The Metal King: Alexander the Great in Heavy Metal Music

MMS 1 (1) pp. 127–141 Intellect Limited 2015

Metal Music Studies Volume 1 Number 1 © 2015 Intellect Ltd Article. English language. doi: 10.1386/mms.1.1.127_1

Christian Thrue Djurslev University of Exeter

The Metal King: Alexander the Great in heavy metal music1 Abstract

Keywords

Why are heavy metal bands so interested in the figure of Alexander the Great? The present article develops the argument that there are two overshadowing reasons: (1) the bands reconstruct the figure as a symbol of masculine power and communal unity; and (2) Alexander becomes part of a larger tradition already at an early stage of heavy metal’s history that many bands were interested in maintaining and revisiting. Several heavy metal tracks about him are explored and examined to substantiate this hypothesis. It is shown how these tracks associate him with a number of interrelated, recurring themes, such as conquest, community, imperialism, legacy, masculinity, nationalism, power and unity. These in turn help to project him as a figurehead of warrior virtues and also as a heroic bringer of culture. This is particularly true for Greek heavy metal bands, and their contribution is analysed at length. It is demonstrated how Greek metal songs also offer an intriguing insight into Greece’s political conflicts. Finally, it is suggested that, in his role as a powerful culture-hero and king, Alexander is capable of becoming an allegory for heavy metal itself.

Alexander the Great Iron Maiden power tradition community reception Classics

Introduction The famous figure of Alexander the Great makes at least two weighty claims upon the attention of any individual interested in heavy metal music and history. The first is that celebrated bands, such as Iron Maiden, have since the

1. This article is a revised and extended version of a paper read at the Annual Meeting for Postgraduates in the Reception of the Ancient World (AMPRAW), held at the University of Exeter, UK, on 5–6 December 2013. I thank Mikkel Ladegaard and the peer-reviewers for their comments on an earlier draft of this paper.

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1980s saluted the figure in epic tracks. The bands’ perennial fascination with the figure over such a long time makes it particularly pertinent to investigate what attracts them to him. Indeed, the steadily growing group of scholars working on heavy metal music and the classics has continually drawn attention to the figure of Alexander as a central character, if not the figurehead, in the body of classical material that feeds into heavy metal histories (Campbell 2009: 120–21; Umurhan 2012: 133–40; Meller 2013: 207–11). It is well known that other ancient figures, such as Odysseus, Icarus and Achilles to name a few, are celebrated as well, but Alexander enjoys a seemingly unparalleled status. There is, for instance, a great number of tracks and albums about him. For this reason alone a study of him in heavy metal narratives is justified since the tracks are not merely passing allusions to Alexander, as is the case in Alice Cooper’s ‘You’re a Movie’ (1981); the Alexander tracks are detailed reconstructions of his life and legend that warrant academic attention. The second is that, unlike any other classical figure in heavy metal, Alexander has a profound relevance even today in the political landscape of Greece (Beard 2013: 45–46). His role in the political agenda is reflected in the majority of Greek heavy metal tracks, and this enables us to study an interface of politics and heavy metal. Similar approaches have already been undertaken in a volume by Hill and Spracklen (2010), and the subject of heavy metal nationalism, understood as bands focusing upon the history whence they come, is highly appropriate in this context. The political actuality of the Greek projection is also intriguing because the heavy metal genre is generally associated with escapism, which means that heavy metal bands often intend to divert the attention of their audience far away from reality and into remote, fictionalized thought-worlds. Conversely, the Greek bands aim to achieve the opposite: to preserve Alexander’s Greek legacy as something ‘real’. My proposal to study Alexander in heavy metal music has one principal question: what does the bands’ interest in this figure tell us about heavy metal? Or, put differently, why does Alexander matter to them? This question is consistently asked of the material. It is, however, necessary to define the methodology being used which will be discussed in the first section of this article. Which heavy metal bands and tracks tell the story of Alexander and what parts of his achievements/personality are the artists interested in? The second section is a series of case studies of the metal tracks outside Greece. How are these heavy metal histories constructed? What are the pertinent themes? How do the bands’ representations of Alexander resonate with each other? Similarly, in the third section, I endeavour to discuss the Greek tracks in the light of the second section. My overarching argument will be that heavy metal bands are attracted to the story of Alexander because of two interrelated themes that are integral to heavy metal: power and tradition. The former is a salient feature of almost all the tracks. Bands such as Iron Maiden, Kamelot, Nile and various Greek bands explore the powerful image of the figure under the headlines of conquest, heroism, valour and deeds for posterity. It is especially the case within the paradigm of masculinity (Weinstein 2009: 19), that is to say within the paradigm of the male hero and successful warrior that the figure fits. He also transcends this paradigm and becomes a culture-hero who spreads a mystical sense of community and unity, a feature which reflects the special bond that heavy metal bands create with their fans and the heavy metal community in general. It is argued below that the bands are not only drawn to the figure of Alexander as a catalyst of

