10 Musicians Who Possess Unique Beliefs or Oppose Religion” profiles Angel Haze, Björk, Matthew Healy, Nergal & Tobias Forge.

Religion is very important to a number of folks, even as secular as society is as a whole.  For many, a relationship with God supersedes everything else, including loved ones.  That said, not everyone likes religion.  Some dislike the institution, yet still maintain a relationship with God.  Some oppose religion and don’t believe in God either.  Others even seem to enjoy the left-hand path.  To that I say, “To each his own.” Everyone has their own opinions about religion, spirituality, and God.

The musicians profiled on 10 MUSICIANS WHO POSSESS UNIQUE BELIEFS OR OPPOSE RELIGION are by no means proponents of God or religion.  At some point, they may have experienced religion in some form or fashion, but now, they simply ‘aren’t feeling it’ for various reasons. Throughout this list, quotes, lyrical, and thematic examples from the respective artists’ music are highlighted to give you an even clearly picture of their beliefs and religious philosophies.  What this list doesn’t do is encourage you to embrace their ways of thinking or dissuade you from your own. The musicians profiled here include Angel Haze, Björk, Matthew Healy (The 1975), Nergal (Behemoth), and Tobias Forge (Ghost) among others. Without further ado, here is 10 MUSICIANS WHO POSSESS UNIQUE BELIEFS OR OPPOSE RELIGION for your reading pleasure!

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1. Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) 

Justin Vernon explores spirituality constantly throughout his music. His views have evolved throughout his career, with the gorgeous, high-flying “Faith”, a highlight from the Grammy-nominated album, I, I, characterizing the Bon Iver front man much more agnostic than the past: “Fold your hands into mine / I did my believing / Seeing every time.” While Vernon exhibits faith, he’s doesn’t seem to be a proponent of Christian concept of Faith is Seeing the Unseen, captured by the scripture 2 Corinthians 5:7: “⁷For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

On “Faith” The nods to religion, rather anti-religion, run rampant.  On the second verse, Justin Vernon asserts, “I should’ve known / That I shouldn’t hide / To comprise and to covet,” continuing later, “There is no design / You’ll have to decide / If you’ll come to know, I’m the faithful kind.” The fourth verse is arguably the crowning achievement, where Vernon flat out denounces faith in God:

“This is for my sister
That for my maple
It’s not going the road I’d known as a child of God
Nor to become stable
(So, what if I lose? I’m satisfied).” 

While “Faith” is a prime example of Vernon’s evolution on his religious views, the album preceding I,I, 22, A Million (2016), is an intriguing if challenging listen, drenched in spirituality and numerology. The stunning “33 “GOD”” keeps in step with the themes of 22, A Million (romance and spirituality in this instance), showcasing skepticism and transforming it into a sexual metaphor (“We find God and religions, too / Staying at the Ace Hotel”). Another thrilling example, “666 ʇ,” puts religion and skepticism at the forefront.  The first line makes reference to 666, the number of the beast, with Vernon almost questioning the proper reaction: 

“Sixes hang in the door
What kind of shit to ignore
Baby I’ve cut the cloth.”

The latter part of the lyric is Biblical, yet in this context, Bon Iver seems to be shunning religion itself.  Later, he remains conflicted:

“I’m still standing in
I’m still standing in your need of prayer
The need of prayer.”

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2. Nergal (Behemoth)

Does it get more atheistic than Nergal (Adam Darski), the front man of Gdansk, Poland death metal collective, Behemoth? It’s certainly debatable, but Darski definitely has quite the upper hand. The most extreme forms of metal often express atheistic and satanic themes prominently.  That’s certainly been the case for Behemoth.

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I Loved You at Your Darkest (2018)

“Our father, who art in hell / Unhallowed be thy name / Thy legions come / Thy enemies begone / On earth as it is in the netherworld.” Hmm, not The Lord’s Prayer by any means!  Throughout their brilliant 2018 album, I Loved You at Your Darkest, Behemoth consistently exhibit anti-Christian and anti-religion sentiments.  According to Nergal, “It doesn’t get more blasphemous than this”. That’s pretty damning. A prime example of this blasphemy is the song at hand, “Havohej Pantocrator.”

