Jump to content

Michael J. Moynihan: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎Controversy: Gardell demonstrates this is the critics opinion and is not said by Moynihan, which is obvious. See reference. Further work in this section forthcoming.
Added information about book award. Links are in references. Worked with Controversy section some more. Removed tag, article is neutral.
Line 1: Line 1:
{{POV|date=December 2007}}
{{Mergefrom|Tyr (journal)|date=December 2007}}
{{Mergefrom|Tyr (journal)|date=December 2007}}
{{otherpeople|Michael Moynihan}}
{{otherpeople|Michael Moynihan}}
Line 24: Line 23:
Differences between Boyd Rice and Michael Moynihan led to an acrimonious split between the two in the mid-1990s,<ref name=BRUUNINT/> though Rice would later remember their time together fondly and refer positively to Moynihan.<ref name=RICEFORGE/> Subsequently, Moynihan disassociated himself with Rice and was no longer involved with the Abraxas Foundation.<ref name=BRUUNINT/>
Differences between Boyd Rice and Michael Moynihan led to an acrimonious split between the two in the mid-1990s,<ref name=BRUUNINT/> though Rice would later remember their time together fondly and refer positively to Moynihan.<ref name=RICEFORGE/> Subsequently, Moynihan disassociated himself with Rice and was no longer involved with the Abraxas Foundation.<ref name=BRUUNINT/>


In [[1992]], Moynihan edited and published a collection of writings by ex-[[National Socialist]] [[Charles Manson|Mansonite]] [[James N. Mason]] into a book entitled ''[[Siege (book)|Siege: The Collected Writings of James Mason]]''.<ref name=WWLORD>Zach Dundas. Willamette Week culture feature: "Lord of Chaos: <small>ACTIVISTS ACCUSE PORTLAND WRITER AND MUSICIAN MICHAEL MOYNIHAN OF SPREADING EXTREMIST PROPAGANDA, BUT THEY'RE NOT TELLING THE WHOLE STORY.</small> Available online: [http://wweek.com/html/leada081600.html]</ref><ref name=SIEGE>Hampshire, Dominic. "Siege Mentality" Available online:[http://thescorp.multics.org/18siege.html]</ref> In 1995,Moynihan also released the first full length album by Blood Axis, ''[[The Gospel of Inhumanity]]'' and moved from Denver to [[Portland, Oregon]] where he became an editor at the at [[Feral House]], a publishing company owned by [[Adam Parfrey]].<ref name=NOTLIKEMOST4/> Published by Feral House, he co-authored the 1998 book ''[[Lords of Chaos (book)|Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground]]'' with Norwegian journalist Didrik Søderlind.
In [[1992]], Moynihan edited and published a collection of writings by ex-[[National Socialist]] [[Charles Manson|Mansonite]] [[James N. Mason]] into a book entitled ''[[Siege (book)|Siege: The Collected Writings of James Mason]]''.<ref name=WWLORD>Zach Dundas. Willamette Week culture feature: "Lord of Chaos: <small>ACTIVISTS ACCUSE PORTLAND WRITER AND MUSICIAN MICHAEL MOYNIHAN OF SPREADING EXTREMIST PROPAGANDA, BUT THEY'RE NOT TELLING THE WHOLE STORY.</small> Available online: [http://wweek.com/html/leada081600.html]</ref><ref name=SIEGE>Hampshire, Dominic. "Siege Mentality" Available online:[http://thescorp.multics.org/18siege.html]</ref> In 1995,Moynihan also released the first full length album by Blood Axis, ''[[The Gospel of Inhumanity]]'' and moved from Denver to [[Portland, Oregon]] where he became an editor at the at [[Feral House]], a publishing company owned by [[Adam Parfrey]].<ref name=NOTLIKEMOST4/> Published by Feral House, he co-authored the 1998 book ''[[Lords of Chaos (book)|Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground]]'' with Norwegian journalist Didrik Søderlind won the 1998 Firecracker Alternative Press Award.<ref name=WWLORD>/