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masculine power, but also as an emblem of power in community and unity, which are inherent traits of the heavy metal genre. The latter is clearly emphasized by the fact that Iron Maiden developed a powerful context for the Alexander narrative. This context is almost invariably upheld by later bands. It becomes canonized, and the bands constantly engage with that particular and popular legacy. There is a wish to preserve tradition rather than to reject it. Alexander narrative is a heavy metal heritage that runs strong, that is to say most bands salute Iron Maiden’s ‘Alexander the Great’ (1986) track in some way or another. It is argued that tradition is a key ingredient in composing heavy metal tracks about Alexander. By exploring Alexander’s afterlife in this genre, the present study is aimed at contributing to the relatively small but fertile field of research in the use of the classical world in heavy metal histories. It must be made clear that my academic background is in classics, which is why my approach focuses on the lyrical content. This is but one of many access points into heavy metal culture (Nilsson 2009: 161). I am fully aware of the problematic limitations such an approach has, when musicology is not the primary method (Weinstein 2000: 26). As a classicist, I am intrigued by the complex traditions revolving around Alexander from antiquity until today, in every period of time and in all cultures. As a fan of heavy metal music, I am fascinated by the creativity of the bands and their imaginative lyrics. Academic interest in both fields engendered a desire to discover how heavy metal bands approach and project Alexander. The result is mutually rewarding: on the one hand, we learn something about the expansive traditions of Alexander; on the other, we learn something about the heavy metal cultures both globally and locally in the case of Greece.

Methodology and heavy metal historiography At the outset of writing this article, the number of Alexander-tracks I was aware of were limited to two, by Iron Maiden and Nile. After multiple searches on various websites, for instance YouTube and Encyclopaedia Metallum, the collection of songs grew rapidly. My criterion for the selection was that the track should treat the figure of Alexander as its main theme. From the collection, striking patterns of themes in the lyrics and in the sound soon emerged. The themes were not sought out specifically at first, but they became so apparent that it felt as if the bands were in mutual agreement to manifestly maintain them. Hence a thematic approach made the most sense and is also what forms the principal parameters of the structure. The songs selected are, however, organized in chronological order to demonstrate the deep-rooted tradition. Of course, the tracks reviewed below are not a complete corpus of all existing tracks about Alexander, but they are, I believe, strongly reflective of the principal trends in the heavy metal tradition about him. It is for this reason that they are selected for analysis. This analysis, primarily of the lyrical content, seeks to examine the ways in which the heavy metal histories generate a representation of Alexander and how this representation is partial and biased due to the cultural ideologies of heavy metal culture. Scholars have recently covered a lot of ground in examining heavy metal bands’ use of the classical world to create bricolages of mythological content. According to Campbell, ‘the realm of classical mythology can be viewed as merely a subset of a larger mythological reservoir on which the lyricists can draw’ (Campbell 2009: 122). Although Alexander is certainly a historical figure, he becomes integrated into this mythological reservoir of the classical

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world. This also testifies to the wide range of material that lyricists may use in their writing process. Any type of material may underpin a heavy metal narrative: literature, musicals, biographies, documentaries, comic books, films, etc. (for Alexander films see Rossen 1955; Stone 2004; general overview by Spencer 2002: 205–21). Be that as it may, bands sometimes purport to relate the real story about historical characters, which was echoed by Steve Harris of Iron Maiden in the mid-1980s: My most ambitious composition is certainly ‘Alexander the Great,’ a story based on true facts. When we started working on the LP, I was immersed in the story of Alexander the Great, a man who had a fantastic and incredible life. I fell in love with him and, quite naturally, I wrote the song and the lyrics, all this within two weeks. I must say that I am very proud of this track. (Anon. 1986) Harris’s love of the figure is evident in the track’s outline of Alexander’s reign: a summary permeating heroism, valour and victory. His projection of Alexander is one of legendary majesty and masculine ideal which intersects in multiple ways with the ideals and self-perceptions of the heavy metal genre itself, as already noted. Even though Harris does claim that he has sought the historical truth, the track is unmistakably loaded with the implicit virtues of the genre itself. For all that Harris made an effort to make the track germane to fans, who are so vital (Weinstein 2000: 8), the track and its ostensible historical ‘accuracy’ have not had the best reception in the heavy metal community, as shown by Campbell (2009: 120–21). One fan criticizes the lyrical content for reading just as a Wikipedia page for children. But the fans’ critical reaction to the track is startling and instructive. Their comments, at least those extracted by Campbell, are more concerned with petty details, based sometimes on an exegetic line-by-line commentary, rather than the complete representation by Harris with which they seem to agree wholeheartedly. The absence of material is also indicative of the interests of heavy metal bands. Alexander’s ambiguous sexuality is never expressed (he had male and female lovers), although the obvious appeal to masculinity and bravado are evident, especially in the Greek tracks. None of his wives are mentioned nor is there any honourable mention of all the other individuals who accompanied him. The emphasis is placed entirely on the individual. Further, contrary to what would seem normal, there is no compassion or empathy with neither the conquered nor the killed. This is not to criticize heavy metal bands, but rather to say that tales told of glorious conquest and power are seemingly more attractive to the mentality and to the genre, due to its heritage of counter-culture, dominance and evil. Talking about the very concept of evil and heavy metal narratives, Ian Fraser ‘Lemmy’ Kilmister, said that ‘If you read history, you don’t read about the fucking medieval agrarian reforms. You read about Attila the bloody Hun and the Norman Conquest of Britain – something with swords in it’ (cited in Wiederhorn and Turman 2013: 40). The story of Alexander has many swords in it. Owing to this martial aspect, a fitting comparison would be to other bands’ fascination with Norse mythology and the best-covered historical period of heavy metal historiography: the Vikings (Helden 2010). The heavy metal histories generated about the Vikings are almost always a reflection of innate warrior qualities, such as heroism,

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masculinity, rage, revenge and power. This model is essential for understanding Alexander in heavy metal histories. We turn now to the ways in which these histories correlate with, or separate themselves from, the paradigm of the warrior and the hero.

