Just found this on Ultimate-Guitar.com

Lars Ulrich from Metallica discusses.....

Not surprisingly, many musicians aren’t happy with the United States government’s choice to blast rock music at detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay as a form of torture.

Among the bands whose music is being used for torture is Metallica; whose 1991 hit "Enter Sandman" is reportedly a popular song to play over and over again at top volume to detainees. Drummer Lars Ulrich of Metallica made an appearance on the MSNBC news program "The Rachel Maddow Show" to discuss the government’s bizarre torture methods. Video of their discussion can be viewed here.

Responding to the idea that the music is used "to create fear, disorient ... and prolong capture shock" (a quote from Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the man who authorized the use of music as torture), Ulrich says: "If there are people that are dumb enough to use Metallica to interrogate prisoners, you're forgetting about all the music that's to the left of us. I can name, you know, 30 Norwegian death metal bands that would make Metallica sound like Simon and Garfunkle."

He adds, "There is a lot of Metallica music that's helping a lot of scared 18, 19, and 20-year-old kids out there who are out on the front lines and who are doing a hell of a job on behalf of you and me and the rest of us. But obviously when you hear stories like the one you're telling, it all seems so bizarre and so strange that Metallica's music, which generally sort of facilitates bringing people together, is used in these bizarre circumstances. It's certainly not something that we in any way advocate or condone."

Lars isn’t the only musician who’s upset with how their music is being used. Guitarist Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine has been particularly vocal about his distaste of the practice even going so far as to tell fans at a concert, "I suggest that they level Guantanamo Bay, but they keep one small cell and they put [former U.S. President George W. Bush] in there ... and they blast some Rage Against the Machine."

Not all musicians appear to be against it, however. Bassist Steve Benton of Drowning Pool was honored to hear that the band’s song ""” was being used on prisoners. "People assume we should be offended that somebody in the military thinks our song is annoying enough that played over and over it can psychologically break someone down," he tells Spin magazine. "I take it as an honor to think that perhaps our song could be used to quell another 9/11 attack or something like that."

Military contractor Donald Vance from Chicago, IL was wrongly imprisoned in a military detention center in Iraq and said the tactics could make "innocent men go mad." Vance told MSNBC that he was "locked in an overcooled 9-foot-by-9-foot cell that had a speaker with a metal grate over it. Two large speakers stood in the hallway outside. The music was almost constant, mostly hard rock."

"There was a lot of Nine Inch Nails, including ‘March of the Pigs,’" he said. "I couldn’t tell you how many times I heard Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You.’"

He adds, "I had no blanket or sheet. If I had, I would probably have tried suicide. I got to a few points toward the end where I thought, ‘How can I do this?’ Actively plotting, ‘How can I get away with it so they don’t stop it?’" When asked to describe how it felt to be in his position, he said: "It sort of removes you from you. You can no longer formulate your own thoughts when you’re in an environment like that."

Vance was eventually released after spending 97 days incarcerated. He says that even two years later he keeps his home "very quiet."

Report by David Lowe-Bianco.

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com...used_as_torture.html

LOL That is pretty good, since i hate them and i do consider their music torture every time i hear it. But there are other styles of music that would make great torture as well, like Jonas Brothers, green day, all the emo bands, not to mention most of the death and thrash bands. In fact if they really want to torture all they have to do is make them watch High School Musical, all three in a row no breaks.

It's funny, but at the same time it pisses me off.

Music is a work of art, musician's put some much time and effort into their music and then they find out that it's being used in other countries as a form of torture!

I don't like it.

That is true. But if was reverse and i had to listen to some of their music i would more than likley think of it as torture as well. I believe it is more to with sound rather than lyrics. When you are use to soft gently drums and then suddenly exposed to hard fast loud beats then you are going to feel some short of ear pain and there for torture.
SO i can see your point to and i think it just depends on the artist. Drowing pool thought it was funny while another thought it wasnt'

True, but then again after spending 15 hours of listening to the same song you may just let it grow on you. But I do understand what you're saying.

If I was in that situation it would be hard for me to not sing and rock out to Metallica. I'd have to hide it just so they wouldn't change the songs up.

There you go and seeing you rock out might make them think that it is working. But i do think that music can not be used to torture everybody, i mean no matter what i can just off in my own head and never hear the song. That is just me though. lol.

And now, a shortlist of songs that could be used in place of metal music:

MIA - Paper Planes
Flo Rida - Low

Anything by Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Motley Crue, Skid Row, Poison, and any of the late-90s music where a band got together, wrote a song and then faded faster than headlights on a Ford Fiesta.

Damn. I don't know what to say about that.... Other than: If I was imprisoned there, they better play some 'Smack.

You have to understand the the culture that they use this on is not used to this kind of music. It is FAR out of their comfort zone. I personally play my metal loud enough to deafen a stone and love it.

If you have a tactic, use it. They used loud music to save hostages that were held and threatened when one of our Embassies was taken over.

That is true. I blast my metal.

You know, if you really want to torture those b1tches then you should start playing a Kenny Rogers track. After one track the terrorists will probably start ripping their nutsacks off to mitigate the pain; I know I would.

My brother thinks my iPod could be used as a torture device it's loaded up with a ton of metal and rock. Of course I think his iPod loaded with country would be torture. When i was home for Easter he was blaring country in the basement, I was ready to do about anything to shut him up.

I think rap music might be more torture for terrorist though, all the talk of bitches and hoes would shock radical Islamic leaders.

You could play a bunch of speeches by feminists and womanists That would really piss those c_nts off.

I'm horrified and amused at the same time. Almost offended they do used many bands I like as torture, and wondering if even I would go insane after a time of being blasted with even my favorite heavy metal tracks repeatedly at unspeakable volumes. Like he said, you can't think, you can't do anything. Sounds painful.
Lars made a good point, glad even he would bring it up. Agree with Morello, and DP's bassist I can see where he's coming from but still I dunno.
Very interesting article, thanks a LOT for sharing!

I'm pondering the philosophy myself. Is it just to use actual music like that? I have some stuff that could be used. Elton John. ABBA. And even country, yes. Though Metallica really isn't that heavy. Play some Dethklok or Lamb of God. Their ears would be bleeding from how heavy it is.