# Rock stars who actually take occultism seriously? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 8, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342 "2009-07-08T17:02:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/1 "2009-07-08T17:02:34Z")
I know that, since the 1960s, many conservative/fundamentalist churches have railed against rock music and supposed Satanic/occultic influences, especially in the “Heavy Metal” genre. Many people are quick to point out that a lot of these musicians’ associations with such beliefs are actually fairly minimal, and they do it just for the supposed shock value. How many rock stars have actually taken occultic-type beliefs seriously? ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/2 "2009-07-08T17:08:13Z")
The classic example is the band [Mayhem](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayhem_(band)): > [@](#): > > Later that year, the recording of Mayhem’s upcoming album, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas resumed. In Dead’s and Necrobutcher’s absences, Attila Csihar of Tormentor handled vocals, and Varg Vikernes of Burzum handled bass guitar. Due to adverse media and police attention, Euronymous was forced around this time to close his scene focal point record shop Helvete. Much of the album was recorded during the first half of 1993 at the Grieg Hall in Bergen. To coincide with the release of the album, Euronymous and Vikernes had conspired to blow up Nidaros Cathedral, which appears on the album cover. Euronymous’ murder in August 1993 put an end to this plan and delayed the album’s release. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/3 "2009-07-08T17:16:18Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > I know that, since the 1960s, many conservative/fundamentalist churches have railed against rock music and supposed Satanic/occultic influences, especially in the “Heavy Metal” genre. Many people are quick to point out that a lot of these musicians’ associations with such beliefs are actually fairly minimal, and they do it just for the supposed shock value. How many rock stars have actually taken occultic-type beliefs seriously? Jimmy Page? (Led Zepplin) ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/4 "2009-07-08T17:44:51Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Jimmy Page? (Led Zepplin) Yep, it seems Jimmy was quite obsessed with the occult during the 70’s, Allister Crowley in particular. He even owned an occult book shop and Crowley’s summer house. From Wiki… > [@](#): > > Although Page collected works by Crowley, he has never described himself as a Thelemite nor was he ever initiated into the O.T.O.. The Equinox Bookstore and Boleskine House were both sold off during the 1980s, as Page settled into family life and participated in charity work. It’s uncertain what he believes today but at the time he did take it quite seriously and it seems it was more a personal matter than it was for the shock value. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/5 "2009-07-08T18:05:48Z")
The lead singer for Godsmack, Sully Erna, is Wiccan. I’ve heard that some of the other members are as well, but I haven’t read statements from them directly. ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/6 "2009-07-08T20:27:23Z")
I have seen King Diamond (King who?) claim to be a practicing Satanist. Of course, I don’t know whether or not he is a theistic Satanist. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/7 "2009-07-08T20:41:18Z")
The theme song from “Billy Jack” was a tune called “One Tin Soldier.” The group that recorded it was called Coven, and I’ve heard they came by the name honestly, as they really used to be into black magic and the occult. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/8 "2009-07-08T20:47:45Z")
There is always that guy in some band whose name I forget with the upside down crossed burned into his forehead. Does that count as taking it seriously? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/9 "2009-07-08T21:32:50Z")
> [@gytalf2000](#): > > How many rock stars have actually taken occultic-type beliefs seriously? Define “occultic-type belief”. Would believing in something like reincarnation count? Would being a Wiccan count? What about a Buddhist? Some of the people claiming that there was a connection between the occult and rock or heavy metal music might define “occult” as “any non-Judeo-Christian religion”. It’s hard to know just how seriously anyone else takes their religion, especially if they don’t talk about it a lot in public. If I don’t generally go out for meals with someone, they probably wouldn’t know that I keep kosher, for example, never mind how often I pray or something like that. Or what if someone’s the Wiccan (or whatever) equivalent of a “Christmas and Easter Christian” or a cultural Jew- do they take their religion seriously, or not? It gets even stickier when you start getting into religions like neopaganism, where there’s not a central authority or collection of writings to define what it’s supposed to mean to practice that religion. ---
**Author:** ![gytalf2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ac91a4/32.png) [@gytalf2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gytalf2000)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/10 "2009-07-08T22:39:06Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > Define “occultic-type belief”. Would believing in something like reincarnation count? Would being a Wiccan count? What about a Buddhist? Some of the people claiming that there was a connection between the occult and rock or heavy metal music might define “occult” as “any non-Judeo-Christian religion”. > > It’s hard to know just how seriously anyone else takes their religion, especially if they don’t talk about it a lot in public. If I don’t generally go out for meals with someone, they probably wouldn’t know that I keep kosher, for example, never mind how often I pray or something like that. Or what if someone’s the Wiccan (or whatever) equivalent of a “Christmas and Easter Christian” or a cultural Jew- do they take their religion seriously, or not? It gets even stickier when you start getting into religions like neopaganism, where there’s not a central authority or collection of writings to define what it’s supposed to mean to practice that religion. Oh, good point! It would be difficult to really define occultic belief… I suppose I was thinking of people who actively engage in satanic rituals and expect to get results from the practice. Not that I would lump Wicca in with Satanism… And practitioners of Aleister Crowley’s “Thelema”, as well. I do not think they like being lumped together with satanists, either! ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/11 "2009-07-08T22:55:51Z")
[Black Widow](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Widow_(band))? I remember their _Come to the Sabbat_ was a track on a compilation lp I played a fair bit in the early 70s. “Come, come, come to the Sabbat, come to the Sabbat, come” ---
**Author:** ![Electric\_Warrior](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@Electric\_Warrior](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electric_Warrior)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/12 "2009-07-08T22:59:51Z")
**Sparky812** ’s mention of Aleister Crowley reminded me of…[David Bowie](http://user.cyberlink.ch/~koenig/bowie.htm)! ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/13 "2009-07-08T23:27:03Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > The classic example is the band [Mayhem](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayhem_(band)): They were part of the violent black metal scene in Norway, but that had more to do with Norwegian history than anything that would be considered the occult. > [@sweeteviljesus](#): > > I have seen King Diamond (King who?) claim to be a practicing Satanist. Of course, I don’t know whether or not he is a theistic Satanist. He’s a LaVeyan Satanist, not a devil worshipper. > [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > There is always that guy in some band whose name I forget with the upside down crossed burned into his forehead. > > Does that count as taking it seriously? 😛 Glen Benton of Deicide. He also claimed that he would commit suicide on his 30th birthday. He now lives in a gated community and is active in his local PTA. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2009, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/14 "2009-07-08T23:36:48Z")
What a pussy. Way to _completely_ lose your edge man. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-stars-who-actually-take-occultism-seriously/502342/15 "2009-07-10T14:05:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by sweeteviljesus > I have seen King Diamond (King who?) claim to be a practicing Satanist. Of course, I don’t know whether or not he is a theistic Satanist. > [@ultrafilter](#): > > He’s a LaVeyan Satanist, not a devil worshipper. Apparently, not anymore… > [@](#): > > In an interview from 2006, King Diamond stated that he does not follow any specific religion, and expressed concern that religion has led so many people to kill and destroy each other. He stated that he cannot comprehend why religion has caused so much death and destruction when it is logically impossible to prove the presence or absence of any god. He states that he has reached a point in his life where he has completely given up believing in anything religious. [link](http://www.heavymetal.dk/interviews_view.php?id=101) The OP maybe on to something though, either these guys grew out of their beliefs or it really was for the shock value.