Earlier this month, Misfits and Danzig frontman Glenn Danzig kicked off his temporary United States tour (with help from Down, Abbath and Cro-Mags). The tour runs till the top of March, and whereas it needs to be an entirely enjoyable expertise for attendees, some followers are calling out Danzig over Nazi iconography on his merch.
What Occurred
A number of Reddit threads (throughout a number of subreddits) have popped up over the past 24 hours with pictures of a chunk of Danzig merchandise that options the “Black Solar” image (in any other case often called the “sunwheel” or “sonnenrad” image). In response to the Anti-Defamation League, the image “is certainly one of quite a few historic European symbols appropriated by the Nazis of their try and invent an idealized ‘Aryan/Norse’ heritage.”
The ADL provides:
The sonnenrad seems within the conventional symbology of many international locations and cultures, together with Outdated Norse and Celtic cultures. It has numerous variations; the swastika and related rounded variants are literally sonnenrad types, as are sure variations of the Celtic Cross. In Nazi Germany, the Nazi Social gathering, the SA and the SS all used sonnenrad symbology at occasions, which has led neo-Nazis and different trendy white supremacists to undertake such photos. One sonnenrad model particularly is common amongst white supremacists: two concentric circles with crooked rays emanating from the interior circle to the outer circle. Typically white supremacists will put one other hate image reminiscent of a swastika within the middle of the interior circle.
As a result of sonnenrad imagery is utilized by many cultures around the globe, one shouldn’t assume that almost all sonnenrad-like photos essentially denote racism or white supremacy; quite, they need to be analyzed fastidiously within the context through which they seem.
To this point, the entire Reddit threads have shared the identical picture (on posters and shirts) for Danzig’s present final night time (March 29) on the Kia Discussion board in Inglewood, Calif. Within the picture, a cartoonish depiction of Danzig is seen carrying an the other way up cross and scowling as he stands in entrance of the “Black Solar” image with clenched fists on fireplace. Moreover, some photos present that each the poster and shirt glow at midnight.
For instance, a thread on the r/Danzig subreddit (entitled “Nazi merch on the Danzig present final night time”) started earlier this morning (March 30) and has acquired dozens of feedback confirming – after which condemning and/or arguing about – the affiliation. The truth is, one consumer wrote: “His stage title is Danzig, he is at all times intentionally courted controversy,” whereas one other particular person expressed: “You can not show nazi shit in a time when there are precise nazis in energy and name it ‘occult.’ Cease stumping for this fascist shit.”
One other thread on the identical subreddit – titled “FFS, Actually Glenn? That is over the road” – provoked the same quantity of impassioned and polarized responses. For example, one consumer defined: “It is like folks aren’t conscious of Glenn Danzig or his close to 50 yr profession. He is actually at all times exploited controversial imagery and symbolism. He is the man who wrote Bullet, keep in mind? He makes use of iron crosses and pentagrams and he enjoys inflicting a stir. Is he a Nazi? Extremely uncertain. Transfer on.”
As already talked about, there are comparable threads posted to r/punk and r/AntifascistsofReddit, too, and elsewhere, Danzig has been embraced for utilizing the picture.
As of this writing, Danzig has not launched a press release in regards to the scenario, and you’ll view the picture (alongside two opposing reactions to it) beneath.
READ MORE: Detroit Venue Points Assertion After Shutting Down Black Metallic Live performance With Sturdy Racist + Neo-Nazi Associations
Danzig’s Controversial Previous Feedback
That is definitely not the primary time Danzig has stated or completed one thing controversial in recent times. Again in 2021, as an example, Loudwire reported on his remarks concerning whether or not punk bands (reminiscent of Misfits) would be capable of launch edgy materials throughout the trendy tradition of “woke bullshit.”
Referring to “Final Caress” (which is about murdering infants and sexually assaulting moms), particularly, Danzig instructed Rolling Stone:
It’s only a crazy-ass track. We’d do issues simply to piss folks off. . . . Folks don’t perceive, as a result of every part’s so cancel-culture, woke bullshit these days, however you possibly can by no means have the punk explosion these days, due to cancel tradition and woke bullshit. You might by no means have it. It might by no means have occurred. We’re fortunate it occurred when it did, as a result of it’ll by no means occur once more. You gained’t have any of these sorts of bands ever once more. Everybody’s so uptight and P.C., it’s similar to, “OK, no matter.”
In a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone, Danzig commented on a second in his “1990 long-form” video about his ebook assortment through which he said that “each college youngster” ought to have a duplicate of The Occult Roots of Nazism:
“It was sarcastic. Nicely, you’ll be able to be taught from it. Clearly, if a ebook is revealed, it’s received data in it. Should you let your bias get in the best way, you don’t find out about it. If I used to be a Nazi hunter, I’d need to learn this ebook. If somebody says it’s politically incorrect to have that ebook, I principally say, “Fuck you.” Should you’re going to inform me what ebook to learn or not learn, who’s the fascist?
Rock + Metallic Songs With Social Messages
Music has the facility to maneuver folks. It additionally has the facility to maneuver them to motion.
Gallery Credit score: Taylor Markarian
