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Heavy metal band accused of being ‘satanic’ says pop music promotes a ‘way worse lifestyle’

Rock music tends to ignite fears among religious conservatives regardless of genre, but heavy metal strikes a particular chord. Since the days of Black Sabbath, metal has been labeled as an evil force and perpetrator of violence.

But ask Tobias Forge, frontman of Grammy winning Swedish metal band Ghost, and he’ll tell you that metal bands are far from the dark cults some would make them out to be.


Known for highly theatrical performances where Forge takes on the persona of either a “demonic anti-pope” named Papa Emeritus or a “Sith-like” Cardinal to perform songs with religious undertones like “Mary on a Cross” with other member of the groups, aka “Nameless Ghouls,” Ghost has racked up some hardcore fans, along with equally hardcore protestors.

Back in 2018, one protest made national headlines, after a pastor from Midland, Texas stated “I think they really do worship the devil,” and expressed concern for an upcoming Ghost concert happening in his community, fearing the “spiritual influences” the band would bring to the area.

In an exclusive interview with Yahoo Entertainment, however, Forge attested that taking any of the stylistic choices made for Ghost as literal would be missing the band’s actual messaging.

“It’s not about God at all,” he told Yahoo. “It’s about man, mankind. I use language and analogy to make it seem that it is about other things, but the songs are usually…about very real things.”

This sentiment harkens back to another incident not very long ago involving Sam Smith and Kim Petras during their Grammy Award performance of “Unholy.” Where in previous interviews it was explained that satanic imagery was incorporated to help illustrate how people in the LGBTQ community often feel “unwanted” in religion, many simply labeled it as “devil worship.”

So too in the case of Ghost, certain viewers are triggered and therefore can’t interpret what they are seeing as metaphor, and instead think they are actually being coerced to join the dark side.

However, as Forge argues, “there are other music styles that promote a way worse lifestyle,” citing pop music as a major offender.

“[Pop] music styles that promote a way of living that their fans will never have — when music is all about ‘making it’ and wearing ‘bling-bling’ and ‘all them b**ches,’ and the idea that without that stuff you’re nothing — that is a bad influence for your fans,” he said.

“At least with most gothic or hard rock music, it’s about feeling good about yourself.”

What’s more, Forge shared that while, yes, rock fans have caused harm in the past, he speculated that it had more to do with where they were at in their lives, and not the music itself. In fact, “it might have even been the music that made them live so long, that kept them going,” he said.

Indeed, Forge’s opinions have some scientific backing.

Research has shown that listening to intense music does not contribute to aggressive tendencies. On the contrary, it has positive psychological benefits for those that do enjoy listening to it. According to Psych Central, metal can even improve symptoms of stress and depression, and those that listen to it regularly have higher logic based cognitive function and scientific thinking skills.

All in all, those sound like pretty un-evil side effects.

Metal music has always been a champion for misunderstood outcasts. Sure, it might not be for everyone, but it really does promote messages of acceptance and the freedom of creative expression. For some people, it’s the perfect antidote for life’s ailments. And that’s what many metal creators wish others understood.

via GIPHY

As Forge put it, despite the reputation, “actually what we’re really trying to do is make people happy and make people feel good about themselves when they come to our show and have a good time.”

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People from foreign countries share their 15 favorite words with no English equivalent

Even though humans worldwide share the same senses, feelings, needs, wants and desires, our languages and the ways we communicate have evolved separately, so some languages have phrases and words that have no equivalent in others.

These words often emerge from the unique cultures, histories, and environments that shape each language. It’s like a special secret, a word that captures a feeling, a situation, or an object so precisely that perhaps no other word in any other language can replicate it exactly.

The uniqueness of each language showcases the beauty and diversity of human experiences and perspectives. Moreover, it underlines the delightful intricacy of languages, inviting us to see the world through different lenses and embrace perspectives shaped by differing social nuances. It’s a testament to the vibrant tapestry of human expression.


The difference in languages is a beautiful thing. But it can also be frustrating when one speaks multiple languages and there is no way to express a certain feeling in one language that they can in another.

A Reddit user named Don_Pickelball asked foreign-born people who live in English-speaking countries to share the words that exist in their native language that are sorely missed in English. Here are 15 of the most interesting.

