"You're going to Hell for listening to that" and "The Devil's music", two of the most common sayings I had to put up with while growing up listening to the music of my choice. Strangely enough, parents these days don't seem too concerned about their young daughters watching half naked girls simulating sex on stage or in their videos, and what about these rap "performers"? Cop killing, drug abuse, gun usage, and domestic violence. No, doesn't seem to be a problem either. But whatever you do don't grow your hair long and listen to rock/metal music because, yes, you'll go straight to hell.

So why did rock music, particularly heavy metal, get this image?
There have always been musicians, rock and otherwise, who have been influenced by and concerned with unorthodox religions: the occult, the spells and charms of ritual magic, and even voodoo.

During the decade from 1965 to 1975 there was much experimentation by musicians with LSD and STP to more traditional 'spirit medicines' as peyote and magic mushrooms. Many of the rock stars that experimented with these and similar substances did so purely for kicks. But others were genuinely seeking mystical experiences. While some musicians were carrying out drug experiments designed to 'loosen the girders of the soul', others were using more traditional methods to achieve the same results. They spent long hours in meditation, practised yoga, studied astrology and other traditional symbol systems, and even experimented with ritual magic. This last technique always invites bad press. Horror films and Sunday newspaper exposures of occult eccentrics have given the impression that all practitioners of ritual magic spend their time sacrificing virgins in honour of imaginary and meaningless gods.

It is not surprising that many rock musicians have been concerned with the supernatural, for occult elements were present in many of rock's musical ancestors. Blues singer Peetie Wheatstraw boasted of his close relationship with Satan, calling himself 'The Devil's Son-in-Law and High Sheriff of Hell', while Robert Johnson, the brilliant blues guitarist and singer, believed that the Devil was ever-active in the modern world and sang convincingly of 'the Hell Hound on my trail'. The R&B songs of Willie Dixon are directly concerned with occult spells, charms and magic plants.

Tongue-in-cheek use of the supernatural of theatrical effect has been quite common. It is, for example, difficult to believe in the seriousness of either Arthur Brown ("I am the God of Hellfire") or Screamin' Jay Hawkins, who, juggling with a skull like some demented Hamlet, was accustomed to have himself carried on stage in a blazing coffin.

A similar doubt surrounds the motive of Black Widow, the rock group that in 1970 recorded 'Sacrifice', once described as 'the purest Satanic rock album'. Certainly Satanism is predominant - the listener is told of 'a way to power', urged to come to the Witches' Sabbath, and given much information about the 'Secret Art'. And yet the impression made on most of those who have listened to the album is of a self-conscious stage performance - the soundtrack of a Hammer horror film rather than the authentic voice of devil worship.

Two famous British bands in the past have been associated with the black arts. In the earlier part of their career Black Sabbath displayed a seemingly genuine concern with Satan and his works. They began each concert with an eerie occult ceremony. So authentic-seeming with this rite that the group was approached by Alex Sander, ' the King of the Witches', at the time chief of a whole network of occult societies, who warned them that they were in danger of raising forces beyond their power to control. Whether they took him seriously or not, they subsequently played down the Satanic aspect of their music. It has been argued that the band's vision of Satanism was cautionary, that they took a stand against black magic; warning against it and that the crucifixes they wore were to ward off evil spirits.

One musician who has made the deepest study of the occult in general, and of ritual magic in particular is Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. Page became fascinated by the life and occult teachings of Aleister Crowley, the self-styled 'Beast 666'. Crowley believed that he was the prophet of a new age of Force and Fire, in which 'Crowleyanity', a religion of his own devising, would replace Christianity. Whether Page actually believed this is unknown but he was sufficiently impressed by Crowley's faith to make a profound study of his occult teachings and to buy Boleskine House, once Crowley's home.

However, it is more realistic to view the flirtations of rock stars like Sabbath and Page as taboo indulgences made available by the rock lifestyle, much like excessive drug-taking and drinking.

Many heavy metal stylings have made their way into everyday use; for instance, the devil horns hand sign first popularised by Ronnie James Dio, whose Italian mother used it to ward off the evil eye (malocchio), has become a common sight at many rock concerts. During the 1970s and 1980s, flirtation with occult themes by artists such as Ozzy Osbourne, W.A.S.P. and Iron Maiden led to accusations of "Satanic" influences in heavy metal by conservative Christians. One popular contention during that period was that heavy metal albums featured hidden messages urging listeners to worship the Devil or to commit suicide. In 1990, Judas Priest was involved in a civil action that alleged they were responsible for the suicides in 1985 of two boys from Nevada. The prosecutors alleged a subliminal message of "do it" had been included in the song "Better by You Better Than Me" which triggered the suicide attempt.
The suit was eventually dismissed on its merits, as the band had pointed out that if you were to play any song backwards and tell someone there was a message, it'll sound as though there actually is. In a later interview, members of the band commented that if they wanted to insert subliminal commands in their music, killing their fans would be counterproductive, and they would prefer to insert the command "Buy more of our records."

The occult has offered the type of evil imagery and theatrical possibilities that rock audiences, especially those of heavy metal bands, have always found fascinating and which, for the most part, provides little more than harmless escapism and very cool album covers.