I have decided to change up the blog a little bit. It will not longer be solely about my interest in reviewing albums and random lists about music. I have decided to turn into a more open blog to encompass all of my interests and to do some much needed venting, maybe even some ranting. It will sometimes be subject matter of a philosophical nature, sometimes spiritual, sometimes of an insane stark raving mad nature.
WELCOME TO THE NEW MULTIVERSE
Friday, April 12, 2013
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Darkthrone- The Underground Resistance and Comments on Recent Events
Another year, another Darkthrone album, and yes as usual it fucking rules. You kvlt kids may not enjoy the hardcore punk and straight up trashiness of it but I think this sound is a more mature Darkthrone, a band that has decided not to be stuck in one particular style.
On a different note 2012 was a very hectic year for me and really I JUST now got caught up with all the albums I missed. So to reflect that I made the post really hectic. This year I am hoping to do a better job on keeping this blog updated. So how about a review to kick off my 2013 album listenings shall we?
As I already gave away this album rules. I will do this in real time to tell you what I think about this album. So far I am 4 tracks in and I don't really have any complaints. The riffs are perfect: they have a mixture of punk, straight up metal with that blackened tremolo edge, and believe me Darkthrone know how to blend them just right. Nothing sounds artificial like bands that blend styles just for the hell of it. I really like the in your face feel that this album can give you.
As the album goes on there is very little of the monotony that sometimes ruins these riffy type albums, but I am waiting to see how they do on that 13 minute long epic. This track Come Warfare so far could've come off of a complete death doom album. Oh and the vocals they are just gruff enough without being cheesy. I like it. Oh yes I do!
Well then how about a juicy tremolo riff to break up that monotony, just when I thought I was gonna have some complaints they threw in some variation: Good fucking job! And here goes another doomy ass riff for ya! that squealy guitar rules. Well maybe this song IS a smidge too long for my tastes but that is the only bad thing I can really say so far
And now the last track lasts and holy fuck a falsetto note, I DID NOT see that coming. This album is full of little random surprises for me I guess.
Its a fast punky type riff, and in some ways his vocals remind me of King Diamond. I love when ol Noct comes out with one of those trebley lead riffs, sometimes I wish they lasted longer. LEAVE! NO! CROSS! LEAVE NO CROSS UNTURNED! So apparently this album packs quite a punch
lets say about a 9/10 for the rating...Gawt dayum this was a good album!
On a different note 2012 was a very hectic year for me and really I JUST now got caught up with all the albums I missed. So to reflect that I made the post really hectic. This year I am hoping to do a better job on keeping this blog updated. So how about a review to kick off my 2013 album listenings shall we?
As I already gave away this album rules. I will do this in real time to tell you what I think about this album. So far I am 4 tracks in and I don't really have any complaints. The riffs are perfect: they have a mixture of punk, straight up metal with that blackened tremolo edge, and believe me Darkthrone know how to blend them just right. Nothing sounds artificial like bands that blend styles just for the hell of it. I really like the in your face feel that this album can give you.
As the album goes on there is very little of the monotony that sometimes ruins these riffy type albums, but I am waiting to see how they do on that 13 minute long epic. This track Come Warfare so far could've come off of a complete death doom album. Oh and the vocals they are just gruff enough without being cheesy. I like it. Oh yes I do!
Well then how about a juicy tremolo riff to break up that monotony, just when I thought I was gonna have some complaints they threw in some variation: Good fucking job! And here goes another doomy ass riff for ya! that squealy guitar rules. Well maybe this song IS a smidge too long for my tastes but that is the only bad thing I can really say so far
And now the last track lasts and holy fuck a falsetto note, I DID NOT see that coming. This album is full of little random surprises for me I guess.
Its a fast punky type riff, and in some ways his vocals remind me of King Diamond. I love when ol Noct comes out with one of those trebley lead riffs, sometimes I wish they lasted longer. LEAVE! NO! CROSS! LEAVE NO CROSS UNTURNED! So apparently this album packs quite a punch
lets say about a 9/10 for the rating...Gawt dayum this was a good album!
