Guitarist Set Teitan steps down from Watain amid Nazi salute furore

Set Teitan
(Image credit: Ollie Millington)

Watain guitarist Set Teitan has stepped away from the band after an image of him appeared online showing him doing the Nazi salute.

The image was forwarded to Metal Sucks by an anonymous source after the picture in question had been shared on social media.

In response to the image, Watain frontman Erik Danielsson has issued a statement to Metal Sucks confirming that Teitan has decided to leave the band “for a period of time” and calls the situation “tiresome and time-consuming nonsense.”

Danielsson says: “The gesture on that picture was done in jest – that’s as much as we have to say about that, but to put an end to this tiresome and time-consuming nonsense, the guitarist in question has decided to step aside for a period of time to avoid further hopeless discussions on the subject.

“We furthermore spit upon the ill-willed ignorance of all those who maintain that Watain have any political agenda whatsoever. For 20 years we have proven otherwise and people should know better by now. 

“Finally we would like to send a heartfelt fuck off to all who insist on feeding the mindless moral witch-hunt hysteria that is now festering on worldwide Heavy Metal culture. Hail Satan!”

The band were put under the spotlight in January this year, when Teitan appeared to give the Nazi salute while walking onstage at a show in Stockholm, Sweden.

Responding to that incident, the band said it had been “misinterpreted,” adding: “As everyone should know by now, Watain band members have no ties to Nazi ideology neither publicly nor personally.”

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.