Diabolus in Media

Black Metal ideologies

2011-04-17T14:15:00.001-07:00

Regardless of who you speak to or listen to, I have deciphered (from documentaries and interviews) something behind the Black Metal ideology. My discovery is two-fold, covering the artists and the fans. It'd be easy to say "well, yeah, of course that's the case." However, there's a difference between saying that and actually finding evidence that suggests something. What I have found is that a minority of artists and fans either take the music too seriously or treat it as a joke. However, most tend to be somewhere in the middle, merely appreciating the music for the art that it is. So, despite what Norwegian newspapers have said in the past, there is no true Satanic conspiracy. Although, wouldn't it be fun if there was?

Genealogy of Extreme Metal

2011-03-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

As many people know, heavy metal was started by Black Sabbath. They are, quite literally, the grandfather of modern heavy metal (though I still maintain that Steppenwolf coined the term "heavy metal"). Through a fusion of punk and heavy metal, thrash came into being. From thrash came black and death metal. It's an over-simplified breakdown of events, but that is the general order of things. The Big Four of thrash were all from the US and they were influenced by bands like Diamond Head and Motorhead. The band Venom is credited with starting black metal, or at least coining the phrase, with their second LP Metal Black. Afterwards, black metal exploded in Norway and, to a lesser extent, in Sweden. Florida and Sweden were the strongholds of early Death Metal.

Death Metal

2011-03-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

Death Metal came out of thrash. It is the Romulus to Black Metal's Remus. DM involves, often, fast tremolo picked guitar riffs, the use of minor or diminished keys, a hefty amount of atonality, growled vocals (traditionally, but not really a must. This is actually a legitimate technique known as glottal fry!), blast beats in drumming, all merged with tempo and time signature changes. Black metal is often stripped down and raw whereas death metal contains a bit more musicianship, to say the least.

Death metal contains lyrical themes that revolve around violence, destruction and death (as the name obviously implies). Some bands within this sub-genre write very specific lyrics about gore and violence, other exult in war and the destruction that it causes and some earlier bands (such as Death) didn't feel the need to stick to these tropes and ideas, as the genre was still in its infancy. Other lyrical themes are still present, as the above mentioned are not a must. Such themes may include Satanism, the occult or social commentary.

Black Metal

2011-03-09T12:45:00.000-08:00

The band credited with starting this genre, or at least coming up with the title "black metal," is a British metal band called Venom. The second wave of black metal, which took off in Norway, is often referred to as "True Norwegian Black Metal." These are the bands who burned churches (some of them, anyways).

Black metal often contains heavy use of tremolo picked melody lines, fast strumming rhythm guitar, less palm muting and chunking than is present in thrash and non-conventional song structure. While there are plenty of black metal bands that subscribe to a standard verse, chorus, verse, etc. formula for their songs, it is by no means mandatory. Keys used are often, if not always, minor or some variation thereof and many bands utilize minor arpeggios that are moved around chromatically.

Lyrically, black metal is innately dark, covering topics such as Satan worship, National Socialism, misanthropy, anti-religion and suicide. Other sub-sub-genres of BM include pagan black metal (which is non-Satanic) and blackened folk or blackened death, blending the musical imagery of black metal with folk or death metal sounds and styles.

Thrash

2011-03-01T11:10:00.000-08:00

Thrash metal is the sub-genre that sparked the birth of extreme metal. It's origins are steeped in the late 70s and early 80s. It combined fast, percussive guitar riffs and shredding with the aggressive attitude of punk rock. Lyrical content usually spans social issues such as politics, religion and war with a focus on the negative. Seminal thrash bands include Great Britain's Diamond Head and Motorhead The "Big Four" of thrash (or, as I like to call them, the Four Horsemen) are Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer and they all formed in the United States of America. As far as musical traits go, chromaticism plays a major role in much of thrash metal, as well as "chunking" (which is basically an excessive use of palm muting). This is, of course, in addition to having a huge focus on various lead guitar techniques that emphasize speed.

New Incarnation

2011-03-01T11:05:00.000-08:00

This blog is now about the history of Extreme Metal and how it coincides with the media. Enjoy.

Starless Aeon

2010-09-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

This is the final segment of a 4-part interview with Erik from Watain. Listen to his words, especially on the nature of Black Metal. Anyone who fancies themselves a black metal musician should heed his words.