Best Metal Albums of 2012
As I am a little late to the party I will make this quick. These are my favorite metal albums of last year from all that I have heard
20. Converge- All We Love We Leave Behind
19. The Faceless- Autotheism
18.High on Fire- De Vermis Mysteriis
17. Spawn of Possession- Incurso
16. Cradle of Filth- The Manticore
15. Belakor- Of Breath and Bone
14 Pallbearer- Sorrow and Extinction
13. Panopticon- Kentucky
12. Swallow the Sun- The Emerald Forest and the Blackbird
11. Blut aus Nord- 777 Cosmosophy
10. Overkill- The Electric Age
9. Woods of Ypres- Grey Skies and Electric Lights
8.. Baroness- Yellow and Green
7.. Accept- Stalingrad
6. Alcest- Les Voyages de L'ame
5. Rush- Clockwork Angels
4 Enslaved- RIITIIR
3. Kreator- Phantom Antichrist
2. Ne Obliviscaris Portal of I
1. Wintersun- Time Vol I
And so instead of going into grave detail in each one as I would normally do. I will point out some of my high points on these albums.
My all time favorite has been Wintersun. Everyone joked that it was about time they released this beast of an album. The only complaint I have is that it isn't long enough. Its a bombastic epic sounding album that in my opinion tops their self titled one in every way. It has so many layers of music and the lyrics are amazing. Ne Obliviscaris was my biggest surprise because I never thought it could live up to the hype that was surrounding it, but it far exceeded my expectations. Kreator and Overkill both came out with what some would term Thrashterpieces.
Another one that surprised me was Rush's Clockwork Angels. I expected it to be mediocre for some reason but it was an amazing sounding album. It was Rush showing that they can still outdo the bands they influenced. Baroness was a little bit on the experimental side but it worked amazingly well in my eyes.
Perhaps the strangest release of last year was Panopticon's Kentucky. Bluegrass black metal, it works well but Wtf.
Well this year I will try to be more thorough.
Friday, February 17, 2012
File-Sharing: Destroying the Industry?
In the past I don't know maybe 15-20 years file sharing has been on a steady rise, many file sharing mediums have arisen starting with the revolutionary Napster, a service for people to download songs for free. The controversy arose when the band Metallica noticed that their song I Disappear had been circulating on the internet before it was even released. A law suit was filed against Napster, many other music artists joined in on this and eventually Napster lost and was forced to shut down. But it had already accomplished its mission and upon its demise many other avenues for file sharing began to crop up. Morpheus, Kazaaa, Limewire, The BitTorrent protocol and many sites that allow users to upload content in the form of archives for others to download directly. The popularity of sharing copyrighted material has been said to be harmful to many music artists livelihood making it unnecessary to purchase the album. Many peer to peer file sharing services have been shut down, lawsuits filed and arrests made. With the most recent attack on rapidshare sites such as Megaupload and FileSonic the question must be asked is file sharing destroying an the music industry, the industry that many so called pirates adore and love. Is it harming the artists that we hold so dear to ourselves, or are there other more positive effects?
To find out the real effects of file sharing the central question is who gets hurt the most by the drop in sales? To answer this one must ask who gains the most from CD sales? The artists themselves stand to gain much profit by this, but in the end I think the case can be made that the record companies are the ones who gain the most off album sales. Because to have any commercial success in the music industry artists have become increasingly dependent on a record label to be able to gain recognition and reap any decent profits from their work. These record labels often act as leeches reaping profits off of another's hard work and effort. Often artists are forced to change their style in order to fit in with what a certain label thinks is marketable, certain subjects become taboo for the artist who would many times rather be free to explore his own craft and write about any subject with complete creative freedom.
File sharing can have the effect of lowering profits but this is mainly a concern of big record labels because they are the ones jacking up the prices of albums and so many middle and working class citizens would like to buy an album can't really dedicate the money to doing so, thus they download it off of a website. While many well known artists may suffer from this, the underground scene and struggling artists stand to gain a lot from this. Many artists would never see the light of day had they not sent their promos to a music blog to be reviewed and shared. I think if it weren't for the corporations jacking up prices of albums and leeching so much off of the artists themselves downloading wouldn't have nearly the amount of effect on an artists profit as it does.
The reason there is such a push to eliminate this sharing of music is only because the corporations are seeing that they no longer control the industry, they are no longer the reapers of benefits and it's putting the creative control back in the hands of the artists. So while the mainstream bleeds and suffers loss, the music underground is thriving. While the wealthy record companies weep, an underground network of artists rejoice that they're getting recognition for their work. I see file sharing as a liberation from the clutches of corporate tyranny, taking the control from the hands of the money grubbers and putting it back in the hands of the people, those with artistic integrity. For then artists who are truly the best will reap the most benefits, they will be again free to explore their craft without restrictions, without boundaries and chains being put on them by those who would seek to gain much while doing little.
