Over the weekend, Slaughter to Prevail performed the Vans Warped Tour present down in our nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. on the RFK Stadium Grounds. No biggie, it was solely the day the No Kings protests in opposition to the Cheeto-in-Chief’s deportation efforts and all that, so political tensions had been on edge. So when Slaughter To Prevail took to the stage and vocalist Alex Horrible got here out waving a Russian flag, it was sure to piss some folks off.
You see, Russia and America have been adversarial powers to 1 one other for an extended ass time. These days, it’s felt like a sure tangerine tyrant has been doing the whole lot in his energy to assist Russian President Vladimir Putin get what he desires, together with a weakened American energy construction and looking out the opposite approach as he seeks the entire annexation of Ukraine by way of brute power.
Couple all that with the truth that Horrible’s been a lightning rod for controversy through the years within the deathcore scene and this was sure to get some peoples’ hackles raised. He’s lengthy been fervently patriotic for his house nation, even if he mentioned he left as a result of he was being persecuted as a metallic musician whereas dwelling in Russia. In a submit on the band’s Instagram following their efficiency, Horrible mentioned he was blissful to have the ability to wave the Russian flag on the present.
“Im grateful to signify my nation worldwide I actually wish to make this legacy of the Russian heavy metallic band smashing the phases in all places and spreading a very good message. Inspire folks with our music to not to surrender on your self and do greater than you suppose you are able to do
@vanswarpedtour we admire your hospitality ! Crowd was insane”
After the backlash started blowing up on-line, nonetheless, he issued a for much longer assertion, lamenting how web tradition has warped the whole lot and that he’s going to proceed sharing his opinions shifting ahead.
You may learn the complete assertion within the picture beneath, however he captioned the submit with the next:
“Web life is a illness. It’s unhappy but it surely’s true. I’m studying to solely be a “poster”. I submit and depart. As a result of once I learn the remark part it makes me unhappy and really feel like I’ll by no means be ok for them.
“Simply make your stuff, submit and depart.”
All of this comes simply weeks after followers received up in arms that Dying Fetus and Suicide Silence had been opening for Slaughter to Prevail on an upcoming tour, regardless of all of the controversy surrounding Horrible and the band.
As a proponent of free speech, I believe it ought to go with out saying that Horrible needs to be allowed to wave the Russian flag on American soil. It’s his prerogative. That doesn’t imply he’s free from criticism about that motion, given the whole lot that’s happening, but it surely’s his proper. He’s additionally not mistaken about terminally on-line folks needing to recover from themselves and contact some fucking grass every now and then.
Nonetheless, bro ought to have identified that will have gotten folks pissed off. Possibly he did and that was the purpose.