Holy Wars

2010-08-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

I am sure almost everyone, even sub-rock dwellers such as myself, have heard of the Ground Zero mosque. Now, I'm all for tolerance, especially when it breeds chaos. Trust me, this WILL breed chaos. Likely some hate, as well. But I digress.
As far as I know, this mosque ain't even ON Ground-0. That aside, the people in charge of it's construction happen to be Hamas sympathizers and, in general, against the US as well as Jews. Can't we stop the semite-on-semite violence? Seriously, though, I dislike our government as much as the next liberal douche but I agree that our government has no right to stop the mosque, regardless of how many people it offends or how insane and fanatical the people building it are. Let them bring on their own bloodbath upon their heads, it's their funeral. Post-rant spiel: do some research into the people and places involved, as well as our constitution, before you cast stones. Understand the situation and your 'enemy' before you seek to kill. That way, at least you know who you're killing.

From the Pulpits of Abomination

2010-08-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

...comes my final blog for my online course. I'll likely continue, as this has been an enjoyable process for me. I plan on going more towards my original roots, with a focus on music as presented in the media. I'll also (likely) avoid all things Top 40s. Then again, if "pop stars" keep making fools of themselves, and I keep hearing about it, then I'll be sure to give them a good ribbing. I also plan to keep my eye on world news, both more myself and for my readers. After all, I think I owe it to you guys (no matter that there are so few...) to raise my opinions on the shit-show that is politics in the media, both national and international. I have opinions, this means I am opinionated. Fucking deal with it!

Until next time, stay metal.

Cyberwaste

2010-08-07T19:34:00.000-07:00

I have a plan. I want people to let me know if it is feasible. With all these new xG phones (Droids, Smartphones, etc.) I've noticed that the internet is a handy tool to, well, have on hand. Especially while on the go. I'm also not a fan of paying into corporations. Many of these phones have apps that basically turn your phone into a modem. You can also get Skype apps and such for your phone. I was wondering if it were possible to get a modem app so you can latch onto wi-fi without paying for the internet and use skype to call people (on skype) without paying for a phone service. Let me know, because I think it's an intriguing idea to take an old phone, keep it and make it into a skype phone. It'd be fun to at least try.

Brothers in Darkness

2010-08-06T19:18:00.000-07:00

How to be a musician and make a living. A difficult question, especially considering I didn't go to a conservatory (in order to be molded into a machine who does nothing but play other peoples' music. I'd prefer to be an artist over that kind of musician!). There are many options I have to consider, as I'll be out of college in one year. Of these avenues, there's always going back to teaching private lessons (but I need to hone my skills before I can do that again, otherwise I'd feel like I was cheating my students!), there's also being a session musician, which ain't a bad gig. Obviously I plan on continuing to write music after college, as well as continue on with my band. To not do so would be foolish. Also, I could try and write jingles and do covers of old standards that are now public domain to make money.

There is, however, one option that I definitely want to work towards. I want to start my own New England based black metal label. It may, in time, increase to cover other genres of extreme metal, but I want to start small with a group of musicians who often have little to no voice in the US.

Freedom

2010-08-05T17:44:00.000-07:00

In case you guys are wondering, Facebook will never go up as a pay site. Until Mark comes up with a better plan, at least. It even says on the main page: Sign Up. It's free and always will be.

So, while random chain letters via FB message will probably still come up (I never bothered with them. If my FB is deleted, it's deleted. Whatever.), it isn't likely that Facebook will change its policy. However, there could always be more advertising. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you post things on your FB that you DO NOT WANT PEOPLE TO SEE, then you should do one of two things:
a) Stop being a retard and don't put anymore personal information up online for everyone to see.
or
b) Read the bloody, gods for saken ToS! He TELLS you what info. they freely give out. There are also ways to mitigate much of this. Remember, people, this is the internet we're dealing with. Nothing is sacred.

Pazuzu

2010-08-04T07:48:00.001-07:00

This blogging thing is like a whirlwind. Once you get caught up in it, it's pretty easy to keep going along with the swirling torrent of internet whathaveyous. I'll most likely keep it up when this class is over. Either way, sometimes it is difficult to find something to legitimately blog about. For instance, I don't wanna be one of those opinionated assholes who has nothing to say. I'd much prefer to be the opinionated asshole I am; that is, I like being a jerk with a point. It's what I'm good at.

