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A total favorite of mine as well from last week. Hopefully they can ride on that somewhat and get back here more often to perform.
I kindly disagree... and I had basically the same view as you that night. Vader, Autopsy, Grave and Akercocke all felt like better experiences.
The Marduk show was canceled because the police couldn't guarantee everyone'a safety due to the risk posed by Antifa making threats of violence and rioting. Is that democratic, fair or anything we want to encourage in civil society? Should we accept those means if used against Sabaton, Hail of Bullets, Slayer or any other metal band that uses WWII as lyrical subject matter? Subject matter that we're leaving to the subjective interpretation of people like Antifa to determine if it's a call for supporting Nazis?
I'd love to be proven wrong, but my experience tells me treating anyone who voted for Trump (including people who voted for Obama) or refused to vote against him as being irreconcilable bigots is guaranteeing Trump a second term (along with a Republican congress). Now if you think the world will end in less than year the go ahead and punch in every direction as you emotionally want to. However if we can survive 2 or 4 years that allows a electoral opportunity to change our political system by voting. And if we're going to succeed in that we'll need some Trump voters to switch sides.
I'd say Immolation, Midnight, Nightbringer, Memoriam and Pallbeaer beat out anything in the actual top 15.
"From the most id-trawling sex’n’violence riff sleaze to the most aspirational and highfalutin avant-garde fare, metal constantly defines itself by rejection, opposition, and antagonistic up-yours-ing. Even when metal celebrates the good times, it’s usually pissing someone off in the process, as Tipper Gore can attest. You could plausibly argue that metal wouldn’t exist if there were no status quo to push back against. Whatever their pace, there’s a common feature to all its rhythms: a voice chanting, “No. No. No. We’re not like you. We don’t want what you want. We won’t do things the way you do them.” In the absence of other clear-cut universal features, this gut-level disdain for the way things are ranks among metal’s defining traits." Which I'm sure is exactly how many conservative and libertarian metalheads felt over the last eight years (or perhaps longer for the libertarian ones). I say that as well as a liberal who just happens to be self-aware enough that the way a lot of liberal metal media is communicating is probably pushing a lot of people away.
Do you mind saying why you're leaving this feature? From many other commenters have said as well, if you gave your reasons in the previous issue it went over most of our heads.
I could not get into Dragged into Sunlight. Strobes were literally causing me pain, so I left for the bar and benches. Actually tried to sleep a bit. I won't deny it being extreme, but then I'm not into this stuff just for extremity (not a fan of danger or noise music).
Abbath for the win! Those RIFFS! So... god... damn....good!!! Also looking forward to that new Secrets of the Moon album. Liked the previous albums but this for sure feels like an adventurous jump into something quite unique.
That certainly is a large part of it, but I think that's also been a bigger issue in America specifically. You talk to bands about the prospect of touring Europe without the costs of flying and visas, suddenly things seems much more financially feasible. Nevermind the fact you could make a summer tour there of just hitting festivals. Metal never got the rejection in the 90's in Europe the same way it did in America. Another aspect that's had an effect and came from the 90's was the rise of Hip-Hop and Electronic Dance Music.
As for Kauan and the Dyatlov Pass incident. http://www.cracked.com/article_16671_6-famous-unsolved-mysteries-with-really-obvious-solutions.html
Tau Cross had the best song premiere of the month, imo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M3Y6AimGqs
Thanks Mike for the Metallica defense. I do think it goes too far to say the Black Album had anything to do with Nu-Metal. Also the Load albums had more to do with Hard Rock and Alt. Rock (in a Alice in Chains kind of way) than Nu-Metal. Let's be clear there was a progression and it mostly has to do with a blending of three to five elements: Metal, NYC Hardcore (of the late 80's onward variety), Hip-Hop, Alt-Rock & Grunge. From Anthrax to Faith No More to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Soundgarden to Rage Against the Machine. And hell, you can throw in Helmet and the Melvins as well. I think where Metallica comes in, at all, is the redneck element of Nu-Metal. It's the nearest Metal has gotten to ICP really (and that really drives at it I think... the fact it's "metal" that appeals to likely bigoted rednecks who also like Hip-Hop). So Metallica (in the 90s) and Pantera with the southern good 'ole boys appeal did a lot for that. Also, let's not side-step what the bane of Metal in the 80's was, Hair/Glam Metal. And I don't mean Twisted Sister and WASP. I mean Poison, Motley Crue, Winger and Cinderella.
For me it's all good from the beginning up to and including Ruun. Everything after that...has... well, just not gelled quite as well. I can't pin-point exactly why except perhaps that they've become "too" prog. Something seemed to change with Vertebrae and Axioma. Anyway, favorites kind of lay around everywhere, but for the early period it's Hordanes Land & Frost, while for the later (or mid period) it's Monumension and Below the Lights. In particular I think Monumension doesn't get enough love. I think it's near perfection. Mardraum I enjoy for the more psychedelic tracks like Større enn Tid - Tyngre enn Natt & Entrance - Escape.
Congrats mjhk75. That's an album to always treasure.
I still think of them as being one of the top 5 highlights from last year's MDF.
Oh, a Chinese Black Metal band. This should be interesting. Oh wait, "sounds like Woods Of Desolation and Deafheaven." Well, nevermind then (and yes, I listened to it and I now I can confirm it blew). Was pretty mutually impressed with Wounds and Crypt Sermon. Those will be two to look forward to hearing more from. Myrkur, well the whole poorly hidden identity and sort of making false claims put me off her band for a bit, even if the music was pretty good. But god damn, this new song freaking rips, tears and then soars. Yea, I'm over the negative spin now and only looking forward to more coming from this project. Leviathan... well, I enjoyed the first two albums quite a bit and loved Lurker of Chalice. The last two albums not so much, with what felt like too much chaos and Deathspell -isms. This though? Hell yea! Probably my most anticipated album so far.
Transcendently up is backside perhaps. It sounds like the audio equivalent of Homer Simpson's attempt at modern art (or the general joke in that ep about modern art being accurate for that song).
Third on how great the Funereal Presence album is, but then I generally like everything the (Negative Plane/Occultation) folks do.
I gotta say on the scale of dumb shit musicians say, Tom's remarks were pretty small potatoes. So pretty disappointed that they show up so low on here (for that reason or for others just neglecting the album), because I think it's by far better than the first Triptykon album. As for Tom not liking ATG, hey, we all have our taste in music.