And Crowley Said: “Let There Be Rock”

By on April 30, 2010 in News 16

What do Timothy Leary, Jennifer Lopez, Jimmy Page, Michael Jackson, Anton LaVey, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Sid Vicious all have in common?  Aleister Crowley, of course.

If you’ve ever snickered through “The Occult Experience,” collected the Xtian comics of Jack Chick, or blazed out on the 700 Club, you will love these excerpts from “Hell’s Bells: The Dangers of Rock n Roll” by Reel 2 Reel Ministries (2001).

Upon seeing the Waco-meets-Sonic-the-Hedgehog segment, you’ll know you have struck gold.

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  • justagirl

    “HELL'S BELLS!” LONG LIVE RANDALL McMURPHY!!

  • nemoide

    Jeeze, don't these people bother to read Crowley? I guess my expectations are too high…

    I was really amused to see Sonic the Hedgehog in there though. I've been a Sonic fanboy since I was a small child and never thought of him as a symbol of SATAN. :P

  • revimhotep

    Osama Bin Laden listened to that Sonic the Hedgehog song and look what happened!!

  • GWF Hegel

    what this brings out is how much popular culture has retained an initial emphasis grounded on the consumer liberation of the teenager in the 50s. these teenagers struggled against their parents control in favour of a cultural experience that derived much of its meaning from that very control. the perspective of the songs featured is essentially the perspective of the 50s teenager. the perspective of the documentary is a kind of revamped, less ironic, 50s parent. the metaphysics of the piece is almost wholly derived from that.

  • http://www.myspace.com/mettaya Mettaya

    Hilariously lame, sort of like watching a 'kung fu film' written and directed by Napoleon Dynamite himself. Tellingly, the comments are disabled – likely because not only will there be Xtian/Non bickering, but eventually all of the de-luminated Xtians will start warring amongst themselves over a book most of them haven't even read.

    My favorite was the vocal for 'Do What Thou Wilt…”, trying to make it as 'terrifying' as possible.

    Fear, fear, Fear FEAR!!!! What you do not understand, let it turn you into a spineless coward! While Crowley was hardly a saint and I'm certainly not about to follow his teachings off of any cliffs anytime soon, obviously they've never read Vol 4's opening chapter, and of course there are no quotes about “LOVE is the law, Love under Will.” “Don't read any of these books, fellow believers, because it WILL be the end of your hollow faith.” seems to be the only real message. Oh, and FEAR!!!!

  • http://www.myspace.com/mettaya Mettaya

    My heart tells me to go to church now and repent my evil ways, but wait, you're not supposed to follow your heart? Even if leads to God and Good? Oh, well, then….

  • Alistar

    Wait.. if one follows their heart and turns to God, wouldnt that be Satanic?

  • Borg Gush

    Post what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law! He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who trusts in someone else God is a Damned fool. Yeah, and Gnosis is obviously a Satanic magazine (to the f'n xian zealots who belive everything Pat Robertson says.) The answers to you're problems are in yourself, not in a God or religion (Oh no, the xian right will tell you what to think.) “… you're eyes will be opened, and you will be like God knowing good and eveil” or you can stay in an animalistic conciousness if that is preferrable. Although any exposure to Crowley's basic ideas may be good, to turn it into a diatribe on Satan is rediculuos. He wasn't an angel, but at least he wasn't ashamed of what he was. How many christian conservative politicians have been caught in homosexual situations, or even affairs?

  • TheJoeBot

    The simplistic logic is pretty funny. But the really baffling thing to me is that such skill in video/music editing would come from an Xtian organization–plus the almost savvy use of occult icons. The Sinatra – Presley – Vicious – “My Way” mash up (which unfortunately gets fucked by the YouTube snipping) is priceless.

    I have at times suspected that Jack Chick, Benny Hinn, and Pat Robertson are sardonic nonbelievers with a really warped sense of humor–and I have to wonder if some of the makers of “Hell's Bells” wore wry grins as they pored over their collection of forbidden-by-God music videos, hunting down traces of the Devil's craft. There is definitely a surprising sense of aesthetic–down to the hissing “wickedest voice in the world”–that reveals an implicit reverence.

    Either way, I think Reel 2 Reel is right to portray the individual Will as dangerous. As GWF Hegel points out, there is a Ward-Cleaver-scolding-GG-Allin feel to the narrative. You have to wonder if GG wouldn't have been better off to just mind his folks, or if Ward doesn't secretly harbor the same scatalogical tastes that he owtwardly despises.

  • Mythos76

    Disinformation: Most of the music artists portrayed would strongly object to being included. This video creates an illusion of truth by taking famous people and dialog out of context and then combining it all in order to support it's own message. The Nazis tried that same shit. I suppose child molesters, the guy who robs your house, and the animal that raped and brutally murdered your wife and mother have done as they will. It's one thing to have confidence in oneself, another to completely lack consideration for others… I don't think Crowley himself would even approve of this crap!

    • The JoeBot

      I don't know if Crowley would like it or not. He did once write a poem about the glories of consuming shit, so if that's any indication of his tastes, he might chuckle to know that Everclear was once credited with carrying the torch of Horus.

      Do you think Sonic is getting bent out of shape for having Waco and Columbine blamed on him? Hell no. Sonic knows that every X-eyed Xoteric knucklehead out there will bow to him in fear having seen such ferocity. Sonic's collected so many golden rings by now, man, he couldn't care less if preachers burn a Sega game or two. Hedgehogs just don't sweat that sort of thing.

      Jesus might not appreciate these fundamentalist Christ E. Newman caricatures, though. Makes him look like such a square.

      • rageplug

        I'm glad that someone mentioned Crowley and his fondness for eating shit.

  • Gregory

    It's actually spelled “Xian.” Like Xmas. The X = Christ. So no need of the T.

    Xianity, Xian, etc.

  • Gregory

    What I love about these Xian produced videos is they can be used to esoterics as great resources and they over and over dispute Xianity in their content. It is only that Xians can only tolerate their own views, which are themselves bogus.

    That's because:

    Jesus realized his divinity and then went around trying to tell people how they could be children of the Hebrew god, too.

    No one comes to the father but by the son? That means you have to be the son to come to the father. The father is a god, therefore the son is also a god. If you're a child of god, you're also a god the same way the offspring of a platypus is also a platypus.

    Videos like the Hell's Bells series make sure that Xians reject what a great deal of popular music is trying to say, to keep them like sheep and thank the Xian church for making them paranoid, irrational zombies.

    fiat lux

  • philadoubt

    People will do anything to escape the responsibility of doing what they want.

    “Do what we want” is obviously more popular.

  • Anonymous

    I’m glad that someone mentioned Crowley and his fondness for eating shit.