Back to the topic I wanted to discuss, blogging in general. You can sit and sift through ideas, but I think it's best to have a focus for one's blog. That way it'll be easier for ideas to come to you, which they will, often at inopportune times. Having a phone with internet helps. Sadly, I can't afford to keep paying for the internet on my phone.

Which brings me to another nifty idea. You can download an app, for Droids at least, which turns your phone into a modem so you can still use wi-fi, even if your phone doesn't have internet service. Sounds like a damn good idea to me.

Lawless Darkness, or A Study on Black Metal, Part III

2010-08-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, my band Ageotan performed in a small show on the Dead End Farm in Northfield, VT. We performed with the bands Curséd Earth, Katahdin and Falls of Rauros. The show was phenomenal (it started with us burning a miniature church; a blazing effigy for all those destroyed by Christians of the past, present and future) and everything went as smoothly as can be hoped for, considering the "venue" and the circumstances (rain, darkness, alcohol and drugs, as well as power from a gasoline generator).

When we first approached the stage and started into our intro, we already had the ebb and flow of our musical set-list in mind. The build up smoothly flowed into our second song and the crowd went insane. Everyone crammed under the tent with us, who were spilling out of it, erupted into a torrent of headbanging and moshing. People were whirling and dancing like it was the End of Everything. It was beautiful and destructive, dark and thrilling, chaotic and mad. This is Power, this is Magic, the ability to impose your will and your own emotions onto another, onto a score of others. To whip the masses into a frenzy and harvest that energy in a grim feast, letting it fester and grow. I know not if we were channeling something greater than the whole of ourselves and we were merely conduits for that power or if it was truly ours to possess, but (for those of you un-experienced or untalented enough to not know) it is a High greater than any drug.

They say "power corrupts." If that is so, I never want to go back.

I never want to be "Pure" again.

Sex and Violence!

2010-07-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

With so much "meaningless" entertainment out there, I often wonder how meaningless it actually is. I mean, sure, sex sells and I like violence as much as the next alpha-masculine, red-necked douche... OK, maybe I should quite put it that way. Point being, sex and violence are great and attract attention, not to mention make money. It's a far cry from the Panem et Circenses of the Roman Empire and it's not quite the Opiate for the Masses of which Marx spoke, but it definitely seems to (narcotize just seems like the wrong word for this) interest us more than other subjects. Not to say humanity is all for primal, visceral imagery (although it can be great and done in a very artistic way, in its own right), but it does seem to be a long standing tradition. Especially in the U.S.

Jotun

2010-07-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

Ever get tired of seeing the same, stupid shit on television? I sure did, which is why I don't watch commercial TV much at all anymore. If I ever do, it's usually because I'm at someone's house and that's what they feel like doing. There are reasons why TV is like this. The few media giants who control commercial television don't own one station or channel, they just own several with different names. These Jotun of the industry, such as Rupert Murdock or Viacom, devour smaller companies and smash diversity in order to make more cash (this doesn't even need to be said, really). How are these few companies not monopolies? How do they get away with saying they're not responsible for the content they put out there? I mean, I hate censorship, don't get me wrong. But publishing lies and opinions as news media is pretty criminal (for SHAME, Rupert! tsk tsk!).
Here I was thinking that entertainment TV was picked up by different entities and was the same because the majority of people were just stupid. Now I see that while the majority of people ARE stupid, the few TV and media corporations that bombard us with this crap aren't helping and, in fact, may be exacerbating (look it up! read a book!) the problem. So, not only do we have a stupid citizenry being kept ignorant by the media, but we also are in a state where the information we receive is given to us by individuals who only want to increase their own net worth. Why trust someone who is so rich that they're an island when it comes to national and international politics? I sure as shit don't.

Lookin' Out My Back Door...

2010-07-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

...and I happened to notice something odd. I was wondering if anyone else has noticed this. What's with advanced hyper-technology always failing in the face of ambient radiation on a planet's surface? You'd think more advanced races would have found a way around this small problem. I mean, what's a little gamma-ray interference when stars die constantly? Look, all I'm saying is, when you're attempting to take resources from another world, you need proper, up to date equipment and planning. You can't afford to cut corners. Also, unless your homeworld happens to be under a totalitarian regime, you can't legitimately hold back the galactic press from reporting their findings. That's just absurd.

