Sepultura’s Gig Supported By Phenomy Banned In Lebanon
By Chelf
Is this a joke?
Was my first reaction to the latest news.
Metal band members had been banned from entering Lebanon, accused of being Satanists and same old same old.
Unfortunately, it was not a joke, no, as Loïc El Haddad, the guitarist of Phenomy informed me.
“We were supposed to support Sepultura in Lebanon but the gig just got canceled because the Lebanese general security banned Sepultura from entering the country, accusing them of being Satanists. We are trying to get the press involved. Are you interested in publishing about this?”
Like hell I was.
This anti-metal war is spreading like wildfire, but guess what?
Our fire is stronger than theirs and no bands of ours will have to face that alone.
Not on our watch.
While they try to silence us for reasons I will never understand, all they manage to achieve is making us stronger.
The feeling of metalheads standing united is entirely infectious.
We had to deal with the exact same situation with Rotting Christ a few weeks ago, and I had a lovely chat with Sakis, which by the way you can check out here, (if you don’t mind me shamelessly promoting our work), where he explained the amazing support they got from their fans and fellow artists, when their show got canceled. Apparently, they are Satanists too.
I have a deep and unshakable respect for people’s beliefs, religions and mindsets even though I am an atheist. I will support your free will and I will get out of my way to do so.
But your right to free will ends when you invade someone else’s right?
I had a chat with the band and this is what they had to say:
“We are Phenomy, a Lebanese metal band that have toured many countries and festivals around the world and We were going to Support Sepultura on tour in Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Kyrgyzstan and finally support the band in our home country in Lebanon where Sepultura was supposed to play for the first time in a concert at The Palace – Aresco Center, Beirut. We met the members of the band at Wacken Open Air 2018 where we played on August 2nd on the Headbangers stage after winning the Lebanese Wacken Metal Battle in the Middle East in 2018.
While processing all the required documents needed to host the band in our country, The organizers were told that it is delicate as it relates to insulting Christianity, that the band members are devil worshipers, that they held a concert in Israel, that they filmed a video clip supporting Israel, and that the decision was issued by the head of the Internal Security Forces. Although all that is not true Sepultura are not Satanists and far from that, they never played in Israel as well, as is the second statement not true.
After all the obstacles that a band have to go through to make it in the music industry, the matter here is not helping at all. Coming from a country where a band like Sepultura is considered to be Devil Worshippers with false accusations. We are sorry that a band that we grew up listening to have to be banned in our country with false accusations when we finally got the chance to perform with them in our country.”
Phenomy happens to be a band whose albums tackle social injustice along with other social issues faced on a day-to-day basis and their work also picks up subjects of abused capitalism, brainwashed masses and the indoctrinated ‘social norms’ that we’ve all grown to hate.
Isn’t it ironic?
It’s like you’re feeding them with fresh material for a new album, haters.
Good job.
‘Cause when they release it will all gather to watch them perform. Live. Anywhere in the world, they like.
MHF Magazine/Chelf