1. Geborgenheit (German)

“In German, we have the word ‘Geborgenheit’ which describes a very specific feeling of feeling cozy and safe and protected. Like you would feel when you’re around loved ones sitting around a fire or when the person you love holds you under the warm covers when it’s raining outside. I tried to explain this to someone the other day and when we googled the translation- it came up with ‘cozyness’ which really doesn’t pay justice to what it actually means.” — Else1

2. Verschlimmbessern (German)

“If you try to fix something but actually make it worse than it was before.” — Chili919

3. Geborgenheid (Dutch)

“It is about feeling safe and sheltered because someone who loves you and cares for you makes sure nobody can hurt you.” — Illimprovement700

4. Komorebi (Japanese)

“It roughly translates as ‘the scattered light that filters through when sunlight shines through trees.'” — tipsy_jana

5. Saudade (Portuguese)

“It has a similar meaning to ‘miss you’ but we have a direct translation for that ‘senti sua falta,’ saudade has more of an emotional feel to it, it’s really hard to explain, it’s deeper than simply missing someone.” — Peddy_D

6. Backpfeifengesicht (German)

“A face in need of a fist.” — No_Tamanegi

7. Estrenar (Spanish)

“To use something for the first time.” — Ratonvacilon23

8. Kuchisabishii (Japanese)

“A Japanese term which directly translates to ‘lonely mouth;’ when you’re not hungry, but you eat because your mouth is lonely.” — MOS95B

9. Kalsarikännit (Finnish)

“Meaning deliberately getting drunk alone at home in your underpants with zero plans of meeting anyone or going out. I think other nations do this as well, but don’t have a word for it. Delightfully relaxing and therapeutic at times, slightly concerning if done excessively. At best a wonderful opportunity to touch base with yourself, your life and your deepest thoughts and feelings. And/or watch that one cheesy comedy from 1992 you love but can’t get any of your friends to watch with you because they have standards. At worst you wake up to an unholy mess accompanied by a killer headache, cheese all over the bed, cryptic messages on ripped up pieces of pizza box cardboard written by you to you all over the kitchen, and have nobody to blame than yourself.” — Fit_Share_6147

10. Chaw-tamaw-tey-quat (Comanche)

“My native language is a Native American language called Comanche and isn’t a written language but the word sounds like ‘chaw-tamaw-tey-quat’ and it basically is a socially acceptable way to say ‘I’m done speaking.'” — SCP-33005

11. Tachiyomi (Japanese)

“Japanese has loads of words that require entire sentences to explain in English. My favorite of all time is tachiyomi, which means ‘standing at a newsstand reading something without any intention of paying for it.'” — the2belo

12. Lagom (Swedish)

“It means not bad, and not too good. Just an average between. A very neutral word. For example, when you wash your hands, the water should be lagom hot. Not cold, not scalding hot. Just lagom.” — Live_Rock3302

13. Luce (Farsi)

“It basically means intentionally acting all cutesy/precious/coy because you think it’s appealing.” — _eviehalboro

14. Sobremesa (Spanish)

“After a meal when you sit around the table talking.” — KommieKoala

15. Załatwić (Polish)

“It means to get something done using connections/ persuasion/ backroom dealings.” — —Loading—

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A Golden Retriever mistook his owner’s cherished coat for a toy and pure chaos ensued

Golden Retrievers have a reputation for being good-natured, friendly, reliable dogs, making them ideal family pets. But even the most affable of good doggos turns into a die-hard tug-of-war warrior when presented with a furry pull toy.

That’s a bit of an issue when they mistake the fur lining of a coat hood for a toy—and even more of an issue when the coat is attached to a human.

Dog owner and TikTok user @justttmakayla shared a hilarious encounter with Grissom, her Golden Retriever, that was captured on her Ring camera. In the video, Grissom grabs hold of her coat hood, perhaps heroically saving her from the squirrel that was clearly attacking her, or perhaps assuming she was offering it to him as a toy (because why else would fur exist?). Once he had a hold of it, the tug-of-war began.


“No one prepares you for what to do if this happens!” the woman exclaims as Grissom takes hold of her hood. “This is not how I want to go out, Grissom!”

She tries to wrestle the hood away from the dog, but as anyone who has played with a dog could anticipate, that just makes him pull back. It doesn’t take long before she collapses into peals of laughter as her tail-wagging pup takes her for a ride around her deck.

Watch:

People in the comments, for the most part, were in stitches right along with her.

“Grissom was really doing all of this just to hear the laugh,” wrote one commenter on Instagram. “He succeeded 😂😂😂😂.”