Black Seeds on Virgin Soil

2010-07-23T18:57:00.001-07:00

One thing I can say about the movie High School (other than that it's wicked boring) is that at least they had a more legitimate sex ed program than most places in the US nowadays. For the love of fuck, if you treat high schoolers like adults and educate them like adults, I'd imagine they'd be more likely to ACT like adults. They's be better equipped to enter the adult world, hopefully (but not likely) better educated. Jeez, let's not kid each other. Abstinence ain't the only solution (unless you shouldn't reproduce).
Now, whenever this flick is supposed to take place (the 50s, the 60s!?), adults seemed to have this idea in their head that children should automatically, no matter what, show them respect. Also, of course, children weren't due any respect. Personally, I think that's outdated and ageist. No one deserves ANY respect unless they earn it. However, it is good to show your superiors at work at least some MOCK respect until they earn it from you properly, so as to not get your ass fired.

the Waters of Ain

2010-07-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

Alright guys, get this: Watain is touring with Behemoth. Should be pretty badass. On that note, I'd like to talk briefly about the last song on Watain's new album, Lawless Darkness. The song is called Waters of Ain. It is one of the most beautiful compositions I've heard in a long time. When I first heard it, I was driving home at night from a long, stressful day. During the song I experienced something wonderful, a state of total ego-loss. There weren't even any drugs involved. It was like sitting in the back seat while watching myself drive. At the same time I was watching my mind shatter and float away into the ether, if you will. It was, quite literally, a transcendental experience. Have any of you had a similar experience with music?

In Sorte Diaboli

2010-07-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

So, for those of you who don't already know, Dimmu Borgir is supporting Korn ontheir next tour. Not only is Dimmu Responsble for mainstream, watered-down symphonic black metal, but they're also huge sell-outs (apparently). Don't get me wrong, though. I listened to Korn all the time. In middle school.

Enough about Korn. In fact, enough about Dimmu Borgir. They're barely Black Metal, anymore. If they're upcoming album is anything like the last one, they're dead to me. Then, maybe, I can hope for more solo project work from Silenoz and Galder.

Fiction (Dreams In Digital)

2010-07-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

Ah, the interwebz. The largest source of information, and misinformation, in existence. Image boards, memes, search engines, chat rooms; these all can provide a use, be it for humor or research purposes. On site, in particular, takes the cake when it comes to lazy research: Wikipedia. While Wikipedia is moderated and fact-checked, that does not mean that everything therein is accurate. After all, anyone can edit information on the site. For example, when Bill Nye (yes, the Science Guy!) spoke at Bridgewater State College, a friend of mine (who happened to have her laptop handy) decided to edit his page on Wikipedia! She gave a play-by-play of everything he spoke to us about! Sadly, less than an hour after his speech, all of the information we put up about the Science Guy was removed. We were bullshit. None of it was a lie, in fact, it was all primary source material! Anyhow, we decided t say "fuck it" and didn't bother putting it back up.

If you plan on using Wikipedia as a source, check their sources! It's a good idea to fact check anything you're writing about, anyways.

Fallen

2010-07-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

Shattered Glass, an interesting flick. It presents a window into the life of employees for major magazines. It also presents a window into a scary sort of world. This is fear beyond the stress of working in such an environment. It is about fabricating stories. Being an entertainer and posing as a journalist. The very nature of journalism is to do research so you may present the truth to your readers/listeners/whathaveyou, not to lie in order to be well-liked and respected.

Shattered Glass made me think of something else that disturbed me... if the news magazine in the movie was really as powerful as it was said to be, that it can affect politics and policies, then there should definitely be no room for error. They have a duty to print truth, anything else is unacceptable. Borderline criminal, as well. I believe Liable is a lie in print? Ah, well. It just goes to show ya, always fact check your shit. I've gotten into trouble for not doing that in conversations with friends of mine. I have since learned.

At any rate, I would recommend that you check this flick out! It definitely changeds in tone and feel along with events in the movie quite well... keeps the viewer engaged in more ways than just amusement.

