Posted on December 3rd, 2008 by Blakkheim

We have just learned that our latest shirt design (front, back) has run into some controversy. Actually, It’s been a bit of a rocky road from the start with this one. Back at the sketch board, some of our art direction ideas were met by hesitation and according to the designer would feel “uncomfortable to do”. However, the design went through and obviously with such a fantastic piece of artwork and beautiful symbolism the t-shirt has hit home with Bloodbath’s audience all over the world, but apparently a demon vomiting on Jesus on a cross, surrounded by snakes, vultures and skulls was over the line for some confused ” death metal” fans. Perhaps they should ask themselves if it was really death metal they were searching for in the first place. Here are examples of some Dr Phil approved quotes we recieved:

“Recently saw your t-shirt “Mock The Cross.” It seems rather childish and immature not to mention very dangerous, to ridicule Christ. Why such disdainment for the incarnate God who died to save all mankind, even your sorry asses! If you have a problem with organized religion that’s one thing. It has little to do with Christ and His life and teachings. Of course if you curse Him in apparent ignorance, then you wouldn’t know the difference. Hell won’t be a cool place to be. The power of the cross is foolishness to those perishing.”

“I Don’t care about all the satan woreshippers that are gonna flame me. But, BloodBath YOU JUST LOST A FAN. On that degrading shirt. I believe what i believe. I rather not have bands mock it. This band is done. Never again. See you on judgment day.”

To top it off, we also just recieved the following message from Raw Talent, the printer of the merchandise:

“I have just been informed by the owner of the company that unfortunately we will not be able to print the “mock the cross” design again for you guys. It is against the owner’s moral and ethical standard for himself and also for the company. He wanted me to let you know and to send his apologies.”

With that said, let’s get the weak aside and the Bloodbath choir ready to mock the fucking cross again as we moved on to a new printer for our latest over the top ‘Iesous’ shirt design. Original artwork by Alex Norman features a detailed drawing of a dead Jesus with a crown of thorns and blind eyes, bleeding crosses in the background on both sides, and his hair engulfing skulls and the Bloodbath logo. The back features a cross dripping in blood with the lyrics: “Eeso Yeshua Iesous Die by Our Rage”. The design was also printed using a technique which results in the ink becoming one with the fabric, creating a soft vintage look and feel. Not a shirt to miss, grab one now!

  • hadrian
    OMFG! Mock the Cross shirt is soo amazing, I love it!!!!
  • Mock
    keep on mocking the cross guys. as you can see by looking what im called(Mock) i have no problem at all with you guys pissing off some christians.
    oh, and if there will ever be something like a 5XL version of the mock the cross shirt please tell me =)
  • Robin
    ''Bloodbath, YOU JUST LOST A FAN'' Aaww I Dont Really Think That Bloodbath Will Die If They Loose ONE Fan. They Have Like A Couple Of Million Fans!
  • hall of gods
    Hi. I agree with Michiel above. I posted earlier about the ridiculous fan who gave up Bloodbath because he suddenly learned about their theme, which is anti-christian. But I am interested in hearing from the band members as well - Michael has children - does he tell them to 'Mock the fucking cross?" I'm asking out of curioisity, because I just had a child too and my defense has always been "just cause you watch a horror movie, doesn't mean you love killing people" and in the same light, just because I love bloodbath music, doesn't mean I hate Christians or Jesus........thoughts?
  • Michiel
    I'm a true fan of this band, especially of Mikael, I love Opeth as well, but to me mocking Christians just is childish. It's not productive whatsoever to mock other people or religions. Oh well, wasn't planning to go deep into this. What I would like is some feedback from the band itself on this matter. Are they really that anti-christian? Hard to imagine your idols would be short-minded old kids.
  • brokenmach1ne
    Awesome, fucking awesome shirt and song. Perhaps the most metal song/phrase I've ever heard. And I agree with egor71: let's mock Mohammad, Islam next, launch an assault against those Jihad motherfuckers.
  • Ember
    Lollerskates. What are these people, new? Jesus.

