SODOM: RESPONDS TO FASCIST ALLEGATIONS REGARDING 2022 STEELFEST

 German thrash metal legends SODOM have responded to fascist allegations regarding the bands confirmed appearance at 2022 10th anniversary of STEELFEST, set to take place 5/12th, 13th, 14th and 15th, 2022 in HYVINKAA, FINLAND. 

 

 

 

 

 

FROM ANTI FASCIST BLACK METAL NETWORK:

 

Τhe live season is slowly starting and unfortunately with some good shows, we've got the festivals who dabble in fascist complicity trying to promote the worst tendencies of metal music. One of them is Finnish black metal fest Steelfest, which during its 10 years of existence has been featuring numerous bands with crypto-fascist agendas and even some with... pretty open ones. But in their announcement for 2022, Steelfest has outdone itself, including NSBM vanguards Graveland, Satanic Warmaster and Nokturnal Mortum (for another time). Even if these bands proclaim themselves as "ex" nazis we are not fooled, for they are still promoting a racialist extreme nationalist worldview and still regularly engage with the openly nazi scene (for example Nokturnal Mortum have recently played in Asgardrei festival in Ukraine which features openly nazi bands and has a direct connection with the neo-nazi Azov Batallion). And if that's not enough, this year's billing includes lots of supposedly "not" NSBM bands still noted for their fascist signaling, white nationalist side projects and so on (some of which are Horna, Destroyer 666, Kalmankantaya, Impaled Nazarene, Akitsa) and of course Inquisition, a band who, fascist side projects aside, a member of which was convicted for possession of child pornography. What's obvious is that all this is not a coincidence and this is a case of a festival which is clearly promoting a political agenda hidden behind thinly veiled "anti-politically correct" statements. Steelfest is unequivocally promoting a culture of crypto-fascism within the metal genre.

At the same time, we've also had the unfortunate luck to see many well respected metal bands that have no relationship with the reactionary right wing scene such as SAMAEL, Sodom, Venom Inc, Dismember, Havukruunu, Shape of Despair Official take part in the 2022 line-up. We'd like to ask them if promoting your music to any kind of occasion is worth it and if (especially to some of those that have expressed antifascist sentiments) its worth betraying your principles. We just heard that Melechesh has cancelled their appearance in the festival and we'd certainly happy to hear about more bands deciding not to take the ugly road of fascist complicity.

Covid surely made it hard for professional bands to have a decent income and musicians are looking for gigs to put some bread on the table. Yet the next year, covid permitting, we may see professional musicians dropping an antifascist façade and share stage with nazis just because of money. Of course this doesn't make them fascists, nor we say that these people don't deserve their bread. But still, opposing nazism can't be just adding a sticker to a guitar, or saying "we don't like racism" in an interview. Deciding that it is okay to play with nazis at a difficult time just shows your words are empty, or that you were just making some targeted marketing in the worst case.

For the comrades out there: this whole mess should inspire conversations on the relation between politics and the market, and on the fact that we either build up a scene, our scene, or we'll just be consumers like any other.

 

 

 

 

FROM SODOM: 

 

Hey pals! To get it right up front. Once again, we distance ourselves from bands that abuse their musical platform to express their political views, whether right or left, to the outside world. But we stand for freedom of expression for everyone and we won't let that talk us to death. When the Steelfest promoter booked the show with us at the end of 2019, these supporting acts and the billing were not even up for discussion. So we have a valid guest performance contract. We are currently clarifying the legal situation. We generally perform on behalf of ourselves and our fans and not for the other bands.

The politically correct bands, whatever that means, are in the majority at Steelfest. Will they all cancel their performance? We will definitely talk to the organizer again about this situation and will form our own judgment.

We can't always please everyone and we don't want that at all, but if we have to bow to some kind of political pressure every time, then we artists/musicians can soon quit our jobs. And after 40 years in this exciting business, I don't need any instructions about what to do or not.

We have a strong fan base in Finland and many are happy to see Sodom again receiving a special setlist exclusively. After this long dry spell, we are of course happy to be playing in Finland again. This is our job, our passion. That's what we are living for. We won't let that talk us to death either and decide for ourselves. We will of course keep you up to date on the current state of affairs.

But don`t forget…Sodom stands for freedom, peace, justice and democracy. And that's all that counts. Cheers ,)/

 

 

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-