Heirs to Perdition

2010-07-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

So, there is a channel on YouTube that I enjoy watching called "Satanic Views." If you have half a brain then you'll realise after watching that they're not actually satanic. All they seek to do is propose alternate viewpoints to things, or just point out stuff they find ridiculous. I'd recommned checking them out more than reading about it, as most of the episodes are pretty funny and bring up some interesting points and ideas. For those of you who may be interested, I'll be embedding episode 22 for you to watch. As you view it, consider their review of the movie Jesus Camp and what the people in the movie are trying to accomplish. Personally, I find the existence of such a documentary to be an invaluable resource for anyone who wants a look into the lives of relatively unknown enemies of the USA (or, at least, people who aren't perceived as enemies, but could be if you consider what they say and how serious they are).

Good Mourning

2010-07-07T08:55:00.000-07:00

With the passing of this recent 4th of July, I have been filled with thoughts of the past and the future. It makes me wonder where the US is going and inspect where it has been. It makes me feel sorrow for what we have become but, for some stupid reason, I still have hope in mankind. Fireworks everywhere, tourists wasting space, people getting high and shitfaced while watching everything go down. This is how we celebrate the birth of our nation. There isn't anything inherently wrong with this, but it seems kinda weak to me. What happened to celebrating one's freedom with a statement, a declaration of said freedom?

What makes me mourn our nation the most is that a lot of politicians I've seen/heard speak over the past 2 decades and some change of my life seem to believe that the US, it's laws and it's values are based on the Judeo-Christian myths. Clearly, these misguided people weren't well-versed in what our Founding Fathers actually believed. Jefferson edited the supernatural OUT of the Bible. Washington wanted our nation to have NOTHING to do with faith. While the Founding Fathers may have been raised protestant, they KNEW that they needed to keep faith out of the system in order to make it fair and equitable for people of ALL FAITHS. Not just Christianity and it's followers. Besides, people with religious power combined with temporal power are very dangerous. Just look at the Pope and his crimes against humanity by protecting pedophiles world wide!

Suffer the Fools

2010-06-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

I've noticed something very interesting with IG-88. There are several quality free apps available. More importantly, some of these apps contain advertisements in them. This is likely to pay the people who made them, which serves a twofold purpose: they make money and we get free shit. Sadly, I have to deal with a few advertisements at the bottom of my touchscreen. Good thing I don't look down there. I suppose people will use any medium possible to make a buck.

O, Canada!

2010-06-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

So, I have returned from my trip to Quebec City. I found that, while I cannot understand French in any way, shape or form, there is still the same ever present marketing schemes. No matter how quaint a street may seem, you are still bombarded by signs and sounds of advertisement. As far as stereotypes go, I can say any I've heard about people from Quebec are wrong. Also, they're not French. Just ask them. They have a lot of pride in their separation from France a few hundred years ago. As another note, contrary to popular belief in the US, not everyone in the world speaks English. However, Quebec is officially bilingual, so I was still able to find like-minded individuals to communicate with. If you all have any specific questions, ask away and I'll try and answer some.

PS: I will go back some day.

Approaching Doom; or, A Study on Black Metal, Part 2

2010-06-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

As you may remember from reading Part 1 (if you haven't, you should), Black Metal has earned quit the name for itself (including its misrepresentation in the news media). So, what's all the hubbub about Satan in heavy metal, anyways? The Devil's Music? I thought that was Rock 'n' Roll. Black Metal has, in effect, cast a dark light on the rest of heavy metal, especially the various sub-genres of extreme metal. This has caused a general stereotyping of a much larger, more varied style of music, of which Black Metal is a few generations removed.
Also, as we can see, this stereotyping has almost been worn as a brand of honor for many Black Metal bands. There are likely more "Satanic" BM bands than non, although I cannot say for sure if that is true. There are also bands with more of a folkish bent, Pagan BM bands, (sadly) NS Black Metal, even BM bands that are basically environmentalists. The one thing they all have in common would be misanthropy. Their great equalizer, almost all Black Metal proper contains elements of this in their feel/overall message, if not their lyrics directly. This creates a true equality in the way they see the world, in an odd sense. That being the idea that all humans are equally contemptable, ergo their lack of a need to stereotype others. Why bother lumping people into groups when we're all down here in the dirt, anyways? While I cannot speak for every BM musician, I do believe that this may be a logical leap in stereotyping when combined with the fundamentals of misanthropy itself. Ave Satanas.

He's Got the Whole World in his Hands

2010-06-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

So, first blog from my new phone. I've never used a phone with internet and a touchscreen before. For the record, my phone's name is IG-88. Kudos if you get the reference. Now I can access internet damn well anywhere, and it feels like an odd sense of power. Also, detachment. It is power because I can tap into the knowledge of the world at my leisure. It is detachment because I can now ignore the world and become surrounded by the carelessness of the net with the same ease. Anyhow, tomorrow I go to Canada and hope to post on what differences I can see between their media and ours.

