A Heavy Metal Welcome

By Willa Kammerer on Tuesday, February 3, 2009.

Last summer we interviewed the director of the documentary Heavy Metal in Baghdad. The film tells the story of the Iraqi heavy metal band Acrassicauda. The band was seeking refuge in Syria after getting death threats for making Western-style music.

Well, good news for Acrassicauda – The New York Times reports that the U.S. government has granted the members of the band refugee status, and placed them in a one-bedroom apartment in Elizabeth, New Jersey. They also got backstage access at a Metallica show on Sunday, where lead singer James Hetfield handed over his guitar – signed “welcome to America”.

A warm welcome to you, Acrassicauda.

Listen to our segment about Heavy Metal in Baghdad

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