By Vania Raebel | October 7, 2019
A Thriving Underground Music Scene
Despite anti-Western sentiments and strict rules imposed by Iran’s religious clerics, Iran actually has a thriving underground music scene, with different bands and singers performing in a variety of hidden venues throughout the country. Heavy metal, in particular, is a popular genre, especially among the youth in big cities like Tehran.
Unfortunately, those with a passion for heavy metal music must keep their interests a secret. Those caught playing heavy metal music are seen as satanic and are jailed and sometimes even executed. In 2015, Nikan “Siyanor” Khosravi and Arash “Chemical” Ilkhani, members of the heavy metal band Confess (pictured), were arrested and charged with blasphemy, among other things.
