10 Metal Bands Who Were Banned From Countries

Metal bands who were banned from countries are a much more common topic than one may think. This music genre has always been controversial in some areas, hence why some bands were banned. Furthermore, this gave some groups a degree of free publicity in those nations because of the coverage they got.
In that regard, some of the most prominent metal bands who were banned from countries are also some of the best of all time. They contributed greatly to the music world and also allowed them to set precedents that no longer happen, for the most part. That is something that needs to be taken into account.
1. Led Zeppelin – Singapore

So, it was 1972 and Led Zeppelin was the biggest band in the world and their world tour was taking them to Singapore. Page, Jones, Bonham and Plant took their private plane and flew to the Asian country. When they arrived and began to get off the plane, the Singapore authorities prevented them from setting foot on the ground. And they were asked them then to return from where they came.
The reason behind all this? The long hair of the members of Led Zeppelin. Although it may sound very crazy, in the 70s there was a movement, mostly in the West, against authoritarianism, from which hippie culture emerged. Since the 1960s, Singapore had banned any symbol that could be related to that movement and that included long hair.
“Plans for a concert in Singapore … have had to be abandoned – because of their long hair,” the Record Mirror reported at the time. “The Singapore authorities will not admit anyone with long hair into their territory and the concert promoters told Zeppelin that they must have their hair cut short or there could be no concert. Instead, the group are visiting Bombay for two days on their way to Australia.”
Led Zeppelin broke up in 1980 because of drummer John Bonham‘s death that year and never played in Singapore. Vocalist Robert Plant did play there in 2013 as a solo artist… and with his long hair.
2. Behemoth – Russia

The cases of metal bands who were banned from countries are not always very clear and there is the example of what happened to Behemoth in Russia. In 2014, the Polish band was in the middle of a 13-concert tour of the country and after the fourth, they were detained by Russian authorities. At that time, they were told that due to problems with their visas to enter the country, they had to spend a night in prison and then be tried. At the trial they received a fine of a little more than 200 euros and an order to leave the country immediately. Additionally, entry to Russia is prohibited for 5 years. The real reason behind their arrest appears to have been comments against the Russian president that the gang’s leader, Adam ‘Nergal’ Darski, highlighted once he arrived in Poland, where he labeled Putin an “idiot”.
3. Lamb of God – Malaysia

In 2013, Lamb of God, was another metal band who were banned from countries, in this case, Malaysia. The band was on tour and had to perform in Kuala Lumpur. However, they received a notification that they did not have permission to do the concert.
The authorities (mostly Islamic) of the Asian country indicated that the lyrics of Lamb of God‘s songs were blasphemous. They considered that this could hurt the religious sensitivities of the citizens and the values of the country.
The band continued its tour in other countries in Asia and Oceania. Later, Lamb of God would make a statement pointing out that their lyrics were not being adequately studied by Malaysian authorities.
4. Cradle of Filth – China

In China, artists who are going to perform a concert must submit their setlist along with the lyrics of each song. This goes through the review of the cultural authorities of the Chinese government and decided the concert wasn’t going to happen. In 2013, Cradle Of Filth were banned from performing in China because authorities deemed their act inappropriate.
That stigma has been part of the band’s history since they are usually classified as satanic even though their lyrics are usually far from that. The concert, which was originally scheduled to take place in Shanghai, was rescheduled for Hong Kong, where the ban did not apply.
5. Rammstein – Germany

Metal bands who were banned from countries don’t really get censored in their own nations. In the case of Rammstein they were banned in their own country, which is, at least, curious and unusual. In 2009, the album “Liebe ist für alle da” was banned from being displayed in stores. The was that it was inappropriate for consumption by young people.
Rammstein‘s stage shows and lyrical content has always been controversial. The combination of graphic content and se**al innuendo have led to a lot of censorship. However, being banned by their own country is definitely on another level. That goes to show that not everyone is a prophet in their own land, as the Latin American saying goes.
6. Carcass – Malaysia

In 2015, the extreme metal band Carcass was banned from performing in Malaysia. Although the concert was already planned, the band reported days before that their visas had been rejected. The reason behind the rejection was due to the content of his lyrics. The authorities of the Asian country considered the lyrics to be inappropriate for their young people.
“If you’re reading this you’re too late, we already ‘corrupted’ your youth and played Kuching last year,” Carcass wrote in a statement about the situation. This is because the band had performed without problems a year before in Malaysia. It goes without saying that the authorities of the country didn’t appreciate the gesture.
7. Sabaton – Russia

The idea of Sabaton is basically to make music based on history, mostly about battles and wars. This could logically cause some discomfort in some countries. This country turns out to be, surprisingly, Russia.
In 2013, Sabaton was going to perform at the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Stalingrad. That was going to be held in Volgograd. However, Russian authorities labeled the Swedish band Nazis after, according to themselves, having studied Sabaton‘s lyrics.
Sabaton released a statement saying they are an apolitical band and were only honoring the soldiers. However, they were still banned.
8. Metallica – China

Being the most famous group does not prevent you from entering the category of metal bands who were banned from countries. In 2013 (a very active year for banning countries), Metallica was going to perform in China. As mentioned earlier, they had to present their setlist and lyrics to the authorities of that country.
Some songs, including “Master of Puppets“, were forbidden to be played. The argument that China used was that the song promoted dr** use, an interpretation that would have to be described as, at the very least, far-fetched. The band performed without playing those songs in full, although Kirk Hammett acknowledged that he played instrumental parts of those songs in one of his initial solos.
9. Slayer – India
In 2006, the Catholic Secular Forum, a Christian group in India, called for Slayer’s “Christ Illusion“ album to be banned. The group took the request to the authorities of the country who accepted it and removed the album from stores.
According to the Christian group, from the album cover to the lyrics of songs like “Skeleton Christ” or “Jih**”, were offensive to many religions. The band would later release a version of the album with another cover. They also changed the lyrics of the controversial songs.
Slayer finally played there on October 20 at the Vladivar Rock ‘N India event in Bangalore in 2012. They were finally given a chance to perform and they delivered. Furthermore, it goes without saying that this band has faced a lot of controversies throughout the years.
10. Cannibal Corpse – Germany, Australia and Russia

Until now we have seen an important list of metal bands who were banned from countries. However, in all cases, it had only been in one country. Cannibal Corpse takes the bet to a higher level since they have been banned in 3 countries.
Since 1996, the band’s material was banned for its violent content for 10 years in both Australia and Germany. Even today, it is necessary to be over 18 years old to purchase it. In the case of Russia, not only is the sale of their albums prohibited but concerts have been canceled due to protests. The people protesting were citizens because their music was considered offensive to religions.
Cannibal Corpse have been dealing with censorship since the 90s. That is because their lyrics are about mutilation and graphic content. That is something that has put them in endless controversies in the United States and abroad. Furthermore, it gave them some free publicity as a death metal band. It can be argued that all of this censorship has only helped them.