he thinks censoring is a healthy form of discipline. More harm can potentially be inflicted when a young man's most involved and respected mentor becomes intolerant and restrictive about something in which he is genuinely interested. If this boy hears something that he likes, and his father tells him it is evil and bad, then, in essence, the son is being told that there is something wrong with his tastes. After all, he likes evil and bad things! So there must be something wrong with him, right? No. This connection is faulty, and so censoring without discussion is equally faulty.

You see, music is a matter of taste that is best left to an individual's discretion. Being a good Christian, on the other hand, is a matter of values, and is best developed through loving and cooperative instruction. If you are a parent and your kid wants to listen to something you don't like, then I feel for you. It is a difficult situation, and it will require unpleasantness on your part. But, you can't just scold and restrict. Rather, you need to face it directly, with compassion and understanding. By censoring potentially offensive content in order to avoid uncomfortable conversations, one only serves to shut the door to open, healthy communication.

Finally, I politely disagree with anyone who believe that this band is evil or can cause direct harm with their act. In fact, I am happy to know that I have no right to do anything *but* politely disagree. I take both pride and solace in this basic right that our country gives us. My education afforded me a firm grasp on two things: art is a matter of intellectual and aesthetic taste, and understanding and accepting freedom of speech is a skill that takes practice and patience. So, if these guys aren't inciting riots with their words, then there's no reason why they should be censored. And, luckily, they're not.

Here's what you do have in the Black Dahlia Murder. In broad daylight, this band are 5 nerdy white guys from Detroit who play loud, fast, insane music that appeals to very few people and that represents a musical genre whose biggest exposure came in a Jim Carey flick. They play video games, fart on each other, get goofy tattoos on a whim, consume staggering amounts of alcohol, marijuana, and junk food, have a blast whenever they can. They make music videos in bowling alleys and parking lots in Las Vegas. They are jolly, sweaty, wacky men-children.

Peel these stinky, yet harmless, onion layers back, and you find a group of gifted, dedicated artists who deeply love and appreciate their craft, work hard day in and day out to cultivate their exceptional (read: ungodly and .001% of population) talents, and are committed to delivering their craft to fans who actually appreciate them for their art. Count me in as one of those fans.

Until next time,

Your Metal-Loving Freedom Fighter,

Kevin