Danzig under fire for using Nazi-associated symbol on new merch

Danzig are facing criticism for using a Nazi-associated symbol on their new official merchandise.

The New Jersey heavy metal band are currently out on the road for a run of US West Coast headline shows, which kicked off earlier this month.

As Metal Injection reports, the group are selling some new T-shirts and posters with a questionable design at the dates. Numerous fans have noted the use of the Sonnenrad – aka Sunwheel or Black Sun – on the merch.

According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), this symbol is “one of a number of ancient European symbols appropriated by the Nazis in their attempt to invent an idealised ‘Aryan/Norse’ heritage”.

The ADL added: “The sonnenrad appears in the traditional symbology of many countries and cultures, including Old Norse and Celtic cultures. It has countless variations; the swastika and similar rounded variants are actually sonnenrad forms, as are certain versions of the Celtic Cross.

“In Nazi Germany, the Nazi Party, the SA and the SS all used sonnenrad symbology at times, which has led neo-Nazis and other modern white supremacists to adopt such images. One sonnenrad version in particular is popular among white supremacists: two concentric circles with crooked rays emanating from the inner circle to the outer circle.

“Often white supremacists will put another hate symbol such as a swastika in the center of the inner circle.”

It continued: “Because sonnenrad imagery is used by many cultures around the world, one should not assume that most sonnenrad-like images necessarily denote racism or white supremacy; rather, they should be analyzed carefully in the context in which they appear.”

Danzig frontman Glenn Danzig has not yet commented on the issue. However, some extreme right-wing figures have been endorsing the merch and welcoming the band as their own.

‘Johnny Doomsayer’, who calls himself “pro-White” on X/Twitter, said that the lead singer was now “one of our guys”. Sharing an article on Volk News, he also pointed to fans calling out the band on Reddit.

Can’t spell Danzig without nazi pic.twitter.com/1KLako805S

— jam (@newdayfalling) March 30, 2025

Ok, which one of you maniacs designed the current Danzig merch? pic.twitter.com/AI2EnvMYET

— Real Jose Galvan (@Jose_Galvan) March 30, 2025

long time danzig hater here, just checking in to say I told you so https://t.co/drHzYNOhda

— ass leahy (@tomorrowsashes) March 31, 2025

One person wrote: “I like the Misfits and I love Danzig. But Glenn is a top notch asshole who knows exactly what he’s doing.” In another thread, someone explained that the frontman had “always deliberately courted controversy”. A third said: “You cannot display nazi shit in a time when there are actual nazis in power and call it ‘occult.’ Stop stumping for this fascist shit.”

When a fan explained that “this is an ancient symbol in Europe”, another user responded: “Show me that exact design in ANYTHING before 1930, and I’ll send you some money. That literal symbol is from Nazi Germany, period.”

Elsewhere in the comments, someone posted: “Another poster who just realised that Glenn openly exploits controversial imagery and symbolism and seems shocked by it .” In response, a user added: “Another Nazi sympathiser openly defending Nazi symbolism and seems shocked when called out on it.”

Someone then pointed out that the frontman “openly likes to piss people off with the exploitation of occult, religious and Nazi symbolism”, adding: “He’s been doing it for literal decades.”

Glenn Danzig has faced backlash over his views in the past. In 2021, he claimed that another “punk explosion” wouldn’t happen because of “cancel culture and woke bullshit”. He also recalled at the time how the group “would do things just to piss people off”.

“We’re lucky it happened when it did, because [a punk explosion will] never happen again” he said. “You won’t have any of those kinds of bands ever again. Everyone’s so uptight and PC, it’s just like, ‘OK, whatever’.”

He had previously defended Donald Trump’s Muslim travel ban plans in 2017. In 1994, Danzig reflected on a moment in his “1990 long-form” video about his book collection – where he said that “every school child” should own a copy of The Occult Roots Of Nazism.

“It was sarcastic. Well, you can learn from it. Obviously, if a book is published, it’s got knowledge in it,” he told Rolling Stone.

“If you let your bias get in the way, you don’t know about it. If I was a Nazi hunter, I’d want to read this book. If someone says it’s politically incorrect to have that book, I basically say, ‘Fuck you’. If you’re going to tell me what book to read or not read, who’s the fascist?”

The new Danzig merch comes after Elon Musk faced controversy for appearing to give a Nazi-like gesture at President Trump’s inauguration in January. Elsewhere, Kanye West put a swastika T-shirt up for sale on his website as well as declaring himself as “a Nazi” during a slew of anti-Semitic remarks.

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