Slaughter to Prevail frontman Alex Terrible has long been criticized for his Black Sun tattoo, and in a new interview has addressed the controversy.
Since forming in 2014, deathcore act Slaughter to Prevail have quickly become one of the genre’s biggest new acts. Along with this surge in popularity, frontman Alex Terrible has elicited much controversy for his views on numerous topics, including trans people and has been accused of being a Neo-Nazi due to his black tattoo on his elbow which has now been covered up.
Slaughter to Prevail on No Jumper Podcast
Earlier this week, the No Jumper podcast interviewed Terrible and guitarist Jack Simmons. During the episode, host Adam22 asks Terrible about the tattoo, inquiring, “I guess there was a tattoo and people tried to make it out like you were down with some racist dudes at a certain point. Is that exaggerated or was that something that you had in a brief time period of your life?”
Terrible clarifies that he’s asking about his Black Sun tattoo, and gives context in his words what was going on in Russia saying, “I’ve never been racist, actually. In Russia there was a huge wave of right-wing guys. We had these hard times with people from other regions, poor people from the mountains. People start to come to the big cities, for example Moscow, and they start to do gang shit.”
He continues, “And they’re screaming, ‘We’re from the mountains!’ being fucking crazy. Slavic people, white people, they start to realize, ‘What the fuck is going on? I don’t like this,’ and they start being a part of the right-wing. Like, “Hey, we’re going to fuck you up!'”
Terrible then explains that he was hanging out with the Russian right-wing due to their shared interests: “they hit gym, they hit MMA gym, they read books, there are doing all this shit.” He then defends the people he was hanging out with, saying, “These guys were obviously right-wing guys, but it’s not like Nazis or fucking racist they just fucking do this right [wing] stuff.”
He then further clarifies, saying that “Some of them being fucking racist, all this shit, I don’t give a fuck.”
Adam22 then chimes in, saying Americans are overtly concerned with racism and that “They go, ‘we’re not from your country but we found a Wikipedia page about this tattoo and now we’re convinced that we know everything about what you believe in your entire life.'”
Terrible shrugs, saying “Fair enough to them, I don’t judge people, I don’t give a shit.” He explains the tattoo.
“But I had this fucking tattoo, Black Sun, because I was reading about esoteric and fucking philosophy stuff. But to be honest, this is a Third Reich symbol, fucking Hitler’s fucking camp, he took it. My people, Russian people, we fought fought against this shit,” as he motions to the tattoo.
READ MORE: Why Slaughter to Prevail Vocalist Left His Country for Florida
“But anyway, I did this stuff and I was like, ‘Okay, right now I’m a tough guy.’ You know what I mean? Like stupid teenager stuff. But I paid this price because I got canceled and after that, I was like, ‘Okay guys, I will cover it up. Okay, okay, okay.’ I was afraid all of this shit, losing my career and stuff, but then after maybe three years, four years, I realize, ‘Okay, I actually was stupid.’ You know? I grew up. I grew up and it was in my stupid past, but right now people are saying I’m still Nazi. ‘He’s hiding, he’s a Nazi!’ I don’t give a shit. This is the price I’m paying still, you know? People don’t give a shit about my excuses, and fair enough.”
He then says his attitude has changed significantly since he was younger, saying people can’t accept his change as a person. “Somebody thinks it’s just a fucking mark on your life, you will not change at all,” he says.
What Is a Black Sun Tattoo and Why Is It Considered Racist?
Desgin wise, a Black Sun tattoo features a circle with swirling lines or patterns, which resemble a sun wheel or tangled runes. It’s considered racist because the Nazis appropriated it during World War II, using it as decor in Wewelsburg Castle, a key spot for SS rituals. These days, it’s a symbol tied to neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups.
Slaughter to Prevail’s Alex Terrible Addresses Controversial Tattoo
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