SKYND have shared a gripping new single and video, Heaven’s
Gate.
Named after and written about the infamous religious group/cult
of the same name, this is only the second time the true crime-inspired duo have
tackled the topic of cults (following 2019’s Jim Jones), with vocalist Skynd
asking: “What personality and psychological factors are at play in people who
readily submit their lives and wills to cult leaders such as Jim Jones and
Marshall Applewhite? How can they not see these people are barking mad? The
madness of the cult leader is usually not apparent when the person first joins.”
She continues, “This is the second case I have written about a
cult. Two cults that cannot be compared with each other and yet they have some – or a lot of – parallels. As incredible and bizarre as Heaven’s Gate seems,
there are still cults today that brainwash their followers. The whole concept
of cults fascinates me because it’s always the same thing. Usually the takeover
of your freedom, your thoughts, etc. is a very gradual process. And the taking
away of a little piece of your freedom or identity is not seen as a big deal.
It’s just a small sacrifice for a good cause. The trouble is, those small
sacrifices add up until they’re a huge pile of sacrifices. But by then you’re
so indoctrinated into the group that it really doesn’t matter to you that much.
You’ve bought into the group’s message and mission. The group is your ‘family’
now. It’s their influence that drives you rather than your own inner voice of
reason.
“Marshall
Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles – known as Do and Ti – were able to appeal
to members by reaching out to people disillusioned with society and religious
spaces. Heaven’s Gate first ran into a major problem in 1985, one that
confronts many ‘prophetic’ religious leaders, cult or otherwise. When Ti passed
away in 1985 due to liver cancer, her body did not ascend per Heaven’s Gate’s
theology. So, Do had to adapt his teachings to this observable contradiction of
the cult’s beliefs. I personally blame Marshall for continuing anyway, even
though he knew it was a total lie.”
Watch the video for Heaven’s Gate below:
