tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67705977015415220292024-03-04T23:05:23.151-05:00Ravishing GrimnessDOOMED TO DEATH. DAMNED IN HELLRavishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.comBlogger165125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-73059711662971313422013-12-17T21:16:00.001-05:002013-12-17T21:16:14.756-05:00That time I listened to an 11-hour songRemember that time I spent ELEVEN HOURS listening to drone record from an English band called Sabazius, live-tweeted the torture, and went absolutely fucking insane? Here are my notes.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">9:03am<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">00:00:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Press the
Play button, and settle in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Not much
going on yet – just one continuous feedback loop, scattered with a few
different tones of drones and the odd jittery cymbal crash. Are they still
tuning?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Could do
without the piercing feedback wail around 1:45:00…still going…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Apparently
this is just the intro, which is fair enough. Given that the song itself
stretches for so fucking long, I suppose it isn’t entirely out of order to have
a 2.5 hour “intro,” though if I hadn’t signed up for this there’s no way in
hell I’d voluntarily listen to this much purposeless noise (and I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">like</i> noise!). Maybe I should have smoked
some weed or gobbled a few mushrooms to heighten the experience? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">2:35:00 –
rumblings. Something’s coming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">2:35:30 – A
RIFF! Smothered in layers upon layers of distortion and utterly glacial, but a
riff nonetheless. I am enchanted. What fresh delight? A drum beat? Praise be!
This sounds dangerously close to what is colloquially known as a “song” now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">And just
like that, the most useless drone twaddle imaginable has heaved its way into
infinitely more interesting funeral doom country. This, I like. Suppose they’ll
be doing this for awhile, then.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Tempo
varies a teensy bit at 2:44:00, then again around 2:50:00…I’m beginning to think
that it might not be worth analyzing every few minutes, though. Sabazius are
going for the big picture here. Right now, they’re stood firmly in the droning,
minimalist, slower-than-slow funeral doom camp. No sign of vocals yet. That
drummer is pummeling those skins for dear life, though – raw power on display.
Wonder how noodly his arms will feel after another six hours…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">This shit
makes Wormphlegm look like Nicki Minaj.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">3:23:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">I spaced
out and just noticed that the track is a little different! Pulsing alien drones
lurking beneath the lackadaisical cymbal crashes have replaced the guitar…I
think?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Oh, it’s
back now. There’s a detectable melody bleeding through, with a little whiff of
bluesy swagger, even! I can imagine exactly what the guitarist looks like right
now – hunched over his instrument, fingers methodically downstroking, hair in
his face, blank-eyed concentration on his reddened face. Probably the same as
he looks when they play this shit live. Will they play this shit live? Dear
god, that’s a scary thought.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">This is
cool, though. I dig this. I could probably listen to this for the next seven
hours, especially now that they’ve brought the drums back to the party. This is
pretty standard droney doomy stonery stuff, honestly – there is just so MUCH of
it. It’s like the distilled spirit of a thousand really stoned Roadburn
attendees. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">3:39:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">They’ve
gone silent. Are they okay? At this point in our relationship, I feel a sort of
maternal concern for them. Maybe they’d like some tea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">3:40:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Alright
then, the drones are back. Spaceship noises, set to “bore.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">4:08:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Still
droning. Drone drone droning. Stopped for a minute and my heart leaped, but <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">here we are
again. Bobbing in and out of silence, which is a welcome change at least.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Oh good, more
wretched feedback. I don’t even know who I am anymore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">But – hark!
What’s this? A riff? Salvation!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">More
molasses trapped in amber, but a riff nonetheless. There is motion. There is
life. For awhile there I thought they’d collapsed onto their amps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">4:40:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Forgot this
was on, until those hideous feedback shrieks came squealing out of the abyss to
bogart my happiness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">5:00:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Time is
melting into itself. Hour five? Hour fifteen? Who even knows anymore. The
purpose of this release is to disorient – to “i</span><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; font-family: Times;">nduce an altered state
of mind, create psychosis</span><span style="font-family: Times;">”
</span><span style="font-family: Times;">according to Dig. I’ll
bloody give them that. I’d saw off my arm for a blastbeat right now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Riffs
abate…ambient noise abounds. High-pitched drones, whining in the dark. Strange
sounds percolating underneath. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">5:04:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">OMG VOCALS<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">5:05:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">VOCALS
AGAIN! Well really more like a sort of forceful huff, but it was a human voice
and I think I might weep from joy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">5:06:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">VOCAAAAALS!
I think there was a word that time!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">5:08:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Now they’re
just taking the piss. Stop shouting at me in 45 second intervals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">5:10:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Or not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">5:26:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Okay, I get
it, You like feedback. You like Sunn 0))) and Burning Witch and Swans and I DO
NOT LIKE YOU ANYMORE. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">5:35:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Feedbackfeedbackfeedback
dronedronedrone don’t you guys have somewhere to be? My gutters need clearing
out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">5:36:22<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Thud. YEAH!
Riff! Back to the ambient swirls, let’s have some more of that, boys – the
stuff you were throwing down a few hours ago was ace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">5:48:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Coming up
on six hours. So far, I’ve counted one riff, that occasionally masqueraded as
another one and tricked me thanks to my rapidly deteriorating ability to
distinguish reality from Dante’s seventh circle of hell. We’re back to the
feedback thing now, though. Lord have mercy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">5:55:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Oh hey,
they went back into playing music again when I wasn’t looking! Cheeky. We’re
doing the crushing, repetitive riff in tandem with brutally slow power drums
routine again, and it sounds fucking heavenly by now. Maybe that’s what
Sabazius are doing – surrounding their perfectly serviceable doom song
fragments with acres and acres of impossible distortion and noise to make said
fragments seem like aural ambrosia from the gods’ fingertips in comparison. I’m
on to you, lads.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">6:05:55<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">This part’s
pretty good, actually. Back to the vaguely bluesy chord progression from
FUCKING HOURS ago. Head nodding involuntarily. Is this what Stockholm Syndrome
is like?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">6:16:22<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">This might
be the longest, slowest, most drawn out, and least brutal breakdown in the
history of music. Emmure is not stoked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Downstroke-downstroke-cymbal
crash. Over and over. THAT’S NOT A SONG YOU DICKS.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">6:24:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Hang on,
this is alright. Mixing things up with a nice buzzy little riff, jumpy rums,
distortion is a given but here it makes sense. I can even hear a bass thrumping
away underneath. This is a totally solid droney doomy stonery song. Can we just
do this for awhile, lads? I need a break. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">6:31:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Audio
collapse. Everything’s fallen off, the song’s disappeared, it’s all silence and
squeaky, record-scratch barks of noise then – no, it’s can’t be…more FUCKING
feedback. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">6:39:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">If Sunn 0))) and Dick
Dale had a really ugly baby, that’s what this weird slide riff would beat up on
the playground.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">6:40:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Almost to the seven
hour mark. Feedback reigns. Crucial Blast catalogue on blast. Burning Witch
crumbling in the ashes. My eardrums ache. Pure, high bells of feedback
soar…then stop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Gentle strumming
echoes faintly. Glorious respite. Neil Young and Earth and lovely chords, what
is this? Slick strings, resonant, contemplative riffs, standing alone. Sweat
drips down the guitar neck, lubing up the tired steel. This really reminds me
of that one Earth record they put out a few years ago, The Bees something
something. It’s a murkier, malevolent imagining of that same Americana-tinged
drone. Please don’t stop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">6:42:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">It was all a
beautiful dream. Collapse. Resurrect. Bleed out. Feed back. Drone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Cruel, piercing
squeals cut above the drones, and garbled noise takes over. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">6:52:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Delving back into the
rare beauty of the Earth-worship of a few aeons ago. I am thankful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">7:05:26<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Finally, it makes
sense. The Earth-inspired delicacy and light tones melt into the buzzing,
slowly percolating drones, distortion embellishing and embracing the
staggeringly simplistic riff with its crown of effects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">And the clarion call
returns, screaming wildly like an out of tune jazz trumpeter, punishing me for
my insolence, for daring to believe that there was a point to any of this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">And silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">7:09:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Rise of the machines.
Quietly, purposefully chugging, industrial haze. Imperceptible rise and fall of
the drones. Are they coming for me? I know they are. They taunt me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Tribal beats. Phantom
hands clapping, beating the talking drums. They promise nothing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">7:32:28<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Slow, sad, almost
funereal beats complement the muted guitar; there’s a riff buried in there
somewhere, if only just. This is standard funeral doom/drone stuff right here.
It’s comfortingly familiar. The relief is palpable. So quiet. I fear the worst
lies ahead. A lone drum beats a glacial tattoo. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">And silence. Or?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">The drums return.
That fucking crash cymbal is my Judas. Back to the extended, slothful drum
solo. You sound like a bootleg Protools plugin. How I loathe thee. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">7:44:56<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Scraps of melody bob
to the surface. There’s a plan here. Flesh hangs off the skeleton, binding its
sinews onto white. Perky little fuzzbomb riff, slowed down to -666 miles per
hour, calms the drums. Perfectly reasonable drone song. Digging the chirpy
little echoes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">7:55:45<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">And silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Then…a murmur. An
unnamed beast growling in its dreams.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">And silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Slight, melancholy
drones (drones drones drones always drones) simmer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">8:19:40<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Slap down those
beats. Strum that guitar. Churn out those churny riffs. Thrum that bass.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">8:30:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">VOCALS! Yelling
words! The sheer novelty of it’s got me all aflutter. Fuck knows what he’s
shouting about all hoarse-like, but it must be important enough to warrant
inclusion in this horrorshow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Not for long, though;
mustn’t let me get too comfortable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Back to the
minimalist “thud-thud” drum+repetitious fuzz riff thing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">How in the name of
all things unholy are they still standing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Unless they’re all
flopped over onto a couch or something. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">That nice little
bluesy riff is back again. Hello, old friend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">9:04:45<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">They’re playing
around a bit. That steady droned riff is still there. Nothing new to report.
Back on the wagon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">9:16:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Yo, FUCK that blaring
note that doesn’t ever end and instead multiplies into a dead clown’s chorus of
little blaring notes and coils around itself and laughing spreads its wings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Back to the drones.
This is cold, clear, brittle – a winter’s day of a lingering note. I don’t care
how much distortion you pile on after two minutes, my ears hurt – and you just
did it again!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">And now it’s a drone
song again. There is a little more going on now, but not much. I’m cautiously
optimistic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">This is almost doom
by now. Warm memories of Electric Wizard and Saint Vitus wash over me. I wish
this sounded like “Dying Inside,” because I am. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">This riff is like the
most achingly slow, joyless rendition of “Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum” ever
recorded by mortals. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that I’ve typed
that out I can’t get the thought out of my head. This riff is dead to me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">9:51:24<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">That same fucking
riff from seven hours ago. This same fucking song. I have nothing new to say. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">10:03:10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">THAT SAME FUCKING
RIFF, just chugging merrily along like it hasn’t got a care in the world. What
is that new noise? There’s a new noise. SOS<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">10:21:26<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">I’m out of words. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">10:22:00<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Loud angry fuzz. Wet
cats.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Intensity building. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Swans? A neutered
Godflesh? Words fail me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">10:44:46<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">I’m so close to the
end now that literally nothing could inspire any sort of energy or criticism.