2. Iron Maidens (2009), ‘Alexander the Great’, no known recordings, but live recordings on YouTube.

Glory, majesty, unity It is particularly attractive to continue with Iron Maiden. As already said, the band was the first to tell Alexander’s story, Harris himself adored him, and the band’s longevity and popularity are incredible to the point of reverence in the heavy metal community. As the music genre of heavy metal is in a sense canonized and conservative, this is another ample starting point because many heavy metal bands salute the track with recorded cover versions, for instance the Pakistani band Eleventh Hour (2000), and the American bands Manowar (2003) and Iron Maidens (2009).2 Another classicist with interest in heavy metal, Osman Umurhan, has recently produced an exposition of the lyrics. He attempts to show just how serious Harris was in reconstructing a factual story of Alexander by analysing the wide range of scholarship and ancient source material that Harris may have made use of (Umurhan 2012: 138–40). This, I believe, is to go a little too far in being apologetic about the merits of the track, and also misleading in that we cannot be sure of what Harris read when he composed the track. I would argue that the track shows significant signs of heavy metal ideology, and the following pages will try to insert it within this frame of thinking. The track focuses on Alexander’s heroism in battle, evincing an idealized masculinity in terms of strength and invincibility, clearly reflecting the heavy metal paradigm of the epic warrior. To further support this, the track is of an epic length, just over eight minutes long. The track constantly revolves around conquest and war, but only to highlight epic battles, strategic brilliance and divine providence. Such prevalent themes aside, Umurhan contends that there is a peculiar emphasis upon his cultural legacy, conveyed by the lines: ‘Hellenism, he spread far and wide, / the Macedonian learned mind. / Their culture was a western way of life. / He paved the way for Christianity.’ Whilst Campbell duly notes the ridiculous reactions to these lines on the Internet (for one fan clearly reveals his ignorance of what Christianity is and how it spread), Umurhan argues that this idealized Alexander stems from the contentious Alexander biographies by Johann Gustav Droysen and Sir William Woodthorpe Tarn (Umurhan 2012: 140). All due credit to Harris if he was indeed immersing himself in such pieces of seasoned scholarship, but it seems more likely that he was reading popular and more accessible derivatives of the Tarnian school, for instance Hammond (1981). Again, I stress that much guess work could be avoided if only Harris would give us insight into his sources. Harris’s wording in the passage quoted above strongly suggests that he was interested in conveying the most credible and truthful account of Alexander’s life. It is not my task to point out the serious errors of fact or geographical difficulties posed by the sequence of the lyrics, for instance that Alexander defeats the Scythians (in Russia) before he goes to Egypt, or that the battle by the river Issus is instead fought at the Tigris (unnoticed by Umurhan 2012: 139); such simple errors are permitted by artistic licence to some extent (Campbell [2009: 121] is not as forgiving). To Harris’s credit it may be said that he has taken the beginning of the track from a dated translation of Plutarch, who

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composed a biography of Alexander in the second century ad: ‘My son, ask for thyself another kingdom for that which I leave is too small for thee’ (Plutarch, The Life of Alexander 6.8). Also to his credit is the fact that the epic guitar solo at 3:55 – 7:07 carries the listener on one of Alexander’s epic marches. Harris has also chosen to relate a positive projection of Alexander’s death because the lyrics say that Alexander died of fever, not poison. The implication is that his men did not want to kill him nor did he die of too much drinking. He died of natural causes. Although Harris speaks so highly of the song, it is impossible to find it on any of their live set lists or live recordings, unfortunately. This has given rise to the belief on Internet fora that the popular track has never been performed live during a concert (see Campbell 2009: 120). There exists, however, Greek YouTube footage in which Bruce Dickinson begins to sing the refrain to and with an ecstatic crowd but disappointingly goes on to sing another track (Yannis 2012). This demonstrates the appeal of the track to other heavy metal bands, and the heavy metal community in general. Why is this? At the first hearing, the track seems a rather barren ‘factual’ account. It appears, however, to embrace a more mystic aspect of heavy metal. By associating in passing the universal concept of Christianity with Alexander, the band constructs an eclectic design for their fans, a construct of power that becomes timeless and all-encompassing. This construct makes the impact of Alexander’s actions more tangible to a modern audience, as it is easier to relate to concepts that are still contemporary. The reference to ‘A western way of life’, also creates a sense of empowerment in the listener because the audience is essentially absorbing and associating themselves with the enduring impact of Alexander. Further, this also engenders a feeling of profound unity between band and fans, who both feel part of this culture. The reader needs only to listen to Judas Priest’s ‘United’ (1980) or Manowar’s ‘Brothers of Metal’ (1996) to find a parallel sense of brotherhood that Iron Maiden is trying to construct with their Alexander track. This experience of community and a contact with a mystical depth is a great part of Iron Maiden’s work in general, as Walser argues (1993: 154), and this track therefore fits perfectly into Iron Maiden’s concept. My argument is that it is much more a genre trait that makes the Alexander figure a vehicle for carrying the ideas of brotherhood, community, empowerment and unity, than dated Alexander scholarship. Harris’s projection of Alexander provides a perfect context for the American band Kamelot’s tribute to Alexander’s most famous city foundation, the city of Alexandria in Egypt. This track conveys the same sort of ideas about lasting legacy, unity and power, especially given the fact that the city is the only monument of his that still stands today. The imperial aspect is now enhanced in that the city is built intentionally at the centre of the whole world to provide it with a core that holds the key to power, wisdom and culture. Further emphasis on this is made by the very fact that the song is sung in the first person, so as to actualize and dramatize Alexander’s intentions in founding it: Far across the sea, / a piece of history. / In Egypt’s land / I’ll build a city. / Beautiful and strong, / beyond belief. / A new metropolis / to redefine my destiny. / Chorus: Rise and shine Alexandria, / under protection of my name. / Pure, divine, and imperial. / A place to watch the stars, / the centre of the earth. / I see it all, my worlds converging. / And to guide a king’s armada through the night, / I raise the seventh wonder

