AIRAN SCRUBY
Staff Writer
Photo courtesy Vagrant Records
Peppperdine’s prudish reputation was the topic of discussion during an MTV interview with a well-known punk band in May, though Pepperdine radio station KWVS is singing a different tune.
Alkaline Trio, which released its sixth album this summer, claimed that Pepperdine’s radio station refused to play songs from its new album, “Crimson,” because it was originally to be titled “Church and Destroy.” However, KWVS staff said they were never contacted about the issue.
The article, “Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba: ‘Satanism’s Fun,’” explores the religious beliefs of Skiba, the band’s lead guitarist and vocalist as well as those of drummer Derek Grant. Bassist Dan Adriano does not practice Satanism.
Satanism is the belief system that mixes hedonism with the rituals of black magic. The Church of Satan does not endorse Satan as a supernatural being.
Skiba said, “Pepperdine University has a college radio station that I guess had played our stuff in the past, but said that they would definitely not be playing our record if we called it ‘Church and Destroy.’”
Keith Gormley, a graduate assistant with KWVS, said he thinks the band was trying to bring attention to their Satanist beliefs through singling out Pepperdine as a conservative Christian school in their MTV interview.
Since their comments about Pepperdine and their very public support for Satanism, KWVS will not be playing any of Alkaline Trio’s music in the foreseeable future, according to Gormley.
“Since they’re promoting themselves as a Satanic band, we’ll absolutely not play them. If it had come across my desk before all of this, I’m not sure what we would have done,” Gormley said.
“As a station policy, we do not play any Satanic music,” said Tony Carnelli, KWVS station manager. Anyone on the station who decides to breach this contract will be responsible for their own actions.”
Neither Alkaline Trio nor the band’s management could not be reached for further comment on their album or the allegations made during the interview with MTV.
Alkaline Trio’s music is not overtly Satanist, and their lyrics rarely refer directly to religion or spirituality, but it has inspired the group’s gothic aesthetic and their desire to shock people, Skiba said in a May 26 article.
Skiba said in the same interview that Anton LaVey’s Church of Satan, of which he is a member, is really about maintaining a cool, sinister image and ruffling feathers within the religious community.
The official Web site of the Anton LaVey Church of Satan established in 1966 said his organization, is “the first above-ground organization in history openly dedicated to the acceptance of Man’s true nature — that of a carnal beast, living in a cosmos which is permeated and motivated by the Dark Force which we call Satan.”
The band, which has been producing music since 1997, originated in Chicago and has produced several full-length albums, music videos and singles. The Trio is currently on tour with My Chemical Romance and Reggie and the Full Effect.
KWVS can be heard on 101.5 FM and on local television’s channel six. The station was begun in 2003 and replaced KMBU, which was dismantled in 1999 because of complaints about explicit content.
The new station began as a Christian-music only station, but the format was changed in the spring semester to include secular music as well. Since then student interest in the radio station has increased greatly, Gormley said.
“Our radio station is really up-and-coming. When I started, there were only 15 DJ’s. At the end of last year, there were more than 70,” Gormley said.
KWVS complies with FCC standards but also maintains policies within the station about what music will be played.
09-22-2005