They are still playing that fucking riff. I hope they’re having a wonderful
time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Quiet drone,
endlessly looping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Drone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Drone…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">Drone…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Times;">11:16:54<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">Collapse. Finality.
Freedom. <span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-28789119698652221192013-08-07T00:01:00.000-04:002013-08-09T18:43:48.438-04:00Bonded by blood.Humans have long held a certain fascination with the concept of movement between different planes of existence. Buddhist teachings and philosophical musings butt up against spaceships and looking glasses, but whether it be the fourth dimension or a galaxy far, far away, man wishes to see what he cannot, and be where he has not.<br />
<br />
He still desires the comfort of familiarity, though, which is why time machines and wormholes keep their handy tendency to reach in both directions. I haven't paid nearly enough attention in physics classes (or gotten deep enough into sci-fi) to lend much insight into the various theories surrounding it, but the idea of moving through worlds, like a swimmer gliding out beyond the shoals and into dark water, is one with which I can claim a great deal of familiarity.<br />
<br />
This past weekend marked the thirteenth annual Rites of Passage BBQ, an event involving the members of this esteemed suspension crew and their friends. Two friends of mine invited me to join the party, and so, by hook and by crook, I found myself immersed in the biggest gathering of modified people I'd found since the last time I swung by a tattoo convention. It felt good. It felt like home. The personalities I encountered were big and brash, playful and warm, and altogether welcoming to this outside insider. I spoke the language, but I didn't know the inside jokes or the shared stories that these old friends held between them. By the end of the weekend, though, it didn't matter. We'd all been drawn there to practice a ritual that, no matter where we called home or how we came to discover it, held a deep importance in our lives. Its origins lie buried in the ancient past, documented and studied and then altered to fit more easily and respectfully into a secular setting. Some people there had been practicing this rite for over a dozen years; some were there to experience it for their very first time. Some of us were heavily modified, with horns and facial tattoos and scars; some of us were totally unmarked. We all have our pasts, our present, and our futures ahead, traveling down very different paths towards strange and unknown destinations.<br />
<br />
We all had one thing in common, though. We were all there to fly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrESrcUBXJJfNmQ6FEMReZd3vRGEHGVssREFTb33Jd_8Rq14MYppAHpTi2qV6b5FXRkhMGAsI1Ozsyg_ZTVfipSKPBjXm0x4XzMBOSpZf-g9_xeawJ9DWOmwaTSTTvO8iAwww19weUE5HT/s1600/IMAG1449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrESrcUBXJJfNmQ6FEMReZd3vRGEHGVssREFTb33Jd_8Rq14MYppAHpTi2qV6b5FXRkhMGAsI1Ozsyg_ZTVfipSKPBjXm0x4XzMBOSpZf-g9_xeawJ9DWOmwaTSTTvO8iAwww19weUE5HT/s320/IMAG1449.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Body suspension is intensity personified. Pain is overcome, limits are met and then challenged, and gravity is banished in the face of pure will and ecstatic peace. Each individual responds differently to the process, and holds their own reasons for partaking. For me, suspension offers the ultimate catharsis. Working through the pain, pushing myself up the mountain then, once the summit is scaled and there's nowhere to go but down, staring up into the sun and deciding, "I can." Lifting my feet off the ground and surrendering to the pain, the pressure, and ultimately, the euphoria. Once I'm up there, nothing matters but that feeling. The oxygen coursing through my veins and smile stretched across my face are involuntary motions. Spinning, swinging, arms outstretched and head thrown back - flying, above the ground, above everything. Arms outstretched to embrace this fleeting but oh-so-life-affirming feeling of freedom. I am one with all that is around me, weightless and effortless. Not even gravity can bring me down.<br />
<br />
If I believed in any gods, I'd have seen their faces in the trees that day.<br />
<br />
Back on terra firma, I was overwhelmed by the kindness and support given to me by the rest of the group. A palpable sense of joy, of love, even, filtered through the sun-dappled leaves and settled around the gathering. Everyone was smiling, hugging, trading jokes and smirks. Everyone looked peaceful and happy, secure in themselves and the events transpiring. The blood seemed natural, stripped of negative connotations and presented as the life-giving liquid we all share. I saw so many people smiling as they were pulled skyward by intricately tied ropes and pulleys. It felt good. It felt like home.<br />
<br />
The next day, a group of us went out for breakfast to begin our slow but inevitable goodbyes. We crowded into the tiny cafe, made our orders, and spread out across the small tables, being sure to add that extra ounce of politeness to our every move to reassure the regulars. It didn't work, though; it never works. As I sat there noshing on a waffle and observing the scene unfolding around me, I saw the looks we were drawing from the other patrons. Their expressions ranged from benign curiosity to outright disgust, and as always, it took me a moment to understand their reaction. I looked around at our group, with our long hair and mohawks and facial tattoos and stretched lobes and lip piercings and bandaged limbs. I felt the medical tape shifting around on my back, the dried blood sticking to its gauze. For a moment, I saw us as they saw us.<br />
<br />
Then I heard a familiar voice speaking. I looked up to see one of our number engaged in conversation with two elderly women. The snippets I heard conveyed a pleasant if cautious exchange about who we were, what we were doing there, and why we choose to do such things. At the end, they seemed placated, excitedly chattering amongst themselves and sharing their findings with their friends. Our friend looked back at our inquisitive faces, shrugged, and said, "They asked politely, so I gave them a polite answer."<br />
<br />
That says it all, really. Moving from the safety of the bay out into open water seems like a frightening prospect to most, but it's got its rewards, too.<br />
<br />
Come on in, the water's fine.Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-65157286129008297322013-06-20T22:36:00.001-04:002013-06-20T22:38:07.369-04:00More new tunes.Twitter has become such a useful, important social media tool, it's strange to think of how aimless and absurdist it once seemed. I've been on there, tweeting away (for better and sometimes for worse) since the site's first year of existence. I signed up at my nerdy college friend Conor's behest. When I asked him to explain the point, he had no real answer; he just told me that it would make sense eventually, and like any procrastination-happy college freshman, I was more than willing to give it time to pan out. Turns out, he was right. That purposeless, self-indulgent portal of microblogging frippery has become a global force, though, me being me, I just use it to discover and share new music. It's not the noblest or most interesting of causes, to be sure, but obsessive heavy metal fans are nothing if not myopic.<br />
<br />
That being said, here's a bunch of rad new music I came across over the past week. A few of them were suggested by the nice people who read my tweets. How's that for a segue?<br />
<br />
http://moonn.bandcamp.com/<br />
Dearly missed London friends getting all esoteric and drone-doomy.<br />
<br />
http://zealotry.bandcamp.com/track/the-charnel-expanse<br />
Super aggro, techy-but-not-annoying death metal.<br />
<br />
http://templeofficial.bandcamp.com/<br />
Instrumental tunes that underline the many meanings of "heavy."<br />
<br />
http://lakes1.bandcamp.com/track/painted-wreath<br />
Cold, strange, gothy post-punk from Oz. Shawn from Mitochondrion recommended it, and he's never wrong.<br />
<br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EKAcFl3guQ<br />
Remember that time Phil from Cobalt had a raw black metal project with Mike from Loss and IT FUCKING RULED? Me too.<br />
<br />
http://vucariil.bandcamp.com/<br />
Band of the Week! (as if I'm going to remember to do this weekly - oh, what mirth). Seriously though, these guys are fantastic atmospheric black metal that you really need to go listen to right goddamn now.<br />
<br />
http://alraune.bandcamp.com/album/2-track-demo-album-preview<br />
Band of the Week Too! Get into this RIGHT NOW because it's savage and raw and altogether irresistible. I mean..."black metal fuck hate occult sex Nashville" sums it up swimmingly.<br />
<br />
http://wiltmanitoba.bandcamp.com/<br />
More slow, contemplative atmospheric black metal from Canada. Vocals are great.<br />
<br />
http://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/sacriphyx<br />
Sacryphyx is dead good lo-fi death/thrash with more melody than you'd expect. Kinda Arghoslenty, but with the added bonus of being racism-free (I think).<br />
<br />
http://forn.bandcamp.com/track/coiled-alone<br />
These guys are absolutely miserable. Good.<br />
<br />
http://grindoplis420.bandcamp.com/<br />
This is important!! A bunch of sweet bands got together to raise awareness and donate funds to Alzheimer's research. Buy buy buy.<br />
<br />
http://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/unru-demo-mmxiii<br />
<div>
Deep, dark, and depressing as shit. Grim and grimy, too. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
http://sonance.bandcamp.com/</div>
<div>
Horrible cunts from Bristol making horrible cuntish doom. It's got pretty parts too though, so bring your boyfriend along.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
http://risingbeast.bandcamp.com/album/moonknight-moloch-split-7</div>
<div>
Everything James Brown touches turns to filthy lucre, and Moloch (Ukr) are wonderful.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
http://ensorcelor.bandcamp.com/album/ensorcelor-moloch-split</div>
<div>
The Moloch/Ensorcelor split is out! Buy it! Ensorcelor is one of the best things in North America, and I love UK Moloch too. I love all the Molochs. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
https://soundcloud.com/iron-bonehead-productions</div>
<div>
Iron Bonehead never disappoint, and that new Bolzer joint is absofuckinglutely essential.</div>
<br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0u0dLy3PqA<br />
DIE.<br />
<br />
<br />Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-80769216476507009302013-06-08T01:00:00.001-04:002013-06-08T01:00:03.733-04:00Dig.I keep spending way too much time on forums, and on Bandcamp, and on social media, and on the various other means I employ in my perpetual search for music, and Google Chrome is having a shit fit over all the tabs I've got open, so I figured I'd dump a whole bunch of links here so I at least have them stored somewhere safe. My Bookmarks folder is a goddamn wilderness, so Blogspot it is. If you've got an hour or so to kill, I'd recommend combing through the following links - there's gold in them thar urls.<br />
<br />
http://caladanbrood.bandcamp.com/<br />
Atmospheric Scottish folk/black<br />
<br />
http://plaguesurvivors.bandcamp.com/<br />
Gnarly Northeastern sludgecore<br />
<br />
http://arsaidh.bandcamp.com/<br />
Austin from Panopticon swears by this. Atmospheric black magic.<br />
<br />
http://blackfuckingcancer.bandcamp.com/album/summoning-aural-hell<br />
Black fucking murder. Formerly Necrite.<br />
<br />
http://gracelessrecordings.bandcamp.com/<br />
Horrible noisy evil. Run by Mike from Loss.<br />
<br />
http://eternalkhan.com/<br />
Really good. Doomy, gloomy, black and grim.<br />
<br />
http://nomosdei.bandcamp.com/album/kia-escaping-the-pain-of-creation<br />
Evil Greek black metal.<br />
<br />
https://soundcloud.com/deathknellprod<br />
LISTEN TO VTTA NOW.<br />
<br />
http://terraforms.bandcamp.com/<br />
Primitive one-man blight from Philly.<br />
<br />
http://soilandash.bandcamp.com/album/iii-foul-skin<br />
Droning, hopeless, and bleak as shit. Australia.<br />
<br />
http://abstractspirit.bandcamp.com/album/theomorphic-defectiveness<br />
Crushing Russian funeral doom.<br />
<br />
http://templeofvoid.bandcamp.com/<br />
I don't remember where I found this. It's pretty savage, though. Total death/doom from Detroit.<br />
<br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBdwTH9YYXA<br />
Just because Cobalt rule live and touring with them was awesome.<br />
<br />
http://sangredemuerdago.bandcamp.com/<br />
Weird neofolky stuff from Spain. Lots of nature sounds and gentle strings.<br />
<br />
http://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-is-so-good-that-who-made-it-doesnt-live-here<br />
Fuck yeah, early Mystifier rerelease!<br />
<br />
http://timekillseverything.bandcamp.com/album/time-kills-everything<br />
Nasty business from Winnipeg. Manic industrial black hell.<br />
<br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dp4jt5BYqeA<br />
Marry me, Iron Curtain. Viva Espana, viva Motorhead!<br />
<br />Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-78539047138222453132013-04-07T19:41:00.002-04:002013-04-07T19:59:08.748-04:00Cold nights.It's been a bad week. There's no use going into particulars. No one wants to read your sob story, they're too preoccupied with writing - or weathering - their own. Family stuff, man. It's hard. It's hard to think about, let alone write about, and this isn't the place to spin my own tale of woe and the backwoods. I'm not sure what that place might be, but I'm pretty certain that it's best kept locked away, stored in living room conversations and quiet bedside chatter. Writing that story about my mom was hard enough; I'm glad I did it, but it took awhile. This fresh heartache is too raw, too ragged around the edges, and too goddamn confusing to touch. It still stings, and I'm still wholly lost, and there's no room for that stuff on a metal blog (if this even qualifies - it's more of a graveyard/half-baked resume by now).<br />
<br />
Sorrow, alienation, impotent rage, creeping uncertainty - extreme metal has a lot of time for these loathsome emotions, and the darkest hours often call for the most punishing soundtracks. It's always been that way for me - the harshest black metal tore through the asphyxiating paralysis, and lit a torch to illuminate the path out of Hell. Not this time, though. I've spent the last week wrapping myself in Order From Chaos, Teitanblood, Obituary - old friends, old favorites, a warm woolen blanket of hate to hide beneath. It doesn't feel right, though. For whatever reason, this latest struggle calls for something different.<br />
<br />
Common Eider, King Eider and Steve von Till have been offering a great deal of solace. The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath a Cloud, the acoustic Royal Thunder tunes, Hexvessel, Southern Isolation, and Purson have resurfaced on my playlists, keeping me company while night falls and I'm alone, waiting for my man to come home from work and hold me tight. Being so far away from home makes dealing with family pain so much harder, given that my dad and granddad aren't the most computer-savvy. They tend to give up on emails after three lines, sending cryptic messages and leaving holes to worry into. Having A. here is the next best thing, better really, because he's not as jaded to the madness that we've grown accustomed to and knows when to hug tightest.<br />
<br />
That's probably why I've been so drawn to these haunted, half-whispered songs - they sound as lonesome as those empty hours can feel.<br />
<br />
<br />
Common Eider, King Eider:<br />
<br />
http://commoneiderkingeider.bandcamp.com/album/amnesia<br />
and<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Lgrtl-4qU1s" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
Steve von Till:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UJGX9Vqh1JI" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
Southern Isolation:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kfeCBsvSo8Y" width="420"></iframe>Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-25665733473453757632012-12-28T11:46:00.000-05:002012-12-28T11:48:46.296-05:00BEST OF 2012I made about a zillion "best of" lists this year. Here they all are in one place.<br />
<br />
Metalsuck - top fifteen: http://www.metalsucks.net/2012/12/04/grim-kims-top-fifteen-metal-albums-of-2012/<br />
<br />
Pitchfork - best albums/songs: http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9017-the-top-50-albums-of-2012/6/<br />
<br />
American Aftermath - best demos: http://americanaftermath.net/2012/12/22/best-of-2012-grim-kim-kellys-favorite-demos-of-2012/<br />
<br />
Unhallowed Nation - best ugly death metal records:<br />
http://www.unhallowednation.com/kim-kellys-top-ten-low-down-ugly-evil-death-metal-albums-of-2012-5529<br />
<br />
More are still waiting to be published, notably Brooklyn Vegan and Burning Ambulance, (or in Cvlt Nation's case, written - whoops) and a few are floating around in print form - Terrorizer, Absolute Underground.<br />
<br />
I also lauded Pallbearer's stunning 'Sorrow and Extinction' on Invisible Oranges (http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2012/12/top-50-albums-of-2012-10-to-1/) and Pitchfork (http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9017-the-top-50-albums-of-2012/).<br />
<br />
<br />
I really just spent all year listening to David Allan Coe and Venom, but, people like lists.<br />
<br />Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-53076280875145358982012-11-24T12:11:00.001-05:002012-11-25T12:05:33.853-05:00Best of 2012 (The Super Biased Edition)<br />
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<br />
<br />
It's that time of year again, when pretty much every music writer with a functioning cerebral cortex (and, seemingly, a few without) hunkers down in their undoubtedly stuffy, dirty sock- and empty juice container-strewn lairs and bash away at their respective keyboards, frantically arranging and rearranging and evaluating and worrying and eventually allowing themselves to experience that sweet, sweet second of release when they think, "Aw, fuck it" and hit the Send button. Yep, it's year-end best-of list time, the most wonderful(ly arbitrary) time of every music journo's year!<br />
<br />
I actually really like making lists, but tend to get overwhelmed and contrary after filing the fourth one in a row. It is a frustrating, silly process, and oftentimes makes me feel like I'm choosing sides in one massive, ugly are-you-my-friend-or-hers middle school battle, especially since so many of my mates insist on making super awesome records every year. My day job as a publicist also makes things difficult, because there are always at least a few records that I desperately want to include, because I genuinely think that they deserve the nod (I choose with whom to work and I only work with bands that I think are fucking rad!), but am unable to because, duh. There's a grey area for sure, and I end up skirting it once in awhile, but I do try my best to avoid conflicts of interest. That's why I'm putting this little list up on here, my personal blog, and making it very, very clear that I am openly biased about these albums for various business/personal reasons (it doesn't help when your boyfriend plays in a band, or you spend weeks on tour with bands, or your former clients release side projects!).<br />
<br />
They're still fucking awesome, though, and if you haven't heard them yet, you really should!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">So here's my totally, utterly, absolutely, 100% biased top whatever list of some of the best records of 2012 that I cannot include on any of my published lists for one reason or another.</span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<a href="http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/streaming-track-from-panopticons-kentucky/">Panopticon - Kentucky (Handmade Birds/Pagan Flames)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/streaming-bastard-saplings-cold-winds-howled-across-the-desolation/">Bastard Sapling - Dragged From Our Restless Trance (Forcefield Records)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.terrorizer.com/2012/10/26/widowmaker-by-dragged-into-sunlight-is-streaming-with-terrorizer/">Dragged Into Sunlight - Widowmaker (Prosthetic)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnsjhcVHZg0">Saint Vitus - Lillie: F-65 (Season of Mist)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://eternalwarfare.bandcamp.com/album/aelter-iii">Aelter - III (Eternal Warfare)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cvltnation.com/exclusive-cvlt-nation-streaming-sodb-don-seantalamh-a-chuid-fein/">Don Seantalamh a Chuid Féin (Into the Void Records)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://theflenser.bandcamp.com/album/lament">Obolus - Lament (The Flenser)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.lurkerspath.com/2011/12/05/greed-rapacity-loki-bound/">Greed & Rapacity - Loki Bound</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://tofucarnagerecords.bandcamp.com/releases">Ecocide - When Will It End (Tofu Carnage)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cvltnation.com/black-sands-appalachian-terror-unit-review-live-ritual/">Appalachian Terror Unit - Black Sands (Profane Existence)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2012/02/sutekh_hexen_un.html">Sutekh Hexen - Larvae (Handmade Birds)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://asor.bandcamp.com/">A Story of Rats - Vastness & The Inverse (Translinguistic Other)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2011/09/29/windhandalbumstream/">Windhand - S/T (Forcefield Records)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://americanaftermath.net/2012/03/09/man-vs-machine-ten-questions-with-author-punisher/">Author & Punisher - Ursus Americanus (Seventh Rule)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://imperialtriumphant.bandcamp.com/">Inperial Triumphant - Abominamentvm (self-released)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/13394-bodies-in-tow/">Pinkish Black - S/T (Handmade Birds).</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cvltnation.com/bong-stream/">BONG - Mana Yood Sushai (Ritual Productions)</a><br />
<br />
<br />
I also really liked the <a href="http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Kaevum/3540269450">Kaevum</a>'s 'Natur' record, but they're pretty blatantly NS and I just do not feel like dealing with all that noise. Great music, though.<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXKYEz6B8vE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXKYEz6B8vE</a><br />
<br />
<br />
So there you have it. I'll post my various other published lists as they go up.Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-11092998879625256712012-11-19T04:48:00.003-05:002012-11-19T04:48:41.962-05:00Hallo, Deutschland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Al and I went to Berlin for this year's Nuclear War Now! fest - or "live ritual," if you prefer - and it ruled. We did a bunch of sightseeing, bought an old Soviet gasmask from a man on a bridge (you sort of have to, don't you), ate our combined weight in falafel and chips, drank far too much whiskey, hugged up on a bunch of buddies from all over the world, met some rad people, and, of course, watched some AMAZING bands. I've got a proper live review of all that coming out in the next Terrorizer Magazine, but suffice it to say, Revenge, Knelt Rote, Wrathprayer, and Dead Congregation alone made all the madness worthwhile.Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-4533424984742353022012-10-18T00:43:00.000-04:002012-10-18T00:43:27.171-04:00Hey - I'm horrible at updating this thing, and my grand aspirations of doing an actual tour diary evaporated around the same time I remembered how insanely hectic touring is. It's the same story every time; I sign myself up for a zillion projects and assignments, hop in the van, start telling myself about how much work I'm going to get done before doors...during the gig...at wherever we're crashing...before van call..oh, shit. I find myself scrabbling around just trying to finish the bare minimum - the assignments that pay, that have hard deadlines, that I can't afford to push back a week or three. That's where I'm at now. I owe loads of words to at least three places, probably more - only Gmail knows - and have between now and 11am Dallas time to get 'em done. C'est ma vie.<br />
<br />
So here's a few things I actually did manage to get done since I last posted...<br />
<br />
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17063-verdonkermaan/<br />
<br />
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17149-the-threnody-of-triumph/<br />
<br />
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17198-embers-and-revelations/<br />
<br />
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17199-ye-are-gods/<br />
<br />
http://www.metalsucks.net/2012/10/17/on-the-road-with-saint-vitus-grim-kims-tour-bus-playlist/#disqus_threadRavishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-87458325591090276952012-09-05T20:07:00.000-04:002012-09-05T20:07:04.983-04:00See you soon, Americaland.<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLkjjQCkCRDllLG0MP7HyFWBlHPWUELj7yM70jCLKjyOBDrL7oK1f4OS26rjSqxkdHqge4n4QadHr2qxcTwhGYcpLjfWtAVr9WHCSSGr93XQrtNOki6HqbADdtnq9RDrbePLGMAVp48NQ/s1600/vitustour.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLLkjjQCkCRDllLG0MP7HyFWBlHPWUELj7yM70jCLKjyOBDrL7oK1f4OS26rjSqxkdHqge4n4QadHr2qxcTwhGYcpLjfWtAVr9WHCSSGr93XQrtNOki6HqbADdtnq9RDrbePLGMAVp48NQ/s640/vitustour.jpeg" width="414" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">9/14 Little Rock AR @ Rev Room *</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">9/15 Memphis TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe</span></div>
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9/16 Nashville TB @ Exit/In</div>
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9/18 Atlanta GA @ The Masquerade</div>
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9/19 Raleigh NC @ Lincoln Theatre</div>
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9/20 Richmond VA @ Kingdom</div>
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9/21 Huntington WV @ V Club</div>
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9/22 Boomslang Festival @ Buster's Billiard's & Backroom, Lexington KY</div>
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9/23 Pittsburgh PA @ The Rex Theater</div>
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9/24 Cambridge MA @ The Middle East</div>
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9/25 Brooklyn NY @ Saint Vitus Bar</div>
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9/27 Washington DC @ Black Cat</div>
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9/28 New York NY @ Best Buy Theater w/ DOWN **</div>
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9/29 Cleveland OH @ Grog Shop</div>
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9/30 Chicago IL @ Bottom Lounge</div>
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10/1 Minneapolis MN @ Triple Rock Social Club</div>