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to delight Poseidon. / Chorus. / Make me the city of a living angel, / casting shadows all over Babylon; / hailing me, a holy son of god, / as a monument of time / and the goals that I achieved. / Make a sculpture of my mind. / Chorus. (Kamelot, ‘Alexandria’ [1999]) Any purported historicity may easily be dismissed, for instance Alexander did not build the seventh wonder of the world, that is to say the lighthouse of Pharos, nor he did make it his capital, which was Babylon, ever since he entered it victoriously for the first time in 331 bc (Bosworth 1988: 85–87; Nawotka 2010: 237). But we may still appreciate it since these kind of inaccurate details are meant to embed the narrative with a strong sense of cultural significance. Just as Iron Maiden’s representation, Kamelot stresses the mystical elements with astrology, divinity and otherworldly associations, again imparting an idealized image of Alexander as a provider of community, unity and power. In fact, he does just that on the account of the divine. The listener is thus allowed entry into something greater and far more mysterious than an ordinary cosmopolitan city, namely the centre of his universe (and consequently Kamelot’s heavy metal universe). Given this, it is clear that the lyrics also convey a sense of destiny and posterity. Equally clear is the fact that the foundation of the city is the fulfilment of Alexander’s desire to become truly Great. Therefore, although the track is decidedly different from Iron Maiden’s, given its focus upon the city, the remarkably positive view on his personage and his virtues remain largely the same. Alexander is thus widely accepted as culture-hero not only in terms of his conquest and heroism, but also in terms of his impact upon posterity. He is a majestic and glorious king. His greatness is ensured by his cultural achievements, for instance the spread of Hellenism and the establishment of Alexandria. Its relevance and significance for heavy metal scholars is tradition. The lyrical content and the sound are arguably close to the traditional track of Iron Maiden, although it features no substantial guitar solo and certainly has its own, distinct expression. It is also significantly shorter, just over four minutes, but it still has the form of an epic eulogy. Yet, it fits firmly within the frame of mind in terms of legacy, power and unity. This is also where Alexander breaks with the paradigm of the warrior and hero, and the effects of his conquests become something more: a timeless monument of empowerment, glory and community for posterity. There are, of course, variations in the heavy metal corpus, and I wish to linger over an outstanding anomaly that does not spoil the image already established, but supplements it by incorporating new lyrical content as well as a stronger sound. Another American band, Nile, performs music inspired by, appropriately, Ancient Egypt. This is yet another mythological substrate from which bands may draw outside the classical reservoir. All of their songs concern Egyptian history and, since modern Egypt is part of the Arabic world, so is their projection of Alexander. The title of the relevant track, ‘Iskander D’hul Karnon’ (2009), is a composite of Alexander’s name in the eastern tradition, Iskander, and his title from the Quran, Dhul-Qarnayn or Zulkarnain (Sura 18. 83–98). The meaning of this sobriquet is that he was thought to have two horns, and scholars have for many years studied the background for the diffusion of this motif in the ancient world (Zuwiyya 2011: 73–75). For the Arabs, DhulQarnayn was primarily a Muslim prophet who conquered the world. His

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most important achievement was not so much the conquest as the construction of a gate, which he built against Gog and Magog, the uncivilized and unclean nations. It is an eschatological legend that these peoples will break free on Judgement Day (Stoneman 2008: 170–85). According to such traditions, Alexander’s barrier is the only thing that keeps the Apocalypse at bay. It must be said that this horrifying evil is an apt theme for a heavy metal track, especially in Nile’s genre of death metal. This is a subgenre devoted to death and doom, characterized by growling vocals, constant change of tempo and even deeper distortion of the guitar. The ‘end of the world’ narrative is especially thrilling. It is by far the most vivid part of the track, illustrated by the extremely fast and powerful pace of all the instruments. Iskander D’hul Karnon, / idolator pagan, / possessor of the horns of Ammon, / conqueror of both the rising and setting of the sun. / At the ends of the earth, / where the sun rises from the treacherous, fetid sea, / Iskander built the gates / with blocks of stone and iron. / Poured over with molten lead, / enclosing the nations of Gog and Magog. / Iskander is Alexander, / son of Philip. / The prophet himself had knowledge of him, / revealed in the cave at Mecca. / They who deny him deceive themselves. / They speak naught but lies. / Dreadful is Muhammad’s warning. / Surely Hell awaits the unbelievers. / On the day of Judgement, / at the end of time, / the Earth shall quake / and the gate which Iskander built will be torn open. / The hosts of Gog and Magog, / hordes of the fiercest of creatures, / shall be unchained / and allowed to go forth and ravage the Earth. / At the hour of doom, when the moon is buried in darkness, / evil will rain down upon the wicked. / Hell will be unleashed upon the disbelievers / and all the Earth shall be laid waste. (Nile ‘Iskander Dhul Kharnon’ [2009]) Let me briefly consider the divergences from the Quranic narrative: first of all, Alexander is a prophet or friend of Allah in the Quran (Zuwiyya 2011: 73). Nile reverses this conception by proclaiming him an ‘idolator pagan’, without further qualification. Second, the horns of Ammon, the Egyptian ramgod, do not constitute the usual explanation in the eastern tradition as to why Alexander was given the attribute of rams’ horns. Instead this sobriquet is normally explained by the fact that he had travelled to the lands where the sun rises and sets (Zuwiyya 2011: 74), which Nile neatly encapsulates in the following sentence. Third, there is also a discrepancy in their description of the barrier that Iskander put in place. The lyrics tell of a gate of stone and iron poured over with molten lead, whilst the Quranic narrative describes a dam of iron that has been poured over with tar (Sura 18. 95–96). The band cannot have read only the Quran. The narrative of the apocalypse – before Islam and without Alexander – is biblical, occurring in the Old and New Testaments (Genesis 10:2, Ezekiel 38:1–3, Revelation 19:17–21, 20:7–8). The origins of the tales and their developments in connection with Alexander have been traced by theologians (Bøe 2001: 219–30), and Nile may have been inspired by any of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions, or by a combination. In any event, it is strikingly obvious that Gog and Magog are Nile’s targets of the album title, Those Whom the Gods Detest (2009), and that Iskander is the hero who prevents them from escaping. The figure is once again a culture-hero and the embodiment of a strong male character, even though the background is, of course, radically

