First of all, if you haven’t gotten to see Eagles of Death Metal’s wrenching interview with Vice, you should do that right now. It’s hard to watch, yet strangely positive despite that. In the wake of the attacks, some musicians are being asked their thoughts on the Paris attacks, the most serious of which took place at the Bataclan during an Eagles of Death Metal concert on November 13th. While Brussels was on it’s highest terror alert ever, Slayer persevered, playing the Ancienne Belgique on November 17th. Before the show, Belgian website Gazet van Antwerten spoke to guitarist Kerry King, who said that he, in some way, saw this coming:
“I am surprised that it took the terrorists this long to target a rock concert. Because they hate rock music. They hate our lifestyle. They hate our freedom and they hate that we enjoy ourselves. And, of course, it sucks. What happened makes everybody think twice about risking their lives to see a band play. But if you stop going to concerts or stop playing at them, you just do what the terrorists want you to do. It is very important to carry on and to do what you do, what you love doing. And, you know, I am not the kind of guy that goes through life worrying all the time. We took airplanes right after 9-11. We played shows right after Dimebag was shot. Sure, things can go wrong. But you might also step out this building here and get run over by a car. Just do what you love doing and stop worrying.”
“I have written a lot of songs about the negative influence of organized religion. What happened in Paris is once again an example of that. I don’t believe what ISIS — or ISIL or whatever you have to call them these days — believe, so therefore I must perish. That’s the most ridiculous thing I have heard in my life. People have been killing each other for centuries because of organized religion.”
King is right, of course, about the goal of the terrorists. But it’s definitely a little surprising that terrorists would target a band like Eagles of Death Metal. Islamic extremists probably weren’t thinking of the genre of music, just the fact that it’s Western music was probably enough for them to decide to attack. It just as easily could have been a pop band or a dance act. Either way, it’s not stopping Slayer, nor should it next year when they allegedly bring out Testament and Carcass for an American tour.
[Translation via]
