Interview with a National Day of Slayer
The good metalheads at The Right Hand Path, a metal music magazine, conducted an email with JT this month. You can see the original here or read on.
Welcome to "The Right Talk", The Online Talk Show where The Right Hand Path speaks to Celebrities from the world of Metal music. Our Celebrity Guest today is JT, Director of National Day of Slayer Task Force, of the Wyoming, the U.S.A.-based "National Day Of Slayer, LLC." in this Exclusive Interview to an "Indian Metal Music" magazine.
The Right Hand Path: Slaytanic Metal Greetings from India!!! How are things at The National Day Of Slayer Head Quarters in Wyoming?
JT, Director of National Day of Slayer Task Force: Greetings to you as well. Things are quiet after our busy summer with National Day of Slayer.
The Right Hand Path: Please accept my congratulations for your third Slatanniversary that you had on Saturday, June 6, 2009, your third successful year of existence.
JT, Director of National Day of Slayer Task Force: Thank you. Next to the original 2006 celebration, this year was our best so far.
The Right Hand Path: Since it is said that the National Day Of Slayer is a parody of the National Day Of Prayer, is that a reason for your creation and existence as a "non-profit corporation" LLC. Would I be wrong in assuming that you are like a "The Missionaries Of Slayer"?
JT, Director of National Day of Slayer Task Force: Slayer doesn't really need missionaries as their value is self-evident. Christians, on the other hand, have to resort to missionary efforts and evangelism because their beliefs are not quantifiable. We're an LLC just to make sure that we can't be easily sued. Slayer has been named in court cases before, and they have a lot more money and resources than we do. Why take chances?
The Right Hand Path: Allow me to quote the below-mentioned from the official website of the National Day Of Slayer
"6.6.06 isn't a date that comes around very often (once per millennium, to be exact), and while plenty of stupid horror movies and terrible albums will be released for the hype value of the day that bears "the number of the beast", we here at NDoS decided that this would be a perfect day for Hessians across the country to come together and engage in something upon which we can all agree -- listening to Slayer! Also, do you really want those evangelical Neo-Cons to have all the fun with their "National Day of Prayer"?
Apart from the above-mentioned quote, how would you define yourself, as Slayer fans or Hessians who love and listen to Slayer's music? Or as Hessian fans of Slayer opposed to evangelical Neo-Cons?
What do you mean/understand by "Hessian" and "Neo-Cons". Since the National Day Of Slayer is a parody of the United States of America's National Day Of Prayer, please shed some Slatanic light on the Evilution of the National Day Of Slayer
JT, Director of National Day of Slayer Task Force: Neo-cons are neo-conservatives – that is, people who have intertwined conservatism and fundamentalist Christianity as a singular political position. George W. Bush is the best example. Hessianism is a lifestyle that incorporates metal music as a primary motivator in life. It's more dedicated than just being a metalhead.
Hessians are a worldwide phenomenon, and they never get any acknowledgment as a cultural identity. National Day of Slayer was founded to help unify Hessian interests through one of the single most popular metal bands of all time.
The Right Hand Path: Since you have talked about Hessians [and the American Nihilist Underground Society's Metal Music Forum that is Metal Hall mentions a certain Mr. Paul as the Leader of the website The National Day Of Slayer are you funded by them or is the American Nihilist Underground Society involved in this in any way?
Is there any influence of Nihilism as might be assumed from the above-mentioned paragraph?
Who is the Founder & Owner [if any] of the National Day Of Slayer and who are the people involved in this, since I have already mentioned Mr. Paul and the National Day Of Slayer's official MySpace mentions a certain 26-year-old woman from New York as the profile owner
JT, Director of National Day of Slayer Task Force: There are several people involved in the operation of NDoS. The Anus Society offered their help once they found out about us, and we were happy to take them up on it. Anyone who works to raise awareness is fine in our book. Hessian.org also lent a hand, for obvious reasons. We're not really interested in revealing who we are. This project isn't about us -- it's about Slayer!
The Right Hand Path: Let me again quote the below-mentioned from your website with regards to the Objective of the National Day Of Slayer
"The objective of this day is for everyone within earshot to understand that it is the National Day of Slayer. National holidays in America aren't just about celebrating; they're about forcing it upon non-participants."
By this are you not equating yourself with Religion, which according to you, forces its holidays as National Events [in America] as celebrations even upon non-participants? Do you also have political beliefs like in The Left since people opposed to Religion/Conservatism are regarded as having belief in The Left?
Reference: right adj. 4 a party or group favouring conservative views and capitalist policies.
[The Oxford English Minidictionary Fifth Edition Edited By Lucinda Coventry With Martin Nixon. Oxford University Press.]
So aren't you as intolerant as Religion, whom I assume do not like from the earlier below-mentioned quote
"Also, do you really want those evangelical Neo-Cons to have all the fun with their "National Day of Prayer"
JT, Director of National Day of Slayer Task Force: We're not really fanatics, but we were stumping for the "equal time" consideration that has since vanished from the American consciousness. And even secular holidays are forced upon non-participants, so we're not singling out just the church folks.
