Well this is just weird.
H&M is being accused of creating fake underground metal bands in order to promote their new clothing line.
The whole ordeal began when a label called Strong Scene Productions announced the Swedish retailer would release a line based around some of the talent on their roster. The line would act as a "musical trip down memory lane...showcasing the talents and forgotten jewels of global underground metal music."
Here's where things get fishy -- there is little to no evidence that any of the bands mentioned above exist, which was quickly pointed out by posters on the subreddit r/Metal, and by metal blog, Metal Injection. The label, and some of the bands associated, claim to have a history reaching back to the '90s, but all records of their existence (including songs, websites, Myspace pages, Twitter accounts, and even fan accounts) have only popped up in the last week or so.
And what's more bizarre is the fact that two of the bands seem to have ties to the NSBM (National Socialist Black Metal) and feature Neo-Nazi imagery in their branding.
Metal Injection says they contacted H&M for comment, but the rep "seemed confused by the whole ordeal and asked for links." However, Strong Scene then posted the following message on Facebook:
But the strangest thing of all? Strong Scene Productions is now denying the collaboration with H&M:
Umm...
So what do you think? Is H&M behind this campaign, or is someone just trolling the Swedish retailer in the weirdest way possible?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
UPDATE: Turns out it was all one big prank. According to Vice, H&M had absolutely nothing to do with the making of these bands whatsoever. They write:
"It was all a giant parody by those behind Strong Scene Productions who are, essentially, genuine metal fans who took one look at H&M's most recent “metal-inspired” items of clothing - complete with fake bands and patches that work from a brief of 'generic heavy metal imagery' - and thought, I'm done with high street chains badly commodifying my music. They decided to play a deep and brilliant joke on H&M, by actually creating the 'bands', making them really right wing and then spreading them across the internet for the world to join the dots."
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