Music
A metalhead was arrested for posting Exodus lyrics on Facebook
by Tyler Munro
September 5, 2014
In what’s sure to make First Amendment enthusiasts’ blood boil, a Kentucky thrash fan reportedly found himself in arrested after posting incendiary lyrics from an Exodus song to his Facebook page.
James Evans, 31, posted the lyrics to Exodus’ “Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer)” on his page on August 24th, and before long, Muhlenberg County’s school resource officer Mike Drake was getting calls about it. He was arrested shortly thereafter.
Student bodies lying dead in the halls, a blood splattered treatise of hate. Class dismissed is my hypothesis, gun fire ends in debate.
Authorities took the song’s lyrics, above, as a terroristic threat. NBC’s 14 News says that the warrant for his arrest says he was “threatening to kill students and or staff at school,” but Evans’ family insists he’s just a fan of music, noting that he often posts lyrics on his personal Facebook page.
“We couldn’t believe that you could do that or get in trouble for that,” said his sister. “I don’t personally agree with the band or the music but I agree that you should have the choice to listen to it if you want to.”
While the song is no doubt a violent depiction of terror and tragedy, Exodus guitarist Gary Holt said in a statement that it’s in no way an endorsement of violence.
The idea that an individual in this great country of ours could be arrested for simply posting lyrics to a song is something I never believed could happen in a free society. James Evans was simply posting lyrics to a band he likes on Facebook, and he was locked up for it.
The song ‘Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer)’ was written as a view through the eyes of a madman and in no way endorses that kind of fucked up behaviour. It was the Virginia Tech massacre perpetrated by Seung-Hui Cho that was the subject and inspiration to write the song, one in which we put the brakes on playing it live after the Sandy Hook shooting, as we did not want to seem insensitive.
As some of us in Exodus are parents, of course these things hit close to home, it’s every parent’s worst fear. These moments are the stuff of nightmares, and life, as well as music, isn’t always pretty. But when we start to overreact to things like lyrics by any band, including Exodus, and start arresting people, we are caving in to paranoia and are well on our way to becoming an Orwellian society.
Exodus’ tenth album, Blood In, Blood Out, is set for release on October 14th.