- Pagan rock
Infobox Music genre
name=Pagan Rock
bgcolor=crimson
color=white
stylistic_origins=Rock and Roll ,Gothic rock ,darkwave ,post-punk ,Medieval music ,Folk music ,Neoclassical (Dark Wave)
cultural_origins=1975San Francisco Bay Area andLondon , 1989United Kingdom
instruments=vocals -Guitar - Bass - drums -Synthesizer s
popularity=popular mainly with Pagans in North America and Europe though there is significant crossover within the goth, neo-medieval, and neo-classical scenes
derivatives=
fusiongenres=
regional_scenes=
other_topics=Neopaganism -Paganism - Goth -Darkwave -Neofolk Pagan rock is music created by (and in some cases for) adherents ofone of the many
Neopagan andoccult traditions that emerged in the middle to late 20th century. In some cases this definition is stretched to include bands embraced by modern Pagans and occult practitioners (Faith and The Muse for example). Bands in this genre will often use pagan and occult imagery and deal with pagan themes.Characteristics
The term "Pagan rock" differentiates the genre from
New Age music , and from the traditionalfolk music found at many Neopagan events and gatherings [http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Balcony/2570/pagrock.htm] . While many bands under this loose category do incorporaterock and roll styles, one can also find bands inspired bygothic rock ,medieval music the darker elements of traditional, andfolk music ,Celtic music ,neo-folk and neo-classical,darkwave ,ethereal , ambient, industrial, andexperimental music .In many ways the label of "Pagan rock" carries with it the same complexities and problems as
Christian rock . Like contemporary Christian music, it is more an umbrella term than a cohesive musical genre. The Pagan rock label can include bands likeInkubus Sukkubus and [http://www.themoon.equilibriummusic.com/ The Moon and The Nightspirit] who explicitly state their allegiance toNeopaganism , bands like Abney Park who have Neopagans in the band but do not label themselves as Pagan rock, and bands likeUnto Ashes who sing songs involving occult and Neopagan themes but avoid publicly labeling their personal belief systems.History
The current conceptions of a "Pagan rock" genre lay with two musical strands: first with the idea of a modern music created by and for
Neopagans as typified by the artistGwydion Pendderwen , and secondly with the occult themes [http://www.electrogarden.com/articles.php?aid=5] pursued by earlyIndustrial music pioneersGenesis P-Orridge (Throbbing Gristle ,Psychic TV ) andJohn Balance (Coil,Current 93 ). Unlike the previous dabbling with occult and romantic pre-Christian themes pursued by rock bands in the 1960s and early 1970s (as typified by artists such asLed Zeppelin ,Black Sabbath , andDonovan ), these new artists were earnest subscribers toNeopagan religion (in the case of Pendderwen), and ritualmagick (in the case of P-Orridge and Balance [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thee_Temple_ov_Psychick_Youth] ). The mixture of openly Neopagan lyrics,occultism , and the counter-cultural impulses of thepost-punk era would create fertile soil for the inspiration of several bands that would form from the late 1980s forward.One of the first bands to be labeled as "Pagan rock" by the press [http://moreresults.factiva.com/results/index/index.aspx?ref=CITIZN0020050402e1410002n] was the British
gothic rock bandInkubus Sukkubus , founded in 1989 [http://www.inkubussukkubus.com/biography.htm] , since then the label has been applied to a variety of bands [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=BG&p_theme=bg&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADDD052A294AB2&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM] [http://www.wired.com/news/columns/imomus/0,71582-0.html?tw=wn_index_3] who have pagan members or whose songs use pagan imagery and pagan themes. Since the appearance of Inkubus Sukkubus, manygothic rock anddarkwave bands have emerged withNeopagan members and lyrical themes [http://www.newwitch.com/archives/03spring/read/goth.html] . This has led some to think that Pagan rock is a subgenre ofgothic rock [http://www22.brinkster.com/vexen/genre.asp?Pagan%20Goth] .Pagan rock radio programs
* [http://www.myspace.com/theblackcauldron The Black Cauldron]
* [http://www.myspace.com/ladypantheressradio Lady Pantheress Radio]
* [http://www.paganradio.net/ PRN: After Dark]
* [http://www.myspace.com/solaris1 Solaris]
* [http://www.thelemacoasttocoast.com/ Thelema Coast to Coast]
* [http://www.theskysgoneout.com TSGO presents: A Darker Shade of Pagan]Magazines, Books, and Websites
* [http://www.heathenharvest.com/index.php Heathen Harvest]
* [http://www.newwitch.com newWitch Magazine]
* [http://www.theunbrokencircle.co.uk/ The Unbroken Circle]Pagan rock acts
* Abney Park
* Aenima
*Aesma Daeva
* Arcana
* Ataraxia
*Butterfly Messiah
* Coil
* Corvus Corax
*T. Thorn Coyle
*Dead Can Dance
*The Dreamside
*Dreamtrybe
*Faith and the Muse
* Faun
*Godsmack
*Inkubus Sukkubus
*In Extremo
*Jarboe
*Louisa John-Krol
*Kenny Klein
*Mediaeval Baebes
*Joanna Newsom
* Paul Giovanni & Magnet
* Omnia
*Gwydion Pendderwen
*Qntal
*Rhea's Obsession
*Monica Richards
*The Shroud
*Soulgrind
*Unto Ashes
*Waterboys External links
* [http://www.wildhunt.org/pagan/ A Darker Shade of Pagan]
* [http://www.witchvox.com/lx/lx_musicians.html List of Pagan artists on Witchvox]
* [http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Balcony/2570/pagrock.htm Pagan rock on the internet]
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