tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50974157510779409512024-03-13T22:47:36.693-07:00A Voice of Skepticism....Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-39866460783502586092023-02-16T19:07:00.002-08:002023-02-16T19:07:58.047-08:002022...a forgettable year or no?<p><span style="font-family: arial;">It's over 6 weeks into 2023 and I guess I have barely even looked at this thing since last year. Things come up and I'm determined that I could write something about that...then I get lazy and forget. Some of the ideas are still floating around, but considering we're already well into 2023 and I'm just now taking the time to finally compile my Best of 2022 list...well y'know.
Anyhow, it was quite a busy year in 2022 for M and myself. Concerts were a thing again, and while I didn't go to enormous amount of them, I did take the opportunity to see a few bands live. It seemed that metal shows all clustered around each other, and they all took place in Baltimore, Maryland. Roughly an hour away from my abode and extremely inconvenient to trek to on a week night. That said, I was able to see the <b>Rotting Christ/Borknagar</b> tour, <b>Amorphis/Uada</b>, <b>Dark Tranquillity/Kataklysm/Nailed to Obscurity</b>, and <b>Nile/Incantation</b> all in relatively short succession last spring. There was also the 2022 edition of the Maryland Deathfest. I'm not gonna try to recall every single band that played, but some highlights included the <b>Cavalera</b> brothers performing songs from the "<i>Beneath the Remains</i>" and "<i>Arise</i>" albums...which was way more awesome than any expectation I had it would be, as well as seeing <b>Pyrexia, Hypocrisy, Immolation, Monstrosity, Massacre, Blood Incantation, Dark Fortress, Necrophobic, Sacramentum, Trypticon, Obituary</b>, and <b>Carcass</b>. Quite a wild list of bands I just typed there, eh? Of course, there was an unfortunate pall over the proceedings as someone decided to "stage dive" from the top of a parking garage on the first full day. Towards the end of the year, I had the opportunity to finally see <b>Mercyful Fate </b>again, with <b>Kreator</b>, and <b>Midnight </b>opening. Of course, the following night I found myself at another venue, this time the famed Black Cat in Washington DC, to see <b>Katatonia</b> perform the best set I'd ever witnessed by them, thought the opening acts for that show were largely forgettable (I believe it was <b>The Ocean</b> and a newer act called <b>Cellar Door</b>?) <br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXs6iIto0nYYauqvaAjtGOEvgMuUGDhCM_GqdgZDy_MyTyUh45wB2yX9oOhI-mHMZ_T3eEKhRVzOEj8RPD8OFD79-ryOELHHeUN1TXs3lstHZ3Ozc72vrlExLiTWG2OvYkqdbI63uG-SC6bMXDe_oqhIEjiFfHUCfqmE9wevo-O6TvLs6R_3-yK1QzEw/s720/mercyful%20fate%20november%202022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXs6iIto0nYYauqvaAjtGOEvgMuUGDhCM_GqdgZDy_MyTyUh45wB2yX9oOhI-mHMZ_T3eEKhRVzOEj8RPD8OFD79-ryOELHHeUN1TXs3lstHZ3Ozc72vrlExLiTWG2OvYkqdbI63uG-SC6bMXDe_oqhIEjiFfHUCfqmE9wevo-O6TvLs6R_3-yK1QzEw/w400-h300/mercyful%20fate%20november%202022.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">THIS was awesome.</span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Beyond that, there were some ambitious adventures undertaken by M and I. There was an adventure to South Dakota, where we saw nuclear missile silos, bizarre metal sculptures, and a hilarious group of Indian tourists remarking about the pitfalls of hiking outdoors at Badlands National Park. Said trip also led us to Devil's Tower in Wyoming and several days at a casino with an amazing view and the best hot tub ever outside of Denver, Colorado. Another adventure took us to the redneck riviera in Florida for a week, a work trip for M actually resulted in me getting on an airplane for the first time where we spent too much money in theme parks I'm sure, there were multiple weekend trips to Cincinnati and Louisville because "bourbon", and perhaps the highlight was a week long adventure to the Canadian maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Halifax is a beautiful place full of friendly people who kept tipping M and I off to amazing places to eat and indulge in adult libations. PEI is absolutely beautiful in its own right...with rather tasty food in Charlottetown. (Also; crazy ass Canadians who swim in the freezing cold ass tidal Gulf of St. Lawrence.) Warning though; that Confederation Bridge has a $50 dollar toll and they hit you with it when you try to leave PEI (that's Canadian Dollar, so probably like $37.50 or so USD.)</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMLMdTzYQ1YhMKQ6prbOT2oMFsfU-ZTb4ZOUOgRk3ZJZ5ifpVu-3-WVdwmwMxOmDVqXS1E00g6TsXB8qYQqDS6xcbIWwg6UMs8yqtCgaDu7EN4fAgm10mRHWxiwRMlo5odmz7eYYgjjjdM77UDY0Fpy19o5GGB95r5CaTVERJOcE25iXSCv3l2yGfvQ/s2048/halifax%20august%202022.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMLMdTzYQ1YhMKQ6prbOT2oMFsfU-ZTb4ZOUOgRk3ZJZ5ifpVu-3-WVdwmwMxOmDVqXS1E00g6TsXB8qYQqDS6xcbIWwg6UMs8yqtCgaDu7EN4fAgm10mRHWxiwRMlo5odmz7eYYgjjjdM77UDY0Fpy19o5GGB95r5CaTVERJOcE25iXSCv3l2yGfvQ/w300-h400/halifax%20august%202022.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This brewery was across the river from Halifax in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Ended up closing the place down with a very friendly older fellow who had traveled to the States on many occasions and seemed to be talking us into staying in Nova Scotia. </span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> Last year was one of adventures, but also general restlessness. For me, after grinding out a second post-grad degree, there's a sense of "what's next?" but also hesitation because of a slow-rolling recession where trying something different right when the bottom of the economy may collapse at any moment. Meanwhile, we have Russia invading sovereign countries like it's 1920 again, China engaged in amateur level chicanery involving spy balloons, a town in Ohio facing ecological catastrophe, and public spaces in my country have basically become shooting galleries for any delusional incel with a grievance. Certainly not optimistic times we live in. But hey, I did whitewater rafting for the first time in Colorado last year without dying and managed to not vomit on my first ever flight. Between that and an awful lot of interesting tours coming through later this spring, I feel like I can at least sufficiently distract myself away from impending doom. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> And with that...my listening habits in review for 2022.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Most Disappointing Album/Trend/Thing in 2022</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I thought the new <b>Lamb of God</b> album, <i>Omens</i>, was pretty uninspired. I don't look for that band to be elite or among the most interesting from a creative aspect, but I do tend to look at them as a band I'd expect to release competent, hook filled collections of songs. I thought their eponymous release in 2020 was excellent, with an incredible production clarity. This time? Bleh. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">That said, and I feel like I've got a rant to deliver on this topic, but I think the worst thing happening in the "scene" is all of the internet crying about "gatekeeping." Essentially, as best as I can tell, if you don't share someone else's opinion about a particular artist...especially if that artist happens to be popular or flavor of the month...then you are guilty of "gatekeeping." The inability to call certain bands trash when their musical output sucks seems to be suffocating. Are people incapable of being offended? Has the rash of school shootings made the young crowd scared of upsetting anybody by suggesting they disagree? I dunno, but that bullshit is weak sauce. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Honorable Mentions</b></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Allegaeon <i>Damnum</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Ard <i>Take Up My Bones</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Arkaik <i>Labryinth of Hungry Ghosts </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Baest <i>Justitia <br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Belphegor <i>The Devils</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Blind Guardian <i>The God Machine</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Candlemass <i>Sweet Evil Sun </i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Cosmic Putrefaction <i>Crepuscular Dirge For The Blessed Ones</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Fallujah <i>Empyrean</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Fetal Blood Eagle <i>Indoctrinate <br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Gaerea <i>Mirage</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Ghost <i>Impera</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Hath <i>All That Was Promised</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Kuolemanlaakso <i>Kuusumu</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Organectomy <i>Nail Below Nail</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Psycroptic <i>Divine Council</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Saor <i>Origins</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Shape of Despair <i>Return To The Void</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Strigoi <i>Viscera</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Temple of Void <i>Summoning The Slayer</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Wake <i>Thought From Descent</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Werewolves <i>From The Cave To The Grave <br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Zeal and Ardor <i>Zeal and Ardor</i></b></span></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Top 10 of 2022</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>10.) Katharos <i>Of Lineages Long Forgotten</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i> </i></b>Party like it's 2002? This Swedish band had been around for a minute, but 2022 was the first that I heard of them. Still, they perform the sort of ambitious, over the top sort of bombastic almost theatrical sounding black metal that was en vogue from around 1998-2008 or so. Some bands like <b>Agathodaimon </b>have returned from dormancy to release albums in this style as well, so maybe once that stupid nu-metal fat goes right back to hell like it should, we could see an updated take on this much like <b><strike>Insomnium</strike> Bezelbubs </b>had done in 2019. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P0j5fDqWpLg" width="320" youtube-src-id="P0j5fDqWpLg"></iframe></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>9.) Stabbing <i>Extirpated Mortal Process</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Holy fuckin' <b>Devourment</b><i> </i>worship, Spiderman! This is text book TXDM style, full of pulsing blasts, clangy snare, guttural vocals that sound like gasping for air, and those swaggering grooves that are the trade mark of brutal death bands from Texas. You're not getting anything revolutionary here, but this is work of love for fans of this type of death metal, who in recent years have been frustrated by the proliferation of more "deathcore" oriented bands like <b>Ingested</b> who may be perfectly listenable but suck up the proverbial "oxygen in the room" that would otherwise allow artists like this to shine.That said, Stabbing's execution is top notch and not to be denied. Play this at high volumes and frighten your neighbors. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i> </i></b><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bu_bwFzRDDE" width="320" youtube-src-id="bu_bwFzRDDE"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>8.) Soreption <i>Jord </i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">A Swedish death metal band that sounds more California-tech death than either Gothenburg's melo-death or Stockholm's more punk-ish HM-2 bands. Lots of stop and go riffing and syncopation that maybe has a spiritual ancestor somewhere in its distant DNA of fellow Swedes <b>Visceral Bleeding</b><i> </i>or <b>Spawn of Possession</b><i>. </i>Perhaps where Soreption fits is as a melding of both of those aforementioned Swedish bands except with a cleaner sound, a bit more precision, and lot more song craft. <i>Jord</i> is a very catchy short and sweet 31 minutes.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i> </i></b><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0CS_TDabluo" width="320" youtube-src-id="0CS_TDabluo"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>7.) Origin <i>Chaosmos </i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i> </i></b>Origin have been playing this relentless, cataclysmic style of tech death for over 20 years now. Hell, how many pedals and drum triggers has John Longstreth gone through by now? At any rate, Origin has always delivered the goods to some degree of exceptionalism, but <i>Chaosmos</i> may rank among their best efforts, matched only by their legendary <i>Informis</i> <i>Infinitas, Inhumanitas</i> album from 2002. What sets this one apart from some of their prior efforts is there's an increase in "dynamics" here; while the blastbeats almost never cease for the 30 some minutes this one goes there's plenty of chugging riffs balanced by almost lofty tremolo picking that then lead into downright video-game-ish cosmic sounding tones. Origin has figured out to add enough "color" to their "palette of sounds" to be interesting and not just background music. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X2kzewIKTKY" width="320" youtube-src-id="X2kzewIKTKY"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>6.) In The Woods... <i>Diversum</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In The Woods... after their reformation are not the same band they were in their original 1990's incarnation. That era of the band was a product of the black metal scene and while they clearly had progressive tendencies long before the rest of that scene did until bands like <b>Borknagar</b><i> </i>and <b>Enslaved</b><i> </i>explored their identities further around the time In The Woods... broke up or became inactive following the <i>Strange in Stereo</i> album. Post-reformation, they still have the harsh/clean vocals dynamic but a lot of the black metal tendencies have subsided in favor of a more epic, proggy, somber metal style. Two great albums (<i>Pure</i> and <i>Cease The Day</i>) with then-newly hired vocalist James Fogarty followed...and I was fortunate enough to witness an amazing set by this version of the band at MDF in 2017. Unfortunately, Forgarty and his abundant creativity departed the band following <i>Cease The Day</i> and once again the most prominent role in the band has a new voice.This time it's a gentleman named Bernt Fjellstad who I had initially mistaken for JB Christoffersson, the voice of <b>Grand Magus</b> and formerly<b> </b>of<b> Spiritual Beggars </b>as well (I think he was on SB's <i>On Fire</i> album?) Any time a band changes vocalists, it can run the risk of ruining a great band...or it can lift a band to a new level. Or in the case of In The Woods... with <i>Diversum</i>, it just marks a new chapter as I think Fjellstad does a fine job with both his exceptional clean vocals and acceptable harsh vocals but In The Woods... isn't going to suddenly after nearly 30 years of existence shoot up the pop charts or anything ridiculous like that.<i><b> </b></i>That said, musically this is a further refinement and perhaps slightly more epic, darker sounding path that began with <i>Pure.</i> All in all, a more than solid effort. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PHuNtJKwpug" width="320" youtube-src-id="PHuNtJKwpug"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>5.) Desecrate The Faith <i>III</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i> </i></b>When I first discovered this Texas death metal band in 2017 and heard <i>Unholy Infestation</i>, I thought they were a fantastic representation of that chunky, groovy brutal death metal sound. They fit well among the <b>Prophecy</b>'s and <b>Devourment</b>'s and <b>Infernal Dominion</b>'s of that localized death metal scene and I would have been excited to hear them continue in that direction. Instead, they went for a sound far more aligned with <b>Severe Torture</b>, which is to say that they've got all of the brutal elements of the TXDM style, but write actual songs where riffs reappear and songs build up to guitar solos that act as cathartic release. When the term that a band is "maturing" gets used, normally it means they're getting soft or adding a bunch of fluffy froo foo nonsense to their sound. That doesn't apply here. Desecrate the Faith has "matured" without losing one iota of their venom; they've just improved as songwriters. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/teIschxV6EE" width="320" youtube-src-id="teIschxV6EE"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>4.) Amorphis <i>Halo</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i> </i></b>Amorphis has been around since what...1991? I think that's when the <i>Disment of Soul</i> EP came out we're talking a band that's been around over 30 years again. Their early years involved a lot of exploration as they shifted from a doom/death band into some kind of progressive folk/death metal act then into a smoother pop prog/metal band then whatever the hell those 2 albums with annoying saxophone were called. They then kicked out replaced their previous lead vocalist with Tomi Joutsen and kinda discovered their "identity" on <i>Eclipse </i>as something between "folk metal and goth-pop-rock meets death metal with underlying 70's prog indulgences" and have put it on cruise control ever since. I feel like for the time that coincides with Tomi's tenure as vocalist, only <i>The Beginning of Times </i>failed to live up to an expected level of quality that Amorphis delivers on each album. As Amorphis has now become what could be termed a "legacy" act, I think they get the short straw when it comes to most AOTY lists from the various reporting outlets online, especially because they've got a clearly distinct, un-imitated sound. So an album like <i>Halo</i>, which sounds aligned with the rest of the Tomi Joutsen-era of the band, may fly under the radar despite the fact that <i>Halo</i> is just a great collection of songs crafted by a band at the peak of their abilities. That can be enough, can't it? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HxGsggPV4XQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="HxGsggPV4XQ"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>3.) The Halo Effect <i>Days Of The Lost</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Let's be honest, this is a bit of a played out style of metal in 2023. The Gothenburg melodic death metal sound that was initially popularized by <b>At The Gates</b><i>, </i><b>Dark Tranquillity</b><i>, </i>and <b>In Flames</b><i> </i>was a mid to late 1990's phenomenon. By the mid-2000's, the genre seemed to gravitate towards In Flames in particular, and hordes of bands like <b>Children of Bodom</b><i>, </i><b>Soilwork, Norther</b><i>, </i>etc looked to fill that space as In Flames themselves became angsty, whiny emo-ish nu-metal following <i>Reroute to Remain.</i> Meanwhile, New England hardcore bands took inspiration from <i>Slaughter of the Soul<b> </b></i>and the modern metalcore movement was born around the same time. Eventually At The Gates would reform and have since released 3 albums, while Dark Tranquillity morphed into a different sort of entity, still rooted in melo-death but a lot more atmospheric in nature. In Flames, on the other hand, has been a shitty band for longer than they were a good one at this point as they've become that far removed from the trilogy of albums (<i>The Jester Race, Whoracle, </i>and <i>Colony</i>) that made them underground darlings for a moment in time. Over those years, attrition and turn over in the band saw key song writer Jesper Stromblad depart as well as most of the original In Flames lineup...a lineup which in its infancy included Dark Tranquillity vocalist Mikael Stanne. Maybe it was nostalgia, or boredom, or a desire to give the current brain-trust of In Flames the biggest middle finger possible, but Stanne, Stromblad, along with 3 other former members of In Flames formed The Halo Effect, and recorded the album that logically should have come out between <i>Colony</i> and <i>Clayman.</i> To call this "death metal" feels like an incredible reach despite Stanne's predominately growled delivery (he basically sounds the same as he does in Dark Tranquillity here<i> </i>from their <i>Projector </i>era) but as just an album of well crafted, catchy songs with some aggression, some punch, and a whole lot of memorability this excels. For me, there's so much nostalgia in that because it's everything that was amazing about downloading mp3s off of Angelfire websites and hours spent in online chatrooms discovering new artists during a time when the European metal underground was fresh and exciting to me. Nostalgia is a power force. This album has gotten a TON of listens. Whatever novelty it lacks, it scratches an itch that hasn't been scratched in a very long time. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i> </i></b>I don't think its a coincidence that In Flames decided to go back to playing something closer to this style after they saw all of the hype and love that The Halo Effect got for this album. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J2UsGkkDM44" width="320" youtube-src-id="J2UsGkkDM44"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2.) Immolation <i>Act of God</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Death metal kings doing what they do. Dark, ominous, haunting, pummelling...hard to believe these guys have been doing this for so long. Also hard to believe that they keep doing it at this level of awesome. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i> </i></b><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WZ6wSyBYYYI" width="320" youtube-src-id="WZ6wSyBYYYI"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>1.) Undeath <i>It's Time...To Rise From The Grave</i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It was really close for me between this and the new Immolation record, as I feel like those 2 releases are the step above everything else that came out in 2022. I think I'm giving the nod to Undeath mainly because it's new and they've got a little bit of novelty about them. I want to say this is their second album, and it's filthy, grimy <b>Cannibal Corpse<i> </i></b>worship from their early Corpsegrinder days (think <i>Vile</i> or <i>Gallery of Suicide</i>.) There's nothing fancy here, as I believe this band almost takes pride in sounding like a bunch of lunkheaded cavemen. Still, there's some good riffs abound and I think they do a pretty good job of capturing the mid-90's Florida DM style. It sounds grimy and raw and not particularly technical, instead it just wants to get drunk and punch you in the face a few times. When executed well, that's a style I can get behind and Undeath did a great job on this one. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2mh3P8Ui_B0" width="320" youtube-src-id="2mh3P8Ui_B0"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">And there you have it. My Best of 2022. Truth is, I haven't bought as many records in 2022 as I did the previous several years. I still love the genre and get excited to explore new record stores and such...I just simply didn't find as much that excited me in 2022. Especially among newer bands.Hopefully 2023 sees that change, though so far the purchases I've been most excited about have been <b>Katatonia</b>, <b>Obituary</b>, <b>...And Oceans</b>, and upcoming releases by <b>Enslaved </b>and <b>Insomnium</b>. I think the only "new" bands that have gotten my attention so far this year are <b>Defy The Curse</b> and <b>Nothingness</b>. I guess we will see if I can actually motivate myself to sit down and write when the notion is in my head over the course of 2023. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i> </i></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-56427895707416926442022-01-14T10:47:00.000-08:002022-01-14T10:54:06.893-08:002021: It was...um...a year?<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Two weeks into 2022 and I haven't gone through the customary ritual of drafting a list of albums I enjoyed over the previous year. It's not because I stopped listening to music, because I definitely haven't. I certainly have continued to buy and enjoy albums by establish artists and newer bands alike. It has been, however, quite a year since the last time I posted an update on this little blog. The last 365 (+14) days saw my country almost experience a successful coup, a pandemic that developed a solution only for conspiracy wingnuts who pop dick pills and oxycotin all day to suddenly become skeptical of "Big Pharma" to reject en masse, and the price of everything to spike up because, y'know, more demand than supply in an economy that's underpinned by cheap labor. On a personal front, I was worked nearly to death feeding 'Murica while I finished my MBA (with a 4.0 fuckers!) and M got a new job, but we also found time to have some some pretty amazing adventures in places like Terlingua, Texas, Las Cruces, New Mexico, Jackson, Wyoming, and Bar Harbor, Maine. I even let M talk me into a week in Orlando visiting theme parks.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSGSrf7K8Q7S03NHRFugutDL2UeCUDtqgmGBCjW6BVMwcRuiokrrsCjG5CxXMKbMRQVzAAL4W0WNdM08Q-7dZL7tCFprGkjyfWLEnH6S4Ne5uSpDqnBFWoA0m8UbtktnDpe2lqqzPVtgDc83DQ94aGKNOj1hOgL5SxXxCl4P17mtGwn1QGDfMr1QYyFA=s2016" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSGSrf7K8Q7S03NHRFugutDL2UeCUDtqgmGBCjW6BVMwcRuiokrrsCjG5CxXMKbMRQVzAAL4W0WNdM08Q-7dZL7tCFprGkjyfWLEnH6S4Ne5uSpDqnBFWoA0m8UbtktnDpe2lqqzPVtgDc83DQ94aGKNOj1hOgL5SxXxCl4P17mtGwn1QGDfMr1QYyFA=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Getting lost in damn near Mexico with M and a stack of random metal records is my happy place.</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWj6iRY-oNX8Q9Tw5xUnAgKeye7FXrSiI07FMMXATV2cbwStKq0SUDcYYkfShR1hLSVwEpjzDL2jcMrq0kcgk88k7g8_DAfkGfgd86XSO4vi8_5uwZjsIXVjOv6gbb-SG-s26ZoBGNczEMBDWLgNLJIBlgOF70uPkWWYSAHGG0FhEYq4FSsqN5SOJ4SA=s2016" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWj6iRY-oNX8Q9Tw5xUnAgKeye7FXrSiI07FMMXATV2cbwStKq0SUDcYYkfShR1hLSVwEpjzDL2jcMrq0kcgk88k7g8_DAfkGfgd86XSO4vi8_5uwZjsIXVjOv6gbb-SG-s26ZoBGNczEMBDWLgNLJIBlgOF70uPkWWYSAHGG0FhEYq4FSsqN5SOJ4SA=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">True story: M used the unfortunate death of my grandmother as an excuse to drag me here</span>.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGHCCV0GPIhHYS9u-bUyeyOzGmGCDorlPNndw_ad-o08Wyyl7GStLl9kIZkSSsuHoN6amdFBFALYYSeXSs35gKuVuP0YnCdmxnSwkA4mcEjxPmUk1OdeTlsB_pN3WqPq1d8T5GxKtx0OP0oG2GlceeCUyZlikbwugIAjmPaZFwuDBnlUyOucU-cwy3cw=s2016" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGHCCV0GPIhHYS9u-bUyeyOzGmGCDorlPNndw_ad-o08Wyyl7GStLl9kIZkSSsuHoN6amdFBFALYYSeXSs35gKuVuP0YnCdmxnSwkA4mcEjxPmUk1OdeTlsB_pN3WqPq1d8T5GxKtx0OP0oG2GlceeCUyZlikbwugIAjmPaZFwuDBnlUyOucU-cwy3cw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Buffalo are massive animals that either plod about or can suddenly go 45 mph and bludgeon everything in their path. That makes them like the doom/death of the animal kingdom. <br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBk3e-T-9BnJsBBitKUTbBMlB5Vsdpk2cgzzqVu4IPNwCAxfHFqY5IFeUrNAkRZZPsMXMePgazhQinpX4N2Q76FxOp11Fp9EurqbJ2fCEmfrjnzfd-oEVnrblmqX9Gdnv4rxYzoXL5v74TzRo8b2k-5RHkyMFrxwN8_-_hTqZjyovTURMB15aQ9-pP_g=s2016" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBk3e-T-9BnJsBBitKUTbBMlB5Vsdpk2cgzzqVu4IPNwCAxfHFqY5IFeUrNAkRZZPsMXMePgazhQinpX4N2Q76FxOp11Fp9EurqbJ2fCEmfrjnzfd-oEVnrblmqX9Gdnv4rxYzoXL5v74TzRo8b2k-5RHkyMFrxwN8_-_hTqZjyovTURMB15aQ9-pP_g=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Would you believe this was taken on Memorial Day weekend in Maine? Kvlt as fukk.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">With a vaccine, live events have begun happening again; I was able to go to a hockey game and tentatively have a couple more of those planned. I still haven't been to a metal show since December of 2019, but my tickets for MDF in 2022 are valid and who knows, maybe I see a show or two before then. Of course, I have some other stuff in professional world to look at; updating my resume and obtaining some post-degree credentials but largely it's kinda time to relax and take a breath. With a lot of uncertainty about what this year promises to bring, I don't know where or what I'll be doing. I do feel confident that the soundtrack remains the same. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4dTyp-Zjl9EyeCiqR1bot8ymGqN5sGvPhhI2gIz739_ggHGDWW9UdWX_s7GXGMgTIqIdbDyq4YsHBZwDGzEZDWwwbsoavs-HCAGi3wIyNtvTLJRBMsUOfLAJWgmiXWS0ml-6xxMR4PQnu7XCyPeBjWpbGnVwOsczIzyKMBd4hx7RZAaEskZBpWshe-A=s1500" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="844" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4dTyp-Zjl9EyeCiqR1bot8ymGqN5sGvPhhI2gIz739_ggHGDWW9UdWX_s7GXGMgTIqIdbDyq4YsHBZwDGzEZDWwwbsoavs-HCAGi3wIyNtvTLJRBMsUOfLAJWgmiXWS0ml-6xxMR4PQnu7XCyPeBjWpbGnVwOsczIzyKMBd4hx7RZAaEskZBpWshe-A=s320" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This movie wasn't a satire of 2021, it was a fucking mirror. I really hope 2022 is somehow miraculously less depressing..</span>.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Biggest Disappointment of 2021</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">I think that a silver lining of the pandemic, if there is one, is that it forced bands off the touring cycle and it kinda forced them to spend more time refining and revising the albums they'd end up releasing, which in turn meant that overall quality of releases was much better than recent years. I don't think I bought or took an interest in any albums this year that didn't basically satisfy the itch they were meant to scratch. I live in a bubble of course, so I'm sure I could pick up an album that would let me down...but nothing comes to mind for memorable suckage. I mean, if you shoved a <b>Rob Zombie </b>or <b>Five Fisted Circle Jerk(?) </b>album in front of me I'd expect that to suck; the bigger surprise would be if it didn't (supposedly according to at least one online arbiter of metal that I respect was posting that the new <b>Cradle of Filth </b>album doesn't suck, which would be a considerable surprise to me.)<b> </b> So I'm just going to stick with the fact that I didn't get to see any metal live and in person for two full calendar years now as my disappointment. If anything, I don't think there was a release that I heard that made me say "that's an all-time great album" but just a whole lot of really good quality releases that made it a bit difficult to separate the best of the bunch. I imagine that I could create a different list on another day and still feel good about it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">(If someone wants to tell me why <b>Spiritbox </b>is supposed to be cool I'm all ears because I'm kinda sick of seeing them blowing up my Social Media feed.) <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Honorable Mentions</b></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">A Pale Horse Named Death <i>Infernmum In Terra </i>(SPV)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Aborted <i>Maniacult </i>(Century Media)<br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Aeon <i>God Ends Here </i>(Metal Blade)<br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Baest <i>Necro Sapiens </i>(Century Media)<br /><i></i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Becerus <i>Homo Homini Brutus </i>(Everlasting Spew)<br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Be'lakor <i>Coherence </i>(Napalm Records)<br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Black Hole Deity <i>Lair of Xenolich EP </i>(Everlasting Spew)<br /><i></i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Blood Red Throne <i>Imperial Congregation </i>(Nuclear Blast)<br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Burial<i> Inner Gateways To The Slumbering Equilibrium At The Center Of Cosmo</i>s (Everlasting Spew)<br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Carcass<i> Torn Arteries </i>(Nuclear Blast)<br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Crypts of Despair <i>All Light Swallowed </i>(Transcending Obscurity)<i> <br /></i></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Deiquisitor <i>Humanoid </i>(Dark Descent)<br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Diabolizer<i> Khalkedonian Death </i>(Everlasting Spew)<br /><i></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Dread Sovereign <i>Alchemical Warfare </i>(Metal Blade)<br /><i></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Endseeker <i>Mount Carcass </i>(Metal Blade)<br /><i></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>EyeHateGod<i> A History Of Nomadic Behavior </i>(Century Media)<br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Felled<i> The Intimate Earth </i>(Transcending Obscurity)<br /><i></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">First Fragment</span><i><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> <i>Gloire Eternalle </i></b></span></i>(Unique Leader)<i> <br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Flesh Hoarder <i>Relic Of Putrescent Filth </i>(New Standard Elite)<br /><i></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Fossilization<i> He Whose Name Is Long Forgotten </i>(Everlasting Spew)<br /><i></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Full Of Hell <i>Garden Of Burning Apparitions</i> (Relapse Records)<br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Harakiri For The Sky <i>Maere </i>(AOP Records)<br /><i></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Hooded Menace <i>The Tritonous Bell </i>(Season of Mist)<br /><i></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Hypocrisy <i>Worship </i>(Nuclear Blast)<br /><i></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Laceration <i>Demise </i>(Rotted Life)<br /><i></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Monolord <i>Your Time To Shine </i>(Relapse Records)<br /><i></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Moonspell <i>Hermitage </i>(Napalm Records)<i> <br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>NecroticGoreBeast <i>Human Deviance Galore </i>(Comatose Music)<br /><i></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Nightfall <i>At Night We Pray </i>(Season of Mist)<i> <br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Ophis <i>Spew Forth Odium </i>(FDA Records)<br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Panopticon <i>...And Again Into The Light </i>(Bindrune Recordings)<i> <br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Pathology T<i>he Everlasting Plague </i>(Nuclear Blast)<br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Portal<i> Avow </i>(Profound Lore)<br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Soen <i>Imperial </i>(Silver Lining Music)<br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Stabbing <i>Ravenous Psychotic Onslaught EP </i>(Comatose Music)<br /><i></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Swallow The Sun <i>Moonflowers </i>(Century Media)<i> <br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Tribulation <i>Where The Gloom Becomes Sound </i>(Century Media)<br /><i></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Werewolves <i>What A Time To Be Alive </i>(Prosthetic Records)<i> <br /></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>White Stones <i>Dancing Into Oblivion </i>(Nuclear Blast)<br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>10.) Wolves In The Throne Room <i>Primordial Arcana </i>(Relapse Records)<i> <br /></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After John Haughm decided to edge-lord a little too hard and the other members of <b>Pillorian</b><i> </i>decided to pack up shop, Wolves In The Throne Room kinda took up the altar of "band that sounds closest to <b>Agalloch</b><i> </i>that you're gonna find in 2022." Which kinda makes sense given that WITTR also call the Pacific Northwest home.<b> </b>An example of a band that I came a bit lately towards but now I'm enjoy the chance to delve into their entire discography.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yE_rC30U-hM" width="320" youtube-src-id="yE_rC30U-hM"></iframe></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>9.) Alluvial <i>Sarcoma </i>(Unique Leader)<br /><i></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Is this deathcore? Progressive death? I dunno. It's definitely modern for the genre, with lots of huge riffs, big breakdowns with lots of space to breathe, etc. Seems to fit in well with the modern Unique Leader sound I guess; it feels more dynamic than you'd expect but still oppressively plodding yet pit friendly. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0scZkjsAGMI" width="320" youtube-src-id="0scZkjsAGMI"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>8.) Cannibal Corpse <i>Violence Unimagined</i> (Metal Blade)<br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Zero surprises here; it's a Cannibal Corpse record that sounds like a Cannibal Corpse record. That said, Eric Rutan is the best thing that ever happened to this band. The fact that they remain this extreme as they've become 50 year olds deserves a lifetime achievement award.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MptVkuh8cQ8" width="320" youtube-src-id="MptVkuh8cQ8"></iframe></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br /></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>7.) Alustrium <i>A Monument Of Silence </i>(Unique Leader)<br /><i></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">These guys sound so tight and technically proficient that I initially mistook them for part of the Quebec tech-death collective. It's not just their ability to doodle on their fretboards though; Alustrium infuses their brand of tech-death with catchy hooks and actual song structure; there's melody to be found amongst the varied growls and ceaseless bombast of drums. Busy yet restrained in all of the right ways.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A1rnM5zqEwY" width="320" youtube-src-id="A1rnM5zqEwY"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>6.) Khemmis <i>Deceiver </i>(Nuclear Blast)<br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Along with <b>Pallbearer </b>and <b>Spirit Adrift</b><i>, </i>you could almost consider Khemmis part a "big 3" of American doom since the 2010's. Each band draws back to the foundations of the genre to achieve something classically inspired albeit in different ways. Pallbearer writes haunting dirges, Spirit Adrift occupies something of a 1979-1982 era of doom meets cock rock currently, yet Khemmis retains the huge riffing and sludgy heft of doom in what they bring to the table. <i>Deciever</i> is less bass heavy (makes sense; this time around the bass guitar parts were performed by the two guitarists), but still full of downtuned grimy agony and a varied vocal delivery; this time around the growls are slightly more prominent. If Pallbearer aims for loftier "high art" and Spirit Adrift seeks to be the soundtrack for taking psychadelics and getting into an orgy with gals who have the "big bush", Khemmis seeks to crush you with misery, while occasionally adding some swagger with it. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gloHryvNqPI" width="320" youtube-src-id="gloHryvNqPI"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>5.) Aenigmatum <i>Deconsecrate </i>(20 Buck Spin)<br /><i></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bombastic blackened-death from 20 Buck Spin. Aegnimatum delve into multiple death metal adjacent subgenres while remaining a distinct entity, combining a bit of <b>Athiest<i> </i></b>with the dischordant progressions of 2nd wave black metal, but delivered with the ferocity of <b>Nile. </b>Trying to find reviews that give points of reference to compare these guys to is difficult, but that speaks to the distinct character of what they've put together here. The meandering bass guitar lines underpinning all of this cacophony is a nice detail.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i> </i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eRx3NHNaOFI" width="320" youtube-src-id="eRx3NHNaOFI"></iframe></i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>4.) Pyrexia <i>Gravitas Maximus </i>(Unique Leader)<br /><i></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Holy fuck. I'm sure there's a ton of recency bias here but this is the best album this long running NYDM band ever released. And yeah, I'm including the legendary <i>Sermony of Mockery</i> record with that. This album is so good it makes me want to revisit that post-<i>Sermon </i>discography, because until now I don't feel like these guys ever lived up to that album following it's release. That's not an issue with <i>Gravitas Maximus</i>, full of chugging slams, breakdowns, gravel throrated growls, and steady doses of blastbeats and double kick runs. When this style of death metal is executed at the competency that Pyrexia displays here, it is hard to beat. At just 25 minutes or so, it comes fast, hard, and leaves you speechless. At number 4, I may be underrating this one. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i> </i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/koaUVBRb-y0" width="320" youtube-src-id="koaUVBRb-y0"></iframe></i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>3.) Obscura <i>A Valediction </i>(Nuclear Blast)<br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Is this the 5th or 6th album this German prog-death troop? I dunno, but as someone who felt deeply burned by <b>Opeth</b><i> </i>when they went limpwristed 10 years ago, Obscura has scratched that niche well in the years since. There's fretless bass lines, lush accoustic interludes, plenty of the fretboard wizardry to appease <b>Cynic </b>fans, enough venom to fit comfortably alongside the catalog of post-<i>Human</i> era <b>Death</b><i>, </i>and still enough hooks and songcraft to make <i>A Valediction</i> a sufficiently ambitious if familiar journey. It gets a ranking rather than honorable mention because of their peerless execution. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6672zoFUQxk" width="320" youtube-src-id="6672zoFUQxk"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2.) Eye of Purgatory <i>The Lighthouse </i>(Transcending Obscurity)<br /><i></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Holy fucking <b>Edge of Sanity</b>, Batman! Everything about this recaptures that mid-90's era of ambitious death metal that sought to progress while maintaining the focus on riffs and aggression. The production and tones all gives vibes of Sunlight Studios...in spirit if nothing else. It all makes sense when you realize that the most prolific guy in Swedish death metal, Rogga Johansson, is the mastermind behind this band. Rogga, also the driving force of other more caveman-esque bands like <b>Paganizer</b>, <b>Ribspreader</b>, and <b>Those Who Bring The Torture</b> gets a pass for the "lack of originality" here since we're essentially discussing a seminal figure in the "non-Gothenburg" side of Swedish death metal. Big riffs, melodic leads, a use of keyboards that takes an appropriate backseat to meaty riffing. I get it that you could just listen to <i>Purgetory Afterglow</i> or <i>Crimson</i> and get the same experience, but I still can't help but feel like Rogga did an outstanding job of breathing fresh life into previously used template. <br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i> </i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PeLPum6gkvc" width="320" youtube-src-id="PeLPum6gkvc"></iframe></i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></i></b></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>1.) The Crown <i>Royal Destroyer </i>(Metal Blade)<br /><i></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm not sure if anyone else will hold this album in this level of esteem, but in a year that's hard to separate between a lot of really good albums, I think this may be one of the albums I listened to the most. This is ham-fisted Scandinavian death metal that borrows elements of thrash and melodic death metal to bring forth a filthy yet well produced, crushingly heavy slab of bangers. Songs like "Motordeath" are respect-filled nods to influences such as early <b>Metallica</b><i>, </i>and I can confidently say that "We Drift On" is the best song never written by <b>In Flames</b><i> </i>or <b>Amon Amarth</b><i><b>. </b>Royal Destroyer</i> is a confident effort by an established, well polished band who know what they do well. <br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i> </i> <i> </i></b> <b><i> </i></b> <b><i> </i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NaheX0Uv4IE" width="320" youtube-src-id="NaheX0Uv4IE"></iframe></i></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><i><br /></i></b><i> </i><i></i></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I guess now that I'm done with my university studies (for real this time!) I'll try to update a little more than once annually. I felt like I had some topics I wanted to riff on, and I may well get around to them in the next few months. In the meantime, I'll "shout out" to establishments both real and virtual that kept me supplied with metal over the last year.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Brick and Mortar Stores:</b> <br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.sgrecordshop.com/c/2683/the-sound-garden-baltimore?&so=0&page=1" target="_blank"><b>The Sound Garden- Baltimore, Maryland</b></a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://vinylaltar-106145.square.site/" target="_blank">Vinyl Altar- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania</a> </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://www.bullmoose.com/" target="_blank">Bull Moose- Maine and New Hampshire (especially Portsmouth, NH and Portland, Me)</a></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.extremenoiserecords.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Extreme Noise Records- Minneapolis, Minnesota</b></span></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://twistandshout.com/" target="_blank">Twist and Shout Compact Discs, Records, & DVDs- Denver, Colorado</a></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://waterloorecords.com/" target="_blank">Waterloo Records- Austin, Texas</a> </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Online Shops and Distros</b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="http://www.comatosemusic.com/" target="_blank">Comatose Music</a> </b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://everlastingspew.com/" target="_blank">Everlasting Spew</a></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://www.nightshiftmerch.com/" target="_blank">Night Shift Merch </a></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://shopusa.season-of-mist.com/" target="_blank">Season of Mist USA</a> <br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/" target="_blank"><b>HorrorGorePainDeath Productions</b></a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://shop-hellsheadbangers.com/" target="_blank">Hell's Headbangers</a> </b><br /></span></p></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>