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10/2 Lawrence KS @ Granada Theater</div>
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10/3 Denver CO @ Bluebird Theater</div>
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10/4 Salt Lake City UT @ Urban Lounge</div>
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10/5 Boise ID @ Neurolux</div>
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10/6 Fall Into Darkness Fest, Portland OR</div>
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10/7 Seattle WA @ Highline</div>
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10/9 San Francisco CA @ The Independent</div>
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10/10 Los Angeles CA @ Bootleg Theater</div>
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10/11 Sacramento CA @ Harlow's</div>
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10/12 Santa Cruz CA @ Atrium at The Catalyst</div>
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10/13 Pomona CA @ venue TBA **</div>
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10/14 Santa Ana CA @ Constellation Room at The Observatory</div>
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10/15 Mesa AZ @ Nile Theater</div>
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10/16 Albuquerque NM @ Launchpad</div>
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10/18 Austin TX @ Beauty Ballroom</div>
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10/19 San Antonio TX @ Bonds 007</div>
</span></span></span>Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-3913724268093341252012-09-01T16:37:00.001-04:002012-10-18T00:47:19.880-04:00<span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: white;">5. 6. 7.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">My stint with Hull is over as of a few hours ago, when they dropped me off in front of Downtown Music Hall in Little Rock. I love those boys, and am hoping that the next year brings them the kind of attention and success that they really, truly deserve. They were so much fun to (mini)-tour with.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Day 5 was an off day; we bummed around and stopped in Memphis to hunt down some barbeque (success! Rendezvous did us right, touristy kitsch and limited menu be damned. Best sweet tea I've ever had) and crashed at their pal Jacob's house in Little Rock around midnight. We watched the Bobby Liebling documentary, which was infinitely depressing and made me really, really glad that I stay away from drugs, but also delighted to see my old friend Pellet looking so happy at the end. By the time we'd seen the last of Bobby, Jacob has headed to bed, and we followed suit. He has four adorable cats that kept everyone except Jeff in paroxysms of delight, and an impossibly stocked cupboard filled exclusively with packets of Top Ramen and white rice, which gave me flashbacks to my first forays into "cooking" when I was in grade school. I like your style, Jacob.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Yesterday was the second day of Mutants of the Monster Fest II. There were a handful of bands I was really excited to see - Beneath Oblivion, The Ascent of Everest, Hull (duh), and Rwake - and a few I'd never really heard of before. I always forget how awesome Rwake's live performances can be, between CT's manic street preacher energy, B's spidery Moog manipulations and caustic howls, the crashing heaviness of it all, and the ragged synchronicity of the band itself. Also, John gives the best hugs. The Ascent of Everest are something really beautiful, too - post-rock with soul. I do still miss Evil Bebos, some of the members' previous band - an awesomely heavy psych-doom band that my best friend and I used to hang with and put on house shows for in college (she did the show-throwing, I did the nerding-out-about-them-in-print-ing). Those weer the best days, when we were a little younger and a lot wilder and way crustier. Hull crushed it - they really are so much meaner and streamlined as a four-piece, and have really impressed me on this run. Git it, boys. I hadn't seen Beneath Oblivion in years, since Kuma's Rock Fest in Chicago in 2009 (they remember my underage ass getting kicked out and summarily quarantined by the gear cases, too) but have been following them ever since, and was captivated by the suffocating heaviness they brought to the Downtown's stage. The Pallbearer fellas showed up and gave me a heavy-duty vinyl copy of their new record (best dudes, best present!) and I must have hugged half of Arkansas out of sheer happiness in being there. People here are so very kind, and honest, and passionate. They really fucking care about music.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Tonight, Pallbearer are the main attraction, with a metric fuckton of others taking the stage beforehand - I think the first band goes on in about fifteen minutes, and it's only 2:45pm. Gonna be a long day. Bought my plane tickets for London this morning, too, so color me the happiest girl in the world. Seven hours on a plane is nothing - I'd travel halfway 'round the world four times over just to see his face.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Spent some time walking around Little Rock earlier today in search of tea and a bagel, and on my way to the inevitable Starbucks (about a mile way), was struck by now much...nothing...that there was. Vacant businesses, empty storefronts, faded signs, nothing resembling traffic on a hot Saturday afternoon. The odd denizen walking - or stumbling - around in the heat. Nothing but fast food and a dubious-looking Chinese restaurant with shuttered windows seemed to be open, and I was on the verge of reverting back to tour mode and going the gas station breakfast route (Lipton tea and a packet of ramen crumpled into two separate Styrofoam cups of boiling water) when that blessed greenish mermaid rose up from the sea of auto parts and empty streets to beckon me into her air-conditioned, comfortingly bland gullet. It made me realize how little I actually know about this city that I've spent so much time visiting. I've seen the (awesome) woman who runs Downtown Music more often than my own mother this year, and been to Little Rock with four different bands by now, but I still haven't got a clue what it's really like. That's what touring does to you, I guess. All you see are snapshots. Sometimes they're good - endless wild nights in Chicago, the mouthwatering pizza and big-hearted staff at the Hi-Tone in Memphis, Ho Sai Gai's sesame chicken in Philly, the lovely couple with the hearse in their front yard in Orlando - and sometimes they're terrible, or worse, straight up boring. Driving through Mississippi or Detroit is awful. Wending your way through the mountains and over the painted deserts out West will fill you with life and awe. Swilling bourbon in Nashville and chugging forties on a stoop outside a basement show in South Philly is scumbag nirvana. Places I hate to visit, like Pittsburgh and Miami and Missouri and most of Texas - have their pros, but by the luck of the draw, I only see the cons. The neverending cornfields and truckstops of the Midwest will numb you. The arid, lonesome Southwest will parch you. The toll-heavy asshole-driven Northeast will make you see red. The swampy black magic druglust in NOLA and Savannah will take their pound of flesh. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I can say all of these things, and know them, and mean them, but acknowledge full well that I do not really know these places. Some I'm very familiar with - Chicago, Portland, Philly, Raleigh, NYC, Austin - and some I've only passed through, but none of them are home to me. They're home to someone, though, someone who knows them like the back of their hand and can show you where they went to preschool down the street and tell you where to get the best sandwich in town. All I can do is draw upon my own blinkered experience, and draw my own conclusions, as biased and ill-informed they undoubtedly may be. I remember royally pissing off a blogger from Iowa after complaining about how shitty Dubuque, and by extension, Iowa, was. He got annoyed at my perceived "East Coast superiority complex," and I hated the fuck out of that lame little burgh with its rude youth and inhospitable vibes. I have never had fun in Iowa, and wasn't about to pretend. We were both right, and both wrong, and both had opinions about this particular slab of earth. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">I want to get to know these places, though. I want to see them through different eyes, and venture off the beaten path, and fall in love with them. The place I grew up probably seems like a hillbilly backwater to those who have never fallen asleep to a whipporwill's cries or seen the sun bleed out through pine branches, or picked huckleberries and played catch with an old hound dog all day then fallen asleep beneath a tanned deer hide, or known what it feels like to walk a ways into the woods behind your house and be the only human being within untold miles of dense, untouched, untainted forest. To me, it's heaven, but to someone else, it's hell. Pittsburgh is someone's heaven. Oakland is someone's heaven. Houston is someone's heaven. </span></div>
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<span style="color: white;">Guess I'll just have to keep hitting that asphalt, and wait for clarity.</span></div>
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Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-83160086279436708412012-08-29T00:01:00.001-04:002012-08-29T00:01:42.606-04:002. 3. 4.<br />
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It's been a funny few days. We're in Atlanta, at the same venue I was at last time a tour brought me through town: 529, a tiny spot that has brushed off quite a bit of the sawdust and slopped black paint over the unfinished beams that had splintered up a passel of babythrashers at that Municipal Waste gig, and have closed off about half of the venue space for reasons unknown. The bar is a bottleneck, the bartenders pour 'em weak, but I dig this city, and it's always great to see old friends from the road. Nick's here, and Brent's playing with his new band Order of the Owl (bone-shaking tones), Juan's here with his side band Stallone, and the Royal Thunder cats just rolled through. I hit up the rest of the Zoroasters and Kevin Sharp, but it's tough to get even old friends out to Tuesday night gigs. One familiar face is worth the world when you're far from home.<br />
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Yesterday was eventful, to say the least. We woke up and hit a nice old diner in downtown Carrboro with Jenks from Horseback, then went hiking (well, wandering half-lost) through the woods 'til we found this "swimming hole" Jeffrey had told us about. It was really just a stretch of silty, stagnant river coursing sluggishly beneath an overhanging tree to which someone long ago had nailed a crude approximation of a ladder and diving platform. Of course we all had to have a go. My fear of heights surfaced well past the point of any safe return, so I eventually - and after much coaxing - jumped down into the muddy waters, and to my immense surprise, did not die. That fifteen-foot drop was more than enough for me; I'll never understand how Al went cliff-diving so casually in Malawi. After that, we shucked off out wet clothes, rinsed off, and headed over to the show, to load in Hull's mountains of gear down a flight and a half of stairs. Slowly but surely, my tour muscles are coming back. Mediterranean food, solid performances from Systems (who sound like a mathier Thou) and Caltrop (who should tour with Royal Thunder), my first time seeing Hull as a four-piece (way meaner), a lot of online flat-hunting between customers, and that was over. We stayed with one of their mates from Caltrop and his stunningly beautiful wife in their rambling old farmhouse, replete with a lazy hound dog, a nice collection of literature on the Cultural Revolution, and the cutest kitten of all time. It also featured some diabolical-looking spiders, no A/C, and a non-working toilet, so this morning found us a few rungs beneath bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Van naps, a visit to Biscuitville, endless Skype mobile chat (if only my dodgy Android had Facetime [ultimate first world problem, I know]) and a ill-fated decision to nod off whilst listening to the new Nihill album. I woke up shaking. That's the first album that's ever, ever given me nightmares, but Jelle and Mikael managed to erode my psyche and bathe it all in blood. I'm still a bit shaken, which I suppose is a good result for a fucked-up black metal record.<br />
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The day before yesterday was just spent hanging about Sean's brother's house, more Skype, some work, and awesome pancakes. We made the six or so hour drive to Chapel Hill, had some ridiculously indulgent bar food, watched some horribly depressing Louis C.K. reruns, and crashed. Not a bad off day.<br />
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We're staying with one of the Royal Thunder dudes tonight; hoping to sneak off and do some writing and new music listening, as I'm woefully behind. It stresses me out so much, being on the road. Never enough time for anything. If I couldn't talk to Al all the time, I'd go mad. I love him more every day.<br />
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Birmingham tomorrow. I hate Birmingham. I've only ever had one good time in Birmingham - hopefully tomorrow will be a redemption of sorts. At the very least, I'll get some decent pizza at Magic Mushroom.Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-84092912505013871702012-08-26T03:08:00.000-04:002012-08-26T03:08:08.859-04:00So I'm in a van again.
