Psychedelic metallers NACHTMYSTIUM have been asked to drop off the Scion Rock Fest today because of the corporate sponsor’s concerns regarding allegations that the band may have Nazi ties/ideological beliefs. Frontman Blake Judd issued the following statement:
“Nachtmystium has sad news today with a once-again recurring issue surfacing from the wake of our past. We’ve been forced, at the request of the promoters and the folks at Scion/Toyota, to pull out of the Scion Rock Festival, scheduled for Saturday, February 28th. This news came to us just this past Tuesday and was very disheartening to say the least. A troubling, and unjustly-applied notion that we are, or ever have been, in any way, a “Nazi” band or a political band on any level, is completely absurd and we are disgusted that there is someone out there who really believes we are of this ilk. It made it as far as the sponsors of this events desks, and now we are forced to pull out of it after some political threatening on the part of these ridiculously uneducated person/people who have caused this ruckus. “We’d like to make light of at least one aspect of this situation and use the opportunity to once again clear the air – we are, IN NO WAY, a ‘Nazi’ band. We do NOT support such groups, political beliefs or bands that are affiliated with that world. We have canceled tours in the past and dodged working with bands and people BECAUSE they had these ideologies and we never wanted to be affiliated with it. Yet, here we are, a metal band who’s members are more like hippies than your typical leather-clad metal maniacs, and we’re being falsely accused of this association once again. We will be taking legal action against the people who slandered us in this situation, and in the future will file defamation/slander charges against any person or organization who attempts to prevent us from performing anywhere, especially in the United States. We are as offended by this as someone might be at the notion of a Nazi band playing a big corporate-sponsered festival. So – let it be known loud and clear for the LAST TIME, we ARE NOT a Nazi band, ARE NOT political, are certainly NOT racists and DO NOT support that world or any band, person or business affiliated with it. “My deepest apologies to all of our friends, fans and people who have worked on and supported us being a part of this festival, we are sorry for these awful circumstances and you can be certain this will not defeat us. See all of you very, very soon.”
The controversy stems from the fact that NACHTMYSTIUM released their debut album Reign of the Malicious on Unholy Records, an National Socialist black metal (NSBM) label. In 2006, Judd indicated that despite releasing that album on Unholy Records, they had zero connection to the NSBM scene.
In the past, we’ve had some indirect ties to labels and bands that are part of the NS scene. At one point not too many years ago, it wasn’t uncommon for NS labels or bands to trade and work with non-politically motivated bands and labels because at the end of the day, we’re all trying to promote, release, and be involved with music—all politics aside. Today it seems like there’s less of a connection, at least for me and my label. We don’t oppose people’s right to be ‘NS’ or whatever—that’s a personal choice, and if you live in the USA, you have the right to that opinion. Even though I personally, my band(s) and my label have absolutely no interest in being a part of that scene, I will ALWAYS take their side when it comes to their freedom of speech being imposed upon.
NACHTMYSTIUM most recently released the excellent Assassins: Heavy Meddle, Part 1 in 2008.
