Metal and conservatism

Gerd Bayer (editor of the collection Heavy Metal Music in Britain) alerted me to an interesting exchange on metal on the unlikely forum of paleoconservative publication Taki's Magazine (Taki being Spectator columnist, playboy and all-round dodgy character Taki Theodoracopulos). Spurred by this sarcy and superficial blog post on Bayer's book, a number of other Takimag contributors have rallied  round the metal flag. Most interesting is this piece by Alex Kurtagic. Kurtagic runs the UK label Supernal Music (home to the wonderful Meads of Asphodel (can't be bothered to put in a link) amongst others). Kurtagic and Supernal have been accused of far right sympathies and some of his acts appear to have NSBM connections, but in truth his views seem to be based on a loathing for modernity as much as any obviously Nazi views. The debate on Taki's Mag seems to have provoked a number of contributors to praise elements of metal, particularly black metal for its potential as a conservative critique of modernity.

There's clearly a long and detailed blog post to be done on the subject. As ever though, I don't have the time to devote to it. Hopefully at some point in the future I will write something more substantial on conservatism and metal.

Comments

[Graeme]

Kurtagic completely comes across as a Nazi in that.

[James]

Interesting stuff. I get Kurtagic's point about extreme metal being elitist and neo-Romantic, though saying that extreme metallers want to 'smash the system' seems like wishful thinking on his part. His own observations suggest that most fans of extreme metal are content to live a sort of 'double life'.

You should definitely write something on this.

[grim malice]

I've never heard of Kurtagic before, but his blog (http://alexkurtagicofficial.blogspot.com/) also links to pieces he's written for the white nationalist magazines Occidental Quarterly and American Renaissance, so what's the debate over his politics exactly? It seems like he's pretty open about his "far right sympathies."

[Keith Kahn-Harris]

I hadn't looked at his blog before - which I should have - and yes it's absolutely clear that he's a racist far right sympathiser. But in my original post I implied he wasn't a Nazi and I'd probably stick by that to the extent that he cleaves to a kind of intellectual/aesthetic extremism that isn't anchored in any specific political grouping. I may be wrong though and would be happy to hear from anyone who can link Kurtagic to more practical political activity.

[Graeme]

I don't know, Keith. When Kurtagic writes that a "turn of mind" that "that is inegalitarian, neo-pagan, non-manichean, neo-Romantic, and anti-modern; one that is, in other words, Nietzschean and Darwinian, or, perhaps more accurately and succinctly, völkisch", he's giving pretty much a textbook definition of Nazi ideology. Maybe the "non-manichean" bit doesn't quite fit, but it's otherwise pretty standard Nazi stuff.

[Keith Kahn-Harris]

Yes I suppose I am probably splitting hairs. Still, I find it hard to see people like Kurtagic as activists capable to bringing their agenda to life.