I haven't had much luck concerning feedback over at Fisheaters with this post, so let's see what Cathinfo folks think.  

In the beginning of my Catholic life, before I really knew much about living in the Church, I was actually dating a girl from a family of Masons.  She introduced me to an album that I never heard before, and I loved it--even after breaking up with her.  I've been listening to the album for approximately 10 years, now, never tiring of it.  

But now, it turns out that one of my favorite songs on the album is actually an ode to Lucifer.  

So the big question is: What happens to a guy who ignorantly listens to a Luciferian song for ten years?  What could have happened to me all this time, as I've listened to the music--how could I have been shaped by this?

Here is the post hyperlink:

 http://thehirschfiles.blogspot.com/2011/09/magikal-mystery-tour-part-1.html

And I'll post the text below.

Thanks guys.




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Magikal Mystery Tour: Part 1


And now, we learn that Laramie can make errors.

So, there I was, sitting on a bench with a nice sharp-looking I-Pod in my hand, when I decided to listen to a favorite song of mine that I had been listening to for the last ten years: Therion's Draconian Trilogy, from their album, Vovin.  Therion is a Swedish metal band that incorporates an orchestra and choir into their death metal style.  They've typically recorded albums that have some sort of a tie to a European myth.  My favorite album is Secret of the Runes, which features a list of songs based on different realms within ancient Norwegian mythology.  

There's nothing more gratifying than listening to a rich ensemble of instruments and tenors hammer out powerful songs about viking lore.  Many times in the past, I've often wondered why modern musicians haven't taken full advantage of all of the musical lessons and instruments invented in the last six thousand years of recorded history.  

Why is it that every rock band that squirts out an album is comprised of only guitars, drums, and vocals?  Is it because the industrialized mind only has a limited amount of patience, and such a mind can only listen to a hasty style of music?

Therion throws that modernist rule out the window and pulls out all the stops to present song in all its bombast.  Their sound is very appealing, and I am surprised I haven't heard more of them in popular culture.

So, what's the problem here?  Can a man not sit still and enjoy his Vovin album in peace?  It turns out that, while I sat there on that bench and listened to all of the eight minutes of the Draconian Trilogy, I managed to browse the lyrics of the song as it played.  And lo and behold, the entire piece was a sort of homage to Lucifer!

The contradiction here is that I don't worship Lucifer, but the One who created him.  And I'm sure that the Almighty doesn't relish the idea that one of His devoted children is joyfully tapping their foot to a song to Lucifer.

For ten years, I have been listening to this song from this group.  Sure, you hear about how there's bands out there that utilize their heavy metal powers to worship the devil.  But you never really think you'll come across any.  The music is so nice, the the chorus is so strong, you don't know what they're saying, but you just go with it and don't worry.  Yet, ten years later, you find out that the song is actually a glorification of the Enemy, and then some interesting questions arise.  

The first and foremost question that comes to my mind is: what effect does listening to this song have on a person?

You: Well, Laramie, that depends.  Just how "into" this kind of music are you?

Me: I wouldn't say I'm immersed in the death metal culture, or anything.  I listen to it on occasion.  But I will say this--that there are two ways to listen to music (and, perhaps, two ways to read a book, watch a movie, or look at a painting).  

The first way to listen to music is to listen to a song objectively.  To have the ability to dissect the song, root out its meaning.  Consider it.  Interpret it.  Separate yourself from it.  For example, another song on the album Vovin is titled: The Rise of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Yet I enjoyed that song as well?  Why?  Because I interpreted the song as if it were meant for me to imagine a bunch of those ancient citizens of those terrible cities praising the ascension of Sodom and Gomorrah.  I was able to take the song, place it on a petri dish on a labratory table, look down at it and say to myself, "Yes, indeed, this is what it would sound like if the Sodomites and Gomorrans were praising themselves.  This sounds very much like how they'd glorify their cities."  I could separate myself from the song, so to speak.

The second way to listen to music is to escape into the song.  To immerse yourself into it.  To enjoy it almost completely, and relate with the tune, and perhaps even the lyrics.  Dionysian style.  

It is this manner of listening hearing music that inspires a person.  This kind of attunement to music can drive men to battle, lovers to chase, or artists to paint.  Such listening can lead to an overflow of feelings of one kind or another.  

In other words, really getting into a song.  