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different from Iron Maiden and Kamelot, because of the band’s Egyptianizing perspective and the subgenre of death metal.

Empowerment and tradition in Greece The final part of this article is devoted to the bands of the Greek heavy metal scene. As already indicated, the Greek perception of Alexander is not that he is some distant figure from the misty realms of myth. On the contrary, he is believed to be one of the founding fathers who literally put their country on the map. Here, we have a clear and lucid example of how bands engage with the traditions of their own country, which is a salient subject in heavy metal scholarship (Bayer 2009). National identity causes the bands to express, maintain and preserve the same type of projection. This can be said with some confidence since there are so many tracks and so many recurring themes, which is why they will be offered considerable attention on the following pages. First, it is important to have some context for the national perception of Alexander before we move on to the Greek bands. The Greek projection feeds into an ongoing debate in the Balkans about the claim to the glorious past (Willi 2009; Beard 2013: 45–46). In Greece, Albania and in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (hereafter FYROM) the right to Alexander’s heritage is an object of constant conflict. Modern Macedonians from FYROM demand and exercise the right to the figure. As an example of this, they have incorporated him into the building scheme, for instance the principal airport of Skopje, the capital, carries his name and is decorated with statues of him. Albanians also lay claim to the figure since Alexander’s mother, Olympias, came from the ancient state of Epirus, an area shared today by Greece and Albania. So for the Greek bands there is much more that is at stake. When they compose tracks and albums about their legendary king, they are also explicitly staking their claim. The matter remains unresolved. Loring Danforth explains: To many Greeks and Macedonians Alexander the Great is a famous national ancestor, a powerful symbol of their national identity, and a crucial component of their national history and culture […] In many respects Alexander the Great as a symbol means the same thing to both Greeks and Macedonians. He is a famous ancestor, a military genius, a mighty emperor, and conqueror of the known world. In the Macedonian conflict, however, he also means different things to Greeks and Macedonians. He has different names, stands for different sets of values, and is incorporated into different canons of national heroes. (2003: 358–60) The conflict flares up in obvious ways on social media. Every single YouTube video for each of the following Greek tracks and albums has attracted several heavy metal fans who only comment on the video to state, not without vim, that Macedonia is Greek, expressing their unanimous opinion on the matter. A Greek person has apologetically suggested to me that such statements largely reflect the views of political extremists, but the longer and more creative explanations of ancient national identities on the Internet fora indicate that it is a discussion that preoccupies fans, who would identify themselves as positioned across multiple points in the political spectrum. Returning to the music itself, my contention is that the Greek bands salute and develop the salient features of Iron Maiden’s track, which brings us back

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3. http://www. dailymotion. com/video/ xq9gkc_nikos-deja-vumetal-from-hellas-amusic-documentary108-minutes-film-withenglish-subtitles_news. Accessed 3 June 2014.

