Falling In Reverse, Serj Tankian και Corey Taylor: Το «Joseph» και η εμμονή με την καθαρότητα | Metal Territory
17/09/2026
Falling In Reverse’s “Joseph” opened a discussion that goes beyond the song itself. The participation of Serj Tankian and Corey Taylor alongside Ronnie Radke brought excitement from one side, but also a strong reaction from people who believe that such collaborations shouldn’t happen without a political and moral “check”.
The interesting thing is that the track itself doesn’t rest on some provocative message in favor of violence or war. On the contrary, its weight lies in subjects such as conflict, destruction and the repeating cycle. Nevertheless, for part of the audience, the issue wasn’t what the song says, but who chose to collaborate with whom.
When a collaboration becomes a purity test
Serj Tankian has for years been associated with a political stance, activism and public statements. That’s why his appearance on a Falling In Reverse song was treated by some as a “betrayal” of the image they had built for him. The same happened with Corey Taylor, who also found himself in the same frame. We’re no longer talking only about whether a single is liked, but about whether an artist is allowed to share the mic with someone whom part of the internet has already decided should stay out.
We see this pattern more and more often. A musician can have a decades-long path, but one collaboration is enough for them to be called a sellout, a hypocrite or something even heavier. The judgment comes quickly, the labels go on easily, and often the music comes last.
The metal scene and the new form of censorship
Metal grew up for years against external attacks: parents, TV panels, politicians and religious circles that presented it as something dangerous. Today the pressure doesn’t always come from outside. It also comes from within the community itself, with different words but similar intensity: if you don’t fit the right label, if you don’t say exactly the right thing, if you collaborate with the wrong person, then you’re on the list.
This doesn’t mean that everything is forgiven or that there aren’t real problems in the scene. Racism, violence, sexism and abusive behavior aren’t details. But substantive criticism is one thing and automatic cancellation with words that have lost their weight from overuse is another.
The issue isn’t left or right
The healthiest point of this discussion is to remember something simple: the metal scene was never a politically uniform room. At a live show you can stand next to people with different views, ages, countries and experiences, and for two hours the same sound unites you. This doesn’t mean everything is acceptable. It does mean, though, that music can’t bear to be turned into a test of ideological purity before you even hit play.
Even people who disagree on fundamental things can talk, collaborate or simply exist in the same space without it becoming a trial every time. Disagreement isn’t a problem. The problem begins when every disagreement is immediately branded as hostility.
Our take
“Joseph” may be liked or not. That’s the easy and honest part of the conversation. The hard part is accepting that an artist doesn’t belong to his fans, nor is he obliged to function as an extension of their own political identity.
If every collaboration first goes through a people’s court, in the end there will be room left neither for risk nor for surprise. And metal, however much it has changed over the years, always lived off those two things: risk and intensity. It’s good to judge strictly when needed, but not to shoot every time before we listen.
See also: Falling In Reverse: “Joseph” unites Corey Taylor and Serj Tankian | Alex Terrible: “I am not a nazi”
