“It’s kind of ironic,” said one longtime metal fan. “Metal was always about giving the middle finger to authority and fighting for freedom. Now it’s the fans and bands that are saying they don’t want certain people involved. Where does that leave the genre? Can metal still be metal if we’re canceling people?”

This divide is far from new. Over the past few years, the music world has increasingly become a battleground for debates over freedom of expression, political correctness, and the limits of free speech. While some artists and fans embrace inclusivity and social justice, others feel that the soul of the genre is being compromised by what they see as the creeping influence of “wokeness.”

Tyler Hoover, the founder and CEO of Shell Shock II, was not having any of it. In a now-viral Instagram rant, Hoover lambasted the bands and fans who had turned their backs on the festival, accusing them of losing touch with the core principles of metal and punk.

“I’m here to tell you that you’re not punk, you’re not metal, and you’re certainly not hardcore,” Hoover raged in a video that included more expletives than a Rage Against the Machine concert. “All these people trolling and talking smack? They’re the mentally ill portion of society. You’re the ones being manipulated by the mainstream media. Metal is about freedom, rebellion, and standing up for what you believe in.”

Hoover’s message was clear: Shell Shock II would go on, with or without the bands that had dropped out. In fact, he announced that the festival had replaced its headliners with a Slipknot tribute band called SiC, and he remained defiant in the face of the growing boycott.

CONTINUE READING ON THE NEXT PAGE