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 during the last 24 hours with pictures of a bit of Danzig merchandise that options the “Black Solar” image (in any other case often known as the “sunwheel” or “sonnenrad” image). In accordance with the Anti-Defamation League, the image “is one in all a variety of historical 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The sonnenrad seems within the conventional symbology of many nations and cultures, together with Outdated Norse and Celtic cultures. It has numerous variations; the swastika and related rounded variants are literally sonnenrad kinds, as are sure variations of the Celtic Cross. In Nazi Germany, the Nazi Celebration, the SA and the SS all used sonnenrad symbology at occasions, which has led neo-Nazis and different fashionable white supremacists to undertake such photos. One sonnenrad model particularly is fashionable 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 comparable to a swastika within the heart of the interior circle.
As a result of sonnenrad imagery is utilized by many cultures world wide, one mustn’t assume that almost all sonnenrad-like photos essentially denote racism or white supremacy; relatively, they need to be analyzed rigorously within the context during which they seem.
Thus far, all the 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 wrong way up cross and scowling as he stands in entrance of the “Black Solar” image with clenched fists on hearth. Moreover, some photos present that each the poster and shirt glow at the hours of darkness.
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 obtained dozens of feedback confirming – after which condemning and/or arguing about – the affiliation. In actual fact, one person wrote: “His stage identify 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. As an illustration, one person 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, bear 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 may 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 actually not the primary time Danzig has mentioned or carried out one thing controversial in recent times. Again in 2021, as an example, Loudwire reported on his remarks concerning whether or not punk bands (comparable to Misfits) would be capable to launch edgy materials inside the fashionable 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 music. We might do issues simply to piss folks off. . . . Folks don’t perceive, as a result of the whole lot’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 possibly can by no means have it. It could 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 received’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 e book assortment during which he said that “each faculty little one” ought to have a replica of The Occult Roots of Nazism:
“It was sarcastic. Properly, you’ll be able to study from it. Clearly, if a e book is revealed, it’s acquired data in it. If you happen to let your bias get in the best way, you don’t learn about it. If I used to be a Nazi hunter, I’d wish to learn this e book. If somebody says it’s politically incorrect to have that e book, I mainly say, “Fuck you.” If you happen to’re going to inform me what e book to learn or not learn, who’s the fascist?
Music has the ability to maneuver folks. It additionally has the ability to maneuver them to motion.
Gallery Credit score: Taylor Markarian
