In Beirut, a small group of Musicians makes noise and is questioned if they worship satan. Arrested in later days, Heavy Metal Bands are involved socially today – also in politics.

Ziad Baydoun turns up the loudspeakers, “Bang, bang, fire free” shouts Rammstein, the wind blows through the open window into Ziad’s dark curls, his car struggles up the hill, the towers of Saint Saba Cathedral rise high into the sky. At the entrance to the town, the white statue of the Maronite monk Charbel Makhlouf stretches out its arms to welcome him, “a hot scream” sings Ziad.

He is Lebanese, a metal fan and guitarist in the thrash metal band Madjera. On street corners there are display cases with statues of saints, on the side of the highway a shop sells larger than life statues of the Virgin Mary. Ziad drives past them with the window open and guitar riffs blaring, continuing through the Qadischa Valley in northern Lebanon, known for its many monasteries.

Ecstasy, mystical and anti-religious lyrics, that is the concept of metal. How does this fit in with a country of 18 religious communities, where you are not even allowed to vote without a religion on your passport?

A reporage about Heavy Metal in Beirut, published in the German daily taz.