French Black Metal Band ANOREXIA NERVOSA's Lyrics Cited By Suicidal Teenager

September 28, 2005

BBC News is reporting that France has reacted with horror as details emerged this week of the twin suicide of two teenage girls who bound their hands together and jumped from the 17th-story window of a block of flats (photo) in Paris.

The 14-year old girls, who have been named only as Marion and Virginie, were both obsessed by talk of death, and the weblog kept by one of the girls contained long and morbid extracts from the lyrics of leading French black metal band ANOREXIA NERVOSA.

The group from the central town of Limoges — one of whose albums is called "Suicide is Sexy" — has a loyal following among a section of French youth. Its lyrics are hard-hitting.

"I hate you. I vomit on your soul and your family. Death to your parents. Torture and rape to your children. I hate you to death," are the words of one song on Marion's (photo) weblog.

"You are the whore of human weakness. Tepid and obscene. Blinded by the sweaty desire of vanity. Worthless."

Another reads: "I can't take any more. I have had enough. I have burned my eyes and I am afraid."

In Britain and the U.S., campaigners for family values have long complained about the content of black metal and death metal songs, alleging that their violent and death-obsessed lyrics can tip the sensitive into self-destruction.

Jeff Veillet, of leading French rock magazine Rock One, defended ANOREXIA NERVOSA from charges that it is playing a dangerous game with the insecurities of teenage girls.

"Yes, there is a provocative side to groups like ANOREXIA. But just because they talk about death in their songs, it doesn't mean they want people to commit suicide. It is an act — a way of getting through to adolescents," he said.

"All sorts of music have driven people to extremes of behaviour. Not just black metal."

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