Banger Films Official Blog

This is the first of what I hope to be many stories submitted by YOU! As you may or may not know, Sam and Scot did make attempts to visit Iran to film sequences for Global Metal. Given the atmosphere and the nuclear concerns and pressure from some of the world leaders including Canada, the lads weren’t able to acquire tourist visas.
Well, given the vast diversity of the fans that are visiting our Banger Films and Sammy FaceBook pages, I thought we should tap into your unique and challenging experiences as metalheads in countries where persecution is a party of daily life. Something that we in the west and most of Europe rarely ever come in contact with.
Our first story comes from a young fellow from Iran who shared with us some brief experiences of being a Metal supporter in Iran. I’ve removed any names just because. Please enjoy a few words from LORD LUCIFER .

Well, Metalheads in iran are facing lots of restrictions like:

The Religious Authorities:

In all universities in all schools the clergimen are trying to misguide the youth about the reality of metal music. They abuse the religious thoughts of people in order to lead them away from truth. Below are some the shits I’ve heard:

1. Metal music appreciates satan and all of metalheads are enemy of God!

2.The bands fear not any guilt! like slaying people right on the stage and raping the children and ….

3.metal music equals drug addiction!!!!! All metalheads must be blind drunk and must use drugs in order to enjoy music!

4. They call many bands to be satanist! bands like Metallica Slayer Megadeth Children Of Bodom and many more are known to be satanist and criminals

Police:

Yes you heard me right POLICE. We have MORAL POLICE in Iran!!!! They pick on the girls with non-Islamic clothes or boys wearing metal shirts and so on. Let me tell you a real story.

I had a friend on the internet who had long hairs and an electric guitar. Once he was walking in the street the moral Police caught him and started beating him in the middle of street. Then they took him to their office and shaved his head and broke his guitar!
they told him that your instrument is HARAM (forbidden in Islam!).

He was lucky enough not to be imprisoned!

The People!

Fortunately ( you will realize later about it) people are mostly fan of pop music and rap or hip-hop shits.That’s because these kinds of music are not complex and they are can be called lovesongs. people just wanna dance or use them in the parties. So they don’t want the essence of music which is the identity,the community,and the prosperity of the music.
they just listen to singer for today and throw the CD tomorrow!
It’s like an old shirt for them.
But metal becomes more precious day by day.

So metal community in Iran is too small to be compared to other stuff.
But I am happy with it. I feel so good when I compare my iPod songs with those ordinary people. Yes, I am not an ordinary person cuz I listen to an extreme extra-ordinary music.
It feels so good to be different from the society and knowing things that others don’t.
In my idea, Metal is not meant to be listened and loved and understood by all people.
and also people block everything western. They label everything western to be bad or anti-moralistic or anti-islam!!

Wow! I wrote too much! I’m sorry dude.

Well let me talk about myself a little bit!

I’m *****, 21 and I study English Literature and Iive in Qeshm Island which is very very
close to Dubai!

There are lots of foreigners from Dubai who come to qeshm for few month in order to re validate their visa.

I think it’s easy to enter Iran this way. It’s one of my fucking dreams to meet you guys here and talk about everything METAL.

I have been listening to metal for about 8 years or so. Before that I wasn’t into music at all. But now music is a part of me.
The only way I can get the albums is by downloading them. I feel so ashamed when I think about it. But it’s more essential than food for me more than any kind of vitamin… I am addicted to it and I think it’s the best type of addiction in the whole universe.
My friends know me as LORD LUCIFER. It’s my artistic and metal identity.
I have written some poems in English and I have quit Islam and set myself free.
God, religion,prophet,heaven,hell are summed up in one word for me: METAL.

Enough said! I talked too much..

Send my regards to Dear Sam And other fucking Metal crews.

Take care and bye.

with best METAL wishes,

(LORD LUCIFER)

“Thanks LL. We appreciate you sharing your story with us -Admin”

Toronto, Canada – September 8 – 18, 2005

The Toronto International Film Festival marked the world premiere of “Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey” Finally! After five long years of hard work we were bringing the film to the big screen. Scot and I were also on the front page of our local entertainment magazine, EYE, which let everyone know that we had finally finished the damn thing. The doc showed at Midnight Madness, a wild program of horror, action and music flicks programmed by the supremely talented Colin Geddes. We had an amazing turnout on opening night and got quizzed by the audience on everything from the mainstreamification (yes, that’s a word) of death metal to production budgets to our omission on National Socialist Black Metal. Never underestimate a metal audience…
Our second screening was great too, especially because one of the fans that appears in the film, Sam Guitor, not only came to the film, but also did the Q and A with us. I never had guts like that when I was 14 years old! She slayed the Q&A.
As if we hadn’t drunk enough during the festival already, we held a release party at our production office. The outcome?
Well, let’s just say that you know a party is a success when:

• - over 800 bottles of ale and 20 bottles of Jagermeister are consumed
• - your bartender passes out into his own puke
• - and your favourite Manowar poster gets stolen

Not to mention that DJ Miss Barbara fisch totally broght the metal. From Slayer to At The Gates to Opeth – the metal freaks thrashed well into the morning hours…
Horns up to everyone who came!