Black metal concert organiser announces cancellation

PETALING JAYA: The black metal concert organiser has announced the cancellation of Devouror's performance in Malaysia, scheduled on Easter Sunday (April 21).

In a Facebook posting, Goatlordth Records said it was devastated that Devouror’s Kuala Lumpur debut show has to submit to its fate of cancellation.

"As the organiser, we are frustrated that almost a year of effort has been suppressed to nothing, as we intend no harm with the authority.

 "The cancellation of this event is not only a huge for us as the organiser in financial terms, but it also has caused many fans of extreme music to be denied of their interest," it said late Monday (April 15) night.

Earlier, The Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) questioned why authorities have allowed the black metal group to perform on Easter Sunday.

The concert organiser said in a democratic country, all parties were free to invest in their interest in almost anything.

"For some people, extreme music is the preferred channel. As the media has misled many, ‘Satan worshipping music’ is nothing more than just a connotation of arts. 

"As many other people like their horror movies gory, cheesy and bad, heavy metal, or to be more appropriately put, ‘Extreme Music’, is equally meant to be expressive and provocative by its obscure fans," said the organiser.

"To label and simply categorise the fans of extreme music as ‘a bunch of cults’, ‘religion hating pricks’ or ‘dirty liberals’ is truly unfair on many levels.

"At this age, extreme music has already become a medium to connect so many people around the world from trading of physical music and to open air festivals. 

"Here in our beloved motherland, it is not a luxury as it is in Europe, in which open air festivals of extreme music are being held at a massive scale, with the full consent of their local authorities. We, the fans here are definitely aware of this situation, and we are probably asking to much to have a huge open air extreme music festival to be held here," it added.

The organiser noted that fans of extreme music were also affected by the prejudiced move.

"Many of the fans of extreme music are also pillars of the society. Many of them are competent professionals and are the best in their fields.

"We would also like to send out a message to the people out there, that allow us to celebrate the differences in taste of creativity and selection of passion, as live in a community full of diversity," it said.