Debauchery - Vocalist Sacked From His Job For Being In A Death Metal Band
Debauchery vocalist Thomas "The Bloodbeast" Gurrath was sacked from his position as a philosophy trainee teacher at a high school in Stuttgart in Germany due to the "violent" content of his music. Gurrath was given the choice by the educational authorities between continuing his job teaching ethics to 14-year-old students and maintaining his career as a death metal vocalist. Gurrath, however, refused to give up Debauchery, which caused him not only to lose his job at his school, but also to be banned from teaching anywhere in the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg as long as he continues to be a member of a death metal band.
The school governors were apparently not aware of his links to death metal when they hired him. However, one supervisor at the school discovered the band's website and informed the authorities. The parents and the school officials were horrified when they saw some of the band's promotional materials which feature naked women covered with blood and sado-masochistic equipment. The officials described the band's live shows as signs of "mental disability" and decided that it is not safe for children to be in the same classroom with Gurrath.
"It was very worrying to listen to his music and then realise he was teaching our children," said one parent.
Gurrath defended the content of his band's music, which includes songs with titles such as "Kill Maim Burn" and "Torture Pit", claiming that it only reflect the violence in the world around him. "I would never give up my music just because the education authorities order it," he stated firmly.
The school governors were apparently not aware of his links to death metal when they hired him. However, one supervisor at the school discovered the band's website and informed the authorities. The parents and the school officials were horrified when they saw some of the band's promotional materials which feature naked women covered with blood and sado-masochistic equipment. The officials described the band's live shows as signs of "mental disability" and decided that it is not safe for children to be in the same classroom with Gurrath.
"It was very worrying to listen to his music and then realise he was teaching our children," said one parent.
Gurrath defended the content of his band's music, which includes songs with titles such as "Kill Maim Burn" and "Torture Pit", claiming that it only reflect the violence in the world around him. "I would never give up my music just because the education authorities order it," he stated firmly.
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| Band profile: | Debauchery |
Posted: 10.05.2010 by Account deleted
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| Riscannon Posts: 88  |
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| RavenLord Posts: 651  |
Once again, the Germans' approach to lyrical themes in metal show that they are completely incapable of detecting irony. Then again, Belarus came down like a tonne of bricks on Rammstein, so maybe it's not just a Teutonic thing... 
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| corrupt With a lowercase c Admin Posts: 3132  |
It's about the same as cancelling Germany's biggest LAN-Party that had been taken place for over 15 years because of one amok runner who happened to also play Counter-Strike. That's pretty much what Germany has become, especially the south. Fear and destroy what you don't understand, forbid and restrict without any effort to comprehend the matter. And moves like this are actually well received within our society. When our government started instrumentalizing child pornography as a means to push internet censoring laws they acually gained support. Not a chance telling people the technical aspects, or giving them criminal investigation statistics that clearly laid out that meanwhile they cut the prosecution budget for child molesters in half - an internet blockade is certainly the best thing to save our children. Just as is firing a teacher who sings in a band they don't like. Ignorance is the best nurture medium for intolerance and fear. Be it social, cultural or musical. Welcome to Germany.
---- 
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| Mikyz Posts: 711  |
Pure discrimination, they're banning him from teaching based on his way of looking at the world and the way he expresses his feelings, some do that by writing, he does that by means of death metal. But I can still sympathize with the parents, they're old fashioned after all.  But he still did the right choice, no metalhead should abide to these kind of conditions.
---- Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone.
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| Magatouve Account deleted |
Magatouve
Account deleted
I fully sympathize with Gurrath and I think being in a death metal band does not mean you cannot be a good teacher, even when it comes to ethics. However, I may partly excuse the parents because death metal is not easy to understand for outsiders. I mean many people, specially the older generations, are not aware of this type of music in the first place. And when they come across it, I don't expect them to understand immediately that this is just a different style of music with its own aesthetics and metaphors without literally meaning it. There must be some very negative reactions in the beginning (specially here that children are concerned). But hopefully things change with time. Until then, there will be some victims from the metalheads, and Gurrath is one of them 
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| silenius Posts: 527  |
This is extremely pathetic xD do ze germans have some kind of law that states that only retards can get a high postition in politics?
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| Andreas Posts: 330 |
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| Redwolf Posts: 10 |
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| Lit. Metalhead Account deleted |
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| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8662  |
Welcome to democratic Germany 
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep 
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| SlaytallicA Lycanthropy Posts: 1261  |
Simply STUPID!!
---- One Pound Of Flesh, No More No Less, No Cartilage, No Bones, But Only Flesh...
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Good for him for standing up for what he believes in. This is a true example of a man who loves creating music and could care less about material worth. Metal till death! 
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| TheBigRossowski Posts: 1355  |
Wow, hopefully this doesn't happen to me. I'm going to be working in a Kindergarten. I hope they don't look into the music I'm listening to and decide I'm a negative influence for children. People are really scared of freethinkers, rationalists and atheists these days. I'm most certainly a better influence for children than those Catholic fucks, lol.
---- That rug really tied the room together, did it not? 
