. . .

Spacious

I can say, I love Marissa Nadler. Her looks aren't consistent but her music is. Song III is amazing and I just purchased Little Hells and I am very impatient when it comes to great music, so I downloaded the album to ease the wait. The soothing acoustics layered under the ghostly voice is a recipe for elegance. The vocal effects seems to carry on through live performance extending a small room to becoming a vast cave. It's unfortunate that I missed her live performance right before I came across Mexican Summer, but oh well, let's hope for a next time. And I am really really hoping.

I am still sick, tomorrow is Black Friday, I work early. . . fuck

Mastodon

After watching Mastodon's live performance and humming Oblivion a number of times, I gave in and purchased Crack The Skye.

Crack the Skye is near a great album but considering how much progressive-ness there is, it becomes an OK album. Listening to other songs I often wonder how could I have not liked them but compared to Crack the Skye, how could I really like this. Oblivion contains music, with vocal melodies that remain memorable, heavy chugging, while Ghost of Karella lacks a number of those qualities. Ghost of Karella and Divinations indulge in "how many riffs can I play in this amount of time", I normally don't care for conventional song structures but this is where I do, especially when Oblivion is amazing. Last Baron is this album's last song and this albums last sign of hope. The song is great with minimal neck fucking moments.

The production for the album is what you would expect it to be. Expensive, thousands of dollars and hour. Considering how intricate their music is, it demands no less. But Fuck, get the fuck out of that progressive state.

6.5/10

A real shame.

Converge

Assuming a number of delays and traffic, Mike and I decided to leave at 4:30 PM, fortunately that was barely enough to watch Converge. Throughout the whole way we were blocked by traffic disabling us from getting there any quicker.

The Palladium is a massive venue, much like a ballroom, imagine the Galaxy 4x bigger. With superb sound and a large floor, it should have been certain that things were going to be damaged. We missed High On Fire and made it for Converge who put on an amazing show. Although the pit wasn't as consistent or brutal as what I have been told, Jacob Bannon knows how to get the crowd growing. Running around the stage, licking his fingers, throwing nazi salutes (at least what seemed to be salutes), spirit fingers, and throwing the mic around got the crowd antsy. Although they didn't play Heaven In Her Arms, the set was great, a tad bit short, but they are definitely worth watching.

Mastodon was next. Although I am not a big fan or even a fan at all, Mastodon definitely play a tight set. Every instrument was fairly distinct on cue, vocals were a bit sloppy, but the back up images made up for them. The music interlocked with the images quite nicely making Mastodon's set a transcendent one.

Dethkock was next and fuck, the crowd they drew was a random one. People young and old, metalheads, punks, greasers, you name it they got. It's interesting how Dethkok didn't want to be upstaged so everything was far louder than the previous bands. With ripping solos, undecipherable lyrics, a heavy sound, one cannot help headbanging, unfortunately, they have to turn all the goodness they have into a joke, leaving people laughing at cheesy jokes. I hate the cartoon, if they were to perhaps create a serious name for themselves maybe I will support them.

Dimmu Borgir

Dimmu Borgir

Mustis

It has been brought to my attention that my two favorite members of Dimmu Borgir have left the band. My devotion to the band has been anything but existent when Mustis stated that he plays the music for the money. It was a quote that Decibel had put in the margins, so I hadn't bothered reading the actual interview, since I was furious. Last time I checked, the money should be secondary, the art created is primary.

It's been stated that Mustis wasn't receiving the correct amount of credit for his works in the last two full length albums (I wouldn't be proud about Deathcult Armaggedon). While it has been stated that Vortex is a complete lazy ass, which I kind of assumed after watching the DVDs. In addition to the drunk laziness and greed, it's been said that one of the members didn't bother bringing their instrument to a show that they were to be performing at. That enough should show the absent dedication of the members.

Anyways, I am still not going to bother much, I just find it interesting, perhaps I will give Dimmu Borgir a third chance seeing as how the greedy fuck named Mustis is out of the band. After he had stated that he was a large contributor to the writing process of the last two albums, which weren't so great, the new one should be something more exquisite, but chances are, still not so great.

On another note, I hate Blabbermouth. More than half of those people who contribute to the comments are ignorant trolls. Roaming from news to news to leave a stupid comment. They obviously have no understanding of the music nor the situation, seeing how forgetting your instrument is something that should be brushed off should speak for itself. Not only forgetting the instrument, but I think it was a wise move that Dimmu Borgir gave a vague description of the reasons for firing the two members while Blabbermouth trolls claim it to be a stupid move. A detailed description could be used against you while in court. You wouldn't want to have accusations made towards you with your words as weapons.

The glory days of Dimmu Borgir

Compliations

I normally don't bother with any of them because the portion that a band does for that compilation tends to be inadequate. I am always craving more as soon as I come across a band that I have definitely enjoyed from beginning to end. If I want one song, I would just go on myspace, youtube, or imeem and listen to the those songs and have a free compilation. Thankfully, the compilations that I had listen to have been free.

Pest Productions is releasing a compilation, a very good one, one worth spending money for. The compilation exhibits various artists from the post-rock, post-black metal, and depressive black metal scene all on one cd. My order has been put in and I am growing very impatient, I am sure that the outcome will be worth the wait wholeheartedly.

Take my link to the left bottom of this post to Pest Productions and indulge in some of the finest art that I have ever listened to in the past year.

Wolves

Wolves and the Throne Room have got to be some of the best performers in the whole Metal scene. There powerful sound demands your attention, the intricate drum patters pound on your chest, the shrieks send chills down your spine, the raw emotion put into those riffs demand movement. Although WITTR attract casual metal listeners rather than hessians, the response to their music is unimaginable. I'll be honest, their music on cd is good but not great, however, what was performed tonight deems this band a title that hasn't been said too much, they are better live than on CD. Next time they come around, I'll be sure to get the day off.

Post - Rock and Shoegaze confusion

I have noticed that the number of bands that have the "Shoegaze" genre name in alliance with Black Metal has become an increasing number. I have yet to figure out how these two genres ever met and who started the "compatibility".

Shoegaze and Black Metal do possess common qualities but the qualities that make the genre what it is are contradictory to each other. Shoegaze has tremolo picking, distorted strumming that illustrates the same effect that tremolo can evoke, repetition, and a BRIGHT sound. On the other hand, Black Metal possess tremolo picking, heavy abuse on distortion, and a dark, dismal, sinister sound. Although you can include some brightness to a sinister riff exuding the evil, but for the genres to ever come hand in hand together just wouldn't make sense. What I believe is that someone blindly, or in this case deaf-ly, heard My Bloody Valentine and thought Alcest would fall into that genre nicely. Alcest being a band created by Neige of Peste Noire and Amesoeurs fame attracted Black Metal fans into "Shoegaze" thus giving birth to many offspring with resemblance to the sonic art that Alcest has portrayed. I like to consider myself a fan of Shoegaze, although my knowledge isn't vast, I do believe that it is enough to be familar with what it is in terms of music not ideology, and by a key quality of the two genres what metalheads know as Shoegaze is far from what it is.

I believe that Alcest are more of a post-rock band, very little Black Metal in their first full length, resulting in the absense of Black Metal. I think their sound can easily be compared to Sigur Ros, although they too have their share of differences, the compatibility between the two genres seems much more relevant than the Shoegaze/Black Metal relationship. After being exposed to more Post-Rock, credits go to Bj for getting EVERYBODY into Post-Rock, I would have to say that Amesoeurs, Heretoir (must listen), Liam, Onryo (must)and the many others that flood myspace are relatives of Post-Rock and the offspring of Post-Rock/Black Metal, I conveniently prefer Post-Black Metal.

The common qualities between Post-Rock and Black Metal are more frequent. Drum patterns heard in Heretoir are similar to that of ________ and the riffing is very reminiscent of The American Dollar, I went blank for a bit, so the bands may not be so suitable but it still beats what any shoegaze could share. The songs tend to be very lengthy including a epic build up or even slow down. One key difference is the vocals, Black Metal is littered with them while Post-Rock throws them out.

Anyways, I think that all Black Metal bands that have the subgenre, Shoegaze, included should detach it and put Post Rock.

Industrial

Industrial is fucking great, if I had to dance it would be to industrial. The harsh atmosphere is amazing, I know that dancing was never suppose to be aggressive, except in the Wheel of Time, but to each his/her own. After doing some research, this isn't industrial exactly, more like a sub genre of it by the name of Power Noise/Noise and Aggrotech, honestly, I don't care, it's not like I will be one of those people at Das Bunker every weekend trying to be elite, I get enough of that at the Black Castle.

Depressive Years

With names like Nocturnal Depression and I'm In A Coffin, I would instantly consider the band a bunch of little angst filled kids that believe they have suffered the hardships of life. But then again, after reading various interviews and doing necessary research, you come to the conclusion that some of these people may not be like that.Depressive Years is a band that has a shitty name and not much is known about them, so I'll give him (one-man band, of course) the benefit of the doubt. But then again, you can go so many ways, the music created may have been created to reflect the times of struggle especially when only one release has been made. Anyways...

Depressive Years produce well played DSBM, although the riffs are held for too long, the alternate riff to come in that song is well worth the wait. The songs progress from a slow, clean, new Hypothermia-esque riff to a somewhat post-rock happy, joyful pattern. Although only four songs the album stretches to nearly an hour, which I believe is a good move by the man behind the project, if he were to seperate each riff, the bad will out weigh the good leaving me unhappy with the purchase. Each riff complements each other positively making the unsettling atmosphere that much worse. The drums remain the same for quite sometime as do the riffs, but when the transition arrives they both change as a cohesive unit. The vocals are more on the raspy side rather than the shriek yet still undecipherable.

I find this to be incredibly soothing, the atmosphere isn't as unsettling and hasn't brought me anywhere close to shedding a tear like some of the songs that I'm In a Coffin produces but it can hit the spot. Musically amazing with lots of potential behind the band.

6.5/10

Boring riffs should have been shortened, but what can we do about it?

so KVLT I had to take the picture from a seller on eGay

Infiltration. Downfall. Death.

War Metal has never been something that I was totally into, which I am still not. It takes lots of time for me to become accustomed to such brutality since I am exposed to more "melodic", in this case, "weak", forms of music.

Revenge follow the same patterns of their previous albums, chaotic war noise, if that makes sense, if not just imagine noise. In other words, if you listen to one album you have listened to all of them, but there is hope for some sort of diversity with this album. The album is filled with tumbling drum fills like pails falling down a hill, rabid cymbal strikes resembling shattered glass, and of course the signature snarls and barks. They still follow the same formula except with much more accuracy. Militarism is still intact within the drumming, this time being far more accurate, consistent, and seemingly effortless. As the songs slow down the guitars become deep, bass is heard. Even the vocals have some chant-like melodies, perfect for fist pounding.

War Metal done by Revenge may in fact remain in my playlists for quite some time.

7/10

Managarm

Prolonged Isolation - Managarm

Instrumentals are either hit or miss, they require complexity, melody, and a nice hook to reel you in. Managarm's attempt at one isn't 100% instrumental but it will do. The random shrieks are unnecessary and a tad bit annoying, if they sounded like cries, that's a different story, but who am I to decide the direction of art. That high pitched melody that appears throughout the song sounds incomplete yet begins completion towards the end, once again, synthesizing music theory with DSBM. This ranks up to be a great instrumental not in the ranks of La Dryade, but it does provide numerous listening experiences.

Archgoat!

Over the past couple days I came to a conclusion that I do want to begin Airsofting, although to start off is quite pricey, it still became something that could knock off Embrace the Hate's importance. Despite Archgoat's headlining spot, I am surprised that Airsofting was actually able to last so long in my head. Thankfully, I have come to the conclusion that Airsofting can wait. It's been quite some time that I have had blood smeared across my jacket, beer on my boots, and a sore body, I think it's time to return with loads of cash to buy some merch. Like I've said before, Archgoat is a band that I would regret deeply if I were to miss their sonic ritual. Who can honestly say "No" to their filthy style of Black metal and not be mesmerized by Angelslayer's haunting growls.

Nightwish

I don't know why I like this song. His vocals aren't too great, the lyrics have no rhyming scheme, and the song itself sounds like a rip off of Last Samurai.

This song on the other hand. . . too bad Tarja isn't part of the band anymore

Lifted

I spoke with Andy today regarding mechanical problems and I have had a great weight lifted off my shoulders. His confidence of the solution to my car troubles is backed up with a hefty amount of evidence which stimulates a sense of hope. Perhaps, my summer won't be so dull. Despite the hope, there is still a sense of negativity which lingers, but I think this is the solution. And of course, I should still save up for a new car, it will provide me with peace of mind for a sufficient amount of time.

Onto other news, I have been listening to Noctifer quite avidly. The band is odd, the composition remains generic but the vocal patterns are questionable. The vocals are presented during odd times, a vocal melody is heard yet no vocals. It definitely adds a new twist, I am very certain I will purchase their cd tomorrow. In addition to their abstract presentation of vocals, they seem to have grasped the true understanding of NS. This high dose of War-themed Black Metal has gotten my blood pumping, I feel like strapping on my bullet belt, put on my ski mask, and wreak havoc, too bad, I have been sober for nearly 2 months and actually plan on continuing.

SIEG!!!!!!


Congrats to Mike for obtaining a job!
And a personal FUCK YOU! to Stever for flaking out on an interview that he referred me too!

I still remember

Magnficent

Oh, such a breathtaking sight,
Of purest beauty and innocence.
Uncorrupted by this cruel world,
Spirits not crushed by this cold life.
I can't look away...

You bathe in the sunlight of spring,
While I'm forever stuck in this dreary autumn.
Like a flower that will never bloom,
Forever in this dreary autumn.

You glow with the warmth of the sun,
But your rays don't reach me.
In the cold, dreary autumn,
The sun doesn't warm...

This dreadful emptiness,
The cold, cold world.
You slammed the door on me,
you locked me in the cold.

I craved your warmth,
But it was to late.
Too late you realized,
That I was in the cold.

I am sold, this song sends chills through my body. From the very shrieks to the atmospheric tone that this song has created, it does bring myself to sadness yet I see a sense of hope in it. Not very many bands have managed to do so. They have definitely matured with their use of clean vocals, great song structures, strategically placed keyboards, and subtle drum patterns I don't understand why I hated this at first. Perhaps it was because my musical tastes were immature, my palate was not ready for such magnificence. The use of theory is evident, this is not mindless "I like the way it sounds", it's music that plays tricks on you, sends you through a roller coaster, sends you through Life. They've thrown away their use of pseudonyms and corpse paint, and all it has done is promote their seriousness. This song contains the much needed hope that I had always wished for. I have delved into death to come out with the desire to live. . .

So Sad. . .

Wave

I'm listening to some new DSBM bands, they fucking suck. Slow music results in only boredom. The bleak atmosphere that should accompany that drone-like speed is what makes DSBM what it is, of course with the vocals, but that's easily imitated nowadays.

One of the few that I have been enjoying as of late

Easter

Today is Easter, another worthless Holiday created to give that jump in the economy and keep money flowing is all it really is. I see no significance in the Christian's reason for celebrating it, the son of their God dies and rises up once again to serve as the reminder that God gave his only son for our sins. I would think that the faith you have in your God should not require the idols that he has given you, the idol of his son on the cross. Interesting to see that occur when it was said in the Old Testament that something such as that is prohibited. This religions consists of so many contradictions and stories in relativity to other religions yet you still manage to hold your heads up in arrogance. Jesus didn't die for your sins, he died for his doctrine.

Anyways, onto more mind stimulating topics, Abyssmal Sorrow has managed to create a hole for itself. They are an amazing Funeral Doom/Black Metal band spreading self hatred from Australia. The atmosphere is superb, the vocals dark, slow, and the drum patterns repetitive, yes, it is a creeper much like the good DSBM bands. The struggle has manifested in the songs they cultivate. I liked it from the beginning but the songs were too long and slow that it only lasted a few plays, now that my taste has matured, it's played more often. Sadly, Funeral Doom isn't as well thought as this, it tends to consist of mindless strumming rather than that atmosphere that is created once the strums are synthesized. Funeral Doom is definitely a genre that has proven to be something that I am not willing to open my mind up to fully.

Open

Now that my hours have once again been cut and I don't have the necessary funds to run around doing what I would like to do, I have began going over some of my older cds, primarily those that I was not very fond of from first listen. I believe that this is a great time to touch base with some of my previous records due to the fact that I have become more open minded in regards to music and what I consider as music. I have matured and armed myself accordingly to what I believe should be given the title of music and be taken to the next level into Art. Some of the bands included in this mix are Secrets of the Moon, Black Metal hailing from Germany, and Converge, a metallic Hardcore band, I don't know much about them, I am just enjoying their music.

Secrets of the Moon was a band that I hated with disgust because their attempt at abstract time signatures were in fact not abstract at all. At the earlier point I hated Progressive. The majority of Progressive metal contains odd time signatures, which I don't mind so much, but what does bother me is that the riffs go all over the place with the time signatures still accompanying them. In addition to the not very abstract attempt, their songs had that dose of chug chug, 2 chord breakdowns. Over time, I have actually enjoyed this because it does managed to embed itself into your head. Although the music isn't too great, the lyrics I do enjoy to a great extent, well thought, original, and distinct. Much preferred over the meaningless, simple, straightforward blasphemies exhibited by the earlier Black Metal bands.

Next band is Converge, they were a band that had over technical guitar play and annoying vocals. At times I still find myself annoyed of the vocals but the guitar playing is something hard to over look. It is over technical but that is one of the reasons why I have been enjoying it, the riffs sometimes remind me of the spiraling technique that Averse Sefira creates. I do enjoy Hardcore (not hXc bullshit) in small dosages, after listening to an hours worth I do find myself annoyed of it, actually, more like angry at it. I guess with Sound and Fury coming up and what Bj has informed me with, the music will be appropriate for tearing shit up. Hopefully I will manage to hold my own ground when dozens of people are on top of you.

EBM

Since I haven't been looking for new metal bands I have made my way towards Darkwave/EBM/Industrial. Here are two songs from VNV Nation that I have been listening to all day since I have been on the computer, Amesoeurs, everywhere else. When we go to Amoeba this friday, something that they have released is definitely going to be in my hands, hopefully not a remix though.

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