Diplomatic appointments rarely excite heavy metal fans worldwide. But on Monday, Taiwan surprised many by naming Freddy Lim — the lead singer of a band often called “the Black Sabbath of Asia” — as its new envoy to Finland, a country known as a global center for heavy metal music. Metal fans across several continents celebrated the news.
A Brooklyn-based metal magazine, Metal Injection, joked, “If you’re going to be an ambassador to any Scandinavian country, you better be in a metal band.”
The appointment by Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te seems fitting. Finland has the highest number of metal bands per capita — about 80 bands for every 100,000 people — a fact well-known among metal enthusiasts. Mr. Lim also has a strong connection to Finland. His band, Chthonic, has performed in major Finnish cities and collaborated with Finnish musicians.
In a social media post on Monday, Mr. Lim said he felt a special connection to Finland through his long-term work with Finnish music industry partners. He noted that Chthonic has released four albums with Spinefarm Records, a Finnish label.
However, Mr. Lim’s appointment is not just because of his music career. Taiwan’s foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, explained that Mr. Lim was chosen for his human rights work and international experience. From 2016 to 2024, Mr. Lim served as a national legislator. He also chaired Amnesty International in Taiwan from 2010 to 2014.
Mr. Lim, 49, formed Chthonic in 1995. The band blends heavy metal with Taiwanese folklore, avoiding the pagan or satanic themes common in Western metal. Their 2005 album, Seediq Bale (meaning “Real Person”), gained international attention after its U.S. release in 2006. The album helped the band secure a spot on Ozzfest, a major tour led by Ozzy Osbourne, playing 24 cities across America. They also toured Europe that year.
Chthonic uses its music to raise awareness about Taiwan’s political struggles. Taiwan is a democratic island with 23 million people, located about 100 miles off China’s coast. China considers Taiwan a breakaway province and pressures other countries to exclude it from international organizations.
In 2007, The International Herald Tribune noted that Chthonic used “loud music and diabolical face paint” to highlight Taiwan’s exclusion from the United Nations.
Mr. Lim once explained how he addresses this issue on stage: “I say, ‘The U.N. represents all nations, but Taiwan is excluded. So Taiwan is like the underworld, like you guys!’ When I say ‘Underworld,’ the crowd goes wild.”
Mr. Lim highlighted his diverse experience in a statement about his new role, saying it gave him “a sense of mission in Taiwan’s international affairs.”
His political career began in 2014 during the Sunflower Movement. Hundreds of students occupied Taiwan’s Parliament to protest a trade deal with China. They feared it would increase China’s influence over Taiwan. Mr. Lim was a well-known figure in the movement.
By then, he had already built a reputation as a strong advocate for Taiwan.
In 2015, Mr. Lim founded the New Power Party and won a parliamentary seat the following year. In 2019, he ran as an independent and later joined the Democratic Progressive Party, which governs Taiwan.
As a legislator, Mr. Lim focused on foreign affairs. He often held late-night online meetings to discuss democracy, human rights, and security with international partners. He also worked closely with Amnesty International branches in Finland and other countries on human rights issues. Mr. Lim did not respond to requests for comment.
Despite strong support from metal fans, some opposition lawmakers in Taiwan questioned Mr. Lim’s appointment. They noted he did not complete compulsory military service due to an anxiety disorder and questioned if he was fit for the diplomatic post.
Mr. Lim’s appointment comes as Taiwan’s president has taken a firmer stance on China. Some critics say this is risky because former U.S. President Trump, known for unpredictable foreign policy, may not fully support Taiwan.
China continues to pressure Taiwan internationally. On the day of Mr. Lim’s appointment, members of the World Health Organization rejected a proposal to invite Taiwan to a meeting in Geneva, after China opposed the move.
In his statement, Mr. Lim said Taiwan and Finland have grown closer in economic and trade relations. He pledged to build “on this solid foundation” and work for “stronger support from Finland for Taiwan.”
The metalhead-turned-politician, who has returned to making music, ended his statement with the Finnish word for cheers: “Kippis!”
Related Topics
