Band Defend Swastika Face Tattoos

Irish underground punk metal band Coldwar have defended the swastika face tattoos of their frontman, Trevor LcLave.

LcLave has the symbols tattooed on his face and neck but insists they are not Nazi symbols.

The response is a result of a wider promotional campaign for the band's fourth record, Pantheist, after they signed with US metal label Candlelight Records earlier this year.

“The swastika was stolen by the Nazi ," announces a statement sent out by the band today, " The symbol is thousands of years old, used by many cultures and has different meanings . 

“Trevor is part of a group that is trying to reclaim the swastika symbol. He has many types of swastika symbols on his body."

Forming in 1999, Coldwar's drive has been largely political, rejecting church and state institutions and others they believe enforce oppressive, intolerant and absolutist states of mind.  Their statement also clarified this stance: "When the band says they are 'fuelled by a rejection of Church & State institutions and other oppressive, intolerant and absolutist states of mind', this includes nazism."