New Zealand Black Metal Drummer Charged With Setting Two Mormon Churches Ablaze

April 3, 2019

According to the New Zealand Herald, Jacob Lowenstein, the 28-year-old drummer for the New Zealand black metal band IGNI, has been charged with setting two Mormon churches ablaze.

Lowenstein appeared from custody via audio visual link at Christchurch District Court today on two charges of arson and one of unlawfully taking a vehicle.

The arson charges are in relation to fires at Mormon church buildings in Christchurch and Greymouth, which occurred two days apart in March.

On March 11, a fire broke out in a building in Christchurch which was used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as a learning institution for tertiary students.

According to Stuff, the second fire at the church's Greymouth building on March 13 destroyed the chapel and caused enough damage for the building to need demolition.

At the time, Fire and Emergency New Zealand fire investigator Sam Bugler said the fire destroyed about half of the church.

Lowenstein and Declan MacInnes formed IGNI in 2016 at Jazz School in Christchurch. The band has released two full-length albums: "The Pale" (2017) and "This Must Be Hell" (2018). Both LPs were recorded at the school.

Today I breathed some life into the next album by laying down all of the drum tracks.
The whole weekend was a crazy stressful time and couldn’t have been achieved without the help of many of my friends, most importantly @steamyjae and @macinnesdeclan
This next album from us is going to be very different. 💀
#drums #blastbeats #recording #music #blackmetal #melodicblackmetal #atmosphericblackmetal
Posted by Igni on Sunday, March 3, 2019

#nzblackmetal #blackmetal
Posted by Igni on Sunday, February 10, 2019

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