Slaughter to Prevail guitarist Jack Simmons has addressed ongoing controversy surrounding the band’s alleged Nazi associations, particularly concerning frontman Alex Terrible’s past tattoos featuring symbols appropriated by far-right groups.
Speaking to Ultimate Guitar, Simmons acknowledged that the Russian-American deathcore band face scrutiny due to Terrible’s previous Black Sun tattoo, which was inked on his right elbow before being covered up. The Anti-Defamation League identifies the Black Sun, or sonnenrad, as “one of a number of ancient European symbols appropriated by the Nazis in their attempt to invent an idealised ‘Aryan/Norse’ heritage.”
Simmons admitted the controversy stems from the band’s “own fault” and “bad decisions in the past,” while maintaining they don’t endorse extremist ideologies. He explained that cultural context differs significantly in Eastern Europe and Russia, where Terrible originates.
“I would say, actually, it is our own fault, of bad decisions in the past,” Simmons stated. “We don’t want any radical shit or people or anything to be pulled into our show.”
The guitarist argued that symbolism carries different meanings across cultures, citing his girlfriend’s Ukrainian grandmother who displays Black Sun imagery in her home as heritage symbols rather than Nazi associations. “[s]he laughed at me like I’m being disrespectful, she’s like, ‘Are you saying my grandma’s a Nazi? She was under Nazi occupation. She’s not a Nazi. This is our symbol. It means heritage and family,'” Simmons recounted.
Terrible previously discussed his covered Black Sun tattoo during a September appearance on the Downbeat podcast, admitting he obtained it while associating with “right-wing guys” but denied holding far-right beliefs. He revealed the cover-up was motivated by career protection rather than ideological change, only recognising its offensiveness years later.
The controversy extends beyond the Black Sun tattoo. In 2020, Terrible revealed an Odal rune tattoo on his left foot through a YouTube video. The Anti-Defamation League notes this symbol was adopted by Nazis and later became the official logo for the US National Socialist Movement in 2016. Slaughter to Prevail sold merchandise featuring the rune in 2023, though it remains unclear whether Terrible has covered this tattoo.
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Despite the ongoing discourse, the band achieved notable commercial success with their latest album Grizzly, which reached No. 7 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart and No. 12 on the French Rock & Metal Albums Chart earlier this year.