During this period Moynihan contributed to various magazines and journals, including ''Seconds'' and ''The Scorpion'',<ref name=DRYANDBROWN>Moynihan, Michael. "Dry and Brown Greens" Available online: [http://thescorp.multics.org/18ecofascism.html]</ref> and has interviewed artists and figures such as power electronics founder [[Whitehouse (band)|Whitehouse]],<ref name=SECONDS28>''Seconds'' no. 28, 60-62</ref> [[Unleashed]],<ref name=SECONDS30>''Seconds'' no. 30, 9-11</ref> [[Bathory (band)|Bathory]],<ref name=FIFTHPATH5>''The Fifth Path'' magazine, issue 5. Reprinted in ''Vor trú'' issue 53</ref> [[In the Nursery]],<ref name=FIFTHPATH5/> Church of Satan founder [[Anton LaVey]],<ref name=SECONDS25> ''Seconds'' no. 25, pages 56-60</ref> controversial figure [[Charles Manson]],<ref name=SECONDS32>''Seconds'' no. 32, 64-74)</ref> [[Peter Steele]] of [[Type O Negative]], discussing [[Social Darwinism]],<ref name=JUNGE>''Junge Freiheit'' 47/94, p. 20</ref> [[The Misfits|Misfits]] founder [[Glenn Danzig]],<ref name=SECONDS44> ''Seconds'' magazine, issue 44. (1997)</ref> and [[Michael Gira]] of [[Swans (band)|Swans]].<ref name=GIRAINT>''Seconds'' magazine, 1996. Available online: [http://swans.pair.com/PRESS/int_sec.html]</ref>
During this period Moynihan contributed to various magazines and journals, including ''Seconds'' and ''The Scorpion'',<ref name=DRYANDBROWN>Moynihan, Michael. "Dry and Brown Greens" Available online: [http://thescorp.multics.org/18ecofascism.html]</ref> and has interviewed artists and figures such as power electronics founder [[Whitehouse (band)|Whitehouse]],<ref name=SECONDS28>''Seconds'' no. 28, 60-62</ref> [[Unleashed]],<ref name=SECONDS30>''Seconds'' no. 30, 9-11</ref> [[Bathory (band)|Bathory]],<ref name=FIFTHPATH5>''The Fifth Path'' magazine, issue 5. Reprinted in ''Vor trú'' issue 53</ref> [[In the Nursery]],<ref name=FIFTHPATH5/> Church of Satan founder [[Anton LaVey]],<ref name=SECONDS25> ''Seconds'' no. 25, pages 56-60</ref> controversial figure [[Charles Manson]],<ref name=SECONDS32>''Seconds'' no. 32, 64-74)</ref> [[Peter Steele]] of [[Type O Negative]], discussing [[Social Darwinism]],<ref name=JUNGE>''Junge Freiheit'' 47/94, p. 20</ref> [[The Misfits|Misfits]] founder [[Glenn Danzig]],<ref name=SECONDS44> ''Seconds'' magazine, issue 44. (1997)</ref> and [[Michael Gira]] of [[Swans (band)|Swans]].<ref name=GIRAINT>''Seconds'' magazine, 1996. Available online: [http://swans.pair.com/PRESS/int_sec.html]</ref>
Line 33: Line 32:


==Controversy==
==Controversy==
Due interpretations of particular comments that Moynihan has made and some of the imagery he has employed, Michael Moynihan has been a controversial figure. Detractors have accused Moynihan of being a "[[Far right|far rightist]]", an "[[Far left|extreme leftist]]", a "[[Fascism|fascist]]",<ref name=KENNEDY>Kennedy, William H. "Revolting Julius Evola and the Blood Axis Fascists [with special reference to the work of M. Moynihan and J. Godwin] ]"(2002) From Kennedy's personal website here: [http://www.geocities.com/luclablaw/revolting_julius_evola_and_the_b.htm] Kennedy's current official website: [http://wwww.williamhkennedy.com]</ref> a [[Nazism|Nazi]] and an [[anarchism|anarchist]].<ref name=GODSMATTIAS>[[Mattias Gardell|Gardell, Mattias]]. ''Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism'' (2003) Duke publishing press ISBN 0822330717.</ref>
Due interpretations of particular comments that Moynihan has made and some of the imagery he has employed, Michael Moynihan has been a controversial figure. Detractors have accused Moynihan of being a "[[Far right|far rightist]]"<ref name=COOGAN>[[Kevin Coogan|Coogan, Kevin]]. ''[http://oraclesyndicate.twoday.net/stories/605560/ How Black Is Black Metal?]'' an "[[Far left|extreme leftist]]", a "[[Fascism|fascist]]",<ref name=KENNEDY>Kennedy, William H. "Revolting Julius Evola and the Blood Axis Fascists [with special reference to the work of M. Moynihan and J. Godwin] ]"(2002) From Kennedy's personal website here: [http://www.geocities.com/luclablaw/revolting_julius_evola_and_the_b.htm] Kennedy's current official website: [http://wwww.williamhkennedy.com]</ref> a [[Nazism|Nazi]] and an [[anarchism|anarchist]].<ref name=GODSMATTIAS>[[Mattias Gardell|Gardell, Mattias]]. ''Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism'' (2003) Duke publishing press ISBN 0822330717</ref> Moynihan is dismissive of the criticism. In an interview with [[Willamette Week]], in response to these accusations, Moynihan states:
<blockquote>''Whether they're the Marxist/Communist/Socialist people who think that humans want to get along on a grand scale, or whether it's the Nazis, who think that if everyone was just of the same race, they'd all get along perfectly, or the anarchists, who think everyone would love to live this way if you just took away the police.</blockquote>


<blockquote>''They're all deluded. People should worry about what happens on their block. They should get along with their neighbors before they worry about the great ills of society and about telling someone who lives 200 miles away what to do."''<ref name=WWLORD/></blockquote>
The controversies established Moynihan as a topic of interest in Neo-Nazi circles, and the album ''[[The Gospel of Inhumanity]]'' released at the same time met with favourable reception from those quarters, the US [[Nazi skin]] journal ''Resistance'' (no. 6, 38) praising it as a "fascist symphony". The album also brought Moynihan to the attention of the German Neo-Nazi scene, a favourable review appearing in ''Einheit und Kampf. Das revolutionäre Magazin für Nationalisten'' (no. 18, p. 29, Aufruhr-Verlag, [[Bremen]]).

Although while Moynihan in 1988 embraced the "fascist" label{{Fact|date=December 2007}}, in 2005 he stated that "the words ['fascistic' and 'evil'] are pretty well devoid of real meaning now".<ref>[http://dennisdread.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_archive.html interview with Dennis Dread (2005)]</ref>

As a consequence, Moynihan was targeted by [[anti-fascist]] protest in the late 1990s. His performances attracted protesters, on one occasion in 1998, "about 75" San Francisco protesters mobilized by a flyer denouncing Moynihan as "a fascist and a hatemonger" succeeded in preventing his appearance.<ref>[http://search.sfweekly.com/1998-10-14/music/riff-raff/full SF weekly.com] 14 October 1998</ref> Moynihan dismissed activists labeling him a Nazi or a Fascist as misinformed hysterical alarmism.<ref>Moynihan's reply to Schobert (1997)[http://diss-duisburg.de/Internetbibliothek/Artikel/Heidentum.htm]</ref>


==Bibliography==
==Bibliography==

Revision as of 22:01, 13 December 2007

For other people named Michael Moynihan, see Michael Moynihan (disambiguation).

Michael Moynihan (b. January 17 1969, Boston, Massachusetts) is an American journalist, publisher and musician. Moynihan is founder of the music group Blood Axis, the music label Storm Records and publishing company Dominion Press. Moynihan has interviewed numerous musical figures and has published several books, translations and essays.

Moynihan is a member of the small Asatru collective Wulfing Kindred, is one of the editors of TYR: Myth - Culture - Tradition and the North American editor of Rûna.[1] Moynihan is involved in a long standing collaborative and romantic relationship with musician Annabel Lee, with whom he has fathered a child. Moynihan has attracted some controversy, resulting in various accusations of his alleged political leanings and beliefs, which Moynihan has dismissed.