Booze, Broads and Beelzebub

2010-06-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

So, I've decided to change my blog a bit. I will still be trying to keep a major focus of it on music and how it coincides with the media, but that is no longer the central issue. There are too many things of import to discuss beyond music, which is a fact I cannot ignore.

On to the topic of gender and sexuality and such! There was a commercial played only during the uperbowl that was almost immediately banned, which my friend reminded me of. Two men were working on a car engine and then started to eat a candy bar (which shall remain nameless). The spin of this commercial was very Lady and the Tramp (you remember the cute flick with the puppies and literal puppy love?). So, these guys accidentally kiss because they were eating a candy bar from both ends. One of them then says something to the effect of "quick, do something manly!"

Apparently this humerous commercial was banned due to an outcry of various GLBT groups, with good reason. While this may be a funny commercial to the average "straight" man in U.S. society,that doesn't mean it won't be offensive. It was an add playing off of gender stereotypes. The real funny part was, however, that it also seemed to make fun of "manly men" (which was my initial take on the commercial), it just also happened to make fun of men who were effeminate and/or homosexual men.

My question for the men who read my blog (if you have the SACK to post an honest response and talk about these issues) is twofold: The first part is whether or not it should be considered OK to use such stereotypes on sex, sexual orientation and gender to sell a product (even though most women and men don't complain when these things happen) and the second would be the everpresent and ominous 'why?'

Also, keep in mind, other products are also very sex and gender oriented, like music, for example! There's been so much alpha-masculine "cock rock" that has been made since I was born that it's gotten kinda ridiculous. Then again, the absurdity of the music is part of why I like much of it. Another mission for you, my lazy, unmotivated and unable to post much of any interest or import on my blog, viewers, is to point out some clear examples of this in music. I'll site one for ya to get the ball rolling: Chrome Division. I love this band. Not only is it good hard rock, but they also go with the whole "wine, women and song" approach to rock. They sing about, as the title of this post dictates, Booze, Broads and Beelzebub. All of this makes for a traditionally masculine form of music and lyrical content. NOW GO FORTH AND POST.

Nothing to do with Music

2010-06-14T20:53:00.000-07:00

I purchased a Droid phone, today. It's interesting, having internet in my hand wherever I go. This raises an interesting idea in my mind. No matter how small our world gets through the spread of media, it seems as though it's getting even smaller as the years pass by. What are your thoughts on this, oh, readers?

Sworn to the Dark

2010-06-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

A way many musicians get the word out there is through interviews. Some just like to hear themselves talk, some push whatever political agendas they may have, other just shamelessly plug their music. Either way, interviews are conducted on big TV channels, such as MTV, by music-geared magazines and by websites.

Interviews are also a great way for you, the consumer, to learn about a band or a favorite musician. Interviews tend to include questions about new and/or upcoming releases, tours, ideologies and political beliefs, live performances, sometimes even personl questions that are no ones' business.

I present to you an example which has, pretty much, all of the above. Metal-Rules.com posted a two part interview of Erik, lead singer of Watain, up on their website and it made it's way to Youtube, as well. Check it out!

Felonies of Christian Art

2010-06-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

So, folks. I am back from my brief hiatus, which was full of lethargy, sloth, skullduggery and general excitement about music in general (both new music and my own). Let's kick this off with a brief CD review:
Watain, on 6/7/10, released their newest album 'Lawless Darkness.' Honestly, the press about it on the CD wrapper and the acclaim it's receiving on the internet are all true, for the most part. It is a sweeping, epic rendition of Black Metal that hasn't been seen, in my opinion, in years. They utilized very little media in the US to promote their upcoming album, that being their myspace, a couple magazines and fan sites online. There was no major hubub about it at all, which only lends to their status as musicians. People who know about Watain KNOW when they're going to release new albums and tour, because the band's music speaks for itself. I'm not saying they're as popular as Dimmu Borgir, or anything, but I'd definitely say they're better (Sorry, Shagrath).

