To say the eighties were a turbulent time period would be an understatement, not only in terms of global affairs, but also in music, more specifically in the then underground Thrash Metal scene. Metal, much like rock n’ roll in earlier decades, was a symbol of teenage rebellion against fundamentalist and conservative parents trying to maintain the decaying values of traditional American households. Thus Metallica, a prominent figure in the Thrash Metal scene, would have been the last band anyone would have expected to write and release a song, Creeping Death, explicitly on the Book of Exodus. But why would a bunch of twenty-year old metal musicians write about the Bible?

What inspired Metallica?

Metallica released Creeping Death as a single alongside their acclaimed album,  Ride the Lightning, which brought the band and more importantly, their music to light. The band was first inspired to write the single when watching the 1956 film, The Ten Commandments, particularly a scene in which a cloud of mist drifts and kills the first born children of Egypt, including Pharaoh’s son, as bassist Cliff Burton remarked, like a “Creeping Death.” Writing about the Bible at such a time of religious strife proved to be an ample opportunity for Metallica to bring attention to themselves. 

Differing Interpretations

 While traditional texts tell the story of Exodus from the third person, Metallica instead opted to take a more extreme direction by relaying the legend through the perspective of the tenth plague, i.e. the Angel of Death or the Destroyer–responsible for killing every firstborn Egpytian–a decision not uncharacteristic of a metal band. Metal, being a heavier and often brutal genre of music, will often seek darker perspectives in its lyrics, the bible being no exception. 

Initially, the song strays little away from Exodus, recounting the “Hebrews born to serve, to the Pharaoh,” and the prophecy “Of the unknown one, the deliverer.”  However, the song dramatically shifts in the chorus, in which the Angel of Death asserts, “I’m sent here by the chosen one,”  implying God sent the Angel of Death as an agent to execute the dark deed of killing every firstborn son rather than doing it himself. This narrative continues in the following verse, the Angel of Death proclaiming, “I rule the midnight air, the destroyer.” God, in Metallica’s interpretation, leaves such Earthly and brutal deeds to his servants the angels, leaving uncertainty as to why Metallica chose to portray the Angel of Death in this manner. 

“Die”
The answer lies in the middle breakdown of the song, which features a harsh and repeated chanting of “die” from the Angel of Death himself, which became quite powerful when chanted by crowds of up to 500,000, like in Moscow, Russia, in 1991. In this part, not only had Metallica created something concert goers could chant along to, but also an ominous, even sinister image of the Angel of Death, completely unlike typical portrayals of God and his angels. I interpret Creeping Death  like Michelangelo’s portrayal of The Flood in the Sistine Chapel, in that Metallica too questions the morality and rationality behind God killing so many innocents. At the same time, they point out the utter hypocrisy of Christian parents for trying to shut their music down for vulgarity while also worshipping a God who had done even more wicked acts than playing guitar with distortion.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Creeping death is a rendition of the classic biblical tale of Exodus through the lens of metal musicians living in an era of great doubt in religious teachings and rejection of tradition. Not only were they able to create an immense atmosphere in their music, but also revealed a darker side to the Bible few would dare bring up. Their fame would allow them to convey this message to millions of fans even decades later, in sold-out stadiums or simply on Spotify. 

Matt Salonich is a freshman at Colgate University from White Plains, NY. He intends to major in Classical Studies.