Sublime, a band well known for songs like "Santeria," depicts many different themes within their music, and all their songs evoke a summer-like feeling. The band is also well known for their sun logo, which can be found in every t-shirt section everywhere. But have you ever actually zoomed in on the logo?
The sun was commissioned by the band and created by tattoo artist Opie Ortiz, a friend of frontman Bradley Nowell. This logo has become a common print on shirts similar to the Nirvana smiley face. But most people have yet to further examine the sun and the drawing that can be found within it. Located and hidden within the sun are many different demonic figures, including the devil himself. The sun itself contains skulls, a genie and his bottle, a ghost-like skeleton, a switch blade, and the devil, surrounded by flames.
While this logo contains a satanic representation, the band has never received pushback from conservative or anti-devil worship, similar to bands like Black Sabbath during the satanic panic. The band's logo has just been called trippy or stoner-influenced, which leads me to wonder if this band was around during the Satanic Panic, would they have received the same response as Black Sabbath or other Occult rock musicians?
So, what do you think is Sublime pushing demonic imagery, or are they just represented by a trippy sun?
This is really interesting. I am a huge music person, so this was interesting to know they didn't receive backlash like other rock musicians of the time. I think if the Satanic imagery in their logo was more detectable, then they would have been critiqued by anti-devil worship and Christian groups. I did research on Ozzy Osbourne for one of my blogs, and he believed that singing about Satan and the devil was a way to mock organized religion. He thought these groups were too concerned with sin and maintaining a specific appearance, rather than living life and not being bound to confinement. He saw Satan as freedom and confinement from societal norms. I think Sublime also sees Satan as freedom in the same way Osbourne does.
ReplyDeleteI just took at the logo you're talking about Olivia and it also reminds me of Grateful Dead and dia de Muertos (Mexican Day of the Dead) iconography.
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