Finnish Band Denies Nazi Links

Finnish metal act Moonsorrow has denied having any Nazi tendencies, after a militant group threatened to stop one of its German shows.

Antifa, a self-described collective of militant anti-fascists, threatened to prevent the band’s April 17 show at Berlin’s 800-capacity SO 36 club.

Antifa says the band’s lyrics, which are based on ancient Finnish folklore, are allegories that express Nazi propaganda.

It also claims the band’s logo has an SS-rune in it, although the band says it was hand-drawn "many, many years ago" and this is the first time anyone has had a problem with it.

The anti-fascist group is likening one Moonsorrow song, with a title that translates as "Blood Of A Traitor," to an old Nazi song aimed against Jews. The band says it doesn’t know any German "national socialistic songs" and the piece in question is based on an old Finnish legend about Bishop Henrik being murdered by a peasant.

"We, Moonsorrow, have come across news that Antifa wishes to prevent our concert in Berlin on April 17th. We hereby announce that we are not a Nazi band, nor do we have any political connections whatsoever," says the band’s statement.

"We are strictly against fascism and all restrictions against freedom of speech. We wish that Antifa would withdraw any actions they have taken against the concert and let it proceed normally."

German agency Dragon Productions, the heavy rock division of Hamburg-based A.S.S. Concert & Promotion GmbH, and Vienna-based Rock In Nation – which has put the act on the bill of its "Paganfest" tour – both say this is the first time the act has attracted such criticism.

"In Germany I think Antifa is just a one-man organisation and we don’t expect any trouble," Rock In Nation’s Stefan Hattinger told Pollstar. "I have absolutely no idea where it got the idea that Moonsorrow has Nazi connections."

After Berlin, Paganfest was due to continue to Leipzig, Munich, Graz, Austria, Saarbrücken and Frankfurt April 18-22.