ABSTRACT
Lew was the only avowed satanist in the study. Virtually all of the boys in the study laughed off the suggestion that heavy metal promoted satanism. They recognized some satanist elements in some of the lyrics of some bands, but they saw this as a ploy on the part of these bands to draw attention to themselves by shocking and outraging people. For Lew, however, his preference for heavy metal music was one extension of his belief in satanism, in particular his belief in the occult and the power of black magic. The black magic rituals he conducted were always solitary. He went alone to concerts, which generally are attended by groups of friends. The episode involving his grandmother may be understood as a child's desperate search for consolation under intolerably painful conditions. However, some of his more experiences with spirits were more worrisome, more suggestive of psychological disturbance—although he rejected that interpretation.
