Slaughter To Prevail vocalist Alex Terrible has issued a lengthy and very personal statement addressing the criticism surrounding his public image, pushing back against the idea that his intimidating persona reflects who he truly is offstage.
Terrible's message confronts accusations that he cultivates a fake "tough guy" identity — criticisms often fueled by his extreme aesthetics, including a self-inflicted facial scar, bare-knuckle fighting pursuits, and viral moments like wrestling bears.
While acknowledging the controversy surrounding his past, Terrible insists that much of the backlash stems from misunderstanding his stage character. "I cry when I watch dramas, and I'm afraid of literally everything in this world," Terrible wrote. "I'm not tough."
Terrible began by explaining why he reads online comments, saying he's genuinely interested in how people respond to Slaughter To Prevail's music. While he's grown accustomed to critiques calling the band's sound "boring" or overly reliant on breakdowns, he views those opinions as subjective rather than malicious.
"Everyone has different musical tastes," he wrote. "We play a specific genre… If you don't like our music, it doesn't mean it's bad. It simply means it's not for you." He emphasized that the band refuses to place creative limits on itself, choosing instead to follow instinct and personal taste.
Which is totally true – but also, putting your art out there is a tacit agreement to be criticized. Whether you listen to it, or do anything with it, or whatever, it up to you.
Much of Terrible's statement focused on accusations that his scar and overall look are attempts to appear tougher than he really is. He rejected that notion outright, framing his appearance as an artistic extension of his performance. "I treat my appearance the same way I treat my art," he said. "I play with it and experiment. I want to look 'cool' on stage, like a character from some video game. I'm a kid playing with his toy."
Terrible stressed that his onstage image has little to do with his everyday life, and pushed back forcefully against critics who dismiss his experiences. "Most of you who write that I'm trying to look tough don't do what I do, and never will," he wrote. "Because you don't have the guts."
Terrible also opened up about his upbringing, explaining that he came from a small settlement in Russia and endured conditions he doesn't glorify or use as a measure of superiority.
"I've never been proud of that, and I've never said I'm better than someone because I lived through something and you didn't," he wrote. "When many of you were going to schools with basketball courts, I was huffing paint and lighter gas at abandoned construction sites."
Despite that past, Terrible described himself as "kind, sensitive, open, soft, and naive," insisting he has never pretended to be someone he isn't. "My scar is just decoration, like a tattoo," he added. "And if it somehow triggers you, ask yourself why."
Terrible also addressed more serious allegations, including claims that he is a fascist, homophobe, or supports genocide — accusations he firmly denied. "When people say I'm a fascist or a homophobe, I answer: absolutely not," he wrote. "I just have very dark humor."
Which… is probably not the stance anyone should take. "Yeah, I just have dark humor." Alright, but people probably don't know that about you and they think you're being serious.
He added that his views have even landed him in legal trouble, noting that he was once fined and nearly jailed for expressing his opinions. While he said he deeply values his homeland, he rejected simplistic interpretations of his beliefs.
Terrible concluded by acknowledging that internet discourse often reduces people to caricatures — but admitted that the controversy also fuels discussion around him and his band. "It's very easy to build an opinion about a person based on their words or their image on the internet," he wrote. "And that actually works in my favor — people talk about me and discuss me."