The Right Hand Path: Moving from the objective, I must again congratulate you because Tom Araya sent you a video from their studio sessions; the National Day Of Slayer Task Force members recently met Slayer.
The photographs on the National Day Of Slayer website had the Task Force members faces "pentagram-ed/covered with Slayer's Pentagram [old logo]. Why so, was it for fun or is it that you guys prefer Anonymity? What do you feel about these accomplishments of yours?
JT, Director of National Day of Slayer Task Force: We like our anonymity. In this country if you offend, you don't eat. None of us need those kinds of problems. And like I said before, nobody involved in NDoS is trying to be famous. We're just trying to "score one for the team".
As for Slayer's support, we couldn't be more pleased. Those guys don't have to give anyone the time of day, so the fact that they made efforts to give our organization more validity was really exciting.
The Right Hand Path: On a slightly unrelated note to this topic, what do you think of the Obama Administration since it was considered in some quarters that the previous Bush Administration had representatives of Neo-Cons that is The Neo-Conservatives, people supportive of Religion, Christianity, Israel, American Expansionism [please correct me if I am wrong in my understanding of Neo-Cons from what I have read]
JT, Director of National Day of Slayer Task Force: All I can say is that Obama has yet to proclaim the National Day of Slayer a national holiday for Hessians. If he's as good as his word about inclusiveness, he'll do it next year. Who knows, we could have a Hessian President one day!
The Right Hand Path: Since 2006 and in today's time in 2009, does "The Official Statement On Participation" and "Taking The Participation To A Problematic Level" at the National Day Of Slayer remain the same?
The reason why I ask this is with regards to a Church Desecration which allegedly involved Hessians and people belonging/believing in the National Day Of Slayer was not condoned by Kerry King in the past.
Since the Police got involved in this case, do you oppose such incidents since they break the law and show disrespect to other people's beliefs whether we like them or not?
What is your take on this and also on the coverage that you have received in the Local as well as International Media?
JT, Director of National Day of Slayer Task Force: First of all, let's be clear that nobody involved with Hessians.org had any hand in that crime (as far as I know). And no, we haven't softened our celebration rules at all. Why would we do that? I thought what those guys did was bold and hilarious, and it certainly got the message across. We we totally happy with the media outrage. It's not often that Slayer is a top news story. Kerry King didn't specifically endorse the church vandalism but he does endorse the site, so you can be the judge of that.
The Right Hand Path: Do all those people involved in running the National Day Of Slayer have their favourite Slayer album and song as the 1986 release "Reign In Blood" and "Angel Of Death, since they are mentioned in the website?
Some people tend to assume/have assumed mistakenly in the past to Slayer have Nazi influences/inspirations [the S in Slayer similar to Nazi Schutzstaffel, the Eagle logo [similar to the one in Third Reich, the song Angel Of Death about Dr. Joseph Mengele to name a few]. Have you faced any problems due to this, Slayer's anti-Christian/Satanic tilt in their songs and the anti-religion stance of Metal Music?
I also see that in the National Day Of Slayer website's footer, the copyright notice acknowledges Slayer images and soundfiles copyright from 1982-1989. Do you like Slayer albums from this particular period of time only?
JT, Director of National Day of Slayer Task Force: Reign in Blood is the favorite album at National Day of Slayer, yes. Isn't that true for almost everybody? Slayer's best work was in the 80's, though I'm pleased to say that the last album and the newest one are remarkable returns to form. As for the Nazism thing, Slayer hasn't really taken grief for that in a long time and neither have we. It's obvious they're not Nazis, they just like death and destruction.
The Right Hand Path: You have also quoted Psalm 116:15 from the Christian Bible in one of your web banners titled "America, Listen To Slayer", so, do you often refer to the Bible for promoting the National Day Of Slayer ?
JT, Director of National Day of Slayer Task Force: No, but that quote was always striking since it stands against the cuddly and loving idea of God that most Christians embrace. "God hates us all"? Perhaps.
The Right Hand Path: The bottom end of your website has flags from countries most of which are in Europe/Scandinavia, I believe they are for The International Day Of Slayer, so is the organization Europe and America centric with regards to celebrating the National Day Of Slayer ?
JT, Director of National Day of Slayer Task Force: The flags are actually links to all the different languages into which the site has been translated. We had people all over the world offering to do this for us, and we are very grateful since we want this to be a worldwide phenomenon. Know anyone who can translate to Hindi?
The Right Hand Path: Many thanks for this Exclusive Interview to The Right Hand Path. What would you like to say to the readers/viewers of The Right Hand Path and Slayer fans?
JT, Director of National Day of Slayer Task Force: Keep celebrating National Day of Slayer every June 6th. Hessians have a voice, so use it! And buy Slayer's World Painted Blood. It kills. Thanks!
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