Thursday 26 November 2009

Stuttgard Youth Club Resists Censorship



The website Stattweb.de reported last weekend on a Black Metal concert held in Stuttgard on Saturday 14 November, featuring the Italian band STURMKAISER and the French band NOCTURNAL DEPRESSION. It seems the shady and hysterical Stuttgard Anti-Fascist Action pressured the youth centre to rescind their contract and ban the concert, alleging the bands were "Nazi". Fortunately, the venue resisted the pressure and the concert went ahead, as scheduled.

Stattweb's article is, of course, quite ignorant and grossly slanted, and received a lengthy refutation from the Popbüro Region Stuttgart, whom the article characterised, in an crudely defamatory fashion, as having provided a platform for anti-Semitism, Nazism, and racism. Unfortunately, the Popbüro comes across as on the defensive, which is not good, as this shows weakness and acceptance of the enemy's premises.

As to STURMKAISER, they state in their website that they are an apolitical band and that they simply use the aesthetics of paganism and warfare in a symbolic fashion. I have learnt to take such statements with a pinch of salt, as band members whom I have known to have clear political views, and whose music is, if in a sublimated and symbolic way, an expression of a strongly politicised sensibility, then claim they are "apolitical" in order to avoid boycotts and bans from frightened or politically correct distributors and magazines, or, worse, to avoid violence from terroristic political thugs, like the masked enforcers of political correctness who seek to ban and disrupt Black Metal concerts. Nevertheless, even if STURMKAISER's statement is an accurate reflection of their views, if I were them I would not bother with such remarks: when you play Black Metal, and when you use provocative imagery, you are inevitably going to upset people, even if you aim your art to a cloistered audience of like-minded fans. STURMKAISER should positively revel in being seen as monsters by the limp-wristed egalitarians, not grovel, explain, and apologise to them. Why be on the defensive? That only encourages the opposition, who are impervious to reason or persuasion anyway. The band should rather be attacking the idea that they owe egalitarians a justification for their elitism and hierarchical view of life, and follow the Nietzschean maxim of daring to be themselves.

Wednesday 25 November 2009

Undead



Due to commitments elsewhere, we have neglected our blog for quite sometime. In all honesty, we have not ever been very good at maintaining them, perhaps because there is always a great deal to do and a blog, if it is to be kept interesting, needs a sustained investment of time and effort. Another problem is, perhaps, the fact that lack of time has meant not having prioritised thinking through the various options, conceptually speaking, to arrive at a sustainable and effective formula.

At any rate, we have now decided to put a remedy to that and will begin posting here once more. Keep your eyes open for updates on our activities, new arrivals, comments, and more.