Dante XXI

Even in modern times, Dante shows his far reaching influence: in 2006 the Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura released a concept album based on the Divine Comedy entitled Dante XXI.  Let me first say that as a fan of heavy metal music I find this extremely awesome.  As heavy metal has often taken on darker themes than more traditional pop music, I find it exceptionally appropriate for a musical rendering of the Divine Comedy to come from a heavy metal band.  Here I attempt to lyrically analyze one of the songs from the Inferno section of the album: "Dark Woods of Error".

Link to the Wikipedia page for the album: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante_XXI
The song "Dark Woods of Error": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8V-fYjTzdI
The lyrics  :http://www.songlyrics.com/sepultura/dark-wood-of-error-lyrics/

Just as Dante begins the Inferno, so does Sepultura begin Dante XXI with the dark woods.  After an extended instrumental introduction with heavy drum beats and ominous guitar riffs, the first lyrics come in:

"I've lost my way
 in a dark wood of error
 in a crisis, inside deep terror
 with fear in my mind, I spot a light!"

The language and imagery used here is a direct pull from Dante's own words (1:1-16). "I've lost my way in a dark woof of error" echoes "I came to myself in a dark wood".  The "crisis" that Sepultura refers to is the loss of "the straight way" or "abandon[ing] the true way" that Dante himself admits to.  Sepultura in mentioning "deep terror, with fear in my mind" reminds me of the words Dante used in remembering and to describe the beginning of his journey: savage, harsh, fear and dark.  The light the Sepultura spots is the same light which Dante sees at the top of the hill.

"They're coming after me
can't reach the light
three beasts blocked the path
That leads the way to my life
The beast from the UK
The beast from the US
The human beast was then released
To solve the problems in the world
but they don't!"

In using the phrase "they're coming after me" Sepultura envokes the same fear that Dante does in his meeting of the three beasts of the dark wood and his sudden desire to turn back from the path and flee (1:31-60).  The beasts block his path and prevent him from going up the hill where he sees the sun, hence "can't reach the light".  Each beast prevents his passage in turn, the leopard, the lion, and the she-wolf.  Durling and Martinez in notes on Canto 1 present the idea that each of the beasts represents the overall themes of the levels of hell: greed (she-wolf), violence (lion) and fraud (leopard).  This interpretation is useful in comparing with Sepultura's reinterpretation of the three beasts as global forces: the US (United States), the UK (United Kingdom) and the Human or humanity itself.  In doing so, Sepultura makes a political statement associating these groups with the sins of greed, violence, and fraud in much the same way that Dante makes an overarching statement about the politics and leaders of Florence.  I find that this political reinterpretation of the beasts really captures the spirit of what Dante was trying to do in calling attention to the errors of those with the most power.  In stating that the beasts were released to "solve the problems in the world, but they don't", I get the impression that Sepultura is making a reference to the greyhound (1:101-111) who will be "the salvation of that humble Italy".  Here, Sepultura mocks the US, UK and the human in stating that they believed that they were sent to fix the world, like the greyhound, but that they are unable to because of the sins that they commit.

"Despise their false prophecies
they have no right
I hate what they're doing to
my life, my life!
Can't go on thinking
They'll really change
Keeps going, their way
detour of my way
learn what they say
detour of my way
learn what they say."


In this last set of lines, Sepultura reaches out beyond Canto 1 to the larger picture at hand.  In the line "despise their false prophecies, they have no right" I feel that Sepultura is referring to the political leaders who give promises and predict what will happen to the world once they fulfill their political agendas, but their prophecies are often unfounded, unfulfilled and no more knowledgeable than any individual's predictions.  Then, "I hate what they're doing to my life, my life!" is a cry of frustration about these political leaders who rule the world, often without regard for those whom they are suppose to serve and thus Sepultura feels that the leaders are controlling their lives with various rules and regulations that they put forth and that this is wrong.  This matches well with Dante's sentiments towards Florence.  He, too, was frustrated with a failing leadership and cried out for reform because the civil war in Florence at the time was ruining his life and ultimately led to his exile.   Sepultura then says " Can't go on thinking they'll really change, keeps going, their way".  Here I feel that Sepultura touches on the issue of neutrality that Dante so highly despises.  Sepultura points out that one can't keep thinking that things will change around them without speaking up and doing something about it, and thus make the statement that neutrality will not lead to reform.  Dante is in full agreement with this and even goes as far as to put those who were neutral, like the neutral angels, on the outskirts of hell and refuses to name even one of them for not wanting to give them any honor or fame (Canto 3).  Sepultura ends the song with "detour of my way, learn what they say, detour of my way, learn what they say".  Here I feel that Sepultura has realized that they cannot go on the path that they had planned because the way is blocked by the US, UK and humanity, so they must follow a detoured path into hell and along the way will hope to learn something from those who dwell there.   This is a realization that Dante comes to as well, for he knows that in order to reach Paradiso and Beatrice, he must follow Virgil and that if he must do so, he should try to learn along the way from the various souls he will meet so that he can better himself and the collective world, Florence.