Russian town plans to ban heavy-metal for being "satanic"

London, May 21 (ANI): A Russian town is trying to introduce a ban on heavy-metal music because, bizarrely enough, officials believe that it is "satanic" in nature.

Their certitude is based on a Soviet-era psychiatric hospital's pronouncement, that such music has an "ideologically destructive" effect on young people.

The town called Belogrod has been in the news for introducing fines for public swearing, restricting the number of people on the town's dance floors, and for waging a campaign against Valentine's Day.

"The parents of youngsters who attended such events would never forgive us for (allowing) the performances of people interested in satanic ideology," The Telegraph quoted a town official as saying.

But their latest proposition has met with hostile responses from the denizens who feel the officialdom's viewpoint is nothing but balderdash aimed at curtailing their freedom.

Oleg Proskokov, a local club owner is not amused, and says he plans to voice his dissent by holding a series of rock concerts, and anyone who tries to disrupt the same should beware because they are likely to end up with a "punch in the face".

Another detractor of the town's antiquated policies, Alexander Naumenko, the lead singer in a local rock group, said the campaign reminded him of the "worst aspects of the Soviet system" when Communist party officials sought to tightly control the kind of music people could listen or dance to in public. (ANI)