Biography

Moynihan was born in Boston, Massachusetts to a lawyer father. His formal schooling was at BB&N, a private school in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[citation needed] Moynihan identifies his background as entirely Northern European: Irish, English, Welsh, and German.[2]

Influenced by first wave Industrial Music artists such as SPK and Throbbing Gristle,[3] In 1984, Moynihan started his first musical project, a power electronics project named Coup de Grace, for which he produced cassettes, image booklets, essays and performed live. In 1988, at the age of 18, Moynihan published an edition of Friedrich Nietzsche's The Antichrist featuring artwork by Trevor Brown.[4]

According to Moynihan, a cassette from his project Coupe de Grace was received by a group called Club Moral in Belgium, resulting in a positive review in an art and music magazine called Force Mental. This resulted in an invitation for Moynihan to come to Europe, which he accepted, and resulted in a small European tour for Coup de Grace. Here, he came in contact with Cthulu Records. Upon returning to Boston in the United Sates, he was invited to join the experimental music group Sleep Chamber.[3]

While a member of Sleep Chamber, Moynihan met Thomas Thorn. According to Moynihan, a falling out occurred between Thorn and John Zewizz, founder of Sleep Chamber,[3] resulting in Moynihan leaving Sleep Chamber and moving to Belgium, where he lived in a warehouse on invitation by Club Moral. During this time, Moynihan described himself as a Skinhead. Living without electricity, a low monthly fee and illegally in Belgium, Moynihan stated it was "worth the risk" but had to install many of his own utilities.[3]

Thorn, who had formed a new group called Slave State, visited Moynihan in Belgium and the two played in a room beneath the warehouse where Moynihan was staying at this time. After the show, Moynihan became displeased with his illegal status and visited the founders of Cthulhu Records in Germany for a few days.[3] After returning to the US in 1989, Moynihan formed the musical group Blood Axis and no longer produced music under the name of Coup de Grace.

Experimental musician Boyd Rice invited Moynihan to go to Japan and collaborate with him on some NON performances there in 1989. Moynihan performed in concert with the various musical groups rotating around Tony Wakeford, Douglas P., and Rose McDowall who were also performing. His performance in Japan with NON was later released as the "Live in Osaka" DVD. That year, an album entitled Music, Martinis, and Misanthropy grew out of these collaborations.

In 1990, Moynihan and Rice moved into an apartment in Denver.[5] Like Rice and Thorn, Moynihan was a member of the Church of Satan at this time. Moynihan was also a member of the Church of Satan during this period.[6] Moynihan appeared as a guest with Rice on Bob Larson's "Manson Maniacs", a special for Larson's Christian radio talk show. During the summer of 1991, Moynihan states that he was visited at his apartment by agents of the United States Secret Service about an alleged plot to assassinate then President of the United States George H. W. Bush. Moynihan agreed to a polygraph test and no charges were filed. Moynihan stated that it was a simple case of intimidation stemming from his correspondence with Charles Manson and visits to Sandra Good. Moynihan stated that he felt that the he had been being monitored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 1984, that they had taken his luggage on an occasion and that they had once called his father, admitting to him he they had taken a parcel from his mail. Moynihan cited his then-friendship with Peter Sotos as a potential cause.[2]

Differences between Boyd Rice and Michael Moynihan led to an acrimonious split between the two in the mid-1990s,[2] though Rice would later remember their time together fondly and refer positively to Moynihan.[5] Subsequently, Moynihan disassociated himself with Rice and was no longer involved with the Abraxas Foundation.[2]

In 1992, Moynihan edited and published a collection of writings by ex-National Socialist Mansonite James N. Mason into a book entitled Siege: The Collected Writings of James Mason.[7][8] In 1995,Moynihan also released the first full length album by Blood Axis, The Gospel of Inhumanity and moved from Denver to Portland, Oregon where he became an editor at the at Feral House, a publishing company owned by Adam Parfrey.[6] Published by Feral House, he co-authored the 1998 book Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground with Norwegian journalist Didrik Søderlind won the 1998 Firecracker Alternative Press Award.Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). and has interviewed artists and figures such as power electronics founder Whitehouse,[9] Unleashed,[10] Bathory,[11] In the Nursery,[11] Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey,[12] controversial figure Charles Manson,[13] Peter Steele of Type O Negative, discussing Social Darwinism,[14] Misfits founder Glenn Danzig,[15] and Michael Gira of Swans.[16]

