Make Metal – Not War (English)

(Statement auf Deutsch hier)

(Statement in Hebrew here)

Many musicians we have already reported about here in SKULL NEWS have lost close friends and acquaintances through murder and kidnapping. On one hand, this shows the extent of the current war between Hamas and Israel and how much especially the civilian population is victimized. On the other hand, it also shows how close-knit and supportive the metal community in Israel is. And it doesn’t matter what faith, ethnicity, origin, sexual orientation, or political stance. Many of the bands and musicians have been explicitly working for peace between the population groups in the Middle East for years, bringing together people whose fathers are currently and have been attacking each other in the past.

Music unites, metal fraternizes us even across national borders and across continents. When the people we value, love, cheer for when they rock the stages, now come between the mills of war, more and more their identity as musicians is threatened to be lost behind all the horror. Currently, instead of bringing joy to people, they have to mourn their friends and loved ones, their fans and family members, and anxiously hope for the return of their kidnapped people.

Israel and the Israeli cultural scene play an essential role for SKULL NEWS, because without this context our team would not be in the constellation that it is today. Thanks to the bands’ close friendships with each other and the insider tips of their fans, we at SKULL NEWS have gotten to know the country’s most innovative metal and rock bands. And that in person, because Israel’s community is open and welcoming, no artist has diva complexes or fears of contact. We hence always enjoyed traveling to the hospitable country and got to know and love the culturally rich region. We at SKULL NEWS are grateful for the good relations that have been established through the contact with the metal community in Israel and the Middle East.

We condemn the terror attacks and violence of the Hamas and mourn with our friends and for the civilian victims both in Israel and Gaza. Our thoughts and hearts are with the victims, survivors, and bereaved families. We condemn the growing hatred and stand on the side of the innocent.

Currently, the war is also a war of words and information. The atmosphere is heated and every false statement, every unconfirmed news, can ignite a fire. As a media organ, we at SKULL NEWS see a great responsibility in all those who write and report, comment, post something in public. We therefore call on you to always cross-check information before reacting, sharing, commenting.

* Check the source: Where does the information come from?

* Does the information come from the original report?

* Has the report been independently verified or officially confirmed?

* Are there other reports that confirm similar info?

* Who is sharing this information and in what context?

* Have any parts of the information been shortened or changed?

These points can help you identify what this information means. In this way, you will support transparency in the media and take active action against fake news. In the current situation, knowledge about the conditions is essential!

Below, we quote the guidelines of the Landesmedienzentrum of Baden-Württemberg, which also gives helpful tips on how to recognize fake news.

You can also support your favorite bands or friends in the current war situation by reporting and blocking inappropriate, hateful, and offensive comments on their social media.

And furthermore, if you would like to support Israeli artists as musicians in these times when live performances cannot take place again due to the rocket fire, please check out their pages on Bandcamp and treat yourself to digital downloads in exchange for a bit of money. This is also a smart way to donate that goes exactly where you want it to go.

Together, we’ll get through this crisis, too. For peace and humanity.

Your SKULL NEWS Team

Thanks to Orphaned Land, Gunned Down Horses, Subterranean Masquerade, Saffek, unREDog, The Secret Saints, Scardust, Hellscore, Netta Barzilai, Matricide, Oceans On Orion, Melechesh, Sinnery, Walkways, Orpheus Blade, and all of our friends in the Middle East. Stay safe!

Tips for checking a message for Fake News according to the Landesmedienzentrum Baden-Württemberg (website here):

1. Design features: How is the message designed?

A lurid writing style, an emotionally oriented text, many exclamation, and question marks combined with spectacular images – these could all be indications of fake news. With this style, the content moves into the background: An eye-catching packaging is supposed to attract readers. Interests such as profit or propaganda could be behind the offer.

2. Check the source: Who is the author? Is there an imprint?

Check whether an author is indicated. Do you find no corresponding information directly on the article? Then the authorship should possibly be disguised. If there is also no imprint, you should be suspicious, and the content may be dubious. In Germany, there is an imprint obligation for commercial offers that do not serve purely personal or family purposes.

3. Source research: What do other sources say?

To get an overall picture of a situation, research other sources and compare the facts presented. Pay attention to the context and time period in which the information and images still appear. Also use sources from other countries or in other languages. Sometimes translation errors cause misinformation.

4. Search engine check: Where does a message originate?

If you receive a message via a messenger, you can check the contents in a search engine. Copy parts of the message into a search engine field and search for the origin. Then filter the results for contradictory statements. You may find background information that helps you get the whole picture.

5. Facts and figures: Is the information plausible and up-to-date?

Check whether the text, image, video, or audio file has a creation date. Check whether the facts and figures mentioned are plausible and up to date. If studies are cited, you can check the original study to see if the information provided is correct. Does the message appear on fact checkers such as Hoaxmap or Mimikama? Here, dubious information is checked for its truthfulness. It could be an outdated report that has already been identified as fake news.

6. Images, videos, and audio files: Check fakes technically

Images, audios, and videos are now difficult to identify as fakes because they look deceptively real. If you are still suspicious because the medium shows something unusual or does not match the previous information, you can use screenshots to search for the origin via Google Image Search or TinEye. If a video is available to you as a YouTube link, you can enter it into the YouTube Dataviewer. It will then determine the exact upload time of the video and show you the thumbnails that can be seen before the video starts.