Ripped to Shreds’ Andrew Lee Blasted for Master Controversy

This is a doozy, so try to keep up. Let’s rewind to the beginning: all of this started because of the Metal Threat Festival, which took place in Chicago, Illinois from October 2–5. Metal Threat was already on people’s radars because of its extensive international lineup, but when they added white supremacist band Arghoslent to the bill, Andrew Lee, frontman of Ripped to Shreds, became incensed.

Fast foward to today, October 10, where Ripped to Shreds were supposed to play at show at the historic 924 Gilman St. venue in Berkeley, California with old school death metal band Master. They pulled out of said show, because Master decided to stay on the Metal Threat billing, even though the didn’t playing on the same day as Arghoslent. Now it seems as though the show is cancelled entirely. Ripped to Shreds have also left their booking agency Heavy Talent because of this.

Lee and RtS made released a statement on the cancellation on October 6:

“Refusing to play with a neo-Nazi band like Arghoslent that glorifies the Black slave trade is the lowest possible bar, and Master still failed it, so we’re withdrawing from Friday’s show at @924gilmanstreet. Support to @bitterendbooking for doing the right thing and canceling the show. We’re still leaving Heavy Talent, but I’d like to clarify that Heavy Talent only reps Sinister. The Sinister and Master tour was booked as a package, and Master booked their show with Metal Threat directly through Paul Dunski, not through Heavy Talent.”

Now, here’s where things get a little wicked. Metalhead’s don’t forget things, y’all, and some definitely proved that by doing quite diligent research into Lee and RtS’s hypocrisy regarding Arghoslent. Despite Lee recently releasing a video about how much white supremacy still exists in heavy metal, it’s bubbled back up to the surface that Lee has worked with members of or people adjacent to Arghoslent.

Mainly laid out in incredible detail via the Metal Hypocrites Facebook page (which seems to only have been created to call out this situation), several screenshots were posted showing Lee’s willing proximity to people like Brandon Corsair of Nameless Grave Records, who has been open about his like for Arghoslent’s music. Whoever runs the page summed up this false virtue perfectly:

“Guys, really? You took the moral high ground to bash a long-running (and left-leaning) band like Master, and you’re effectively in business with the same horrible band they made the mistake of being adjacent to on a fest? Did you think no one would notice? Apparently!”

I feel like all of this will only get more convoluted, but we’ll see. Lee and the rest of Ripped to Shreds have yet to comment.

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