The controversial death metal concert by Singaporean band Devouror is definitely cancelled, much to the dismay of fans and delight of critics.
Goatlordth Records, the organiser of the gig, stated that there are no plans to move the performance to a later date. The decision to cancel the show is final, as reported.
The death metal concert was supposed to be held on Easter Sunday at the Angkasa Event Space in Kuala Lumpur. Easter is celebrated by most Christians to commemorate the resurrection of Christ. However, the Malaysian Council of Churches (CCM) vehemently protested the show and called for its cancellation. The CCM cited that the band’s songs promote “anti-Christian and pro-Satanic” messages.
The CCM leaders argued that the concert is not just an offense to “one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar” but also does not send “the kind of culture we want to promote among the youth of our country.”
The now-cancelled concert was originally titled “KL for Satan.”
Goatlordth Records lamented the ruling as a “prejudice move” and said the decision to cancel the performance is against freedom of expression. In the statement, the organiser said, “In this democratic country, we are all aware of our freedom to invest interest in almost anything.”
The organiser claimed that media depictions of extreme music are partly to blame for the negative perception among more conservative demographics.
In light of what have already been made public, we are devastated that the Devouror’s Kuala Lumpur debut show has to…
Posted by Goatlordth Records on Monday, 15 April 2019
Fans of the band argued that Goatlordth Records and Devouror should have continued with the show despite the protests from churches. One commenter wrote that “If you don’t fight the system, it will not change and it will only get worst [sic].” Another fan commented that pushing through with the show could have “really shown people the true nature of freedom of choice as well.”
Other netizens were relieved that the death metal concert was cancelled. A netizen who was more than happy about the cancellation wrote that “why [does] [Devouror] have to desecrate the cross and sing hate,” saying that allowing the band to perform would be disrespectful to all religions./TISG
https://theindependent.sg.sg/singapore-black-metal-bands-easter-concert-cancelled-after-protest-from-council-of-churches-of-malaysia/?fbclid=IwAR3pjPlvzm2oJ3gL3zjUrHJ9-OX26uSt86sF7eS0p78ab9C86Hmm–fF5Og