Comments on: The Torture Playlist

By: Kirvo

Kirvo — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:03:12 +0000

No “America, Fuck Yeah” on that list?

By: Zack

Zack — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:14:19 +0000

Eh… Metallica sucks shit anyways. Figures.

By: saoirse

saoirse — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 00:57:20 +0000

[moderator note: Saoirse's comment now appears on its own thread.]

By: VRON

VRON — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 16:01:51 +0000

“Blue collar” means manual labor. Why would you conflate reactionary views with working people? Aren’t we up to your standards?

“damn, poor old Bruce must be upset about how reactionary idiots hi-jacked his song. Did they ever listen to any of the lyrics past the chorus?” The same thing happened with Rock The Casbah and Keep On Rocking In The Free World.

By: saoirse

saoirse — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 12:35:21 +0000

Mike I am looking for the exact quotes in response to the above interview. After this interview got press both James and Lars responded critically to the use of their music for the purposes of torture. Though I would add that despite their body of music which I would argue has had a consistent thread of anti-war sentiment, in interviews Metallica have often reverted to a more vocal blue collar style “support the troops” line in response to questions about their politics.

Here is one quote below I was able to find before work. it is certainly not definitive.

May 31, 2003: Commenting on the report that the American forces are subjecting Iraqi prisoners of war to a new kind of torture — METALLICA’s brand of heavy metal — the band’s frontman James Hetfield told the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter that the whole thing feels “absurd and sad” to him.

By: Bhaskar Sunkara

Bhaskar Sunkara — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 05:27:16 +0000

“Born in the USA” — damn, poor old Bruce must be upset about how reactionary idiots hi-jacked his song. Did they ever listen to any of the lyrics past the chorus?

By: Mike E

Mike E — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 23:30:34 +0000

Saoirse: where?when did Metallica speak out?

we definitely want to get these facts straight.

By: saoirse

saoirse — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:44:14 +0000

Metallica have in fact spoken out against the use of their music to “torture” political prisoners. Metallica have always written political songs though I would never claim they were a left wing or progressive band they have certainly written many songs critical of war religion and authority. The have an entire cd called master of puppets about the theme and notably used the film version of Dalton Trumbo’s antiwar novel Johnny Got his Gun in their video for One. Regardless of what you think of the band and their politics I think they have been consistent with their views for going on 25 years in music.

Correct me if I am wrong but in the documentary Standard Operating Procedure (about Abu Grabib) soldiers state that prisoners seemed to enjoy the metal and hip hop US soldiers played in the prison. It was only when the soldiers played country western that prisoner grew upset and complained.

By: Grumpy Metalhead

Grumpy Metalhead — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 18:57:27 +0000

“’cause I think politics and music, at least for us, don’t mix” says Comrade Hetfield. “And Justice for All” was a political album pretty much from start to finish and “Ride the Lightning” also had its political moments. Apparently now that he’s been a rich rock star for years it’s not worth worrying about what’s going on in the world around him. It also seems to be more important to him that his music not be used by file-sharers than by torturers!