to tradition. The musical expressions of the select Greek bands are all reminiscent of the traditional sound of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, championed by Judas Priest and Iron Maiden amongst others. The debt to Iron Maiden’s Alexander can be seen elsewhere too: one particularly poignant piece of evidence occurred at a concert in Thessaloniki, Greece (YouTube footage at Daoutas 2011). The Cypriot band, Arrayan Path, was playing its own song ‘Road to Macedonia’ (2004) (on which more anon), but halfway through the track, the band begins to play Iron Maiden’s track. The crowd explodes. Fans storm up on the stage, sing along and crowd surf with great vigour. The band celebrates with them. This is a single but instructive instance: the popularity of the track and the message that it conveys about their national symbol underpin and strengthen every Greek heavy metal narrative about Alexander. Hence, what is basic for the argument of this entire section is twofold: the bands’ projection of the figure engenders on the one hand a national empowerment through their own national symbol and, on the other, a salute to tradition. For the sake of brevity and accessibility, the focus will be on the bands that use English. They are not insignificant in number, and the tracks are elaborate enough to illustrate the general tendencies. There has been a surge of Greek heavy metal about Alexander since 2000. I am unaware of any Greek heavy metal tracks that convey a full-scale narrative prior to 2000, although the band Sarissa, active in the 1990s, must surely have taken their name from the long-spear that Alexander and his father, Philip, made so famous and feared. The lack of songs may have to do with the fact that Greek heavy metal experienced much difficulty in the 1990s, as related in the documentary Metal from Hellas (Papakostas and Simopoulos 2008).3 This is the decade in which heavy metal got more mainstream, and the Greek heavy metal scene seems to have suffered from that particular competition. The first occurrence is, to my knowledge, by Arrayan Path, whose name was changed from Arrayan Path to avoid unintended associations with extreme national politics (xFiruath 2011). The new name does not mean anything, according to the band. Their conception of modern Macedonia is that it is a commune in the northern part of Greece. Thessaloniki is the principal city and, importantly, it is also the area in which the ancient Macedonian sites of Pella (birthplace of Alexander) and the royal palace of Vergina are located. It is worth noting that the band’s own claim to be Macedonian is somewhat precarious since they are from Cyprus. [T]here used to be a civilization, / here on the ruins in this ancient land. / Now, you ask the peasant: / ‘Nah, it is just pieces of rock.’ / For God’s sake, / Alexander lived his life right here where we stand. Chorus: Crying of the walls, / down the road to Macedonia. / Walls that never will forget his glory, / dreaming of a place where everything is Macedonia. / No more signs of that civilization that made us proud, / now just decay. / What used to be a culture is now a peace that has gone to pieces. / I’m on my knees again. / Forgive us, Prince, we ruined the land; we are to blame. (Arrayan Path ‘Road to Macedonia’ [2004]) Not only is Arrayan Path looking back to an imagined glorious past, implying the greatness of Alexander’s unifying civilization, but also to the present in which such a past seems forgotten, owing to the aforementioned polemical and internecine strife. But the salient themes of unity, power and nationalism

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are again apparent. It may also be argued that conservatism and tradition are manifest in that the band is dreaming of an ancient but better age, perhaps a better age of heavy metal as well. The band is then trying to bridge the gap between old and new. This may also be observed in the aforementioned example of their concert in Thessaloniki. Here, they immediately turn to Iron Maiden for a popular and powerful summary of Alexander’s great life. Similarly, the tracks are appropriate for the audience in Thessaloniki, whose close proximity to Alexander’s birthplace have created a very special relationship between them and him. Indeed, to the Thessalonikan band, Crystal Tears, Alexander becomes nothing short of a Greek superman, and the projection integrates him much more into the present: Macedonia renowned is your name, / Hellenic blood in your veins. / Alexandros is your son and your breath, / conquered the world with his power and brain / and bravery and being so fair. / Chorus: Through the lands, through the oceans and mountains, / Every town, every street has his name. / Born to win, taught with all ancient wisdoms, / Awe to him, Alexander the Great. / Philip, Olympias his blood, / Aristotle his soul. / Proof he is Greek, that there can be no doubt, / while they are raping the truth, and they throw / ashes in eyes of mankind. Chorus ×2. (Crystal Tears, ‘Megas Alexandros’ [2006]) The first and last two lines assure us that the critical, political agenda is present. There are other bands that project the same Hellenic image of Alexander as Crystal Tears, for instance Spitfire’s ‘Makedonia’ (2009) and Marauder’s ‘Alexander’ (2012), and it is strikingly obvious that the Macedonian conflict continues. One would have hoped that the Greek bands had broader horizons, but it must be remembered that Alexander is really a cornerstone in the unresolved dialogue. It involves so much more than Alexander alone, for instance boundaries, national identity and self-perception. Crystal Tears’s track is by far the most explicit and contentious in this regard, although Spitfire’s track comes very close to conveying the message with equal strength and tenacity. Simultaneously, these bands capture the idealized male figure characterized by his strength, beauty and intellect. In other words, masculine power. This is also true for the Athenian band, Athlos, whose curious track contains more historical errors than any other track from Greece, for instance Alexander fought none of the Persian kings that they mention; his visit to the Siwah Oasis in Libya is now taking place beside the Egyptian pyramids; they also confuse the Issus river with the Tigris (following Iron Maiden) and they hint at Roman legions instead of the Macedonian phalanx. It has been suggested that their mention of Macedonia being in the ‘Northlands’ might be a subtle hint at the Viking heavy metal heritage. The rare term ‘Northlands’ is conventionally used in English to refer to the peninsula of Norway and Sweden. Whilst I do not personally find this suggestion implausible, it must be said that it is difficult to prove, especially given the fact that the geographical location of the Greek Macedonia is actually in the north of modern Greece. Alexander within the paradigm of the masculine warrior is a commonplace in all the Greek tracks. It comes across most strongly in Sacred Blood’s recent album, Alexandros (2012). It is a cogent and coherent album written with the assistance of Marios Koutsoukos, who classifies himself as a writer of historical fiction (Πολυδεύκης 2012). The album features fifteen tracks that record

