Death Metal Vets Behemoth Detained in Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin may be okay with upsetting other world leaders, but he may not want to mess with the death metal 
community – some of those folks can be, well, a little extreme.
According to a Facebook post yesterday from Nergal, the frontman of renowned Polish death metal act Behemoth, his band was halted from playing a gig in the Russian city of Ekaterinburg due to supposedly having the wrong work visas. When they refused to leave the venue without the presence of someone from the Polish embassy, they were eventually loaded into a bus with 10 officers and transported to a Federal Migration Service building.
“When I said that we will not move an inch from the club without someone from the Polish embassy, they threatened to force us out,” reads a translation of Negral’s post. “They took us in a bus, accompanied by 10 officers, to the building of Federal Migration Service. We tried to reach Polish embassy in Jekaterinburg but no one is answering the phone. The concert is off for sure. The only thing we want is to get back to the hotel safely and then — to Poland. No matter how hard we try — we cannot pass it all. Regards. Nergal.”
Four hours after that note was published, the following notice appeared on Behemoth’s Facebook page:
‘News from Nergal’: “It looks like it’s going to be a normal jail. As soon as we receive the phones. At 9am we have a court [hearing], then the judgment and possibly deportation.”
Behemoth is touring in support of their 10th album, The Satanist, which came out earlier this year.
Thus far, it’s unclear if Pussy Riot members are protesting this matter.
UPDATE: Behemoth has been deported from Russia. A judge fined the band a minimal amount, before advising them on how to best leave the country as quickly as possible.
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