Hatebreed, a metalcore band from Connecticut, recently took issue with the way CNN labeled them. In an article describing the Sikh temple shooting suspect's involvement in a number of white power bands, writer Lonnie Nasatir included Hatebreed in the following list:
At any given time, about 100 to 150 white power bands are in the United States. The bands' own names defiantly express feelings of hate or violence: Aggravated Assault, Angry Aryans, Attack, Definite Hate, Final Solution, Force Fed Hate, Fueled by Hate, Hate Crime, Jew Slaughter and White Terror, among others.
Unsurprisingly, the band -- which claims it does not support any racist messages or groups -- didn't take kindly to being in that company. In tweets posted to Hatebreed's Twitter page, the band derided CNN as "hacks" and sent the following message:
Fans of Hatebreed's music apparently flooded CNN with complaints, and the website removed any mention of the band from the article. The news site also posted the following retraction:
A previous version of this commentary incorrectly included the band Hatebreed in a list of white power bands. Hatebreed is a self-described "hardcore metal" band. CNN regrets the error.
Hatebreed promptly celebrated on its Twitter account:
But apparently CNN's move wasn't enough to satisfy the hardcore metal group, who went on to demand an apology from the writer himself and threaten to post his personal information.
Nasatir works with the Chicago chapter of the Anti-Defamation League, and the ADL issued an apology on its Facebook account on Wednesday. "Hatebreed was mistakenly included in the list of white supremacist hate bands in an opinion piece for CNN," the statement reads. "That reference has been removed from CNN and we sincerely regret that the band appeared in our piece."
A number of fans applauded the ADL's move, sending messages similar to the following tweet:
The band was nominated for a Grammy in 2005 and have toured the globe with the likes of Slipknot and Ozzy Osbourne.
The thrust of Nasatir's article was on Wade Page, the suspect in the shooting at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin that left six people dead. Page is an Army veteran who was known to be a member of radical punk bands, including End Apathy and Definite Hate. Both bands, Nasatir's post explains, are affiliated with the Hammerskins, a prominent white supremacist group. HuffPost Entertainment's Joe Satran also looked into the effect Page's arrest might have on the troubling genre of music.
According to Billboard, CNN removed the mention of Hatebreed within 30 minutes of the band's initial protestation.