“Her laughter is so infectious, it’s hard not to smile hearing it 🥰,” shared another.”

“I just couldn’t stop laughing once she started,” added another. “I think it’s her ability to see the absurdity and humour in the situation maybe? Whatever it is ❤️❤️.”

Someone else wrote a brief ending to the story: “😂 …..And she died laughing with her best friend…”

But a few expressed concern that the dog wasn’t going to let go, citing bad behavior and dangerous habits. However, as others pointed out, at no point did he appear to be aggressive. His body language is playful, and he even lay down to take a break from what he apparently thought was a pretty fun game right in the middle of it. She clearly wasn’t afraid, and if she hadn’t been laughing hysterically, she probably would have thought to take the jacket off to free herself.

Most people, however, simply delighted in the joy of a human enjoying a silly moment with her dog. And the woman herself addressed some of the concerns in a follow-up video in which she shared some terrible comments people have left calling for her to be violent with Grissom, writing, “Owning a reactive dog isn’t easy. It requires a lot of patience and a lot of training. But we are a team and Grissom is the best dog with the most loving heart.”

She also shared how she has been working with Grissom with a great deal of love and patience to work through his reactive tendencies:

@justttmakayla

Replying to @katiejohnson7862 I am so thankful that I get to be Grissom’s owner🤍 #reactivedogawareness #reactivedogtraining #leashreactivedog #leashreactivity #positivereinforcementdogtraining #clickertraining #goldenretrieverlifestyle #goldenretrieversrule #goldenretrieversoftiktok #reactivedogsaregooddogs #englishcreamgolden #womansbestfriend

She and Grissom do make a good team, and if her laughter is any indicator, there’s plenty more fun to be had for these two.

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Woman who opens food at the grocery store before paying has started a huge debate over shopping ethics

To snack, or not to snack while grocery shopping? That is the question. At least, that’s been the question for as long as grocery stores have existed: Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer through “hanger” and cravings, or take into your arms precious sustenance that fuels you through the shopping trip, so long as you pay for it later.

Apparently, there is very little gray area with this subject. People seem to have very, very strong opinions as to whether or not eating food at the grocery store is appropriate behavior.

Case in point—the heated comments that were ignited after TikTok influencer Cecily Bauchmann filmed herself placing an empty sushi container on the checkout conveyor belt.


“I also opened this in store. I’m sorry, I was so hungry!” Bauchmann explains to the cashier through a giggle.

As she revealed in her caption, this is a regular shopping routine. “Me every time at the grocery store,” she wrote. “Opening food at the grocery store is a normal thing.”

@cecilybauchmann OPENING FOOD IS A NORMAL THING AT THE GROCERY STORE K?🍓✨#relatablemom #relatablemomlife #groceryshopping #groceryhaul #grocerystore ♬ original sound – Cecily Bauchmann

And thus, the war was waged.

“My mama never let us do this and I get lowkey embarrassed when anyone I’m with does this :///” one person wrote.

“Idc how hungry I am, I’d never do this,” another wrote.

One even called out: “It isn’t mine until I pay for it. In my head it’s considered stealing.”

On the other hand, several sided with Bauchmann, saying that they do it themselves when hunger strikes.

“I do that too. If you pay for it at the end then I see no problem,” one person commented.

Many noted that for parents with hungry (and impatient) kiddos, pre-checkout snacking is the only real option for a smooth shopping experience.

“My mom only does this sometimes if we go grocery shopping and my lil siblings really want it,” one person shared.

“I let my child eat a bag of goldfish we hadn’t paid for yet while at Target. I didn’t know this was a controversy?” another seconded.

Even cashiers couldn’t seem to agree.

“When I’m a cashier I get annoyed sometimes when people hand me their trash to scan,” one noted.

Another argued, “I’m a cashier, it’s pretty common lol. I just offer to throw it away for them if it’s empty.”

Still, another wrote, “I worked at a grocery store for 5 years. As long as you don’t eat food that’s cost is by weight and you don’t make a mess it’s fine.”

Zero consensus to be had.

Morals and etiquette aside, what’s the legal stance on this? In the UK, the answer is definitive. It is against the law to snack while you shop. But in the United States, things aren’t so well defined.

According to Betty Wang, attorney and contributor to Find Law, U.S. law requires two elements in order to define an activity as shoplifting. One, taking the item (duh) and two, intentionally evading checking the item out.

