In the black metal “community”, if you can call in that, there’s a variety of individuals. You have your NSBM mess on one end, and your RABM lot on another, and then everyone else in the middle… if that’s not too reductive which it probably is. I’m somewhat of a left winger myself in ideology, but I find myself annoyed and nauseated by a lot of the self righteous ‘cancelling’ of bands by people who share much of my views. I find the attitude of “oh dear, this band’s touring guitarist drank a beer with a guy who was sneezed on by a guy with a totenkopf tattoo so if you listen to this band you’re a bad person” attitude (see r/IsItSketch) to be absolutely cringe inducing and rather weak. I’m not interested in listening to NSBM or supporting it with my money in any sense, but I also enjoy bands like Taake, Horna, Behexen, Burzum (which some would say counts as NSBM, I disagree) and other bands that may have “sketchy” ties, but quite frankly as long as I am not getting hit over the head with some far right nonsense lyrically and thematically, I couldn’t give less of a damn. I’m there for music, not for politics.

I’m interested in hearing other people’s opinions on this. Are there bands you refuse to listen to for reasons other than musical quality, and why?