Stahlgewitter

Last updated

Stahlgewitter
OriginGermany
Genres
Years active1995-present
LabelsFreie Meinung Göttingen
W & B Records
PC Records [1]
MembersDaniel Giese
Andreas Koroschetz
Frank Krämer

Stahlgewitter is a controversial German hard rock and Rock against Communism group founded in 1995. [2] Despite the genre's name, RAC song lyrics rarely focus on the specific topic of anti-communism. Rather, RAC lyrics typically feature nationalist themes. [3] [4] [5] Stahlgewitter is listed by the group 'Netz gegen Nazis' (Network against Nazis) as one of the more popular contemporary Rock against Communism groups. [1] This categorizes Stahlgewitter in amongst other more historical Rock Against Communism groups such as the English band Skrewdriver which played a lending role in the formation of RAC and the fellow German band Landser who are now deemed a "criminal gang organization" in Germany. [6]

Contents

Lyrics

For their supposed Nazi-ties, the band has been investigated by the German police for supporting hate-speech. [7] The band is listed as a hate-group for these reasons by the US organization the Anti-Defamation League. [8] However, the band's lyrics never directly attack or demean any race or nationality, which then means it is not categorized as hate-speech outside of Germany. [9] This has led to the band's music being used to create fan-made music videos which then can be uploaded to YouTube without censorship. [9]

Stahlgewitter's lyrics, however, do promote extremism by promoting and praising National Socialism or organisations that were under the German Nazi-party, who engaged in crimes against humanity through the means of both genocide and democide. [9] In their lyrics, they complain about "Zionist-occupied governments" as well pay homage to today's neo-Nazis as "political soldiers" by proclaiming them to be today's Sturmabteilung (SA) or "Brownshirts", [1] a paramilitary organization of the Nazi-party that played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s.

One example is the praise in their song "Ruhm und Ehre der Waffen-SS" of the Waffen-SS who committed numerous war crimes, particularly civilian massacres (see Waffen-SS § Criminality).

Original German lyricsEnglish translation
Ich weiß dass ihr sie nie vergesst,
Ruhm und Ehre der Waffen-SS,
Ich weiß dass ihr sie nie vergesst,
Ruhm und Ehre der Waffen-SS
I know that you will never forget them
Honor and glory for the Waffen-SS
I know that you will never forget them
Honor and glory for the Waffen-SS

[9]

Discography

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 http://www.netz-gegen-nazis.de/lexikontext/stahlgewitter Woran man sie erkennt – Stahlgewitter
  2. ↑ "Stahlgewitter Lyrics & Videos". Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  3. ↑ Stewart, John (19 December 2000). "Nazi accusations against members of 3RAR". abc.net. Archived from the original on 20 April 2015.
  4. ↑ "Johnny Rebel and the Cajun roots of right-wing rock". Popular Music and Society. Archived from the original on 3 November 2007.
  5. ↑ "Motkraft.net". Archived from the original on 23 October 2010.
  6. ↑ "Neo-Nazis rally for jailed singer". BBC News. 21 October 2006.
  7. ↑ Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Inneres und Sport: Verfassungsschutzbericht Niedersachsen 2006 (PDF), S. 94f.
  8. ↑ "White Power Music Groups - Overview". Archived from the original on 5 April 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "» What should Google do with nazi propaganda on YouTube?". Archived from the original on 6 December 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2011. What should Google do with Nazi propaganda on YouTube?

Literature

German

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