A member of the symphonic metal band Plague of Angels has responded to criticism over the band’s upcoming performance at York Minster, describing the backlash as a “significant misunderstanding” of the concert’s aims.
Speaking to York Vision, guitarist Mark Mynett defended the April 25th event where the band will perform alongside Church organist David Pipe in Organic Metal: Two Worlds Collide.
The concert will be the first time a metal band has ever performed inside a Grade I listed building.
The show will involve renditions of rock classics by Black Sabbath and Deep Purple performed on the Minister’s restored Grand Organ followed by an hour-long performance from the band.
The concert sold over 800 tickets within the first hour of going on sale, but has received backlash from members of the congregation who argue that the music is “unsuitable for a religious setting.”
In response to the backlash, Mynett said: “I believe there is a significant misunderstanding about the event and its alignment with the cathedral’s values.
“The performance, far from being unsuitable for a religious setting, is a groundbreaking project that aims to bridge the gap between contemporary culture and sacred traditions.”
Mynett emphasised that the concert is intended to help raise awareness of the Minister’s pipe organ, an instrument that Mynett says is in danger due to declining funding and public interest.
Mynett said: “This performance serves not only as an innovative artistic endeavour, but also as a vital effort to preserve this important part of York Minster’s heritage.”
The concert received backlash after it emerged that two of the group’s members performed with extreme metal group Cradle of Filth.
Cradle of Filth sold what Rolling Stone described as “the most controversial shirt in rock history”. The t-shirts featured a topless nun and blasphemous text about Jesus.
Mark said: “Rather than focusing on the content of the gig, some are focused on digging up the distant past.
“The music and the message of Plague of Angels is about fostering engagement and unity not division.
“At York Minster there are going to be people there from the age of eight to 88 and beyond.”
York Minster has defended the decision to host the concert, stating that it will respect the site’s religious significance and could attract new audiences to organ music.
Mynett repeated this view and pointed to wider challenges facing churches across the UK including the decline in congregation numbers.
Approximately 3,500 churches in the UK have closed since 2013 and more than 900 are on Historic England’s “heritage at risk” register.
Four pipe organs are sent to landfill per week.
Plague of Angels are also performing at Huddersfield Town Hall on 5th December. Tickets are available here: https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/town-halls/book-tickets.aspx?eventId=84801AHTTVPBHRTCDJGTTPLPKJLGTLLJD