If Nergal were ‘playing nice,’ that title should be Christ [Jehovah] Pantocrator. Ultimately, it’s a clever reverse of a famous icon – ‘Havohej’ is merely ‘Jehovah’ spelled backwards.  As for Pantocrator,  it simply means “the omnipotent lord of the universe: almighty ruler.”  Put the two together, and Behemoth are clearly crowning the Antichrist as the supreme deity.

“By thou holy name, Satan
And his command
Heaven shall burn!
By thou holy name, Lucifer
At his command
Heaven shall blaze!”

Wow. Of course, there are more examples from I Loved You at Your Darkest itself.  “We Are the Next 1000 Years” celebrates Christ’s crucifixion: “To Christ, falls savior on the cross / To the emperor ov Rome / To Christ, falls savior on the cross / To the devil in our souls!” “Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica” translates in English to “Diabolic Catholic Church,” with Nergal continuing to turn up Satanic and anti-Christian sentiments: “In absentia dei we sermonize / In ecclesia Satan / They might is right!” There’s also “God = Dog” where the traditionally religious is perverted and reversed (“I am no good shepherd on an ox”), capped off with a question excerpted from The Book of Law, “Is a God to live in a dog? No!”

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The Satanist (2014)

“Born of a lie / Condemned to lurk / Live in denial / Yet coiled aflame.”  You don’t have to be a Biblical scholar to pick up on the fact that Nergal and Behemoth are referencing Lucifer, who notably appeared as a serpent in the Garden of Eden where the original sin went down. With “The Satanist,” the title track of their 2014 album, it’s pretty ‘cut and dry’ that Nergal references all things Satan > than God.

It’s hard to deny the energy Behemoth brings musically as well as the darkly-poetic the lyrics.  “At faintest whim they would impale the sun / And thus the sheep in me became the wolf in man,” Nergal sings, later adding, “I decompose in rapture ov hells / Dissolve, divide, disintegrate / I am yours / In euphoria below / I cast my halo from perdition’s clay / Behold my bliss profane.” Definitely Satanic, as is the loud, unsetting, hellish opener, “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel” (11 Songs That Totally Blow (In the Most Awesome Way Possible); 13 Entertaining Songs That Reference Musical Instruments). “I saw the virgin’s cunt spawning forth the snake / …I watched disciples twelve, dissolved by flame / Looked down on Son ov God, snuffed in vain…” “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy”, Cannonball Adderley!

“Blow your trumpets Gabriel! /… Break the bread, and crumb by crumb into the Leviathan’s den…” The Leviathan, a sea monster, appears in numerous instances in the Bible, in a negative context.  Basically, Behemoth, known for their blasphemy and reversal of all things Christian and spiritual, show an example of reversal in this lyrical excerpt. Biblical references continue to run rampant on “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel,” but there’s nothing ‘redeeming,’ particularly when Nergal sings:

“Hosanna! (hosanna)
Let wine ov Sodom fill our mouths
Hosanna! (hosanna)
May Sin ov Gomorrah grace our hearts.”

Biblically, Sodom and Gomorrah aren’t considered the holiest of places you might say… Nergal nor Behemoth aren’t the least bit holy – understatement of the millennium!

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3. Björk

Icelandic musician Björk ranks among the most intriguing and innovative musicians of all time, at least from my perspective.  Where a number of musicians lack innovative spirit, Björk has been innovative consistently, sounding starkly different from her contemporaries.  If that weren’t compelling enough, well, she’s also a nonbeliever.  Mark Hulsether explores the singer’s religious views in a fascinating article, Under-the-Radar Religion for Nones: Björk’s ‘Vulnicura’, which appears in Sacred Matters Magazine.

