Demogoroth Satanum is South Africa’s first all-black, black metal band, hoping to connect black fans to a new genre of music while connecting white fans to the 99 percent black population of their city.
Ideally, the band wants to connect people to a genre they love without worrying about which race historically played that sound of music. It’s going to be a daunting task for the band, but time will be our judge.
“You’re breaking into this scene that’s like white people only,” The band’s vocalist Sthembiso Kunene or Tyrant, said to Uproxx. “That was hard, getting our first performances and s*it. Will they take us seriously?”
In my opinion, I believe everyone has one shot, or an first impression. So, it’s up to Demogoroth Satanum to seize the opportunity. Initially, they must build a fan base within South Africa, then branch out to other parts of the continent. If all goes right, the band can begin to go on the road, or tour, and monetize themselves. Keep in mind, this is if all goes right, not including adversity. In this scenario, after a tour the band could decide to go major, or stay independent.
Back to reality, the band’s natives to a country with a history of segregation. However, perhaps Bob Marley had it right when he said, “one thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
Coincidentally, the launched a series of showcases called “Punk Fuck” in their hometown, building a fan base and touring morphed into one somewhat.
“We’re trying to get more black people involved by playing here,” Tyrant said. “We thought ‘F*ck it, we’re tired of going out there.’”
But, Satanum isn’t closing the door on their potential white fans. Tyrant said the band’s trying to get white people to come to Soweto more, as it had been very, very rare to see in the past.
The band’s country is only approximately 20 years removed from Apartheid, leading to a lot of tension among races. But, the band wants to be that bridge that connects races together moving forward.
“So, there’s a sitload of tension, and we’re trying to break that fcking tension,” Tyrant said. ” Once our country breaks that racial tension, then we can f*cking move on.”
It’ll be interesting to see how the band fares. You can check out their website here, and let us know what you think below!
