Ulterior Motives

Nine years ago, the small, rural town of West Memphis, Arkansas was rocked by the gruesome murders of three eight-year old boys. Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley, Jr., three local teens with a fondness for black clothes, heavy metal music and the Wiccan religion, were found guilty of committing the crime, and Echols was sentenced to death while the other two were given life imprisonment.

Far from a popular decision, many viewed the trial and subsequent verdict as an unsubstantiated witch hunt that interpreted the teens' style of dress and taste in music as suitable indicators of their guilt. The West Memphis Three, as they have since become known, still claim innocence and consider themselves victims of an overly Puritanical society.

Following the release of Paradise Lost, a two-part HBO documentary that chronicled the trial, issue-happy musicians have flocked to their sides. Most recently, former Black Flag and Rollins Band frontman Henry Rollins has spearheaded Rise Above, a 24-track collection of Black Flag remakes featuring the guest vocals of such artists as Iggy Pop, Ice T, Lemmy Kilmister of Mot--rhead and Nick Oliveri of Queens of the Stone Age. All proceeds from the album benefit the West Memphis Three's legal defense fund as they continue their arduous rounds of appeals.

Rollins himself, in addition to lending his name and songs to the effort, rekindles his duties as the politically infused angry American that made Black Flag one of the most influential Los Angeles hardcore punk bands of the 1980s.

"Damien, Jessie and Jason were found guilty of murdering three boys and sent to prison," said Rollins of his decision to create a tribute album. "I didn't agree with the verdict. I figured that to do nothing about that would be to align myself with the forces of injustice that got them pulled into this horrible situation."

But one is forced to ponder Rollins' real motive here. Celebrities love to take up a cause. Dylan did it with Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, and it served him quite well. But Rollins would probably scrawl "Free Mumia" on bathroom walls with a Sharpie until his hand fell off if he thought it would get him some attention. Rollins Band isn't doing as much screaming as they used to, so even if Rise Above is monetarily for the benefit of the West Memphis Three, it's an equally self-serving tribute for Rollins.

The inherent problem with Rise Above is its utter lack of creativity. Why does Rollins insist on covering his own material when so many gifted artists are in the same room? Why not cut some new material while you have the artillery?

Ultimately, the culpability of the West Memphis Three is for neither the musician nor critic to decide. The appeals will drag on and Rise Above, despite its squandered potential, will help fund the process. The only obvious verdict here, however, is that Henry Rollins is guilty of self-aggrandizing behavior.