Slaughter To Prevail frontman Alex Terrible has shared how his attitude to masculinity has evolved, and says that he wants to inspire others to confront their weaknesses and fears.
Terrible, who lists bear-wrestling and bareknuckle fighting among his hobbies, has previously espoused ideas about masculinity which have attracted controversy: a 2023 video from the singer titled '4 Rules Of Real Man' drew complaints from the LGBTQIA+ community for statements such as "the real man eats woman pussy, he likes."
But in a new instagram post, Terrible declares, "FUCK ALL THIS MASCULINITY BULLSHIT!"
"Let’s talk about masculinity," the post begins. "When I was a kid, I absolutely loved action movies with guys who knew how to fight and looked intimidating. Muscles, fighting skills, physical strength. They inspired fear in others, but seemed to fear nothing themselves.
"That image became deeply programmed into my mind, and I told myself: I want to become just like them!
"So I started working on my body, pushing myself through challenges and overcoming obstacles. Because getting into great physical shape and developing real fighting skills requires character, discipline, and mental toughness. And all of that takes years to build.
"But eventually, I realized something.
"The entire masculinity industry wasn’t actually what I had been chasing from the beginning.
"Today, I look at so many guys who have incredible physiques, impressive fighting skills, perfect discipline, and everything else.
"But then I started thinking about fear.
"And that’s when I finally understood what had truly inspired me as a child when I watched those action movies.
"Those characters were fearless. Or rather, they weren’t fearless at all. They felt fear, but they overcame it.
And then I started noticing people who were physically fragile, yet possessed an absolutely unbreakable spirit.
"People who could look death straight in the eyes and say: 'Come on then, motherfucker. You think I’m going down without a fight?'
"And that’s when it hit me.
"FUCK ALL THIS MASCULINITY BULLSHIT!
"I WANT TO BE STRONG IN SPIRIT."
"I’m still going to train my body," Terrible points out. "I’m still going to practice martial arts and develop my fighting skills.
"But more importantly, I’m going to confront my own weaknesses and fears. That’s where my real battle begins.
"And I want to become someone who inspires others to do the same.”
Captioning his post, Terrible adds, "Nobody will ever witness the most important battle of your life. Because your greatest enemy exists only for you. He’s always inside your head.
"I’m still afraid of death. I’m still afraid of the dark, of the unknown. But goddamn it, I will look those fears straight in the eyes!
"And you know what? That’s more powerful than any physique, any fighting skills, fame, money, or even sex! 😬
"When you overcome your deepest, darkest fears — the ones that literally make you shit your pants — THAT is true pleasure!"
Slaughter To Prevail are set to round off their year with two shows in Mexico in December.
The band will play the Teatro Estudio Cavaret in Guadalajara on December 18, and the Velodromo Olimpico in Mexico City on December 20.
