Machine Gun Kelly has partnered with Schecter Guitars for a new signature model, and the internet isn’t having it. People all over are slamming the musician for the instrument’s seemingly controversial design, and he’s responded to the commotion on social media.
The guitar is, unsurprisingly, shaped like a rectangular razor blade, and comes in the finish metallic silver. Originally listed for $2,169, the guitar can now be purchased for $1,499 on Schecter’s website. You can see images of it for yourself below.
Its shape has sparked a plethora of responses from people online, many of which argue that it “glorifies self harm.”
A couple of accounts on X shared promo photos of the platform a few days ago, including the State of the Scene Podcast account and METALBIRB, who wrote, “I know MGK sucks and people don’t like him… but what’s up with the guitar being a razor? It’s almost like it’s glorying self-harm? Schecter man… the scene has problems with mental health and making tools that can cause self-harm look ‘cool’ is actually super lame. Also the guitar is hideous, but that’s just obvious.”
Kelly responded to the post, writing, “You show your lack of depth by taking art at face value. This has nothing to do with any of the subject matter you just presented. So no my friend, you suck.”
A couple of musicians partook in the discussion as well. Static Dress’ Olli Appleyard quoted State of the Scene’s post about the guitar and declared, “I fucking hate living on this planet.” Kelly replied, “Words from a jealous musician who never made it.”
“[Don’t worry] bro just continue to push horrific themes to literal children,” Appleyard wrote back.
“And you can continue to show them how to be shallow minded and not look at art with any depth. I’ve done my job as an artist by creating a conversation, you’ve done yours as an idiot by not having the capacity to understand my message,” Kelly retaliated.
The musician wrote a post addressing the controversy on X yesterday (Jan. 9), in which he asserted, “I’ll never explain my art, because true art is conversational and always up for interpretation, but I will say, most of you constantly interpret it wrong. and then blame me for your version of what you think my art is. Ultimately I’m sad at how people perceive me in general. Peace.”
Falling in Reverse frontman Ronnie Radke even joined in on the discussion, quoting METALBIRB’s post and stating, “My guy I’m not jumping on any sides here but come on, have we gotten so lost we are now complaining about a razor blade guitar cuz it might trigger people to self harm? But you turn around and give my video of me murdering people with guns a thumbs up? I like you bro, Let the man live.”
Radke followed up the post a few hours later that said, “My timeline is just a bunch of 15 passenger van bands complaining about MGK. Makes me realize so much.”
Read the aforementioned exchanges on X, as well as some other reactions, below.
As one user pointed out, the razor blade imagery isn’t new to rock and metal. Judas Priest featured one on the cover of their successful 1980 album British Steel, which was printed on many of the band’s merchandise albums. And according to Rob Halford, the designer of the cover, Polish artist Roslaw Szaybo, originally wanted to show blood dripping on the fingers holding the blade.
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“It played on the punk reference with the way that the punk movement had the razor blades and safety pins and stuff. We played on that and also played with the actual razor blade being part of the steel manufacturing industry, albeit a very small one. It was important. Originally, he had all the blood pouring off the fingers,” the frontman told Billboard.
“We told him, ‘We don’t want to do that. We want to show you that metal is so strong we don’t bleed.'”
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Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita