Could the roots of global environmental activism stretch back to the industrial city of Birmingham in the 1970s? As experts and artists come together to discuss the legacy of Black Sabbath, one academic suggests the band’s music played a significant role in shaping environmental awareness.
Dr. David Gange from the University of Birmingham says that metal music has a “neglected but vital” contribution to environmental activism.
Black Sabbath’s defiance of the rules, some members’ vegan lifestyle, and environmentally conscious songs like “Into the Void” have inspired subsequent generations.Gange is preparing to present its research on the “ecometal scene” in Birmingham. Bands like Unearthly Rites from northern Finland are igniting environmental resistance with songs highlighting how open-pit mines are destroying Arctic nature.
Thousands of metal bands around the world are raising their voices against the climate crisis.
Alongside famous names like Gojira from France and Architects from England, Mawiza from Chile uses music to express the importance of protecting rivers and forests.Dr. Gange says that during his research, he encountered the passion for metal among indigenous peoples on the North Atlantic coast.
He even recounted how two Inuit workers he met in Greenland made a “pilgrimage” to Birmingham to trace the footsteps of Black Sabbath.“The name Birmingham was like a passport to friendship for them,” says Gange.
According to him, metal music today is regaining strength by returning to its roots with themes such as nature, anti-war and social awareness:
“Metal doesn’t reject its origins — on the contrary, it is guiding the future by rediscovering the seeds of Black Sabbath.”