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</tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b> </b><b> </b></span></p>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-68230222581323655832021-01-01T19:22:00.115-08:002021-01-07T16:39:01.954-08:00At least it's over- Best of 2020
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Whelp, did this year suck or what? 2020 is one of those just abysmally
awful years like 1939, 1929, 1860, 1349, etc…that was just tremendously awful for
the entire planet. Here in the United States, we’ve been governed by a kleptocrat
with the support his cult of the “stupid, ignorant, and desperate” who are fearful
that a brown person somewhere somehow has a dollar more and a shinier smart
phone than they do. Said orange faced kleptocrat has done fuck all to respond
to a pandemic that as I type this, has killed more than 300,000 Americans who
may not have otherwise kicked the bucket except for the malice and incompetence
of this pitiful, weak, small quasi-man. Oh, then there was the fact that when
cops were seen literally murdering a black man on cellphone video by choking
him out, that after the initial shock subsided, we got more of the same “can’t
we just all get along so I don’t have to worry about my property being stolen”
bullshit. Heaven forbid the fucking police have to abide by the same doctrines regarding
the use of deadly force that our military does. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hn_IPHoPIXg/X-_lP__vMsI/AAAAAAAAAhw/C7LAaDboFIYvqgBIn9e8VLTtN9o3OfLhwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/plague.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hn_IPHoPIXg/X-_lP__vMsI/AAAAAAAAAhw/C7LAaDboFIYvqgBIn9e8VLTtN9o3OfLhwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/plague.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That whole thing about those who don't learn from the past...etc...<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Not that the other side of the political aisle has done anyone any
favors either. Diamond Joe, strategically speaking, barely won under the stupid
ass rules that govern our elections despite having 7 million more votes. This
was mainly because Team Blue would rather pander to token “representation”
rather than deliver a meaningful actual change that may ask our economic and business
elites to sacrifice a marginal percentage of their monopolized wealth for the
good of everyone else, at least at its highest levels of leadership. And your
arm gets twisted into voting for this bullshit, because your only viable
alternative to going along with the diet soda version of Republicanism is so
bat-shit incompetent they throw away a previous administration’s pandemic
response playbook and since getting beat in an election are currently peddling
some bizarre conspiracy that somehow Hugo Chavez’s rotting corpse has conspired
with China’s Winnie the Pooh and the “Epstein/Clinton Reptilian Pedophile Crime
Syndicate” to swing votes via rigged voting machines that somehow managed to
allocate votes to Biden instead of Trump, but didn’t alter any down ticket
races to give Biden a legislative majority. Yeah, this shit is wild… and by wild I
mean comedic stupid and bound to get worse because Y’all-Qaeda thinks government
mandates to wear masks and limit gatherings of people to reduce the spread of
Covid-19 is somehow is an oppression of their freedom. </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rkrNLpdOAFI/X-_mGgmRqrI/AAAAAAAAAh4/T8YlFt1keL8ZnxUzVmAQ_R1r26JJkkHIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s241/yallqaeda.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="241" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rkrNLpdOAFI/X-_mGgmRqrI/AAAAAAAAAh4/T8YlFt1keL8ZnxUzVmAQ_R1r26JJkkHIgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/yallqaeda.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> </span></span>
<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Did I even mention that RBG dropped dead and was replaced by the Queen
Bitch of Gilead, and for that we are now under his watchful eye, or at least
that of a 6-3 conservative dickhead Supreme Court majority, with a president-elect
too fucking pussy to stack the court, create new liberal states, or otherwise lock
in some changes for the better? Don’t worry, I’m sure there’s some snarky
socialist types lounging their parents basements with a bachelors degree in
sociology along with a mountain of student loan debt, but at least those heroes come armed with a bag of
dirt weed, Cheetos, internet pornography (or at least pics of AOC’s feet) and
some dank memes to bring about “the revolution” once they’re done playing
Animal Crossing and listening to Chapo’s Trap House. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nx_uZwJIttc/X-_gHrMUXfI/AAAAAAAAAhc/7z2MqSkB7v8_Xw0MLWuBqVGCsplmG8RBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/chapotraphouse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nx_uZwJIttc/X-_gHrMUXfI/AAAAAAAAAhc/7z2MqSkB7v8_Xw0MLWuBqVGCsplmG8RBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/chapotraphouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Look, they make me laugh too sometimes but if you think that these clowns are gonna bring about your political revolution, then rest assured that our elites can sleep well at night.<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fuck my country, man. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">That’s a lot of political ranting and run-on sentences but the last 4 years of Trump’s
awful reign has been exhausting in an all consuming way unlike anything else in my lifetime. It’s been the car wreck you want to take your
eyes off of but you just can’t. That said, 2020, like much of the last few
years, has been more positive for M and I than perhaps the public at large. I
type this 4 classes away from completing my MBA from a directional state university
with a Division 2 football team; I even have a 4.0 GPA to boot. M and I managed a
couple fun trips, including adventures to several National Parks in Colorado
and Utah, a lovely few days on the beach in Georgia that left us both so sunburnt as to be red as
tomatoes, and we made to Oklahoma and New Mexico for the first time which has
us down to 3 remaining states to visit to have completed the entire United
States. I even managed to lose 50lbs. Sure, I need to lose another 50, but it’s
a start, right? Hah. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It hasn’t been all fun and games though. M had her work hours briefly
cut back at one point, my annual college football road trip got shit-canned,
and I haven’t been to a fucking metal concert since December of 2019. I didn’t
get to see either of my 90 year old grandmothers for Christmas this year, and
my plans to finally get on an airplane were thwarted, as M and I had intended
to make it to Las Vegas for Psycho Las Vegas in 2020, as well as to swing by a
couple of National Parks (Death Valley, Grand Canyon, maybe Zion?) in a loop. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I’m not sure what 2021 holds but at least in theory the vaccines for
our new plague are now starting to be distributed and by mid year we may be
able to actually have fun again if we manage to live that long and/or if there’s any restaurants or concert
venues that aren’t boarded up by that time. Until then, I’ve got another
semester of college coursework ahead of me, some time spent screaming at the TV
as the Green Bay Packers will get destroyed in the playoffs by a team with a
strong running game, the Washington Capitals will grow older and waste more of
what’s left of Alex Ovechkin’s prime, and hey, maybe a little more of Assassin’s
Creed: Valhalla to keep me occupied. With that said, here’s my take on the year
in heavy music for 2020.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hl3LSGEpD4k/X-_hCumIXmI/AAAAAAAAAhk/M8blvx0I0YUQC7dMrtd2P1SFi58oehYbACLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/ovechkin.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hl3LSGEpD4k/X-_hCumIXmI/AAAAAAAAAhk/M8blvx0I0YUQC7dMrtd2P1SFi58oehYbACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ovechkin.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Our hero in DC is only getting older, and once he retires we're not winning shit.<br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Most Disappointing Record- Katatonia <i>City Burials</i></b></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I was a bit surprised to reach this conclusion, but this album came out
back in April and I had almost completely forgotten it was a thing. I know that
M listened to the song “Lacquer” a lot and I don’t think the album begins all
that badly, but it ends up just being completely forgettable background music. Katatonia’s
style is already relatively subdued for a metal band, but I thought the
previous album “The Fall of Hearts” was amazing. I’m certainly willing to
embrace and sit down with post-metal type stuff and don’t demand blood and gore
as you, clearly bored individual reading this, will note on my actual list, but
<i>City Burials</i><span> just didn’t have
staying power or memorability. An example of a band I just expect more from.<br /></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span>
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span>Honorable Mentions:</span></b></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><b><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Anaal Nathrakh <i>Endarkenment</i><br />Athme <i>Mephitic</i><br />Bedsore<i> Hypnagogic Hallucinations</i><br />Benediction<i> Scriptures</i><br />Contrarian <i>Only Time Will Tell</i><br />Convocation <i>Ashes Coalesce</i><br />Deathwhite <i>Grave Image</i><br />Deeds of Flesh <i>Nucleus</i><br />Demonical <i>World Domination </i><br />Desolator<i> Sermon of Apathy</i><br />Devoured Elysium <i>Extermination Policies</i><br />Disavowed <i>Revocation of the Fallen</i><br />Earth Rot <i>Black Tides of Obscurity</i><br />Gaerea <i>Limbo</i><br />Hinayana <i>Death of the Cosmic</i><br />Incantation<i> Sect of Vile Divinities</i><br />Incinerate <i>Sacriligevim</i><br />Khora <i>Timaeus</i><br />Molested Divinity <i>Unearthing the Void</i><br />Napalm Death <i>Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism</i><br />Necrophobic<i> Dawn of the Damned</i><br />Necrot <i>Mortal</i><br />Paradise Lost <i>Obsidian</i><br />Shed The Skin <i>The Forbidden Arts</i><br />Skaldr <i>Scythe of Our Errors</i><br />Solstafir <i>Endless Twilight of Codependent Love</i><br />Ulthar <i>Providence</i><br />Vader <i>Solitude In Madness</i><br />Valdrin <i>Effigy of Nightmares</i><br />Void Rot<i> Descending Pillars</i><br />Werewolves <i>The Dead Are Screaming </i><br />White Stones<i> Kuarahy </i><br />Winterfylleth <i>The Reckoning Dawn</i></span></b><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span>10.) Spirit Adrift </span><i>Enlightened in Eternity</i><span></span></b></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>M will challenge me on this
pick, as she seemed to prefer this band when they just played slow and frontman
Nate Garrett didn’t express himself as an overconfident rock star in interviews,
but I appreciate that Spirit Adrift didn’t repeat the same album they had
released on twice previously. In a miserable, depressing kind of year where
nothing about society seems capable of functioning properly, there needed to be
an album that offered…ummm...well…hope and resilience? The chorus of the opening
track to this album makes that manifestly clear and I’d dare say a bit of an
internalized slogan for myself this year. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>“If we make it through the night,
we will ride into the light.” </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LwY6JM4eDAM" width="320" youtube-src-id="LwY6JM4eDAM"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> <br /></span><p></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><span>9.) </span>Xibalba</b> <b><i>Anos
En Infierno</i></b></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I discovered this band while hanging out with a homie at the last
college football road trip, and I had some anticipation for this release. It’s
exactly what I was hoping for, sludgy and grimy, a good bit raw, heavy as all
fucking hell, straddling the line somewhere between old school death metal, 90’s
hardcore, and doom. I dunno if they’re actually doing anything new, but they
certainly sound fresh to these ears. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d0J0P9k8thM" width="320" youtube-src-id="d0J0P9k8thM"></iframe></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> </span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>8.) Valkyrie <i>Fear</i></b></span></span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Speaking of the retro train, Valkyrie delves deeply into the same well
of 70’s and early 80’s rock that bands like <b>Graveyard</b>, or </span></span><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In Solitud</span></span></b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>e</b>, or<b>
Sumerlands</b> indulge in, complete with theatrical guitar work, extensive
harmonies, imperfect but effective clean vocals. In a world where <b>Ghost</b> has
become one of metal’s biggest bands, there’s clearly a space for quality bands
like Valkyrie to occupy and I’ve certainly redeveloped my appreciation for
these kinds of classic sounding bands. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yfeEiFo1AfA" width="320" youtube-src-id="yfeEiFo1AfA"></iframe></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> </span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>7.) Godtrhymm <i>Reflections </i></b></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Take early <b>Paradise Lost</b>, <b>Saint Vitus</b>, and maybe a bit of the first
<b>Pallbearer</b> record, let it simmer for hours, then run it through a strainer of
<i>Serenades</i>-era <b>Anathema</b>, and you’ve got Godtrhymm. Godrhymm is the labor of love
produced by Hammish Glencross, recently exiled from <b>My Dying Bride</b>, and who had
previously also played in legendary doom metal act <b>Solstice</b>. This is plodding
miserable stuff, with riffs that are both massive, monolithic, yet memorable
and vocals that reach for that territory Nick Holmes was treading in during <i>Gothic</i>
and <i>Shades of God</i>. Absolutely top notch. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5qBOTf6cMT8" width="320" youtube-src-id="5qBOTf6cMT8"></iframe></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> </span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>6.) …And Oceans</b> <b><i>Cosmic World Mother</i></b></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A welcome return, and they avoided some of the weird experimentation and bizarre indulgences of their later records to just focus on ripping, melodic and
somewhat symphonic Scandinavian black metal delivered with precision. You
always wonder about reunion albums and if the band should have even bothered, but
I feel pretty comfortable saying that this album is well balanced between its
ferocity and it’s melodicism, sharing most in common with the band’s debut <i>The
Dynamic Gallery of Thoughts</i>, which I also recommend if you can find it. A
welcome throwback to that vibrant mid-late 90’s period of black metal. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WF5rgcZS49E" width="320" youtube-src-id="WF5rgcZS49E"></iframe></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> </span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>5.) Cytotoxin <i>Nuklearth</i></b></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I feel like this is a year where I heard a lot of really good, but not
great brutal death metal records. Not that “elite-tier” anyhow. I mean, <b>Molested
Divinity</b>’s <i>Unearthing the Void</i> was awesome and the <b>Disavowed</b> reunion was much
welcomed but while I enjoyed the new <b>Defeated Sanity</b> album, I wasn’t nearly as
impressed with it as other fans of the brutal death metal sound.<i> Nuklearth</i>,
however, stands out. Cytotoxin scores points on a couple levels; their
Chernobyl gimmick is original, their musicianship is next level, and they bring
both the technical and the brutal in equal abundance. <i>Nuklearth</i> rips hard,
furiously blasting while also providing those breakdowns without going overkill
on it.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qscTRwIpqTY" width="320" youtube-src-id="qscTRwIpqTY"></iframe></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> </span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>4.) Uada<i> Djinn</i></b></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A vocal minority of the tr00 brigade will complain about this album.
The rest of us, who like ugly heavy music, will see this for what it is: the
album where Uada escaped the <b>Mgla</b> comparisons and became the <b>Judas Priest</b> meets
<b>Dissection</b> band they always were aiming for. This record opens with a post-punk
sounding drum beat and ends with one of the absolute most epic<b> Iron Maiden</b> inspired
guitar solos ever recorded in metal. Yeah, listen to the last 3 minutes or so
of “Between Two Worlds” and tell me that’s not what you hear. Much like
<b>Behemoth</b> has proven, just because you draw from many non-metal influences, it
doesn’t mean that your extreme metal has to become “less metal” as a result. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9f2NhF3KgHc" width="320" youtube-src-id="9f2NhF3KgHc"></iframe></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> </span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>3.) Wayfarer <i>A Romance With Violence</i></b></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I love everything about this album and consider it a possible top album
of the decade if not for the two albums above it; one of the best and most
close together top 3 albums I could rate in quite a bit of time. Wayfarer
really dives in deeper with the “cowboy western motif” as A<i> Romance With
Violence </i>is very much more conceptual than previous Wayfarer releases; closely
examining the westward expansion and just how grim and chaotic reality was for
settlers in a lawless hinter-region of the United States. If you’ve ever driven
across the Western United States, the vastness of the distances between cities
is enormous and the hours upon hours just on the interstate can be relaxing in
its solitude but it could also be scary, as mother nature unleashes ferocious
storms and many of the folk who live in those rural, geographically isolated
outposts can be rather rough around the edges, if you’re lucky. Wayfarer
captures all of that perfectly, as they blend their black metal with clean,
semi-acoustic spaghetti western vibes seamlessly, capturing the wild west for
the morbidly dark, death and despair filled wasteland that it was. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wMIgGhOfkPI" width="320" youtube-src-id="wMIgGhOfkPI"></iframe></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> </span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2.) Ulcerate <i>Stare Into Death And Be Still</i></b></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The idea that a 3 piece band can sound this heavy, this fierce, this
ominous, this dark, this…horrifying? Ulcerate is the darkest, most terrifying
sounding act in death metal at this point, as their 6 to 8 minute compositions have
gradually moved away from their clankier, most discordant elements of their
early sound to something that still is connected to that, but pulls at you with
greater, almost black metalish despair without any high pitched shrieks or corpse-painted
silliness. This is guttural growls and some of the most impressively bombastic drumming
in any death metal band ever. While accessible…by Ulcerate’s standards, this is
far removed from the caveman brutality of the 90’s and certainly a challenging
record for people who may prefer their death metal…dare I say less intellectual?
For those who want an involved, captivating listen that builds to peaks and
crescendos instead of verse/chorus/verse, this delivers in spades. I was convinced
it was going to be my number 1 album, except for the band that follows…</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2p2XpoCm62M" width="320" youtube-src-id="2p2XpoCm62M"></iframe></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /> </span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>1.) Pallbearer <i>Forgotten Days</i></b></span></span></p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">With their 4<sup>th</sup> album, it’s just time to stop only thinking
of Pallbearer as a tremendous doom metal band, but just flat out the best band
active in metal in 2020. The tr00 d00mmmm crowd will dislike the shorter song
lengths and faster tempos, but an album that’s easier to listen to is no crime.
Rather, the fact that Pallbearer can write songs at different lengths and
tempos and still sound haunting, miserable, and full of raw, sludgy goodness is
a feather in their cap. The fact they’re playing up to their classic rock
influences while still foundationally being a slow band who play long songs full
of low end sludge I think has only made the band even better to listen to. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Lu2W2MA8VE" width="320" youtube-src-id="1Lu2W2MA8VE"></iframe></span></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>
Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-29174777045417920592020-04-24T11:24:00.000-07:002020-04-24T11:24:50.693-07:00Fuck You, Pay Me: the T-shirt Edition. So on my social media feed, I<a href="https://metalinjection.net/metal-in-the-mainstream/cradle-of-filth-frontman-would-like-his-bands-t-shirts-sold-at-walmart?fbclid=IwAR1cFtujZLP58VGfIuvfYPXxJJ9z-QsfKD9ZiXvogCxYtl6IuWpm00HFrWI" target="_blank"> just read this article</a> where <b>Cradle of Filth</b> frontman Dani Filth is quoted saying that he'd love to get his band's shirts into Walmart because he'd like the money. Walmart, as I'm guessing the 3 of you that are reading this are aware, sells band merchandise for a variety of well known, mainstream rock artists. For example, <a href="https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=kiss%20band&cat_id=5438&typeahead=kiss" target="_blank">their website</a> offers a wide arrange of hideous looking <b>KISS</b> merchandise from many resellers.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zDBbErMDkoM/XqMiV0lljZI/AAAAAAAAAe4/zLA7w7dcUf4U4xewr99ozN_nIFz8qD_ygCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/kiss%2Bkasket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1091" data-original-width="1600" height="218" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zDBbErMDkoM/XqMiV0lljZI/AAAAAAAAAe4/zLA7w7dcUf4U4xewr99ozN_nIFz8qD_ygCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/kiss%2Bkasket.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately, the KISS Kasket is not among their offerings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Of course, they also sell stuff right on their shelves, and as crazy as it sounds to a 40 something like myself, there's kids who are out there wearing <b>Nirvana</b> t shirts from Walmart that couldn't name a song by them. Metal has it's rules of conduct, and <a href="http://avoiceofskepticism.blogspot.com/2012/11/fuck-you-chris-brown.html" target="_blank">only wearing a band's shirt if you actually listen to that artist is most certainly one of the core tenants</a>. So while the likelihood of someone running afoul by buying a <b>Metallica </b>replica tour shirt at Walmart in Bumfuck, Indiana is rather unlikely, should more obscure bands be trying to get their shit into Walmart?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EO-TdmchFIw/XqMm-jziVqI/AAAAAAAAAfE/7DRgFlTlREotK9xvjuExWFnHBpSdpEC3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/charliedontsurf.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="850" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EO-TdmchFIw/XqMm-jziVqI/AAAAAAAAAfE/7DRgFlTlREotK9xvjuExWFnHBpSdpEC3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/charliedontsurf.png" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't name their third album or their original lead singer either, you fucking poser. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I get that Dani Filth is a tiny little drowning kitten of a metal vocalist in a band that has only ever written a smattering of good songs entirely by accident but I don't think he's wrong to have those aspirations. If anything, it'd be brilliant given that while <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-story-of-the-most-controversial-shirt-in-rock-history-61183/" target="_blank">CoF themselves might be a bit too edgy for Walmart</a>, for other bands to get their merchandise on shelves would represent a revenue stream at a time when bands aren't really selling their music (outside of a few luddites like myself who still buy CDs or the vinyl snobs who have money to re-purchase their entire collections) band merchandise represents probably their best income stream besides touring and playing shows. It also promotes awareness of the bands themselves, which you'd hope would lead to people streaming their music on Spotify or YouTube and eventually buying a ticket to the concert, or ordering the album on vinyl. Or another shirt when 18 of their peers also have the same shirt that they bought at the same Walmart.<br />
<br />
It's pretty likely that the teenage'd me would be rather confused, but with the disappearance of record stores in every shopping mall and music sales in general, trying to cling to an old model because it represents some idea of "cool" or "true" just doesn't make a lot of sense. If musicians or artists want to devote themselves fully to their art, they need a revenue stream to finance their endeavors. That's why so many bands have expanded their merch from just t shirts to shot glasses, thongs, action figures, and yes, the KISS Kasket.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yMb1N6SyBk0/XqMunXKBxaI/AAAAAAAAAfY/7hD4QSWf8x8YJUI-ZvVArERq21-B86zCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/kiss%2Bkasket%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yMb1N6SyBk0/XqMunXKBxaI/AAAAAAAAAfY/7hD4QSWf8x8YJUI-ZvVArERq21-B86zCQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/kiss%2Bkasket%2B2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just want to remind you again that yes, this was a thing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I guess this has all been shaped by two semesters taking post-grad classes in Marketing, but if your goal is to make your band bigger and promote awareness, then by all means you should not just be producing merchandise branded with your band, but you should be pursuing an "omnichannel" approach to distribution. Not just at concerts, or through a bandcamp website, but if you can pull it off, by getting it into a big box store. Get it in front of people in as many ways as possible, and perhaps it's time for me to come around and reshape my own thinking. Instead of saying you already need to know the band before getting the t-shirt, maybe the year 2020, getting the t-shirt makes the kid search the band on Spotify. Maybe in the near future having an eye catching logo and creative merchandising really will be just as important as the music itself for successful bands (after all, fans who are wearing your band's logo across their chest are literally providing free advertising for your art.) <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-av49sQBmnbA/XqMtxA9E3KI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/igRp7Xb556YVqlat9LAD0YG1b-LiXIUrACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/dani%2Bfilth.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="1082" height="171" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-av49sQBmnbA/XqMtxA9E3KI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/igRp7Xb556YVqlat9LAD0YG1b-LiXIUrACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/dani%2Bfilth.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marketing Genius. Still sucks at vocals. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm agreeing with Dani Filth. Interesting times we live in!Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-41306196939117173092020-03-29T09:22:00.000-07:002020-03-29T10:05:38.468-07:00How Heavy Metal Saved My Life: A True Story (No, Really, It Is!)A few years back when talking about something to do with my childhood/teenage years, M and I somehow ended up on a toot about music, identity, and how for me personally, a lot of my life was shaped by my relationship with this obscure, mildly rhythmic noise. So as I sit here with a vacation largely interrupted by our ongoing COVID-19 Apolcalypse, which neat enough, is being broadcast in real time on Cable TV news while a reality show president only somewhat coherently rants each evening about how we should ignore science and send old people to die in the name of boosting the stock market so said buffoon can get re-elected in November...holy run-on sentence batman! These are fucked times, and as M and I are largely staying at home to avoid the latest, greatest, newest plague, I guess I have some free time on my hands. So I dedicate this post to M, who has occasionally pestered me to put this in writing.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfqKMJeCHqw/Xn96nYZ_YHI/AAAAAAAAAdA/nmQUG6WWmeAGb0Kuz7KJIAl1LTQyWqa9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/creepy%2Bjoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lfqKMJeCHqw/Xn96nYZ_YHI/AAAAAAAAAdA/nmQUG6WWmeAGb0Kuz7KJIAl1LTQyWqa9ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/creepy%2Bjoe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this whole pandemic is really just marketing to get us to watch this guy's Netflix series.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I suppose in a sense this has to be autobiographical. It's largely a story of coincidence as well. So let's get right to it. I was born just over 40 years ago and raised in the outskirts of a small southern college town in the middle of Virginia. The kind of place where said college town equates to the "big city", and said college is the "center of the universe" that gives locals a certain sense of inflated importance. As though there aren't several hundred similar towns scattered about the United States. Residents here can be split into two groups; somewhat snooty white collar people (the Gilded Caste, if you will) who are brought from outside the area because of some affiliation or relationship with said college, or the "townies"; the "Jesus, Guns, and NASCAR" crowd who work in the service economy that serves said affluent crowd. There's a noticeable tension between these two groups. This became magnified as any type of blue collar factory work evaporated in the 1980's and 90's via globalization, free trade agreements, yadda yadda.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9E7FlJAY72I/XoDDjb88III/AAAAAAAAAdU/u6tFs0JEsnQNbTzj-wPeT6iHVopdLkTDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ncf_frat_boys_580.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="580" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9E7FlJAY72I/XoDDjb88III/AAAAAAAAAdU/u6tFs0JEsnQNbTzj-wPeT6iHVopdLkTDgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ncf_frat_boys_580.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My hometown, inside of city limits...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gTlipEYUMos/XoDDqOIWp2I/AAAAAAAAAdY/J8nIVFRmC34o3OuMnb-RHuUV3uYbkXuWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/redneck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gTlipEYUMos/XoDDqOIWp2I/AAAAAAAAAdY/J8nIVFRmC34o3OuMnb-RHuUV3uYbkXuWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/redneck.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and outside of city limits...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I was born to a teenage mom and a dad who was a factory worker, so it's easy to see what the anticipated trajectory of my life would be. "Townies" are just that, the people that never leave the damn place. My family, on both sides, goes back many generations, as people from the surrounding mountains that gradually gravitated towards said college town since it was a hub of commerce and economic activity...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-acrnAUEf-og/XoDCPoMwjtI/AAAAAAAAAdM/Rk3welzw7mkKSpdFXoX5N_AtExEeBTYkACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/1280px-HatfieldClan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="994" data-original-width="1280" height="248" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-acrnAUEf-og/XoDCPoMwjtI/AAAAAAAAAdM/Rk3welzw7mkKSpdFXoX5N_AtExEeBTYkACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/1280px-HatfieldClan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So my family, if you went back enough, were like the Central Virginia equivalent of the Hatfields or McCoys.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
(<b>Side Rant</b>: okay, so my mom's side basically relocated there after being forcibly evicted from what would become Shenandoah National Park, you can read about it <a href="https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/article/13012571/appalachian-trail-of-tears" target="_blank">here</a> or <a href="https://www.nps.gov/shen/learn/historyculture/displaced.htm" target="_blank">here.</a> The TL:DR is that during the New Deal, it was determined to be too expensive to bring electricity and sanitation infrastructure to the hillbillies of the Blue Ridge Mountains, so they were given a pittance as compensation and thru eminent domain evicted to create the National Park and Skyline Drive. Somewhere in the vicinity of Jarman's Gap Overlook on Skyline Drive is where my great grandmother was born; she passed away only in 2013. This is relatively recent history that still lives for many people. Interesting story really.)<br />
<br />
...and took up jobs serving the general economy of the college town. They stayed, their children stayed, etc....I'm pretty sure that only two relatives that I can identify off the top of my head don't currently reside somewhere in Central Virginia within 45 minutes or so of "college town." You're born there, you go to school there, you get married there, you find a shit job there, eventually you die there.<br />
<br />
So where does heavy metal fit into all of this?<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zb6R1Awoaiw/XoDErZwKaHI/AAAAAAAAAdk/ccGn51mMjxgKLMgk7cbOzU2ygcanfKV3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/cindrella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zb6R1Awoaiw/XoDErZwKaHI/AAAAAAAAAdk/ccGn51mMjxgKLMgk7cbOzU2ygcanfKV3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/cindrella.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish I was awesome enough to say that in 1987 I was listening to Sodom and Bathory, but I was in 2nd grade and that wasn't what they were playing on MTV. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Remember that I'm a product of the 80's, born right before Reagan was elected. So as a young kid, I'd play in the field with the kid next door that was close to my age. Now and then we'd go over to his house since he had a Nintendo (I wasn't that cool, I just had a Sega Master System. I guess having both between us was kinda cool though.) Anyhow, his older sister was all in with the glam rock/hair metal thing going on at the time, so via her, we were exposed to the hairspray and spandex shit like <b>Whitesnake</b>, <b>Poison</b>, <b>Motley Crue</b>, etc. We're talking late 80's so it also turned out that <b>Guns N Roses</b> was breaking big, and a particular California band had released their first ever music video.<br />
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<b>Metallica</b> was heavier, darker, and absent the spandex and hairspray, looked more identifiable and relatable. I was immediately hooked. Quickly, I became addicted to staying up late on Saturday night's to watch MTV's Headbanger's Ball seeking to hear not just Metallica, but other heavier bands, which at the time for me meant stuff like <b>Ozzy</b>, <b>Megadeth</b>, <b>Suicidal Tendencies</b>, etc. Remember that my exposure was entirely due to cable TV; I've never known my dad to listen to ANY kind of music to speak of, and my mom's tastes were a combination of pop/country and whatever played on the "oldies" FM station. Why staying up so late though? Because my mom was convinced that heavy metal was "vulgar" and "satanic."<br />
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<br />
Fuck you, Geraldo Rivera.<br />
<br />
Anyhow, at school, the children that would be my classmates in elementary school were either the children of the Townies or the Gilded Caste of Central Virginia. If you were the kid of a Townie, you generally liked to roughhouse around, bully other kids, and your social circle was probably mostly the other Townies. Likewise, the Gilded Caste would keep to themselves. I liked comic books and heavy metal. I didn't really fit with either group, which was fine by me because for someone who is quite verbose, I'm very much an introvert. Oddly enough, classes from the time I was in elementary school were broken up by academic ability, and curiously enough the "mediocre" group was the Townie kids, and the "gifted" group were the Gilded Caste. (These would eventually become the "rednecks" and the "preppies" by high school.) Someone fucked up somewhere, because I was grouped with the "gifted" kids. Talk about being a fish out of water in terms of peer group.<br />
<br />
I will say that being grouped with these kids in elementary school is probably the number one thing that prevented me from developing the stereotypical "Southern Accent" that the entirety of my family is infected with to some degree, ranging from that dignified "Gone with the Wind" variant to more of a barely coherent mumblespeak. With only the occasional embarassing voice "breakage" to remind me that I am white trash at the core, I generally speak with an almost neutral, perhaps Midwestern dialect (except I don't do anything stupid like call Coca Cola a "pop" or a water fountain a "bubbler.") <br />
<br />
Anyhow, developing niche interests has a way of bridging across gaps that otherwise exist among groups based on dividers like ethnicity, economic background, etc. Turns out, some of these other kids were also into comics and heavy rock music, and I began to form friendships with kids who were otherwise part of the Gilded Caste. That means meeting the parents of these kids, who were doctors, psychiatrists, lawyers, etc. People who had traveled and been to places.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-peqhkwZpCaQ/XoDFRhKLzaI/AAAAAAAAAdw/IXItuCRuJN0Ho2fO5pvjucHP42V-PTzfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/250px-Infinity_Gauntlet_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="251" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-peqhkwZpCaQ/XoDFRhKLzaI/AAAAAAAAAdw/IXItuCRuJN0Ho2fO5pvjucHP42V-PTzfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/250px-Infinity_Gauntlet_1.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Owning a copy of this definitely broke a lot of ice in 5th grade.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
For perspective I had never left the Eastern Time Zone in my life until I was 28.<br />
<br />
What that did was open my eyes to what was possible, and in a sense what normal life looked like for a lot of people. Why couldn't I be one of those things? After all, for the kids I was befriending, it wasn't aspirational, but an expectation to be those things. <br />
<br />
As the 80's became the 90's and hair metal became grunge rock then an entire alternative subculture, it became this broader subculture around which I grew up and understood life; because it was still "small college town", the goths, punks, stoners, and dwindling number of metalheads all kinda had to be around each other by necessity; there just weren't enough of us to further splinter up into sub-cliques. Unfortunately (or maybe not?), some of the collection of misfits and broken toys weren't the greatest people for a variety of reasons, or I just didn't "click" with them, or whatever. Certainly wasn't doing much to help with the old dating life. Lucky for me, the internet became a thing. And with that, there was a deep rabbit hole of obscure bands to discover and vile online trolling to engage in. To the point that I began to realize that I basically had nothing in common with the people around me; as I became captivated by the still fresh drama of the Norwegian black metal scene and was discovering exciting new bands via the <b>My Dying Bride</b> mailing list and those fold outs that came in Century Media CDs you'd get from mailorders, I was losing any sort of cultural frame of reference with the people around me as I increasingly nerded out on heavy music (they had all moved onto whatever new hip thing among the "alt-scene" was.) And here's the thing; the smart members of that alternative scene went to college elsewhere or packed up and moved but somehow got the fuck out of that small college town. The ones who stayed behind...were becoming Townies. But at least via the internet and chat forums and whatnot, I had a connection to a world beyond. Made friends. Some that are still friends to this day.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WJMaeZljuaM/XoDGLzldheI/AAAAAAAAAeA/0iOfDeOzVvoyfCNd2xGjgPrTJNao6wq9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/goth%2Bdork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="344" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WJMaeZljuaM/XoDGLzldheI/AAAAAAAAAeA/0iOfDeOzVvoyfCNd2xGjgPrTJNao6wq9QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/goth%2Bdork.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'd probably quickly get tired of being around people like this too. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My life sadly through this point wasn't particularly stable; between family and school, I was basically accused of being some combination of "drug addicted", "homosexual", and "devil worshipping", with a bunch of people who thought they were doing the right thing for me by wrecking my life and making everything 50 million times harder. All because I wanted to have ordinary teenage fun and had a proclivity for the color black and listened to angry music. The eventual outcome of this was dropping out of high school and moving in with people I went to high school with for a few years.<br />
