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Still, aggressive punk and metal are hate rock's main outlets. That was what Page played while fronting End Apathy. Heidi Beirich of the Southern Poverty Law Center tried to decipher Page's lyrics, but found them mostly unintelligible beyond choruses of "Sieg Heil." On Monday, Label 56, the Baltimore-based outfit that released End Apathy's music, removed from its website all images and products related to the band, and denounced Page's actions. An email inquiry did not get an immediate response. Hate rock concerts and festivals are commonly held on private land. Smaller shows are held at clubs or bars, with the groups often concealing their ideology from venue owners. "You'll see a lot of machismo, a lot of aggression," said Pete Simi, a University of Nebraska-Omaha social scientist who's done field research into hate groups and attended shows. "It's a very hyper-masculine space. The men will have their T-shirts off, and most are heavily tattooed." The gatherings often include "rough dancing that looks like a brawl," and fights are common. Stabbings are not unusual. Simi also knew Page, having spent time with him during research in southern California in 2001 to 2003. The two then fell out of touch. Asked if Milwaukee police tracked hate metal groups, spokeswoman Anne Schwartz said via email that authorities "are aware of the threats by groups who are contributors to acts of domestic terrorism." Matthew Chandler, spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, declined to say if the agency specifically tracked hate rock groups but said it's focused "on preventing violence that is motivated by extreme ideological beliefs." Levin said it can be difficult for law enforcement to focus specifically on certain individuals well-known in hate-rock circles unless there's evidence they've committed some type of crime. Mark Pitcavage, an investigator of right-wing groups for the Anti-Defamation League in New York City, said acts of right-wing extremism are at the highest level since the mid-1990s, around the time of the Oklahoma City bombing. He credited federal authorities for staying on top of the threats, but said it often takes incidents such as the temple attack to get the public's attention. Stevens recalled the hundreds of hours he spent with Page in vans and cars as they traveled to gigs around the U.S. and Europe. "You get intimate with people. You get to know their secrets and stuff," Stevens said. "This was a guy, I never even seen him get in a fight
-- even when riots broke out at the shows. When I heard what happened, I felt sick."
[Associated
Press;
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