the boys of blöödhag

Photo by Lilly Warner

If I had a crush of the week like some other sites, this week BlöödHag would be it. They are an "edu-core" band from Seattle who wage fierce metal war on illiteracy, with free admission in return for book reports, and who often rock out in local libraries. "Obviously, there was a need for blisteringly loud metal in the library system that was just not being met." Bookslut linked to a profile in the Modesto Bee by cool-ass teen Madeline Key:

The group plays super short (under two minutes) heavy metal songs detailing the life and work of science fiction authors...Ardent metal heads, they wanted to educate fans about the roots of rock. Their intent was to break the stigma and stereotypes associated with heavy metal music and their fans.

As McNulty explains, "We wanted to prove you could be smart and metal."

As Orgel points out, "Thematically, a lot of music, especially heavy metal, is based upon literary references, both lyrically and in the associated artwork. "For instance, Queen's 'News of the World' cover is from an Astounding Science Fiction Magazine cover picture. Had J. R. R. Tolkien not created his master work, "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, there would be no 'Ramble On' by Led Zeppelin. Had Melville never put pen to paper, there would be no 'Leviathan' by Mastodon."

BloodHag demands to see library cards. They get angry at illiteracy and assign book reports. They throw books into the audience. They offer free admission to concertgoers who read a novel from their "required reading list' and then write an essay...

Is their message working? Orgel says the comment they most often receive is that a book they threw from the stage hit someone on the head and became the first book that person had read in years, and that he or she was back to get another one.

You can check them out for yourself:

Doris Lessing - BlöödHag
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