And so, Laramie has a problem.  For almost a decade, he's been really getting into a particular song which happens to praise Lucifer.  Filters turned completely off, total acceptance of the work--never even thought to check up on the band.

In fairness to myself, I was introduced to the album in the early days of my Catholicism, before I developed a sharpened understanding of the importance of watching what kind of media to take in.  (Perhaps the problem has never gone away.  Who knows?)

Observe some lyrics:

-Red Dragon from the first morning of time,
-Red Dragon of ancient depths of the mind,
-Rise up from the abyss of ignorance,
-Coil into the existance of the blind.
-Morning star please bear your light,
-Through the day to next night.
-Fallen one who stole the spark,
-Bring it into the dark.

For those folks not familiar with all the imagery, the Red Dragon, the Morning Star, and Fallen One are all synonymous to Lucifer.

To top things off, it seems that the very band name "Therion" has several occult meanings.  First, "Therion" is the greek pronounciation for The Beast which rises out of the sea in The Book of the Apocalypse (a.k.a. Revelations).   Also, our little warlock friend, Aleister Crowley, regarded a god that went by the name Therion.  

But to add to the fun and see how deep and dirty we can get, it seems that a great portion of the lyrics are written by Thomas Karlsson, who is the founder of an occult order titled Dragon Rouge.  One particular album is centered around the Kabbalah.

So again, what kind of effect can such work have over a man who's been ignorantly listening to such a work for over ten years?  

I am a man who believes that some things in this world--objects, written works, music--can drag along demons.  Or at the very least, some things invite demons.  It was St. Anthony of the Desert who once told us that we so very much surrounded by these powers of the air: "Great is their number in the air around us , and they are not far from us."  It is likely a lucky thing that we don't see all of the demons that surround us in our lives, because if we did, we would be so completely discouraged in our struggles for God.

Yet, in spite of this, is it possible to have listened to this music without ill effects, and without displeasing the Savior?  Is it possible to still put this kind of music in a cage and hear it objectively, disallowing ourselves from becoming overtaken by the bad mojo that surrounds it?  

More to come later.

Wow!  A reply in less than an hour!  I've had this post up on Fisheaters for almost a full day, with no replies!

Yes, I think it might be important to get those lyrics before succuмbing to a song.  My thoughts on this are developing each day.  I have a bit of research I've conducted, which I am eager to share with...whoever.  But I first want to hear what people think of this kind of exposure.

I often wonder if I am corrupted in some sort of way I wouldn't be corrupted otherwise.

...I would never listen to it now though and looking back it had a negative effect on me for sure...

What was the negative effect, if I may ask?

laramie its funny how many trads love heavy metal and death metal. but they will condemn rock and pop. doesnt compute.

I love music, so it was very difficult when I found out how much the devil works in it, because of how much I enjoy it.

I totally cut it out. I don't even listen to music on the radio anymore, unless it's NPR classical.

I'm viewed as a meganerd now because I won't listen to mainstream music at all. Really great article though, Laramie.

I used to listen to a lot of rap and "hip hop". Mostly 90s-based groups like A Tribe Called Quest (pretty new agey , but the cool dudes type). They were the mellowest of the bunch that I listened to. Then there were the summer months of straight listening to Notorious BIG, Outkast, and Three 6 Mafia (yeah, that was the actual name of the rappers....666) and other hardcore gangster rap. That was the massive amount of evil that I was exposed to, but somehow God sheltered me through it all. I threw away all the music I had that was related or similar to that, but I have temptations every now and then to just "bump" in the car.

Ha, like I'll ever go back on my own volition to that "thug" mentality or lifestyle again. Praise God!

Weird how one could listen to that stuff dy in and day out, go to mass every Sunday and not see a problem with the music.

"I'm on the Highway to Hell" I remember distinctly singing along to that.
I'm on the road to Hell.
I'm on the path to Hell.

Scary.

Also, here is a bit of what I asked on the other forum:

Well, think of this: The Rolling Stones. Obviously Sympathy for the Devil is a blasphemous work flying in the face of God.  Yet, what about Angie, or Ruby Tuesday, or other songs that are not as controversial?  Are those songs acceptable to listen to?  

For that matter, is it wrong to hang one of Hitler's paintings in your hallway?  Does the evil of the artist make all of their art evil?

Also, are there other threads of this topic in the archives; do they touch on these points?  (I feel that I've seen conversation like this before.)