Diplomatic appointments do not usually excite the world’s metalheads. But when Taiwan on Monday named the frontman for a band known as “the Black Sabbath of Asia” as its envoy to the heavy metal mecca of Finland, rockers on multiple continents rejoiced.
“Because if you’re gonna be an ambassador to any Scandinavian country, you better be in a metal band,” the Brooklyn-based publication Metal Injection wrote.
The choice of Freddy Lim, founder and lead singer of Chthonic, by President Lai Ching-te of Taiwan appears apt: Finland has the most metal bands per capita, with about 80 for every 100,000 citizens — a data point often cited by metal fans. And Mr. Lim already has an affinity for the country, where his band has played in major cities and performed with Finnish musicians.
“Working with my partners in the Finnish music industry for a long time has made me have a special feeling for this country,” Mr. Lim said in a social media post on Monday, noting that his band had released four albums with the Finnish-founded label Spinefarm Records.
His selection as Taiwan’s envoy is not based on musical fame alone. He served as a national legislator from 2016 to 2024 and was chairman of Amnesty International in Taiwan from 2010 to 2014. Taiwan’s foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, said on Monday that Mr. Lim was chosen for his human rights work and international exchange experience.
Mr. Lim, 49, formed Chthonic (pronounced THON-ik) around 1995, creating a heavy metal mythology for the band using elements of Taiwan’s local lore instead of the pagan and satanic imagery of some Western bands. The band’s 2005 album, “Seediq Bale” (Real Person), which was released in the United States in 2006 and worldwide the next year, brought the band international attention. It got Chthonic a spot in Ozzfest — on a tour founded and headlined by the British heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne — playing 24 major American cities. The band also toured Europe that year.
Chthonic used its music and performances to call attention to the struggles of Taiwan, a democratically governed island of 23 million about 100 miles off China’s mainland. Beijing considers the island a renegade province and pressures other countries to keep it out of international bodies.
In 2007, The International Herald Tribune wrote that Chthonic used “loud music and diabolical face paint to bring attention to its home government’s exclusion from the United Nations.”
Mr. Lim explained at the time how he presents the issue onstage to audiences. “I usually say: ‘The U.N. considers themselves to represent all nations of the world. But Taiwan is limited from its membership, so Taiwan represents the underworld, like you guys!’ When I say, ‘Underworld,’ they go crazy.”
Mr. Lim highlighted his varied experiences in his statement about his new role, saying they had given him “a sense of mission in Taiwan’s international affairs.”
His official turn to politics began in 2014, when hundreds of students occupied Taiwan’s Parliament to protest a trade deal with China that they feared would make Taiwan more vulnerable to Beijing’s influence. Students took to the streets in what became known as the Sunflower Movement, and Mr. Lim was among the best-known participants.
By then, the musician had already established himself as a vocal advocate, someone who had literally been screaming about Taiwan for years.
In 2015, Mr. Lim founded the New Power Party and secured a parliamentary seat the next year. But in 2019, he ran as an independent and in later joined the governing Democratic Progressive Party.
As a legislator, he has been involved in foreign affairs and often held late-night meetings online to discuss issues of “democracy, human rights and security” with counterparts abroad, he said in his statement. At Amnesty International, he added, he worked “hand in hand” with branches in Finland and beyond on human rights issues. Mr. Lim did not respond to a request for comment.
Though heavy metal fans may be onboard with his appointment, several legislators from opposition parties in Taiwan expressed doubts. They note that Mr. Lim said he did not serve compulsory military service because of an anxiety disorder, and they question whether he was suitable for the position.
His appointment comes as Taiwan’s president has taken a tougher stance on China, raising criticism from some who say it’s a risky position since a geopolitically fickle President Trump may not offer steadfast support for the island.
And China’s global squeeze on the government in Taipei is still in effect. On the day Mr. Lim’s new role was announced, member states in the World Health Organization rejected a proposal to invite Taiwan to an annual meeting in Geneva after China opposed it.
In his statement about the new role, Mr. Lim said that Taiwan and Finland had made advances in economic and trade cooperation and other areas in recent years, and that he would continue to build “on this solid foundation” and “strive for stronger support from Finland for Taiwan.”
The metalhead turned politician — who has returned to making music — signed off with the Finnish word for cheers: “Kippis!”
Amy Chang Chien and Amy Qin contributed reporting.
Ephrat Livni is a reporter for The Times’s DealBook newsletter, based in Washington.
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