Running Wild - Victim Of States Power (EP, 1984)

"How long do you want to be a victim of states' power and force Stand up and struggle for freedom And be Lucifer's friend" Running Wild's Victim Of States Power is an introduction to their remarkable hypothesis that Satan is a force for liberation of all beings against tyranny of all forms, especially state violence and male supremacy. Lucifer is that which teaches us to say no against that which would oppress us and deprive us of freedom. That is just the lead track here, the second song, 'Walpurgis Night (The Sign Of Women's Fight)' is about the witches' direct revolution against masculine dominance. There is a fair bit of BDSM/femdom getting excited here, which is a nice change of pace in 80's Heavy Metal, for sure! The last song 'Satan' is a paean to Satan's destruction of idolatry and the enthronement of an ideology of imposed morality and power over others. Satan really really hates Totalitarianism, which would make sense, given everything. This EP is but a teaser to Running Wild's concept album 'Gates Of Purgatory' in which Satan fights a war of Liberation on Earth to assist in the fight for freedom. All of this is near and dear to my heart. Hail Satan!!!!! After their first two albums, Running Wild became a pretty exclusively pirate-themed band which actually makes sense, given their enduring belief in revolt against the state, for maximum freedom. This EP and especially, Gates Of Purgatory and the follow-up Branded And Exiled are awesome works of proto-Black Metal Satanarchism which rule so very much. 'Victim Of States Power' Live 1985: !!!!!! So Awesome!!!!!!