    I haven't been to your site in AGES. I am ashamed to admit that I was not even aware of the existence of this fine shirt. Store's down; does it come in ladies' sizes? I WANT.
  • well; I already order my mock t-shirt, and I just can't wait to use it in the streets of São Paulo where I live, here in Brazil, simply the biggest christian country in this damn world.
    but I'm curious... what they are going to do with us ?
    burn us all in a new bloody inquisition ?
    they can scream against us, BloodBath fans, but BLOODBATH will never achieve the amount of BLOOD that the Catholic Church spills in the grounds of our planet, that NATURE creates!
    But to finish I have to say that we the fans, are going to the streets with this kind of shirt, and we just hope that our great band honour us making BloodBath more than a Opeth/Katatonia/Hypocrisy/Witchery/Nightingale Project band.
    LONG LIVE BLOODBATH
  • Hallofgods
    You gotta be kidding right. No way those quotes are from real fans. The guy was a 'fan' but then he saw the t-shirt. boo-hoo. He must have been a deaf fan. What do you think they are singing about? Romance by the sea to a gorgeous sunrise? Dew drops on a lilting flower reflecting a gorgeous full moon? No! They don't like god. Doesn't mean you have to agree. Just love the freaking music, for Jesus' sake!
  • Matt
    keep it brutal
  • Fuzzypig
    I would advise these people read a bit of Dawkins, but I'm afraid your average religious nutter is too narrow minded to even consider that other points of view exist, let alone try to understand them. Oi idiot religious nutter, it's picture! When was the last time a picture physically harmed you? All that crap over the Mohammed cartoons in Denmark! They were pictures, they were not real you morons, no one got hurt by them, only by you lot rioting over a few stupid pictures. As Dawkins says, if your God is so great I'm sure he has thick enough skin to not be bothered by a few silly pictures!

    Anyway on a more positive note, never really been into DM much apart from a little Morbid Angel, but picked up TFM CD and I haven't stopped listening to it for nearly two weeks solid now! Class stuff, keep it up and here's to many more years of Bloodbath genius!
  • Jacob Berglund
    TJA! i love the shirt man, it totally make christian people angry,wich i like ;D MOCK THE FUCKING CROSS!
  • HEY YOU GUYS!, PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!
    ALL I WANT IS A 'MOCK THE CROSS' T-SHIRT,
    SO THAT I CAN PISS-OFF MY DAD, HE REALLY SUCKS!
    I DON'T BELIEVE IN $$$, I JUST BELIEVE IN LOVE YOUR DEATHMETAL NEIGHBOR, AND THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT- "THOU SHALL LISTEN TO BLOODBATH AND MOSH AT THEIR CONCERTS", SO WILL YOU GIVE A T- SHIRT WHEN I COME TO YOUR NEXT SHOW?
    IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU COULD SET ASIDE A COMP-TICKET FOR ME TOO, AND MAYBE A BACKSTAGE PASS?
    I LOVE YOUR MUSIC, KEEP IT F-ING BRUTAL, OK!
    P.S., DON'T EVER "PULL A METALLICA", AND I'LL BE YOUR FAN FOR ALL OF ETERNITY! - LOVE, JESUS.
  • JESUS
    WHY DO YOU GUYS HATE ME SO MUCH?
    IT'S NOT MY FAULT THAT MY FOLLOWERS CREATED
    A GENOCIDAL INQUISITION AGAINST ALL UNBELIEVERS
    AND STILL TO THIS DAY ARE OPPRESSIVE TYRANTS!
    I'M SO SORRY, THERE'S NOTHING THAT I CAN DO
    ABOUT IT NOW THAT I'M DEAD, AND I'M NOT COMING
    BACK BECAUSE BLOODBATH AND THEIR LEGIONS WILL
    CRUCIFY ME AGAIN, PROBABLY ON A PENTAGRAM OR
    WORSE!!!666!!! DO YOU FORGIVE ME?, BECAUSE I
    FORGIVE YOU FOR LISTENING TO BLOODBATH!!!666!!!
    WELL, I GOTTA GO SUCK OFF GOD NOW, BECAUSE IF I
    DON'T, HE WON'T GIVE ME CRAKROX TO SMOKE. :(
    GIVE MY WARMEST REGARDS TO SATAN!!!666!!! :)
    -LOVE, JESUS.
  • FAITH IN CHRIST HAS BROUGHT YOUR DEMISE,
    THOUGHT HE WAS YOUR FRIEND,SURPRISE
    IT WAS A DISGUISE.YOUR CRUCIFIED CRIES
    WILL RECIEVE NO REPLIES.
    PERHAPS YOU'LL SEE GOD AS I REMOVE YOUR EYES...

