Brother Cesare Bonizzi is a Capuchin friar belonging to the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. He was (until recently) also the vocalist for the heavy metal band Fratello Metallo (“Brother Metal”).
“Metal is the most energetic, vital, deep and true musical language that I know,” said Bonizzi, adding that it allowed him to communicate “not religious messages, but themes of faith that have a bearing on life and which are experienced musically in a secular key.”
“Heavy metal has given me the opportunity to meet a world of people of a unique beauty and tenderness,” said Bonizzi. “Metal is the strength of music itself. Metal is a brother.”
Bonizzi blames the devil for his decision to quit two years ago. “The devil has separated me from my managers, risked making me break up with my band colleagues and also risked making me break up with my fellow monks. He lifted me up to the point where I become a celebrity and now I want to kill him,” said the metal monk in his farewell video.
He’s not just a headbanger, though. Bonizzi has an extensive discography, spanning many genres. Catholic tastes? His official website is here.
One day there will be no more pain, like an opiate wonderland
No more worry, it will all just end
And all of our forward movement will finally cease
The human machine will finally bleed
The human machine will finally cease to be
So set yourself free
And disengage from reality
So set yourself free
And disengage from reality
The grounds will shake and your children will tremble
Soon enough the machine will fall
And we will all crumble
The human machine will finally bleed and cease to be
We’ll finally be set free
Be set free
Be set free
Just be glad you know what life is
Be glad you know
You know what life is
You know what life is
One day there will be no worry
No more pain, it will all just end
And all of our forward movement will finally cease
Objectivism‘s founder Ayn Rand, for all her genius, was a bad philosopher. She, and her successor Leonard Peikoff, attempt to define God out of existence in what maverick philospher Bill Vallicella likens to “a bad ontological argument in reverse”.
It is like a bad ontological argument in reverse. On one bad version of the ontological argument, one defines God into existence by smuggling the notion of existence into the concept of God and then announcing that since we have the concept of God, God must exist. Peikoff is doing the opposite: he defines God and the supernatural out of existence by importing their nonexistence into the term ‘existence.’ But you can no more define God into existence than you can define him out of existence.
Catholicism and communism … Their differences pertain only to the supernatural, but here, in reality, on earth, they have three cardinal elements in common: the same morality, altruism—the same goal, global rule by force—the same enemy, man’s mind.
Note that Rand uses the term ‘reality’ to refer to this world only, excluding the next. Perhaps this use of the term is not so uncommon. Surely, Mitch Lucker had some such definition in mind when he exhorts us to “disengage from reality”.
From a Christian perspective, to disengage from reality is to disengage from this world. This world is Satan’s dominion. Jesus said (speaking to the Jews)
Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.
From a Christian perspective, to disengage from reality is to follow Christ. To disengage is also to let go, to set free, to remit, to release, to pardon, to forgive.
Disengage is a song about forgiveness and about following Christ (with lashings of Christian eschatology). Stretching too long a bow? Just be glad you know what life is.
In spite of these creations a venom settles in the blood
with fangs that will not rest till they’ve engulfed everything
the sky and humans all alike.
Dispersing vile scripture as abundant as the night.
This poison takes but a single drop to thrive.
The vipers waltz in time to slay the conscience back to blind
slowly digesting and conspiring with mortal threads.
This evil’s woven firm its lies into our heads.
A single cry will silence all but a single pierce will bring to fall.
Despite all odds we must confront what our deepest fears have presented us.
You’ve got the truth before you and yet your eyes are shut.
How can you speak when the serpent’s got your tongue?
This clarity can’t be denied but before us stands the initial face of phases.
Our fears will flee, our strength will hide.
The serpent goes by many names and wears many a disguise.
Open your eyes or let this poison slowly seep and consume you whole.
Don’t let the serpent catch your tongue and drown your soul.
This blindness is an ailment incurable by any means
but tearing the seams from the eyes
to bow down to the King of all mankind.
Behold untainted sight.
The truth is inscribed in the veins under the eyes.
Release from the clutch of the serpentine to behold untainted sight.
You’ve got the truth before you and yet your eyes are shut.
How can you speak when the serpent’s got your tongue?
Welcome to an intoxicating mix of heretical Christianity, libertarianism and death metal.
The track is “Welcome to Forever” by evangelical Christian deathcore band Impending Doom.
What better way to begin? The lyrics derive from Ecclesiastes, a book of the Old Testament.
Welcome to forever, on this wrinkled piece of paper
Welcome to forever
I write a letter to you
To this generation and the generations to come
Vanity of vanities, everything under the sun
Everything under the sun, everything will be forgotten
All that you remember, wrapped around this world
Grasping for the wind
Where both the wise and the fools, both achieve emptiness in the end
Emptiness in the end
Where does the time go?
Who are we when we’re all alone?
When we’re all alone
Welcome to forever
Everything will be forgotten
All that you remember, wrapped up in this world
Welcome to forever, everything will be forgotten
All that you remember, wrapped up in this world
Grasping for the wind
Where both the wise and the fools, both achieve emptiness in the end
Both achieve emptiness in the end
Welcome to forever, on this wrinkled piece of paper
Welcome to forever
I write a letter to you
Look back and retrace your steps
Look back and retrace your steps
Don’t look at the clouds and ignore the one coming through them
Coming through them
When I first read Ecclesiastes I thought, “WTF is this doing in the Bible?” Indeed, its canonicity has been disputed. To this day, theologians are perplexed. The book purports to be the words of Qoheleth (“the Teacher”), son of David, king in Jerusalem. It begins
“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”
and continues in the same nihilistic vein the whole way through until the closing verses of the twelfth and final chapter when, all of a sudden, Qoheleth concludes
Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
Morality made simple.
[The YouTube video I originally posted mysteriously disappeared. I had to resurrect it. 🙂 ]
