SATANIC WARMASTER – Regarding Hellfest

This weekend we could read the news that Satanic Warmaster was removed from the Hellfest lineup after pressure from some of the other bands in the impressive lineup. This has caused a lot of rumors and falsehoods published online the last couple of days and therefore Eternal Terror’s Eivindur Gautier got in touch with Satanic Warmaster’s Werwolf in an attempt to get some clarifying answers.

First reaction to the Hellfest incident? Did the organizers give you any formal reason for not having you on board anymore?

My first reaction was "well, they took their time, here we go". They gave no other reason than that some of the other bands on the festival had been protesting against our participation, and that they were forced to remove us from the festival roster on that basis.

Does this mean that the possibilities to see Satanic Warmaster in France are slim to none now?

I don’t think so.

The nazi claims? Do you reckon that the views of certain band members should be the cause of censorship?

It’s easy for any self-righteous idiot to whip out the accusations. It has never been my world view that has caused trouble, mostly because nobody has never really even bothered to ask. Out of dozens of songs I have some stuff that is easy to take out of context and portray as some kind of "worst kind of neo nazi propaganda" for idiots who join the hysteria without thinking twice. I saw people discussing this Hellfest matter online and Satanic Warmaster was already referred to as "one of the most famous Nazi band in Europe", which was more than ostentatious!

Just out of curiosity, shouldn’t the promoters of the fest have been aware of any shady business of Satanic Warmaster already? Isn’t there an extensive list you have to fill when you apply to get in there?

I never applied to get in. They asked us and we were very enthusiastic about it.

Next steps?

Nothing changes.

You reckon this will be over before the night is through or is this the beginning a nazisatanic panic?

Things like this happen all the time until people learn that double standard has no place in metal. Especially in my case when the rhetoric is usually on the level of things like "this guy played live with this band who said this" etc.

Back when Cannibal Corpse got into trouble with censorship issues it caused a considerable increase in the band’s sales. You think you will be buying gold plated studs at your local jeweler before the end of the week or just still where you are because it’s nazis and not gore that’s the shock factor here?

Incidents like this always cause peaks in record sales, so I want to thank whoever it was that put this ball rolling, because the profits most likely exceed the money we would’ve gotten from Hellfest with flying colors.

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