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Earlier this month, Misfits<\/a> and Danzig<\/a> frontman Glenn Danzig<\/a> kicked off his brief United States tour (with support from Down<\/a>, Abbath<\/a> and Cro-Mags<\/a>). The tour runs until the end of March, and while it should be a wholly fun experience for attendees, some fans are calling out Danzig over Nazi iconography on his merch.<\/p>\n Multiple Reddit threads (across multiple subreddits) have popped up over the last 24 hours with photos of a piece of Danzig merchandise that features the \u201cBlack Sun\u201d symbol (otherwise known as the \u201csunwheel\u201d\u00a0or \u201csonnenrad\u201d symbol). According to the Anti-Defamation League<\/a>, the symbol “is one of a number of ancient European symbols appropriated by the Nazis in their attempt to invent an idealized \u2018Aryan\/Norse\u2019 heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n The ADL adds:<\/p>\n The sonnenrad appears in the traditional symbology of many countries and cultures, including Old Norse and Celtic cultures. It has countless variations; the swastika and similar rounded variants are actually sonnenrad forms, as are certain versions of the Celtic Cross. In Nazi Germany, the Nazi Party, the SA and the SS all used sonnenrad symbology at times, which has led neo-Nazis and other modern white supremacists to adopt such images. One sonnenrad version in particular is popular among white supremacists: two concentric circles with crooked rays emanating from the inner circle to the outer circle. Often white supremacists will put another hate symbol such as a swastika in the center of the inner circle.<\/p>\n Because sonnenrad imagery is used by many cultures around the world, one should not assume that most sonnenrad-like images necessarily denote racism or white supremacy; rather, they should be analyzed carefully in the context in which they appear.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n So far, all of the Reddit threads have shared the same image (on posters and shirts) for Danzig\u2019s show last night<\/a> (March 29) at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. In the image, a cartoonish depiction of Danzig is seen wearing an upside down cross and scowling as he stands in front of the \u201cBlack Sun\u201d symbol with clenched fists on fire. Additionally, some images show that both the poster and shirt glow in the dark.<\/p>\n For example, a thread on the r\/Danzig subreddit<\/a> (entitled \u201cNazi merch at the Danzig show last night\u201d) began earlier this morning (March 30) and has received dozens of comments confirming \u2013 and then condemning and\/or arguing about\u00a0\u2013\u00a0the association. In fact, one user wrote: \u201cHis stage name is Danzig, he’s always deliberately courted controversy,\u201d while another person expressed: \u201cYou cannot display nazi shit in a time when there are actual nazis in power and call it ‘occult.’ Stop stumping for this fascist shit.\u201d<\/p>\n Another thread on the same subreddit<\/a> \u2013 titled \u201cFFS, Really Glenn? This is over the line\u201d \u2013 provoked a similar amount of impassioned and polarized responses. For instance, one user explained: \u201cIt’s like people aren’t aware of Glenn Danzig or his near 50 year career. He’s literally always exploited controversial imagery and symbolism. He’s the guy who wrote Bullet<\/a>, remember? He uses iron crosses and pentagrams and he enjoys causing a stir. Is he a Nazi? Highly doubtful. Move on.\u201d<\/p>\n As already mentioned, there are comparable threads posted to\u00a0r\/punk<\/a> and r\/AntifascistsofReddit<\/a>, too, and elsewhere, Danzig has been embraced for using the image<\/a>.<\/p>\n As of this writing, Danzig has not released a statement about the situation, and you can\u00a0view the image (alongside two opposing reactions to it) below.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Detroit Venue Issues Statement After Shutting Down Black Metal Concert With Strong Racist + Neo-Nazi Associations<\/a><\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n This is certainly not the first time Danzig has said or done something controversial in recent years. Back in 2021, for instance,\u00a0Loudwire reported<\/a> on his remarks regarding whether punk bands (such as Misfits) would be able to release edgy material within the modern culture of \u201cwoke bullshit.\u201d<\/p>\n Referring to \u201cLast Caress<\/a>\u201d (which is about murdering babies and sexually assaulting mothers), in particular, Danzig told Rolling Stone<\/a>:<\/p>\n It\u2019s just a crazy-ass song. We would do things just to piss people off. . . . People don\u2019t understand, because everything\u2019s so cancel-culture, woke bullshit nowadays, but you could\u00a0never have the punk explosion nowadays, because of cancel culture and woke bullshit. You could never have it. It would never have happened. We\u2019re lucky it happened when it did, because it\u2019ll never happen again. You won\u2019t have any of those kinds of bands ever again. Everyone\u2019s so uptight and P.C., it\u2019s just like, \u201cOK, whatever.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n In a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone<\/a>, Danzig commented on a moment in his \u201c1990 long-form\u201d video about his book collection<\/a> in which he stated that \u201cevery school child\u201d should have a copy of The Occult Roots of Nazism<\/a><\/em>:<\/p>\n \u201cIt was sarcastic. Well, you can learn from it. Obviously, if a book is published, it\u2019s got knowledge in it. If you let your bias get in the way, you don\u2019t know about it. If I was a Nazi hunter, I\u2019d want to read this book. If someone says it\u2019s politically incorrect to have that book, I basically say, \u201cFuck you.\u201d If you\u2019re going to tell me what book to read or not read, who\u2019s the fascist?<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Music has the power to move people. It also has the power to move them to action.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Taylor Markarian<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat Happened<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Danzig\u2019s Controversial Past Comments<\/h3>\n
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Rock + Metal Songs With Social Messages<\/h2>\n