File sharing is not killing music, but there is something that is killing it, destroying the very foundation of artistic values and musical integrity. What is destroying music as an art form is the greed of record companies, thus infecting the artists themselves with greed, forcing them to choose between being true to themselves or being a puppet on string to dance for their corporate masters. Such is a decision that an artist should not be forced to make. Recognition and profit should be based on how relevant an artist is, how well executed the music is. In the end it shouldn't be about money, it should be about the art form itself and seeing that it survives unscathed and healthy, not writhing with the disease of greed, not suffering from the cancer of mediocrity. Music is art and art is to be cherished not as a mechanism for profit and gain for the wealthy but as a tool for the benefit of all who gaze upon it, for all who listen to glean from it wisdom from the soul of the artist. It is for the artist to put his heart and soul into his masterpieces, to share something of himself with those who will appreciate it. Don't allow greed to kill our art form, don't allow mediocrity to become the standard of greatness; compromise to become the medium for profit, or conformity to become the accepted way. Keep corporate greed away from our art form, and break the cycle of mediocrity once and for all.
To find out the real effects of file sharing the central question is who gets hurt the most by the drop in sales? To answer this one must ask who gains the most from CD sales? The artists themselves stand to gain much profit by this, but in the end I think the case can be made that the record companies are the ones who gain the most off album sales. Because to have any commercial success in the music industry artists have become increasingly dependent on a record label to be able to gain recognition and reap any decent profits from their work. These record labels often act as leeches reaping profits off of another's hard work and effort. Often artists are forced to change their style in order to fit in with what a certain label thinks is marketable, certain subjects become taboo for the artist who would many times rather be free to explore his own craft and write about any subject with complete creative freedom.
File sharing can have the effect of lowering profits but this is mainly a concern of big record labels because they are the ones jacking up the prices of albums and so many middle and working class citizens would like to buy an album can't really dedicate the money to doing so, thus they download it off of a website. While many well known artists may suffer from this, the underground scene and struggling artists stand to gain a lot from this. Many artists would never see the light of day had they not sent their promos to a music blog to be reviewed and shared. I think if it weren't for the corporations jacking up prices of albums and leeching so much off of the artists themselves downloading wouldn't have nearly the amount of effect on an artists profit as it does.
The reason there is such a push to eliminate this sharing of music is only because the corporations are seeing that they no longer control the industry, they are no longer the reapers of benefits and it's putting the creative control back in the hands of the artists. So while the mainstream bleeds and suffers loss, the music underground is thriving. While the wealthy record companies weep, an underground network of artists rejoice that they're getting recognition for their work. I see file sharing as a liberation from the clutches of corporate tyranny, taking the control from the hands of the money grubbers and putting it back in the hands of the people, those with artistic integrity. For then artists who are truly the best will reap the most benefits, they will be again free to explore their craft without restrictions, without boundaries and chains being put on them by those who would seek to gain much while doing little.
File sharing is not killing music, but there is something that is killing it, destroying the very foundation of artistic values and musical integrity. What is destroying music as an art form is the greed of record companies, thus infecting the artists themselves with greed, forcing them to choose between being true to themselves or being a puppet on string to dance for their corporate masters. Such is a decision that an artist should not be forced to make. Recognition and profit should be based on how relevant an artist is, how well executed the music is. In the end it shouldn't be about money, it should be about the art form itself and seeing that it survives unscathed and healthy, not writhing with the disease of greed, not suffering from the cancer of mediocrity. Music is art and art is to be cherished not as a mechanism for profit and gain for the wealthy but as a tool for the benefit of all who gaze upon it, for all who listen to glean from it wisdom from the soul of the artist. It is for the artist to put his heart and soul into his masterpieces, to share something of himself with those who will appreciate it. Don't allow greed to kill our art form, don't allow mediocrity to become the standard of greatness; compromise to become the medium for profit, or conformity to become the accepted way. Keep corporate greed away from our art form, and break the cycle of mediocrity once and for all.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Update
This blog is going to be taking a new direction. It will still be mainly centered on heavy metal as that is the genre I listen to most, but I as I have been listening more and more outside of this genre, I'll no longer be posting exclusively metal reviews, lists etc. I'll also be posting reviews, lists and posts regarding other genres. A lot of it will be rock so not too far removed from the metal world, but may also encompass other random genres such as trance, jazz, classical etc.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Top 10 Kvlt Activities
Greetings dark legions of Odin,Satan,Cthulhu or whatever grim deity you happen to be a follower of, it's time once again for a black metal list, This time of the 10 most kvlt activities you can participate in. Writing a Sonnet is not one of them, neither is picking daisies(unless of course you plan to crush them 'neath your frostbitten boots.)