<br />
By 2005 or so, life circumstances, as they're wont to do, provided me with a pair of options. I could accept my fate and try to make the best of it pumping gas or whatever in small college town, or I could pack up my life's belongings in my Toyota Corolla and relocate to the Washington DC area. I had a job opportunity via my McJob and had made enough friends and acquaintances via a shared love..of extreme metal music of all things. This was the "shit or get off the pot" moment. So I packed my shit up and slept on an air mattress in someone's apartment and put together a life. Someone I met online because of...a shared love of extreme metal music.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LdyZ08eXMFk/XoDG_TDHQcI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/IQkhStSHok8Lxwkm--n0Y8ded4M-GdOEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/across%2Bthe%2Briver%2Bfrom%2Bhome.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="700" height="204" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LdyZ08eXMFk/XoDG_TDHQcI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/IQkhStSHok8Lxwkm--n0Y8ded4M-GdOEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/across%2Bthe%2Briver%2Bfrom%2Bhome.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new home, or at least across the river from it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Washington DC and the surrounding metro area, thanks to lots of government contracting and IT money, offers a lot of economic opportunity for someone willing to work hard. I was done with making excuses or just "waiting" for the right opportunity; it took 25 years of waiting to get the hell out of that small college town. Free from distractions, burdens, and excuses, I enrolled in community college, transferred to McState University, earned two degrees from McState, and began earning a professional salary. A lot of that was pure work ethic, because I'm no genius or savant; I just wanted better for myself. But that very pathway was opened up, really, because I was able to network with people via a shared love of heavy music.<br />
<br />
Perhaps even more remarkable, and for which I'm incredibly thankful for, is that it was also heavy music that brought M into my life. It was M sending me a random message on social media because we had a shared love of doom metal that brought her into my life...almost 13 years ago. A really awesome, fun filled 13 years that saw my life accelerate on hyperdrive; and it all began because I knew useless heavy metal trivia about her hometown (neat fact: <b>Sepultura</b> and <b>Sarcofago</b> are from her hometown. Way more awesome than what my town gets to claim) and didn't make dumb assumptions about her country of birth.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uDhzW4Q-IkU/XoDHZn-tyRI/AAAAAAAAAeY/MR5sZyRFxiUCfZ4BSHSOZCsujqnieY0AwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/icebreaker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uDhzW4Q-IkU/XoDHZn-tyRI/AAAAAAAAAeY/MR5sZyRFxiUCfZ4BSHSOZCsujqnieY0AwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/icebreaker.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Ice Breaker.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So yeah, every good thing that happened in my life can be attributed to heavy metal. Imagine that. It's probably why I still get excited about hearing the latest 5th generation <b>Devourment </b>clone and still sacrifice sleep now and then to go see a show in the warehouse of a brewery with 50 people. It's why I've probably spent too damn much money buying tour shirts from bands who have had their tours dates cancelled by COVID-19/Coronavirus. It's probably why my walls of filled CD shelves still bring me joy when other people are downsizing their collections and "growing up."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks for everything guys.</td></tr>
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Ultimately, it was heavy metal that got me the fuck out of that small college town, a place that feels more foreign to me each time I return to it for whatever obligation. The longer I am away, nothing is more obvious to me than how
small town life is the death of the possibilities and optimism that
comes with youth. It horrifies me to even imagine what would have happened had I not escaped. I don't know where I'll eventually drop dead, but hopefully it won't be for a long time and I'm reasonably confident it won't be <i>there</i>. And for that, ultimately I owe a completely ridiculous subculture of obnoxiously loud, blatantly offensive, barely listenable "music." Funny how life works.<br />
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<br />Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-12917184099797587242020-01-01T17:49:00.001-08:002020-01-01T17:49:55.384-08:00Best of 2019It's New Years Day, 2020 so most likely I've heard everything from 2019 I'm going to hear at this point. I'm sure down the line I will discover some obscure records from the past year I missed out on and find myself deeply impressed, but for the time being, I think this is where we're at.<br />
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2019 wasn't a triumphant year for me; there were no amazing adventures to speak of though there was a fun filled football weekend in October and there was a short excursion to Quebec City. At this point M demands we visit the Great White North once a year so she can stop by Costco and acquire various home necessities on the cheaper Canadian dollar. The joys of being old and domesticated, I guess? (As long as I can stop at <a href="http://www.freesonrock.com/en/index.html" target="_blank">Freeson Rock</a> in Montreal, I can be a good sport!)<br />
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This year for me personally was mostly just about the grind. The effort to build that financial nest egg and to cultivate the skills I need for my next professional step. M has basically been in the same boat, if feeling less urgency given she's a few years younger than me. The MBA has gone well enough to start, and while I'm not really one for New Year's Resolutions, because they never get followed through on, I don't think it's a big risk for me to say that M and I will be having another big adventure of some sort, if not two of them, in 2020.<br />
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Sitting here experiencing old man fog regarding the best live bands I saw this year, and there were two shows that really stand out. One was a lineup featuring <b>Saor, Wayfarer,</b> and DC locals <b>Sickdeer</b> at a <b>Atlas Brew Works</b> in Washington DC. It was miserably hot and humid inside the crowded backroom of a brewery, but it was a fantastic performance by all bands. The other M and I saw the night before, in the basement of a coffee house called <b>Songbyrd</b>, also in Washington DC, where <b>Khemmis</b> absolutely crushed with their stoner-influenced doom and Atlanta black metal/black n' roll act <b>Cloak</b> made a fan out of me. Between the local venues of Baltimore (MDF in particular) and Washington DC, in 2019 the other highlights included <b>Sinmara, Suffering Hour,</b> <b>Spirit Adrift</b>, <b>Rippikoulu, Naglfar, Guttural Secrete, Tomb Mold, Theories, Full of Hell, Borknagar, Scour, Brutality, Blood, Disassociate, Shape of Despair, </b>and <b>Vanum.</b> There was also a roadtrip to Richmond, Virginia because <b>Hypocrisy</b> was playing and who knows when they'll be back in the States again.<br />
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Best development of the year that I observed is the plethora of <b>Agalloch</b> and <b>Ulver </b>inspired atmospheric black metal bands that are now dropping records. I'm not suggesting that these artists are tremendously "original" sounding, because you can't recapture the way "<i>Bergtatt</i>" or "<i>Pale Folklore"</i> sounded when they first dropped again. But bands like Minnesota's <b>Ashbringer</b>, Italy's <b>Enisum, </b>and multi-national band <b>Sojourner</b> all released outstanding albums that aren't even making my top 10 list. Collectively, these bands are releasing albums that sound "fresh" and "relevant" to my ears. Maybe it'll be remembered in a few years the way late 90's doom or early 90<b>'s </b>death metal is.<br />
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The worst development is the abundance of YouTube videos of "reviewers" (i.e. nerds with even more spare time than I've got) who spent inordinate amounts of time telling you if or if not something is good. I mean, obviously I'm writing my thoughts here so I can see a little bit of "pot, meet kettle", but do you need a 45 minute album review to tell you if a 33 minute album is good or not? Here's a crazy idea, google the band or search them on Spotify, give it a few listens, and decide for yourself. That's why I try to find links for each of my top 10 albums; I like that shit and I want other people to check it out, like it, and give those bands money like I did so that those bands keep creating more art. <br />
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<b>Most Disappointing Record of 2019</b><br />
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<b>Tool <i>Fear Inoculum</i></b><br />
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So there's two <b>Batushka's </b>out there and I can't keep up with which one is the one that isn't a whorish money grab by Metal Blade Records (after a quick internet search, I guess the one that released "<i>Panichid</i>" is kvlt and trve and the one that released "<i>Hospodi"</i><b><i> </i></b>is the Faketushka...). There's also a coked up <b>Abbath</b> playing mediocre black n' roll when he's not in rehab for alcoholism...the rest of the <b>Immortal</b> guys win that dispute in artistic terms for sure (I do hope for a reunion though.) Death metal in general hasn't had the abundance of high quality releases I'd expect this year. But that said, there hasn't been a lot that I felt failed to meet my expectations.<br /><b> </b><br />
That brings me to "<i>Fear Inoculum</i>". I like Tool, and I like proggy Tool. But Tool is at their best not when they're being proggy or playing stupid fucking nerd bullshit Fibonacci Sequences or whatever. Tool is at their best when they're being bombastic and writing bangers like "Vicarious". I don't give a fuck how many notes a musician can play or how precisely they can play those notes that might involve complicated finger techniques on their instruments. Does your music fucking rock? Do I want to crank it at high volume? If you can bust out a bunch of musical wizardry like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7ZipHFZTaY" target="_blank"><b>Spiral Architect</b></a> or <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ucd0GDDtRio" target="_blank">Augury</a> </b>and blow my mind while still rocking that's awesome and yeah, you get more kudos than <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKmfbhxYj2s" target="_blank"><b>Devourment</b></a> does for playing cave man riffs. But if your music just sounds like a bunch of pointless doodling that doesn't lead anywhere, I don't give a shit how complex it was to play or how much thought was put into writing music that makes me want to go to sleep.<br />
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<i>"Fear Inoculum" </i>has exactly one good song, "<i>7empest</i>", and if you listen to the album in sequence you're going to be asleep when it begins as track nine, 1 hour and 10 minutes into the record. Knowing that, I just go to Spotify and listen to the one good song, rather than sit through the snoozefest that leads to it. The worst part? <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fear-Inoculum-TOOL/dp/B07VGTYTBF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=4AH2LGSNP47B&keywords=tool+fear+inoculum&qid=1577915733&s=music&sprefix=tool+fear+%2Caps%2C137&sr=1-1" target="_blank">This album will cost you a fortune to buy, see for yourself! (That's just the audio cd version, not the spiffy one that has it's own music player and visual do-hickey..)</a><br />
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My expectations for this were never that inflated, but given <a href="https://www.riverfronttimes.com/musicblog/2016/01/22/is-tool-really-a-band-for-stupid-white-trash" target="_blank">the nerds clutching their pearls about this band</a> and dropping dumb money to buy the CD and see them perform at inflated prices and who have some bizarre belief that being willing to sit down bored out of your mind for 1 hour and 26 minutes makes you smarter and more sophisticated than the next music fan, I guess I'm gonna call this the big disappointment of the year. Much like <b>Opeth</b>, this band was better before 2010.<br />
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<b>Honorable Mentions</b><br />
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<b>Ashbringer <i>Absolution</i></b><br />
<b>Belzebubs <i>Pantheon of the Nightside Gods</i></b><br />
<b>Blood Red Throne <i>Fit To Kill </i></b><br />
<b>Ceremony of Silence <i>Outis </i></b><br />
<b>Cloak <i>The Burning Dawn</i></b><br />
<b>Continuum <i>Designed Obsolescence</i></b><br />
<b>Dead To A Dying World <i>Elegy </i></b><br />
<b>Devourment <i>Obscene Majesty</i></b><br />
<b>Disentomb <i>The Decaying Light</i></b><br />
<b>Encephalic <i>Brutality and Depravity</i></b><br />
<b>Enisum <i>Moth's Illusion </i></b><br />
<b>Esoteric <i>A Pyrrhic Existence</i></b><br />
<b>Exhorder <i>Mourn The Southern Skies </i></b><br />
<b>Fen <i>The Dead Light</i></b><br />
<b>The Great Old Ones <i>Cosmicism</i></b><br />
<b>Glare of the Sun <i>Theia</i></b><br />
<b>Hath <i>Of Rot and Ruin </i></b><br />
<b>Hideous Divinity <i>Simulacrum</i></b><br />
<b>Imperium Dekadenz <i>When We Are Forgotten</i></b><br />
<b>Isenordal <i>Shores of Mourning</i></b><br />
<b>Mayhem <i>Daemon</i></b><br />
<b>Mgla <i>Age of Excuse </i></b><br />
<b>NecroticGoreBeast<i> NecroticGoreBeast</i></b><br />
<b>Nile <i>Vile Nilotic Rites </i></b><br />
<b>Obsequaie <i>The Palms of Sorrowed Kings</i></b><br />
<b>October Tide <i>In Splendor Below</i></b><br />
<b>Officium Triste <i>The Death of Gaia</i></b><br />
<b>Organectomy <i>Existential Disconnect</i></b><br />
<b>Pathology <i>Reborn To Kill</i></b><br />
<b>Prostitute Disfigurement <i>Prostitute Disfigurement</i></b><br />
<b>Sinmara <i>Hvisi Stjarnanna</i></b><br />
<b>Spirit Adrift <i>Divided by Darkness</i></b><br />
<b>Sojourner <i>The Shadowed Road</i></b><br />
<b>Theories <i>Vessel</i></b><br />
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<b>10.) Mortiferum <i>Disgorged from Psychotic Depths </i></b><br />
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Dark, ominous doom/death of the sort that Profound Lore Records is known to release. I love the tone that they capture, and they manage to be plodding and miserable without losing my interest, which is what happens when you're slow and heavy but not actually creating a harmony or building to anything epic in your songwriting. Swampy, dank, and guttural<b>. </b>The way it should be. <br /><b><i></i></b><br />
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<b>9.) Nightfell <i>A Sanity Deranged</i></b></div>
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Take someone from the hardcore scene during the "Entombed-core" revival, and introduce them to <b>Celtic Frost</b><i> </i>and <b>Bolt Thrower.</b><i> </i>That's what this sounds like; perhaps a WW1 tank plowing through trenches and murdering everything in sight on a particularly grey, miserable, damp day. </div>
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<b>8.) Dawn Ray'd <i>Behold Sedition Plainsong</i></b></div>
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Absolutely ferocious and dark at the same time. Anarcho-Antifa punks with a healthy dose of <b>Napalm Death</b><i>'</i>s politics playing second wave black metal with serious urgency in their delivery. Heavy use of violins to carry a lot of melodies helps create a distinct sound. Incredibly righteous and a welcome counterbalance to the conservatism and NSBM bullshit that often plagues underground black metal. Not that it doesn't rage pretty fucking hard regardless of one's personal politics. </div>
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<b>7.) Vitriol <i>To Bathe From The Throat Of Cowardice</i></b></div>
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Featuring a few songs from their debut EP, this is a ferocious blend of <b>Hate Eternal</b><i> </i>and death-metal era <b>Behemoth </b>with the anger of <b>Man Must Die. </b>Raw vocals, non stop blasting drums, and just all around fast and furious top tier death metal in a year where I feel that there were a lot of death metal releases that were rather ordinary. </div>
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<b>6.) Falls of Rauros <i>Patterns Of Mythology</i></b></div>
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One of the many well crafted albums by the emerging flock of post-<b>Agalloch</b><i> </i>bands, FoR occupies the same space of warm, mellow acoustic passages that melds into tremelo heavy black metal that feels like it ever so pensively seeks something more grandiose and epic. Drenched with sorrowful melodies and even a smidgen of <b>Spirit Adrift-</b>styled guitar theatrics, I think the best way to experience <i>Patterns of Mythology</i> is on an open highway in a single complete listen. </div>
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<b>5.) Alcest <i>Spiritual Instinct</i></b></div>
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Full admission; I'm a "Johnny come lately" to this French band. I think they opened an <b>Anathema</b><i> </i>show that M dragged me to some years ago. By this time, Anathema sucked ass and ceased playing any of their old, good songs, so I was probably drinking and in the mood for something much more bloodthirsty. So my impression of Alcest wasn't great, and it wasn't until some years later when I heard them randomly on Spotify that I "got it"; I soon bought "<i>Ecailles De Lune" </i>and became a fan. So while I'm not really familiar with their more black metal incarnation, and barely hear anything black metal about the band, I deeply enjoy the ethereal, atmospheric sort of slightly "post" metal they perform. "<i>Spiritual Instinct"</i> is a bit more bombastic, a slight bit of the black metal influence is present, and overall this album is a whole lot catchier than the previous albums I'm familiar with. Is it still shoegaze-y and trippy? Absolutely. But it's constantly going forward, and flows in such a way that these 6 songs come and go before you know it, leaving you wanting a bit more. </div>
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<b>4.) Horrific Demise <i>Excruciating Extermination</i></b></div>
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What happens when you pull a bunch of seasoned veterans from the Midwest death metal scene of the early 2000's? Featuring members (and ex-members) of <b>Gorgasm, Lividity, Sarcophagy, Necrotic Disgorgement, </b>and <b>Human Filleted</b><i>, </i>the sum of the parts here surpasses all of those bands. Horrific Demise hits the right notes to recapture the glory days of late 1990's/early 2000's riff driven brutal death metal yet it sounds fresh enough that it's not some crappy attempt at nostalgia. The production and performances sound top notch professional, the songs are lean, mean, and have a lot of that early <b>Dying Fetus</b><i> </i>"bounce" to them, and this album just feels fun. Absolutely no filler to be found in this collection of songs, the only sad thing is that because it lacks the sort of originality that tastemakers in the scene look for, it didn't get the attention it deserved. This is nearly perfect death metal and my hope is that the members of this band make Horrific Demise a priority. </div>
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<b>3.) Borknagar <i>True North</i></b></div>
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First album with just ICS on Lead Vocals since <i>"Quintessence" </i>came out almost 20 years ago yet none of the evolution over that time has been lost as Borknagar still sounds like a massive, epic, ambitious melding of folk, 70's moog drenched prog, and black metal. Vortex shines in all of his varied vocal deliveries, and "variety" might be the best word to use to describe this album, which ranges from the fury of "The Fire That Burns" to the subdued yet majestic closer "Voices". Borknagar has created a space for themselves to create a wide range of sounds that seemlessly flow together and feel "right". Borknagar is long in the tooth, but still feels fresh, vibrant, and essential. There isn't a weak album in their catalog, and "True North" may rank among the best of them.</div>
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<b>2.) Saor <i>Forgotten Paths</i></b></div>
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2019 was the year I discovered this band, and I consider that, along with the opportunity to see them perform in July of this year (where I eagerly purchased their entire back catalog), to be highlights of the year. Saor plays an epic, melodic style of black metal with occasional nods to Scottish inspired folk music. Tasteful usage of keys, flutes, violins, and gentle guitar interludes lend further in creating an emotional sounding ode to Scotland while distinguishing Saor from the American bands looking to <b>Agalloch</b> for inspiration. More importantly, none of it sounds like cheese! It could be easy for something like this to fall of the rails, but the performances by multi-instrumentalist Andy Marshall (only permanent member of the band) are absolutely top notch, the production quality more than adequate, and the songs may be too drawn out for some, but I feel that the extended lengths of the tracks (3 out of the 4 songs surpass 10 minutes in length) give space to allow the harmonies to implant themselves in the listener. </div>
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<b>1.) Blood Incantation <i>Hidden History of the Human Race</i></b></div>
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<b><i> </i></b>I probably gave this one away when I put it on my "best of the decade" list. I tried to think of reasons why it shouldn't be number one, and nothing was valid. I can't hold the fact they've got some buzz behind them against them; hell it's not like I was handed a copy of their demo and followed them since. I got into the band because <i>"Starspawn" </i>was a straight-fire album and I discovered it because there was hype. I guess now that they're starting to become less obscure (which is silly anyway, this is death metal released on Dark Descent Records, if it sold 10,000 copies I'm shocked) that certain elements of the underground predictably shit on them. Heaven forbid they get signed by Relapse or Nuclear Blast. The thing is, this record is recorded the way death metal should be recorded. It sounds murky yet clear, there's warmth in the guitar tones, all of the instruments are audible, nothing sounds overly compressed. I see more bands, if they have the means, going this route in the future, especially as vinyl becomes the predominant physical media people purchase (I'll stick with CDs since I don't have a vinyl turntable in my car, where I consume most music.)</div>
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Musically, it hits the notes of the more "progressive" 90's death metal bands, especially <b>Immolation</b> and <b>Death</b>. Maybe <b>Morbid Angel</b> to a lesser extent with its obsession with themes (Morbid Angel had ancient Sumeria, Blood Incantation has space aliens and ancient Egypt.) Reverbed growls layer over churning, twisting riffs and healthy doses of over the top guitar theatrics and tones that would have made "<i>Sound of Perseverance" </i>era Chuck Schuldiner proud. </div>
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Blood Incantation made a thoughtful, intelligent record that clearly had a lot of work and love put into it to make it sound great. The fact it's only 4 tracks, including the 18 minute epic closer, leaves you wanting more when its over. I'm won't award them the championship belt for best band in death metal quite yet, but another release of this quality would probably be all that it takes. </div>
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Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-21923494343967183292019-12-08T11:43:00.005-08:002019-12-08T11:45:23.912-08:00The best ten metal albums of the decade, so sayeth me. Just seeing the end of the decade approach us, as I approach the beginning of my 4th decade on this spinning rock myself, is kind of eye opening. It's always fun to look back on where I was ten years ago; newly married to M, broke as fuck, just transferring from community college to McState University to earn my BA. Hadn't been west of the Mississippi River yet, nor even owned a passport. Also legitimately about 90lbs lighter than I am today, with fewer grey hairs, so I guess some things were better ten years ago. Then again, since then I've roadtripped nearly the entire continental United States, completed that BA, as well as one post-grad degree and began a second one, did a pair of prestigious internships at DC Think Tanks, tripled my income, accumulated some shiny toys, managed to remain married to M (who also accomplished amazing things!) and relative to this blog, continue to and perhaps even to a greater degree maintained my connection to and love of this ridiculous obscure noise that is underground heavy metal.<br />
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Nothing can ever capture you the way it does when you're young and unfamiliar. That high school breakup hurt more than perhaps a failed relationship in your mid-20's would. The second time you visit a restaurant where you had an amazing meal...it never quite lives up to that first time, even if it still was perfectly fine. It's the same with music; so much of what you listen to as you get older, if you were truly passionate about a genre of music to begin with, will just never capture you the same way as it did the first time you heard those sounds. That's why all of these fucking dinosaur bands keep touring until they're 70; they're collecting bank off of the nostalgia people feel for when I guess their lives were fresh, exciting, and for many of them at their peak. <b>Slayer</b> can suddenly announce they're "retiring", and the rush of nostalgia means that instead of playing 1500 seat rooms, they're playing to 10,000 or more at amphitheaters.<br />
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I guess for me that wasn't a problem; high school and being a teenager in a smaller, southern college town was a fucking shit experience. The last ten years, weight gain aside, have truly been my best ten on this planet. So here's to being the old guy in the room, who still goes to shows solo sometimes just to check out who the young up and coming bands are, because maybe someday when I'm at retirement age this current era of metal will make me feel nostalgic.<br />
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With that, here's my top ten albums for the decade (2010-2019.) My criteria was pretty simple:<br />
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- Did I listen to this album a whole fucking lot? Basically, did I connect with it personally?<br />
- Did the album have a huge impact, or will it have an impact on the music to come?<br />
- Did the album represent something different or like a shift in the sounds being produced by the scene in general?<br />
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Not every album is going to cleanly check each of those categories beyond the first one, but as the author offering his subjective thoughts on the last decade of underground metal, here's what I came up with.<br />
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10.) <b>Anaal Nathrahk <i>Vanitas </i>(2012)<i><br /></i></b><br />
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My reasoning for this album is that, personally, it is my entry point to the band. It also represented a summation of so many styles that in the previous decade may have been distinct from one another; this album isn't Anaal Nathrahk's first stab at merging black metal with industrial samples and treatments, epic cleanly sung choruses, and some tasty <b>At The Gate</b>s riffage, but it was probably their most mature, cohesive take on it. I think that this cross pollination of subgenre styles in 2019 is basically expected, as I can listen to an up and coming band like <b>Vitriol</b> and hear elements of that chaotic but memorable style that Anaal Nathrahk was doing at the beginning of the decade.<br />
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9.) <b>Hamferd <i>Tamsins Iikam</i> (2018)</b><br />
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Is there such a thing as "post-funeral doom"? Hamferd plays at those slow ethereal tempos, with those massive monolithic riffs. But there's also a certain beautiful serenity about this album, in between the massive riffs and growls, and the tortured operatic singing; I don't speak Faroese but this album reeks of despair. I feel like this album was a shift away from so many of the bands who, with great success, borrowed from <b>Katatonia</b>, <b>Swallow The Sun</b>, and <b>Rapture</b> prior to this release. This is very likely the most obscure choice on my list, but as I heard it then, I remain convinced that doom fans are going to visit this album in the next few years and buy into it big time.<br />
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8.) <b>Wormed <i>Exodromos </i>(2013)</b><br />
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So much of the criticism about brutal or technical death metal is that the subgenres are limited by self imposed constraints; artwork and album art have to look a certain way, other than playing faster or playing with more notes and arpeggios or triggering those blasts to go even faster, there's nothing innovative or creative that can be done anymore. The response to that is Wormed, who defy that with their combination of ferocity, jagged rhythms, incomprehensible vocals, and atmosphere that actually sounds like being sucked into a black hole; this wasn't just caveman slam metal. Sure there were other bands, notably<b> Origin</b>, who delved into the cosmic themes before Wormed did, but Wormed managed to create a distinct sound which really reached its maturity with <i>Exodromos; </i>technical, brutal, groovy...Wormed did it all. When I heard bands like<b> Disentomb</b> in 2019 try to write "intellectual slam", I feel that's the impact that Wormed brought to the table.<br />
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7.) <b>Trypticon <i>Melana Chasema </i>(2014)</b><br />
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This is the fully evolved version of what <b>Celtic Frost</b> was aspiring to for years; definitely after CF reformed and released <i>Monotheist</i> in 2005. Dark, ominous, foreboding, reeking of sludge and mood. Probably the best record Thomas Gabriel Fischer ever participated on. I still listen to this often. Enough reason to go on the list.<br />
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6.) <b>Blood Incantation <i>Hidden History of the Human Race</i> (2019)</b><br />
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This might be recency bias that I rate this at all, or possibly my desire to avoid said bias that keeps me from rating this higher. Blood Incantation represent where death metal is in 2019; sure there's the tech-death olympics to see who can play the most notes the fastest with the most pristine production, and there's certainly a healthy amount of slam bands, and deathcore bands who are evolving into one of those niches, but at the sunken depths of the underground it's bands like Blood Incantation, who emphasize mood and atmosphere above all. Murkier production values meet <b>Immolation</b> vibes, and in certain spots visits <b>Nile</b>-sounding Middle Eastern influences. The songs themselves, of which there's just 4, and only 3 of those have vocals, are grimy death metal but clearly have underpinnings elsewhere; I've read reviews throwing out names like <b>Yes </b>and <b>King Crimson</b>. I'm not a prog rock guy so I don't know one way or another to agree with that, but I wouldn't dispute for a moment that Blood Incantation aren't top notch musicians; there's plenty of guitar theatrics abound here. That said, what I think is going to be the lasting impact of this album might not even be the material on it, which is outstanding, but the fact the album was recorded to tape rather than digitally. The result was that Blood Incantation largely recaptured the best aspects of the 1990's productions that make people so warmly remember how good all of those death metal records by seminal artists like <b>Obituary</b> and <b>Morbid Angel</b> sounded. I think this style of recording, and the warmth it adds to the recorded sound of death metal, is going to come back in a big way.<br />
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5.) <b>Full of Hell <i>Trumpeting Esctasy </i>(2017)</b><br />
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I think Full of Hell's ambitiousness in collaborating with noise artists like <b>Merzbow</b> and <b>The Body</b> is what gets the nerds at Pitchfork and Rolling Stone willing to pay attention to them, but Full of Hell is at their best when they keep the samples and nerding to a minimum and just viscerally go for the jugular. <i>Trumpeting Esctasy</i> is probably Full of Hell's peak at indulging their rage monsters within, as for most of this album's 11 tracks and 23 minutes they are peak deathgrind, with blastbeats and roars and razor sharp guitars punishing the listener. Combined with an impressive live show, I think they hit the 2010's in much the same way as <b>Pig Destroyer</b> did in the decade before. The fact Full of Hell are a bit deathier in their grind makes me like them better.<br />
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4.) <b>Panopticon <i>Kentucky</i> (2012)</b><br />
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The lineage of this nature focused black metal feels like it obviously traces its roots back to <b>Agalloch</b>, but also even further back, like towards <b>Ulver</b>'s <i>Bergtatt</i> album as a spiritual ancestor. Panopticon began as, and really still is, a low-fi one man project by Austin Lunn which encompasses the totality of his musical influences. <i>Kentucky</i> was, and remains, a very bold album as Lunn, who plays basically everything in Panopticon, alternated between Kentucky bluegrass and blistering folk-inspired black metal. It's held together with with a dark enough theme, the struggles of the working class in rural Kentucky; some of the tracks are literally calls to unionize coal miners. This sort of left wing politics in black metal also is a paradigm shift in a genre notorious for pro-fascist NSBM artists and the (at times) suffocating conservatism of many black metal "elite" fans. For me personally, it's been a rabbit hole into Nordvis and Bindrune Recordings and similar sounding artists like <b>Falls of Rauros</b> and <b>Nechochwen</b>. I think there's also been a boom in similar sounding bands, especially from America (the "Cascadian sound") and the UK (<b>Saor</b>, <b>Fen</b>, <b>Winterfellyth</b>), since this band kinda "broke out."<b> </b>Panopticon has continued to release great albums throughout the decade, but <i>Kentucky</i>, with it's most blatant bluegrass influences, remains their peak, IMO.<br />
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3.) <b>Pallbearer <i>Heartless </i>(2017)</b><br />
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I think most fans would pick Pallbearer's debut, <i>Sorrow and Extinction</i> as their album of choice, but for me it's their third album, <i>Heartless</i>. Pallbearer pretty much immediately emerged in 2011 as challengers to the throne for best doom band. Hipster and Pitchfork/Noisey approved, nevertheless Pallbearer borrowed from a variety of influences ranging from classic rock to <b>Rwake</b> and New Orleans sludge to write oppressively slow, heavy, yet deeply soulful doom. The reason I give <i>Heartless </i>the nod is because on this effort, they ever so slightly embraced their prog rock and classic rock sensibilities and picked up the pace ever so slightly, crafting a much more listenable record. When Pallbearer releases an album now, it feels like a big deal, and that's more than I can say for many bands who I do enjoy.<br />
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2.) <b>Gorguts <i>Colored Sands</i> (2013)</b><br />
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Death metal, now long in the tooth from it's thrash-based origins in the late 80's, has undergone several "movements" as bands have tried to distinguish themselves. Gorguts, in their own history, certainly reinvented themselves from the meaty death metal of <i>Considered Dead</i> to the hyper-technical and admittedly almost unlistenably discordant <i>Obscura</i> album. After a hiatus following the suicide of their drummer, Luc Lemay reactivated the band but instead of retreading their past, went in another direction altogether. Borrowing a bit from bands like <b>Ulcerate</b>, Gorguts used those discordant sounds to create something that, instead of dark and ominous, was still furious but also bombastic and majestic at times...at least as much as a death metal band can be. <i>Colored Sands</i> is both challenging and engaging and demonstrated that death metal doesn't have to be blood splatter and gore, but that it also engage as, dare I say, "high art" if there is such a thing. Much like Wormed, I feel that some of their influence has rubbed on other bands within the death metal scene.<br />
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1.) <b>Behemoth <i>The Satanist</i> (2014)</b><br />
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In 2019, it seems to be cool to shit on Adam "Nergal" Darski because he really has made it clear he doesn't give 2 fucks about the metal scene's nebulous "code." Success makes you uncool; having other ventures like barber shops or dating fashion models is apparently against the "code" as determined by the groupthink and memes of the metal underground. Darski obviously doesn't give a shit and why should he? He released an album that not just myself, but it seems much of the "metal press" agrees was the best album of the 2010's.<br />
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By the late 2000's, Behemoth was an established metal institution of sorts, having morphed from a mediocre kvlt black metal band into a Polish death metal powerhouse. Albums like <i>Evangelion </i>and <i>Demigod</i> were full of ragers that held up against any of the undergound's Polish darlings (<b>Yattering</b>, <b>Lost Soul</b>, etc.) They were touring world wide, including the United States, and drawing. They could have stayed the course and probably did pretty decent for themselves.<br />
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Then Darski was diagnosed with Leukemia and had to fight for his life. Normally, faced with one's impending mortality, people have a funny way of discovering religion and trying to make amends for all of the shit things they've done. Darski? Not a chance. He beats the disease, then records the defiant album <i>The Satanist</i>, a manifest that offers no apologies for his life philosophy. Musically, many of the traits from Behemoth's death metal era remain present; the vocal delivery remains raw throated as ever and the blasts are still quite present. But some of the elements from their black metal era crept forward again, as did a variety of outside musical influences to craft a distinct sound and more haunting mood; this was Behemoth, but more. Angrier, darker, more aggressive, moodier.<br />
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The hype this record had to overcome was enormous; "metal media" basically talked this up like it was the second coming of <i>Reign in Blood</i> and to say that it was comparable to reunification of <b>Dissection</b> would be accurate. The front man of this band literally came back from facing death to record this album. Anything less than a masterpiece would have been completely shit on. Instead, Behemoth 100% delivered, and to dispute that is probably rooted in motivations that have nothing to do with the music contained within <i>The Satanist</i>'s 45 minutes. What one thinks of Adam "Nergal" Darski in 2019 (honestly, he does some corny and mildly cringe things sometimes, but nothing that represents a crime against the metal scene, stop taking yourselves so goddamn serious, folks) has no impact on the fact that Behemoth did succeed in delivering their <i>Reign in Blood</i>.<br />
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<b> </b>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-33385456965953552352019-08-06T16:27:00.000-07:002019-08-07T16:30:15.438-07:00Scapegoats and Uncomfortable TruthsDear Community of Fellow Heavy Metal Enthusiasts,<br />
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I'm rather embarrassed that we need to have this conversation. Alas, it seems that to our collective chagrin and my unfortunate lack of surprise, this topic needs to be addressed and understood. If your attention span is as short as I fear it is, I'll summarize what you really need to know in one sentence.<br />
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<i>Heavy Metal lyrics, regardless of subgenre, do not represent a how-to manual and if you're too stupid to get it, please excuse yourself from the hall so that the rest of us may continue to enjoy ourselves. </i><br />
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<i> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xEJFO8BmuHQ/XUoMm_thWhI/AAAAAAAAAbs/Fa_HNh6Jtig-8dw1VjUke9t2z37AShKAQCLcBGAs/s1600/Folkvangr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1199" height="168" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xEJFO8BmuHQ/XUoMm_thWhI/AAAAAAAAAbs/Fa_HNh6Jtig-8dw1VjUke9t2z37AShKAQCLcBGAs/s320/Folkvangr.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's right. Fuck right off. No Rainbow Bridge to Valhalla for you.</td></tr>
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Now to elaborate why this has to be said. Yet again, America ran up the score on what we do best, which is kill our fellow citizens. Within the last 2 or 3 weeks, we've had angry white dudes shoot up Gilroy, California (3 dead), El Paso, Texas (22 dead?), and Dayton, Ohio (9 dead.)<a href="https://www.vox.com/world/2017/10/2/16396612/las-vegas-mass-shooting-terrorism-islam" target="_blank"> At this point, with just under 40 years of time spent on this planet and as a citizen of this country, I feel confident and justified in saying that other white men, especially conservative white men, scare me more than any other collective group of people</a>. I mean, really, what's a Arab gonna do to me besides make some really good hummus and falafel? Hispanics? Tacos, Pupusas, and fat-bottomed women. White people mostly can't cook and most white broads got no ass. Maybe that's why white dudes are angry? I guess having wife'd a South American is why I don't suffer from these afflictions of "fucking dumbass."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where conservative Americans see a danger to democracy, I see deliciousness.</td></tr>
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But what's inspiring this online rant is that last of the 3 most recent massacres. The shithead that decided to kill 9 people just trying to have a good time on a Saturday night is named Connor Betts. The only thing you should remember about him was that he was a piece of shit and I'm glad he's dead. I hope he's buried in an unmarked grave, because fuck him. He's a trash person.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The guy under this hood was a loser and we're better off without him. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/j5yekp/exclusive-dayton-shooter-was-in-a-pornogrind-band-that-released-songs-about-raping-and-killing-women?utm_source=vicenewsfacebook&fbclid=IwAR0ZSsgOtcHWmYf91QzfxuYx9hl6yGM98pn4QVzy5h2jyvj1Ze1yzep-QyE" target="_blank">However, during his utterly worthless, pointless, and meaningless existence, he self identified as several things. Anime fan. Antifa supporter. A fan of male pronouns. And quite inconveniently, as a metalhead. But not just any kind of metalhead; the kind who formed shitty pornogrind bands. </a>Just like nearly everyone else who plays in a metal band in Ohio, going back to at least the late 90's/early 2000's. Because of this, now we have to deal with unwanted attention.<br />