Therefore, the argument of “as long as they pay for it later” does somewhat hold up in court, so to speak. However, things change when an item is priced by weight, since you are technically not paying for that which was already consumed.

Also, most stores have individual discretion known as shopkeeper’s privilege, meaning that, legally speaking, there really is more of a gray area. Basically, unless you get called out for the snacking by an employee or loss-prevention officer, it’s pretty fair game.

Will there ever be a general consensus on this? Maybe not. We humans have very different moral codes a lot of the time, even when it comes to mundane activities. Sometimes you never know what seemingly harmless thing to you is actually a social faux pas to someone else. But hey, it keeps things interesting.

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The Lions Scored The First Touchdown Of The NFL Season After Running A Fake Punt From Their Own 17

The Detroit Lions are coming off of their first winning season since 2017, going 9-8 and just narrowly missing out on the final Wild Card spot in the NFC in 2022. However, the optimism about last year was going to be put to the ultimate test in the opener, as they had to travel to Kansas City on Thursday night to face the defending champs on banner night for the Chiefs.

After both teams stalled out on their opening drives, it appeared the Lions would go 3-and-out for the second consecutive drive after throwing short of the sticks on third down, setting up a 4th and 2 from their own 17 yard line. As every team does in that situation, the Lions trotted out their punt unit, but Dan Campbell is among the most aggressive coaches in the NFL when it comes to running fakes and going for it on 4th down, and he was able to catch the Chiefs just enough off guard with a snap to the upback to pick up the first down.

That three yard gain was enough to kickstart the Detroit offense that had been stuck in neutral to begin the game, as Jared Goff finally found a rhythm throwing the ball, Jahmyr Gibbs picked up the first big gain of his career, and Amon-Ra St. Brown capped off the drive with a touchdown catch on a crossing route over the middle on third down in the red zone.

It’s not often you see teams go for it deep in their own territory, but against a Chiefs team that often moves the ball at will, stealing a possession against conventional wisdom can be the type of thing that can flip a game. In this case, the Lions capitalized on their coach’s aggression and seemed buoyed by that confidence in them to keep the drive alive, marching for the season’s first touchdown and taking an early lead on the defending champs.

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Joe Burrow Has A New 5-Year, $275 Million Deal Making Him The NFL’s Highest Paid Player

The 2023 NFL season began on Thursday night in Kansas City, where Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs began their title defense against the Detroit Lions. Among the top challengers to the Chiefs’ crown are the Cincinnati Bengals, who have made the last two AFC title games where they’ve gone 1-1 against Kansas City for the conference title.

Their star quarterback, Joe Burrow, was eligible for a new deal this offseason and was expected to be handsomely compensated for his rise into superstardom, bringing the Bengals along with him as one of the NFL’s best teams. As the Chiefs first drive of the 2023 season got underway, word broke that Burrow was indeed going to get paid huge money, with a new 5-year, $275 million contract (with $219 million guaranteed) to make him the highest paid player in NFL history.

The timing was rather incredible (and surely not by accident), but Burrow is more than deserving of his new very large contract. He likely won’t be the highest paid player in NFL history for too much longer, as ever young star QB deal seems to take that crown, but what he has done in his first three years in the league has been nothing short of spectacular. While his rookie year ended with an injury in his 10th game, Burrow has spent the last two seasons performing as well as any QB in the league, throwing for 9,086 yards, 69 touchdowns, and 26 interceptions, leading the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance in 2021 and the AFC title game a year ago. Now he’ll be under center for the Bengals for the foreseeable future and that figures to make Cincinnati a perennial contender, something that hasn’t often been the case in the Bengals’ franchise history.

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Who Is Opening Aerosmith’s ‘Peace Out — The Farewell Tour?’

It’s the end of an era. Aerosmith is currently on the road for their Peace Out Tour, which will evidently mark their farewell.

The Peace Out Tour kicked off last Saturday (September 2) in Philadelphia, and will wrap in Montreal in January. Opening for Aerosmith is The Black Crowes, who hail from Atlanta, Georgia.

The band formed in the ’80s, however, they broke through in 1990 with their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker. The album spawned hits like “Hard to Handle”, “She Talks to Angels” and “Jealous Again.”

Over the course of their career, which spans nearly four decades, The Black Crowes have undergone several line-up changes. On this particular tour, the band will comprise of founding members, singer Chris Robinson and guitarist Rich Robinson, along with returning bassist Sven Pipien.

Pipien played with the band live from 1997 up until the band’s hiatus in 2015.