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And I figured I'd write about it. I guess this is something of a tour diary, but really, it's just a diary. I'll be traveling through most of the country 'til October 1st, and odds are I'll find at least a few things worth documenting. Or not. We'll see.<br />
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1.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I feel like shit. Waking up hungover is generally not
something I’d recommend for the best of times, like those lazy Sundays spent
naked in bed with your similarly-incapacitated significant other, slurping down
lo mein and watching old episodes of 30 Rock. Waking up hungover when you have
an actual thing to do and a set time by which said thing must be accomplished
is an extraordinarily unappealing prospect, one that I’d hoped to avoid for
this particular task, but these things have a way of spiraling out of my
control once certain elements come into play. Well, just the one element,
really. The booze. I don’t drink that often – I’m too cheap, and just don’t
feel the urge, anyway – but when I do, and it’s a special occasion of sorts,
I’ll fucking drink. My poison is bourbon; the honeyed sting of it, that peaty
musky taste and feeling of slow, malicious warmth spreading down your throat is
just the best damn thing. It’s funny, whiskey. Whiskey is one of those things
that it’s sort of cool to say you like, right? That’s how it seems, anyway.
Whiskey is tough, and manly, and just expensive enough to be a bit of a luxury.
Well, unless you stick to the rail like I do. Like I’ve got ten bucks to spare
for a shot of Maker’s? Fuck outta here, this is New York. I barely have ten
bucks to spend on groceries, let alone indulgences. I’ve got more scratch than
usual right now, but even that slight wisp of financial security, or at least
my approximation of it, dwells within the sort of number range a lawyer would
sniff at, and a Kardashian would equate to Somalian orphan’s level of
poverty. What I’m saying is, I’m not
pinching my pennies as tightly as I’ve had to do before, but I still ain’t
buying the good stuff. Anyway. A few Solo cups of cheap red wine, mixed with
Coke of course – calimocho, as the Portuguese call it, discovered years ago
when that one gorgeous, spectacularly dull Spaniard introduced me to it out of
the trunk of his beat-up red car – were doing me just fine, but once Lady
Bourbon swaggered into the picture, my dreams of a cheery productive morning
went the way of the dodo in under five minutes. Hazy recollections of Axl Rose
impressions and awkward water-under-the-bridge-so-why-do-we-need-to-talk-about-it
encounters and new friends and falling on my ass whilst screaming Hatebreed
lyrics outside some hipster watering hole in Williamsburg swam in and out of my
consciousness as I woke up, groggy and headsick. Fuck, what time was it? Noon?
Goddamnit, I had to meet the Hull dudes in exactly one hour, and all I wanted
to do was turn back over, hug my shitty Dollar General-brand pillow, and go the
fuck back to sleep. The show must go on, though, and tour vans wait for no man,
especially on the first day, so I eventually, unwillingly, managed to haul my
pathetic carcass into Sam’s shower and into my dirty cutoffs. A few moments’
worth of waffling – clean shirt? Worth it? Uhh – accompanied a dejected glance
at the now-empty Styrofoam container that had once held delicious, greasy
noodles and was now nothing more than a cold reminder of drunk me’s stumbly voyage
into the kitchen and gleefully wolfing down cold sloppy Chinese at 4am before
passing out. Man, I’d kill for some fuckin’ noodles right now, but no time – I
was late. Time to hit the road.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The drive down to Annandale, Virginia took two extra hours
thanks to various traffic snarls, but passed quickly and pleasantly enough.
Hull’s van is huge, and the boys’ commentary and occasional bursts of song
(Carmine brought along the ol’ acoustic, which is already proving to have been
a wise decision) were bright spots in an otherwise dully misery-laced nap. I
slept away most of the gut rot by Maryland, but am still feeling pretty low. I
miss Al. He had a gig tonight, so we only got to talk for about five minutes
this morning. The time differences destroys me when I’m traveling; it’s hard
enough accounting for five hours, never mind pulling it off when you’re in a
different time zone every day. I wish I was in Leeds watching him shred, but,
c’est la vie right now. The house show environment isn’t doing much for me,
either; everyone’s smoking, it’s loud, wah wah wah. I have to switch back into
tour mode – I’m going to be living rough and dirty for the next month, and
can’t allow that bitchy little princess that I am convinced every road dog
keeps secretly tucked away for emergencies and week eight of tour to come
shining through quite so soon<o:p></o:p></div>
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Aaron and Rob from Salome – well, ex-Salome, Salome is dead
but dearly, dearly departed – are here. Rob’s new band is about to go on, and I
should probably start making some kind of moves, to go and watch them if not
load stuff. The “venue” space is smaller than our living room in Bed Stuy, and
can uncomfortably fit about ten people and a band. Loading in and setting up is
going to be hilarious, and fuck knows what I’m meant to do with the merch, but
I shouldn’t be complaining so much. This is rock’n’roll. This is THE LIFE.
Right?<o:p></o:p></div>
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We were meant to hit Richmond tomorrow, and I was looking
forward to seeing some familiar faces and hopefully getting Luna to pierce me,
but the gig fell through, and no one’s really given me an answer as to what
we’re going to be doing in its stead. I hope we get to RVA at least for a
little while; I love that city, and am there so infrequently that it hasn’t
gotten old yet. We’ll see. Tomorrow’s another day, and I haven’t had a single
drink, so I’m pretty sure my perspective – and complexion – will be much
brighter come morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-55669211138654583562012-08-20T03:06:00.002-04:002012-08-20T03:06:32.057-04:00WEAPON Interview - This piece was written for and published by Absolute Underground Magazine in Canada - the new issue is out now, and is available for free all over Canada! Cheers to Mashruk for the interview.<br />
Here's the text.<br />
<br />
<b id="internal-source-marker_0.1585904392413795" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">WEAPON</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Revelations From the Devil’s Tomb”</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">by Kim Kelly</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Canadian tradition of extreme metal brutality and iconoclastic personality is well-known and world-renowned, from Black Kronstadt to Blasphemy and many points in between. One of the newest but most potent additions to Edmonton’s already solid local lineup (stacked as it is with Revenge, Rites of Thy Degringolade, Axis of Advance, etc) comes via worlds away..from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to be exact. Vetis Monarch of Satanic black/death tyrants Weapon moved to Canada during his mid-teens and started the band in 2003; he temporarily moved back to Bangladesh for several years (during which he recorded the band’s infamous 'Within The Flesh of the Satanist' Demo tape and 'Violated Hejab' EP) then relocated once more to end up in Edmonton, where the band has been based and thriving since 2005. Weapon is now rounded out by The Disciple on drums, Kha Tumos (bass) and new addition Rom Surtr on guitar. Now, fresh off a North American tour with Marduk and 1349, and armed with brand-new album due out on Relapse Records within the next year, Vetis Monarch was kind enough to answer a few questions for Absolute Underground. Unleash hell.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kim Kelly: 'Embers and Revelations' has been completed, and the only question that remains is, when will it be released? </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Vetis Monarch: The album was initially slated to be released this September, but it's been moved back slightly due to some unforeseen, weak and douchebag behavior thrown our way from oceans across. If all works out according to our new plans, it should still be the fall of 2012. If not, then early 2013.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">KK: Tell me a bit about the creation of this album. I know you worked very hard on perfecting the songs, and especially the lyrics. What can we expect to hear?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">VM: We started work on this record over 2 years ago. Not necessarily with the goal of writing another album per se, we just started writing. Like most bands, we go through creative bursts and dry periods; unlike most bands, we throw away a ton of riffs that are not good enough.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The music and the lyrics get equal importance in Weapon. I can't say the lyrics get priority, because one without the other is useless, as far as we are concerned. Weapon has always had a very spiritual approach to this music, and that HAS to remain intact. Otherwise it's just a bunch of guys playing metal.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One one hand, 'Embers And Revelations' is a direct continuation of 'From The Devil's Tomb', in its scathing Death Metal fury. One the other hand, we've more incorporated 'atmospheric' and esoteric elements and concocted a very dark and mystical album. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">KK: How did you refine and improve upon your songwriting and sound for this release? Your last record, ‘From The Devil’s Tomb,’ must have been a bitch to top.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">VM: That it was, but what other option did we have? After an album like 'From The Devil's Tomb' is received the way it was, I had to get even more picky with the riffs I was showing to the W crew. NOT topping the last record was unfathomable. New material has to be better than everything that's ever been done in the past, or why even bother creating new songs? That being said, we just kept the focus on writing a juggernaut of a Black/Death metal record without constantly second-guessing ourselves and comparing ourselves to our past discography.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We refine ourselves internally and externally. There are levels of expectations to be met from each other and from ourselves. Our goal, however, is not to be the most tech / evil / whatever band around; Weapon is about writing the best songs. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">KK: Tell me a bit about the subject matter on the album. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">VM: Thematically / ideologically, Weapon will never stray from the course of Left Hand Path and Satanism. The occult and deathworship have been my lyrical foundation since the days of our first Demo, and thus it shall remain until the end of this band.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Throne of disorder; in sulfur diadem, (our) Lord breathes on embers, grants revelations."</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">KK: You've made mention previously about growing up in Bangladesh and discovering the goddess Kali; how would you say your relationship with Kali led you towards Satanism? When it comes to your own beliefs, how do you reconcile the world of Kali with the concept of Satan?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">VM: It was essentially exposure to a deity most powerful at a very young age. Too young to be able to comprehend what I was experiencing, but old enough for the 'damage' to be done. Kali was a forbidden element in my mostly Muslim surroundings, so naturally I was drawn to the Dark Mother if for nothing else, to rebel and defy the status quo; once I had passed through the gates, so to speak, I learned more about this deity of Death and saw the mirror image of Lilith, the consort of Satan. The rest, well... you know. Here we are.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Adversarial and illuminating figures go hand in hand in almost every mythological and religious tradition. When one really examines what it is that Satan encompasses, reconciliation of the world of Kali and the concept of Satan is just some brain cell friction away. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">KK: What are your thoughts on metal bands (black metal or otherwise) who claim that Satan is unnecessary to create extreme metal? Is it a personal choice, or do you feel that that undercurrent of Satanic feeling is necessary in order to write a proper black metal record?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">VM: Metal bands can sing about whatever the fuck they want. Lyrical matter is up to the band and I believe in freedom of speech. Black Metal, however, is Satan. That's non-negotiable. Lack of Satan means you do not play in a Black Metal band, regardless of how many Immortal riffs you've stolen or much panda makeup you've worn. Weather reports, national socialism, pagan fire dances and pretty flowers do not a Black Metal band make.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So to answer the first part of your question more articulately - if your band claims to be Black Metal but you do not worship the Devil, go fuck yourself. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">KK: What is black metal in 2012? The term is such a blanket statement - theoretically, one could toss Blasphemy, Wolves in the Throne Room, Mayhem, One Tail One Head, and Drudkh in there, and even Weapon sometimes gets thrown in as well. Is a definition necessary anymore? Is a definition possible?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">VM: I would never - theoretically or otherwise - utter Blasphemy, Root and Mayhem in the same breath with something as asinine as Wolves In The Throne Room. That would be like mentioning a fucktard like Adam Sandler to the work of Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Clint Eastwood. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Weapon gets tossed in there and we have absolutely no problem with that, because we are still very much a Black Metal band in many ways. People often call us Death Metal, and that's fine too. Definition is necessary, and it is possible. It is necessary for the differentiating betwixt what's quality and what's vapid, what's original and what's contrived, and what's strong and what's weak. And no, not everything in world is subjective. Violence and fundamentalism are 2 very key ingredients in this music, and as long as Weapon is around, that will not change. Hail Satan.</span></b>Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-77662384775855292852012-07-30T17:26:00.002-04:002012-07-30T17:28:21.106-04:00ROTTING CHRIST's Sakis comments on The Golden Dawn and the difficulties of creating art amidst chaos<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Excerpt from a recent interview I conducted with Sakis Tolis, guitarist & vocalist for Greek black metal institution Rotting Christ (edited slightly for clarity/grammar).</span><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.2613009908236563" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">KK: Over the past two decades, the band has faced plenty of uproar from various Christian communities. How is the band received in Greece? Are people used to you by now, or do you still see trouble from time to time?</span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ST: We always had problems with Christians and generally with conservative ideas and close mind people.We never stepped back and we always keep on spreading our ideas and our music even though it was hard sometimes. I remember live cancellations, refusals to distribute our albums, “riots”, even threats, but this is METAL. Metal can not be compatible to the majority otherwise it will lose its meaning. </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">KK: On a side note, it’s been interesting following the controversy over Naer Mataron’s Giorgos Germenis’ election to the Greek Parliament. How do people within the metal scene view this event? Does the Golden Dawn have many supporters amongst Greek metalheads, or it it more of a fringe movement?</span><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><b id="internal-source-marker_0.2613009908236563" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ST: 7% can not be a fringe movement! Something else drove people to vote for this extreme right party and the reason is something that we suffer as society.The corruption of the political system so the people voted for a hand that can punch politics' face. I have lived in Greece all my life and believe me that there are not half million extreme right citizens. Greece is a “left" country that has nothing to do with such movements. You know when there is crisis somewhere and a whole nation is ready to collapse then this situation is exploited from the extreme movements and Golden Dawn is one of them.</span></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now if there are supporters of Golden Dawn in Metal I guess mathematically there are but I see not such movement in Greek Metal scene.</span></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">METAL in my opinion has nothing to do with politics.I am also a political sensitive person but I leave that miles aways from what I call Metal and this is in my opinion what all journalists should do.</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" /></span></span></b><b id="internal-source-marker_0.2613009908236563" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">KK: How have Greece’s recent financial issues affected the way bands and artists operate within the country? Has it had an effect on your ability to practice your craft, or just provided fuel for the fire?</span></span></b><br />
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ST: It is said that a crisis or war or something miserable helps art. Yes I do agree with that but my friend, what we have lived through as citizens the last two years is worst than a war. In a war you know your enemy.Here we have to face a digital enemy ,an enemy with numbers that in reality does not exist, and this is worst than everything. And I am afraid that I will feedback positive to your question if that had effect the band or the musicians.When you wake up and you do not know if your country will collapse and if you see people with depression all around, if you see no jobs around, if you see people committing suicide, then I am afraid that this can affect your creation .I have get over my limits composing new songs all this year. First time that I ever worked so hard, as I had to pick up my mind from what is going on around and be focused to my point. I am glad that I finally came upo with new songs that I am currently recording but I have always my mind on what is going on down here that I am afraid…that is just the beginning!</span></span></b>Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-28597095084502346652012-06-04T18:45:00.002-04:002012-06-04T18:45:22.951-04:00First piece for Decibel Magazine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Two page live review of Roadburn 2012.</div>Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-26680285062958080132012-05-17T23:49:00.000-04:002012-05-18T10:59:53.249-04:00Back on the road.May 17, 2012<br />
Black Tusk tour.<br />
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It's about eleven o'clock and we're in the van, driving down a lonesome highway in Alabama. Outside our rumbling, self-contained universe, the air presses down, hard and humid. Everything is black and grey. No light, no nothing, just brief flashes of garish light as billboards swim in and out of view. We're listening to a Townes van Zandt covers record that Scott Kelly, Steve Von Till, and Wino have put together. Weeping acoustics, scratchy throats whispering a dead man's thoughts, velvety strings shimmering underneath. It's haunting, subtle, dusky music, made for lonesome nights and quiet thoughts. Nights like these really underline how far I am from home, and how alright that is by me.<br />
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Tomorrow, we carry on into Louisiana to meet up with our friends Down and haarp for a string of shows through the South. We are staying in some no name hotel in Mobile tonight, all four of us curled up in one room like stray dogs. Road dogs - it's more apt of a description than a cursory reading will reveal. Roaming the earth like hungry wolves, sticking close to our pack, relying on the kindness of our far-flung tribe to get by. It's a life built on love, and muscle, and bullheaded determination. Many others know as well as I do how hard this can be, but, it is worth the sweat and bruises and aggravation to find a place that feels like home - even if that place is a creaky old Ford van stuffed with boots and wayward sunflower seeds.<br />
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It's good to be home.<br />
<br />
:
BLACK TUSK<br />
With Down and Haarp<br />
5/18: Broussard, LA @ The Station<br />
5/19: Huntsville, AL @ Crossroads<br />
5/21: Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel<br />
5/23: Little Rock, AR @ Juanita's Cantina Ballroom<br />
5/25: Memphis, TN @ New Daisy Theater
*<br />
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*5/24-5/27 I will be in Baltimore for Maryland Death Fest, and will rejoin the tour 5/28**<br />
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With Municipal Waste<br />
5/27: Wilmington, NC @ The Soapbox Laundrolounge<br />
5/28: Atlanta, GA @ 529
5/29: Orlando, FL @ The Social
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5/30: Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall<br />
6/2: Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves<br />
6/3: Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory<br />
6/5: Tempe, AZ @ 910 Live<br />
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With Municipal Waste and 3 Inches of Blood<br />
6/11: Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction<br />
6/12: Hollywood, CA @ The Key Club<br />
6/13: Oakland, CA @ Oakland Metro Operahouse<br />
6/15: Seattle, WA @ Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room
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6/16: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater<br />
6/21: Chicago, IL @ Reggie's Rock Club<br />
6/22: Columbus, OH @ Screamin' Willies<br />
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"Orion Music + More Festival" 6/23: Atlantic City, NJ @ Bader Field<br />
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With Municipal Waste and 3 Inches of Blood<br />
6/24: Albany, NY @ Bogies<br />
6/25: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer<br />
6/26: New York, NY @ Santos Party House<br />
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<br />Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-24407127229781392512012-05-11T13:04:00.001-04:002012-05-11T13:05:26.525-04:00MDF X Playlist:<br />
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Here's a downloadable playlist of a few bands I'm really stoked to be seeing at this year's Maryland Death Fest X.<br />
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-I-<br />
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MORTUARY DRAPE - "Obsessed by Necromancy"</div>
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HORNA - "Vihan Tie"</div>
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NASUM - "The Engine of Death"</div>
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DRAGGED INTO SUNLIGHT - "Volcanic Birth"</div>
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ARCHGOAT - "Goddess of the Abyss of Graves"</div>
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DEVIATED INSTINCT - "Disciples of the Storm"</div>
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HELLBASTARD - "Massacre"</div>
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EYEHATEGOD - "Dixie Whiskey"</div>
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BLACK WITCHERY - "Apocalyptic Carnage"</div>
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DEMIGOD - "Tears of God"</div>
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MORBID ANGEL - "Chapel of Ghouls"</div>
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SARGEIST - "Black Fucking Murder"</div>
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SAINT VITUS - Look Behind You"</div>
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GHOUL - "Splatterthrash"</div>
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EXTERMINATION ANGEL- "Whirlwind Killing Spree"</div>
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INFERNAL STRONGHOLD - "Snorting the Ruins of Sodom"</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">http://www.sendspace.com/file/5sw1ti</span></span><br />
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-I-</div>Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-21164533974423637562012-05-04T17:30:00.001-04:002012-05-04T17:31:31.316-04:00Mutilation RitesI fucking love these dudes.
Doing a tiny piece on them for the next issue of Terrorizer; here's the full interview. Short and sweet.<br />
<br />
- Tell me about Empyrean. It's been getting sick reviews already, and is a marked progression from the band's earlier demos. You guys have really come into your own.<br />
<br />
Thanks. We're excited about the record. This album was much more of a group effort than any of the other recordings we've done. I think we've really fleshed out how to work with each other and put it all into Empyrean.<br />
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- You guys stay away from the occult gobbledegook that so many black metal bands jock, show up on stage in whatever you wore that day, and generally give zero fucks about "image." It rules. Your lyrics and aesthetic seem to fall into that realm, too - there's definitely evil brewing, but it feels more genuine. Can you give me some insight into the philosophy and goals behind the band?<br />
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Yeah I don't really understand why you would put on a bunch of fake blood or makeup when you're just some dude from the US. I understand aesthetics are important to an extent but you shouldn't pretend to be something you aren't. We're just dudes making music for us, we don't need to put on a bunch of costumes to prove how legit we are.
We don't have a message for you. I'm not trying to preach eternal war, blasphemy blah blah. My lyrics are personal and the band just makes music that feels natural.<br />
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- How sick are you of people asking you about Brooklyn by now? Who are a few bands from there that people should be paying attention to?<br />
<br />
Hahahaha I'm so sick of it! I think people assume all Brooklyn metal bands have weekly meetings or something.
