Before allegedly shot and killed six people and then was killed by police in a Wisconsin Sikh temple Sunday, music was one of the pulpits he used to have his message heard.
His music has since been labeled “hate metal,” but described its music as “hardcore/metal/punk” on its My-Space Music page, listing influences such as Black Sabbath, Slayer and Iron Maiden.
“The music is a sad commentary on our sick society and the problems that prevent true progress,” the band wrote in its MySpace bio.
There isn’t a specific “hate metal” subgenre in online record stores, of course, but it’s out there.
Southern Poverty Law Center director Heidi Beirich told The Associated Press on Monday that — “one of the most violent parts of the white-supremacist scene.”
What’s the difference between hate metal and regular old metal and hardcore? It comes down to intention and seriousness, and that’s where it gets tricky.
The music sounds similar, and their lyrics also overlap. In metal, it’s popular to talk of hatred and disgust and killing — as any listen to Ozzy Osbourne or Slayer will prove. But those themes are also found in End Apathy’s music.
Selected lyrics from End Apathy’s track “Submission”: “Trust is a prelude to betrayal. Honesty gives way to deception. Compassion is a weakness, honor a sacrifice. Adapt to the trying times or pay with your life.”
End Apathy’s former record label, Label 56, said : “We have worked hard over the years to promote a positive image,” was written at label56.com.
But End Apathy’s MySpace page is still live with five songs, including “Self Destruct” and “Insignificant.”
“Submission” is a slower song compared with most of End Apathy’s metal-rooted catalog. “Self Destruct” is more representative of its sound, and it comes off like most independently produced hardcore music: with out-front guitars, propulsive drums and indecipherable, shout-spoken lyrics in the background.
Ricardo Baca: 303-954-1394, rbaca@denverpost.com or twitter.com/bruvs
