Deathspell Omega | Mikko Aspa Controversy

[Lachapelle]

I've been listening to the latest album by Deathspell Omega, a black metal group that I've grown fond of lately since diving deeper into the genre.

As I often do, I began reading some articles and reviews on the album after the first couple listens to see how it was being regarded in the metal scene. I will start by saying that I really do like the album, regardless of the controversy surrounding the group. This controversy however, I was completely blind to until today. I had no idea who their lead vocalist was, let alone his personal beliefs. I also never dove into the subject matter of any of their releases, as I don't often read lyrics for tracks with harsh vocals. I enjoy the soundscapes crafted by these extreme metal groups - the graphics and themes, not so much.

I was a bit shocked at the level of hate and confusion among the threads related to this release. I'm not sure if any of this has been discussed following the releases of their earlier work or not, but I imagine it had to have been unless the knowledge surrounding Mikko Aspa's beliefs were somehow unknown until now.

I've been reading into this guy's past and am finding some rather disturbing things.. Some of his past projects are very extreme. Look up Nicole 12 for an example of this (WARNING - extreme content ahead).

I'm now sitting here in a very confused state of mind.. Do I buy this record? Can I support something like this? Am I a bad person for purchasing a work of art that is associated with something terrible? Is this art extreme simply for the sake of being extreme (shock value)? How can it be wrong to enjoy a work of art such as a piece of music?

So many questions.

[Lachapelle]

Also meant to post this:

https://i.redd.it/ci1qc8gkbz431.jpg

Fantano (TheNeedleDrop) had rated the album an 8 before removing his review.

[LedZep]

I personally wouldn't buy the album. I was in the same situation as you when the album came out, I wasn't listening to much Deathspell Omega before and I loved the album right away. And then of course found out that it's hated by everyone because of the band members being terrible human beings. It's intricate, complex and sounds amazing and I'd love to own it on vinyl, but I never will, and that's my final decision.
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Finally updated the overall chart

2020s
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[theblueboy]

Hmmm interesting topic.

If I thought a band were promoting far right/fascidt political views I'd definitely boycot them. That said, sometimes I think people get a bit too hung up on interpreting lyrics as a literal political message when the intention may be to cathartically express a dark state of mind or just some sort of weird dark fantasy that expresses socially unacceptable unconscious desires. Yeah maybe Fantano would call this rationalising views that express racial hatred- and that could also be true in some cases but it's worth bearing in mind.

I don't know this particular example but I think it's worth considering what are the artists true intentions with the music and then you can make your mind up on that basis.