Shaman punk is a subgenre of punk rock and

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier pu ...

first used by critics to describe the musical style of Hungarian band

Galloping Coroners Galloping Coroners ( Hungarian: Vágtázó Halottkémek, , also known as VHK and Rasende Leichenbeschauer) was a Hungarian rock band active from 1975–2001, and briefly reformed in 2009 and 2013. The band established a unique "shaman punk" or " ...

in the 1980s.

History

When Galloping Coroners (Hungarian: Vágtázó Halottkémek or simply VHK) was formed in 1975, there was not a defined category for the musical genre that they were exploring. Frontman Atilla Grandpierre was a student of shaman's music infusing Galloping Coroners with

shamanistic Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a Spirit world (Spiritualism), spirit world through Altered state of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, such as tranc ...

philosophies and concepts from the start. Because the group was formed 1–2 years before the western

punk movement The punk subculture includes a diverse and widely known array of ideologies, fashion, and other forms of expression, visual art, dance, literature, and film. Largely characterised by anti-establishment views, the promotion of individual freedo ...

the band didn't initially use the term "shaman punk" to define their music. In late 1970s as punk rock emerged, VHK's relationship to punk and hardcore become obvious for both the band, fans and journalists. "Shamanistic punk", "psychedelic hardcore" and also "ethno punk" were expressions that began to be used retroactively by western musical press from the 1980s and was also applied by the Hungarian press after the political changes around 1989. Some critics who regard tribal shaman music as an ancient form of folk music suggested the use of "ethno punk", while others claim that VHK's musical style should be regarded as a

folk punk Folk punk (known in its early days as rogue folk) is a fusion of folk music and punk rock. It was popularized in the early 1980s by the Pogues in England, and by Violent Femmes in the United States. Folk punk achieved some mainstream success in ...

subgenre. But, while typical "folk punk" groups include national folk elements in their music, VHK's repetitive, ecstatic sound with distorted guitars and inarticulate howls is much closer to hardcore or even

industrial rock Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Cromagnon, Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubaute ...

. Today the "shaman punk" expression is widely used in Hungarian and western musical media when talking about Galloping Coroners. To date there is no other group that is regarded as "shaman punk".

Philosophy

The concept of "shaman punk" music is rooted in VHK's musical philosophy which includes exploring contemporary musical expressions of what prehistoric shamans did by their ecstatic, tribal ceremonies to find and join the powers of nature and creation. The band states that "it is a magical folk-music, a cosmic vision about the role of earthly life on the destination of the Universe." VHK has described their music as "an instinctive primeval music liberating the elementary powers of nature - creating ourselves and evolving to its highest completion with a free spontaneity and overwhelming energy." Band leader Attila Grandpierre explains this in his manifesto ''Punk As a Rebirth of Shamanist Folk Music'' in 1984 :

Musical features

References

{{reflist

Bibliography

# ''Contemplating the Heavens with VHK's Atilla Grandpierre'', by Jordan N. Mamone, at www.vice.com, 201

# New York Times: Critic's Notebook; ''Rock Music of Eastern Europe: So Western, So Familiar, So Old'' By JON PARELES Published: February 28, 1990

# Attila Grandpierre: ''Punk As a Rebirth of Shamanist Folk Music'

# Documentary film: VHK - The Ones Who Taught Death a Lesson, 2012

imdb.com
Documentary film: VHK - The Ones Who Taught Death a Lesson, 2012
Interview with Attila Grandpierre
by Archie Patterson, Eurock.com # Anna Szemere: ''Up from the Underground: The Culture of Rock Music in Postsocialist Hungary'', The Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park, 2001 Shaman punk,