In a little over two weeks, we’ll officially have a new President, Donald Trump. Regardless of what you think, it’s a pretty pivotal moment in American politics. Last year leading up to the election was particularly contentious and divisive. Avenged Sevenfold have always come across as more of a conservative band, but at the end of “The Stage” video, both Trump and Hillary Clinton are shown as puppet masters, and the band sold a shirt on tour with their mascot Deathbat at a podium with the skulls of the two candidates in each claw. When asked by The Irish Times what he thought of the phrase “President Donald Trump,” guitarist Zacky Vengeance pulled no punches intially:
It’s a very scary phrase. Time will tell, but all I can hope for is that Americans and people across the entire world, aside from whoever is the president, do right by each other. Because, at the end of the day, all my relationships here with people from all places of the world, only I can influence those today and tomorrow. It is really up to me. That guy (Trump) can do what he pleases, but as long as the majority of people stick together and try and be good people to each other, then I think all of that will be irrelevant.
While he starts out by calling the phrase “very scary,” he plays it safe for the rest of his answer, as if he doesn’t want to risk offending anyone. It’d be interesting if the interviewer followed up by asking him exactly what he meant. Meanwhile, Queensryche singer Todd LaTorre found himself in the midst of controversy by posting a meme on Facebook showing Trump and Russia President Vladimir Putin as leather daddies. Not surprisingly, a number of fans have told him to keep his politics to himself, but he’s engaged with almost all of them. There are some people saying they’re not supporting Queensryche any more, but LaTorre is doubling down, saying that he has the right to express his thoughts on his personal Facebook page. Reading the comments from the thread might make your head hurt (we stopped after seeing “snowflake” one too many times), but it’s cool to see him stick up for himself, and it’s not like he’s outing himself as a huge liberal or anything, just posting a meme.
[via Blabbermouth]