As far as local Brooklyn bands?
Ruin Lust, Trenchgrinder, Syphilitic Lust, Mutant Supremacy all totally fucking rip and should get a lot more attention.<br />
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- You guys are always, always on tour. What are your favorite places to play? Where do you get the best reaction, and what's the weirdest gig you've played recently?<br />
<br />
We love playing Chicago. Shaman records always gets us badass shows. Usually with crusty bands, which is a safe bet for a good time.
Wisconsin is always good to us too. The Midwest in general seems to be where we get the best reception so far. Doing DIY shows all over, you tend to play a lot of basements, restaurants, warehouses. Nothing too out of the ordinary in that realm lately.Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-72299332889162861302012-04-06T08:15:00.001-04:002012-04-06T08:16:45.701-04:00Interview with HorsebackI interviewed Horseback's Jenks Miller for a Terrorizer piece. Here's the full interview (spared the slicing and dicing of the editorial process).<br />_<br /><br />So this is your first album of all-new material for Relapse! Are you excited to get it out there and see what kind of reaction pops up?<br /><br />Yes, I certainly appreciate the opportunity to work with Relapse. They’ve released some of my favorite metal records over the years, including Transcendence into the Peripheral, Onward to Golgotha, and Repulsion’s Horrified. <br /><br />I honestly have no idea what kind of reaction to expect -- I try not to think too much about that kind of thing, lest expectations unnecessarily influence my creative process.<br /><br /><br />You're highly prolific, and endlessly innovative. What's your creative process like? Are you constantly writing, recording, and resurrecting, or does inspiration come in bursts?<br /><br />It’s largely the former. I try to make writing and recording a daily practice. It helps if I approach music with the same discipline I would a full-time job. Not every idea works, of course: a part of this daily practice involves discarding -- or at least temporarily shelving -- certain fragments until a burst of inspiration like you describe makes that material useful.<br /><br />I’ve also found that listening to as much music as I can, and to different kinds of challenging music, is another essential habit. I’m drawn to music that doesn’t seem to make sense at first. This reaction suggests a potential area into which my own vocabulary could expand, as both a listener and an artist. Many of my favorite records today felt impenetrable when I first heard them.<br /><br /><br />There are so many layers and different sounds woven into your music, from black metal rasps to glorious ambient sunrises. It's a truly unique beast. It's a total cliche question, but - from whence do you draw your primary inspiration? Films, music, authors, places...<br /><br />If I could, I’d write pages in response to this question! I’ll answer briefly, in the categories you’ve provided:<br /><br />Films: Andrei Tarkovsky, Alejandro Jodorowsky, David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock. I’ve been fond of Jane Campion’s film The Piano since I was a kid. Something about the cinematography and Nyman’s score. There was a time in my teens when I would fall asleep every night with either The Piano soundtrack or Satyricon’s Nemesis Divina playing quietly on my CD player. I now realize that I was aiming for a hypnagogic dream-state. This sort of hallucinatory state seems to be one common thread connecting all my favorite films and records.<br /><br />Music: Metal, noise, contemporary classical (Glass, Radigue, Tony Conrad), proto-punk (Funhouse is tops), krautrock, folk (including folk-rock like Neil Young and Fairport Convention), goth rock (Fields of the Nephilim, Joy Division, Bauhaus). Jazz (especially Don Cherry and late-era John and Alice Coltrane) and dub (King Tubby and Scratch) are always on around the house. Swans, Lungfish, Keiji Haino, Junior Kimbrough. Some electronica -- I’ve really enjoyed Gas ever since I came across the box set of his Mille Plateaux albums a couple years ago. Records from friends and acquaintances are always in rotation. I’m obsessed with sound, always reaching for more of it. Right now I’m listening to a box set of old Feedtime records Sub Pop just released.<br /><br />Authors: Mostly nonfiction. Authors I was exposed to in college. I enjoy books on mythology, mysticism, music theory, art history. Alan Moore’s and Charles Burns’ graphic novels. The novel I read most recently was Don DeLillo’s White Noise.<br /><br />Places: My home in central North Carolina remains my favorite place on earth. I live in the woods, far enough from town that I have time to myself, space to think and breathe. I love the Appalachian Mountains, a few hours west of here. I spent a lot of time there growing up.<br /><br /><br />How does 'Half Blood' fit into the rest of your discography? <br /><br />This record is a synthesis of the various approaches explored on Horseback’s previous records. There are some songs with melodic structures derived from metal, blues and folk musics, along with abstract stuff that depends more on texture itself. Thematically, Half Blood is a meditation on hybridity and evolution, so I thought it would be appropriate to represent a number of different (conflicting? complimentary?) compositional approaches as parts of a greater whole.<br /><br /><br />Tell me a bit about "Inheritance (The Changeling)". From the outset, it's bathed in this eerie, unsettling glow - like Blood Ceremony covering the Suspiria soundtrack. What's the story behind this one?<br /><br />I’m not familiar with Blood Ceremony, but I love Goblin and Suspiria. And you’re right -- I certainly intended this track to be eerie and unsettling. I imagined a number of different forms coming together in mutual influence and constant mutation. In the larger context of the record, this track represents a kind of asymmetrical axis around which things grow more abstract and undefined.<br /><br /><br />"Arjuna" has that same eldritch, almost cinematic quality to it - I could easily imagine it playing in the background as the Wicker Man burns (have you seen that film?). There's a lot of talk about rituals and occult such and suchs in metal lately, but your music does a wicked job of channeling that feeling without dipping into hyperbole or caricature - or feeling the need to call every basement gig a "live ritual".<br /><br />Yes, I appreciate the original Wicker Man, and I think the comparison is a good one. The symbolic language on Half Blood is borrowed from ancient, polytheistic mythic traditions and mysticism (specifically Hermeticism). Specific symbols from the occult are very important to the record and to this project. However, invoking “the occult” in general is perhaps too easy; often, as you suggest, it becomes shtick, rather than informing a deeper understanding.<br /><br />Ritual plays a huge role in my life. Years ago, I was diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (I’ll address this in your next question), which diagnosis explained a great deal to me about why my mind has always favored cyclical systems over terminal ones. As I mentioned earlier, my creative process involves a daily practice. It is time in which I can train my mind into a meditative state. Channeling the natural tendencies of my mind in this way allows me to transform potentially destructive behaviors into focused creative work. It is ritual, in a very real way: I don’t feel a need to exaggerate these ideas because I live with them every day.<br /><br /><br />You've said that Horseback bagan as a sort of therapeutic outlet during a difficult time in your life. Assuming those times have passed, what purpose does the band now serve? What do you get out of it?<br /><br />I first started recording the material on Impale Golden Horn as a self-prescribed therapy, yes. At that time, I hadn’t thought about releasing it. Obsessive-compulsive disorder demands a certain level of anxiety-ridden, repetitive mental exercise. It can also provide an uncanny level of focus. I found that by channeling these behaviors into making music, an activity I greatly enjoy, I was able to reduce my anxiety while maintaining my focus. The music on Impale, like most of Horseback’s music, exhibits a repetitive, hypnotic and ritualistic quality because that’s the environment in which it was born.<br /><br />I’ve accepted the fact that I will always be dealing with OCD. It is a part of who I am. At the risk of romanticising a very serious condition, I can say that I’ve found a positive side to it, or at least a way to harness its mechanisms to my own ends. So this project is still, and will always be, a kind of therapy. As a rock band that produces records, it is also something more: it’s a source of energy and purpose, a creative vehicle, something shared, a means by which I can connect with other people.<br /><br /><br />What's next for Horseback? A bit of touring, perhaps,or more split releases? I could so imagine your trancelike Americana buzz sharing wax with Panopticon's black metal bluegrass, or Across Tundras' prairie psych...<br /><br />We’ll play some shows here and there, but this band doesn’t perform very often. This is due both to financial constraints and to the fact that most of the time I can afford to leave my family is spent on the road with my other band, Mount Moriah. A 7” EP, On the Eclipse, was recently released on Brutal Panda Records. A couple other limited releases are in the works, and sometime soon I’d like to collect a bunch of Horseback’s rare and out-of-print material and make it more readily available. I’m working on a new record. There are always new sounds to explore.<br /><br /><br />The last words are yours!<br /><br />Thank you, Kim!<br /><br />_Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-625040765592860962012-03-21T03:37:00.001-04:002012-03-21T03:38:38.890-04:00I interviewed Hank Williams III!I was really excited about this. You can read the full article here:<br /><br />http://www.metalsucks.net/2012/03/14/hank-williams-iii-the-metalsucks-interview/#disqus_thread<br /><br /><br />In country music, the surname “Williams” has become almost a talisman — the mark of a dynasty, and a legacy unto itself. The father, the son, and now the grandson have all blazed their own trails through (and beyond) pure country, telling three very different stories but sharing a musical heritage (and in Hank I and Hank III’s case, an uncanny resemblance). It’s a blessing and a curse that the Williams clan’s youngest scion, one Shelton Hank Williams III, has labored under since the first day he drew breath. When your granddad’s regarded as one of the most important country artists of all time and your daddy’s a whiskey-bent and hellbound multiplatinum outlaw called Bocephus, it takes a lot of balls to pick up a guitar, say “fuck it,” and start writing something entirely different.<br /><br />Luckily, if there’s one thing Hank III has got in abundance, it’s cojones, and if you’re wondering why you’re on a metal site reading references to the man who wrote “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” here’s your answer: we’re talking about his grandson, the man who single-handedly put the “dick” back in Dixie and does his damnedest to keep the raw, rebellious soul of outlaw country alive. Couple redneck royalty with a youth spent pounding the drums for handcore bands and an enduring penchant for thrash and doom, it’s no wonder that he has set up camp at the crossroads of country and heavy metal. These two seemingly disparate genres have quite a bit more in common that meets the eye, and Hank III’s eclectic repertoire is a product of the creative bent and fuck-you can-do attitude that personifies the best of both. He’s been doing things his way since the early nineties — collaborating with the Melvins and Willie Nelson, playing in Superjoint Ritual and Arson Anthem, recording his own tunes with Assjack and under his own name — and decades later, is showing no signs of slowing down.<br /><br />With four (!) new albums to promote and an array of tour dates coming up quick, ol’ Hank’s got a lot on his mind, and he was more than happy to let me pick his brain.<br /><br /><br />“Well we’re losing all the outlaws<br />that had to stand their ground<br />and they’re being replaced by these kids<br />from a manufactured town<br />And they don’t have no idea<br />about sorrow and woe<br />‘Cause they’re all just too damn busy<br />kissin’ ass on Music Row<br />So I’m here to put the “dick” in Dixie<br />and the “cunt” back in country<br />‘Cause the kind of country I hear nowdays<br />is a bunch of fuckin’ shit to me…”<br />- “Dick in Dixie,” Hank III<br /><br /><br />... http://www.metalsucks.net/2012/03/14/hank-williams-iii-the-metalsucks-interview/#disqus_threadRavishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-68648606280773229822012-03-20T13:19:00.001-04:002012-03-20T13:19:55.618-04:00AKSUMITE News:Straight from CSR Headquarters...