Controversial Fest Books Slipknot Cover Band as Headliner After More Bands Drop Off Bill

A controversial metal festival has booked a Slipknot cover band as their headliner after more bands dropped off the lineup.

The festival in question is Shell Shock II, which is set to take place in Orlando, Florida on Oct. 19. Hosted by The Antihero Podcast, the festival is meant to raise awareness for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with proceeds going to the C.A.T. II Foundation through First Responders Coffee and Cigars [via Eventbrite].

After it was announced that Kyle Rittenhouse would appear as a special guest at the festival, one of the bands on the bill, Evergreen Terrace, pulled out of the event. Rittenhouse gained national attention in 2020 after fatally shooting two protestors and injuring a third in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He claimed self-defense and was acquitted the following year.

Evergreen Terrace shared a statement on Facebook on Sept. 30 elaborating on the decision to drop off the event, asserting, “…we will not align with an event promoting a perceived murderer such as Kyle Rittenhouse capitalizing off of their pseudo celebrity.”

Several other bands have since dropped off the lineup, including Southpaw, Let Me Bleed, and American Hollow. All three acts issued statements on their social media accounts, which you can read below.

READ MORE: 15 Most Disastrous Music Festivals in History

The festival has since announced a Slipknot tribute band called SiC, who are from Texas, as their headliner.

Shell Shock II Organizers Blame the ‘Liberal Mob’ for Controversy

Both The Antihero Podcast and Shell Shock’s CEO/founder have spoken out about the controversy, suggesting that the “liberal mob” caused the bands to drop off the lineup (and not the appearance of Rittenhouse).

“We have been silent. But we are prepping. The liberal mob attempted to destroy Shell Shock. But we will not allow it. This is now about more than a concert. This is a war of ideology,” the podcast wrote in a post on social media, which features a screenshot of a Metal Injection headline about Evergreen Terrace.

The event’s founder and CEO, Tyler Hoover, also shared a Reel on his Instagram about the backlash.

“I’m here to tell you — you’re not punk, you’re not hardcore,” he said in the clip. “You people — the people that are trolling and the people that are talking s–t — you guys are the mentally ill portion of society. You guys are the ones that are manipulated.”

Hoover declared that the “Lynch mob” can’t “kill Shell Shock.”

See the full clip below.

What the Bands Who Dropped off the Lineup Have Said

As mentioned earlier, the groups Southpaw, Let Me Bleed and American Hollow have all dropped off the Shell Shock II lineup, and have issued statements explaining their decisions.

Southpaw wrote that they don’t wish to be involved with politics in general.

“We knew going into this, that the festival was veteran based, which we support. But knew nothing of a particular individual being a main focus of support for the show until after accepting it,” they wrote. “This simply is not what we signed up for, period.”

Let Me Bleed wrote that they initially felt they were a good choice for the event, as their songs tend to focus on mental health struggles. However, they stated that they don’t wish to be associated with “a number of high profile individuals in attendance as invited VIP guests.”

“Though we are advocates of free speech we are collectively not a political band,” they continued. “It wasn’t until after we agreed to play the festival that these problematic and potentially alienating entities were being used to market the show and that is something we simply cannot condone.”

Similar to the previous two groups, American Hollow noted that they are simply not a political band in their own statement.

“As individuals in this group we have many beliefs and viewpoints, but as a band we focus primarily on our artistry. Let it be known that we fully and unequivocally support the military and first responders, especially those who struggle with mental health issues. We have no qualms with the Shell Shock family and we hope our fans will respect our decision,” they wrote.