American death metal outfit Ripped To Shreds has pulled the plug on a show with Master, publicly condemning the elder band for appearing at a festival associated with neo-Nazism. The decision comes after Master performed at the controversial Metal Threat festival in Chicago, a weekend that lit up backlash over its lineup.
Ripped To Shreds’ Instagram statement didn’t mince words:
“Refusing to play with a neonazi band like Arghoslent that glorifies the black slave trade is the lowest possible bar, and master still failed it, so we’re withdrawing from Friday’s show at @924gilmanstreet support to @bitterendbooking for doing the right thing and cancelling the show.”
They went further, clarifying the business:
“We’re still leaving heavy talent, but I would like to clarify that heavy talent only reps sinister, the sinister and master tour was booked as a package, and master booked their show with Metal Threat directly through Paul Dunski and not through heavy talent.”
The crux of the issue: Arghoslent, a band accused of promoting white supremacist ideology and lyrics glorifying the black slave trade, played the same festival. Master’s choice to share that stage drew the ire of Ripped To Shreds.
The Metal Threat festival had already stirred strife. Its line-up included bands like Inquisition (which has its own array of controversies) and Arghoslent. Several acts dropped out prior to the festival over visa, moral, or scheduling concerns.
As of now, Master has not responded to the accusations or to Ripped To Shreds’ withdrawal.
Ripped To Shreds’ frontman Andrew Lee previously addressed white supremacist trends and systemic racism in metal, and this move lines up with that stance. Their boycott is more than cancellation, it’s a public stand.
In the metal world, silence can be complicity. Ripped To Shreds just made sure they weren’t silent, and by pulling out, they drew a line in the pit.
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