Stage Performance
Chthonic is also known for their shocking and original stage costumes, which are composed mainly of corpse paint similar to many Scandinavian black metal bands. Starting in 1998 Chthonic incorporated some Taiwanese elements and characteristics, like the "8 Generals of Hell" on Freddy Lim's forehead. Keyboardist CJ Kao uses a cloth inscribed with Chinese characters wrapped around his head, which in mythology is a spell to raise Chinese Vampires from the dead.
With the release of the album Takasago Army in 2011, Chthonic changed to military-styled stage costumes. They also stopped using corpse paint because the band members found it tedious to put on before concerts. Fans often toss hell money during Chthonic's stage performances to create a dark atmosphere as well as for fun. People of Chinese culture who are unfamiliar with Chthonic may find this offensive or disrespectful because the practice is considered to be taboo.
The band is also known for burning the flag of the Kuomintang Party, first doing so in the video for the song "Forty-Nine Theurgy Chains" in 2009. This aroused some controversy. Packages containing a flag and a box of matches were later offered as official presents to fans.
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