This is not the first time Marduk has been associated with Nazism
The Swedish website Etc published an article accusing two members of Marduk, vocalist Daniel Rostén and drummer Fredrik Widigs, of buying Nazi propaganda from an online store in 2016. The information came from leaked files from the Nordic Resistance Movement (a Nordic neo-Nazi movement) server, after a hacker attack. The movement is also a political party in Sweden, and attempts have been made to ban it in Finland.
The purchases were made in the names of both members and shipped to their home addresses.
In May 2016, they purchased stickers and pamphlets with nationalist messages questioning the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust. According to Jonathan Leman, a researcher at the anti-racism foundation Expo, the pamphlets and stickers ordered by Marduk members are for distribution and not collectibles: “If you order this material, it means you are at least a sympathizer. But there may be closer connections.”
This is not the first time Marduk has been criticized for associations with Nazism. The band's discography is full of references, but the band has always denied any link to the ideology, insisting that they were taking a historical approach to storytelling.
The band released the following statement:
“Marduk members are listed in a database that shows the purchase history of a Swedish online store. We were informed of this list when it was published in August 2017 and, since then, we have been asked about it a few times. As we never took this nonsense seriously, we avoided commenting on it. However, a Swedish newspaper recently discovered this and wrote a report. And so, here we go again.”.
No member of Marduk has purchased anything from the website in question, and has never had any form of interaction with the organization that operates it. That's all we have to say on the matter. It's ridiculous to have to reiterate this once again, after 28 years as a band, but: Marduk has no political agendas or nationalist ideological affiliations. Our lyrics deal with religion and history, nothing more.
It's worth remembering that we had the same discussion in February 2017, during our US tour. Several media outlets examined every part of Marduk's story looking for evidence to support these allegations, but found nothing. They contacted several bands we've toured with, and they all said the same thing: there's nothing to support these accusations. And history will repeat itself soon, as another effort to tarnish our name comes to an end.”.