Page - 85 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 05/02

the end of the world”, surrounded by powerful low-pitched drums, piano, and guitars/bass. The sonority is dramatic, in F sharp minor, with intense dynamics, an anguished character, and sounding as a farewell. At the beginning of the third millennium, popular music performers were singing the final destruction of the world more than ever, almost demanding it. In “Apocalypse Please” the lyrics are expressive and crystal clear, with a desolated refrain: “Declare this an emergency / Come on and spread a sense of urgency / And pull us through / … / This is the end / Of the world”. U2 were able to bring some light to this overwhelmed scenario.63 “Yahweh” (A–14) is the last song of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004). It consti- tutes an open call to Jews, Arabs and Christians to build dialogue in peace, to look for solutions, and to love each other in evangelical terms; it must be locat- ed within the specific context of those years. The refrain directly addresses God, with the Hebrew – Old Testament – name (universal for several religions): “Yah- weh, Yahweh / Always pain before a child is born / … Still, I’m waiting for the dawn”. Thus, there is faith in God and hope, although the song wonders why suffering is an unavoidable stage before salvation. The response involves the fact that humans cannot just wait and hope; action is demanded: “Take these hands / Teach them what to carry / Take these hands / Don’t make a fist” (similar lyrics for “mouth” and “soul”). Importantly, the song completes an album that belongs in essence to critical dystopia. U2 had composed a number of apocalyp- tic songs (end-of-the-world focused) over three decades, like “Until the End of the World” (Achtung Baby, 1991), “The Wanderer” (Zooropa, 1993), and “Last Night on Earth” (Pop, 1997). However, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004) and No Line on the Horizon (2009) evinced a turn towards the here-and-now, challenging the audience to fight for a better world. Iron Maiden included “Brighter than a Thousand Suns” in the meaningful al- bum A Matter of Life and Death (2006. A–15). As is typical of metal, the lyrics are both explicit and full of tragic resonances: “Minute warning of the missile fall / Take a look at your last day”. The contradiction that Michael Gilmour locates in this song evinces the crossroads of critical values and religious tensions that many people experience in extreme rock: Iron Maiden’s “Brighter than a Thou- sand Suns” … opens with a first-person plural confession (“We are not the sons of God”) and closes with the sinners’ prayer (“Holy Father we have sinned”).64 The song is also relevant because of its treatment of the apocalyptic ethos, showing how heavy rock tends to adopt biblical motifs, but gravitated towards a present reality. Human nuclear war more than any divine punishment hangs 63 The religious path of U2 cannot be summarized here, despite its importance. About their deeply religious contents see Calhoun (2018) and Roberts (2018). E. g., such a popular song as “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (1987) is a true Christian anthem. 64 Gilmour 2017, 74. Apocalypse as Critical Dystopia in Modern Popular Music | 85www.jrfm.eu 2019, 5/2, 69–94