The Reception of Religious Imagery in Christian Metal: The Case of the “Holy Blood” Band
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71294/ers.2023.03Keywords:
Christian metal music, rock music, religion, images, «Holy Blood», post-secularism, metamodern.Abstract
The article is devoted to the specifics of the reception of religious images in the work of the modern Christian metal band “Holy Blood,” one of the most popular representatives of this genre in Ukraine, as well as the way religious motifs in the band's oeuvre are read by fans. The paper analyzes the public statements of the leader of “Holy Blood”, songs lyrics and music videos released by the band, reviews of the band's work on the Internet and interviews conducted by the author of this work with fans of the group. It is argued that the specific ways religious images are actualized in “Holy Blood's” body of work were influenced by processes best described in a post-secular framework. The Christian nature of “Holy Blood” affects the band's view and ultimate rejection of some cultural features characteristic for postmodernity and metamodernity. The band's work reproduces some cultural-level elements of how the Christian faith is perceived, which at a more theoretical level have found expression in the writings of contemporary Christian theologians. The relationship between religious images and patriotic motives in the work of “Holy Blood” is considered in the context of more general discussions about the relationship between religiosity and national consciousness. Songs and music videos produced by “Holy Blood” are compared with the work of the famous metal band “Powerwolf”, which also actualizes religious images in its work but refrains from solidarity with any particular position on faith. It is shown that “Holy Blood” fans perceive the religious imagery in the band's work in a manner that is quite typical of postmodern religiosity. In general, the obtained results allow a better understanding of the influence of current sociocultural processes on the specifics of the perception of religion in modern society.
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