Occult and Pulp Visions of Greece and Rome in Heavy Metal

Abstract

Secord explores the depiction of Greece and Rome in heavy metal bands with esoteric interests, fuelled by reading occult authors like Aleister Crowley and the pulp-fiction stories of Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft. He shows that the Eurocentrism and Orientalism found in these authors shape the reception of Greece and Rome within esoteric metal. Greece and Rome are consequently defined as being civilized, familiar, and safe places, and therefore of little interest for esoteric bands, who are more interested in what they regard as more arcane and mysterious aspects of the world’s ancient history. As Secord argues, this attitude towards Greece and Rome makes the Ancient Near East, Egypt, and even fictional lost continents more appealing subjects within esoteric metal. This attitude likewise explains why the Necronomicon, a fictional book of great mystery invented by Lovecraft, is the most influential piece of “ancient” literature within esoteric metal.