10. Making a black metal snowman- This might not seem very kvlt or grim, but who says the legions of the dark lord can't partake in something fun every once in awhile. Just make sure your snowman has an ultra serious look on it's face and if you happen upon an enchanted bullet belt, DON'T PUT IT ON HIM!
9. Listening to a cassette tape in your mom's basement- This is one of the most mystical experiences a kvltie can have, we all know that cassette tapes cater to that "necro" production much better than CDs or Mp3s. P.S: Vinyl is pretty Kvlt too.
8. Creating a one-man black metal project- This is not further up on the list because it's quickly becoming unkvlt, after all lots of black metal fans are doing it, and if its popular: IT AIN'T FVCKING KVLT! As a side note make sure to limit the amount of copies you make, and only sell it or give it to other selected Kvlt people. If it sells more than 10 copies it's well on it's way to being too mainstream.
7. Ritual satanic animal sacrifice- This is only for the experienced kvltie. If you don't know the rules, simply slicing any old goats throat and yelling hail satan, then black metal shrieking will not cut it, unless you're black metal shrieking an incantation in Norwegian. Know the rites before you slice!
6. Move to Norway- This coupled with a few other choice activities yet to be mentioned will definitely cement your legacy as a trve kvlt fanatic. Norway is known to be the home of all true black metal, and all who want to possess its true grim power must at least make a pilgrimage to the unholy frostbitten lands, otherwise you are a fucking poseur.
5. Committing suicide- Only if done in the most kvlt manner. No whiny emotional letter, no telling people beforehand, and for Vargs sake don't fucking slit your wrists. What you need to do is just randomly blow your brains out with a shotgun, or climb a mountain during a blizzard and bash your skull against a rock. If you are in a band make sure your band mates partake of parts of your rotting corpse, or at least keep pieces of your shattered skull to do grim things with. Here's a nice idea: get your band to use a picture of your dead body for an album cover.
4. Killing you band-mates: Murder is known to be one of the most kvlt activities ever, especially when you have no good reason. If you decide to do this remember, you're probably going to jail, so make sure you have all your "masterpieces" recorded first. Also don't use a sharp knife, use shards of glass and your own penis to kill the bastard.
3. Church arson- Long has this been a staple of the trve kvlt. It doesn't matter how you do it, you just have to. The more churches you flame to a crisp the more Kvlt points you get.
2. Giving "scary" interviews- when someone wants to interview you, never be yourself. Always exaggerate about how much you love the devil, and how you want to see all the christian, and jewish swine bleed and suffer. Do not remove your corspe paint during these appearances. Be as dramatic as possible
1. A grim stroll in the forest- Almost every trve kvlt band has done this, and most of them film a music video while doing so. If you decide to film a music video remember these key points: look as evil as possible. Do not smile or "have fun" but be ever dramatic. Do not appear to have any intended goal, just walk in the woods and shriek and do dramatic hand jestures. Nature is a kvlties playground.
***Just to be clear I DO NOT endorse murder, church arson, suicide, or violence of any kind. I feel this needs to be stated because some people just don't have a sense of humor. I do not take part in these activities, but I poke fun at those who have and will continue to do so******
10. Making a black metal snowman- This might not seem very kvlt or grim, but who says the legions of the dark lord can't partake in something fun every once in awhile. Just make sure your snowman has an ultra serious look on it's face and if you happen upon an enchanted bullet belt, DON'T PUT IT ON HIM!
9. Listening to a cassette tape in your mom's basement- This is one of the most mystical experiences a kvltie can have, we all know that cassette tapes cater to that "necro" production much better than CDs or Mp3s. P.S: Vinyl is pretty Kvlt too.
8. Creating a one-man black metal project- This is not further up on the list because it's quickly becoming unkvlt, after all lots of black metal fans are doing it, and if its popular: IT AIN'T FVCKING KVLT! As a side note make sure to limit the amount of copies you make, and only sell it or give it to other selected Kvlt people. If it sells more than 10 copies it's well on it's way to being too mainstream.
