Our devil horn-throwing friends at Metal Hammer have launched a campaign to make 'Heavy Metal' recognised as an official religion.
Every decade since 1801, the now called Office For National Statistics has set about harvesting information from every household in the UK - a mammoth-sized head count, aka the census.
At last count (in 2001) more than 390,000 people couldn't resist the urge to state that their core beliefs were represented by 'Jedi' (the quasi-telekinetic power-wielding fictional character from Star Wars). Ultimately, this 'Force'-like amalgamation of great minds meant that Jedi was ranked as the fourth most popular religion - behind only Christianity, Islam and Hinduism.
Now, Metal Hammer are conducting a little 'harvesting' of their own… they want your souls. And your cooperation in helping give Heavy Metal a similar status.
Backed by Saxon's Biff Byford as official "world metal peace ambassador" and with enough quotable lyrics to scream 'til the holy cows come home - "Rock'n'roll is my religion and my law" (You Can't Kill Rock & Roll - Ozzy Osbourne), "Metal's our religion" (Holy War - Manowar) etc, etc, etc - expect the official Facebook group to get extremely loud by 2011.
"Coated with analogue warmth, and many a chunky nugget for the keen and avid listener to find": Röyksopp get even more Mysterious with new surprise reworking
“He thought that he wouldn’t have the ideas, but they were absolutely there": Here’s the songwriting advice that Elton John gave to Chappell Roan
