Earlier this month, Metallica's Danish-born drummer Lars Ulrich commented on the USA military's reported use of Metallica music as a torture device — and suggested that they might want to take a more Nordic approach.
Ulrich claims that the music of Scandinavian metal bands might be more appropriate.
It all seems so bizarre and so strange that Metallica's music, which generally sort of facilitates bringing people together, is used in these bizarre circumstances. It's certainly not something that we in any way advocate or condone. If there are people that are dumb enough to use Metallica to interrogate prisoners, you're forgetting about all the music that's to the left of us. I can name, you know, 30 Norwegian death metal bands that would make Metallica sound like Simon and Garfunkel."
Huh.
Frankly, we would think that a better musical torture for people from the drone-oriented Middle East would not be drone-oriented Nordic metal, but stuff like The Carpenters ("Top of the World") or Mantovani. It's certainly enough for us — and we're in the USA.
Ulrich went on to comment about the positive use of Metallica's music for the inspiring those serving in the military.
There is a lot of Metallica music that's helping a lot of scared 18, 19 and 20-year-old kids out there who are out on the front lines and who are doing a hell of a job on behalf of you and me and the rest of us.
He's got a point.
UPDATE: On October 22, 2009, the result of a Freedom of Information act request listed 35 artists/songs used at Guantanom Bay, Cuba. The documents "contain explicit references to the following bands or songs":
- AC/DC
- Aerosmith
- Barney theme song (By Bob Singleton)
- The Bee Gees
- Britney Spears
- Bruce Springsteen
- Christina Aguilera
- David Gray
- Deicide
- Don McClean
- Dope
- Dr. Dre
- Drowning Pool
- Eminem
- Hed P.E.
- James Taylor
- Limp Bizkit
- Marilyn Manson
- Matchbox Twenty
- Meatloaf
- Meow mix jingle
- Metallica
- Neil Diamond
- Nine Inch Nails
- Pink
- Prince
- Queen
- Rage against the Machine
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Redman
- Saliva
- Sesame street theme music (By Christopher Cerf)
- Stanley Brothers
- The Star Spangled Banner
- Tupac Shakur
