Freddy Lim, frontman of the Taiwanese extreme metal band CHTHONIC and now a politician and diplomat, reflected on the relationship between music and political change during an appearance on the Bleeding Metal podcast, recorded at the Tuska festival in Helsinki. Lim argued that artists can achieve things politicians cannot, contending that while political reform is important, cultural change matters more because art inspires people to understand why issues matter and encourages them to keep moving forward. His comments carry particular weight given his rare dual career spanning both metal music and elected office.

Lim served two terms in Taiwan's legislature from 2016 to 2024, and was regarded as the first metal musician to sit in a national parliament; in 2025 he was appointed Taiwan's ambassador to Finland. He cited his role in helping pass same-sex marriage in 2019, making Taiwan the first Asian country to legalise it, while noting that discrimination against same-sex couples persists despite the legal change. Lim credited bands such as Rage Against The Machine and System Of A Down with inspiring him to take action, and recalled that CHTHONIC, formed in the mid-1990s, faced harassment from officials and media in Taiwan's early democratic years due to its politically charged lyrics.