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Here's the truth about metal, especially "extreme metal": there's a lot of "problematic" subject matter in the imagery and lyrics of the bands. It makes sense; aurally, metal is violent, aggressive, hard and fast music. Singing pleasantly about flowers and cupcakes really wouldn't fit the aesthetic. We can go on and on about other forms of media that also have problematic content, but that's not really necessary. Because I think what I'm about to say transcends music and can be applied to any sort of media one consumes.<br />
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In order to appreciate a subgenre like pornogrind or some of the grislier artists in death metal, it requires two things; an admittedly depraved, dark sense of sarcastic humor, and the maturity to separate fiction from reality. If you're going to listen to artists like <b>Gut</b> or <b>Cock and Ball Torture</b> or some of the more obscene death metal artists like <b>Lividity</b> or <b>Waco Jesus</b>, you have to be able to understand that these bands are not advocating sick or perverse behavior. It's shock value, it's extremity for the sake of extremity, and it's meant to be taken with several grains of salt. The punchline of the joke is that these bands are singing about utterly gross, sickening, ridiculously over the top things and the act of doing so is the point of humor. They're not promoting a particular truth or ideology. <b>Prostitute Disfigurement<i> </i></b>is not telling you that you should kidnap, rape, murder, and dissect the dead bodies of hookers; they're creating horrific imagery that fits the aesthetic of the very extreme style of death metal that they perform.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I thought better of actually posting an album cover. </td></tr>
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<i>Let me spell it out more explicitly; if you do think these bands represent anything other than a slightly and admittedly disturbing choice of entertainment, you've got problems. Serious problems. You need help. Further, I'd say it's the responsibility of those around you to raise alarms, red flags, and if necessary report you to the appropriate authorities if you appear to be a danger to anyone else.</i><br />
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Side rant: Just to elaborate a bit further on these styles of heavy music; most of the musicians performing in gore heavy death metal or pornogrind are terrible. And the shelf life even for good bands that perform this style of death metal can be limited. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32oBOotwPfs" target="_blank">Yeah, the new Prostitute Disfigurement album rips really hard</a>, but for comparison, hearing (Cleveland, Ohio's own) <b>Regurgitation</b> recycle the same porn inspired stage banter at MDF in May of this year was kinda....sad. Like they hadn't evolved or found anything else to bring to the table since <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZlB5NWQ53c" target="_blank">they originally released "Tales of Necrophilia" before I was old enough to drink</a>. It felt stale, and sorta embarrassing in a cringe way. /endrant<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-svZFEkMe3n4/XUoL2aWJMfI/AAAAAAAAAbk/upu41kUsHI0EbQjrRxFIDOmaONDry89GgCLcBGAs/s1600/metal%2Bcringe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-svZFEkMe3n4/XUoL2aWJMfI/AAAAAAAAAbk/upu41kUsHI0EbQjrRxFIDOmaONDry89GgCLcBGAs/s320/metal%2Bcringe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I guess you could say that some of those Ohio bands from the early 2000's didn't age as well as hoped. </td></tr>
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I highly doubt Connor Betts' association with extreme music is what drove him to kill. It's also highly improbable that his profession of "leftist" politics is what led him to kill; kinda weird having major issues with women (I hated high school and most of my classmates, but I didn't keep a "kill list" or a "rape list"; I just dropped out ASAP) but being willing to vote for Elizabeth Warren for president. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/police-chief-it-seems-to-defy-believability-that-dayton-shooter-would-kill-his-own-sister/2019/08/05/920a895c-b79e-11e9-b3b4-2bb69e8c4e39_story.html?noredirect=on" target="_blank">He did seem to have a lot of psychological issues</a>, and an <a href="https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/crime/crime-and-courts/2019/08/05/dayton-shooter-used-gun-may-have-exploited-atf-loophole/1920506001/" target="_blank">unhealthy fascination with guns</a>. These are factors that as an armchair psychiatrist I'd believe seem to be more likely causes. With that said, shitheads like Connor Betts don't belong among our collective scene. Whether we want it or not, its our responsibility to identify and exclude these assholes from our scene, or else they'll be the cancer that kills it. Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-84733242316023256392019-06-27T08:22:00.000-07:002019-06-27T11:22:56.905-07:00March of the SJWs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dM3W5XFtZJQ/XOXonxge8AI/AAAAAAAAAYk/f5STf1N956MIBZUbtTpWyMHQfR_XxoaugCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="666" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dM3W5XFtZJQ/XOXonxge8AI/AAAAAAAAAYk/f5STf1N956MIBZUbtTpWyMHQfR_XxoaugCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_2894.JPG" width="277" /></a></div>
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This crude meme kinda sums up where a subset of underground metal fans have arrived in 2019. Where I once found myself as a fan concerned by the presence of racists and other xenophobic elements within metal, I now find myself flustered and annoyed by a burgeoning crowd of "scene police" that are seeking to dictate to the underground-at-large what's acceptable. As recent episodes with <a href="http://www.brooklynvegan.com/uada-respond-to-booking-compilations-due-to-false-allegations-of-nazism/" target="_blank"><b>Uada</b></a>, <b><a href="http://www.metalsucks.net/2019/04/30/two-mgla-shows-have-been-canceled-amidst-ties-to-nsbm/" target="_blank">MGLA</a>,</b> and past shitshows with bands such as <b><a href="https://toiletovhell.com/threats-censorship-and-destroyer-666/" target="_blank">Destroyer 666</a> </b>have shown, the folks at Metalsucks and the Kim Kelly's of the internet are seeking to shine light on what they feel is the cancer of intolerance within the scene.<br />
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Here's the problem. <a href="http://www.metalsucks.net/2019/04/23/hear-darkthrones-latest-black-n-roll-slapper-the-hardship-of-the-scots/" target="_blank">These are the same motherfuckers who all will be eager to hype up the latest <b>Darkthrone</b> album. </a>You know, the band that used to play "True Norweigan Aryan Black Metal". And tell people who complained that they were being "jewish."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QPP8wpbKczI/XOXueQq968I/AAAAAAAAAZA/2M4ptbXUE_sD3NEn02F3LDihpDf7qjalQCLcBGAs/s1600/darkthrone%2Bassholes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="1024" height="110" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QPP8wpbKczI/XOXueQq968I/AAAAAAAAAZA/2M4ptbXUE_sD3NEn02F3LDihpDf7qjalQCLcBGAs/s400/darkthrone%2Bassholes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not like this is a recent revelation or hidden secret.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o02zPvVjb0Y/XOXuZN__XUI/AAAAAAAAAY8/cWKBjUv3vVY-BV8nkJJwcPpUR-Ml4FNxACLcBGAs/s1600/lp-darkthrone-transilvanian-hunger-uk-1994-issue-vile43-mayhem-burzum-immortal_7221453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="249" data-original-width="400" height="248" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o02zPvVjb0Y/XOXuZN__XUI/AAAAAAAAAY8/cWKBjUv3vVY-BV8nkJJwcPpUR-Ml4FNxACLcBGAs/s400/lp-darkthrone-transilvanian-hunger-uk-1994-issue-vile43-mayhem-burzum-immortal_7221453.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We'd call this racistt too, but Fenriz has cat pictures online so it's exempt.</td></tr>
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I'm not defending Naziism or alt-right rhetoric. Pepe the Frog can eat a fat dick. (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5vRqyfODBU" target="_blank">I can also watch Nazis get punched all damn day</a>.) I'm also not defending the dumb shit that KK Warslut of D666 says from the stage. I mean fuck, the guy calls himself "KK Warslut", why are we taking anything this guy says seriously? But funny how there's a double standard when Fenriz's quirky cat photos mean clicks to websites.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--njl_6kx5vw/XRUEvxo6UKI/AAAAAAAAAag/gImpgdnZi8MCrA5wy6aYBdq7os4wxdWyQCLcBGAs/s1600/fenriz%2Band%2Bcat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="700" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--njl_6kx5vw/XRUEvxo6UKI/AAAAAAAAAag/gImpgdnZi8MCrA5wy6aYBdq7os4wxdWyQCLcBGAs/s320/fenriz%2Band%2Bcat.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo is worth at least 3 extra clicks in 2019 for this shitty blog.</td></tr>
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This effort to drudge up dubious or past connections to unsavory rhetoric or connections by musicians to reprehensible ideologies isn't about making the world a better place, or "cleansing the scene" even. It's Social Justice Warriors trying to score fucking points to impress fellow SJW's within the metal community. You know how I know? How many of these fuckers, who tolerate anti-Christian messages in metal music, throw a fit a the first sign of anti-Islamic themes in metal music as xenophobic? How many of them are eager to promote <b>Castrator</b>'s advocacy of violence against men but pushed Willowtip Records to not release latest <b>Prostitute Disfigurement</b>? I assure you, SJW's will tie themselves up in knots to try to explain a difference in gendered violence, power dynamics, etc. (I think both bands rip, btw.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fcx10svPtD0/XRTcj-ok26I/AAAAAAAAAaM/y979zxRkGRQbwjwRyT-tYTJrXdnqF52VgCLcBGAs/s1600/sod%2Bspeak%2Benglish%2Bor%2Bdie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fcx10svPtD0/XRTcj-ok26I/AAAAAAAAAaM/y979zxRkGRQbwjwRyT-tYTJrXdnqF52VgCLcBGAs/s320/sod%2Bspeak%2Benglish%2Bor%2Bdie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Try explaining that this band was founded by a bunch of jews from New York...</td></tr>
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What I'm saying is this; metal music, and popular culture at large, is FULL of problematic messages. Am I supposed to not watch Lethal Weapon because Mel Gibson is a known anti-Semite with a weird Jesus fetish? What about Pulp Fiction and Quentin Tarantino's weird obsession with the N-bomb? <br />
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This name and shame game doesn't even de-platform the offending bands; <a href="http://www.brooklynvegan.com/more-black-metal-controversy-watain-move-sf-show-so-destroyer-666-stay-on-bill/" target="_blank">they find other places to perform</a>. You think those blackmetal bands don't find a basement to play in if that's what it comes to? You've just forced people who don't give a fuck about politics to choose a side, and counter-productively, they're going to be lazy and side with the band you're trying to prevent them from seeing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-77P8eJOYskI/XRTUlOjBNvI/AAAAAAAAAZk/2MoazKdCb2sEZMudxqqVXaFk-q0THu73gCLcBGAs/s1600/basement%2Bmetal%2Bgoat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="750" height="311" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-77P8eJOYskI/XRTUlOjBNvI/AAAAAAAAAZk/2MoazKdCb2sEZMudxqqVXaFk-q0THu73gCLcBGAs/s320/basement%2Bmetal%2Bgoat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They will definitely find a way just as easily as I can steal images from Google.</td></tr>
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I think that doing this type of shit is an enormous disservice and counter productive to the actual cause of promoting social justice. One, call out culture doesn't work. In fact, ...<b class="ix jn"> </b><span class="ix jn"><a href="https://medium.com/@rachelwayne/the-problem-with-call-out-culture-4edecb31e192" target="_blank">"call-out culture pretends to be activism while actually just assuaging the insecurities — especially white guilt — of someone looking to convince others of their rightness."</a> I </span>find myself routinely in disagreement with people who express political views, particularly pro-Trump or pro-Republican Party views, but I have found that calling them "dumb dumbs" (even though they're often regurgitating absurd talking points) just makes them double down on stupid. It's the<a href="https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/resources/mini-encyclopedia-of-be/sunk-cost-fallacy/" target="_blank"> Sunk Cost Fallacy</a>. Instead of insulting them for being misguided, I just objectively explain the problems I find with their views, while occasionally acknowledging when perhaps their views aren't as wrong as people who treat political opinions as sport would perceive. In diplomacy you give people rope to pull themselves out of the abyss.<br />
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The rules of language and cultural norms are ever shifting goal posts. In this age of information, it changes faster than at any previous time in human history. I think we can agree that in 2019, certain symbols and certain types of jokes aren't cool or funny anymore. I mean, <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/phil-anselmo-on-confederate-flag-i-dont-want-anything-to-do-with-it-185068/" target="_blank">even fucking Phil Anselmo, who puts his foot in his mouth at least once a year saying something stupid and potentially racist, understands that using Confederate Flag imagery isn't acceptable anymore</a>. Varg, everyone's favorite LARPing racist buffoon and convicted murderer, really isn't <a href="http://www.brooklynvegan.com/varg-vikernes-burzum-youtube-channel-deleted-via-new-hate-speech-policy/" target="_blank">entitled to a public platform to ramble on incoherently about his worldview</a>. (Meaning, he can have whatever views he wants and express it, but you're not obligated to facilitate it or provide audience to it.) But are we going to shit on all of the art that was created in a prior time because by 2019 standards it's problematic without any sort of critical analysis of what the intent of that art even was? Do we really think <b>Cannibal Corpse</b>, a band that is now comprised of dudes in their 50's, are pro-rape because they wrote "Stripped, Raped, and Strangled" back in 1994 when they were in their 20's? Do they have to spend a least some portion of every interview until the end of the band defending the art they created in the 1990's? Was writing a song with that type of content even a message about women or, much more likely, just part of the ultra-violent horror themed lyrics that the band has always written?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aD5EJQc0t4c/XRTYy-Z2RjI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/mrtJyfDpNJodmeSZ6236Wq6f7-zLHwhgQCLcBGAs/s1600/varg%2Blets%2Bfind%2Bout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aD5EJQc0t4c/XRTYy-Z2RjI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/mrtJyfDpNJodmeSZ6236Wq6f7-zLHwhgQCLcBGAs/s320/varg%2Blets%2Bfind%2Bout.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy is still a dirtbag. He'll never change. But trying to silence him just makes his voice louder.</td></tr>
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My conclusion is this; no we should not just throw away all of those old records and pretend that old art doesn't exist. And you shouldn't feel guilty for listening to it and enjoying it, because it ultimately influenced so much of what's out there today in this golden age for metal fans to discover music. At the same time, musicians are people, and people are imperfect. Some of them have shitty philosophies on life. You don't change their minds by just doing the "call out" thing; if anything you're giving them a bigger platform because of the extra attention they're now getting. Ask Destroyer 666 how their feud with Metalsucks went, and I imagine they'd tell you it was one of the best things to ever happen to the band. But you know what happens with age, travel, education, and experience? People evolve. As Phil Anselmo demonstrates, it can be messy and uneven, but they do evolve and grow. You think the guys from MGLA, as their band gets bigger, they travel, and meet people from around the world, are really gonna want to remain associated with any NSBM bullshit? I doubt it. I think that the sooner people with skeletons in their own closets stop with the "virtue signalling" and SJW call out bullshit, the better.<br />
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<br />Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-62921240855321484672019-01-13T09:37:00.000-08:002019-01-13T09:37:35.779-08:00Best of 2018<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2018 was an interesting year for me. Made one career change, then another. Decided that having one post-graduate degree wasn't enough, so I enrolled in a second one. Didn't really get to take one super long vacation, but M and I did have a few cool excursions to the Great White North as well as to the warm waters of Charleston, South Carolina. I also discovered that as I get older and lazier, that it's easier to just use Spotify to discover new bands than it was to download them from one of the online blog sites. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I didn't go to a ton of concerts in 2018; obviously as a resident of the Washington DC metro area I made it to the Maryland Deathfest; the 2018 edition, despite losing headliners to health scares and visa issues, ended up being one of the best editions in the last several years. <b>Sinister</b> is an absolute beast of a live band. I had the opportunity to catch <b>Demilich</b> on tour as well as they were on a fantastic tour package with newcomers <b>Blood Incantation</b>, <b>Artificial Brain</b>, and <b>Scorched</b>. I also got to see <b>Paradise Lost </b>and <b>Solstafir</b> as well as the so-called "final" tour of <b>Slayer</b>. Per usual, I'm probably overlooking something.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At any rate, I certainly did manage to cram my CD shelves even more full of albums; 79 of them released in 2018 according my Collectorz.com software. Developing this year's list was difficult in that I heard a lot of albums I liked a lot, but I had a lot of trouble assigning a rank or preference to them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Biggest Disappointment of 2018</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Machine Head <i>Catharsis</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I could have said <b>Behemoth</b> here, but the truth is that Behemoth didn't release a bad record or one I haven't listened to a bunch at all. It was pretty good; just a radical departure from <i>The Satanist</i>, which right now is my current album of the decade. On the other hand, Machine Head isn't a band that I'd ever count among my absolute favorites, but I'm not going to say that I didn't really enjoy the majority of their back catalog. Excluding <i>The Burning Red</i> and <i>Supercharger</i>, I thought they were certainly enjoyable enough as a relatively easy to digest sort of metal; they were rather straight forward and only occasionally dipped their toes into anything resembling extremity but they were a logical progression of thrash rather than a rehash of <b>Kreator</b> and <b>Demolition Hammer</b> or anything like that. At their best, they were a modern sort of <b>Metallica</b> with a decent sense of "anthemic melody."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But <i>Catharsis</i> is the absolute drizzling shits. I'm absolutely convinced that the tool bags from Metal Sucks thought it would be funny to see if anyone would bite on a nu-metal revival. Turns out, exactly one person outside of dwindling 40 somethings that still attend the "Gathering of the Juggaloes" did: Robb Flynn. At the expense of literally tearing his own band apart, <i>Catharsis</i> not only revisited their mediocre era but double downed on it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Hey, we've got Dave McClain back in <b>Sacred Reich<i> </i></b>out of it, which almost makes me rethink this disappointment thing...) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What makes <i>Catharsis </i>the year's biggest disappointment for me is a combination of two things. First, most of the other noteworthy releases that I heard really delivered. Second, this may be an unpopular opinion with the underground metal groupthink, but I actually think Robb Flynn is a pretty damn talented individual who writes songs that certainly have a distinct style; you know it's Machine Head when you hear the tone of their guitars; even when they play shitty nu-metal. Hell, while I think he is certainly virtue signalling and pea-cocking when he makes political statements, it's not like I've necessarily disagreed with the substance of what he was saying. This was just the unfortunate manifestation of a man's mid-life crisis. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mentions:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Aborted <i>Terrorvision</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Abysmal Torment <i>The Misanthrope</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Ahtme <i>Sewerborn</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Amorphis <i>Queen of Time</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>At The Gates <i>To Drink From The Night Itself </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Birth of Depravity <i>From Obscure Domains</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Bufihimat <i>I </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Convocation <i>Scars Across</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Cryptopsy <i>Tome II: The Book of Suffering</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Deiquisitor <i>Downfall of the Apostates</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Fixation on Suffering <i>Confined in Obscurity</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Galvanizer <i>Sanguine Vigil</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Harakiri For The Sky <i>Arson</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Hooded Menace <i>Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Horrendous <i>Idol</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Immortal <i>Northern Chaos Gods </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Infuriate <i>Infuriate</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Mass Infection <i>Shadows Became Flesh</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Monstrosity <i>The Passage of Existence </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Mortuous <i>Through Wilderness</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Panopticon <i>The Scars of Man on the once Nameless Wilderness Pt 1 </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Scorched <i>Ecliptic Butchery</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Un <i>Sentiment</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Wayfarer <i>World's Blood</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>10.) Khemmis <i>Desolation </i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My first criteria for what gets put on my list is how often did I really reach for it to listen to. I listened to <i>Desolation</i> a lot; their formula of <b>Pallbearer</b>-esque despair and heavy grooves with a smidge of classic heavy metal is very effective. Khemmis is one of the most "catchy" bands I've heard in the last few years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>9.) Necrophobic <i>Mark of the Necrogram</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Necrophobic has been around for quite a while, but this album is the first time I really dove into what the band does. They're an effective machine that straddles the line between death and black metal with precision<i>. </i>Nothing here reinvents the wheel, but this is a good album to get a speeding ticket to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>8.) Glorior Belli <i>The Apostate</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This French band somehow infuses their black metal with heavy doses of New Orleans-styled sludge and makes it work. When they rip, they do it as well as anyone, but when they restrain themselves and venture towards (dare i say it?) "-core" territory on tracks like "Runaway Charlie" and "Rebel Reveries", Glorior Belli truly distinguish themselves as one of black metal's boldest and most creative acts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i> </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>7.) Solstice (UK) <i>White Horse Hill</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This long running but seldom heard from doom troop from Britain delivered an album that's epic yet mournful, heavy as fuck with a flat out nasty guitar tone. To the uninitiated, this could be best described as somewhere between <b>Candlemass</b> and <b>Primordial</b> (or more accurately, their countrymen <b>Mael Mordha</b>.) <b><i> </i><br /><i></i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>6.) Construct of Lethe <i>Exiler</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This band is actually semi-local for me; I've probably crossed paths with some of those involved at some point in the now distant past at shows at Jaxx Nightclub in the Washington, DC area (one of those forgotten local venues that every town has.) <i>Exiler </i>also features guest appearances from members of <b>Benighted</b> and <b>Near Death Condition</b>, and the result is a band that combines brutality with technique, drawing influence from <b>Morbid Angel</b> with judge a smidge of the current dischordant death metal that's out there (<b>Ulcerate </b>and <b>Gorguts</b>.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>5.) Uada <i>Cult Of A Dying Sun</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It seems somewhat popular to shit on these guys. Either because they got popular off their first album<b><i> </i></b>and therefore despised by people who refuse to listen to post-2000 black metal or because people believe in some sort of transitive property where if an apolitical black metal band shares a stage with a black metal band with some repugnant political/social/racial views, that in turn they must also be dirtbags. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't ascribe to this nonsense. What I hear is a band with catchy melodies, sufficient venom, and vibes that remind me of both <b>MGLA </b>and <b>Agalloch</b>. What they lack in true "originality" they more than make up for with execution and listenability. What makes this better than the debut is that there's more variety to the vocal intonations and the songs themselves are a bit longer and more ambitious. That said, I suspect that this is a band that people have unfortunately already made their minds up about before hearing them.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4.) Lago <i>Sea of Duress</i></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tremendously well executed murky death metal in the vein of Morbid Angel and <b>Immolation</b>, with some tasteful guitar theatrics to boot. One of the best albums that Unique Leader Records has released in years, which is a bit of a surprise given the otherwise deathcore/slam direction the label has largely taken a direction towards. This band is probably a few high profile festival appearances away from getting some serious recognition. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>3.) Agrimonia <i>Awaken</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not the kind of album I'd expect to be released by Southern Lord Recordings, but apparently this band has its roots in crust punk and post-metal, yet released the type of album I've wished <b>Opeth</b><i> </i>would have done years ago. Full of miserable guitar harmonies, thundering kick drums, and acidic vocals that stretch across 10 minute long proggish song structures, this album is definitely a grower in that you're not gonna hear 3 minute bangers, but if you put it on as background music while driving, you'll quickly find yourself captivated by the spell this band delivers. It's an intriguing and satisfying listen that got a lot of repeat listens from me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>2.) Augury <i>Illusive Golden Age</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another Opeth-y album? Not exactly though there's some vibes of that or even long obscure <b>Spiral Architect</b><i> </i>contained here. But make no mistake, <i>Illusive Golden Age</i> is a brutal death metal record and while they're ambitiously hypertechical, brutality and intensity is not sacrificed here. There's some vocal variation but it's all varying deliveries of raw throated and guttural growls. A cacophony of early <b>Cryptopsy</b><i> </i>meets <b>Atheist </b>and <b>Cynic<i> </i></b>but delivered with a tasteful restraint and razor sharp focus. In my opinion, more than the more popular <b>Obscura</b><i>, </i>Augury assert their claim to the throne of tech-death world champs in 2018, and only their own lack of output (this was nearly 10 years after their previous outstanding album, <i>Fragmentary Evidence</i>) prevents them from keeping that title going forward. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>1.) Hamferd <i>Tamsins Iikam </i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2018 introduced this absolutely miserable six piece from the Faroes Islands to me. This actually sounds like a ship lost at sea being battered by brutal waves under a cloudy, rain drenched sky. Large crushing riffs that kinda remind me of <b>Ahab</b><i> </i>and a songwriting style that builds to peaks and crescendos make for an involved listen. Vocalist Jon Aldara (apparently he also does vocals for <b>Barren Earth</b>) is immensely talented, both with a ghastly low death metal growl that would make most Finnish growlers wet themselves, as well as a painfully emotive operatic clean singing delivery. This tops my list because 1.) I listened to it a lot all year long, 2.) I can't really name another band that sounds like this (certainly no others that sing in Faroese...) 3.) the superb quality of what's contained here. I think once this album has had a couple years of exposure to be absorbed by doom metal bands, it'll be acknowledged as a classic the same way <i>Turn Loose the Swans</i> or <i>Solinari</i> or <i>Antithesis of Light</i> are. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i> </i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></b>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-52600649763494337262018-02-19T16:31:00.002-08:002018-02-19T16:31:46.002-08:00A Woman's Place...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The joke goes like this:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The only metal a woman knows is pots and pans."</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Otep doesn't really help disprove this, of course.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2018, with the #metoo movement in full swing, it's harder to laugh at a statement like that. Mainly because one, it's demonstrably false. There's more tr00 female heshers than at any time I've ever been able to recall. And two, publicly laughing at that statement in 2018 means you're possibly taking a side in the cultural shitshow between cock-hating Third Wave Feminists and the human toilets that comprise the online communities of Mens Rights Activists, Incels, and Alt-Right cum stains to whom disparaging women isn't a laughing matter but a very real vocation in between their sessions of playing Call of Duty, eating Hot Pockets, and generally avoiding the sun. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://incels.me/" target="_blank">There really isn't a sadder more pathetic community on the internet than the Incels.</a> </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But as women in metal become more commonplace, periodically we see articles on the various blogs and forums on the topic of "female fronted" bands. <a href="http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/kittie-drummer-on-silliness-of-female-fronted-description-you-dont-talk-about-dark-funerals-wieners/" target="_blank">Recently long terrible and thankfully long inactive nu-metal band <b>Kittie</b> opined that they shouldn't be thought of as a female fronted band.</a> Quite ironic, given that when their record label first presented this Canadian embarrassment to music to an undeserving world, pretty much all of their hype centered around their gender and age. It was widely speculated shortly after their debut that at least some of the "musicians" in the band were even so inept that they couldn't competently tune their own instruments.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All these members. Yet so little interesting music. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is a fair point, nevertheless. Should it really matter what the identities of a band's members happen to be? It seems like "female fronted" is a poor label to use to distinguish bands based on their sound. <b>Arch Enemy</b>, a band guilty of blatantly using an attractive female vocalist to gather attention in an otherwise over-saturated melodic deathmetal genre, sounds pretty goddamned different from <b>Nightwish</b>, purveyors of frilly froo foo symphonic powermetalish horseshit. My strong opinions about these artists notwithstanding, the only common denominator between artists in this manufactured "genre" is that the bands feature females as vocalists. It is pretty shitty to therefore isolate bands featuring female membership and to judge them not as bands on equal footing with the rest of the genre but only in comparison to other bands featuring prominent women. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is marketing, not creative brilliance. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Metal should be exclusionary. It's an outsider genre of music and a subculture for people that feel like outsiders. That said, I don't see why that label only fits white heterosexual men like myself. In fact, if any group of people in western society based on gender and ethnic identity are insiders, it's people like me. I see no reason why people with vaginas, or people of color, or people with various sexual, gender, ethnic, religious, or even political identities cannot identify with the alienation of feeling like an "outsider" and feel drawn to this type of music. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metal is not a goddamned pie. Just because more people decided they want to try it doesn't mean you get to have less.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the same time, if a band wants to be judged on its merits and not the identity of its members, then that band needs to present itself that way. Kittie chose to market themselves as angry teenage girls and when they became thirty somethings and weren't getting respect as serious musicians outside of a dwindling fanbase, that's when they said "stop calling us a girl band." When <b>Butcher Babies</b> two front women put their tits all over everything and say "we're selling serious music", that's basically bullshit. There's nothing wrong with tits or pushing sexuality, but using sex appeal to get attention to sell shitty music doesn't make the music better. I've got no problem with someone being comfortable enough to push themselves that way, but you can't really complain that no one buys you as a musician when you're selling sex rather than music. (Though in the case of Butcher Babies, that's probably a smarter financial move.)</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They could be selling basically anything here.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's plenty of women involved in metal bands that are producing great music. <b>Nervosa</b>'s entire lineup is female, and <b>Haemhorrage</b>, <b>Eluveitie</b>, <b>Electric Wizard</b>, <b>Bolt Thrower</b>, <b>Abnormality</b>, and <b>My Dying Bride</b> come to mind right off the top of my head as bands with female contributors. I don't think it matters if you've got a cock n' balls or a vag; if you're making good music then you're making good music. It's really not much more complicated than that. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An honest to goatlord decent solid thrash band. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In short, a woman's place is wherever she wants it to be. That includes within the metal scene. And women shouldn't have to leave their femininity at the entrance to the hall, either. But if women in metal bands use their gender to distinguish themselves from other bands in the genre, then it's hypocritical to then wonder why their bands aren't evaluated the same way as other bands. If you want to be accepted and fit in, then fit in.</span>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-74830797151367958822018-01-27T08:44:00.001-08:002018-01-27T08:48:13.576-08:00When Bands go "Cold Lake"...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9odiCkwDLE/Wmyms4bWCwI/AAAAAAAAATY/GIcDw74ujQoNMoOj57BeGJRN39EC0GcVACLcBGAs/s1600/celticfrostcoldlake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="400" height="241" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9odiCkwDLE/Wmyms4bWCwI/AAAAAAAAATY/GIcDw74ujQoNMoOj57BeGJRN39EC0GcVACLcBGAs/s320/celticfrostcoldlake.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Would you believe these guys once released "To Mega Therion"?</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's inevitable that almost every band will have a subpar effort in their catalog of albums. That many bands will take a swing and miss on a stylistic shift is a given and perhaps even a necessity. Not every artist is destined to be <b>Motorhead</b> or <b>Cannibal Corpse</b> and can regurgitate the same album over and over without diminished returns. Some bands need to take a left turn and explore a little uncharted territory before returning to what made them good. <b>Paradise Lost</b> is a wonderful example of that. Sometimes a band needs a lineup shift to rekindle their inspiration and get back on track with that they do best with a renewed energy. <b>Amorphis</b> is a great example of this. And sometimes bands just make inexplicably crap records that otherwise interrupt careers of strong output. <b>Rotting Christ</b> and <b>My Dying Bride</b> have both done this.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iNw2YvH16ug/Wmys8k6cg7I/AAAAAAAAAU0/JOG-MWa5GygtS2MzV9KqnY1vFNYBcQ5xQCLcBGAs/s1600/vader1-195x300.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="195" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iNw2YvH16ug/Wmys8k6cg7I/AAAAAAAAAU0/JOG-MWa5GygtS2MzV9KqnY1vFNYBcQ5xQCLcBGAs/s400/vader1-195x300.png" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even a band as badass as fucking Vader has occasionally released a forgettable album. See also: "The Beast".</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And sometimes bands just go completely off the deep end and make enormous career shifts and decide to release awful records.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm inspired to rant about this because right now I'm listening to the new <b>Machine Head </b>album <i>Catharsis</i>, which sees the band abandoning a string of solid, groovy thrash records to revisit their unfortunate adventures in nu-metal. <a href="https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/65vbar/the-nu-metal-revival-is-real" target="_blank">With online media blogs deciding that nu-metal's revival is now imminent</a> I guess Robb Flynn decided to take one more stab at the "moronic-extra-chromosome-carrying-previously-disowned-yet-for-a-brief-time-commercially-viable" relative to proper metal. What is awful is new again, right? <a href="https://www.allure.com/story/apparently-jnco-jeans-are-cool-again" target="_blank">(For example, supposedly JNCOs are "back"</a>.) Not that it should surprise you, but yes, <i>Catharsis </i>sucks. It's muddy downtuned "grooves" and infantile lyricism is a sharp departure from the epic, intricate nature of <i>The Blackening</i> or even the classic metal influences that crept up since. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Y4kVR_9_8A/WmynZaxcuXI/AAAAAAAAATg/bAr-P8I1yzEBpibeh9QDYBSBSUYJdJfMwCLcBGAs/s1600/machineheadnumetal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0Y4kVR_9_8A/WmynZaxcuXI/AAAAAAAAATg/bAr-P8I1yzEBpibeh9QDYBSBSUYJdJfMwCLcBGAs/s320/machineheadnumetal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't believe Robb Flynn thought revisiting THIS was a good idea.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One often wonders what leads to the decision making for an otherwise established band that seemingly has found its niche to make an abrupt shift in style. Clearly fan perception about whether such a shift has even taken place is one thing to consider. For example, how far a shift was <b>Cryptopsy </b>really making with <i>The Unspoken King</i>? While clearly globbing onto the deathcore wave of the late 2000's, it at least remained an "extreme" metal album, if only relative to what mainstream music happens to be. Fan outrage, as well as my own critique, was that Cryptopsy was an established institution that transcended trends in the metal underground and did not need to cater to the aesthetics of a passing moment. Nobody listens to Cryptopsy to hear clean vocals, excessive keyboards, or grooves. They want speed, hyperblasting drums, and acrobatically extreme vocals. The overwhelmingly negative backlash obviously didn't go unnoticed and after several lineup changes, Cryptopsy seemed to right the ship with their eponymous effort and the followup <i>Book of Tomes</i> EP.</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KscsJjXukFg/WmyoRJIuzcI/AAAAAAAAATs/1crxJhr7FM0DuSKo7hA104S0ZfgvzSDggCLcBGAs/s1600/cryptopsymeme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KscsJjXukFg/WmyoRJIuzcI/AAAAAAAAATs/1crxJhr7FM0DuSKo7hA104S0ZfgvzSDggCLcBGAs/s320/cryptopsymeme.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In a sense, that's what <b>Celtic Frost</b> did in following up the colossally massive failure of <i>Cold Lake.</i> This was the bad record by which all other bad records are defined. Ironically, it was from one of the genre's most forward thinking and progressive bands during the 1980s, yet upon achieving wider success on their own terms, the band seemingly sabotaged themselves by releasing an utterly unlistenable glam rock album, complete with hairspray. <a href="http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=54422" target="_blank">Tom G. Warrior would later call it his biggest mistake ever, and attribute it to a combination of a happy love life and letting a new lineup determine the creative direction</a>. Still, the band would "right" things by responding with the oft-ignored <i>Vanity/Nemesis</i> before returning from hiatus many years later, existing as though <i>Cold Lake </i>never happened.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j-r61PwuTRE/Wmyq5tywFXI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/JKtQ1t1ntqc4xb4P39eKmyqbgltnlS4xgCLcBGAs/s1600/romance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j-r61PwuTRE/Wmyq5tywFXI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/JKtQ1t1ntqc4xb4P39eKmyqbgltnlS4xgCLcBGAs/s320/romance.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy people make shitty music. Its just a fact.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then there's the bands that spend years and several albums cultivating fanbases, just to make an abrupt shift and never turn back. <b>Opeth</b> is a great example of this. Always heavily inspired by 70's prog rock, Opeth delivered 9 albums of varying brilliance, seemlessly interweaving said prog with thunderous death metal to create somber, compelling music. Thriving off the support of a death metal scene all too willing to hype Opeth to non-metal peers as proof of metal's ability to be more than mindless noise, Opeth grew from a little band from Stockholm, Sweden into one of metal's most universally beloved darlings, seemingly incapable of doing wrong. Then they released <i>Heritage</i>, an album devoid of any of its metal trappings in favor of pure 70's prog-nerd worship. The album was completely polarizing (the music media loved it while older fans hated it), and objectively not as "good" as their previously death metal inspired albums. The response of the band has essentially been confusing; follow up releases <i>The Pale Communion</i> and <i>Sorceress</i> basically doubled down on the pedestrian sounding non-metal. <a href="https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/opeth_returning_to_death_metal_would_be_admitting_defeat.html" target="_blank">Yet the band still includes songs from their previous back catalog in their live set, and have left open the possibility of returning to a heavier sound in the future.</a> Essentially Opeth has made it clear they don't want to play death metal anymore, yet they want to lead fans on so they will continue to attend shows and buy each new record with a hope that just maybe the the glory days of the band will return.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0GiNXcNvd4c/WmypESHKJ_I/AAAAAAAAAT0/ME86ERE60mMOb57-9TqQkfgkj0X57hIpwCLcBGAs/s1600/opethmikaelface_638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="638" height="177" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0GiNXcNvd4c/WmypESHKJ_I/AAAAAAAAAT0/ME86ERE60mMOb57-9TqQkfgkj0X57hIpwCLcBGAs/s320/opethmikaelface_638.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe this nerd is just as confused about Opeth's direction as the rest of us.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, there's <b>In Flames</b>. In the year 2000, In Flames was at their peak. Their catchy formula of melodic death metal, extra heavy on syrupy sweet melodic guitar harmonies, was at once tremendously enjoyable and it seemed palatable enough for mainstream ears for In Flames to be the underground metal band that was going "make the leap." They so thoroughly outdrew <b>Earth Crisis</b> on a co-headlining tour that Earth Crisis actually broke up midtour. I personally witnessed an incredible performance on a tour they headlined with <b>Nevermore </b>and <b>Shadow's Fall</b> in a sold out club. It seemed like bigger venues and Ozzfests were in their future. And in some respects it was, just not how long time fans had envisioned. See, In Flames had dropped hints all along; expressing fandom for artists like <b>Britney Spears</b> and <b>Limp Bizkit. </b>And sure enough, just as their light was shining at its brightest, the band abandoned its Gothenburg-style roots for downtuned nu-metal, emo lyricism, and borderline whiny vocals on 2002's <i>Reroute To Remain. </i>And for the period of the last days of nu-metal's viability, In Flames was able to reach Ozzfest, and get picked up on bigger package tours. Yet it really seems like they basically swapped one fan base for another, and with the passing of nu-metal's wave, they just release albums in their adopted style every few years to a chorus of metal fans who remind them of how much better they used to be. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MJxrrxIeQSQ/Wmypiz9zAcI/AAAAAAAAAT8/Z2KIw01o1YUwuEobfLv4KGsTOtdbswTXgCLcBGAs/s1600/inflames-pic13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="476" height="168" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MJxrrxIeQSQ/Wmypiz9zAcI/AAAAAAAAAT8/Z2KIw01o1YUwuEobfLv4KGsTOtdbswTXgCLcBGAs/s320/inflames-pic13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basically how In Flames feels about their old fans. But hey, matching jumpsuits.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I guess bands could reach the point of releasing a <i>Cold Lake</i> in a variety of ways. Desire for commercial success. Boredom with a style they've played for multiple albums. Internal discord within the band. Using <b>Metallica's </b>post-black album career as an example, perhaps a paranoid desire to stay relevant. How bands respond to it seems to vary as well. Some rebound, some double down, some hedge their bets on their new sound, and some, like Metallica, swing wildly for the fences again and again, hoping to stumble on the right formula; in their case it seems to be to settle down into a mediocre, watered down version of their past glory with <i>Hardwired To Self Destruct.</i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2TRF_xdXMCo/Wmyp8TfGngI/AAAAAAAAAUA/ScT0LbFzpVoM37uiJJqFKlEjnUqpR6tjACLcBGAs/s1600/larskirk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="594" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2TRF_xdXMCo/Wmyp8TfGngI/AAAAAAAAAUA/ScT0LbFzpVoM37uiJJqFKlEjnUqpR6tjACLcBGAs/s320/larskirk.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boredom can be dangerous.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So how does a fan "cope" with this? As a long time metalhead who has seen this play out multiple times, I've learned to not take it personally as 16 year old kid the first time their favorite band "sells out." I think it involves understanding that bands are made up of human beings, who evolve and change over time. Who develop new interests and become bored of old ones. I think more than anything, a band should always make "honest art", which is to say that they should follow whatever is in their collective heart in a creative sense. If you make a shitty record for the right reason, who cares? Hell, if you make it for the wrong reason, is it really that big a deal? Those old Opeth and In Flames records haven't gone anywhere. I can still listen to <i>My Arms Your Hearse</i> or <i>Whoracle</i> and those records are just as amazing today as they were when they were originally released. The fact that both bands made abrupt decisions to turn to shit doesn't change that. The fact that Machine Head has just released an absolute turd sandwich of an album and are whiny bitches about the fact most of their fans hate it doesn't make <i>Burn My Eyes</i> or <i>The More Things Change...</i> less crushing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vfIy3cAuv98/WmyrzYkUu1I/AAAAAAAAAUo/VENMWIQRFz881lrXkBlP4l3D6LAld_FGQCLcBGAs/s1600/220px-Opeth_MAYH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="220" height="318" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vfIy3cAuv98/WmyrzYkUu1I/AAAAAAAAAUo/VENMWIQRFz881lrXkBlP4l3D6LAld_FGQCLcBGAs/s320/220px-Opeth_MAYH.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still one of metal's greatest albums.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a younger fan, I probably would develop some sort of irrational animosity towards a band and its entire catalog because of a <i>Cold Lake</i>-moment. But in 2018, with so many streaming services and torrents of so many other bands it just seems silly. I'm not suggesting bands should get a pass for releasing a bad record. I still haven't "forgiven" <b>Hypocrisy</b> for releasing <i>Catch 22</i> and attempting to cash in on ripping off <b>Slipknot</b>. But I am thankful I haven't disregarded the band since; albums like <i>End of Disclosure</i> and <i>A Taste of Extreme Divinity</i> are worthy additions to the band's legacy and have deserved their repeated listens.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I guess the overarching theme of what I'm getting at is that the longer a band exists, the more likely they're gonna do a shitty record. And the more likely they're gonna shift styles at some point. The confluence of diminished inspiration and style shift is what creates a <i>Cold Lake</i>. It's bound to happen yet rather than spending a ton of time upset about it, just remember that we live in a time when there's constantly more new records coming out that are going to be up your alley if you just take the time to look. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-73112141964743309602017-12-07T16:52:00.002-08:002017-12-07T16:52:56.526-08:00Best of 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">It's that time of year again. Music nerds compile their lists of the records they think were the best; I've been posting mine on this dimly lit corner of the web for several years now. 2017 has been a good year, personally I've had some fun adventures in Texas, Kentucky, and Quebec with M. I got to see fucking <b>Akercocke</b> live at the <a href="http://avoiceofskepticism.blogspot.com/2017/05/right-sized-maryland-deathfest-xv.html" target="_blank">Maryland Deathfest</a> which was certainly a bucketlist sort of thing for me. I think I've survived year one of the Orange Goblin as my president, despite his attempts to draw our planet into a nuclear war. After using 2017 to take a deep breath and relax from the hellish marathon that was earning my degrees, I think 2018 will once again be a year for self improvement, mostly because I'm restless otherwise.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">It's also a year that I heard a LOT of really good records. Between old guard bands and the new kids, there's a very vibrant if deeply underground metal scene right now. Festivals might not be drawing as large of turnouts, and sales are mostly in the shitter now that we're deep into the age of Spotify and YouTube, but artistically there's a ton of killer shit to get excited about. It's a good time to be alive as a fan of metal music.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">At least until the new FCC rules kill Net Neutrality and it becomes much harder to scour the web to discover obscure bands. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Biggest Disappointment</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pathology <i>Pathology</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Over the last 10 years, Pathology has been known to deliver the caveman slam death goods. Sick ultraguttural vocals, headbanging groves and slams, ferocious percussion. This time around, they just halfassed it. Matti Way is just gurgling...there's not even an attempt to pronounce lyrics; I've heard his work in other bands like <b>Disgorge</b> and <b>Abominable Putridity</b> to know when he's putting effort into it. Musically it almost sounds like they just chopped up the less inspiring parts of their previous albums and put them together here and called it a new "album." I don't listen to this style expecting originality but it's a style that doesn't really spare room for mediocrity; either it's gonna be excellent or not so good and there's not gonna be much room in between. I'm surprised that this made it past the normally astute quality control of Comatose Music.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Honorable Mentions</b></span><br />
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>All Pigs Must Die <i>Hostage Animal</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Arkaik <i>Nementhia</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Broken Hope <i>Mutilated And Assimilated </i> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Cannibal Corpse <i>Red Before Black</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Converge<i> The Dusk In Us</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Cytotoxin <i>Gammageddon</i></b></span></div>
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Dead Cross <i>Dead Cross</i></div>
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Der Weg Einer Freiheit <i>Finisterre</i></div>
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Desolate Shrine <i>Deliverance From The Godless Void</i><span style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Dodecahedron <i>Kwintessins</i></span> </div>
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<b>Enslaved <i>E</i></b> </div>
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<b>Father Befouled <i>Desolate Gods</i> </b></div>
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<b>Hanging Garden <i>I Am Become </i> </b></div>
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<b>Hideous Divinity <i>Adveniens</i> </b></div>
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<b>Hour Of Penance <i>Cast The First Stone</i> </b></div>
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<b>Immolation <i>Atonement</i> </b></div>
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<b>Incantation <i>Profane Nexus</i> </b></div>
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<b>Necrot <i>Blood Offerings</i></b><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Phrenelith <i>Desolate Endscape</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Ulsect <i>Ulsect</i></b></span></div>
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Solstafir <i>Berdreyminn</i></div>
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10.) Desecrate The Faith <i>Unholy Infestation</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This is the second album that I'm aware of by this relatively obscure Texas brutal death metal act, and <i>Unholy Infestation</i> delivers a really solid, listenable slab of infectiously catchy death metal. This record is everything that this year's Pathology album was not.</span><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">9.) Sunlight's Bane <i>The Blackest Volume: Like All Of The Earth Was Buried</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">If I were to attempt use other bands as a frame of reference to describe Sunlight's Bane on this, their debut album, I'd be pulling from artists as varied as <b>Converge</b> and <b>Rune</b>. Maybe <b>Nails</b> meets <b>Anaal Nathrakh</b>? If I were writing for some metal 'zine I'd make up a bullshit subgenre like "apocalyptic blackened crustgrind" or something. Here's what you need to know. This is massively pissed off, at times epic, at times just furious, and it straddles the line between extreme metal and hardcore. I bought this record on a whim while in Texas and was quite pleased by my discovery.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>8.) Akercocke <i>Renaissance In Extremis </i></b></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b><i> </i></b> </span></b><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">This band's reformation was one of the best things to come out of 2017; Akercocke has always been one of the more creative and innovative bands in metal, taking elements of black metal, death metal, progressive rock, and electronica to forge their odes to the goatlord. This time around saw the band shed the tailored suits and over the top Satanic imagery for a more subdued, progressively influenced sound and while it may not have been the Akercocke I was expecting when they announced their new record, this album is excellent and satisfying all the same.</span></b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></b><i><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></b> </i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">7.) Belphegor <i>Totenritual</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></b></b></span></b></i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">The last album by Belphegor, 2014's <i>Conjuring the Dead</i>, was a slight letdown compared to their usual standard of outstanding and sometimes grandiose combination of black and death metal. While I appreciated the more deathly orientation the band has taken, <i>Conjuring...</i> suffered from a awkward and distracting kick drum sound that hurt the songs. Hey, sometimes even Eric Rutan doesn't get it right. Just consider the new <b>Morbid Angel</b> record as an example. That said, Belphegor most certainly got it right on <i>Totenritual</i>, delivering several pulverizing little ditties about the devil, demons, and evil. Standard fare. Hell, dare I say that this sounded more like the record I wish Morbid Angel released at times than the one they actually did. When Belphegor is at their peak, they're damn near untouchable.</span></b></b></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></b></b></span></b><i><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></b></b></span></b> </i></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></b></b></span></b><br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>6.) The Obsessed <i>Sacred</i></b></span></b></b></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></b></b></span></b><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">The last time I recalled Wino, he was with <b>Saint Vitus</b>, who were busted in Norway for possession of meth, cocaine, and a cocktail of other illicit self medications. Which is pretty fucking doom metal, I must say. Apparently he's all aboard the Infowars crazy train too, which I guess isn't surprising if you read the lyrics from his <b>The Hidden Hand</b> project. I could be wrong about that. I really hope I am wrong about that and that he's not all in with the Dave Mustaine/Alex Jones shit. That would be majorly disappointing if it's actually true. Regardless, he avoids that shit with The Obsessed, thematically focusing on more relatable personal tales of sorrow. This is really heavy, not in the same way that other bands on this list so far are, but in an earthy, bluesy sort of way. Lots of repeat listens from this one.</span></b></b></span></b></span></b></div>
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<b>5.) Devangelic <i>Phlegethon</i></b><br />
<b><i> </i> </b><br />
<b><b><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">There's been a ton of great death metal coming from Italy this year, and interestingly bands like <b>Antropofagus </b></span></b></b></span></b></span></b></b></b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">and <b>Logic of Denial</b> downplayed their more technical leanings in favor of straight on brutality. That said, Devangelic celebrated full on American styled brutality from the b</span></span><b><b><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">eginning, and in 2017 they're the grand champions of Italian death metal. To these ears, <i>Resurrection Denied </i>was a bit groovier than <i>Phlegethon</i>, which is more aggressive but still has its head nodding chugs amongst the blasts and even a bit of trash can snare. Supersick low vocals. Okay, so maybe it's not the most "original" release and it's a style that many bands attempt, but there's some really exceptional stuff and lots of quality here for fans of say, <b>Cannibal Corpse</b></span></b></b></span></b></span></b></b></b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> or <b>Disavowed</b>.</span></span><br />
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<b><b><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>4.) Gods Forsaken <i>In A Pitch Black Grave</i></b></span></b></b></span></b></span></b></b></b><br />
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<b><b><b><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Another one of those not so original acts; Gods Forsaken only formed in 2016 by a few fellows who had spent time in various Swedish death metal bands including <b>Blood Mortized</b></span></b></b></span></b></span></b></b></b></b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">, <b>Wombbath</b>, a whole bunch of Rogga Johanson's bands, even a cup of coffee in <b>Amon Amarth</b></span></span><b><b><b><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><b><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">. Do you like <b>Dismember</b></span></b></b></span></b></span></b></b></b></b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> or <b>Entombed </b>or <b>Grave</b>? You think that <b>Entrails </b>is perfectly serviceable but just lacks a little something extra? I can't recommend <i>In A Pitch Black Grave</i> enough to you. The vocals are pretty low but gritty, the guitars buzz and crush with the occasional haunting melody, the drums sound like they were recorded at Sunlight Studios. Above all else, these are really catchy well constructed SONGS. You hear this and it's familiar in a comforting sort of way, yet you want to reach for it again and again. This record has lived in my car ever since I took a chance on it.</span></span><br />
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<b> </b><br />
<b>3.) Full of Hell <i>Trumpeting Ecstasy</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I think this is one of those darlings of the nerd metal class who buy everything Profound Lore or Dark Descent releases in 3 different colors of vinyl, which in turn pisses off the elitists who disregard them completely. "They made a noise record with Merzbow once so they're fucking hipsters." Hell, Encylcopedia Metallum can't be bothered to review any of their releases. I say fuck them. <i>Trumpeting Ecstasy</i> is outstanding. This is utterly ferocious and relentless deathgrind done in the style of many releases on Willowtip Records. In fact, if you told me these guys took heavy influence from say, <b>Commit Suicide</b> or <b>Circle of Dead Children</b>, I wouldn't be surprised in the least. After decades of listening to extreme music, I think it's fucking fantastic that I can still hear bands that play with energy, passion, and who just fucking <i>go for it. </i>Do they reinvent the wheel or break any ground with <i>Trumpeting Ecstasy</i>? Absolutely not. But bands like Full of Hell who convey a sense of conviction in their malice are why I still get excited by this genre of cookie monster nonsense. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;">2.) Paradise Lost <i>Medusa</i></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">It's kinda weird yet entirely welcome to see this band come full circle.<i> </i>Yet over the last several years, as they've returned to playing miserable doom metal it's clear they benefited from their time experimenting with electronics and otherwise exploring other ways to be dreary. I can't escape the thought that if they hadn't gone thru that period between <i>One Second</i> and <i>Symbol of Life</i> and went straight from <i>Draconian Times</i> to their self titled, maybe it's just not as good. Maybe it's a bit stale by now. Instead, songs like "The Longest Winter" sound vibrant and exciting and gripping. This was another record that stayed in my car for a long time this year, though oddly it was one of the bonus tracks, "Shrines", that's my favorite from <i>Medusa</i>. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;">1.) Pallbearer <i>Heartless</i></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Bleak, dreary, defeated. Humbled, crushed, hopeless. These are the sorts of words I think of when I hear Pallbearer, who have in very short order over 3 albums become one of my absolute favorite bands in the world. Like the record by The Obsessed, this isn't the same type of heavy, but the despair conveyed by the harmonized vocals and the sludgy riffs hit harder than blastbeats and gutturals. Let me be clear, I love all kinds of heavy, and some of the riffs contained on <i>Heartless</i> make me think of <b>Rwake</b> or even <b>Morgion</b>. In a year with a lot of great releases by a lot of great bands, this album from back in February(?) is the one that stood out the most all year long for me. I think the first track, "I Saw The End", with it's melodic leads and classic rock sensibility, hints at an intriguing and exciting future for Pallbearer. </span><br /><b></b>
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Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-4928746469317728762017-10-24T10:21:00.001-07:002017-10-24T10:22:14.944-07:00Portrait of a Shitty Band?Over the last couple of months there's been a lot of articles that have crossed my eyes on social media regarding nu-metal. I thought <a href="http://www.invisibleoranges.com/life-is-peachy-nu-metal-and-america/" target="_blank">this one posted on Invisible Oranges</a> was really interesting as the author attempted to articulate the environment and social landscape of the 1990's that led to the emergence of nu metal as a genre.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mATPF0N-MiQ/We9xhSmCrJI/AAAAAAAAAR4/Zn8DpSkKbVAhp9A-2BYFLdx9lDNZD1GPACLcBGAs/s1600/marilynmansongroupphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mATPF0N-MiQ/We9xhSmCrJI/AAAAAAAAAR4/Zn8DpSkKbVAhp9A-2BYFLdx9lDNZD1GPACLcBGAs/s320/marilynmansongroupphoto.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's in there, somewhere.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://www.spin.com/2017/10/daisy-berkowitz-marilyn-manson-dead-49/" target="_blank"> Also in the news sphere online was reporting that former <b>Marilyn Manson</b> guitarist Scott Putesky aka "Daisy Berkowitz" died from a 4 year battle with colon cancer.</a> Though Marilyn Manson wasn't really mentioned in the Invisible Oranges article, they certainly had a significant appeal to the nu-metal demographic. So when M and I were talking about exactly what Marilyn Manson was and how it fit into the musical landscape of the 1990's and perhaps even today, I felt compelled to try to articulate my relationship with Manson's music.<br />
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The first time I heard Marilyn Manson was on Beavis and Butthead so internet usage wasn't widespread, it was mostly limited to message boards and IRC and if you didn't know people who were into the extreme underground metal of the time, what you were exposed to was pretty limited, especially as a teenager living in bumfuck redneck Central Virginia. Which is to say that while bands like <b>Cannibal Corpse</b> or more likely <b>Pantera</b> were much heavier and much more likely to feature on a mixtape cassette that I'd be listening to at the time, Marilyn Manson was intriguing for a pair of reasons.<br />
<br />
The first and most obvious was that their first album followed in the wake of <b>Nine Inch Nails</b>' "The Downward Spiral", which for most younger rock fans at the time was the first real exposure to industrial influenced music with heavy doses of samples, drum treatments, and just awkward unconventional music that was a challenge to listen to. (This is still a great record, btw.) Hearing Manson's first album "Portrait of an American Family", its not really surprising that NIN mastermind Trent Reznor was quite involved in the band's music from a purely aural aspect.<br />
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The other reason was that in terms of aesthetic and lyrical content there was no other commercially viable artist who was so transgressive or anti-establishment. In retrospect, its very easy to see how the band had an image cobbled together from <b>Alice Cooper</b>, <b>Ziggy Stardust</b>, and <b>Gwar</b>. At the same time, thinking back to the Invisible Oranges article, it's not hard to see how the content of the band in those early years was very much a product of their environment, which just happened to be Florida. Land of retirees living in cookie cutter suburbs, Disney World, and untold numbers of creepy evangelicals.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4IveHCpiROk/We9yVr3nkyI/AAAAAAAAASA/X9-2LcxNs2Q_eY5e3WK3QYc8XJLZIXuPQCLcBGAs/s1600/Floridaman.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="625" height="245" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4IveHCpiROk/We9yVr3nkyI/AAAAAAAAASA/X9-2LcxNs2Q_eY5e3WK3QYc8XJLZIXuPQCLcBGAs/s320/Floridaman.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You know, you are a product of your environment.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So upon first exposure, a rock band that engages in simulated sex acts on stage, burns bibles, and literally threatens every aspect of the accepted social norms in the United States during the 1990's would clearly have an appeal to disaffected teenagers. Especially disaffected teenagers who had in their recent memory saw Kurt Cobain kill himself. I'm not gonna front otherwise, the first 2 Marilyn Manson records caught my attention too. Especially when they ripped off the chord progression to <b>Ozzy Osbourne</b>'s "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMR5zf1J1Hs" target="_blank">Crazy Train</a>" for their breakout single, a cover of the <b>Eurythmics</b>' "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUvVdTlA23w" target="_blank">Sweet Dreams</a>."<br />
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(Interesting observation; <b>At The Gates</b> basically ripped off the same chord progression as performed by Marilyn Manson for the main guitar harmony for "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCtjAmtIGf0" target="_blank">Blinded by Fear</a>" and nobody hardly says a word.)<br />
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So why did it lose appeal to me and why do I think he generally fell off?<br />
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For starters, Marilyn Manson musically suffered greatly after those first 2 albums when they disassociated with Trent Reznor. The band tried to go for a more creepy, kitschy industrial aesthetic. It simply sucked if your musical inclination was metal rather than "alternative." From a shock rock perspective, given how extreme Manson's imagery and theatrics were, it didn't really leave many boundaries left to cross. Well, unless you were <b>GG Allin</b> and willing to mutilate yourself and defecate on stage. At that point I'm not sure it's shocking or just kinda gross for most fans. Manson's act, so dependent on shock value, basically played all of their cards at the beginning. Once it wasn't shocking anymore, what's left?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qFF7zEhmhwQ/We9zVBjZ22I/AAAAAAAAASM/4R1jI-jPlvIQPGxqYg1qXsCWzkr5H52JgCLcBGAs/s1600/ggallin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="351" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qFF7zEhmhwQ/We9zVBjZ22I/AAAAAAAAASM/4R1jI-jPlvIQPGxqYg1qXsCWzkr5H52JgCLcBGAs/s320/ggallin.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Way more extreme than basically anyone who ever live could hope to be.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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At the same time, in 2 short years my own musical experiences had expanded greatly as I discovered internet forums, met upperclassmen, and discovered black metal. Like Manson, 2nd wave black metal was highly theatrical and demonstrative. It challenged social norms. More importantly, for many of the musicians involved, black metal was no act. Churches were burned. People were murdered. No fucks were given. Musically, though the bands had similar aural elements, there were many of them releasing new and exciting albums on a regular basis. Going to the local Plan 9 Records and buying <b>Rotting Christ</b>'s "Thy Might Contract" one month, then <b>Emperor</b>'s "Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk" the next, before discovering <b>Satyricon</b>'s "Nemesis Divina" a week later...reading about the mythology behind <b>Mayhem</b> and <b>Dissection</b>. It felt more serious, more "real." Some dude in a thong groaning to a programmed beat just wasn't nearly as interesting.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5b0CtdOWTcU/We9zzIHdkEI/AAAAAAAAASQ/LnUUP8yTCeUPVVXopW_s7NiSXoVFd9BzwCLcBGAs/s1600/DawnOfTheBlackHearts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1108" data-original-width="1116" height="317" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5b0CtdOWTcU/We9zzIHdkEI/AAAAAAAAASQ/LnUUP8yTCeUPVVXopW_s7NiSXoVFd9BzwCLcBGAs/s320/DawnOfTheBlackHearts.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That wss actually how Norwegian black metal bands did their photo shoots. Their vocalists blow their brains out. Sorry for the mess.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So where does Marilyn Manson fit into metal history and into the scene today? I think that despite the band's commercial success, they are a relatively minor footnote most remembered for the fact that the two dorks that shot up Columbine High School in 1999 were perceived to be fans of the band. Perhaps also remembered for breaking down the last taboos in theatrical musical performance. I don't think anything from "Mechanical Animals" onward is really remembered; perhaps for Manson's androgynous appearance but not for the music. The band continues to release music that's mostly forgotten after it comes out, and tours large clubs to perform to 30 somethings that want to reconnect with a part of their teenage years by hearing songs from the first 2 albums.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0IGxIJI1Gxo/We90byne2gI/AAAAAAAAASc/SDhtWBdR_bs9wanw2CPZDBbpzcyCO1KuQCLcBGAs/s1600/dadrock-1-900x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="900" height="177" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0IGxIJI1Gxo/We90byne2gI/AAAAAAAAASc/SDhtWBdR_bs9wanw2CPZDBbpzcyCO1KuQCLcBGAs/s320/dadrock-1-900x500.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marilyn Manson has basically become like Tom Petty (except for the being dead part); soulless bland dad rock for adults who grew up as poorly adjusted teenagers in the 1990's.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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While typing this up, I went on YouTube and revisited some of Marilyn Manson's music to see if any of it at all still had a hook or caught my ear. Truth is, very little of it does. But the song "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRFJoUBP54o" target="_blank">Lunchbox</a>" is kinda revealing in retrospect. It's refrain "I want to be a rock n' roll star so nobody fucks with me" pretty much says what it was all about. It was never about creating music. It was always about rock stardom for Marilyn Manson, so while the band certainly consumed a lot of drugs and engaged in debacherous sexual behavior and made a pile of money off of their antics, when you pick at the corpse of the music they left behind, there's not a lot of meat there. There never was.<br />
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<br />Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-81142091418972745092017-10-24T08:40:00.002-07:002017-10-24T10:22:52.763-07:00A Pre-mature Post-Mortem for Century Media?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VseDoiwbD1o/We9c6-gigfI/AAAAAAAAARc/uvIdd1vrDXsSkiwQebSMvQV3qvcHPVNUgCLcBGAs/s1600/Century-Media.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="620" height="181" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VseDoiwbD1o/We9c6-gigfI/AAAAAAAAARc/uvIdd1vrDXsSkiwQebSMvQV3qvcHPVNUgCLcBGAs/s400/Century-Media.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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There was a time when Century Media Records was the beating heart of the metal underground. Between bands that were on their early roster (such as<b> Grave</b> and <b>Asphyx</b>) and bands they distributed in North America (think of those Candlelight bands like<b> Emperor</b> and <b>Opeth</b> which got released under the Century Black imprint) the label was basically in the center of what was going on in the 1990's; especially during the 'dark' days when metal was supposedly "dead" yet CM was releasing landmark albums by <b>Strapping Young Lad</b> and <b>Nevermore</b>. Yes, they released crap like <b>Stuck Mojo</b> and <b>Mucky Pup </b>as well, but this was offset by offerings by bands like <b>Morgoth</b> and <b>Arch Enemy</b>, among others. It was a label with a diverse and compelling roster of bands.<br />
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So what happened and how did we get to a point where not only has the <a href="http://www.metalsucks.net/2015/08/24/report-century-media-sold-to-sony-for-17-million/" target="_blank">label been bought by Sony Music</a>, but <a href="http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7824679/reservoir-publishing-catalog-century-media" target="_blank">its back catalog is effectively been peddled to a third party two years later</a> (most likely for pennies on the dollar)?<br />
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In my opinion, Metalcore was the downfall of the label. Specifically the signing of <b>Shadow's Fall</b>. Century Media had always dabbled in the old school Metalcore of the 1990's such as <b>Turmoil</b> and <b>454 Big Block </b>but I think it was the unexpected success of Shadow's Fall and then the even greater success of <b>Lacuna Coil</b> (on the ironic coattails of <b>Evanescence</b>) that followed which shifted the label's priorities. They became a victim of their own success. The elevation of these bands, as well as the respective successes of artists like Arch Enemy (following the addition of Angela Gossow; the music may not have been as good but commercially it was a huge success), SYL, and <b>God Forbid</b> meant that CM had reached the level of the now defunct Roadrunner Records and were no longer the obscure label that released "Something Wicked This Way Comes" by <b>Iced Earth</b> or "Wildhoney" by <b>Tiamat</b>. With the Metalcore wave, the label went all in. Their bands were getting booked on Ozzfest and headlining the New England Metal and Hardcore Fest. They didn't really sign other new or up and coming bands unless they were part of the Metalcore wave. Sure, "legacy" acts like <b>Immolation</b> and <b>Napalm Death</b> were releasing fantastic albums on the Century Media imprint, but they weren't treated like the focus of the label.<br />
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That all died around 2010 or so, when the Metalcore wave ended. Instead of returning to what had worked for the label before, they seemed only interested in either signing established bands (such as the signing of <b>Insomnium</b>) or desperately trying to discover the "next" new thing. Unfortunately for the label's commercial aspirations, neither Deathcore, Djent, nor "Occult Rock" managed to find the same lucrative success in the current decade that Metalcore did in the 2000's. Of course, this happened in the backdrop of the music industry at large being savaged by downloading and the inability to date of artists and labels to monetize streaming or YouTube clicks. Perhaps seeing the future, founder Robert Kampf sold his creation to major label Sony in 2015, presumably for the rights to the back catalog and roster of established bands that wouldn't require an enormous investment to get a return on (how hard is it to promote a <b>Body Count </b>or <b>At The Gates</b> album really?)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z7bbk0LoKzM/We9dbtoi4CI/AAAAAAAAARg/cM_Q3kYTMegB_Z-5rtxBYdoS9RvUslzlQCLcBGAs/s1600/161216-Ice-T-IG-800x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z7bbk0LoKzM/We9dbtoi4CI/AAAAAAAAARg/cM_Q3kYTMegB_Z-5rtxBYdoS9RvUslzlQCLcBGAs/s320/161216-Ice-T-IG-800x600.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's be real, Ice T basically promotes himself.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As a fan and observer of the genre, I find it fascinating and perhaps informative. I wouldn't have guessed that Relapse or Metal Blade would outlast Century Media; yet here we are. While Metal Blade is definitely most famous for it's legacy acts like <b>Cannibal Corpse</b> and <b>Amon Amarth</b>, there's no shortage of young, up and coming artists getting their albums released (albeit with little promotion) thru the label. Somehow, I think that label will continue as long as Brian Slagel has the heart and energy to keep it going. (If it goes the way Peaceville did after Hammy gave it up is another matter...)<br />
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Meanwhile, the labels that seem to have the energy and spirit of what Century Media was, such as Profound Lore, Dark Descent, and Hell's Headbangers, seem to be thriving if on a smaller scale. The death metal underground remains as it always has been, with labels like Comatose, Sevared, Unique Leader, and Willowtip still serving their subgenres faithfully. Hell, there's now even the emergence of smaller international labels like Everlasting Spew in Italy, Transcending Obscurity from India, and Disembowl Records from Indonesia which are releasing top notch, top quality artists that, in the age of Facebook and social media are receiving acclaim.and deserving notice. <br />
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Perhaps the label that needs to pay attention next is Nuclear Blast. The label shares a similar origin with Century Media (late 80's, Germany) and even at one point had a partnership together. They have become essentially the new Roadrunner in recent years (not mere coincidence, as the former label boss Monte Conner now works for them) as they seek to focus primarily on legacy acts such as Slayer, Testament, and Machine Head or whatever the latest metal "trend" is.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OYWZsHmwSEI/We9eDrO8eNI/AAAAAAAAARk/iXqN6bYDrp8_vsdrWE31o9JyDqcgkhbqwCLcBGAs/s1600/slayer_band-2015-616x440.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="616" height="228" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OYWZsHmwSEI/We9eDrO8eNI/AAAAAAAAARk/iXqN6bYDrp8_vsdrWE31o9JyDqcgkhbqwCLcBGAs/s320/slayer_band-2015-616x440.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same number of original members as KISS.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The thing with trends it that they're hard to predict and rarely have much staying power (see: deathcore, djent) and some of the legacy acts that tours and labels depend on to draw are getting long in the tooth. Suffocation's vocalist doesn't tour with the band anymore because of real life. And none of this considers that the majority of the people that are or were fans of these legacy artists are themselves getting up in age. I'm 37; I've got student loans, car payments, and a plethora of real life responsibilities and life ambitions that dip into the amount of money and attention that even I, as a devoted fan, can spend keeping up with the artists in this scene (for example, I update this blog exactly what? 2 or 3 times a year?) The kids themselves? They're the ones keeping the niche labels alive or they're not even into metal at all; instead they listen to Imagine Dragons or Taylor Swift or that "Cash Me Outside How Bout Dah" girl.<br />
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I guess to try to wrap a bow around this and to give my "hot take", I think that niche labels run by passionate fans who are lucky to break even and feel compelled to promote heavy music as a labor of love are going to be okay. Between Facebook, YouTube, and Bandcamp it's cheaper than ever to promote good bands (as well as a whole lot of bad ones...) On the other hand, I see the disintegration of Century Media as a sign of what will be to come for the larger metal labels that overextend themselves. I don't see Metal Blade surviving Brian Slagel's retirement. Relapse has always kinda been a gateway between the bigger labels and the niche and I think they'll do okay. But Earache will eventually run out of ways to monetize their back catalog (how many times can you reissue <b>Entombed</b>'s "Left Hand Path" anyhow?) and I think Nuclear Blast may eventually go the way of Century Media. <br />
<br />Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-62826635322521899572017-05-31T15:00:00.000-07:002017-06-01T07:07:49.096-07:00Right-sized: A Maryland Deathfest XV Summary<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q17dJ6UcNo8/WS81w3PW8-I/AAAAAAAAAP0/-nSKIlIZAOgz4oSBYIUZ17hK9ypgOlNFgCLcB/s1600/mdf%2Bxv%2Bflyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q17dJ6UcNo8/WS81w3PW8-I/AAAAAAAAAP0/-nSKIlIZAOgz4oSBYIUZ17hK9ypgOlNFgCLcB/s400/mdf%2Bxv%2Bflyer.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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It seems that in recent years the Maryland Deathfest has been a bit like communism: great in theory but not when executed. Tremendous band lineups conflicted with poor logistics, or aggressively violent security, or oppressively hot temperatures, and with rapidly escalating ticket prices as the festival expanded and gotten bigger. The 2016 edition, MDF XIV, seemed to represent a breaking point in that sky high prices, frustrating distances between venues, and what appeared to be promoter apathy towards the concerns of their remarkably loyal attendees resulted in a significantly lower turn out than in years previous. The promoters probably didn't help themselves out by basically organizing two other festivals in California and Holland with very similarly curated lineups, which effectively killed MDF as an international destination festival that it briefly was around 2009 when Bolt Thrower headlined.<br />
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Something had to give, and when discussing<a href="http://avoiceofskepticism.blogspot.com/2016/05/let-them-eat-cake-rant-about-maryland.html" target="_blank"> my experience last year</a>, I made a bunch of suggestions that frankly were not well received by a lot of my peers. I most certainly am not arrogant enough to believe that a pair of well traveled dudes promoting multiple shows and festivals each year and hobnobbing with legendary bands are going to follow the poorly edited and rarely updated blog of some curmudgeonly fan but I'll be damned if basically every single one of my preferred changes did not come to pass exactly as I envisioned them. They scrapped the outdoor Edison Parking Lot for a smaller, more compact set up by Ram's Head Live and Baltimore Soundstage; ticket prices came down significantly and while there were somewhat fewer bands, it wasn't really a drop in quality. They still had respectable headliners and even a few "holy shit" bands that motivated me and M to attend this year (particularly <b>Akercocke</b>, <b>In The Woods...</b>, and<b> October Tide</b>.)<br />
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With student loans that demand repayment I've taken on a promotion at work that on one hand has given me more disposable income, but on the other demands more of my time. So I was fortunate enough to have an accommodating boss that let me squeeze out early on Thursday so I could pick up M and make the brutal rush hour drive to Baltimore. M had decided at the last minute that she really wanted to see <b>Tiamat</b> and the stoner doom show at Rams Head, while I had already arranged to see the death metal lineup at Soundstage. Friday would be a no-go sadly, but I was able to twist a few arms and get the weekend off.<br />
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I arrived in time to see the end of<b> Goratory</b>'s set; I guess they're back together. I remember having someone literally hand me a copy of their "Sexual Intercorpse" record that got thrown into the crowd when the band played the first MDF. Fun record. What I saw of their set indicates that nothing as changed, as they play a slam-heavy style of death metal. Following them was <b>Malignancy</b>, who delivered what Malignancy delivers- a jarring, turn on a dime sort of progressive metal if it was pushed thru a filter of NYDM. They sounded great and it's been too long since "Eugenics" dropped and they're way overdue for a new record.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dExQUs8vpAI/WS82i2f_cCI/AAAAAAAAAQc/sA1fp7oVV0EujcI4OmfRHq5VYnoWZifVgCLcB/s1600/mdf%2Bmaligancy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dExQUs8vpAI/WS82i2f_cCI/AAAAAAAAAQc/sA1fp7oVV0EujcI4OmfRHq5VYnoWZifVgCLcB/s400/mdf%2Bmaligancy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malignancy</td></tr>
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<b>Gorgasm</b> followed by most likely performing the best set of the evening, playing from all of their albums. For the unfamiliar, their style of death metal is kind of that early 2000's Midwest interpretation of Suffocation's crunch; over the years they've really tightened up and become a very focused, razor sharp band; their last two records ("Orgy of Murder" and "Destined to Violate") get frequent rotation during my daily commutes.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-83kL9Iu4e9s/WS82a90Lh7I/AAAAAAAAAQQ/hi5lhEzLVkIZtlZtsEQffDI9md4NH8uMACLcB/s1600/mdf%2Bgorgasm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-83kL9Iu4e9s/WS82a90Lh7I/AAAAAAAAAQQ/hi5lhEzLVkIZtlZtsEQffDI9md4NH8uMACLcB/s400/mdf%2Bgorgasm.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgasm</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<b>Decrepit Birth</b> followed them up after that, and they were about what was expected. I was a bit surprised that they performed as a 4 piece, but their mix of California-styled brutal DM with theatrical later-Death worship sounds great live. They closed with a cover of Death's "Crystal Mountain."<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ffl8dpDLD0Y/WS82WX7xZaI/AAAAAAAAAQI/ORsIg0N-ZCYPtDMJTSclrG1EYeiqD4WHQCLcB/s1600/mdf%2Bdecrepit%2Bbirth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ffl8dpDLD0Y/WS82WX7xZaI/AAAAAAAAAQI/ORsIg0N-ZCYPtDMJTSclrG1EYeiqD4WHQCLcB/s400/mdf%2Bdecrepit%2Bbirth.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decreipt Birth</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>Cryptopsy</b> headlined at Soundstage, and though only drummer Flo Mounier actually played on the record, the band played "None So Vile" in it's entirety, and they did so viciously and convincingly. Truth; Matt McGachy is better than Lord Worm was. If "The Book of Suffering: Tome One" was a sincere indication of where the band plans to go, they might actually record from that boo-boo they released in 2008.<br />
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According to M, <b>Conan</b> put on an amazing set at Rams Head, <b>SubRosa</b> was limp, dull and boring, and Tiamat basically came across as rock stars in a near empty room while playing a set mostly focused on their Sisters of Mercy-inspired gothic cock-rock before performing a bizarre, half inspired "Wildhoney" medley at the end. Personally, if they weren't going to play "Sumerian Cry" in its entirety, I really don't give a shit about them.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-en9ShvlO07c/WS82S89ex9I/AAAAAAAAAQE/ZDEIPKaM9_wg8tstN_d_3MdUmcABLFMuACLcB/s1600/mdf%2Bconan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-en9ShvlO07c/WS82S89ex9I/AAAAAAAAAQE/ZDEIPKaM9_wg8tstN_d_3MdUmcABLFMuACLcB/s400/mdf%2Bconan.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M tried to get a shot of Conan, but she may have been drunk.</td></tr>
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Saturday we made it after the end of <b>Father Befouled</b>'s set but just in time for the gore filled shenanigans of <b>Embalmer</b>, who played a fantastic set of "old" death metal done right. They were followed by <b>Necropsy</b> from Finland, who were admittedly a tad bit boring and dull. Their style of old school DM would be best described as Incantation-ish with the slow dirges but without the truly aggressive parts that occur frequently enough to keep it interesting.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-szwzNfA-ZnA/WS82YX41Z-I/AAAAAAAAAQM/D0JiGiJQyFws5xgrQh3Cgv7jd5L7ijvnACLcB/s1600/mdf%2Bembalmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-szwzNfA-ZnA/WS82YX41Z-I/AAAAAAAAAQM/D0JiGiJQyFws5xgrQh3Cgv7jd5L7ijvnACLcB/s400/mdf%2Bembalmer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Embalmer, proof that not everything from Ohio sucks.</td></tr>
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After them was one of the early festival highlights, <b>Uada</b>. I had just heard the band about a week earlier, and I was pretty excited to hear what these guys would deliver. The truth is that their shtick isn't original or reinventing the wheel; they've got a smoke machine and the dudes all wear hoods. Musically even, bands like Dissection, Unanimated, Sacramentum, and more recently Mgla have been doing the melodic black metal thing long before this band of quite recent vintage emerged. That said, Uada simply gets the formula done "right" and their overwhelming competence and confident delivery suggests this Portland, Oregon based band are going to be players in the scene for the next few years. Their merchandise quickly vanished after their set was completed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lCIl-FUJZZo/WS82oiILVuI/AAAAAAAAAQo/VXuAq9YHU6c7cNWH12Zgjwj_xvMmJVKewCLcB/s1600/mdf%2Buada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lCIl-FUJZZo/WS82oiILVuI/AAAAAAAAAQo/VXuAq9YHU6c7cNWH12Zgjwj_xvMmJVKewCLcB/s400/mdf%2Buada.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uada being grym and mysterious. I wonder if Sunn0)) gets royalties when other bands cop their hood gimmick.</td></tr>
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I've never been that high on or enthused by <b>Usurper</b> or <b>Exhumer</b>, and I actively dislike <b>Exhumed </b>(I've always found them to sound like sloppy shit live; puking in a trashcan doesn't really change that...) so M and I took the opportunity to look at band merch and find food. Merch this year was a bit of a let down; far fewer vendors than in past years and besides the bootleg t-shirt vendors the majority of who was there had less assortment than in past years. I still managed to spend too much money on the offerings of Sevared Records and Dark Descent, but I absolutely missed the presence of Hells Headbangers, Deep Send Records, and Crucial Blast as I was hoping to fill several holes in my modest collection. And yes, I scored a bootleg Solitude Aeturnus shirt as well, but can you show me where I'd be able to find official merchandise from that band in 2017? They had enough space for more vendors from what I could tell (certainly inside Ram's Head if not outside for whatever reason) so I assume it was anticipated that there would be poor turnout and not worth the trouble of paying for space. A shame considering that the merch is one of the draws of the fest, at least for me.<br />
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As far as food went, M and I took a chance on a pizza spot just past Soundstage called "Blaze." I've had Frank Pepe's in New Haven and I've had Giordano's from Chicago and I'm not going to tell you that any pizza anywhere lives up to those places; but for a mere 8 bucks a pie "Blaze" hit the spot REALLY well. M usually dislikes "American" pizza, so when she's complimentary that means something.<br />
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We made it back to Rams Head in time for <b>Root</b>, and confession: I've never spent much time hearing these guys before. I knew who they were, and I knew their significance the history of black metal's first wave as well as the whole CoS deal with their frontman and main creative force, the uniquely named "Big Boss." What I didn't know is that they had essentially morphed into an "occult doom" sort of band or that Big Boss was in his mid-60's. Aside from lyrically, nothing about Root sounded 'black metal' in the 2017 sense of the word as the band played mostly a middle tempo and Big Boss's vocals were more operatic or even shamanistic than shrieked. That said, it was an interesting and worthwhile performance if not a band I'm likely to immediately rush to hear again.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aAQG9VXZAN0/WS82nKYPWMI/AAAAAAAAAQk/t55U2ArqVicdaPbc4jMuM4YjVPEQYBApwCLcB/s1600/mdf%2Broot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aAQG9VXZAN0/WS82nKYPWMI/AAAAAAAAAQk/t55U2ArqVicdaPbc4jMuM4YjVPEQYBApwCLcB/s400/mdf%2Broot.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amist the horrible lighting is Root..who weren't as silly as they looked.</td></tr>
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<b>Grave</b> followed that with being Grave. Grave is awesome and don't disappoint. They busted out a few older numbers in their set from "Into The Grave"; I was actually hoping to hear more from the last record because "Out of Respect For the Dead" was really fucking good.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jx426y5DzWU/WS82daw2HJI/AAAAAAAAAQU/Y_AkLDs3NZI35SPCY0o8cXuvjIBaD1uWwCLcB/s1600/mdf%2Bgrave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jx426y5DzWU/WS82daw2HJI/AAAAAAAAAQU/Y_AkLDs3NZI35SPCY0o8cXuvjIBaD1uWwCLcB/s400/mdf%2Bgrave.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">iPhone 6 plus didn't really do a great job of capturing Grave here.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Morbid Angel</b> was the headliner for Rams Head on Saturday. Since their last abomination back in 2011 or 2012 or whatever, everyone not named Trey Azagthoth got the boot and Steve Tucker rejoined the band alongside two much younger and previously unheard of dudes. Evil D and Tim Yeung are off somewhere touring as "I Am Morbid" covering their former band when their hired guns aren't getting arrested in Poland.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fyzdwC3Jq6o/WS86RjFg7YI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/KHrHyZK8roAiAFR9cvZ-YmtA_VM2CbblQCLcB/s1600/evil%2Bd%2Bcountry%2Bmusic%2Bsinger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="638" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fyzdwC3Jq6o/WS86RjFg7YI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/KHrHyZK8roAiAFR9cvZ-YmtA_VM2CbblQCLcB/s400/evil%2Bd%2Bcountry%2Bmusic%2Bsinger.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Really, you know you've hit rock bottom and reached peak "sell out" territory when you go 'country'</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
They borrowed from the King Diamond routine of taking way too fucking long to get on stage (because the longer you wait the more you want it, right?) and their sound was awful; everything sounded poorly mixed and muddy. New drummer guy was clearly cheating with his triggered kicks too. That said, Steve Tucker looked happy to be on stage after years in the wilderness (yes, I know he did the Nader Sadek thing and has his Warfather project...) but their set focused entirely on "Formulas Fatal To The Flesh" and "Gateways To Annihilation", with some rather ordinary new songs like "Warped" sprinkled in. The upside is that this incarnation is definitely a death metal band; the downside is that at least live they're a very ordinary one, especially following Grave. M and I didn't even bother to sit thru the whole set.<br />
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Sunday started with a visit to Chaps Pit Beef, one of Baltimore's best joints for food. We ordered way too much delicious food and rushed to the venue just in time for <b>October Tide</b>. This was probably M's highlight of the whole weekend, and I was rather excited to see them as well. They didn't play "Sightless", but they did play "12 Days of Rain" and "Grey Dawn." Their style of doom actually worked really well in a live setting, and I hope I'll get the chance to see them again someday.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h2qmZK-3z-g/WS82lLvb9HI/AAAAAAAAAQg/TDnBssKN5boLKg9yxhBNGGCQVQpadn6nQCLcB/s1600/mdf%2Boctober%2Btide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h2qmZK-3z-g/WS82lLvb9HI/AAAAAAAAAQg/TDnBssKN5boLKg9yxhBNGGCQVQpadn6nQCLcB/s400/mdf%2Boctober%2Btide.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">October Tide</td></tr>
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Seeing Nightbringer would have been cool, but they apparently had issues getting to the country from London so <b>Angel Corpse</b> played as a last second replacement. I hadn't seen Angel Corpse since I was 18, when they opened for Cannibal Corpse in Richmond, Va. So that was pretty cool. Didn't care that much of <b>Acheron</b> or <b>Behexen</b>. <b>Oranzzi Pazuzu</b> was as weird as their name; they were competent and certainly a bit psychedelic for a black metal band, but they weren't overwhelmingly interesting.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BKtntzAuSXg/WS82PszrozI/AAAAAAAAAP8/az-3RksOc0o6x-Jp5nP8XIcI56d4Y0VEACLcB/s1600/mdf%2Bangel%2Bcorpse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BKtntzAuSXg/WS82PszrozI/AAAAAAAAAP8/az-3RksOc0o6x-Jp5nP8XIcI56d4Y0VEACLcB/s400/mdf%2Bangel%2Bcorpse.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice view of Angel Corpse</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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In The Woods... was great, but didn't play anything from their new record that I could pick up. It seemed that their set focused mostly on early, older stuff when the band was a bit more blackened than they are in their current incarnation. They were also massively drunk and hammered and played over their allotted time but they were really good, so who cares?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1iyrpGcd0xg/WS82gajrCGI/AAAAAAAAAQY/94V7-Rv76ocHTkp8hdf81xk8ihzQwDXEwCLcB/s1600/mdf%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bwoods....jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1iyrpGcd0xg/WS82gajrCGI/AAAAAAAAAQY/94V7-Rv76ocHTkp8hdf81xk8ihzQwDXEwCLcB/s400/mdf%2Bin%2Bthe%2Bwoods....jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not really visible is the case of beer that In The Woods... brought with them on stage.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Akercocke followed that with an amazing set that focused on their last 3 albums. They didn't play in suits but they nevertheless delivered their beastly blackened death metal with all of the conviction of a band that is back and means business. They've got a new album coming out soon; perhaps set closer "Son of the Morning" is an indication of where they're going with that album's direction. I just hope it doesn't mean Voices is going to be put on hold...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zp8BVrY_Cyc/WS82N7RI1CI/AAAAAAAAAP4/odec3naNpMoZHZXM8Z-9SiGEHDWV496kwCLcB/s1600/mdf%2Bakercocke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zp8BVrY_Cyc/WS82N7RI1CI/AAAAAAAAAP4/odec3naNpMoZHZXM8Z-9SiGEHDWV496kwCLcB/s400/mdf%2Bakercocke.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Akercocke, sans suits.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Candlemass</b> closed down the festival with a set in which they played "Nightfall" in its entirety. I swear that every time I see them, they have a different vocalist; the best being when I saw them with Robert Lowe from Solitude Aeturnus. This time around it was Mats Leven, a Swedish guy that's performed with Therion, At Vance, and Yngwie Malmsteen in the past. His voice was okay, but his mannerisms were more 80's glam rock and less doom metal. Facing a long shift at work at 7am the next day, M and I left after about half of their set.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eGMO1sq7xtY/WS82RJVPgCI/AAAAAAAAAQA/xg2Cc4j3lkQlI8ef0ZTEZmZHVr6Ow7dsACLcB/s1600/mdf%2Bcandlemass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eGMO1sq7xtY/WS82RJVPgCI/AAAAAAAAAQA/xg2Cc4j3lkQlI8ef0ZTEZmZHVr6Ow7dsACLcB/s400/mdf%2Bcandlemass.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The room was a bit crowded to get a good shot of Candlemass.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Overall, this was the smoothest running and most enjoyable MDF experience we had in several years. Having Rams Head and Soundstage host the fest meant professional staff working the event and clean bathrooms. Everything being centralized meant that had we chosen to buy tickets to both venues that the way set times were spaced we could have realistically seen most of the sets by all of the bands playing. Ticket prices were fair, and even the parking was cheaper. I don't suspect the turn out was near what it was in 2009, but it certainly was enough that the setup seems viable.<br />
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If I were to nitpick, I'd suggest booking more young up and coming bands like Uada and fewer old school and legacy acts like Necropsy (the balance was way too far towards old man bands this time around, and I'm saying this as an old dude...), encouraging bands that perform to bring merch (In The Woods... and Akercocke brought nothing...) and to do something about getting more vinyl and CD vendors instead of just bootlegged shirts. Having said that, this was still an overwhelmingly positive festival experience and given that others seem to have concluded it would be better than expected I'm optimistic about the fest's future. <br />
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Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-7074799291783607942017-03-22T18:51:00.000-07:002017-03-22T18:51:03.622-07:00More Stores You Can Still Buy Metal Records At: Texas Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm sitting in front of my computer listening to the new Pallbearer, I'm pretty damn excited to buy this one as they remain one of the best new bands in metal in quite some time. I've got the Memoriam record ready to go next; ex-Bolt Thrower guys delivering more of the same...solid expectations for that one...<br />
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That's not what this entry is about though. This is an <a href="http://avoiceofskepticism.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-repository-of-places-you-can-still.html" target="_blank">update to my previous entry </a>where I listed a few places around the country you can still buy metal. With M on Spring Break, and only a few states left for us to visit before we complete all 50, we used her week away from her studies to venture to Texas: the land of enormous highway overpasses, respectable BBQ, and the only hotels in America that have their TV sets in the lobby turned to Fox News.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were a lot of these types in Texarkana. You'd think a state founded by fellow Virginians like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston wouldn't make me feel like such an outsider...</td></tr>
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That said, Texas has a long and storied history in metal music that extends well beyond Pantera; it is a cauldron of sounds as diverse as Absu, Devourment, and Solitude Aeturnus. Shows and festivals there are known for high turnouts; there's even a distinct death metal sound known as TXDM (best way to describe it is as a sloppy sort of Suffocation worship.) It only stands to reason that such a state probably has several cities with multiple shops you can find metal CDs and vinyl. With consideration for M, I only checked out shops in Austin and San Antonio, but if you're passing through these are must stops and if you're from the area you're spoiled and should support these places; most of the country is not so blessed.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was able to acquire a pretty decent stack of fresh tunes and harder to find classics, if not for my semi-adult-ish sensibilities it would've been much larger...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<b>Encore Records</b></div>
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809 E 6th St</div>
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Austin, Texas 78702</div>
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Website:<a href="http://www.recordstoreday.com/Venue/7126" target="_blank">http://www.recordstoreday.com/Venue/7126</a></div>
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So the unfortunate timing of M's Spring Break was that we passed through Austin during SXSW week, so this store looked pretty well shopped. That said, they've got a really solid variety of metal across multiple genres both on CD and on vinyl. Lots of shirts as well. The store is run by an older gentleman that has probably smoked a TON of weed in his day, and who likes to ramble on about feeding his dog peanut butter. I would assume that without SXSW that parking would be easier, but the prices are reasonable and I imagine he has more in stock during the rest of the year. I picked up records by Avulsed and Serial Butcher here.</div>
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<b>Waterloo Records</b></div>
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600A N Lamar <b> </b></div>
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Austin, Texas 78703</div>
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Website: <a href="http://www.waterloorecords.com/">http://www.waterloorecords.com/</a> </div>
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This is the hipster shop in Austin where girls in thick framed glasses and those weird super high waisted pants go to buy their Mumford and Sons records or whatever Coachella approved bullshit the young and affluent artsy crowd is into today. That said, while they don't seem to have the decency to put their metal offerings separate from the rest of the pop/rock section, they do have a lot decent underground metal on their shelves. I was able to pick up records from a diverse array of artists ranging from out of print Agalloch to up and comers Sunlight's Bane (fucking great record, btw. Apocalyptic blackened hardcore that delivers!) It reminds me a lot of what Plan 9 Records in Virginia used to be years ago.</div>
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<b>End Of An Ear Records</b></div>
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4304 Clawson Rd</div>
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Austin, Texas 78704</div>
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Website: <a href="http://endofanear.com/">http://endofanear.com/</a><b> </b></div>
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From what I gathered, this is mostly a shop for the eclectic minded; particularly those into jazz or prog music. Mostly vinyl focused, but with a small and lovingly curated section of underground metal against the wall in a far corner. I was able to pick a pair of albums by Canadian black metal troop Weapon as well as the new Blood Incantation album from last year. I contemplated buying the back catalogue for Angel Corpse that I don't currently own, but after realizing that I don't actually listen to Angel Corpse all too often I decided to be responsible with my money. I probably lose tr00 points for that. Still, between this shop as well as the other aforementioned record stores, Austin has to rank as one of the best towns in America for a metal head to reside.</div>
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<b>Hogwild Records</b></div>
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1824 N Main Avenue</div>
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San Antonio, Texas 78212</div>
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Website: <a href="http://stores.ebay.com/Hogwild-Records-San-Antonio">http://stores.ebay.com/Hogwild-Records-San-Antonio</a></div>
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The best for last. San Antonio is pretty cool city to visit, and given its reputation for metal (it has recently been the host for Phil Anselmo's Housecore Festival) I couldn't resist looking up online if there was a metal-centric record store there. Hogwild does not disappoint. There's actually a very solid selection jazz and hiphop to be found there, but the primary focus of the store is metal and punk. Good assortment of new releases on CD; I picked up the new Hour of Penance and Gatecreeper albums here. Lots of vinyl, and holy shit they've got a TON of metal shirts for sale. On street parking was easy to find and abundant. A great store and a must stop if you're in San Antonio.</div>
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On this trip I didn't really spend much time in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, but I'd imagine somewhere in that labyrinth of highways and dirty concrete structures there's a decent shop there. Likewise, while I enjoyed passing through Houston and especially it's food, I had already spent a fair amount of money and wasn't looking to bankrupt myself. Given Houston's diverse population and vibe, I'd say it's a certainty they've got some great shops but alas, those will have to wait until M and I hop in the car again for another long road adventure...we still haven't reached West Texas (or New Mexico, Arizona, or Oklahoma...) </div>
Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-5408592373446566812016-12-19T11:58:00.001-08:002016-12-19T11:58:49.491-08:00Best of 2016.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It seems that a lot of people had a pretty fucking lousy go for 2016. I mean, holy shit we elected a reality TV buffoon as president here in the States. That is pretty goddamned awful. But while things may be going down the shitter for the country I reside in, 2016 actually has been a pretty kind year to me overall. I completed my post-graduate studies, got to spend nearly 3 weeks traveling the United States from coast to coast, and basically eliminated all non-student related debt from my life. I even found a little time to start learning Portuguese on the side, much to the pleasure of M. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I haven't really been to many shows this year; in fact I don't think I attended any since MDF in May. Truth is, I'm an old bastard who has already seen "all of the cool bands" and often I'd rather just go have a steak and a beer in a quiet restaurant than battling DC/Baltimore traffic to see a band for the 8th time. That doesn't mean my fandom has become entirely casual; by my estimate I've purchased 62 albums released in 2016 alone, which is to say I've voraciously been listening to and supporting a lot of great bands. Since it's the end of the year and the appropriate time for "Best of" lists,<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> here's mine.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Biggest Disappointment</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Rotting Christ <i>Rituals</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rotting Christ experienced a revival around 2007 when they released <i>Theogonia</i> with its ethnic <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Greek</span> influences. To me, it was their best album since their very early days. Unfortunately, each successive album by the band has attempted to plunder this well of creativity with solid but declining results. On <i>Rituals, </i>it has become clear that there just isn't more juice in the path the band started with <i>Theogonia</i>. It's not that there aren't cool moments contained here, but just nothing in the way of memorable songcraft. It's more like this album was created as background music for a God of War video game than a stand alone work meant to captivate your undivided attention. When this record ends, you know you listened to something that sounds like Rotting Christ, but you don't remember much else. These guys are capable of more and given their history of reinvention, I suspect we'll get it soon enough. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mentions</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Blasphemer <i>Ritual Theophagy</i> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Blood Incantation <i>Starspawn</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Blood Red Throne <i>Union Of Flesh And Machine</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Darkthrone <i>Arctic Thunder</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Dark Tranquility <i>Atoma </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Dehumanized <i>Beyond The Mind</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Glorior Belli <i>The Flock That Welcomes Sundown</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>In The Woods.. <i>Pure</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Inquisition <i>Bloodshed Across The Empyrean Altar Beyond The Celestial Zenith</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Injury Deepen <i>Anthropophagous Realm</i></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Inverloch <i>Distance / Collapsed</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Korpse <i>Unethical</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Neurogenic <i>Ouroboric Stagnation</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Pighead <i>Until All Flesh Decays </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Russian Circles <i>Guidance </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Waldgefluster <i>Ruinen</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Wormrot <i>Voices</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10.) Anaal Nathrakh <i>The Whole Of The Law</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anaal Nathrakh was a band I kinda came to lately, but when I heard <i>Vanitas</i> a few years ago it clicked perfectly. This is band is a desperate scream in a cacophonous fury. It's a sound that's dense and overwhelming yet grandoise, epic, and even a slight bit triumphant at the same time. That's a lot of adjectives. But in it's mix of black metal, grindcore, and industrial elements, they all fitting describe <i>The Whole Of The Law.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9.) Anciients <i>Voice Of The Void</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had kinda written these guys off as some sort of hipster nerd metal bullshit until this album came up on autoplay on my ipod recently. You could waste your time with Opeth's <i>Sorceress </i>and lament about how far that band has fallen...or you could check this out instead. It's an ambitious sort of blending of bombastic Opeth-y prog and stoner rock, complete with the clean vocal/growling dynamic. This one shouldn't take long to grow on you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8.) Embalmer <i>Emanations From The Crypt</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Awash with grisly sounding vocals, old school riffs, trigger free blasts...this is an ugly sounding band, playing what may be loosely considered "music" but really is just an aural fist to the face by a band that treads close to the edge of recklessness...at any time this sounds like it could fall of the rails into noisy oblivion but never does. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> </i>7.) Ulcerate <i>Shrines of Paralysis</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps one of the most influential new bands in the scene, Ulcerate isn't the first band to play this sort of dischordant death metal; Gorguts and Immolation before them had elements of this sort of clangy, atmospheric sound. Certainly bands like Portal and Mitochondrion were intense and foreboding as well; but as a complete package it's Ulcerate who have really made a name for themselves with this style. This is less jarring perhaps than their previous efforts and slightly more orthodox in it's death metal, but as a non-musician who just wants to hear good riffs and be captured by dark atmospheres this might be their best effort to date in my opinion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> </i>6.) Mithras <i>On Strange Loops</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Morbid Angel done Willowtip style might be the exact best way to describe this album. Vocals that remind me a bit of Behemoth, the riffs are largely from the Trey Azagthoth school of lava (or whatever he calls it.) with memorable leads and harmonies layered on top. Conceptually, this is a bit ambitious as moments of fierce brutality transition seamlessly into wandering melodic grandeur. If looking at the stars and wondering how human life came to be could be expressed thru early 1990's death metal...I suppose this is about what that should sound like. <b><i> </i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>5.) Destroyer 666 <i>Wildfire</i></b></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The most cont<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">roversial band of 2016? Earlier this year <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t</span>hey were engaged in quite a pissing contest with the <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">SJWs at</span> Metalsucks over their past history of less than P<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">C statements that hilariously ended when D66<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">6 released the personal information behind <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">lias<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">es of Axl Rosenberg an<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">d co. Now let me be very clear that I <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">probably d<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">on't hav</span>e too much in <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">common with these Aussies with regard to their <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">political view<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s but if we're going to hold bands to task for problematic content in their lyrics then holy shi<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t we've got problems<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> because basically EVERY M<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ETAL BAND<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> HAS PROBLEMATIC CONTENT IN THEIR LYRICS<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> OR PERSONAL VIEWS. Songs about murder, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">violence, politics and rev<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">olution, sexual perversion<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s of a wide variety, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">intolerant </span>anti<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-religious viewpoints, etc...if you can't take all of this subject matter with a grain of salt then the metal scene <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">probably isn't for you.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Back o<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">n topic, none of that is why <i>Wildfire</i> is one of the best albums of the year. It's one of the <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">best albums because it's a <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rambunctio<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">us<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">booze fuel<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ed good time<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Blackened thrash delivered with irreverent attitude<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, this album has cross over appeal<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. And album closer "Tamam Shud" i<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">one epic finale. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4.) Khemmis <i>Hunted</i></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thin<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Lizzy meets The Obsessed? Plenty of dirty<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, sludgy heft with a bit of southern rock swagger and an emphasis on guitar harmonies. Where <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a band like Pall<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">bea<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rer aspires for <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">grandiose and majestic, </span></span></span></span></span></span>this Colorado b<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and aims for something a good deal more rock n roll. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This was a late discovery in 2016 for me, so perhaps there's a tinge of recency effect going on, but it definitely hits the spot for me.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>3.) Katatonia <i>The Fall Of Hearts</i></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The review here is simpl<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. This is the best album they have done sin<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ce <i>Last Fair Deal Gone Down</i>. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2.) Zhrine <i>Unortheta</i></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I left MDF<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> right after Mitochonrion's set before a band I never heard of performed (M was waiting <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">for me<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and it was kinda rainy outside, so I wasn't going to<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> be a dick<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">...) </span></span></span></span></span></span>Tha<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">t band was Iceland's Zhrine, and apparently they created a bit of a buzz from their performance. <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Based on said buzz, I made the eff<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ort to pic<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">k up <i>Unortheta</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and I'<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ve regretted missing these guys ever since. Eleme<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nts <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">of post-metal mesh with somber doom and Incantation/Ulcer<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ate <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">inspired</span> death metal<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. This isn't meant to be <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">digested in pieces or <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">by <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">individual</span> t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">racks, <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">but as an entire listen. A few nights driving across the <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">spar<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">sly</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">populated regions of t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he Western United States I put this on, and it effectively <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ma<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tched the feeling of <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">discomforting</span> solitude one feels journeying along an empty interstat<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e in Mon<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tana, racing to avoid a <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">super-cell</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">thunderstorm. Sometimes you hear an album and just connect with it.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1.) Wormed <i>Kri<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ghsu</span></i></span></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The 2016 undisputed kings of death metal, IMO. Full of rapid fire stop and go transitions t<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">hat would make Cr<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">yptopsy cream themselves, this is<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> a<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> mightily <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">satisfactory</span> slab of brutal riffing, ferocious dru<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">mming, gutteral vocal<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">s, and technical virtuosity.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> They do this while retaining a distinct sound, one <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">that <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">makes you imagine bei<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ng sucked into a black hole.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> When<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> an album has stayed in my car since February...not much else needs to be said.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , 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"helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-10866335702516390092016-10-14T18:09:00.000-07:002016-10-14T18:16:14.888-07:00A sampling of places you can still buy metal records in the United States<br />
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I’ve been way too lazy with this blog, to the point it’s
almost completely faded into obscurity. That wasn’t meant to be a Dehumanized
reference. Alas. Something that I’ve been meaning to document because it might
be useful to someone else, or merely a reminder to myself, is the names of
great record shops that I’ve come across in my journeys. M and I are rather
avid roadtrippers, vacation for us doesn’t really mean a formal plan as much as
“how much time do we have” and “how far from home can we go?” We try to
estimate a turn around point, then pass thru as many cities, national parks,
and other points of interest as we can. This past summer, we managed to travel
from our Mid-Atlantic residence to the Pacific Northwest and back. Our 2 ½ week journey
obviously required a soundtrack, so I made a point to google up and visit some
record stores along the way. In the process, I discovered some serious gems out
there still retailing all kinds of killer underground metal in a variety of
formats and figure that it’s worth putting the information out there for those
who still enjoy the old school record shopping experience.</div>
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These aren’t listed in order of preference or quality, but
in the order that I recalled them when I scribbled down a list of the noteworthy
shops I’ve come across. Future entries will document other places worth checking out.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mo1g3yvjDZU/WAFwhOvMv8I/AAAAAAAAALQ/KqH7kFyBseEMQv-QK7KKgmct-wcXXGvNACK4B/s1600/944723_564587883592459_1050748489_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mo1g3yvjDZU/WAFwhOvMv8I/AAAAAAAAALQ/KqH7kFyBseEMQv-QK7KKgmct-wcXXGvNACK4B/s400/944723_564587883592459_1050748489_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Zion’s Gate Records</b></div>
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1100 E Pike St</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Seattle, Washington</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Website:<a href="https://www.discogs.com/seller/zionsgate/profile">https://www.discogs.com/seller/zionsgate/profile</a><i><br /></i></div>
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This place is incredible. It’s located in Seattle in what I
assume is the historic arts district/gay district of downtown. Their focus on
METAL, with an enormous collection of vinyl and band shirts. LOTS OF RARITIES.
They’ve got an impressive collection of CDs along the wall as well…I’m a CD
shopper mostly because the number 1 place I listen to music is in the car. Some
of their CDs can be on the pricey side…rarer and imported items are probably
going to go 20 bucks each. I did manage to pick up 3 Count Raven records here,
which was pretty awesome.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WxPNaPG75uw/WAFxMZ3stNI/AAAAAAAAALY/yFnjNo-U9qwGkiiO2PBFhYlehSsY74PnQCK4B/s1600/10806351_831748763551789_7361146185332349213_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WxPNaPG75uw/WAFxMZ3stNI/AAAAAAAAALY/yFnjNo-U9qwGkiiO2PBFhYlehSsY74PnQCK4B/s320/10806351_831748763551789_7361146185332349213_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>2nd Avenue Records</b></div>
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400 SW 2nd Ave</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Portland, Oregon</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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Website: <a href="http://www.2ndavenuerecords.com/">http://www.2ndavenuerecords.com/</a></div>
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A labyrinth of punk and metal as well as some other stuff.
Tons of vinyl but they carry extensive CD stock as well. It’s a bit confusing
as you basically have to ask the counter people to see the CDs, which they have
kept in somewhat alphabetized but not particularly organized boxes; they’re
more used to dealing with people that know what they want than the intrepid
hunter. That said, while there’s a little bit of hassle in having to ask
periodically for more boxes to search thru, they have an impressively large and
varied selection of metal for sale in basically every subgenre. Their vinyl
collection isn’t quite what Zion’s Gate is, but it’s massive as well. Lots of
shirts and merch too. Really fair prices as well which as a good thing; I
dropped almost $200 bucks in one visit. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hcUz5cjb7jM/WAFyC9hn2rI/AAAAAAAAALk/C0X6q8QgWKQmwrpi3-2HYX7vXGixmxc4gCK4B/s1600/11794260_10152997556808144_9177081132527717366_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hcUz5cjb7jM/WAFyC9hn2rI/AAAAAAAAALk/C0X6q8QgWKQmwrpi3-2HYX7vXGixmxc4gCK4B/s320/11794260_10152997556808144_9177081132527717366_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>The Record Exchange</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
1105 W Idaho St</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b> </b>Boise, Idaho</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Website: <a href="http://therecordexchange.com/">http://therecordexchange.com/</a></div>
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Most college towns have a Record Exchange and Boise, Idaho
is no exception. Kinda at the edge of downtown not too far from Boise State
University’s campus; they’ve got a fair amount of everything here and their
metal assortment isn’t too shabby. I picked up albums by Solstifir, Scour, and
Unmerciful here if that gives you an idea. This was the first record store I
visited in the Pacific Northwest and I was a bit surprised to discover just how
big metal was out there.</div>
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<b>Twist & Shout Records</b></div>
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2508 E Colfax Ave</div>
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Denver, Colorado.</div>
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This shop reminded me of what Tower Records was back in the
day. You aren’t going to find super obscure stuff, but you will find everything
you could want that’s on Relapse, Century Media, Metal Blade, Season of Mist,
Unique Leader, etc along with a few oddball items. It’s not a metal specific
store, but the metal section there is pretty large. I didn’t actually see a
whole lot of vinyl there, but it did have a really decent sized CD section.
Good prices. There's even amazing bookstore next door worth your time as well!</div>
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<b>Bull Moose Records</b></div>
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151 Middle Street</div>
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Portland, Maine</div>
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OR </div>
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82-86 Congress Street</div>
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Portsmouth, New Hampshire</div>
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Website: <a href="http://www.bullmoose.com/">http://www.bullmoose.com/</a></div>
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This is a local chain of record stores in Maine and New
Hampshire that’s a must visit when M and I are adventuring northward. Not a
metal specific shop, but lots of great prices and a great selection of both new
and used metal CDs. There's more locations than just these two, but I can't vouch for them. What I will say is that both the Portland and Portsmouth locations are located in really scenic tourist friendly spots so if your significant other isn't interested in waiting an hour while you comb thru used records to find that hidden gem there's other stuff to keep them busy. Also: the Portland location is kinda located downstairs across from a DVD store...it's a bit of a goofy spot to find. </div>
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<b>Generation Records</b></div>
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210 Thompson Street</div>
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New York, New York</div>
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Website: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/generationrecords/">https://www.facebook.com/generationrecords/</a></div>
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I don’t know my way around NYC so well that I can tell you
exactly where it is, other than it’s by Washington Square and NYU and it’s
about a 10 minute walk from any of the Subway stations I usually use to get
there. Decent selection of shirts and records…solid selection of new records
upstairs that basically covers your recently released essentials. But if you go
downstairs, you’ll find an ENOURMOUS selection of used CDs. It's a must stop every time M and I are in the city; there's also a really good Italian spot next door called Porto Bello and a neat little store dedicated to The Big Lebowski called "The Little Lebowski" that's right across the street. If you're not broke after stopping here, or are looking for other offerings beyond metal and punk, Bleeker Street and it's several shops are right near by as well.</div>
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<b>Criminal Records</b></div>
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1154 Euclid Ave NE #A</div>
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Atlanta, Georgia</div>
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A really decent shop in the Five Points Neighborhood of
Atlanta. I was able to basically buy GWAR and Rwake’s entire back catalogues on
CD here for really cheap. It’s not the biggest shop in the world but if you’re
in the area it’s worth a visit. They carry a lot more than just metal, but the metal is kept in it's own section if you look for it. </div>
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<b>Eides Entertainment</b></div>
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1121 Penn Ave</div>
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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania</div>
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This is a comic book shop/horror movie shop/record store. A
lot of people in Pittsburgh seem partial to Dave’s Music Mine over in South Side,
but this has always been the place I’d spend more money at when I’m in
Pittsburgh. You can usually find a few gems here when browsing around. </div>
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<b>The Sound Garden</b></div>
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1616 Thames St</div>
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Baltimore, Maryland </div>
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I just recently figured out this place has free parking
behind the store. Of the places on this list, it's the one I go to the most. If you’re in the DC/MD/NOVA area…this shop is probably
worth the drive if you’re looking for death/doom/black metal. You aren’t going
to find super deep underground albums, but if they’re a band that’s played MDF,
you’ll find their stuff here.</div>
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<b>Static Age Records</b></div>
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110 N Lexington Ave</div>
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Asheville North Carolina</div>
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No CDs to be found here. I do think they sell cassettes. But
there’s a healthy selection of underground punk and metal vinyl; I picked up vinyl by Acid Bath and Saint Vitus here. And fuck,
Asheville is just a cool place to visit anyway; there's more shops that also sell vinyl nearby.</div>
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<b>Places You Can Skip.</b></div>
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In my adventures, I've managed to find a lot of great shops to pick up obscure records. And sometimes, Google Search and Facebook has led me to disappointments...and M shaking her head because I've wasted time she could be eating gourmet cheese or something...<b> </b></div>
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<b>The Heavy Metal Shop</b></div>
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63 E Exchange Place</div>
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<b> </b>Salt Lake City Utah.</div>
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They’ve got those sweet shirts, so you expect that finding
this store that it would sell a lot of CDs or at least Vinyls. Yeah….no. This place looks way more awesome from the outside than inside. There’s
a TINY section for CDs, almost all of which are the same old shit by Iron
Maiden, Judas Priest, Metallica and other 80’s dad rock. Shit you can find at
any FYE or Best Buy. Vinyl selection is basically the same, but even more
limited! There is an okay assortment of classic heavy metal shirts, but over
half of the merchandise for sale at this place was “The Heavy Metal Shop”
branded t shirts, magnets, coffee mugs, cock rings, etc. Okay, maybe not cock
rings but the guy who owns this shop isn’t actually selling very much heavy
metal out of his tiny cubicle, just products branded with his shop’s logo.
Quite a letdown, especially since you don’t have to be in Salt Lake City for
very long to pick up on the fact there’s a very healthy subculture scene there.
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On the upside, I did rescue a Metallucifer record that
accidentally found its way there.</div>
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<b>Chain Reaction Records</b></div>
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8739 W Colfax Ave</div>
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Lakewood, Colorado.</div>
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Mostly used crap CDs. Maybe the punk selection is better,
but I found the metal offerings to be remarkable underwhelming and limited,
especially compared to Twist <span style="color: #0000ee;"><u>&</u></span> Shout. Vinyl wasn’t anything to write home
about either. I guess they sell skateboards and shit too, but I’m too old for
that crap. On the upside it's in the part of Denver where you'll find dead hookers and meth. </div>
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<b>The Underground Rock Shop</b></div>
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617 Euclid Ave </div>
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Des Moines, Iowa</div>
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Juggalo hell. Their available CDs are used nu-metal garbage.
Vinyl selection was moderately better, but it’s stuff most people into
underground metal already own. A modest handful of Emperor and Darkthrone…I did
stumble upon a vinyl copy of Celtic Frost’s "Into The Pandemonium" here…but they
wanted way too much for it so I passed. I guess if you wanna buy bongs and drug paraphernalia they can help you out though.</div>
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Obviously there's places I haven't made it to yet. Embarrassingly, I haven't been to Vinyl Conflict in Richmond, Virginia. I should have been there already simply as a matter of proximity. Same could be said for Vienna Music Exchange, though based on the wares they sell at MDF each year I feel like I already own everything of interest they might carry. More ambitiously, I haven't been to Extreme Noise in Minneapolis, Amoeba Records in Los Angeles/San Francisco, Long In the Tooth Records in Philadelphia, or Armageddon Music in Providence/Boston. So more to come. Someday...<br />
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Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-61906946581739758172016-05-30T19:18:00.002-07:002016-05-30T19:32:43.802-07:00LET THEM EAT CAKE! A rant about Maryland Deathfest XIV<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The tone of the title of this post probably indicates where I’m heading
here, so let me try to ramble on about some context first. I’ve been to more
than a handful of festivals besides MDF, which I’ve attended each year since
2003 when it was held at a dump called the Thunderdome and the headliners were
Devourment, Suffocation, and Sublime Cadaver Decomposition. I remember the year
where they tried to have the fest in White Marsh at the House of Rock and how
that venue wasn’t very good. I remember watching Baltimore City Curfew cutting
off Dismember the first year at Sonar. I also remember the headaches that resulted
from the fest growing to two venues, then outside stages, years of “security”
that was more dangerous than drunk festival attendees, including the near riot
that happened when Venom had their set cut by city curfew. I’ve also been to
each edition that has taken place at the Edison Lot (literally, a parking lot
just beyond the Inner Harbor of Baltimore) as well as the two other venues a
solid hike away.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other festivals I’ve gone to include those large and corporate
(Ozzfest, Mayhem) and those smaller and more DIY (Ohio Deathfest, New England
Metal and Hardcore Festival, etc.) It’s basically a guarantee that when
organizing a festival, with so many moving parts and expenses that concert
goers don’t even consider (imagine hiring a lawyer to process visas so your
favorite international bands can come play or having to pay for liability
insurance in case something crazy happens at your festival; that’s just tip of
the iceberg!) you can pretty much expect Murphy’s Law (not the punk band…) to
manifest itself.<span style="color: black;"> Someone you wanted to see will cancel at the last minute. A band
you really looked forward to will just have a terrible sound mix and you’ll be
completely let down. Beer vendors will charge too fucking much for a can of fermented
piss drippings and you’ll discover that nearby parking options cost an arm and
a leg (festivals usually do happen in a city, after all.)</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Underground metal festivals have a way of seducing fans. They
promise lots of great bands, often obscure bands you’ll never see on tour or
otherwise see unless you attend. You get lured in, forgetting all of the
headaches that come with attending a festival; once you’re there you bitch the
entire time about the assorted first world inconveniences like port-a-johns and
unanticipated expenses and Mother Nature. Yet if the lineup of bands mostly
delivers, and you get to run into enough friends, you tend to forget that and
when it’s all over you’re all too excited to do it again next year.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">At least that’s how it’s supposed to work.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Of course, sometimes promoters have a habit of using social media
irresponsibly and showing fans what they really think:</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dXZ1EYUGWds/V0zrgsYEntI/AAAAAAAAAJU/u3WYgug24owJDC6ajxjpqD39bJZHlrYiwCK4B/s1600/mdfbahhumbug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dXZ1EYUGWds/V0zrgsYEntI/AAAAAAAAAJU/u3WYgug24owJDC6ajxjpqD39bJZHlrYiwCK4B/s400/mdfbahhumbug.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The neat thing about the internet is that with a simple screen shot, stupid yet enlightening comments publicly made on social media live forever even after the comment thread is deleted by the poster who a few hours later realized it was a bad idea and makes them look bad.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Important note: that wasn’t directed at me personally but at group
of festival goers who were initially just complaining about beer prices. I have
worked my way thru university as a manager for a company where I engage in
sales and customer service. I have felt frustrations with complaining customers
countless times. You don’t condescend them publicly. That usually gets you
fired, or at least tells people who are buying your product or service that you
don’t give a fuck about them or their experience with said product or service.
As someone sells stuff for a living, I can tell you if you let people know you
don’t give a fuck, they will look someplace else for that product or service.
If you need to vent, at least do it behind closed doors to a coworker or
friend… or if you’re going to use social media at least use a personal account
and keep it private and vague.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">If you really care about the product or service you produce, you
present a good face to the public no matter how pissed off you are at them
sometimes.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The organizers of MDF can set whatever price they deem to be fair
for the festival they’re providing the public. Though M and I often grumble at
the fact a 3 day weekend will set us back as much as a grand (tickets, beer,
merch, parking, food, gas…remember it’s for 2 people) it’s more of an annoyance
than an actual hardship and we end up begrudgingly paying for all of it. After
that comment from the promoters, M decided she’d only buy a ticket off of
someone who was selling theirs to prevent MDF from getting additional ticket
sales. I can’t say that I blame her; I ended up attending 2 days solo. Which
was fine; my ticket was already previously paid for so I was going to make the
most of it.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">So about that...</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QZXYkToPKk4/V0ztSvJDLFI/AAAAAAAAAJs/xOLpUddDIpov7j4yu5VwbUdOYbRvh7RUQCK4B/s1600/disgorgemdf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QZXYkToPKk4/V0ztSvJDLFI/AAAAAAAAAJs/xOLpUddDIpov7j4yu5VwbUdOYbRvh7RUQCK4B/s400/disgorgemdf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disgorge (from California, not Mexico or whereever else, though they are fronted by the most swole hispanic dude ever.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Thursday I decided to see the caveman death metal show at the
Baltimore Soundstage. Highlights were basically every band that played
(Infernal Revulsion dropped, then Malignancy cancelled at the last minute) but
Visceral Disgorge, Waco Jesus, Dehumanized, Disgorge (USA) and Severe Torture
all delivered great sets. I skipped on Putrid Pile (aka one lonely man and his
drum machine) for dinner, but I did have the misfortune of coming back in time
to see Jungle Rot, who complained about the backline they were provided by the
organizers and the festival itself…it came across as they thought they were
rockstars that should be praised for playing “old school” death metal. Fact:
Jungle Rot sucks. Not because they’re “old school”, but because they play
boring-as-fuck music. You wanna hear good “old school” death metal; I picked up
records by Blood Freak and Embalmer while at the fest. That’s good “old school”
death metal. Jungle Rot is just a bunch of boring lunkheaded garbage performed
by entitled old men. Overall though, it was my first time at Soundstage, and I
thought it was an enjoyable experience.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Friday was the day M was interested in, so we managed to get to
the Edison Lot in time for the very end of Centinex’s set. November’s Doom was
an odd choice for a 4pm slot, but they sounded pretty solid. Unfortunately
Sinister cancelled because of flight/immigration issues, and Gruesome filled in
their set. Highlights this day included everything about Wormed, hearing
Paradise Lost play an old school (re: mostly death/doom) set (they played “Pity
the Sadness”, holy shit!) and catching The Haunted with Marco back on vocals.
Truth is, nothing about any of the bands that played this day disappointed.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">The unfortunate social media post by the organizers came Friday
night, so M was adamant she would only buy a ticket second hand for dirt cheap
because she rightfully decided the organizers didn’t deserve her hard earned
money. Something about it not being worth the asking price relative to the
marginal rate of substitution or meeting her personal utility function or blah…I
dunno. That’s what happens when you cohabitate with an Economics major =D</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3m8gKOA7aW4/V0zsYHJnWkI/AAAAAAAAAJg/M7Uiti-utgocUTNNIUA0u_rJohmNkMMcACK4B/s1600/derangedmdf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3m8gKOA7aW4/V0zsYHJnWkI/AAAAAAAAAJg/M7Uiti-utgocUTNNIUA0u_rJohmNkMMcACK4B/s400/derangedmdf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deranged being all brutal and shit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Anyhow, that meant that since I wasn’t being forced to operate on
Brazilian time, I was able to arrive early enough to catch Demonical, a second
set by Gruesome, and most importantly, Deranged. I’ve been a fan since some
chick I used to hang out with told me to buy their “Plainfield Cemetery” album
from the old Tower Records in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia. Yeah, that long ago.
Anyhow, those guys put on an astoundingly brutal set of raw Swedish death metal
that made standing outside roasting under a 90 degree sun in a black asphalt
covered parking lot entirely worthwhile. Atrophy and Tulus I could give or
take; Hirax was pretty good energetic thrash, but the highlight of the day was
witnessing Hail of Bullets with their new vocalist, the legendary Dave Ingram.
With all due respect to Martin Van Druen, their previous vocalist, Ingram takes
that band to another level. His growl is a tremendous fit for the Hail of
Bullets sound and his stage presence is off the charts.</span></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_F3gZOw4S34/V0zt0iZKYbI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/-vQfZNi_tQ8uf7JHPhJMEb-yEsv7XhxYQCK4B/s1600/hailofbulletsmdf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_F3gZOw4S34/V0zt0iZKYbI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/-vQfZNi_tQ8uf7JHPhJMEb-yEsv7XhxYQCK4B/s400/hailofbulletsmdf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yet another band where Dave Ingram replaces the original vocalist.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">After witnessing
Impaled Nazarene’s set, I decided that since I didn’t give a shit about Exciter
and I honestly never listen to Nuclear Assault (I have a copy of “Handle With
Care” sitting on my shelf…collecting dust…); I ventured over to the Baltimore
Soundstage to see General Surgery and Haemorrhage instead.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">That walk sucks; the walk between Soundstage and Edison Lot is
just about 20 minutes, which means you have to miss part a band’s set in order
to traverse between venues. So in order to see the headliner at Edison Lot, Testament,
I was obliged to walk out of Haemorrhage’s set a few songs early. Which was a
huge mistake; Haemorrhage was brilliant in their goregrinding glory. By
contrast, Testament suffered from an awful mix that sounded thin and “tinny.”
Chuck Billy, the fat man with skinny bird legs, sounded okay but his generic,
rehearsed stage banter was annoying to me in the same David Vincent of Morbid
Angel was a few years earlier. When I realized I could’ve just walked to Rams
Head Live and saw Grave Miasma instead; I felt like a total fucking tool. The craziest
thing about Testament being such a letdown beyond their awful sound is that the
sheer amount of talent on that stage…Gene Hoglan, Steve DiGorgio, and Alex
Skolnick are all in that band in 2016. Those are ace fucking players. What the
hell?</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OXLbYBtfINA/V0zu4lv-6ZI/AAAAAAAAAKE/x1nCV6XRJY0x8BE0asObHahzGU78koUJwCK4B/s1600/wombbathmdf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OXLbYBtfINA/V0zu4lv-6ZI/AAAAAAAAAKE/x1nCV6XRJY0x8BE0asObHahzGU78koUJwCK4B/s400/wombbathmdf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wombbath. I don't really have anything clever to say about them but their vocalist liked to go on LOOOOOONNNNGGG rants in between songs.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bJZGF6Po00g/V0zvajmiKqI/AAAAAAAAAKM/gzNr5jkNhGA9jY-ib70JyfoK8do5W1vbwCK4B/s1600/desasterskulletmdf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bJZGF6Po00g/V0zvajmiKqI/AAAAAAAAAKM/gzNr5jkNhGA9jY-ib70JyfoK8do5W1vbwCK4B/s400/desasterskulletmdf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The guitarist from Desaster might have had the most impressive skullet at MDF.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">M found “someone willing to sell his ticket cheap in exchange for
crack money” so on Sunday she returned with me. Sunday featured Wombbath (great
when they just played instead of the on-stage chitchat), Desaster (dirty
blackened thrash; my first time hearing them…good stuff) and Bongzilla (replace
Eyehategod’s heroin and I guess that’s what you get?) I could have done without
Interment…they suffered from just being a bit boring live. Incantation played a
unique set as a three piece for most of it; one of their guitar players had a
family emergency. In a cool moment, old vocalist Mike Saez (played on The
Infernal Storm) joined them on stage for a few songs, which all sounded awesome
as fuck. Incantation took lemons and made lemonade on a miserable, rainy day. The
reunited Demolition Hammer followed with a brutal, ferocious set.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HQiP_3z0qEk/V0zwLPbp7wI/AAAAAAAAAKc/ytjadhDAgGoCsXovDlI3iPCrwBozbhtDACK4B/s1600/incantationmdf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HQiP_3z0qEk/V0zwLPbp7wI/AAAAAAAAAKc/ytjadhDAgGoCsXovDlI3iPCrwBozbhtDACK4B/s400/incantationmdf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Incantation and friends!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e5TI_3NamcM/V0zwV5qwJ5I/AAAAAAAAAKk/FyncNouaSHgVZSc6oZ9yuvSdTZCJjn_JQCK4B/s1600/demolitionhammermdf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e5TI_3NamcM/V0zwV5qwJ5I/AAAAAAAAAKk/FyncNouaSHgVZSc6oZ9yuvSdTZCJjn_JQCK4B/s400/demolitionhammermdf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Demolition Hammer wasn't a band I ever thought I'd get to see live, and to think MDF only booked them after Destroyer 666 cancelled....probably should have headlined instead of Testament!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">I didn’t hate Satan or Venom, but presented with the alternative
of seeing two bands I like a lot more in Phobocosm and Mitochondrion, the
decision was obvious so I <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">went</span> to Rams Head Live (at this point, M
decided she’d rather buy a ribeye and a margarita at Cheesecake Factory than
buy a $40 dollar ticket for 2 bands…) Phobocosm played an intense set of
doom/death that fans of Disembowlment and Incantation could get into.
Mitochondrion followed that with the best set that I witnessed all weekend.
Just absolutely vicious and breathtakingly brutal yet atmospheric death metal. If
Mitochondrion comes to your town, you stop what you’re doing, donate blood if
you have to so you can buy your ticket, and you go.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GjEm4oofNvw/V0zxK0acoWI/AAAAAAAAAKw/N03dxvb5Kgk4q_2Z1yHA9vQuxLztQtbVgCK4B/s1600/mitochondrionmdf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GjEm4oofNvw/V0zxK0acoWI/AAAAAAAAAKw/N03dxvb5Kgk4q_2Z1yHA9vQuxLztQtbVgCK4B/s400/mitochondrionmdf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You could go see a cartoon band like Venom who sings about being in league with satan, or you could see Mitochondrion, the band that wrote the actual soundtrack to hell. The choice was obvious.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">With nothing else that could follow that, I tracked down M and
called it a weekend.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%;">My
final observations were that I managed to see almost nothing but great bands
all weekend (Jungle Rot and Testament excluded.) The merch tables, particularly
Sevared and Deepsend Records, had quality items for purchase. The beer in the
cooler in the trunk of my car stayed sufficiently cold enough that the
excessive beer prices and poor selection inside of the Edison Lot complex were
a nonfactor for me personally. The rain on Sunday was a welcome respite from
the scorching heat of Friday and Saturday, which left me a bit red.<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span>That was the good part. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%;">The bad part was the
sheer expense of attending so many days of the festival, and the price/value calculation
of what I was seeing for what I got. Truth said, only a handful of the bands I
saw were bands I hadn’t seen before (Mitochondrion, Phobocosm, Demolition
Hammer, Deranged, Desaster.) Between tickets, parking fees, beer, and food, the
festival has grown to a ridiculous scale in its cost. To suggest that the
organizers are doing what they can to control costs ($68 bucks a day plus $20
bucks to park your car got you into just the Edison Lot; the 4 day all venues pass
I was fortunate to acquire from a friend who couldn’t go retailed at a whopping
$302 bucks) is laughable. Even after accounting for the exchange rate, tickets
for the gold standard of metal festivals, Wacken Open Air, are cheaper. Of
course, European festivals have advantages in logistics and border controls;
international bands playing the United States have to deal with expensive
airfares and USCIS. Still, the point is that MDF is charging a lot for their
product relative to other festivals that also compete to attract attendees.
