In Russia, after the July 2025 designation of the “International Satanism Movement” as extremist, pressure on people connected to heavy music and occult or pagan imagery has intensified, according to the project Vetër. No such organization exists in practice, but interviewees told the outlet that the ban has had tangible consequences for musicians and audiences.
One of the harshest episodes took place on March 14 at the Territoriya club in Yaroslavl during the “Funeral of Winter” concert. After the band Garmskrik came on stage, security forces stormed the venue. A concertgoer identified as Vladimir said people were forced to lie face down for about six hours, beaten with batons, and in some cases had their hair and beards shaved off. Before release, officers checked phones, Telegram chats and subscriptions.
“They treated people as if we were not concertgoers but terrorists and extremists. They shouted that this was a gathering of fascists,” Vladimir said.
Another witness, Konstantin, said detainees were stripped while officers searched for “banned” tattoos, and that some were tortured with electric shocks. According to RIA Novosti, 23 people were detained, 20 were found to have “neo-Nazi” tattoos, and six were charged under the administrative article on public display of Nazi symbols. Konstantin called the cases fabricated because the images were documented only after people were forced to undress.
Vetër’s sources linked the raid either to the activism of Yaroslavl’s anti-extremism center, to a recent mass fight in a shopping center, or to possible associations involving the Belarusian band Interior Wrath, which had previously worked with M8l8th. The musicians did not respond to questions.
The outlet cites other cases as well. On January 6, 2026, a raid took place at Harvest Fest in Moscow’s “Mo[tri]” bar, and on February 8 officers entered the Eclipse club during a concert by the band “Nechist.” Metal scene researcher Ignat and journalist Felix Sandalov said that after the ban on the “satanism movement,” pressure on the scene became more direct and forceful, though in their view it cannot be eliminated completely.