Photos by Mike White; Above: MastodonThe Scion Rock Fest pulverized the city of Atlanta on Saturday, with just about every single awesome metal band on the planet crammed into the Masquerade for a ridiculously badass day of music. Mastodon capped off the blitzkreig, performing songs from their forthcoming album Crack the Skye, and welcoming special guest Scott Kelly of co-headliners Neurosis to the stage. Boris, Krallice, Harvey Milk, High on Fire, Baroness, Torche, Coalesce, and Converge all helped melt faces.However, the Scion Rock Fest wasn't completely free of drama. Chicago black metal band Nachtmystium, originally scheduled to play the fest, were absent from the lineup. According to a statement from frontman Blake Judd-- first posted by Brooklyn Vegan and later verified via a press release-- Scion's parent company Toyota kicked Nachtmystium off of the bill because of the band's alleged associations with Nazism. "A troubling, and unjustly-applied notion that we are, or ever have been, in any way, a 'Nazi' band or a political band on any level, is completely absurd and we are disgusted that there is someone out there who really believes we are of this ilk," he said.Representatives for the festival and for Scion have not yet responded to questions about the incident.According to Decibel, these accusations have dogged Nachtmystium for years, due to the fact that their first album, Reign of the Malicious, was released by the NSBM (National Socialist Black Metal) label Unholy Records. As Judd told Decibel in 2006, "In the past, we've had some indirect ties to labels and bands that are part of the NS scene. At one point not too many years ago, it wasn’t uncommon for NS labels or bands to trade and work with non-politically motivated bands and labels because at the end of the day, we're all trying to promote, release, and be involved with music—all politics aside. Today it seems like there's less of a connection, at least for me and my label. We don't oppose people's right to be 'NS' or whatever—that's a personal choice, and if you live in the USA, you have the right to that opinion. Even though I personally, my band(s) and my label have absolutely no interest in being a part of that scene, I will ALWAYS take their side when it comes to their freedom of speech being imposed upon."The full text of Judd's statement is reprinted after the photos.Mastodon with Neurosis' Scott KellyBorisNeurosisread more