Metal Hammer responds to Carcass' Drummer Awards Snub

Metal Hammer's official statement in response to CARCASS' snub of the "Inspiration Award" reads as follows:

"Metal Hammer magazine is deeply saddened by any disappointment caused to Ken Owen and CARCASS by the events surrounding the Golden Gods awards on Monday 16th June. It appears that there have been a number of misunderstandings that have led to this situation that Metal Hammer would like to clarify to assure Ken, CARCASS and fans of the band worldwide of their commitment to legends such as CARCASS.

"Contrary to Internet speculation, Metal Hammer would like to reassure Ken and CARCASS that at no point was the award canceled. CARCASS' receipt of the Inspiration Award is very much still in place and we are keen to be able to present them with it in person, at a suitable and convenient time for the band. As the organizers of a big awards event, Metal Hammer magazine has to put a lot of consideration into the artist being represented on the night. With up to 1500 metal fans attending, as well as the vast majority of the UK's rock and metal industry, Metal Hammer felt that with nobody from CARCASS able to attend the event (please refer to the next paragraph) and an unsuitable amount of time available to source a recorded acceptance message, that it would be more appropriate to drop the Inspiration Award from the running order of the show. Metal Hammer would like to state categorically that at no point did this mean that CARCASS' Inspiration Award had been canceled.

"Over the course of the Download weekend (June 13th to June 15th) numerous conversations were had with Ken with regards to his attendance of the awards. It was initially planned that Jeff Walker [CARCASS bassist/vocalist] would attend the event to receive his award but, due to personal circumstances, was unable to do so. On the Monday morning of the event we were informed by Ken that he was unable to attend due to a college exam that afternoon. Several members of the Golden Gods team had been informed that Ken would be unable to attend and so the decision was taken to remove the Inspiration Award from the event's running order.

"Metal Hammer would like to assure the metal community that there are few bands in the world that the magazine holds in higher regard than CARCASS. The band have been responsible for shaping a vast proportion of the metal we hear today and for that very reason, have always been among the top candidates for the Inspiration Award. At no point did Metal Hammer mean any disrespect to Ken or to CARCASS and the Inspiration Award will continue to be awarded to the band. We apologize for any miscommunication that may have occurred but stress that we were only acting on the information received by a number of award organizers. The Inspiration Award will still be represented in the magazine's coverage of the Golden Gods and, if a time convenient to the band can be arranged, we will do our best to ensure that the award and its acceptance by the band is included in MTV Two's official Golden Gods program."

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Tags:  Carcass, extreme metal, Ken Owen, Metal Hammer 

jason    June 19, 2008