Thus far, the band has performed mostly songs from Shake Your Money Maker and, their follow-up album The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion, per Blabbermouth.

You can see their reported setlist below.

1. “Sting Me”
2. “Kickin’ My Heart Around”
3. “Twice As Hard”
4. “Thick N’ Thin”
5. “By Your Side”
6. “Soul Singing”
7. “Hard To Handle (Otis Redding cover)”
8. “Thorn In My Pride”
9. “She Talks To Angels”
10. “Jealous Again”
11. “Remedy”

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Beck, Weyes Blood, And Thomas Mars Of Phoenix Performed A Magical Version Of ‘Lost Cause’ As Their ‘Summer Odyssey Tour’ Wraps Up

Beck and Phoenix have been hitting it off musically on their summer tour. As their joint Summer Odyssey Tour is coming to an end, the two acts are going out on a high note. Last night (September 6) at Bridgeport Connecticut’s Hartford HealthCare Amphitheate, Beck and Phoenix lead vocalist Thomas Mars joined forces for a special rendition of Beck’s “Lost Cause.”

Mars and Beck continued a portion of the tour they’ve been doing throughout the Summer Odyssey Tour, in which they perform a Beck song. But this time, the tour’s opener, Weyes Blood joined them for a magical version of the cut from Beck’s 2002 Sea Change album.

This particular version was a bit more upbeat than Beck has traditionally performed it in the past. He began the song solo, with the accompaniment of his band, before Mars and Weyes joined him on stage. The three sang together in a joyful harmony, and at one point, Weyes delivered a powerful portion of the song on her own.

The tour will hit New York City on Saturday at Madison Square Garden and wrap up this Sunday night at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD.

You can see a clip of the “Lost Cause” performance above.

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Where Will ‘John Wick 4’ Be Streaming?

Here’s the good news: John Wick Chapter 4 is heading to streaming very soon, so prepare all of your weapons and dogs accordingly. The bad news is that it’s not going to Peacock like the rest of the franchise and the upcoming prequel series The Continental…yet! But there is still hope.

John Wick 4 hit theaters earlier this year and somehow made Keanu Reeves look even cooler than he already is, as he paraded around the world in those sleek suits and slicked-back hair and various gratuitous kills, all in the name of honor…or something. Maybe it’s still about the dog? Who cares, honestly? It’s just nice to see him back doing things.

Even though the rest of the series is available on Peacock, John Wick 4 will land on the Starz streaming app on September 15th, a week ahead of when it was slated to release. Starz has exclusive streaming rights for the time being, but the sequel will probably land on the NBC streamer sometime before the end of the year.

The other good news is that the movie is currently available for digital download, which means you can purchase it via Amazon Prime, YouTube, AppleTV, and Google Play. There are many ways to watch the Wick. You just might have to pay a little more. It’s worth it to look at Keanu’s face for three hours, though.

(Via ScreenRant)

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Sir Ian McKellan Hopes The Actors Who Turned Down Gandalf ‘Feel Silly’ For Not Playing The Famous Wizard

We all know certain roles that almost went to other actors: Hugh Jackman as James Bond, Al Pacino as Han Solo, and even Matthew McConaughey was in line to be Jack from Titanic, but he would have never been able to rock those suspenders anyway. It’s always hard to imagine anyone else playing your favorite characters, and apparently, actors are pretty bummed about the process too!

Sir Ian McKellan opened up about his experience being cast as Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, though he was not the first choice to play the wizard. “I don’t think you’re ever the first choice,” McKellan said in an interview with Variety. “I certainly wasn’t the first choice for Gandalf. Tony Hopkins turned it down. Sean Connery certainly did. They’re all coming out of the woodwork now, and I hope they feel silly.” It seems a little off-putting to wish silliness on the dead but we can ignore that for now.

Even though he might not be the first choice, McKellan is definitely a sought-after choice and has been in over 50 films, including Cats. We can’t let him forget about that one.

The man says he has no plans to retire as long as people keep asking him to do stuff, which seems like a pretty solid way to live life. “I’ve never been out of work, but I’m aware that any minute now something could happen to me which could prevent me from ever working again. But while the knees hold up and the memory remains intact, why shouldn’t I carry on? I really feel I’m quite good at this acting thing now.” Surely the Academy thinks he is good, and yeah, he is knighted and everything, but he has never done an episode of Hot Ones, so how can we really be sure?

(Via Variety)