Sheffield metalcore mob Malevolence have had a falling out with UK nature and conservation charity group the National Trust.
It's a bizarre turn of events, but comes after the charity apparently forced Malevolence's label Nuclear Blast to remove the video for their latest single Salt The Wound from YouTube, citing a lack of permission to film on sites featured in the video.
Taken from the band's upcoming fourth album Where Only The Truth Is Spoken, Malevolence attest that the Salt The Wound video was created to celebrate their local heritage.
On release, vocalist Alex Taylor explained, "The video was entirely shot in Sheffield and the surrounding areas."
"From the industrial depths of Sheffield, a 900-year-old ruined Abbey, to a perfect sunrise over some of the incredible hills of Derbyshire, there is some incredible scenery in the north of the UK which we sometimes take for granted, so this song felt like the perfect opportunity to showcase some of that."
The National Trust clearly didn't agree, however. In a statement released by Malevolence, they say that they were threatened with legal action, and that attempts to resolve the issue were met with refusal. Read their full statement below.
Posted by MalevolenceRiff on
In the meantime, the video has been anonymously re-uploaded to YouTube by the channel "Trust Issues" and vocal supporters of the band have been criticising the National Trust's response in comments on their recent social media posts.
A spokesperson from the National Trust explained the decision further when asked for comment:
"We want people to use the landscapes we care for to be creative and inspire others. We always have to balance the needs of people with the needs of nature and wildlife, and our costs as a charity. Any filming for commercial activity needs permission and sometimes a fee, which will go toward the care of landscapes and nature. Unfortunately the video was uploaded before an agreement could be reached.”
Where Only The Truth Is Spoken is due for release on June 20. The band will celebrate the album's release with a series of special release events including in-stores and acoustic performances across the UK, before playing their biggest UK headline shows to date in November when they play Manchester's O2 Victoria Warehouse and Brixton Academy in London.
Watch the video for Salt The Wound below.
Malevolence UK Release Events
Jun 20: Think Tank, Newcastle
Jun 21: Sheffield (details unreleased)
Jun 22: HMV Vault, Birmingham (acoustic)
Jun 23: The Exchange, Bristol
Jun 24: Joiners, Southampton
Jun 25: Jacaranda, Liverpool
Jun 26: Resident, Brighton (acoustic)