After studying language and history at the University of Colorado and Portland State University, Moynihan received his B.A. in German language in 2001 [1] and that year co-authored The Secret King with Stephen Flowers, released a musical collaboration with French artist Les Joyaux De La Princesse entitled Absinthe - La Folie Verte themed around absinthe, a beverage Moynihan has expressed fondness for[7], and collaborated with Portland natives B'eirth of In Gowan Ring, his partner Annabel Lee and Markus Wolff of Waldteufel for a project dubbed Witch-Hunt. Largely playing traditional acoustic Irish folk music, the group played various local shows in Portland and also, in 2001, performed in Portugal, for which a concert-only CD was given to attendees.

2001 also saw Moynihan also editing a reprint of Introduction to Magic, originally published in 1929, and in 2002 edited the first English language translation of the 1953 book Men Among the Ruins, both by Julius Evola and both published by Inner Traditions - Bear & Company. In 2005 Moynihan edited and published a collection of essays by British philosopher John Michell entitled Confessions of a Radical Traditionalist.[17]

Controversy

Due interpretations of particular comments that Moynihan has made and some of the imagery he has employed, Michael Moynihan has been a controversial figure. Detractors have accused Moynihan of being a "far rightist"Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). a Nazi and an anarchist.[18] Moynihan is dismissive of the criticism. In an interview with Willamette Week, in response to these accusations, Moynihan states:

Whether they're the Marxist/Communist/Socialist people who think that humans want to get along on a grand scale, or whether it's the Nazis, who think that if everyone was just of the same race, they'd all get along perfectly, or the anarchists, who think everyone would love to live this way if you just took away the police.

They're all deluded. People should worry about what happens on their block. They should get along with their neighbors before they worry about the great ills of society and about telling someone who lives 200 miles away what to do."[7]

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ a b "About the author" in The Secret King: Karl Maria Wiligut, Himmler's Lord of the Runes ISBN 0971204403
  2. ^ a b c d Bruun, Jan R. MICHAEL MOYNIHAN / BLOOD AXIS Interview, "Helter Skealter" magazine (1995) Available online: [1]
  3. ^ a b c d e The Storm Before the Calm An Interview with Blood Axis, "Esoterra" magazine #5, 1995. Interview with Michael Moynihan. Available online: [2]
  4. ^ The Heretic No.10, Oct 1994
  5. ^ a b Pingelton, Kathleen. "Boyd Rice Interview", Filth Forge webzine, 2006. Online:[[3]]
  6. ^ a b Not Like Most magazine #4, 1996. "Blood Axis - An Interview With Michael Moynihan" Available online: [4]
  7. ^ a b c Zach Dundas. Willamette Week culture feature: "Lord of Chaos: ACTIVISTS ACCUSE PORTLAND WRITER AND MUSICIAN MICHAEL MOYNIHAN OF SPREADING EXTREMIST PROPAGANDA, BUT THEY'RE NOT TELLING THE WHOLE STORY. Available online: [5]
  8. ^ Hampshire, Dominic. "Siege Mentality" Available online:[6]
  9. ^ Seconds no. 28, 60-62
  10. ^ Seconds no. 30, 9-11
  11. ^ a b The Fifth Path magazine, issue 5. Reprinted in Vor trú issue 53
  12. ^ Seconds no. 25, pages 56-60
  13. ^ Seconds no. 32, 64-74)
  14. ^ Junge Freiheit 47/94, p. 20
  15. ^ Seconds magazine, issue 44. (1997)
  16. ^ Seconds magazine, 1996. Available online: [7]
  17. ^ Michell, John. Confessions of a Radical Traditionalist (2005) ISBN 0971204446
  18. ^ Gardell, Mattias. Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism (2003) Duke publishing press ISBN 0822330717
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_J._Moynihan&oldid=177750486"