BLABBERMOUTH.NET - STURMGEIST Mainman Comments On Finnish High School Massacre

STURMGEIST mainman Cornelius von Jackhelln (also of SOLEFALD) has released the following statement (via Season of Mist, STURMGEIST's record company):

"Today [Wednesday, November 7] an 18-year old man shot seven people in a high school massacre in Tuusula, Finland. The killer referred to himself as 'Sturmgeist89' on YouTube. 'Sturmgeist' is not only the name of my band, but also of a character in the video game 'Medal of Honor'. As of yet, it is not established wherefrom the murderer took the name. Understandably, journalists keep calling me, eager to prove a link between my band and the massacre. However, as an artist, I can neither control the actions of my fans nor be held responsible for them.

"It is my firm conviction that if somebody wishes to go down as the cause of a massacre like that in Tuusula, explanations beyond music must be sought. In an interview with the Oslo-based newspaper Dagbladet today I argue that although extreme metal as a genre deals with topics such as isolation, misanthropy and despair, blaming the musicians is both wrong and unfair. It is people that kill people. Not music.

"Extreme metal has a potential both for social comment and personal katharsis, given its dealing with problems ordinarily shunned by mainstream society: suicide, madness, pollution, violence, warfare and drug abuse all occur regularly in extreme metal lyrics, mostly subject to critical scrutiny.

"I do recall how lonely and isolated I felt as a teenager, how strong an impact music had on my life. Extreme metal helped me channel my aggression in a constructive way; where SLAYER's album 'Seasons in the Abyss' described the psychology of a mass murderer, CANNIBAL CORPSE's 'The Bleeding' gave graphic accounts of extreme violence. Even though I adored both albums, I did not go out and kill people.

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BLABBERMOUTH.NET - STURMGEIST Mainman Comments On Finnish High School Massacre