FILTER's RICHARD PATRICK: 'American Politics Has Turned Into Just An Absolute S*** Show'

In a new interview with Keefy of Ghost Cult, FILTER frontman Richard Patrick touched upon the state of American politics while discussing the inspiration for the title of his band's upcoming album, "The Algorithm". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's so much disinformation online and in the world now. American politics has turned into just an absolute shit show as far as truth and facts and everything like that. One side seems to have the facts and the other side just wants to lie. And it's terrible, and we have to deal with it as Americans, but I hope that our country does the right thing and votes in the right people."

Patrick has been very vocal with his political views in recent years as an outspoken opponent of the Republican Party's hard-line stance on social issues.

Back in March 2019, FILTER's concert in El Paso, Texas was canceled after Richard posted an anti-Donald Trump video on Facebook.

At the time, Patrick said the venue informed FILTER that it "didn't like" the Facebook comments and said it had received threatening phone calls over the anti-Trump post. The venue also claimed that it was "illegal" to display the American flag upside down, which the band had planned to do during the show.

In a statement to Billboard, the venue confirmed what it told Patrick about the threatening phone calls in response to FILTER's Facebook video about Trump. The venue's general manager also noted that his staff was uncomfortable with FILTER's plan to display the American flag upside down and turn the concert into what he called a "political rally."

In October 2020, FILTER released the official music video for its then-new single, "Murica", featuring a character that Patrick told Alternative Press was "a Trump-supporting, gun-loving, unmedicated, super-freak 'merican unhinged and at his wits' end. And he's trying to take control of something that is not out of control." He said. "And he's afraid. He's the super-afraid white male. The Trump-supporting nutbag that I hope I can reach. These guys that are so far right that they think CNN, NBC, ABC, MSNBC [and] BBC are all out to get 'our President Trump.' Like they're all in a conspiracy to be super-left-wing, crazy liars. I'm trying to make an attempt to show them what they look like. These are the guys that can only listen to Fox News and Breitbart and that type of news outlet. They believe every fucking thing that the Rush Limbaughs, the Alex Joneses [say] and listen to only the right wing, 'the truth, man.' They do their 'own research' and believe 9/11 was an inside job, President Obama wasn't a real citizen and the lunar landings were faked. Hillary Clinton personally went out and killed people in Benghazi and it's her fault, she's [a] criminal and 'lock her up.' It's those people that I'm portraying in the video."

"The Algorithm" will arrive on August 25 via Golden Robot Records.