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Interview with Babylon Mystery Orchestra
JesusMetal: Greetings Sidney ! May I ask how you are doing ?
Sidney: Quite well. The weather is good here in Alabama...if only I could figure out why my cat is staying mad at me. I have captured several strays outside. Maybe I haven't caught them all yet. She is intolerant of other cats.
JesusMetal: You are the mastermind behind Babylon Mystery Orchestra, could you please give an introduction to yourself and the band?
Sidney: Babylon Mystery Orchestra is nothing more or less than a vehicle for presenting the world as I see it. That is really what you should demand from any artist. Unfortunately most so called "artists" are just song and dance people who will say or do whatever they think you want them to say or do in return for your praise. Babylon Mystery Orchestra stands opposed to that in every form.
JesusMetal: "CONSPIRING, CONTROVERSIAL YET CONTAGIOUS", How did you get the idea of starting such a controversial project ?
Sidney: Well here is a newsflash for you: I don't consider anything about Babylon Mystery Orchestra or its statements to be controversial. I live with this all the time. The truth only shocks people who don't know it. I don't walk around miserable or confused about the world at all. Other people seek complications because it makes them feel smart if they add all sorts of illusions and delusions into the mechanism that is their lives. If there is one thing I am certain of, it is that no one has any right to criticize any of their forefathers because nothing is new or improved in the human experience. Technology is merely a new "sorcery" that enables people to do more harm to one another in greater numbers. The world is on the verge of a great catastrophe, because so many people are overly impressed with their own intelligence that seek to complicate the obvious and placate the vicious. They have not learned even one lesson from the past. We are reliving a disaster of hate. It is being brought upon us by yet another generation of people who believe they alone are wise enough to advance the world to some self perceived "Utopian" level. They believe they have outgrown their cultures and their need for God. The great humiliation that awaits them is their destruction, at the very hands of the kind people of whom they are convinced of their superiority. And the "Divine Justice" comes from the fact that it takes a God to destroy a God. Western culture has cast its only useful defense aside. It may be too late to save it. It is already too late to stop the calamity of violence. Unfortunately for you, Matt, is that you are living on the front lines. Is that a controversial statement? If it is then its like I say. I live it and say such things every day. The idea isn't to be controversial. It is simply to inject the truth where you normally don't see it. The Rock Music/Heavy Metal world is a fantasy land for "pollyannas." I am guilty of being deadly serious and intruding my vision into that world.
The sound of Babylon Mystery Orchestra is a Gothic/Metal sound. It just always felt natural for the music to sound as it does. I can't say that I "picked" this sound. In truth I do like a lot of bands in this music style but I probably love "Hair Metal" more. Perhaps its the simplicity and directness of the music. I really don't like music that over-complicates itself for no reason. Unfortunately that type of approach is in vogue in the metal world these days. Since I do have something I want to say within the framework of these records I don't want the music to become a "distraction" from the presentation. However most bands only have "distractions" to offer. Haven't you heard people say "its the music that matters?" Those are people that view music not as an "art," but as a "craft," and they feel they should be rewarded for their skill at playing. Well, I believe there is virtue in being different, so if there are too many bands trying to prove to you how many riffs they can deliver as fast as they can then somebody ought to work against that. After all, Heavy Metal is not classical music and it will not survive if its musicians continue to delude themselves into believing it is an "elitist" form of art. Heavy Metal is rock music, and as such it is a populist art form. This Gothic or Doom style of music does naturally fit with the ideas I am trying to project. It leaves a lot of room to forcefully deliver an idea and reinforce it with the power of the music.
JesusMetal: Your newest album, Axis of Evil, is quite an achievement and deals with something we could call a 'hot topic' at this point, Islam, with Geert Wilders' movie Fitna, etc. But it also deals with stuff like 'the Illuminati'. Could you give some information on the lyrical background of this album as a whole?
