Decibel Geek Podcast

This week we dive into one of rock’s most hysterical and revealing cultural flashpoints: the Satanic Panic. From Robert Johnson crossroads mythology and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins to Black Sabbath, KISS, Iron Maiden, Ozzy, Slayer, and beyond, we trace how devil imagery, shock rock, media fearmongering, church protests, and moral crusades helped turn hard rock and metal into public enemy number one. We get into the Peters Brothers and the anti-rock movement, KISS concert protests, the PMRC hearing, the Filthy Fifteen, Richard Ramirez and AC/DC, the Judas Priest backmasking trial, Norwegian black metal church burnings, and the later scapegoating of Marilyn Manson after Columbine. We also follow the thread into more modern acts like Ghost, The Pretty Reckless, and Twin Temple, showing how Satanic imagery evolved from public scandal into branding, theater, provocation, and pop culture tradition. If you’ve ever wondered how rock music became the target of preachers, parents, politicians, and nightly news panic, this