Heavy Metal in Baghdad

I just finished watching a documentary called "Heavy Metal in Baghdad" and I am moved to say the absolute least.

There are stories all around us that tell of various garage bands that give up everything for what they love; music.

I've heard them. Hell, I've lived them.


But not like this.


Heavy Metal in Baghdad is a documentary about Acrassicauda (meaning "Black Scorpion" in Latin) and is the ONLY, let me repeat for those who think I am making an all-encompassing gesture....THE ONLY Iraqi metal band in history. These guys garnered their inspiration from Metallica, Iron Maiden and other great metal bands in the past 30 years.

But is this purely about metal music? No.

This is about the love of music.

The band members want to grow their hair long. As a matter of fact, the band members only have beards so that they can hide their goatees.

They carry weapons to their practice-spaces (which include a bombed hotel) so that they can play.



I don't feel strongly about many things in the U.S. because I realize that we have ultimate freedom here. I feel confident in the fact that I can wake up tomorrow and give the finger to the first person that I see, and know that I am free to do so. I know that I can go to school for whatever the hell I want to, and prosper in it.

But Acrassicauda can't, and that bothers me.

Not because their music is kickass. Not because they rebel against their overlords. But because they have found something they love, and literally must hide to practice it.

It bothers me because censorship bothers me.

Should a person be stopped when communicating their beliefs verbally? At what point does it become detrimental to society?

It all depends on the strength of said society's ability to view the material. I feel in America, that we are strong enough to take in various points of view and take from them what we will.

Long story short (and thank you, those who have made it this far into my loosely-typed diatribe,) I'd like you to watch "Heavy Metal in Baghdad." The documentary is based on nothing more than love in an oppressive society.

If this documentary doesn't move you, I'm not sure what will. I can say this because I am essentially a heartless person.


:Notice:

I have no stock in this band, or production company. But please check it out.

http://www.heavymetalinbaghdad.com/home.html


And for those of you who feel like making a donation (since there is no CD yet) to the band, click the following link:

https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/w...32c9462fe731381a7a80e09148cd40fd400e193a86a7d

It links directly to a Paypal page, but you can follow it from the original page I linked earlier if that makes you feel more secure.