In particular, self-declared Satanist and alleged member of the Knights of the Black Circle, Ricky "the Acid King" Kasso, became notorious for torturing and murdering Lauwers while attempting to force Lauwers to declare "I love Satan" during the murder.

In the thirteenth century, there were also references made to a group of "Luciferians" led by a woman named Lucardis which hoped to see Satan rule in Heaven. The first black metal band, Venom, proclaimed themselves to be Satanists, although this was more an act of provocation than an expression of genuine devotion to the Devil. Whether you're looking for information on a specific symbol or want to explore the meaning of symbols in general, our comprehensive guide has you covered. Bands active in the subgenre of death metal— among them Deicide, Morbid Angel, and Entombed, also adopted Satanic imagery, combining it with other morbid and dark imagery, such as that of zombies and serial killers.

The story of Melek Taus itself is also considered by JoS to have many satanic elements, such as being described as the angel who rebelled against the Abrahamic god. Although several historical precedents exist, the contemporary religious practice of Satanism began with the founding of the atheistic Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States in 1966. In 1966, he founded the Church of Satan, which he intended to be a counter-religion for all those who, like him, wanted to reject traditional Christian morality. The Devil is embraced as a symbol of defiance against the Abrahamic faiths which LaVey criticized for what he saw as the suppression of humanity's natural instincts.

LaVey’s main point of disagreement with Christianity was that it bred conformity in humans by asking them to go against their nature.The historian of religion Ruben van Luijk used a "working definition" in which Satanism was regarded as "the intentional, religiously motivated veneration of Satan". From their survey data, Dyrendal, Lewis, and Petersen noted that the average length of involvement in the Satanic milieu was seven years. The four letter name has many pronunciations and can be seen over 7,000 times throughout the Hebrew Bible. This iconographical form of the Hindu Trimurti god Visnu, whose body represents the structure and form of the entire cosmos. Beginning in the late 1960s, organized Satanism emerged out of the occult subculture with the formation of the Church of Satan.