Page - 71 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 06/02

Heavy Metal Bricolage | 71www.jrfm.eu 2020, 6/2, 65–85 in the profaning of explicitly religious symbols in a performative act of reli- gious transgression, as in the example of the cross built of dismembered body parts in Behemoth’s Sabbath Mater.25 The occurrence of the abject in heavy metal is well described through Weinstein’s category of chaos. Chaos, as one of the embodiments of power, is uncivilized, lacks order and is destructive. War is one example of such a recurring chaos motif in heavy metal. The gro- tesque in itself further disembeds heavy metal chaos from reality, while con- stantly referring back to its materiality.26 Marcus Moberg points out that the omnipresent religious topics within metal culture also serve as a source of inspiration and a resource for the recipients to create world views and religious identities. He notes that “the majority of these accounts have directed particular attention to metal’s inter- est in what is variably referred to as ‘Satanism,’ the ‘Satanic,’ or the ‘figure of Satan.’ Because of this, most of them have focused on the extreme and ‘Satanic’ black metal sub-genre in particular.”27 Many examples demonstrate how a satanic visual programme is primar- ily used as a means of transgression and as an expression of anti-Chris- tian attitudes and is integrated overall into the visual programme of black metal on a bold scale – in this context the satanic visual programme now refers primarily to black metal itself and not essentially to satanism. Most satanic imagery and iconography are themselves dependent on bricolage. According to Dyrendal, “Satanists seem to construct a sense of individual, satanic identity as much or more from media consumption than from col- lective activities.”28 Satanism and black metal emerge as image producers that operate very similarly. The recourse to popular media and recipro- cal exchange fuels their bricolage, and both can be said to strongly orient their aesthetic decisions according to transgression. In heavy metal, there is no shortage of black metal imagery that uses Baphomet, upside-down crosses and pentagrams. The pentagram is rendered nearly meaningless by its abundance in metal visuals. Blasphemy in this context orients itself to the in-group’s idea of blasphemy but not to any blasphemous effect on the scene internally. Although a global phenomenon, extreme metal uses transgressive practices that are mostly aimed at Western targets. What is 25 Sabbath Mater (Behemoth, Grupa 13, PL 2019). 26 Halnon 2006. 27 Moberg 2012, 122. 28 Dyrendal 2008, 93.