The Devil's Music : Chris Cornell, Phil Anselmo and Masculinity

* I’ve been into extreme metal and other forms of subversive self-expression for over twenty years. I wasn’t born like that. It didn’t happen in a vacuum. Every month I will tell you the story of how and why I began waging war to my eardrum. This is how I got into the Devil’s Music. *

*

In 1992, a nine year old French Canadian kid had two ways of discovering new loud music: compilation records handed out with magazine (it would come up later for me) and a weekly show called Solidrok. This is where I’d eventually find out about Motörhead, Slayer, Testament and other bands that would become important to me. But the first two life-defining memories I have from the show were the videos for Jesus Christ Pose, by Soundgarden and Mouth for War, by Pantera. It might sound stupid in retrospect, but I wouldn’t have been who I am today without these.

(Toxic?) Masculinity

I’ve heard the phrase toxic masculinity at least once a day for the last two years. It’s a very popular buzzword to use whenever a man tries to get away with something unacceptable. But it kind of portrays all masculinity that isn’t explicitly open to others as toxic. While it is fair criticism, it makes self-definition (and therefore change) more difficult. What I found in Jesus Christ Pose and Mouth for War all these years ago was a form of masculinity that spoke to me. It projected values of strength and integrity which helped me figure out who I was and who I wanted to be.

Let’s examine Jesus Christ Pose first. These are three important variables in this video: the image, the message and the symbolism. It’s a very simple, but powerful six minutes. In Jesus Christ Pose, Chris Cornell is standing, bare chested in the desert, belting lyrics about not buying the act of self-flagellating motherfuckers. It’s pure, raw honesty. Cornell is literally wearing nothing and venting out frustration in slightly antichristian terms. The only ambiguity about the song is whether it is criticizing the Church or simply using its iconography to shame victimizing people.

But I believe the most important aspect of Jesus Christ Pose is the symbolic one. Namely, the corrupted color palette. It’s what ties the room together, like the Dude would say. The sky is purple and the desert is a bizarre, washed out white. The message of Jesus Christ Pose is about standing tall remaining true to yourself and your values whenever the world around you becomes corrupted. Speak your mind and be honest, even if it means antagonizing motherfuckers. This way you’ll remain true to yourself and won’t have regrets when it all comes crashing down.

Of course, I was not intellectually or emotionally equipped to understand that at nine years old. But the vision of a young Chris Cornell looking right into my soul and passing his anger down to me like Excalibur struck a chord with me that I still hear today.

Anger, Power and Positivity

The first time I saw Phil Anselmo, I thought he was the coolest-looking person on Earth. He had a shaved head like me, walked around with a constant pissed-off scowl on his face and fronted the heaviest band I knew then. I never could grow long hair. It’s way too thick and grows like a weird, square-shaped afro. It looks like I have a helmet on. I believe that’s why I identified with Phil Anselmo so much. Not only his band was heavy as fuck for a nine year old, but he looked like me in a way. Different from every other metalhead. Pissed off, defiant and man, one hell of a performer.

That’s why I responded so much to Mouth for War.

I suffered from anger issues myself. Horrible, repressed anger I was taught to let out when no one was around. It often came out as vandalism. I immediately recognized this anger in Phil Anselmo’s tensed up body and balled up fists at the start of Mouth for War. That guy and I were speaking the same language. Once again, that video has a brutal form of honesty to it. Just four guys performing the hell out of their instrument in what seemed to be a storage locker, with words like STRENGTH, REVENGE and DETERMINATION flashing on screen.

They’re pouring anger in a structured, constructive form upon the audience. It’s like… the purest form of Pantera one can imagine. Only the best thing they have to offer and nothing else. The message of Mouth for War is also very empowering. It’s about self-consciously using your anger to heal yourself: “The releasing of anger can better any medicine under the sun,” Anselmo literally says in the song. It’s weird to say and it didn’t evolved straightforwardly with me, but Mouth for War made me more at peace with who I am. It was written for people like me.

Sure, I don’t think Phil Anselmo is the coolest motherfucker on the planet today. He looks a little goofy with his crooked mouth and everything, but he was perfect for a couple formative years.

Rethinking masculinity

So, there you have it. Because of Chris Cornell, Phil Anselmo and several other artists afterwards, I’ve always been comfortable with emotions associated with traditional masculinity, such as anger and self-reliance. Because I knew there was a positive, creative outlet to it. A “good” ending if you will. Although the idea of making art would come much later, these were my first contacts with artists who operated from a place of anger and created something that would benefit others. If we’re going to rethink masculinity I suggest we start were it already worked.