In a swift response to the controversy, Century Media Records has just announced the termination of their contract with the Swedish black metal band Watain, following a controversy involving band members Erik Danielsson and Set Teitan throwing Neo-Nazi (NSBM) salutes during a live event. Photographic evidence has once again surfaced showing Danielsson and Teitan engaging in what appeared to be Nazi salutes, sparking widespread backlash within the metal community and beyond. The images, which circulated on social media, were not the first time Watain has engaged in such behaviour while on tour.
Century Media, in a statement released today, expressed that while the gestures were claimed to be made in jest, the label finds such actions incompatible with their values, and have decided to terminate the contract of Watain. This leaves the band without a major label for the first time in their history, as Century Media had been backing them since their debut Rabid Death Curse, in 2000. The band's latest album, The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain, will have to be released through a different distributor for the first time.
Watain, known for their theistic Satanist views and theatrical live shows involving pyrotechnics and copious amounts of corpsepaint, has often walked the line of controversy. Their first demo, for instance, is titled "Go Fuck Your Jewish God" and has numerous lyrics of very controversial (NSBM) nature. However, this incident marks a significant point where artistic expression and social responsibility collide.
Set Teitan has stepped down, at least temporarily, from his position as live guitarist in an attempt to quell further controversy, while Erik Danielsson has issued a statement denouncing the state of "political correctness" in the black metal scene.
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