Ever day, I am perplexed as to how the idea of wearing a mask in public, especially when indoors, has become a political issue. If you're somebody who considers folks who wear masks "sheep," perhaps seeing some of your favorite bands condone this simple behavior would convince you? Or perhaps they are just sheep as well. Perhaps all of them, along with Decibel, and Metal Injection are being paid by George Soros. Or perhaps we just want you to wear your fucking mask.
Kudos to our friends at Decibel Magazine for launching a new initiative of getting almost 150 artists to just show you this is not a political issue, this is one of common sense. And if you don't wear a mask, metal shows won't come back. So this one simple behavior will help us get what we all want back. Some of the artists included some inspiring messaging.
Here are some highlights:
Kirk Hammett of Metallica “The reason I wear a mask is because I care about the safety and well-being of others. Even people I don’t know and who are total strangers. Don’t be selfish. Fuck politics. This is about life and death. Wear a fucking mask!”
Rob Halford of Judas Priest – “STAY METAL, WEAR A MASK! REAL METALHEADS WEAR MASKS! SAVE METAL, WEAR A MASK! METAL MASKS SAVE LIVES!”
Ice-T of Body Count – "At this point… wearing a mask has become more of an IQ test. Stay safe MF's!"
Scott Ian of Anthrax / The Damned Things – "Kill COVID-19. Wear a mask."
Brann Dailor of Mastodon – "I wear a mask because I’m a responsible adult and it’s the least I can do to help stop the spread of this horrific pandemic."
Sebastian Bach – “Please wear a mask and vote in November for science if you ever want to rock again.” (photo by Suzanne Le Bach)
Phil Anselmo of Pantera / Down – The more people mask up, the quicker we can get back to playing live music.
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Blöthar the Berserker of GWAR – "Wear a fucking mask. Masks save lives so GWAR can take them."
Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder – Wear a mask so I don't have to hack you up for barbecue.
Blake Harrison of Pig Destroyer / Zealot R.I.P. – Looking like Ct’hulhu will have ALL around you wondering if it’s the end of days.
Vincent Bennett of The Acacia Strain – “This isn’t a political statement, it’s a necessity. Enough with your conspiracy, your excuses and your selfishness. They aren’t for you, they are for everyone. Don’t get piss on your leg."
View the full gallery over at Decibel.