Hulsether uses a lyric from the song, “Family” (Vulincura) as the springboard: “God save our daughter.” The author/professor has plenty to say regarding the lyric and Björk’s relationship with religion:

“My impression is that, if anything, she might chart in a gray area between secular and pagan… As a long-time listener of Björk… echoes of Christianity do not typically jump out at me… Björk’s typical lack of overt theistic confession… is precisely why I am curious when she sings ‘God save our daughter.’ What does this mean exactly? It clearly is not sarcastic, yet it is not transparently ‘sincere’ either…”

Björk has said plenty about religion in the past, including, “I’ve got my own religion…If I’m in trouble, there’s no God or Allah to sort me out. I have to do it myself.” She told Laura Barton of The Guardian, “[In Iceland], you don’t go to church or a psychotherapist – you go for a walk and feel better.”  Perhaps that’s true, but according to Iceland.is:

80% are members of the Lutheran State Church. Another 5% are registered in other Christian denominations… Almost 5% of people practice ásatrú, the traditional Norse religion.

Of course, it should be noted, that there’s a difference between being a member of a church and actually going.

While the aforementioned “Family” may be contradictory to Björk’s anti-religious stance, “Alarm Call” from Homogenic isn’t… well sort of. On “Alarm Call,” she seems to embody Jesus on the mountaintop:

“I want to go on a mountaintop
With a radio and good batteries
And play a joyous tune and
Free the human race
From suffering.”

Even so, what’s really controversial about “Alarm Call?” Mark Hulsether also cites “Alarm Call” as he discusses the reference to God in “Family”:

“In its [“Family”] ambivalence yet serious spiritual drive, it recalls how Björk sang in “Alarm Call” that “I’m no fucking Buddhist but this is enlightenment… I want to go on a mountaintop with a radio and good batteries, play a joyous tune and free the human race from suffering.””

Of course, Björk, loves nature, which adds another interesting dynamic to her religious perspective.  “I’ve been reading quite a lot about Christianity and how it tried to make us forget that we’re part of nature,” she told the Independent back in 2008 in feature, The Ice Maiden: Entering Her Fourties Hasn’t Stopped Bjork Continuing to Court Controversy. 

Björk’s brilliant Biophilia (2011) is an odd blend of spirituality and science.  “Cosmogony” explores various myths surrounding creation, none of which reference God himself:

“And they say, back then, our universe was a cold black egg
Until the god inside burst out and from its shattered shell
He made what became the world we know.”

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4. Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) 

According to belief.net, Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) is an atheist, having been raised Jehovah’s Witness, but ultimately abandoning religion during college.  Hollowverse doesn’t go so far as to label Gambino as an atheist but does highlight his apathy towards religion at this point.  That apathy, whether its agnosticism, atheism, or otherwise, seems to be directly tied to his career, given his restrictive childhood being raised Jehovah’s Witness.

In an interview with Stephen Colbert, Glover discusses his restrictions as a child:

“I was raised a Jehovah’s Witness, So I didn’t have a lot of things growing up, like, a lot of things from the world. I was always taught, like, the world was kind of a bad place… You’re not really [able to], like, participate – like, I couldn’t watch – I wasn’t really allowed to watch TV. I think that wasn’t a religious thing. I think that was more my parents’ thing. I didn’t have birthdays… that was a religious thing… Magic is not allowed…”

Ultimately, it seems that Glover is ‘cool’ towards religion because of its restrictiveness, at least given his experiences.  Notably, it doesn’t play a sizable role in his music, with Hollowverse citing one atheistic example from the song, “Won’t Stop,” from his 2012 mixtape, Royalty (“Airport atheist, only play when there’s turbulence / So why the fuck am I stressin’ over this nervous shit?”). Otherwise, Glover’s anti religion doesn’t seem to truly influence his music.

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5. Tobias Forge (Ghost)

According to Tobias Forge, the mastermind behind Grammy-winning Swedish metal collective Ghost, his strict, very religious stepmother helped to steer him towards the devil.  He shares with Revolver Magazine:

“…She imposed a lot of religion classes on us… She just represented this sanctimonious authority that I hated. And that in combination with the alienation I felt every other weekend going to [my stepmother’s] home that was also sort of infiltrated by religion definitely made me run headfirst into the arms of the devil.” 