Sidney: It is a deep album that actually requires the listener to invest himself into it. If you don't pay attention to the details you are going to fail to understand it. I realized all along that it is dangerous to even attempt to deal with this subject matter fairly in the Heavy Metal environment. Yet I refused to "dumb down" the message or sanitize it to make it more palatable. Hatred is living amongst us and using the weaknesses of Western morality and its newfound contempt for its religious heritage to destroy it. This hatred is not new. Our forefathers knew it and had to stand and fight against it. They did not "tolerate" a sinister sub society living within their midst. The "wise" (sarcasm alert!) children of the WWII generation seem to think they know better. Yet they have forgotten the lessons of the 1920's and 30's. They will not hear the words of Muslims because their vanity demands that they rise above the attitudes of their "Christian forefathers." They arrogantly believe that they have outgrown their need for God. History is strewn with the carcasses of godless societies destroyed by weaker societies of faith. This record is a warning that it is happening again. I would hope you would champion the cause of Geert Wilders and his Fitna movie. His movie is a very accurate portrayal of the relationship of Islam to the violence. Like "Axis Of Evil," it is only a message, yet he too is being assailed as an ambassador of hate. Yet who criticizes the people who actually perpetrate the violence? Instead they make excuses and justify it. They blame it on everything except what the terrorists themselves claim as their authority to commit the violence...Islam. This is not going to go away. It hasn't in 1400 years.
Contrary to what you may read from reviewers, the record actually does deal with subjects other than Islam. In fact only 4 songs out of 13 deal directly with Islam and its violence! There are a lot of people and "institutions" that are trying to "unite" the world for their own purposes and according to their own visions. The Biblical prophecies of the end times are clearly visible for all to see. Too many people, even Christians, don't like to acknowledge such things because they don't want their lives intruded upon by these events. The CD takes on the Illuminati mystery religious cults a little bit because their's is a particularly arrogant brand of elitism. These are people and organizations that have been working to control the world through family lineage, "old money," and ancient mysticism, for centuries. This is the "elitism" of the aristocracy. It is their belief that they know, and are entitled to know, things that the rest of us don't. Unfortunately their is an elitism that I think is even worse called "Socialism." The European countries are eaten up with this fraudulent elitism largely perpetrated by the institutions of higher education. This is also a problem for America as these same people in America can't wait to follow Europe. Socialism, with its multi-culturalist tendencies is so obviously a modern attempt to recreate the the situation that God went out of his way to destroy at Babel. Unfortunately in the "post-Christian" world of the Socialists, they have forgotten that the people at Babel were of one mind and language. I believe the word is called "assimilation." Yet the Socialists promote immigration and multi-culturalism WITHOUT assimilation. A fatal error borne out of arrogance. Again we see a failure to remember lessons once learned. Uninformed arrogance will destroy you every time. The earth according to the world of "Star Trek" will never happen until AFTER the return of Jesus. If more people considered such things they might act differently. But Europe considers itself "post-Christian" and America is heading there.
If that isn't enough I even added my controversial take on the mark of the beast. Actually that is probably the single most controversial thing I ever will say. It has not been mentioned once in any review...yet, anyway. It is something that I have been contemplating since about 1992. It won't sit well with many "fair-weather" Christians, but I say it because I believe it to be true. But it is a continuation from the themes explored on the previous CD. "The Great Apostasy: A Conspiracy Of Satanic Christianity." In that I declared my dis-belief in the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture. I also implied that it was inserted into Christianity for a reason. That reason is to make people vulnerable to receiving the mark of the beast. If you think you won't be here, you will be less likely to resist it. However I take that even further on this one, implying the forced application of the mark as well as an unfortunate situation regarding the children of Christians...
JesusMetal: Musically this is as dark as the lyrics, what bands or things inspire you when writing music for BMO ?
Sidney: Well, how could it not be? I believe that there is music that conveys every type of emotion. I do not believe music is "neutral" and that you can use any type of music for any type of message. That is a commonly held belief within Christian music circles. It is used often to validate and justify some very questionable choices. That is why I believe if you are doing "Christian" music that you have to have a message first and match the music to it. Just because you like Judas Priest doesn't mean you can tailor a message around that type of sound...and I consider it very dangerous to try. As I said, this sounds exactly as it should sound.
