Some people will go to extreme lengths to prove a point! For example: Coldwar frontman Trevor LcLave.
I have always said to friends that I thought aesthetically, the swastika was a beautifully crafted symmetrical symbol, but obviously it's been tainted by its use during World War 2 by Nazi Germany.
LcLave is ready for the world to stop associating the symbol with Nazis, and he's starting by tattooing the symbol all over his body.
MetalSucks alerted me of this brave soul earlier this week, and here's his rationale, as told to The Music:
“The swastika was stolen by the Nazi ,” announces a statement sent out by the band today, “ The symbol is thousands of years old, used by many cultures and has different meanings .
“Trevor is part of a group that is trying to reclaim the swastika symbol. He has many types of swastika symbols on his body.”
Forming in 1999, Coldwar’s drive has been largely political, rejecting church and state institutions and others they believe enforce oppressive, intolerant and absolutist states of mind. Their statement also clarified this stance: “When the band says they are ‘fuelled by a rejection of Church & State institutions and other oppressive, intolerant and absolutist states of mind’, this includes nazism.”
He is right, the swastika is perhaps the oldest symbol in history, but you tattooing yourself with it is not going to make people think: oh look, it's art. No! When you walk into a Waffle House, people are assuming you're a Nazi. It's just the way the world works.
Here's a closeup of his face, by the way:
I guess we found somebody with a dumber tattoo than Brian Welch.
MetalSucks also alerts me that the band has a new album called Pantheist, which is released April 28 on Candlelight. Here's a track from the album:
