To help clarify a few things about the upcoming CD "Food for the Gods", I'd like to run a series of columns my views on violence. This is the first installment.

First of all I want to make it clear that I am not using the themes of violence and conflict for only shock value. Shock is not art. Shock is not profound. Shock is a simplistic appeal to the emotions for the purpose of rousing a strong reaction. Shock has no value beyond that reaction. Shock has become for the most part a marketing gimmick to sell everything and anything. This has resulted in a culture that is becoming more and more desensitized to being shocked. This in turn drives advertisers to more potent extremes. Images of sex and violence, as well as overuse of profanity are proliferating due to the need to use shock tactics to stimulate the audience. Many forms of media, such as music, talk radio, television, and fine art have fallen victim to the escalation of shock. The creators of media must produce a more shocking product than the current market champion in order to gain popularity. The trouble is that value is being forgotten. Shock for shock's sake has no meaning or depth. It has only the transient property of titillation. It is disposable entertainment.

In creating Fireaxe and keeping it free from the demands of the marketplace I wanted to break away from the need to "one-up" the most shocking band on the scene. I want Fireaxe music to be timeless and meaningful. I want Fireaxe to be the opposite of disposable entertainment. I chose the topic of ideological conflict and violence because it is an important part of understanding ourselves and our world. The path to knowing who we are goes through some dark woods, and that's where the material for Fireaxe comes from. "A Dream of Death" took you down one dark road. "Food for the Gods" will take you down another. The CDs may shock you, but after the shock wears off, they have plenty more to say.

Now to the topic of the origins of violence. Our culture views violence as a last resort and that might lead you to believe that it is a minor part of any relationship, however, in reality it is the foundation upon which all relationships are built. Violence is the most powerful form of social control. All manner of bribery, coercion, reasoning, and stimulation can be used to manipulate people, but if all else fails, killing them will quell their dissension. Violence is effective. It is the last resort because no further response is necessary. And when dealing with people who will never give in, violence often becomes a necessity.

So it seems that we can get rid of violence by getting rid of everyone who will never give in. That way all that is left are reasonable people who will eventually agree without having to resort to violence. However, the reigns of social control tend to go to the people who are very unwilling to give in. They are viewed as having strength, character, and vision, and they are hard to bargain down or make a deal with. They accumulate a following of people who give in easier than they do and often instill in them a similar sense of unwillingness to give in. The result is a group of people of a similar mind and purpose who act on the commands of their leader. Thus, since social orders are founded by those unwilling to give in, it is impossible to get rid of all those with stubborn character. The best that you can do is get rid of everyone who stands against the powers that be and form a uniform society.

However, any group that achieves such uniformity is one that is brittle, and prone to collapse when confronted with new problems. Furthermore, when the leaders of such groups die, there is often a dispute about who will succeed the throne. This leads to internal struggles even before the death of the leader. Additionally, any problem which can be construed to be the fault of bad leadership can bring about internal dissension. In all of these power struggles it is the unwillingness of the competitors to give in that leads to intense disputes and violence. The uniform society is united on the surface, as evident when it declares war on other societies, but divided on the inside and thus never perseveres.

On the other end of the spectrum is a society which is not built around stubborn leaders. These are more flexible to change, but are also very vulnerable to more uniform and determined societies. Lacking the unwillingness to give in they surrender too easily and are soon defeated and enslaved by the powerful. Human history shows all too often how peaceful and open societies routinely get conquered and exploited by those that are singular of purpose.

And so there is a natural succession in human societies to have power coalesce around strong leaders who then clash with others in violent conflicts. Win or lose the leaders eventually fall to internal conflicts. Their power dissipates only to form again around another strong leader. The cycle of violence is never ending.

So what about our society? Aren't we diverse and peaceful? Nothing could be further from the truth. America makes war at the drop of a hat to extend its interests. America uses military and economic threats to manipulate other governments. America cycles through leaders every four or eight years. The capitalist economy thriving in America allows massive and frequent turnover in power and influence. Competition is zealously encouraged and permeates almost every part of daily life in America. Religious freedom has given way to ideological battles in politics. Lawyers do battle for their representatives in civil and criminal cases that are growing in number and packing courtrooms. The divorce rate is increasing. Call-in radio and television shows as well as the internet have become battlegrounds for heated clashes of opinions. And the most popular show on TV was one where producers turned survival, a situation where people need to cooperate, into a winner take all competition. We are not peaceful, and we are uniform in our belief that all the turmoil is a good thing.

Unwillingness to give in is not going away, in fact it is being nurtured and encouraged and grows stronger with every battle. The cycle of violence continues and likewise grows more and more intense. Of course, in America's internal struggles, the violence is mostly psychological instead of physical, but the damage done is just as real.

I invite all comments. If there is a desire for this to become an open discussion, I'll send out responses and replies to all on the Fireaxe mailing list.

More to come.