A recent report by Associated Press proudly declared: “Heavy metal is growing up.”

Why is this form of music traditionally associated with hedonism and Satanism suddenly deserving of new respect? Because, the AP insists, “the genre is increasingly incorporating social and political messages into its dense power chords.”

What kind of message music earns praise from the mainstream media? The Associated Press specifically praises a delightful ballad by Cattle Decapitation called “Veal and the Cult of Torture,” and other works by this band of ardent vegetarians protesting the consumption of meat.

Meanwhile, the death metal band Six Feet Under gets credit for a contribution to the national discourse called “Amerika the Brutal” – a searing response to “America the Beautiful.” As reporter Justin Morton concedes, the politics from heavy metal bands “lean heavily to the left.” It actually reveals more about the Associated Press and other establishment media than it does about heavy metal bands when journalists see left-wing activism and tirades like “America the Brutal” as a sign of maturity and depth.