Mozes Zarate of Newsreview.com asked Forge directly if he was a Satanist, to which he gave an extensive answer. That said, perhaps the key portion of his response came at the end:

“…I would definitely say that culturally, I am definitely, for lack of better way of putting it, I’m a devil-liking kind of guy. But … I wouldn’t sacrifice a baby to a half-ram that I believe to be living in the underground. … And I would never ever encourage anyone to do that.”

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“Satan Prayer”

Naturally, Forge’s religious views have creeped into his music in numerous instances.  A prime example is “Satan Prayer,” which appears on Ghost’s 2010 album, Opus Eponymous. “Believe in one God do we / Satan almighty / The un-creator of heaven and soil.” Ghost wastes no time denouncing God and praising Satan, on the first lyrics appearing on the record, which fittingly appeared among my 11 Songs Filled with Satanic Themes.

Referencing the Revolver Mag interview once more, Forge adds, “[I] unquestionably throw my hands into the hands of Satan.” It’s clear on “Satan’s Prayer” whom Forge serves.  The chorus lays it out there:

“Hear our Satan prayer, our anti-Nicene creed
Hear our Satan prayer, for the coming of seed…”

In Christianity, the Nicene Creed is definitely a big deal. So, with “Satan Prayer” being the reverse – the anti – well, it’s not Christian in the least.  Of course, the music supports the hellishness.  That is definitely the most glorious part of such a Satanic song.

“Satan Prayer” is much more extreme in its anti-religious approach compared to much of the band’s 2018 album, Prequelle.  Still, Prequelle has its moments. “I am all eyes / I am all ears / I am the wall / And I’m watching you fall / Because faith is mine,” Forge sings with conviction on “Faith,” whose lyrics match the disturbed, hellish nature of the instrumental, embracing the plague-oriented concept of the album. Later, on “See the Light,” the communion referenced on the chorus is definitely bit sketchy (“Drink me, eat me / Then you’ll see the light”). Closer “Life Eternal” finds Forge reflecting, oscillating between immortality and mortality, but, of course, God doesn’t play a role in it from Forge’s perspective.

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6.Marilyn Manson

“Prick your finger, it is done / The moon has now eclipsed the sun / The angel has spread its wings / The time has come for bitter things.” Charming, and incredibly heavenly to say the least…said no one ever.  You know the drill when it comes to Marilyn Manson (Brian Hugh Warner), the “god of fuck”. Satanism has been associated with Manson since his breakthrough in the 1990s.  Interestingly, he’s been incorrectly identified as an ordained minister in the Church of Satan.  Also, worth noting, Manson came from a Christian background – hard to believe, I know!

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“Antichrist Superstar”

The “Antichrist Superstar” has been totally pissing off the most pious folks for years and years, including plenty of skeptical jabs on his 2017 album, Heaven Upside Down – “Tattooed in Reverse”, “SAY10”, “JE$US CRISIS”, and the title track come to mind. “Repent, that’s what I’m talking about / I shed the skin to feed the fake…” Naturally, “Antichrist Superstar” is chocked-full of religious references, though clearly, none pay ode to The Most High himself.  Manson likens himself to the mythological Hydra at one point: “Cut the head off / Grows back hard / I am the Hydra / Now you’ll see the star.” In Manson’s ‘satanic’ eyes, “The time has come, it is quite clear / Our Antichrist is almost here.”

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“SAY10”

Examining the aforementioned record, “SAY10,” closer, well, the left-hand path is empowered – “lit” if you will:

“Devil’s got a cut, like a slit in a cattle’s calf
Dollar-sign snakes, I’m all in the damn
God-less, fearless of the flood
Or the blood of the coming Spring.”

Besides the shocking lyricism, making “SAY10” even more enigmatic and frightening is the music itself.  Initially, on the first verse (excerpted above), “SAY10” sounds completely foreboding, with Manson singing in a whisper.  On the chorus, the deck of cards is completely revealed with a catchy, yet incredibly blasphemous hook. Once more chocked full of religious references, “SAY10” transcends its beastly title.

