The two Awake! articles referred to by Atlantis above can be accessed here (1992) and here (1993).
Death Metal—What’s the Message? (1992)
Even the more mainstream heavy-metal groups purvey messages that are hardly less grotesque. Time magazine reported that the two record albums by the heavy-metal group Guns N’ Roses sold over 1.5 million copies in three days. Yet, the albums continue what Time calls the band’s “unrelentingly sexist and uncompromisingly violent lyrics” and “their forays into xenophobia, racism and sadomasochism.” They also feature such themes as oral sex, homicide, and a profusion of profanities. Several chains of stores have refused to sell the records.
Can Music Really Hurt Me? (1993)
Take heavy-metal music—a particularly noxious form of hard rock that is usually played at ear-splitting volume. Heavy-metal bands typically sport names like Poison, Skid Row, Guns N’ Roses, and Slayer. Time magazine said: “The band names alone conjure up images of mayhem, torture and death.” The same can be said of the horrifying artwork that adorns the album covers and that often depicts satanic symbols.