Scott Ian defends “Racist, Nazi” side Project S.O.D “this isn’t how i feel”

During a recent appearance on Let There Be Talk, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian discussed S.O.D. His politically-incorrect side project featuring Dan Lilker, Charlie Benante and Billy Milanoto – saying about the band’s 1985 debut album “Speak English or Die”.

Read what he said:

“I love the success of that record. I love that people love the album. I love that most people took it the right way and understood that I’m not a Nazi, which I think is pretty easy to understand.

“But we did have our share of stupidity where, I guess, some people thought we were that. And we would actually get Christmas cards from white-power organizations, ‘wishing you a white Christmas,’ with a dude ‘Sieg Heil’-ing on a Christmas card.

“We were pretty clear [where we stood] when we would play shows. And certainly, in ’99 and 2000, when we finally did go out and tour the world on [S.O.D.’s second album, 1999’s] ‘Bigger Than the Devil’ record, you’d have idiots, you’d have white-power dudes ‘Sieg Heil’-ing at us, and Billy would give them one warning.

“He would tell them once: ‘Put that hand down or I’m gonna break it.’ And there were nights when shit happened – that’s all I’m gonna say. But if Billy warns you once to put your hand down, you fucking Nazi scumbag…

“My father fought in World War II – literally… You should probably put your hand down. And I saw some people on the wrong end of a very big, meaty fist.”

Scott went on to defend S.O.D.’s lyrics, saying:

“You’ve gotta understand, this was a character – I was writing for a character. This isn’t how I feel, as Scott Ian. I created a guy named Sargent D, who I was writing a comic book about and I wrote songs based on it.

“And if you don’t get it, go fuck yourself. I will never apologize, because that’s where it comes from.”

Ian added about “Speak English or Die”:

“It is lightning in a bottle; we could never do it again. We didn’t even try on ‘Bigger Than the Devil’, ’cause you can’t repeat it. We’re not gonna try and do the same thing and make a record in three days. It’s impossible.

“It’s so of its time, it’s so of its moment, yet it still holds up – it’s one of those crazy things. It’s from 1985, and it still holds up. I listen to it now and it sounds like we could have made it yesterday; it’s got such an energy about it.

“I say ‘not to downplay it,’ because we really were trying to be as dumb… we were really being the biggest fucking hammerheads, the dumbest, just caveman parts, but yet brutal.

“‘Caveman’ and ‘brutal’ – that’s what we were going for. We wanted to be the most caveman brutal, drag-you-outside-and-beat-you-with-a-fucking-club. That’s what we were going for.

“We would literally say, ‘It’s not dumb enough. No, these lyrics… too smart. It’s too smart. It’s gotta be stupider. It’s gotta be dumber than this.’ And I pushed myself to be dumber.”

The guitarist also pointed out he’s interested in reuniting the act, saying:

“I would absolutely do S.O.D. again, if the situation was right and it felt like it was in the spirit of what the band is about.

“I would definitely do it again. I would love to go play some festivals. I would love to go play [European] festivals. We did it in ’99 and 2000, and it was fucking awesome.”

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