‘[…] Certain sections of people would cancel it’: Scott Ian Feels S.O.D. Wouldn’t Be Welcomed Today

Alfred Nitsch, CC BY-SA 3.0 AT , via Wikimedia Commons
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While many know guitarist Scott Ian for his work in Anthrax, Ian was also part of another band called Stormtroopers of Death (S.O.D.). Similar to Anthrax in some ways (sonically speaking), Stormtroopers of Death was a crossover band that formed in 1985 and has since disbanded (side note, S.O.D. member Dan Lilker formed a new band called Not S.O.D. – Fist Banging Maniacs). Additionally, fellow Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante was also part of the band.

In the latest issue of Metal Hammer, while a variety of topics are discussed, Scott Ian is asked about Stormtroopers of Death. Specifically, he is asked that if S.O.D. were to try and release music today, does he think the band would be cancelled? The band caught some flack back in the day for some of their songs (like “Speak English or Die”).

In talking about S.O.D.’s music, Ian says that he feels that no matter how much the band may try and clarify the humor of the music, he feels they would get cancelled today. Per Scot Ian:

“If it had never existed in 1985 and we tried to put that out today, no matter how hard we tried to explain the joke or the humour, yes, certain sections of people would cancel it. It would have a much harder time now. We didn’t have Internet back then.”

Ian then goes on to add, speaking to S.O.D.’s music:

“If people don’t know, Sergeant D is a character that I created, because I wanted to try and make a comic book. I didn’t know how to write a comic book, so I wrote songs about this character, who’s dead! He’s unliving, and therefore he hates anything alive. We explained it a few times in interviews back then, but either people want to hear it or they don’t.”

What do you think? If S.O.D. were to release music today, do you think they would get cancelled?

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