Other US festivals may lack the sheer number of high profile bands of the level
of Mayhem and Venom; but festivals like the Las Vegas Deathfest are delivering
bands like Disavowed that are significant within their niche genre (which
incidentally, is the subgenre of metal I spend the most time listening to in
2016.) That’s what MDF is competing against. What MDF has had to its advantage
for me personally was geography; it’s about an hour drive from my door step to
the fest. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; line-height: 107%;">However, when the promotors appear to have such a cavalier “take it
or leave it” attitude towards fans who WANT to support their festival and who
WANT it to succeed each year….maybe it’s not surprising that at least to my
eyes, this was the least attended MDF in several years, even going back to when
they held the fest at the old Sonar complex. It seems certain that just like in
previous years, next year’s tickets will increase again another 5-10% for a
lineup that’s more or less the same as this year in terms of profile and name
recognition. That’s faster than the rate of inflation. If the promotors don’t
respect their patrons any more than that, and can’t discipline themselves on
controlling their ticket prices, then this will be the last time I make the
effort to take the weekend off or drop the coin. I’m not going to say I’ll
never, ever go again, or anything like that. But unless I see a “holy shit”
band like say, a reformed Acid Bath, on the bill, I’m not going to make an
effort to be there either. There’s just too many other festivals that want my
money too</span></span></span>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-31393162191146039152015-12-30T15:35:00.000-08:002015-12-30T15:55:46.119-08:002015 Best Of...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wow. A whole fucking year. You’d think I just abandoned this or
something. The truth is that I’ve had ideas and motivation to write from time
to time, but real life stuff like work, grad school, and internships sucked up
most of my time. What little free time I had this past year wasn’t time I
really felt like spending in front of a computer.
I’d like to think that I’ll update a little more frequently in the next year,
but who knows?</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">With that said, here’s my best of list for 2015…</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Biggest Disappointment:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://vice-images.vice.com/images/articles/crops/2015/12/29/rocknroll-is-dead-one-last-toast-to-lemmy-kilmister-284-1451422104-crop_mobile_400.jpg?resize=*:*&output-quality=75" /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">RIP Lemmy. Nothing else even comes close. Metal will survive
post-Lemmy, but it just isn’t going to be the same without the genre’s most
revered figure around. There are countless people who have already eulogized
him and done so far better than I ever could, so instead of writing my own lame
attempt at paying tribute to a truly one of a kind man, I will just say that
starting at Ozzfest in 1998 through many shows at the 9:30 Club in Washington,
DC that every single time, Motorhead delivered and lived up to the motto of “Everything
Louder Than Everyone Else.” It sure the fuck changed my life. Godspeed.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Honorable Mentions:</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Amorphis <i>Under The Red Cloud</i> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Enslaved <i>In Times</i> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ghost Ship Octavius <i>Ghost Ship
Octavius</i> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Glaciation <i>Sur Les Falaises De
Marbre</i> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gruesome <i>Savage Land</i> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hanging Garden <i>Blackout Whiteout</i> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ingested <i>The Architect of
Extinction</i> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nile <i>What Should Not Be Unearthed</i> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Panopticon <i>Autumn Eternal</i> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Shape of Despair <i>Monotony Fields</i> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sulphur Aeon <i>Gateway To The
Atmosphere</i> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Man Eating Tree <i>In The
Absence of Light</i> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Torturous Inception <i>Headfirst
into Oblivion</i> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Vattnet Viskar <i>Settler</i> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Vehemence <i>Forward Without Motion</i> </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Year Of The Goat <i>The Unspeakable </i></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Top 10:</span></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>10.)</b> <b>Napalm Death <i>Apex Predator-
Easy Meat</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This album came out really early in 2015 so it was an easy one to
forget about, but as Napalm Death’s members reach into their 50’s, they haven’t
lost any of their aggression or venom. This one has a few moments that I wouldn’t
say are “experimental”, but on songs such as the industrial nature of the
opening title track, they don’t mind exploring the unconventional. The vocals
mix it up a bit, perhaps a reminder of their late 90’s era, but for the most
part it sounds consistent with their turn of the century output. It makes you
want to floor punch and shit. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">9.) Motorhead <i>Bad Magic</i></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’m sure with Lemmy’s death and the recent release effect <i>Bad Magic</i> that some people may be
tempted to elevate this album higher than it deserves or otherwise put it on
their list if they’re doing it late as I am. Truth is, on its merits this album
belongs on any top 10 for 2015. It’s nasty, gritty, and snarling rock n roll and
represents Motorhead’s best effort since 1995’s <i>Sacrifice.</i> One hell of an epitaph for the band. Given how
undervalued I personally believe Mickey Dee and Phil Campbell have been to
Motorhead’s success (they were vital to not just the longest but also BEST
lineup Motorhead ever had), hopefully they find a new musical venture and keep
the metal coming for a few more years at least.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">8.) Iniquitous Deeds <i>Incessant
Hallucinations</i></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Brutal. As. Fuck. New Standard Elite is becoming the sort of label
where if you love brutal death metal, that the NSE imprint means quality. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7.) Abhorrent </b><i><b> Instransigence</b> </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ex-members of The Faceless and Spawn of Possession form a band better
than either of the aforementioned acts. Grisly vocals, plenty of clangy
doodly-doo but also sufficiently raw and honest to satan death metal. Hopefully
they don’t prog out too much on future releases, because this formula works.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">6.) So Hideous <i>Laurestine</i></span></span></b> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Post-black metal from a band I had never heard of before. I was sure
this was going to be some sort of Deafheaven garbage or Shining-style proggy
bullshit but for the most part it’s like, non-stop epic majestic parts of black
metal songs all strung together. Plenty of symphonic keys and soundtrackish
elements but it’s tasteful, cohesive, and gets repeat listens. </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">5.) Goatsnake <i>Black Age Blues</i></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That tone. Soooo heavy and sludgy. I happen to love Pete Stahl’s voice…perhaps
no other band has ever so effortlessly combined the gloom of Black Sabbath with
southern rock swagger so effectively. </span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">4.) Lost Soul <i>Atlantis</i></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Polish as fuck. For fans of Vader and Behemoth. I hear a lot of death
metal-era Behemoth on <i>Atlantis</i>,
actually, but Lost Soul was playing this style of death metal back when
Behemoth was still more authentically black metal. </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3.) Heaving Earth <i>Denouncing The
Holy Throne</i></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">These Czechs deliver in a style best comparable to Immolation, though
there’s a bit of that dark Incantation worship that’s been a trend in the scene
for the last few years. Superior songcraft and outstanding production make <i>Denouncing The Holy Throne</i> stand out,
and they could be the next band to break out in the same way that Dead
Congregation has in recent years. It LIVED in my car stereo for pretty much all of 2015.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2.) Ghost </b><i><b>Meliora</b> </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Their breakthrough album. Ghost seems to piss off a lot of people who
don’t quite “get it”, while others who happen to be into Blue Oyster Cult, UFO,
Deep Purple, and such want to write them off as missing “something.” I can’t
imagine how anyone who sat down and actually listened to <i>Meliora </i>could reach that conclusion, with such a catchy batch of
songs. Yes, there is a certain tongue in cheek nature to their gimmick but to
me, that’s part of the fun. Music is supposed to be fun, right?</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1.) My Dying Bride <i>Feel The
Misery</i></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not genre
defining, but what it happens to be is one of the founding fathers of doom
metal delivering one of their best albums. When Calvin Robertshaw left the band
in the late 90’s, MDB seemed to become an inconsistent band that never was bad,
but only occasionally reached the level of greatness that their early albums
achieved (most notably on <i>The Dreadful
Hours</i>.) With Robertshaw’s return, it becomes obvious just how important he
was to their sound as <i>Feel The Misery</i>
features some monolithic, crushing riffage, somber moods, and a healthy dose of
macabre. Considering that MDB has been a band I award considerable sentimental
value to as my gateway to the underground so many years ago, I feel quite
comfortable saying this was my favorite album of 2015. </span></span><br />
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Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-28684793415795010512014-12-09T11:11:00.002-08:002014-12-09T11:16:50.606-08:00Top 10 of 2014<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can actually say this was the first year in several where I felt like I'm leaving off a bunch of good releases from my list. 2014 has been one of the stronger years in metal in some time; probably since 2001. Since I haven't updated this as often as in the past years (I have some ideas I might write about while I've got a break between now when grad school starts up again in a few weeks) I'll be covering a bit of ground here.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Biggest Disappointment of 2014:</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>At The Gates <i>At War With Reality</i></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think At The Gates was always overrated; yes <i>Slaughter of the Soul</i> is one of the landmark albums of metal history, and everything about it sounds just as vital today as it did in 1996. The problem is the rest of their discography; the only other thing ATG did that I'd consistently reach for to listen to is the <i>Terminal Spirit Disease</i> EP. There's moments of brilliance on their other releases, but also stuff that just bored me and failed to really capture my attention. Sorry, it's the truth. If you're telling me you reach for <i>The Red In The Sky Is Ours</i> on a consistent basis, you're probably lying. There's just too much better stuff out there.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>At War With Reality</i> doesn't suffer from songwriting, or technical proficiency, or inspiration. I'm certain these songs sounded great in the rehearsal space, and it could have been a worthy follow up to (if not quite as good as) <i>Slaughter of the Soul</i>. The problem here is that the production on this album is so incredibly wrong, wrong WRONG. It's too pristine and pretty, to the point that these songs lack the urgency and venom that made <i>Slaughter of the Soul</i> so compelling. It's the same goddamned problem that The Haunted had when Peter Dolving rejoined the band for <i>rEvolver.</i> If this album has the production of <i>Slaughter of the Soul</i> or <i>Terminal Spirit Disease</i> even, it's a top 5 album for me. Instead, it's just...there. Listen and tell me this doesn't scream for a more...human production?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Honorable mentions of 2014:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Benevolent <i>The Covenant</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Black Anvil <i>Hail Death </i> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bolzer <i>Soma</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Cannibal Corpse <i>A Skeletal Domain</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Decimation <i>Reign of Ungodly Creation</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Devangelic <i>Resurrection Denied </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Digging Up <i>Disseminated Inapparent Infection </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Jig-Ai <i>Rising Sun Carnage</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Misery Index <i>The Killing Gods </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Ne Obliviscarius <i>Citadel </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>November's Doom <i>Bled White </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Septycal Gorge <i>Scourge of the Formless Breed</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Sinister <i>The Post Apocalyptic Servant</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Woccon <i>Solace in Decay </i></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>...and probably a bunch more that have slipped my memory at the moment. 2014 was a GOOD year.</i><b><i> </i></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Top 10:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10.) Solstafir <i>Otta</i></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Post metal? I actually missed their performance at MDF in 2014 because of traffic, but I understood that they made quite an impression. The thing with this style is that it can either be majestic and compelling, where bands create moods and keep your attention with subtle hooks while building to epic peaks, or it's just a snooze-fest. Unlike a lot of artists who try this sorta thing but bore me to tears (recent Anathema, Sigur Ros), <i>Otta </i>is a dreary, somber, yet engaging listen. The reason it's only 10th on my list is more to do with my personal tastes than its quality, but this has replaced Pelican and Red Sparrowes as my go-to when I'm in the mood for this style.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9.) Insomnium <i>Shadows of the Sun</i></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you have a good formula, stick with it. Too many people belly ache and cry about bands needing to take gigantic leaps and stylistic shifts with each album. You know what happens when bands do that, and deviate from what they're best at? They release shit. Insomnium has a clear, confident identity about who and what they are, which is a doom inspired melodic death metal band that draws more from Metallica and Sentenced than Iron Maiden (which explains why they sound distinct from say, Children of Bodom and that yuck.) There isn't a single surprise to be found on this album, just well crafted highly memorable songs that I found myself listening to an awful lot. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8.) Vallenfyre <i>Splinters</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greg McIntosh is pretty good at this death metal thing. A bit doomier than <i>A Fragile King </i>was, but it still retains that crusty grind vibe too. And those haunting guitar melodies! This was meant to be played at maximum volume to scare the neighbors.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7.) Hideous Divinity <i>Cobra Verde</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What happened in Italy? Used to be Italy only produced frilly froo froo power metal crap, but the last couple years have seen the proliferation of really intense, strong brutal death metal bands. Hideous Divinity took a leap forward from the other outstanding Italian bands with <i>Cobra Verde</i> in 2014, with their Nile-influenced tech death. This is FAST, but still has some brutal grooves and isn't just an exercise in fretboard masturbation. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6.) Soen <i>Tellurian</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the album Opeth should have released the last 2 times around. Imagine a combination of Tool, Opeth, and Katatonia performed by top notch musicians who also knew how to write great songs. You'd get <i>Tellurian</i>. It's nerd metal that you don't have to be a nerd to appreciate. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5.) Dead Congregation <i>Promogulation of the Fall</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best "new" death metal band to come out in the last few years. Nothing new here from their previous efforts; it's dark, dank, and full of inhumanly low vocals and moody guitars. A soundtrack to hell.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4.) Voices<i> London</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of the Akercocke guys managed to step foot from underneath the rock they had been hiding under, and we're rewarded with <i>London</i>, every bit as ambitious as Akercocke was on those amazing later releases. A disorienting story about a man's descent towards suicide, this is uncomfortable at times, as dischordant riffing leads to furious black metal blasts which again delves into oddly melancholy. Not really a banger, per se, as you'll finish this kinda feeling like "what the hell did I just listen to?" but one hell of a ride.<b><i> </i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3.) Pallbearer <i>Foundations of Burden</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of the best-of lists I'm reading have this at number one, and I think in an ordinary year it probably is. This is epic, monumental doom of the highest quality. The vocals reek of despair, those riffs plod and crush, there's even a ting of classic rock sensibility in some of the guitar harmonies. Pallbearer in the course of 2 albums has reached "doom metal elite status." That's not hyperbole.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2.) Triptykon <i>Melana Chasmata </i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another album that in most years is a clear number one. This feels like the fully realized, matured vision of Celtic Frost that all of those years of experimentation was striving for. That guitar tone is still absolutely massive and crushing and while there are moments of fury, the strength of this album is in the down tempo, ominous doom.<i><b> </b></i>Tom Fischer's croon paired with that haunting female voice on "Boleskin House" creates an unsettling vibe; this album is a tortured vision by a miserable man. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1.) Behemoth <i>The Satanist</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As soon as I heard this album, it immediately struck me as the most vital, important album to be released in metal since Opeth's <i>Blackwater Park</i> in 2001. So much of this album is based on the mythology cultivated by Nergal's battles with Polish legal authorities as well as a life threatening ordeal versus leukemia and how, faced with death and imprisonment, he remained completely unapologetic in his personal ideology.<i><b> </b></i>Overcoming all of that, he then writes Behemoth's most ambitious album; moving away from their take on Polish death metal to create an epic, defiant statement drawing not just on his personal philosophy and resilience, but reaching across a variety of genres for influences; there's elements of Killing Joke, classic rock, their earlier black metal days, choirs and chants...yet through all of this the band remains familiar. This is still ugly, extreme metal full of blastbeats and ugly vocals that is hardly commercial in any sense; it's just that this time Behemoth managed to delve across the many subgenres of metal and beyond to craft their magnum opus.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last time a band returned from a long break to this much hype was Dissection, who returned to play shitty melodeath before Jon Nodtveidt did the world a favor and killed himself. Unlike Dissection, not only did Behemoth live up to the hype, they surpassed it, creating what will probably be the album of this decade. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i> </i></b> </span></span><br />
<br />Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-75277882435697614912014-08-14T07:39:00.001-07:002018-02-07T09:13:25.052-08:00My case against Babymetal.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">So the most "controversial" metal band in 2014 is</span></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a trio of young Japanese teenagers who sing J-pop.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh wait, not this.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I meant this. This is Babymetal. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seriously.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By now I'm assuming everyone reading this has heard Babymetal, which as much as I can tell is the brainchild of a pop music producer ("Kobametal", according to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babymetal" target="_blank">wikipedia</a> ) who thought he was creating a new subgenre of metal by combining "cute Japanese girls" with angry metal music. The result being Babymetal, and their musical product is unfortunately less original than I think he intended.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Add some J-pop vocals and guitars, and you basically have the themes from Street Fighter 2.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By now it's probably obvious that I am not a fan, and even if <a href="http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/carcass-frontman-defends-babymetal-against-criticism-from-metal-purists/" target="_blank">Jeff Walker and Bill Steer from Carcass give Babymetal their blessing</a>, that doesn't mean I have to embrace it. However, my disapproval of the band doesn't necessarily come from a metal purist perspective, at least not entirely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I do confess to disliking the fact that<a href="http://www.metalinsider.net/updates/no-surprise-here-babymetal-did-not-know-what-metal-was-before-band-started" target="_blank"> the girls hadn't even heard metal music before being recruited to this band.</a> This particular circumstance doesn't jibe with my idea of what metal is, which to say an authentic form of musical expression by angry, ugly people for angry, ugly people. I appreciate the desire to cross boundaries and redefine what metal can be, but it just seems that every time a band reaches for something commercial (even if it means "commercial in Japan") or "happy" sounding, I feel like it utterly sucks. Babymetal is no exception.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This isn't to say that I'm completely opposed to schtick or gimmicks in metal. Immortal is a freaking meme. King Diamond has been doing the facepaint thing since Mercyful Fate. Ghost, who was the most debated band prior to Babymetal, certainly has gotten mileage out of their quasi-religious imagery and hidden identities. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because Immortal never gets old. Just kvlt. And grym. And tr00.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Perhaps Ghost is a great point of comparison. Yes, Ghost is heavy on image, and their music is often derivative of Deep Purple, Mercyful Fate, and metal of the late 70's. But ultimately, Ghost has also written memorable songs like "Ritual" and "Year Zero". And the whole "Satan" thing, while tongue in cheek, is definitely not commercial in the sense that "Gimme Chocolate" is (because who gets offended by teenagers who want chocolate?)</span><br />
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style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nothing sells records like this guy!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not to mention every song sounds like "Gimme Chocolate". Do you really want to hear this over and over again? It stops being ironic or funny after the second time.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/WIKqgE4BwAY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think that's the biggest problem I have, actually. It's not that they are a gimmick, or that they perform a style of music that I'm not particularly into. It's that everything is the gimmick, and beneath the gimmick there is nothing of substance. Yeah, it's got a slick production, impeccable musicianship by the hired guns, and the girls are choreographed, but do you remember any of their songs the moment they're done? Are we even talking about this band this time next year?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My guess is no. </span>Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-43393051506455773842014-02-25T10:04:00.000-08:002014-02-25T10:08:53.107-08:00Dammit MDF!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"VIP/Backstage tickets for the
Edison stages: </span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>
</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Every year, people ask if we will
have something like this available, but we never have until now. A limited
amount of 50 weekend (Fri-Sun) VIP/backstage tickets valid ONLY for the 3
stages at the Edison Lot will be available on our website tomorrow, February
26th at 2 PM (EST). This is a separate ticket that is needed in addition to
general admission tickets for the Edison Lot. When you receive your VIP
wristband at the entrance when you arrive, you will also be given vouchers that
can be redeemed for 3 free drinks and a MDF T-shirt in the design and size of
your choice."</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;"> With this announcement, the <a href="http://www.marylanddeathfest.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Maryland Deathfest</span></a> has officially “jumped the
shark.” </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N6LiL3_06Mk/UwzXUhLyEnI/AAAAAAAAAHM/mJ90gzCyrhg/s1600/Fonzie_jumps_the_shark.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N6LiL3_06Mk/UwzXUhLyEnI/AAAAAAAAAHM/mJ90gzCyrhg/s1600/Fonzie_jumps_the_shark.PNG" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I trust that y'all understand the reference</span>.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">I don’t make this, or other
criticisms regarding aspects of the festival, with the intent of being an
overly negative keyboard warrior or backseat driver who somehow thinks he could
do it a million times better. I certainly have ideas that I think would improve
the festival but I can’t say that the organizers haven’t also considered the
same ideas, weighed pros and cons, and determined them to be less than
feasible. They invented the thing, so that’s sort of their right. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">But I am someone who has been to at least
a few days of every edition of what’s America’s biggest metal festival;
corporate rock touring fests like the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Fest
notwithstanding. I’ve seen the event grow from its origins at the Thunderdome
through the House of Rock in White Flint to its time at Sonar in downtown
Baltimore. It’s always been a good time despite occasional miscues such as when
Pestilence couldn’t make it (extra Bolt Thrower appearance that year!),
Dismember getting cut off early by city curfew, the pepper spray incident, and
I managed to even survive last year’s issues with the frightening security
hired to basically beat and rob the festival attendees.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h4aADyvPeSY/UwzYA7eq7yI/AAAAAAAAAHU/8F-nRcNjrEs/s1600/MDF+Security.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h4aADyvPeSY/UwzYA7eq7yI/AAAAAAAAAHU/8F-nRcNjrEs/s1600/MDF+Security.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Just a typical experience for concert goers on Day 3 of the Maryland Deathfest.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Accordingly, as someone who could
be considered a repeat customer, I think I do have a right to voice my complaints
and concerns on a public forum if I so chose, and <i>this</i> happens to be my forum and <i>this </i>is where I draw
my line. First of all, I can’t fucking stand the whole VIP tickets thing that
has swept across the scene in recent years. I get that record sales are down
and bands have to make up revenue in order to keep functioning as a touring
act, but it seems grossly anathema to everything the underground metal scene
is supposed to be to offer “VIP tickets.” It creates a class distinction
between fans based on their ability/willingness to pay extra for spending 15
disinterested minutes with and getting an autograph from a particular band; something that
historically has always been as simple as waiting by the bus after the show
or going over to the merch table and chatting up a member of the band while
buying a t shirt or CD. I don’t see why underground metal musicians are
supposed to be treated like fucking rockstars as though they’re Aerosmith or
the Rolling Stones or some fucking shit. These dudes shop at the same stores
we as fans do and they work in the same shitty fucking jabroni jobs that we
do; the only difference is that they happen to play instruments and create
music that we’re willing to pay to hear.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Fostering and creating these kinds
of distinctions makes the underground metal scene no better than any other
music scene. When I think back on all of the cool experiences I had growing
up literally just bumping into dudes who play in some of my favorite bands, I
think it’s a tragedy that we’re turning those experiences into a commodity
that can be bought and sold. As M told me, “VIP ain’t metal.” </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B9o3mqlGYfU/UwzYuk5vGoI/AAAAAAAAAHc/eHhgA4J_Dp0/s1600/72887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B9o3mqlGYfU/UwzYuk5vGoI/AAAAAAAAAHc/eHhgA4J_Dp0/s1600/72887.jpg" height="320" width="292" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">No, seriously. VIP ain't metal.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">My other fault with this goes more
specifically to the organizers of MDF themselves. They have very consciously
attempted to make the festival bigger over the last few years; fucking Carcass
and Down played last year. I actually think that it was cool to get to see
those bands, so I’m not complaining about that. <a href="http://avoiceofskepticism.blogspot.com/2013/05/maryland-deathfest-xi-weekend-narrative_28.html" target="_blank">Yet at the same time it’s become a logistical clusterfuck of multiple venues, unprofessional security,and tent stages</a>. The inability to manage the moving parts resulted in last
year’s final headliner, Venom, having their set cut short and a near riot
breaking out as result. All the while the organizers were more interested in playing
damage control on Facebook and online media than actually…managing the
operation!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Ticket prices have also crept
up aggressively each year; I understand that 2014’s edition of the festival
would never be as affordable at 2003; when a 3 day pass to see almost exclusively American death metal bands cost me $40 bucks. Still,
to attend every venue this year where bands are playing costs $255 bucks per
attendee; since those passes sold out obviously the market is willing to bear
that cost. Even for three days at the main stages (which are in an outdoor
parking lot that’s a 15 minute walk away from the other venues, wtf?) the bill
is $160 per fan for Friday-Sunday. The math for M and I= $320 bucks before
parking, food, etc. Even with higher profile bands, that’s way beyond any rate
of inflation. I might have the means to pay, but that's merch I'm not buying, beer I'm not drinking, and other shows in 2014 I won't be attending as a result. And that fucking sucks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">Now tack on the idea that for an
additional $100 bucks per fan, you basically get to go backstage at the main
venue (where I imagine therewill be a “lounge” tent or area for the bands), 3 free
tickets for watered down macrobrews in a plastic cup, and a t shirt. Even the most
appealing aspect of this, access to a clean bathroom, is bogus: this is a
parking lot and your bathroom is probably a porta-potty. But you get to
sport a “VIP wristband” and act like you’re better than other fans. It’s both a
bad deal AND fosters the bullshit rockstar/diva attitude that I say has no
goddamned place in the scene. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iuC3scEYWK0/UwzZ7L3VR3I/AAAAAAAAAHk/_9fUGBMwIag/s1600/metal+divas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iuC3scEYWK0/UwzZ7L3VR3I/AAAAAAAAAHk/_9fUGBMwIag/s1600/metal+divas.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Typical Metal Divas being all VIP-like.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">My guess is that the real
reason that the organizers are doing this is because in booking so many high
profile foreign bands with high dollar up-front guarantees for coming to the
festival (I’m sure My Dying Bride and At The Gates don’t perform for cheap)
that they need to actually raise more revenue in order to break even. Which
brings me to the idea that best thing about MDF isn’t necessarily that huge (in
the underground) international bands play but that it’s a 3 (or 4) day weekend
of celebrating beer, metal, and meeting decent people who are fellow fans. My
opinion here (forgive me for being a backseat driver), but maybe they should
avoid booking so many international bands that cost too damn much money. For
example, you can probably book Brutality from Florida for a lot less money than
Cancer from England (not to mention, Brutality is a better band and actually
released something new not too long ago!) And does there really need to be what's basically a second festival for grindcore and hardcore bands happening at another venue? Maybe there's too much of a "good thing" here....</span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;">I’ll still end up going to this
year’s festival because I dunno when I’ll have a chance to see My Dying Bride,
At The Gates, or Unleashed any other time in the near or distant future. But
looking at the direction the organizers want to take things, I unfortunately
imagine that the Maryland Deathfest is going to implode in the next few years;
destined to fall by the wayside just as the Milwaukee Metalfest before it.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-57Z-3FIPdWc/UwzaXTE1c8I/AAAAAAAAAHs/uMPU3kGsmA8/s1600/jack_koshick_metalfest_crook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-57Z-3FIPdWc/UwzaXTE1c8I/AAAAAAAAAHs/uMPU3kGsmA8/s1600/jack_koshick_metalfest_crook.jpg" height="320" width="184" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Promoting the 2016 edition of the Maryland Deathfest?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: small;"> </span>
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<![endif]-->Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5097415751077940951.post-45157208113059319522014-02-17T17:04:00.002-08:002017-11-15T16:32:28.255-08:00Adam "Nergal" Darski: Winning at Metal.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jUQO-7-YgNQ/WgzcFDnwBWI/AAAAAAAAAS0/QAVherFlf_MPpPJLZzk30lGT9vDYUf3AQCLcBGAs/s1600/nergal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jUQO-7-YgNQ/WgzcFDnwBWI/AAAAAAAAAS0/QAVherFlf_MPpPJLZzk30lGT9vDYUf3AQCLcBGAs/s1600/nergal.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Depending
on your perspective,this guy is either going to hurt your feelings or
validate your poorly justified sense of elitism over fans of other
subgenres of metal.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I haven't ranted online about metal in a few...months I suppose. So what motivates me today? Adam "Nergal" Darski and some recent comments he made in published interviews that managed to stir up the metal scene who otherwise would be having yet another pointless debate about "Pantera vs Metallica vs Iron Maiden" or upsetting themselves over why, one again, the Mayhem tour only has 3 quasi-listenable bands on it. For the sake of me throwing my opinion out there about a week after this was truly relevant, let's examine the pair of "controversial" quotes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b><i><a href="http://www.ghostcultmag.com/interview-nergal-of-behemoth/" target="_blank">“Extreme art should be shocking and provoke a reaction. I really hope we are viewed as more than just a Black Metal band. We are an extreme band that can communicate our ideas on so many levels. Extreme Metal music these days is often only extreme by definition. It is a never-ending process of striving for perfection. Too many bands are chasing this and the scene is becoming like the X-Factor for Black Metal. There is no danger and unpredictability anymore. The majority of Death Metal bands from the U.S.A are so generic, they all sound perfect. It is fast and technical but there is no substance. Bands forget about emotion when they strive for perfection. You should be driven by your intuition and not just be concerned with shredding on your guitar. Perfection is boring and uninspiring. When people listen to The Satanist, it will stimulate them in many different ways. I saw Cabaret at the theatre recently and it was extremely moving. Extreme art must make people uncomfortable whether it is music, art or films. It has to be thought provoking. It takes a lot of energy for me to do this. I remember after my transplant when we started playing shows again. There was a time I thought I was going to pass out on-stage because it was so taxing playing the show and I did not have as much energy as before but now I am ready. I know I can give my all to this.” </a> </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I guess this comment got some peoples panties all wadded up
since he appears to be taking a shot at American bands and American death metal
in particular. Other people have used it
as an opportunity to point and say “neener neener, Nergal agrees! Death metal
blows d00d! I’m gonna listen to Finntroll and dress like a confused mess of a
pirate…er…viking…er…Peter Pan!”
Honestly, I don’t think he’s doing either. I don’t think all or even most American death
metal is in a race to see who the most technical, or fastest, etc is. I do think there’s a massive amount of overly
similiar sounding bands that (predominately) emerge from California, signed to
either Unique Leader or Sumerian Records (or perhaps Prosthetic?), all of whom
seem to be playing a style that’s pointlessly technical and way too digitally
enhanced. Bands from that scene that
sound like a cross of Suffocation and Deeds of Flesh (such as Inherit Disease,
for example) I can totally dig on, but it doesn’t make Nergal’s assessment
invalid; those bands are generic, seemingly a dime a dozen, and largely without
personality. If someone plays you
Carnophage or Severed Savior, do you really know the difference? And Brain Drill, for all of their hyperspeed,
is boring as fuck.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That doesn’t reflect the whole American death metal scene,
however. Besides Malignancy and maybe
Immolation, the bands from New York don’t play a super technical style. The Florida scene, decrepitly old as all of
those bands are, doesn’t fit Nergal’s profile, either. And I don’t think he meant for them to; it
was merely an off the cuff comment focusing on what does appear to be popular
among the youngest generation of fans these days.</span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/behemoths-nergal-most-of-the-music-that-is-offered-by-so-called-extreme-metal-bands-is-not-extreme/" target="_blank">"One of the factors that makes this record so different, and also I really hope it's something that distances our new record from the majority of extreme metal albums in the market these days, is that most of the music that is offered by so-called extreme metal bands is not extreme. The paradox is that the average extreme metal band these days is just another friendly band, which actually pisses me off, because that's not how "extreme metal' — black metal, death metal — was meant to be</a>. </span></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; line-height: 115%;">How fucking spot on Nergal
is here. These days anything with double
bass drums and some variation of screaming/growling vocals is automatically
considered “extreme”. Am I supposed to
think Killswitch Engage is “extreme”?
Slipknot? In Flames? Perhaps in
the 1980’s, playing a thrash beat and having a bit of gritty snarl in your
vocals made you “extreme”, but these days grindcore has fully evolved. Shit like Kill The Client or Wormrot is as
fast, unrelenting, and anti-melodic as anything I can imagine this side of pure
noise or some insane sort of electronic music.
Playing fast and growling isn’t extreme except to neophytes to the
genre. Behemoth has been around since
the early 1990’s; Nergal has more perspective on this than I think he gets
credit for since Behemoth never really gained a high profile until the “Demigod”
album in 2004 or whenever it came out.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; line-height: 115%;">I think what irks people
is that it seems like Nergal is being quite full of himself at the same time he’s
become something of a celebrity in Poland; doing energy drink commercials and
judging contestants on reality shows and dating super models. </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/10200000/Doda-with-Nergal-Sopot-2009-doda-10248036-560-840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images2.fanpop.com/image/photos/10200000/Doda-with-Nergal-Sopot-2009-doda-10248036-560-840.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Face it, metalheads; you're just jealous because he's living the life and you aren't.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; line-height: 115%;">Guess what? You release a record like “The Satanist”, and
you get to talk all of the shit you want.
I’ve had some time to let this record sink in, and I’m convinced this is
the best album to be released since Opeth’s “Blackwater Park” dropped in
2001. I don’t think there’s any one
element that’s revolutionary about “The Satanist”, but Behemoth draws from
enough varied influences to liven up what had become, over the last few albums,
a predictable Polish style of death metal not dissimiliar from Lost Soul or
Vader. It’s the most adventurous album I’ve
heard from a death or black metal band that didn’t go completely lame (I’m
talking about you, Shining) since Akercocke’s “Words That Go Unspoken, Deeds
That Go Undone.” </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; color: black; line-height: 115%;">So if y’all wanna get
pissed at Nergal for speaking his mind, fuck off. At least he’s interesting and provoking
debate instead of the hippie love fest that the metal scene is starting to
become, where fans are accused of closed-mindedness if they dislike nerd-metal
approved releases such as Opeth’s “Heritage” (which still sucks) or a recording
of Devin Townsend reciting feminist poetry inside of a porta-john.</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W2AUper91Y8/WgzcivShnGI/AAAAAAAAAS4/aOhsdjc4uwk2v90Y0b1QTuOzdV0mTOF7ACLcBGAs/s1600/metal-nerds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="602" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W2AUper91Y8/WgzcivShnGI/AAAAAAAAAS4/aOhsdjc4uwk2v90Y0b1QTuOzdV0mTOF7ACLcBGAs/s320/metal-nerds.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Remember,
no matter how much smarter and more sophisticated you think your
choices in the music and media you consume makes you, you still look
like these dorks to the rest of humanity. Get over it.</span></td></tr>
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Williamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18316993132657598152noreply@blogger.com2