“So, you say ‘GOD’ and I say ‘SAY10’
You say ‘GOD’ and I say ‘SAY10’
SAY, SAY, SAY10.”

“SAY10” rightfully has appeared on a number of darker playlists, including These 15 Songs Have the Devil in Mind, 19 Atheistic, Agnostic & Highly Skeptical Songs, and, of course, 11 Songs Filled with Satanic Themes. Of course, it doesn’t end with either “Antichrist Superstar” or “SAY10.” On “The Reflecting God,” he sings, “I went to God just to see / And I was looking at me / Saw Heaven and Hell were lies / When I’m God everyone dies.”  On “Cruci-Fiction In Space” (Holy Wood), he’s blasphemous towards Biblical figures and tales, at one point singing, “I am a Revelation / And I’m nailed / To the Holy Wood.”

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7. Angel Haze

“Did he die on the cross for this? Do you have any fucking proof?” Pansexual and agender rapper Angel Haze, a former member of the Apostolic faith, became disillusioned and called it quits. In an intriguing Alex Macpherson article published on The Guardian, Haze calls the Pentecostal Greater Apostolic Faith a cult. Macpherson goes on to write, “The resentment she now feels is reflected in the religious imagery with which she peppers her most thrilling raps.” I couldn’t agree more Alex!

In a couple of instances within her discography, she’s referenced skepticism towards God and religion.  Obviously, “Black Synagogue,” the fifth song from her 2013 album, Dirty Gold, is a prime example.  Continuing the aforementioned lyrics, excerpted from the third verse:

“Everything here is man-made
And I’m just searching for some fucking truth.”

Her most powerful statement about relying solely on religion and God comes on the explicit outro. “How many people here look for Jesus to solve their problems? Lots of people. And how many of those people are fixed? None of them know fucking about shit, they’re all fucking fucked up. Anything to help you escape. It takes it, it takes something to just say, ‘Fuck it! This is reality, I’m gonna deal with it!’ But do we ever really deal with it? Deal with it, stop running, stop trying to find these substitutes? Stop trying to find Jesus in strangers, and Jesus in church, and God, and find God in yourself. Powerful thing, yeah?”

“Black Synagogue” appeared on one of many religiously skeptic playlists published on The Musical Hype, 19 Atheistic, Agnostic & Highly Skeptical Songs.  Of course, that’s not the only instance of atheism that Angel Haze has exhibited. There’s also “Battle Cry” where the key atheistic lyrics find Haze renouncing Jesus, churches, and preachers.   

“I woke up one Sunday morning, stopped believing in Jesus
Stopped believing in churches, I stopped believing in preachers
I realized I was a teacher, not just one of the heathens
I’m going to destroy the fallacies, start creating believers.”

Amen… or not? You decide!

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8. Matthew Bellamy (of Muse)

“Take off your disguise / I know that underneath it’s me!” Matthew Bellamy is the front man for the Grammy-winning, British alternative rock band, Muse. If you couldn’t gather it from the excerpted lyrics from Megalomania” (Origin of Symmetry, 2001), let me fill you in. Bellamy is a staunch atheist with no shortage of scrutiny for God, religion, reproduction, and ultimately, mankind. Prior to the aforementioned lyrics, he sings, “Paradise comes at a price that I am not prepared to pay / What were we built for? Could someone tell me please.” It all leads up to Bellamy’s characterizing God as a megalomaniac – utterly blasphemy to the ears of believers, of course.

Of course, it doesn’t stop at mere megalomania for Bellamy.  Even on his fortitudinous “Dig Down” from Simulation Theory (2018), he takes shots at The Most High.

“When hope and love has been lost and you fall to the ground
You must find a way…
When God decides to look the other way and a clown takes the throne
We must find a way.”

Woah! The clown referenced by Bellamy is President Trump, while he throws shade at God (who he doesn’t believe in, of course) for not fixing the ills of the world.

“And I know the moment’s near
And there’s nothing we can do
Look through a faithless eye
Are you afraid to die?”

