Originally posted on 12/13/2010
This December, the Austrian far-Right “post-industrial” and martial music project Allerseelen is set to give a series of performances on the US West Coast. Allerseelen is the project of Gerhard Petak (AKA Kadmon and Gerhard Hallstatt) who also incorporates other performers into the act when playing live. Several of the Allerseelen shows are scheduled to take place in larger venues supporting the prominent Portland, Oregon “dark metal” group Agalloch, who will be touring to promote their new album. The hitching of Allerseelen onto the tour of a larger heavy metal act will provide new outlets for Petak’s extreme-Right messages. Agalloch, the group which Allerseelen will support, is at present crossing over from underground cult status to something nearer the mainstream, the group’s latest album even being promoted with a write-up and “exclusive first listen” on National Public Radio’s music webpage. It is troubling that the accompanying act Agalloch chose to expose its growing audiences to, has a long history of far-Right involvement and propaganda, and is an attempt to make aspects of fascist discourse acceptable. (Allerseelen will first play two separate headlining shows before joining the Agalloch tour.) Agalloch’s decision to further link itself to Petak / Allerseelen by appearing on a new compilation CD released by Petak’s label, is likewise of concern to anti-fascists and is of similar poor judgment.
This December, the Austrian far-Right “post-industrial” and martial music project Allerseelen is set to give a series of performances on the US West Coast. Allerseelen is the project of Gerhard Petak (AKA Kadmon and Gerhard Hallstatt) who also incorporates other performers into the act when playing live. Several of the Allerseelen shows are scheduled to take place in larger venues supporting the prominent Portland, Oregon “dark metal” group Agalloch, who will be touring to promote their new album. The hitching of Allerseelen onto the tour of a larger heavy metal act will provide new outlets for Petak’s extreme-Right messages. Agalloch, the group which Allerseelen will support, is at present crossing over from underground cult status to something nearer the mainstream, the group’s latest album even being promoted with a write-up and “exclusive first listen” on National Public Radio’s music webpage. It is troubling that the accompanying act Agalloch chose to expose its growing audiences to, has a long history of far-Right involvement and propaganda, and is an attempt to make aspects of fascist discourse acceptable. (Allerseelen will first play two separate headlining shows before joining the Agalloch tour.) Agalloch’s decision to further link itself to Petak / Allerseelen by appearing on a new compilation CD released by Petak’s label, is likewise of concern to anti-fascists and is of similar poor judgment.
Linked below (sorry, broken link) you will find an article describing Gerhard Petak's far-right political views and associations—while Petak has had contact with some people who could be fairly described as Nazis or neo-Nazis, Petak has also criticized the Third Reich in print, and we do not describe him personally as a Nazi. We place Petak’s viewpoints and advocacy on the terrain of neo-fascism and the far-Right, especially that of the European New Right. Some other ideological influences will be discussed in passing. If at times Petak’s viewpoints appear as a jumble of varied and even opposing influences, it is worth noting that fascism has always been a syncretic ideological movement—one that attempts to fuse differing elements into a single whole. Indeed, this syncretic nature has given rise to one of fascism’s primary qualities, that of simultaneously being “A and not A” and often harboring diametrically opposed impulses, such as attempting mass political mobilization while also vocalizing contempt for mass society. These contradictions unfortunately do not render fascism or fascist politics harmless.
The dates of Allerseelen’s tour are:
Waldteufel + Allerseelen:
15 Dec 2010 Portland
16 Dec 2010 Salem (+ HELL, Barghest)
Agalloch + Allerseelen:
17 Dec 2010 Portland OR Berbati's Pan (+ Aerial Ruin)
18 Dec 2010 Seattle WA Neumo’s (+ Alda + Waldteufel)
21 Dec 2010 Los Angeles CA Ultra Violet Social Club (+ Winterthrall)
22 Dec 2010 San Francisco CA Great American Music Hall (+ Dispirit)
We invite Agalloch to clarify its position towards the far-Right and fascism, and to indicate what precisely it meant by promoting Allerseelen to its audience. We furthermore invite Nanotear Booking Agency—Agalloch’s agent and responsible for the Agalloch / Allerseelen shows—to make clear why it has adopted a fascist-friendly policy of giving a platform to far-Right ideologues such as Allerseelen.
The dates of Allerseelen’s tour are:
Waldteufel + Allerseelen:
15 Dec 2010 Portland
16 Dec 2010 Salem (+ HELL, Barghest)
Agalloch + Allerseelen:
17 Dec 2010 Portland OR Berbati's Pan (+ Aerial Ruin)
18 Dec 2010 Seattle WA Neumo’s (+ Alda + Waldteufel)
21 Dec 2010 Los Angeles CA Ultra Violet Social Club (+ Winterthrall)
22 Dec 2010 San Francisco CA Great American Music Hall (+ Dispirit)
We invite Agalloch to clarify its position towards the far-Right and fascism, and to indicate what precisely it meant by promoting Allerseelen to its audience. We furthermore invite Nanotear Booking Agency—Agalloch’s agent and responsible for the Agalloch / Allerseelen shows—to make clear why it has adopted a fascist-friendly policy of giving a platform to far-Right ideologues such as Allerseelen.