UPDATE: A message from Shea’s on our Instagram after our story was posted there: “We're so thankful that this was brought to our attention. We did not book this show! A couple months ago a promoter messaged us saying they'd like to book a rock metal show bringing in the new year.
We did not book these bands. We do not condone nor promote this behavior. Show has been canceled before even being fully booked or announced. When you guys come in you can see the very diverse and eclectic crowd that we have. Any other questions please feel free to reach out. 🫶🏼Thank you and we love you Reno.”
ORIGINAL STORY:
After participating metal bands and Sacramento based Infinite Chaos Promotions started promoting what is being called Apocalyptic Terror Vol.VII with this poster scheduled for a January 16th start next year at Shea’s Tavern, an anti fascist music group on Facebook, locals and then the Reno subreddit started noting the presence of neo-Nazi affiliations with this planned event.
“The complete lineup along with ticket sales will be in September,” a Facebook post from Infinite Chaos Promotions notes saying this event is being organized in conjunction with Ancient Malignity.
Already scheduled performances according to the organizers are the following:
“NOKTURNE (CA)
MEATSHITS (NV)
ENGORGE (CA)
https://www.facebook.com/TrueNecroBlackDeathMetal?mibextid=ZbWKwL
BIOLOGICAL WARFARE (SOUTH KOREA)
https://youtu.be/n01NQ0tsmFE?si=uaCfgCiGq-3OlhF5
ANCIENT MALIGNITY (NV)
https://www.facebook.com/AncientMalignity?mibextid=ZbWKwL
TRIUMPH (NV)
https://youtu.be/0Rj89aD2gpE?si=MR8PV_X_JDtKZLn-
THERMONUCLEAR GENOCIDE (UT)
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576934643775...
PROFANE (TX)
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575080458446...
SACRED ORIGIN (CA)
https://www.facebook.com/sacredoriginmetal?mibextid=ZbWKwL”
Internet research and messages from locals point to neo-Nazi connections for at least a few of the bands now scheduled to be next year at Shea’s.
“Nokturne is a fairly notorious National Socialist/Nazi band… If you look at the symbol in their logo, the Black Sun [sun wheel], it's a classic Nazi symbol,” a local wrote to us.
The Metal Archives website lists as one of this band’s themes "National Socialism.” One of its albums was called Black Metal Kampf.
Neo-nazi connections are not new for the Midtown bar, such as four years ago when Shea’s owner Lacy Shea liked posts of an extreme white supremacist listed on social media as jesuschrist666hamc, before writing she had been “power scroll liking,” including a post which included the double lightning bolt symbol associated with the Nazi SS corps.
“Ancient Malignity are locals - some of whom are members of Blasphemous Creation. They've already been outed for playing Nazi festivals in LA,” we were told in a message.
There seems to be overlapping band members for the extreme metal genre in northern Nevada, making it confusing for outsiders as to who exactly is in which band at which time.
“I can’t recommend Forsaken Dynasty highly. If you’re bummed about your favorite blackened thrash band not releasing music in several years, changing musical directions, or doing dumb nazi things, then Blasphemous Creation could be for you,” a reviewer for Metal Utopia wrote about one of that band’s recent albums.
A post from seven years ago from Blasphemous Creation indicated that “due to [another Reno band] Ritual Genocide being on a compilation with some Nazi bands I have been forced to kick the members of that band that were in my band out of Blasphemous Creation.”
“I am in a local metal band called Blasphemous Creation,” Isaac Wilson then wrote to us after this article was initially published. “The members of those bands are no longer in my band and were removed a long time ago. I no longer have any association with any Nazi bands. I have condemned them in public posts and also apologized for those members being in my band.”
The Metal Archives website says “Reno-based militia Ancient Malignity is one of those exemplary bands that meet every criteria in order to be labelled “war metal,” mastering the style down to the last detail. The group also features members of black/death acts like Ritual Genocide, Triumph and Blasphemous Creation.”
“Choose the shows (and venues) you go to carefully. Some metalheads are great people. Obviously, not all of them. Keep on rockin and watch out for Nazi scum!” DisMrButters wrote on the Reno subreddit post about this upcoming event.