    ...AND I GOT A HELLLL OF ALOT MORE THAN THAT
    TINY TIDBIT, AND A RAGING LOUD BLASPHEMOUS
    VOICE TO MAKE IT HEARD AS PLAIN AS DAY, SO SAY
    WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT ME, BECAUSE I DON'T GIVE
    A #!!<& UNLESS YOU AGREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Derrick
    Okay, I am christian, I love god but I LOVE bloodbath too, lyrics don't really matter to me even though on this album they are powerful! The reason why I love Bloodbath is because of how brutal they are, not the image.
  • heethen
    That guy must be really stupid or something (I mean, doesn't he hear the lyrics?). I'm pretty sure that you don't want this kind of fan anyway :-) And fuck that Raw Talent owner too. I find Christians (and others) highly offensive so they should be banned too! :-) P.S. Please come to Czech Republic ! :-)
  • hell yeah!!!
    the desing is so fucking awesome
    i want it in a wallpaper image haha

    you deliver merch to mexico??
    u.u
    i want that fucking shirt!!!

    keep kicking some religious asses
  • Elrend Svartefrost Stubbrud
    Love the music, dig the t-shirt designs, you guys know music!!!!!
    BTW, an acquaintance of mine formed a Bloodbath Norway group on Facebook to spread the ingenious sound this group has. Feel free to check it out, and if you're norwegian please do join:)
    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50463554465

    Keep it bloody heavy, our swedish neighbours!!
  • Igor
    i love you guys xD

    fuck the christians. i hope i can get a mock the cross shirt
  • Motte
    Those people can't be your fans, nor most likely have ever even listened to Bloodbath. Just some asshole christians who saw those shirts and wanted to preach against you.
  • Unorthodox
    Hahahaha.. motherfuckers! Eeso Yeshua Iesous!!! I just ordered all 3 shirts and I shall wear them proudly! Thanks for the great fucking music! p.s. Reprint the Wacken Carnage shirt so I may order one of those aswell! ..Haha
  • Colin
    If you are offended by the t shirts don't buy them, the only thing that matters is that Bloodbath is fucking sick instrumental wise and thats all that matters to me
  • Mcbagel
    shiiiiiit where's the wacken carnage shirts :( you cant just remove that one? it's the coolest of them all :( please upload a few couple so santa maybe could fix me one :'(
  • “I Don’t care about all the satan woreshippers that are gonna flame me. But, BloodBath YOU JUST LOST A FAN. On that degrading shirt. I believe what i believe. I rather not have bands mock it. This band is done. Never again. See you on judgment day.”

    I don't understand this. He could listen to songs suchs as "Bastard son of God" and nothing happened? I mean, "I believe what I believe"...yeah, that's now, but what the Hell did you believed in about 10 minutes before noticing the MTC shirt design?

    Hilarious xDDDD.

    Fuck, want one of those for Christmas, it's lovely.
  • egor71
    Cool shirt, could you make one with mohammed?
  • Wow the shirt is great give it a rest posers. You guys need to make some longsleeve designs!!! I already own a couple of your great Bloodbath shirts but want a longsleeve!!! Stop blogging and take care of your true fans you dirty swedes!!! LOL
  • Rob
    Heh, some people take it too seriously. I am religious (more or less) and the shirt and lyrics don't offend me. In fact I wouldn't mind wearing one of those shirts... To church... Hehe, wonder what kind of comments I would get. xD
  • KLUKE
    YOU GUYS FUCKING KICK ASS. I love the debut but "Nightmares Made Flesh" is probably one of my favorite death metal releases of all-time...and I've been into the scene well before the beginning of death metal so I've heard A LOT. So glad you guys are still around. You guys are one of the few "newer bands" (relative to my old fuckedness) to stir my soul like the classic death metal of the late 80s / early 90s. HAIL! ! !
  • This is the funniest shit ever! I might get one... How does this offend them but the lyrics do not?
  • LOL. Seriously? No way is this guy an actual fan.
  • Lindsey
    Death metal in general has a hostile stance toward religion, so I don't understand why said fan was so insulted.
  • Wow, "BloodBath YOU JUST LOST A FAN" if their offended by such artwork, simply dont buy it! it's not that hard! Secondly said person can't of realy paid much attention to some of the great lyrics this band has come up with!
    I dont care and my dad is a Vicar...

    Anywho, i hope there some MTC t's left be ace to shock some people in my rural town with it but i cant afford atm...

    Now im off to listen to 'Bastard son of god'...

    Bloodbath keep it brutal!
  • Jesse
    Yes, we still have the MTC shirts in stock. Order one now in the merchandise section.
  • Mille
    any mock the cross shirts left? i want one for christmas :(
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hadrian: OMFG! Mock the Cross shirt is soo amazing, I love it!!!!.. (read)

abducted: Brutal Assault maybe???.. (read)

Ominous Blood: No wacken?? NO WACKEN!? D':.. (read)

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