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the events of Alexander’s life in a chronological order, and at the centre of attention we find the battles and the divine help that he received, for instance in connection with his visit to the Siwah Oasis (Track 8, ‘New God Rising’). The narrative of the album describes how Alexander did not die but became a god (Track 11, ‘The Apotheosis of Alexander’). This is made explicit in the final track (Track 15, ‘Legends Never Die’). Some tracks make use of a narrator to link the events, while others are longer instrumental pieces. These are evocative supplements, giving a good sense of the magnitude of the conquests as well as informative descriptions of the principal events in between the actual heavy metal tracks. Whichever way we look at the mass of evidence before us, we detect the same recurring themes that were present in Iron Maiden’s track: masculinity, invincibility, swiftness, divinity and conquest. But what separates the Greek tracks from Iron Maiden’s is that the mystical sense of community and unity is now conveyed through the general Greek agenda in which the unifying factor is nationalism and the glorious past, not the universal western life or Christianity. This appropriates Alexander as a Hellenic king, a fount of everything that is Greek. The universal elements of the campaign, for instance the foundation of Alexandria referred to by Kamelot, are neglected. The very local setting of Greece is stressed, for instance by Arrayan Path, who emphasize that Alexander lived his life in Macedonia, even though he is a lot more famous for all the time that he spent away. Ironically, in the Greek heavy metal histories, Alexander, the Great conqueror and warlord, has become a unifying godlike king, an emblem of peace, power and stability at home in Hellas. This is naturally not very surprising since modern Greeks view themselves as heirs to Alexander’s heritage; but that the heavy metal bands of Greece also seek to preserve and propagate this image is certainly fascinating. This is how the Greek bands empower the Greek nation as well as claiming the right to the figure in the global heavy metal community.

Conclusion: The Metal King The general study of the classics by Campbell showed how mythology and its cast of characters were specifically sought out for their warrior and hero qualities. In this respect, the Alexander figure created by heavy metal narratives has much in common with Achilles, today as in antiquity, and they are popular paradigms and models for the idealized masculine figure of the heroic past. So, to Campbell, whether the lyrics regard Alexander or Achilles – or the Vikings for that matter – there is an expectation that masculine power should be in the foreground. Focusing in on Alexander allows us to argue that he also appeals in more ways than just his masculinity. The bands are also attracted to the Alexander figure because of the special resonance that he has with community and unity. These themes claim the attention of all the bands in various ways and through powerful concepts, such as universality (Iron Maiden, Kamelot), nationalism (Greek bands) and, in the case of Nile, the avoidance of the Apocalypse. Alexander becomes a symbolic banner that fans may unify under and support. Similarly, heavy metal is a powerful franchise that fans may support. To the bands, Alexander and heavy metal complement each other: both seem to have conquered the world. And both have done so rapidly and with power. This belief is further supported by the imposing and intrusive nature of the music industry in general:

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Metal is part of the Westernised, commercial pop and rock music industry that has imposed itself on the rest of the world. […] Rather than being truly democratic, communal and liberal, metal is governed by instrumental rationalities associated with the music business. (Hill and Spracklen 2010: vii)

4. It was unfortunately not possible to consider tracks by Iron Mask and by Stonehenge.

It is likely that the heavy metal bands of that particular industry, at least subconsciously, want us to understand Alexander’s swift conquest and establishment of a universal hegemony as an allegory for the swift establishment and supremacy of the heavy metal genre itself. The heavy metal genre has a reciprocal exchange and association with Alexander’s story. Arguably, it is in this way that heavy metal histories about Alexander are biased by the very genre itself. Masculinity aside, Alexander’s projected power to unify and create community is what makes the figure so compelling to heavy metal bands. Umurhan argued recently that, to Iron Maiden, this was something inherent in the Alexander scholarship, but it is much easier to explain the phenomenon as a part of the general agenda of the heavy metal bands. Umurhan is, however, quite right in stating the importance of Iron Maiden’s influence. Their track created a tradition that became essential for all subsequent bands. The track provides the right frame for thinking about Alexander. It constructs a very appealing and powerful heavy metal narrative which has relevance for thinking about the band’s own legacy. The many themes of the track are picked up in various ways by other bands, a trend that ensures Alexander’s overwhelming popularity, as a topic from the mythological reservoir of the classical world. This, I have argued, was quite clear in the case of Greece. Alexander is part of the mythological and national treasury of Greece and, whilst the Greek bands may not be willing to share the figure with bordering nations, they are keen to preserve their projection to the global heavy metal community. The Greek heavy metal bands thus attempt to recapture the spirit of traditional metal from the early days of Iron Maiden and develop it and its Alexander figure within the confines of their own national agenda. What the present investigation into Alexander’s role tells us about heavy metal is that it is a genre of music with strong roots and traditions that still allows for plenty of creativity and innovation to continue to conquer the music market. The bands have used Alexander for this conquest in the past, and they may profitably continue to do so. With this, I commend Alexander the Metal King as a subject for further tracks.4

References Alice Cooper (1981), ‘You’re a Movie’, Special Forces, UK: Warner Bros. Anon. (1986), ‘Iron Maiden: Dans l’espace, personne ne vous entend crier’/ ‘In space nobody can hear you scream’, Enfer Magazine, 42: 18, pp. 12–15. Arrayan Path (2004), ‘Road to Macedonia’, Road to Macedonia, Greece: Steel Gallery Records. Athlos (2009), ‘The Son of Amon Ra’, In the Shroud of Legendry: Hellenic Myths of Gods and Heroes, Greece: Second Port Records. Bayer, G. (ed.) (2009), Heavy Metal Music in Britain, Oxford: Ashgate. Beard, M. (2013), Confronting the Classics, London: Profile Books. Bosworth, A. B. (1988), Conquest and Empire: The Reign of Alexander the Great, Cambridge: CUP.

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Bøe, S. (2001), Gog and Magog: Ezekiel 38–39 as Pre-text for Revelation 19,17–21 and 20,7–10, Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck. Campbell, I. (2009), ‘From Achilles to Alexander: The classical world and the world of metal’, in G. Bayer (ed.), Heavy Metal Music in Britain, Oxford: Ashgate, pp. 111–24. Crystal Tears (2006), ‘Megas Alexandros’, Choirs of Immortal, Greece: Pure Steel Records. Danforth, L. M. (2003), ‘Alexander the Great and the Macedonian conflict’, in J. Roisman (ed.), Brill’s Companion to Alexander the Great, Leiden: Brill, pp. 347–64. Eleventh Hour (2000), ‘Alexander the Great’, Slave to the Power: The Iron Maiden Tribute. Idaho: MeteorCity. Georgios Daoutas (2011), ‘Arryan Path – Road to Macedonia (Live in Thessaloniki 4/12/2010)’ [online video], 8 January, https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=Uc2gbmfLV2g. Accessed 2 June 2014. Hammond, N. G. L. (1981), Alexander the Great: King, Commander and Statesman, London: Chatto and Windus. von Helden, I. (2010), ‘Scandinavian metal attack: The power of Northern Europe in extreme metal’, in R. Hill and K. Spracklen (eds), Heavy Fundametalisms: Music, Metal and Politics, Oxford: Inter-Disciplinary Press, pp. 33–42. Hill, R. and Spracklen, K. (eds) (2010), Heavy Fundametalisms: Music, Metal and Politics, Oxford: Inter-Disciplinary Press. Iron Maiden (1986), ‘Alexander the Great’, Somewhere in Time, UK: EMI. Iron Mask (2005), ‘Alexander the Great: Hordes of the Brave – Part 1’, Hordes of the Brave, Belgium: Lion Music. Judas Priest (1980), ‘United’, British Steel, UK: Columbia. Kamelot (1999), ‘Alexandria’, The Fourth Legacy, Berlin: Noise Records. Manowar (1996), ‘Brothers of Metal’, Louder than Hell, New York: Geffen. —— (2003), Hell on Earth – Part 3 [DVD], Hanover, Germany: Steamhammer. Marauder (2012), ‘Alexander’, Elegy of Blood, Cyprus: Pitch Black Records. Meller, L. (2013), ‘Historical themes in Iron Maiden songs (Part I): From the cavemen to the Vikings’, Revista Brasileira de Estudos da Canção, 3, pp. 198–215. Nawotka, K. (2010), Alexander the Great, Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Nile (2009), ‘Iskander D’hul Karnon’, Those Whom the Gods Detest, Germany: Nuclear Blast. Nilsson, M. (2009), ‘No class? Class and class politics in British heavy metal’, in G. Bayer (ed.), Heavy Metal Music in Britain, Oxford: Ashgate, pp. 161–80. Ogden, D. (2011), Alexander the Great: Myth, Genesis and Sexuality, Exeter: EUP. Papakostas, N. and Simopoulos, P. (2008), Metal from Hellas, Crete: Technological Institute of Music Technology & Acoustics. Πολυδεύκης (2012), ‘Sacred Blood – Ride through the Achaemenid Empire’ [online video], 29 March, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y1g1kt-sU. Accessed 3 June 2014. Rossen, R. (1955), Alexander the Great, Los Angeles: Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Sacred Blood (2008), The Battle at Thermopylae: The Chronicle, Greece: Eat Metal Records. —— (2012), Alexandros, Cyprus: Pitch Black Records. Sarissa (1994), Sarissa, Greece: Cactus.

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Spitfire (2009), ‘Makedonia’, Die Fighting, Greece: Emotion Art Music. Spencer, D. (2002), The Roman Alexander: Reading a Cultural Myth, Exeter: EUP. Stone, O. (2004), Alexander, UK and USA: Warner Bros. Stoneman, R. (2008), Alexander the Great: A Life in Legend, New Haven: Yale University Press. Umurhan, O. (2012), ‘Heavy metal music and the appropriation of Greece and Rome’, Syllecta Classica, 23, pp. 127–52. Walser, R. (1993), Running with the Devil: Power, Gender and Madness in Heavy Metal Music, Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press. Weinstein, D. (2000), Heavy Metal: The Music and Its Culture, Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press. —— (2009), ‘The empowering masculinity of British heavy metal’, in G. Bayer (ed.), Heavy Metal Music in Britain, Oxford: Ashgate, pp. 17–32. Wiederhorn, J. and Turman, K. (2013), Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal, New York: IT Books. Willi, A. (2009), ‘Whose is Macedonia, whose is Alexander?’, The Classical Journal, 105, pp. 59–64. xFiruath (2011), ‘Arryan Path changes name to Arrayan Path and announces new releases’, http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm? newsid=66784. Accessed 3 June 2014. Yannis – Pastis Glaros (2012), ‘Iron Maiden – Alexander the Great – Blood Brothers – Sonisphere, Greece 2011’ [online video], 29 June, https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=Nv-pS-srrZo. Accessed 1 June 2014. Zuwiyya, D. (2011), A Companion to Alexander Literature in the Middle Ages, Leiden: Brill.

Suggested citation Djurslev, C. T. (2015), ‘The Metal King: Alexander the Great in heavy metal music’, Metal Music Studies, 1: 1, pp. 127–141, doi: 10.1386/mms.1.1.127_1

Contributor details Christian Thrue Djurslev is currently a Ph.D. student in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter. His primary area of research is the afterlife of Alexander the Great in early Christian literature. He is generally fascinated by all aspects of the afterlife of the figure of Alexander in world cultures. Contact: Department of Classics and Ancient History, University of Exeter, Amory Building, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UK. E-mail: [email protected] Christian Thrue Djurslev has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work in the format that was submitted to Intellect Ltd.

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The Metal King: Alexander the Great in Heavy Metal Music

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