When it come to inspiration, I get it from everything I have listened to throughout my life. Music carries an emotional and spiritual message. I have often linked it to witchcraft (The second BMO CD "On Earth As It Is In Heaven" dealt with this subject). That is why I think people should be careful with it. But alas, they are not. As a result, there are great examples of bands and sounds that can show us what certain types of music and sounds can convey. They call Doom Metal that for a reason! So bits and pieces of Babylon Mystery Orchestra come from a lot of places. I can hear the influence of the Doors, Blue Oyster Cult, Therion, Tiamat, My Dying Bride and even Kiss and Thin Lizzy at any given time. But that covers a broad spectrum of possibilities. It all depends on the song. Want a strange example? Martyr ( The Patience Of The Saint) was always going to be an acoustic guitar ballad without drums. However I wasn't really happy with it. I found myself listening to Cat Power and really liking her voice and approach and decided to try it that way. I added the piano, drums and even kind of tried to vocally deliver the song similar to how she does. Same song but with a different approach. Now it doesn't sound like Cat Power at all, but by altering the approach the song worked out exactly as I wanted it to. So you can add Cat Power to the list of BMO influences! Strange, but true.
JesusMetal: How have the reactions been on this album ? I guess not everyone has been all that positive or all that negative ?
Sidney: Personally I am overjoyed at how it came out. However, I have been taking a lot of heat for this CD. I never knew there was such a tolerance for hatred within the Heavy Metal community. Instead of acknowledging this hateful and violent element that has dominated Islam and brought death and destruction to EVERY Western country (let alone their own countries), they have chosen to label me as the bearer of hatred. To many of them, I am even worse then Varg Vikernes! I guess thats because I am a Christian and hating Christians is an approved doctrine within the Metal community. I have been called a "Christian Jihadist" (there is no such thing), a Nazi, an "Agent Of American Intolerance and they have called me and my message...INHUMAN. All I have spoken in the CD is TRUE. No one has or CAN refute the statements included in the presentation because they are all true. Of course "Axis Of Evil" is a CD about hate. In fact, I went out of my way to make locating the source of all that hatred the main priority of the message! But the hate is not of my doing. I haven't killed anyone nor have I threatened anyone. I am not calling on Western society to change its "attitudes and behaviors" or else face violence. I do not advocate the oppression of women, nor the violence toward them, that is not only tolerated but demanded of Muslim culture. Honor killings, terrorism and even Islamic Sharia Law are being practiced within Western Countries and yet I am castigated and smeared as a "hate merchant" for having the audacity to point it out! Even the people who write positive reviews often misrepresent the nature of the content. I guess the best response has come from some Christian reviewers but a lot of them still attack me. There is a quote in the booklet that is very relevant to the treatment of both me and the "Axis Of Evil" CD:
"Tolerance is the last virtue of a depraved society. By calling me an agent of hatred a reviewer can feel good about himself and his own moral superiority. Instead of Islam, it is now Sidney Allen Johnson and Babylon Mystery Orchestra that is the agent of hatred in the world. We need to get rid of me, and others like me, and maybe the Islamic problem will go away. I am accused of provoking the hostility as though somehow pointing out violence after the fact could be the root cause of it. I comfort myself, however, with the knowledge that the people of the 1920's and 30's who dared to criticize Hitler were also labeled as bigots and intolerant to a "new" way of thinking. That way of thinking turned out to not be so "new" didn't it? They accused Hitler's critics of being "war mongers" and taking statements "out of context." Particularly those about racial superiority. So let everyone claim I have taken Muslim statements "out of context." Particularly those about their religious superiority. Like I said, nothing has been learned over time. Too many people are impressed with their own intelligence at their own peril. The Bible calls such people...fools.
I have said before that Heavy Metal has become a very conformist form of music. The reaction to the content of this CD only reaffirms this conclusion for me. What have I done other than present a world view to them that they don't want to see? Its just like the great "Man-made Global Warming Swindle." One point of view is acceptable, and no one will be allowed to present an alternate view without being shouted down and having his character assassinated. There are so many reviews assailing this record now that I am afraid the conformity of the metal scene pretty much guarantees I can not get a fair one anymore. But I have news for the Heavy Metal community: Your elitist, and trendy, pacifism is not going to stop the increasing violence of Islamic Jihadists. Pacifism is a fertilizer to the Jihad. The words included in the "Axis Of Evil" CD are real. The Muslims say what they mean and mean what they say. You disrespect Islam when you disregard them...and they don't tolerate being disrespected! All the human kindness in your heart will not stop an institution that demands that everyone be subjected to their God and his laws.