7. Ritual satanic animal sacrifice- This is only for the experienced kvltie. If you don't know the rules, simply slicing any old goats throat and yelling hail satan, then black metal shrieking will not cut it, unless you're black metal shrieking an incantation in Norwegian. Know the rites before you slice!
6. Move to Norway- This coupled with a few other choice activities yet to be mentioned will definitely cement your legacy as a trve kvlt fanatic. Norway is known to be the home of all true black metal, and all who want to possess its true grim power must at least make a pilgrimage to the unholy frostbitten lands, otherwise you are a fucking poseur.
5. Committing suicide- Only if done in the most kvlt manner. No whiny emotional letter, no telling people beforehand, and for Vargs sake don't fucking slit your wrists. What you need to do is just randomly blow your brains out with a shotgun, or climb a mountain during a blizzard and bash your skull against a rock. If you are in a band make sure your band mates partake of parts of your rotting corpse, or at least keep pieces of your shattered skull to do grim things with. Here's a nice idea: get your band to use a picture of your dead body for an album cover.
4. Killing you band-mates: Murder is known to be one of the most kvlt activities ever, especially when you have no good reason. If you decide to do this remember, you're probably going to jail, so make sure you have all your "masterpieces" recorded first. Also don't use a sharp knife, use shards of glass and your own penis to kill the bastard.
3. Church arson- Long has this been a staple of the trve kvlt. It doesn't matter how you do it, you just have to. The more churches you flame to a crisp the more Kvlt points you get.
2. Giving "scary" interviews- when someone wants to interview you, never be yourself. Always exaggerate about how much you love the devil, and how you want to see all the christian, and jewish swine bleed and suffer. Do not remove your corspe paint during these appearances. Be as dramatic as possible
1. A grim stroll in the forest- Almost every trve kvlt band has done this, and most of them film a music video while doing so. If you decide to film a music video remember these key points: look as evil as possible. Do not smile or "have fun" but be ever dramatic. Do not appear to have any intended goal, just walk in the woods and shriek and do dramatic hand jestures. Nature is a kvlties playground.
***Just to be clear I DO NOT endorse murder, church arson, suicide, or violence of any kind. I feel this needs to be stated because some people just don't have a sense of humor. I do not take part in these activities, but I poke fun at those who have and will continue to do so******
Alcest- Les Voyages De L'ame- Way More Than A Lame Voyage
Offial Band Website
Official Youtube album stream
Alcest is band that I've just recently gotten accquainted. It was based on the release of their single "Autre Temps" that I gave this band a try and what I found was a band that I could connect with emotionally unlike any band I have listened to in recent memory.
Alcest play in a style that has been described as black metal mixed with shoegaze and elements of post-rock. I like to describe it as nostalgia metal, or introspective metal, as it evokes a strong sense of emotion, a strong dreamlike ethereal quality in the music and in the vocal work. It evokes a strong emotional response within the listener and takes you on a journey to places of your childhood, places of your dreams, lost times and realms.
Within this album Neige crafts a sound that has a very ethereal quality, almost as if you're being taken on an astral journey to places of your past, and places of your future. The elements of the sound are as such: clean guitars that weave a tapestry of beauty and nostalgia. Distorted guitars that add a certain thickness to the atmosphere and certain sadness at times, a longing to relive great moments of your past. The bass is not too subdued and adds a wealth of thickness to the sound, it doesn't just follow the guitar all the time it has it's own charm and it's on elements to add to the sound. The drums are very creative not only relying on blast beats and double bass runs, but also adding in little nuances to the sound, fills, rolls and other subtleties that really make the basic underlying framework of the songs. The keyboards are used very effectively, not so much as a melody instrument but as an atmosphere builder, to really glue all the elements together and make the emotional quality of the music really stick.
The vocals are mainly clean, with black metal rasps being few and far between, but it doesn't matter because Neige has the voice of an angel. His vocals are what really nail down the sound and make it an emotionally enrapturing experience. His vocals will tug on your heart strings and resonate into your very soul, something that is all too uncommon in any form of music these days, as most metal bands are content to be more brutal, more heavy, more dark and evil than the next. Alcest proves with this album that metal can be about taking the listener on an introspective and nostalgic journey, about evoking feelings that metal usually doesn't touch. With this album It can be about beauty instead of gore, about atmosphere and nostalgia rather than heaviness and headbanging, and about childlike wonder instead of soul crushing evil. This is an album to put on , set back, close your eyes and let the music and soundscapes just wash over you.
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Score:9.5/10 Favorite Track: Autre Temps
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