Continuing the History of Metal through short (trivia packed) chapters and accompanying playlists.
Thanks for all the support of Part 1 of these ongoing series! You asked me for more, here it is :)
Work in progress, will be posting irregularly (but...
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It's a well know fact that in most countries that were colonized throughout the centuries by either Caucasian or Latin Europeans, aboriginal peoples have suffered greatly, and still today are faced with overwhelming systematic discrimination. It's been extra challenging for native peoples to succeed. Unfortunately, this has also been true in the arts, the world of Metal being hardly different.
It's almost surprising though, as Metal has always stood for the underdog, fighting the system, resisting oppression and desiring to live a life of freedom. Many know bands have used the struggles of native peoples as inspiration. Iron Maiden's 'Run To The Hills', Manowar's 'Spirit Horse Of The Cherokee', or Anthrax's 'Indians' featuring their signature 'war dance'. But there has always been a lack of successful aboriginal Metal bands. Sure, some musicians do claim that some native blood runs through their veins: Anthrax vocalist Joey Belladonna has stated he's part Iroquois, and Morbid Angel's Trey Azagthoth is apparently related to the Navajo, but at the end of the day it would be a massive bridge too far to call these bands "Native Music". So let's dig into a kick-ass playlist that features some proper aboriginal Metalheads!
First band that does come to mind that at least features a half-blooded Native is Testament. Their legendary front-man is half Pomo and has proactively advocated for the preservation of Native American culture and heritage. Testament's 1994 classic 'Trial of Tears' chronicles the forced relocation of Native tribes. However, on this playlist we don't limit ourselves to Native Americans, but aboriginal peoples worldwide. A great example are New Zealand's latest Metal revelation: Alien Weaponry. The three teenage Thrashers – who are all white – are all descendant from the Maori and they use the native language in many of their songs. The lyrics of their songs talk about injustices done throughout history and cultural challenges between different groups in modern society that still exist. The youngsters are showcasing a maturity well beyond their age, and they are definitely one of the new bands to watch out for, mark our words!
Over the last few decades, several true Native bands have emerged in every subgenre of Metal. Starting with pioneers Resistant (Culture), who mixed Native chants and flutes with Crust/Anarcho-Punk to the hauntingly beautiful and captivating Folk/Black Metal of Nechochwen and the aggressive War Metal of Gyibaaw. At the end of the day, Aboriginal Metal bands are still a very under-represented group in the world of Metal, but if the bands on this list teach us one thing, it is that aboriginal culture and traditional songs and instruments have a place in our scene!
Playlist:
01. Resistant: Ancient Future (2000) – various Californian Native peoples
02. Yanaconas: Tupac Amaru (1999) – Mapuche (Argentina)
03. Testament: Trail Of Tears (1994) – Pomo (USA)
04. Nechochwen: Traversing The Shadows Of Death (2015) – Shawnee (USA)
