FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
John Garcia-Silverstein
Hessian Studies Society
PO Box 1004
Alief, TX 77411
(512) 553-4544

Headbangers to Protest Mainstream Media Perception
Metalheads Have Always Had a Clear Opinion on "Social Issues," But It May Not Agree With Media Norm

Austin, TX (August 15, 2006) -- Money rules our society, and determines what gets into the news, which is why metalheads across America are objecting to a recent spate of articles attempting to dominate their culture with status quo norms.

"I opened CNN.com and thought, 'Why aren't they letting us speak for ourselves'?" said Houston metalhead Steve Craig of the article 'Metal gets a makeover: Bands focus on politics instead of parties.' Craig, who plays in Houston metal band Bahimiron, said he felt that metal culture existed independently of the mainstream media, and was now being "normed" by the article.

"They're trying to make it like everything else," he said. "Accept the same way of thinking, which is that humanism and materialism are the only way to live. That's not true. If we believed that, we would be in punk or rock bands instead."

The Hessian Studies Society, a not-for-profit cultural education apparat dedicated to preserving and promoting the culture of "underground metal," or heavy metal music produced outside the handful of companies that control major record labels and news media, has intervened and is organizing protests worlwide.

In their article, "Underground Metal Disagrees With Mainstream Political Trend," the Hessian Studies Society points out that metalheads have always had political beliefs, and they have never needed a makeover. Moreover, this "makeover" involves bringing those political beliefs more into line with accepted norms instead of appreciating them for their unique and insightful view of Western culture.

The article, which can be viewed online at Hessian.org, lambasts the media for making news into a product and denying the veracity of the unique and vital subculture of underground heavy metal.

About Hessians

Hessians, or metalheads, headbangers, threshers, heshers, rivetheads, metallians and longhairs, are a cultural resistance movement founded in the industrial West upon the idea that our flight in fear from the coarser aspects of nature leads us to a spiritless existence, and that only heavy metal music can restore our spirit and thus existential enjoyment of life.

About Hessian Studies

The Hessian Studies Society aims to study Hessian culture, promote it and defend it in the battleground of ideas that is modern society.

http://www.hessian.org/

Hessian Studies Society
a division of Corrupt, Inc.
PO Box 1004
Alief, TX 77411
(512) 553-4544

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/14/metal.makeover.ap/index.html

This article was well intentioned but a little ridiculous and late, ah well. Apparently metal bands are "branching into" literature and mythology! Like Mastadon, who condense the infinite philosophic thrust of Moby Dick into:

"White! (chug chug)
Whale! (chug chug)
Holy! (chug chug)
Grail!"

I'll grudge that this qualifies as "branching" but little more.

Ah well, any publicity is good publicity, angries up the blood and creates discussion etc. (see above).

The "anthropologists" and academics are even getting involved. How soon until a prominent one writes "BLASHYRK: The Socio-Economic Consequence of the Lower Raven Realms?" This is going to be fun.

also infoterror quoted: "only heavy metal music can restore our spirit and thus existential enjoyment of life."

that's some serious idolatry! Manowar may have something to say about it.