How is it that a genre of music that is so dedicated to hatred, that bands routinely name themselves after it, can become so tolerant to something that will destroy it? For decades now, Christianity has been berated as some great oppressor of humanity and Heavy Metal has celebrated this by inventing the most vile and vicious music to chastise Jesus, God and Christianity. Yet Islam, which has blasphemy laws that will render Heavy Metal music dead, goes unchallenged. We have music in Metal that celebrates fighting and battles, but when presented with a real enemy that is dedicated to the destroying the "Heavy Metal" culture, as well as every other Western subculture, the metal community gets sensitive and wants to display a sudden tolerance for religion. Well, any religion other than Christianity that is. Is it because of fear Muslims? Is that it? Pure, unadulterated COWARDICE. Christianity, even when violently attacked as it was by the Norwegian Black Metal scene, has proven to be very tolerant. It even demands the freedom to choose to reject itself. Islam is a system designed for control. It cannot allow for "alternative lifestyles." Not now. Not ever! I believe that the response to "Axis Of Evil" has exposed the red hot rhetoric of Heavy Metal for what it is: a lie. Heavy Metal is as yellow as a summer squash, and therefore as artistically relevant as professional wrestling. Essentially...fake.
JesusMetal: Do you already have a new (controversial?) theme for a new BMO album ? Could you give us some info on what will be happening with the band in the (near) future ?
Sidney: As I said I don't see them as controversial. Only people who don't know, or reject, the truth should find them controversial. But yes, there is another big themed record I want to do but it will not be the next record. I have decided that the next one will be a collection of songs that I have been wanting to write about varying subjects. Things I don't want to dedicate an entire album to. I already have two tracks finished and will be recording the vocals for a third pretty soon. There will be songs about abortion, Che Guevara, the 12th Imam prophecy and a few other assorted subjects. Since you mentioned the Illuminati earlier I can tell you I am working on one now about their relationship with the American space program.
It seems like a good time to step back from the big conceptual albums. There really isn't much I can do to take anything farther than "Axis Of Evil." It is a record that really goes as far as you can go. But I do like records like that, so I will probably return to that form after this next one. I just want to see what it is like to just record songs and not worry about how they tie into a bigger story. Also I want to make a somewhat shorter record. Something more in line with what most people would consider to be standard length. 8-10 songs and 35-45 minutes in length. I have been looking at 10-13 songs and 50-60 minutes through four records. Who knows though, I may do more songs. I might not be able to stop myself.
JesusMetal: In fact, Babylon Mystery Orchestra, care to explain the name some more ?
Sidney: It really came about quite easy. The first album was being recorded as I was contemplating what to call this endeavor. Since the first CD dealt with the Mystery Babylon prophecies in the Bible I was already thinking about Mystery Babylon. I originally felt that BMO would have a lot more keyboards and orchestral parts to the sound. So I was toying with the idea of "Orkestra" as a name. Then "Mystery Babylon Orchestra," which doesn't roll of the tongue so well. But "Babylon Mystery Orchestra" does. And the fact that I am the only one in this "orchestra" doesn't hurt either. Kind of like the slogan...An army of one.
JesusMetal: You are a one man project, are you planning to keep it like this, since it gives you the freedom to write whatever you want ?
Sidney: Considering the names people are throwing at me for "Axis Of Evil," who would want to be in a band with such an inhuman, intolerant, Nazi Jihadist? The fact is, that as the situation stands now, I can work on the music anytime I want to without having to get other people here. It really is a somewhat liberating way to work. Bands are all about the "chemistry" and often the best music is made by a band over a very short period of time before that chemistry is altered or destroyed. Babylon Mystery Orchestra, however, can go on as long as I want it without fear of any dilution of its purpose or intent. Still, if someone wanted to pump a lot of money into this to bring in real orchestras, choirs and other musicians I would be open to the idea. I could still release the records I make alone as demos and you could see what they became from where they started. That would be interesting. But I would not necessarily view anyone else as a "permanent" contributor to the band. At least I don't think so. There is an artistic integrity to keeping it to oneself.