Black Metal aside, let's concentrate on the main focus of tonight's blog: Christianity in the media. Let's face it, we live in a nation (the US, people) where we at least pretend to practice religious tolerance. I'm not here to argue that, though I could. So, keeping this in mind, I like the fact that Christian Contemporary music and Christian radio exists, because it shows a tolerance for ONE type of faith. Sadly, I wish there weren't so many Christians...

I need to stop trying to turn this into a rant... I was drinking some tea and doing a little writing at a 24 hour Dunkies in my town and they had the radio on. Some Top 40s BS station, or something. I wasn't paying much attention. Until, that is, the female DJ on the air at that time started taking callers. The first was some woman who lacked the inner strength and drive to help herself in some stupid domestic issue. It saddens me when people are so weak, but remember, there's always more than one choice in life, often several! So, this woman was divulging some personal weakness to the DJ, who told her that "God is with you and He will see you through this." I said "Oh, what the fuck? Really?" and promptly left. Does it have a right to be on the air? Yes. However, I feel for there to be any TRUE equality of faith and religion presented in the media (not entertainment media, mind you, but in what people say as information) we must get rid of all of it. After all, there is a tremendous inequity when you compare the power of the various Christian sects in our media to say, Judaism, Islam, Shinto, Buddism (for those who consider it a religion), Asatru, and many other pagan faiths that people don't know about because they were never given a choice in the matter in life.

So, in short, buy Watain's new album Lawless Darkness if you want to experience Rebellion in its purest form on this earth. That is, after all, what the music is all about.

Satanic Black Metal In Hell; or, A Study on Black Metal, part 1

2010-06-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

Well, my dear readers, today I am pushing something a bit closer to home in my blog. If you haven't seen the documentary "Until The Light Takes Us," but you have an interest in metal, black metal or just all things Scandinavian, than you should! The documentary follows around Fenriz, famous black metaller from the band Dark Throne. It also contains interviews with Varg Vikernes during his time in prison for murder of hi bandmate, Euronymous. So, yeah, don't let the murder and whatnot bother you. Watch it and you may learn something!

On to my point... My point is how the media in Norway used the radical actions of a few members of the nascent black metal scene and tried to turn it against them. This has to do (for those of you who don't already know) with the church burnings that went on all over Norway at the time. First it was some of the musicians. Then, of course, some copy-cat arsons occurred, as well. This is to be expected, because a lot of people got away with burning churches. However, they weren't burning churches with people in them, nor were they doing it for the sake of destruction. They were attempting to prove a point. Their point was one of culture and one of respect. As Varg put it, if Christians come in and don't respect the Norwegian culture, why should we respect theirs? It was a matter of personal pride, heritage and a lingering belief in the Old Gods of Norway. It was a form of protest. The Norwegian media, however, said otherwise. They latched on to the dark sounds and lyrical themes of the sub-genre known as black metal, as well as the demonic appearance of the musicians themselves. It was all too easy for them to portray the arson and the music as SATANIC.

This isn't to say that Satanic Black Metal doesn't exist, of course it does! However, these people were literally demonized for their actions and it has served not only to detract from BM as a genre (when it comes to gaining popularity, most bands don't, especially in the US!) but also to create a sense of elitism behind the music and it's followers.

So, while the music isn't fundamentally satanic (per se), and while most black metallers didn't burn churches, the media was able to give them a long lasting mark. One that we bear proudly to this day! Ain't it scary how a few events can forever color something like a style of music?

Kaleidoscopic God

2010-06-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

So, genre. Yeah. It's there. I know many people who are of the school of thought that says one should hate genre. They come up with all sorts of reasons, most of which I've heard before and none of which I care to listen to, let alone agree with. I can, however, see where they're coming from. They don't like "labels." Whatever, I got over that when I graduated high school.

Something that many genre detractors miss is that it is useful not only for the consumer, but also for the producers. If someone enjoys rock 'n' roll, for instance, yet happens to hate R&B, how could they tell the difference between new musicians they've never heard of quickly and relatively accurately? Genre descriptions definitely lump things together in a way that can help the consumer find new music that they'll like. Also, from a music industry standpoint, it makes it easier for record labels to gear there music towards one or a few genres, thus allowing them to maximize profit from sales without taking risks by putting out music that their particular consumers do not listen to.

There is a problem with genre, however. For, in the music industry in the US (even to this day), there are technically only three main genres of music. That being Rock, Pop and Country. I know, sad, ain't it? Everything else is what is called a "fringe genre." So, all of these fringe- and sub-genres are there because they're either unrecognized by the conservatives controlling what is corporate music, or made up by those listening to and writing the music. This leads me to my problem: Confusion Of Genre.