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| Dane Train Beers & Kilts Elite Posts: 8902  |
Interesting story. Being a teacher at a boarding school myself I can understand the kind of pressure one can be under for their world views. Ironically, it is not the fact that I am in a Metal band that bothers the school but the fact that I am studying to become a priest.
---- (space for rent)
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| Raziel X Posts: 117  |
I am not that big of a fan of this band or really gory death metal, but yea, it sucks dddd... I hope he told them where they can stick that as he was getting fired... they should pull the cork out of their @sses, cos otherwise they will have only shite up their brains LOL  I understand every parent fears what could some things cause to their kid, but it is more harmful if they prevent their kids from encountering just about anything they dont like, that will just make a narrow minded fecks out of the kids... and some ppl dont understand that being a parent shouldnt mean censorship office lol And some of the parents just make too simple and quick conclusions, like death metal means the kid will run to the street and go on killing spree. Come on, look into folk and fairy tales, or ancient literature, thats some serious gore, would you ban that too? But yea seriously feck those authorities, I hope he finds a good job
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| Got Mayhem? Posts: 767  |
Total bullshit. It's discrimination, plain and clear. That whole bit about being 'mentally unstable' is especially rediculous. I'm not familiar with the laws in Germany but it would be ideal for this man to be able to sue the idiots that are trying to ruin his life. Best of luck to Thomas and his band.
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| corrupt With a lowercase c Admin Posts: 3132 |
Written by Guest on 10.05.2010 at 12:45 If that is why you listen to metal then you must be the most pitiable fool out there. If metal were more popular it would for most of us actually gain charm. Not only could poor Gurrath possibly keep his job, it would also be way easier to get a hold of it and know the good bands through decent media instead of discovering the most awesome music entirely by accident as it happens to most of us now and then asking why the heck you didn't listen to it before. If you're really after controversy, at least in central Europe you had better quickly convert to Islam and live it openly. Grow a beard and wear Daffahs. That's what, through a good contribution of the popular press, most people around here are most afraid of. And it's about as ridiculous to do that to be noticed and "provoke" as it is to listen to a certain style of music.
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| Ag Fox Angel No More Elite Posts: 4774  |
I guess it's also hard for the school or the government education authority though... They can't just sit around and do nothing when more and more worried parents are complaining. Definitely a lack of understanding metal music here...
---- loves 小巫
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| Jiri Posts: 708  |
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| Marfere Posts: 65 |
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| Promonex Cathemeral Elite Posts: 9720  |
We tell stories in which disemboweling living creatures (Lil' Red Riding Hood), amputations (The Story of Little Suck-a-Thumb) and burning people alive (Hansel and Gretel) are glorified, yet we cannot accept it if people make music about such themes which, in contrary to the aforementioned fairytales, aren't even directed towards our children. Mental disability my ass! This hypocrisy sickens me to no end!
---- All life begins with Nu and ends with Nu... This is the truth! This is my belief! ...At least for now. - The Mystery of Life, Vol. 841 Ch. 26
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| Andreas Posts: 330 |
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| Derwood Posts: 511  |
It's unfortunate, but I'm not the least bit surprised by these kinds of stories. I keep waiting for a call from the school or child services or something where my kids are concerned. My children have been exposed to, and have embraced, metal since they were born. My two oldest boys (12 and 10) both have really long hair and of course metal can be heard coming from my car when I drop them off at school. Hell, the oldest routinely wears his 3 Inches of Blood shirt he got at a show last year. The reaction from other parents when they find out that my wife and I not only let them listen to metal, but encourage it and are usually the ones to introduce them to new bands, is always something along the lines of a politely worded equivalent to, "What the fuck is wrong with you? How could you expose them to that? You are evil!" People generally fear what they are unfamiliar with and that fear shuts down any openness to understanding. Quite frankly I find the banalities of acts like the Jonas Brothers and Justin Bieber to be far more disturbing than anything from Sceptic Flesh or Cannibal Corpse.
---- You can't fight evil with a macaroni duck!
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| skullkill Posts: 21  |
What about this supervisor that found the out about his band what was he doing looking it up? Did the fire him or give him a chose?
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| Paradox0 Unasuming Madnes Posts: 592 |
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| Shadowcross The Summoner Posts: 481  |
Wow! that is insane but at least he made the right choice!!
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| AngelofDeth Cyborg Raptor Posts: 1183  |
Dood, i bet he was the coolest high school teacher ever. If this happened anywhere, even in america, he wouldve been fired and prolly banned alot of other places. But damn that is a pretty funny situation. Could you imagine the look on the parents and co workers faces when they saw/heard his band. haha
---- pewpew.. gotcha
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| destroyah supercharger Elite Posts: 12195  |
Written by Irritable Ted on 10.05.2010 at 15:18 True. It's funny that some societies are quick to point their finger to music/videogames/movies when something goes down, all at the same time failing to look for other, structural reasons. As far as this guy is concerned, I'd be more worried about the meek teacher who keeps to himself and socializes with no one outside the school. It's always the quiet and decent ones that turn out to be the biggest perverts 
---- About me: "The best out of all the people ever" - Washington Post "We abandoned Christ for Destroyah's love!" - The Watchtower "Simply amazing!" - Rolling Stone
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