I really look upon bands as a non-artistic venture. You cannot make art by committee, consent or compromise. With technology advancing as it is, the "band" is obsolete. Factor into that the silly "elitism" that has overtaken so many musicians and you have no reason to deal with them. Live shows just aren't feasible unless you can make a decent tour out of them. A lot of much more successful bands can't do that so why bother? Time spent rehearsing a band could be better spent working on new material.
JesusMetal: What is your view on ''Christian'' bands these days ? What are some of your favourite ones at this point ?
Sidney: I really don't want to have a view on Christian bands. I do visit a few message boards from time to time and what I see disturbs me. There is one recent topic on one of them called: "Why are Christian bands allowed to suck?" That pretty much sums up the failure of the so called "Christian" scene. The people are insisting on comparing them to other bands and judging them according to their standards. If you are going to do that why not just listen to those bands in the first place? Do people who listen to Bon Jovi compare that music to Mastodon? Would you compare Mariah Carey to Angela Gossow? If you do somebody is going to say somebody sucks. The trouble with the Christian scene is it attempts to mimic secular music too much in the first place. If you want to sound like them its easy. Use their studios and their producers. Christian bands should disassociate themselves from those attributes as much as possible so as to have their own sounds. If you believe "its the music that matters" then why bother calling yourself a Christian band? I believe that Christian music MUST be message centered. Its one reason why I would be reluctant to move BMO out of its current situation. Given the resources of Therion...I would probably wind up sounding like them. As much as I may appreciate them, I don't really want that.
And besides, most bands today suck to me. Christian or otherwise. There is a conspiracy theory that believes that rock music is a form of mind control used by the CIA. The fact that anyone can listen to blast beats and gutter-growl vocals and dare call that music "elitist," and their musicians "accomplished," makes me want to believe it. The way that music has evolved is very disturbing to me. Its one thing to sell your soul to the devil, that I understand. I see a lot in music today that implies most people are giving it to him for free.
Another thing that bothers me about the Christian scene is how the bands tend to keep to themselves. There are a lot of Christian bands out there, but when they make CD's they tend to keep them only within the Christian community and then bemoan the lack of respect that Christian bands get from the music scene at large. I don't go around calling Babylon Mystery Orchestra a "Christian" band although it certainly gets that label. It doesn't bother me. But I make sure that the CD is sent to as many places as I can that review and promote heavy music, whether it is Christian or not. Certainly I run into a lot of resistance from those who abhor anything that looks Christian, but as an artist I don't think you should complain about lack of attention and respect if you restrict you avenues of promotion.
I really don't have any favorite Christian bands. Stryper? Petra? Rackets and Drapes? Virgin Black? All tolerable to me.
JesusMetal: Thanks for your time, you got any final comments ?
Sidney: Stand up and be counted for that which we know is right. There is a lot of hatred and violence in the world. Babylon Mystery Orchestra is not responsible for any of it. In fact, it is one of very few enterprises that has dared to stand against it. When you see either me, or Babylon Mystery Orchestra, vilified in the press as an agent of intolerance know this: I am intolerant! Intolerant to the honor killing of Muslim women. Intolerant to the murder of Muslims who leave the faith of Islam. Intolerant to the restricting of free speech by an Islamic religion that considers itself above reproach. Intolerant to the annihilation of Israel. Intolerant of raped women being charged, convicted and executed for adultery. Intolerant to the persecution and murder of Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, atheists and homosexuals. I am intolerant to a system that openly flaunts its unequal treatment of people before the law, based on religion and gender. The list of things I am intolerant of is quite large. But most of all I am intolerant to arrogant people who utilize my work as a platform to propagate their own fraudulent sense of moral superiority as they openly tolerate ALL these things. And tolerate them WITHIN their OWN countries!!! These righteously indignant pursuers of an unattainable Socialist Utopia invariably make an imperfect society even less perfect. They think themselves smarter than the rest of us by sacrificing the virtues of their own culture, while tolerating and apologizing for the vilest behavior of another. Its a trendy thing to do among the music culture, whether metal or non-metal. They are gutless cowards that tolerate murder and inequality because they are just plain SCARED to stand up to evil. It would take courage to be different. They can't...and you thought heavy metal people were defenders of individuality or freedom... Their "tolerance" of foreign hatred and injustice nothing more than a replication of the same mistakes in a continual cycle of appeasement and violence. Nobody learns from anybody.
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