Confusion of genre happens when, to give a personal example, some asshat seems to think that hardcore is metal, just because they're both traditionally "heavy" styles of music. And, while hardcore may be the bastard son of punk and metal, that doesn't make it either. It has become something entirely different.

All this talk about genre brings me to another pet peev of mine... Road Runner Records. Ah, RR, ruining American Metal since it's inception. They have done more to hurt the style of music they push than help it, mainly by streamlining all of it into the same, plastic, watered down metalcore that all sounds the same. Fuck you, RR. Rant over.

Video Killed the Radio Star

2010-06-01T10:20:00.001-07:00

So, I was hanging out with my buddy the other night, listening to Dissection's last LP, Reinkaos, and talking about music in general. We got onto the topic of the radio, somehow. I blame lack of sleep. The purpose of this blog is twofold: Firstly, I would like to speak about the Death of Radio. Secondly, what I like to call Plastic Music in today's society.

Initially, I brought up an odd fact. When I was in middle school and high school, I listened to the radio all the time, even when I owned CDs and tapes. I'd listen to 104.1, WBCN (Rock In Peace). Now, from listening to this all the time, while they played some music I did not like, they still catered (largely) to what my tastes at the time were. That being, obviously, alternative rock.

On the Death of Radio, all I have to say is, personally, it died with WBCN. Which is odd, because I stopped listening to the radio and watching TV when I first went to college in 2004. Why is the untimely demise of WBCN the Death of Radio? I'll tell you. It was like losing a friend. A large part of my formative years were spent listening to 'BCN, so it was like part of my childhood went away with it. It had, so thoroughly, shaped what I listen to, even today (though tastes HAVE changed), that I almost view it as the death of a 'cool, older brother.' This all ties into my next rant: PLASTIC MUSIC.

While many people today, still, utilize the radio, I do not. Mainly because I can't fucking stand Top 40s trash. It is brand named, commercialized bull. Funny thing is, so was what I used to listen to, Top 40s or not. I bring up a query for you, my readers: Do people listen to what they listen to because they like it or do they listen to it because they're raised to like it? I would venture that both are true, to some extent, but will only explain this view until others voice their own opinions. So bloody DO IT.

Odin Owns Ye All

2010-05-31T10:41:00.000-07:00

In honor of the American Einherjar who fell in battle, now and in years past.

Click, click BOOM

2010-05-30T13:47:00.000-07:00

Everyone remember the shootings at Columbine? I hope so, otherwise that's just sad. If you can't remember, I'll sum it up. Two sick bastards decided it would be a good idea to kill their fellow high school students.

Now, what does this all have to do with music? Oddly, nothing at all. I say oddly because the media portrayed something much different than that. Now, this may be an old story, but I thought it a good thing to prime the blog pumps with, so to speak.

As you may already know, people connected the two shooters (I vaguely remember a phrase
"trench coat mafia." I guess they ruined black trench coats for the rest of us.) to music by Brian Warner, better known as Marilyn Manson. I believe it was pointed out by Michael Moore most effectively (despite my distaste for the man, his "mockumentaries," and his dubious sources.) that these two students weren't actually fans of Manson's music. How he obtained such data, I'm not sure. Despite my lack of knowledge as to what Moore's sources were, it leads to an interesting point. Marilyn Manson's music doesn't have subliminal messages or any such crap, nor does it say you should go out and shoot your friends/enemies/neighbors/fellow students. At all. I know, I used to listen to it (and, let's face it, Manson knew a great formula for pop music. Just ask TRL!). The media who claimed it was partially Mr. Manson's fault, mostly religious (Kristjan) and right-wing in origin, due to his music. I suppose they just wanted to demonize and knock down anything that may have put a sense of freedom and rebellion into their dear childrens' hearts. Anyhow, this was really just a deliberate attempt to politically assassinate the career of someone who refused to be cast in a mold of someone else's choosing and who became famous for it, not to mention a defender of our right and freedom to not be censored. If you want to compare this blog to someone else's, I find the most humorous opposition to be right-wing, religious nuts. Have fun reading the URL below from some sad, brainwashed, standpoint.

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/Rock-n-Roll/marilyn_manson.htm