On yet another, atheistic gem, “Thoughts of a Dying Atheist,” Bellamy wouldn’t dare Bellamy wouldn’t dare become the least bit religious. As the character in the song nears death, he’s scared because he believes in nothing and faces the end: “It scares the hell out of me / And the end is all I can see.”

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9. Matthew Healy (of The 1975)

“And I swear there’s a ghost on this island / And his hands, all covered in blood… / She said, ‘How can I relate to somebody who doesn’t speak? / I feel like I’m just treading water.’” It’s no secret that The 1975 front man, Matthew Healy isn’t a believer – he’s an atheist and humanist. In a quote from the British Humanist Association, Healy states, “The empowerment of women maps directly onto the growth of secularism and the reduction of power of religion.”  Alrighty then Matty. Naturally, religion and his lack of religion has made various appearances into the band’s music.

In 2016, it was the gorgeous “If I Believe You” (I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It), which went so far to feature gospel music cues, all the while questioning putting faith and stock in God. On the gem featured on many playlists, including 19 Atheistic, Agnostic & Highly Skeptical Songs, Healy asserts:

“I’ve got a God-shaped hole that’s infected
And I’m petrified of being alone now
It’s pathetic, I know.”

Think of the record as a “humanist’s skeptical petition to God/ A higher power.” The centerpiece is the chorus:

“And if I believe you
Will that make it stop?
If I told you I need you
Is that what you want?
And I’m broken and bleeding
And begging for help
And I’m asking you Jesus, show yourself.”

Providing some addition insight on Healy’s religious views, in an Urban Outfitters interview, Healy states, “I love religion, especially from an atheist perspective, and society and science and politics, but I’m a fucking pop star. It’s not my position to inform people of those kinds of things.”

Years prior to the stunning “If I Believe You,” Healy and The 1975 gave us “Antichrist,” which originally appeared on the 2012 EP, Facedown, and reappeared on their full-length, self-titled debut.  As you can tell by the title, well, it’s totally NOT holy.  Essentially, Healy is content with his lack of faith and being, anti-Christ.

“And I love the house that we live in
And I love you all too much.”

Clearly, when he references “house,” he doesn’t need a church, he’s happy with his residence of living.  When he goes on to mention “love,” he doesn’t require the love a God he doesn’t believe in, being the atheist that he is.  There are more religious references involving blood and citing the “archaic” nature of religion essentially.

“The blood is on your tongue as well as your hands
Archaic and content you just wash them off.”

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10. Anthony David

“I wanted to speak about something like the feeling that we all get — that people call the Holy Ghost — without calling it God… ‘How do I get that out? How am I going to be honest about who I am without being ostracized?’” Per the aforementioned quote from an excellent article penned by Jacinta Howard, raspy voiced, gritty soul singer Anthony David references his predicament.  What is that predicament exactly? He’s a southern black man who’s an atheist and considers himself a secular humanist.  In the article by Howard, he discusses how ‘tricky’ atheism is as a southern resident.

For the minority within a minority group, he confirms his views with the unapologetic “God Said” (As Above So Below, 2011). 

“So, you can’t put the blame on me I’m doing what God said
What God said, what God said.”

Clearly, David shows he doesn’t put stock into God himself.  Furthermore, he seems to question how well it’s working out for those who do.

“He can help me win the fight with his power
Yes, he speaks through me and it’s always positive
‘Cause I can just ask for forgiveness and it’s over.”

As I stated years back when I first wrote about “God Said,” call it a big FU to Pat Robertson…and Christianity as a whole.  And with that, we conclude 10 Musicians Who Possess Unique Beliefs or Oppose Religion.  Of course, there are a many, many more musicians and their views to capture – this list only scratches the surface!

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10 Musicians Who Possess Unique Beliefs or Oppose Religion [Photo Credits: Brent Faulkner, Entertainment One, Interscope, Island, Jagjaguwar, Loma Vista, Metal Blade, The Musical Hype, Nonesuch, One Little Indian, Pexels, Pixabay, Rise Above, Warner]

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