<br /><br /><br />Aksumite has successfully recorded their follow up full length and it was a truly amazing experience. The album was recorded live (bass and vocals overdubbed) totally analog to two-inch tape in one take. No edits, fakery, reverb, or computers were present. The sound you will hear is 100% raw, authentic tubes and tape. Totally analog, 100%. Aksumite is not opposed to digital recording, however they wanted to pay tribute to the rich history of analog recording with their second album. The result is nothing less than stunning. It has surpassed all expectations. An outside engineer was brought in to engineer the sessions (held in his studio). His input and recording expertise (as well as his amazing selection of vintage equipment) was incredibly well appreciated. The album was recorded in five hours and mixed by myself (DAMIANMASTER) and the recording engineer in three hours. Aksumite is currently looking into their mastering options. Look for this release to be available in the early summer. The artwork will be handled by WEEKS (designer and illustrator of the CSR logo). For now, we give you the title and track-listing:<br /><br />AKSUMITE - PRIDELESS LIONS<br /><br />1. Lioness of Gobedra<br />2, Angel Strike Animal<br />3. Priory of Aksum<br />4. Via India<br />5. Invoke the Spirit Jackal Cloak<br />6. For the Glory of All Afrika<br />7. Ezana's Right Hand<br />8. Ezana's Right Hand (outro)<br />9. Brazen Ape<br />10. Islamic Mauraduers<br />11. Come Alive by Fire<br />12. The Gilded Goat.<br /><br />total running time: approx. 25 minutes.Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-11362994626572263542012-03-18T04:54:00.013-04:002012-03-21T03:49:40.534-04:00"Yo, Lemme Get That In A Large," Or How To Buy Merch Without Driving Someone CrazyI spend a lot of time on the road hustling merchandise for bands (from local heroes to decades-old legends), and am always delighted to have the chance to spend time with friends, soak in new and familiar music, meet new people, and visit cool new places/familiar haunts. I'm lucky to be able to do it, and wouldn't trade it for the world. That being said, there are a few aspects of the cotton tech's existence that I could very much do without. I'm generally not bothered by the hardships of touring - the constant exhaustion, discomfort, uncleanliness, strained situations back home, and being broke as a joke - but am driven up the goddamn wall during the act of selling merch by a particular set of behaviors exhibited by my dear customers. That's why I'm drawing up this tirade/how-to guide at 4am in the morning at a Motel 6 somewhere outside New Orleans - the ever-present combination of frustration, weariness, and the makings of a hangover. So, business as usual, pretty much. With that being said...<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvN98lAQjdHxhuXrqEFGkIVdn4icVig2t8Hl7t8HQ4tV77vIAsE9eDHaU-O8uRSRwFvhuxOAcPonQ2t1r1iO5qbwCyNZJNUAt2337N1tBwXQEVBO-gMlKCtiPJfm6Gl7SffuhnOr_nkaIh/s1600/35203_675731696206_10515129_37955611_3607587_n.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvN98lAQjdHxhuXrqEFGkIVdn4icVig2t8Hl7t8HQ4tV77vIAsE9eDHaU-O8uRSRwFvhuxOAcPonQ2t1r1iO5qbwCyNZJNUAt2337N1tBwXQEVBO-gMlKCtiPJfm6Gl7SffuhnOr_nkaIh/s400/35203_675731696206_10515129_37955611_3607587_n.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721171206731795394" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">WHEN BUYING MERCH AT A METAL SHOW, <br /></span><br /><br />1. Don't touch things (ESPECIALLY me!)<br /><br />Those items on that table are arranged that way for a reason. It's a display. Rifling through everything, unfolding and rearranging and throwing things around, will not endear you to me. I just spent time making that table look a certain way. If you MUST look with your hands instead of your eyes, at least make an effort to return said item to its rightful place.<br /><br />Also, don't touch me. Handshakes are fine, high fives are rad, but unnecessary grabbing, hugging, or pulling at my hair (!) is NOT appreciated. If you get even more inappropriate, you WILL regret it. Remember those hairy, sweaty, tattooed dudes you just spent a half hour watching onstage? They're essentially my big brothers, and they will not be pleased to hear that their little sister is being messed with.<br /><br />2. Read the signs before asking questions<br /><br />See that sign over there? The one with all the items and their prices listed? I made that for you, to make both of our lives easier. Please, please, PLEASE read the sign. It'll save you having to repeatedly scream your queries at me while the band is playing, it'll save us both a good deal of time, and it'll save me a whole lot of hating you. The sign holds all the answers. Read the fucking sign.<br /><br />3. Don't try to buy things while the band is playing unless you're good at nonverbal communication<br /><br />Metal bands are loud, and I'm wearing earplugs because I see them every single night. I cannot understand your mumbling. I can't decipher your weird hand gestures. I'm definitely not going to understand your jokes. Just wait until we can speak like civilized beings - or get better at sign language. You want one XL shirt? Hold up one finger, then do an "x" and an "L" sign. Success!<br /><br />4. Don't try to bargain<br /><br />This is a sure-fire way to make me hate you. Crying "I'm so broke, I don't have any money...can you give it to me for ten?" while clutching a freshly purchased beer is not a good strategy for getting me to take pity on you. Getting agressive, belligerent, or bitchy is an even better way to get a solid "Fuck off" out of me. The customer is not always right.<br /><br /> If you come up and want a ten-dollar item and genuinely only have eight or nine bucks, and ask nicely, of course I'll cut you a deal. If you come up and try to convince me to cut you a massive discount, it ain't happening, unless the band authorizes it. Which brings us to...<br /><br /><br />5. Don't ask for free shit<br /><br />The only way you're getting anything for free is if you're a friend of the band, and they give their okay. Period. If you're a nice person and treat me respectfully, I might toss you a couple stickers or cut you a small deal, but no, you can't have anything for free. Would you ask the cashier at Shake Shack for a free burger? No (and if you are, you're an idiot, because I know that you wasted all that time waiting in line for nothing).<br /><br /><br />6. Don't be offended if I don't remember you<br /><br />Touring bands & crews meet a lot of people - a LOT. I talk to anything from a few dozen to a few thousand new people each night, and no, I don't always remember all of them. If we had a good conversation and talked for a bit, I might. If you're a giant dickhead, I'll try not to. If you're one of a million other nice, pudgy, bearded white guys in a black metal shirt, I probably won't. Sorry. Don't take it personally.<br /><br />7. DON'T ask if we're "with" the band<br /><br />Some merch people happen to be dating someone in the band they work with. Plenty of us are not. It's not up to you to make assumptions or judgements on a stranger's relationship status. Don't ask, or make knowing remarks, or smirk, and for fuck's sake, don't you dare call someone who is working twenty-four hours a day for shitty pay and can lift more guitar cabs than your pasty ass could ever dream of hoisting a goddamn "groupie." Would you ask the cashier at CVS whether or not she's fucking her manager? No, you wouldn't (unless you're a weirdo), because it's rude. Extend the same courtesy to us (and for the record, I've never toured with a boyfriend's band, and doubt I ever will; I've seen a lot of terrible tension and fighting between touring couples, and want no part of that nonsense!). <br /><br />8. Be polite<br /><br />This is very, very much appreciated, especially given the kinds of drunken idiots we deal with on a regular basis. "Please" and "thank you" really do go a long way, just like your mama told you they would.<br /><br />9. Tip (if you'd like)<br /><br />This is not mandatory, of course, but much like politeness and communication skills, is very much appreciated. It's like tipping a bartender; you'll get better service, with the added benefit of making a real impact upon whether someone eats once or three times the next day. Unless we're talking big stadium tour rockstar levels, merch people generally do not make much money, and those tips make a big difference. If you can spare a dollar or two, please do!<br /><br />*Several people have commented on this post saying that they feel tipping merch people is unnecessary, and that even putting out a tip jar is presumptuous and rude. My only response to that is to emphasize that, as I stated above, tipping is <span style="font-style:italic;">not</span> mandatory, or even expected - it is simply appreciated. No one is going to be a cunt to you if you don't tip (and if they are, they're not doing their job properly). Most of us live on a small per diem (daily allowance for food/expenses - and we're talking $5-10 generally) and any supplemental dosh is a welcome addition. There is a lot more to this job than "take money, grab t-shirt, hand to customer," but customers don't see all the work that goes on behind the scenes. If the sight of a tip jar offends you, ignore it; if not, carry on as you see fit!<br /><br /><br />10. Don't try to help load out<br /><br />The sentiment is very sweet, and very much appreciated, but please, don't try to help. We have a system of packing up, loading out, and getting everything back in the van/trailer, and when someone we don't know is messing with our boxes, we get nervous, and the order gets disrupted. Things go missing, fragile things get broken or squashed...it's not a good scenario. We love that you want to help, but please resist the urge. Don't assume that I can't lift something "because I'm a girl" or some such nonsense; trust me, I can, and if I can't, someone else on the crew will. Knights in shining armour need not apply.<br /><br />11. Watch your drink<br /><br />Please don't put your drink on my table. If you must, put it someplace besides on the vinyl, or the t-shirts, or the paper item...remember, plastic cups and bottles come replete with condensation, which is water, which is what you're currently soaking my merchandise with. And, if you manage to spill the damn thing, you will be expected to clean up your mess, then pay for any merchandise you've ruined. Otherwise, I hate you.<br /><br />12. Don't expect special treatment<br /><br />Say you've been a model customer all night - polite, matter of fact, a good tipper. You're on my good side - nice work, dude! Unfortunately for you, this does not mean that I owe you anything. We're not friends. We are the retailer, you are a customer. It's not my job to hunt down the band and have them sign your sixteen LPs. It's not my problem if you wanted a photo with them but could only find one member. It's definitely not my job to try to bring you backstage (why do you even want to go back there anyway? Backstage is just a dingy room with a tub half-full of melting ice and domestic beer and a bunch of our backpacks strewn about). It's my job to sell you things. The fanboy routine gets real old, real fast when you've got a half dozen people in every city clamoring for you to "do me a favor, sweetheart." No. Figure it out on your own.<br /><br />With that being said, if you are an actual friend of the band, or of mine, or are a little kid, or are just an exceptionally nice individual, and I've got some downtime, I will almost always help you out. I like making people smile, and the guys in the band love meeting their fans. Just follow this one last rule, and you'll be that much closer to your heroes...<br /><br />13. Don't be a dick<br /><br />Seriously. Treat others how you'd like to be treated, and keep in mind - we're a lot more tired, sick, sore, and hungry than you are. So fucking be nice, and so will we!<br /><br /><br />Love,<br />The merch girl.Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-12611644687515342152012-03-18T04:40:00.001-04:002012-03-18T04:48:42.109-04:00Interview with Colloquial Sound RecordingsDuring the course of my most recent travels (across the US of A slinging merch for the mighty Corrosion of Comformity) I was fortunate enough to make the formal acquaintance of Colloquial Sound Recordings label head Damian. He sauntered up to my table during our Grand Rapids, Michicag gig, handed me a beautifully crafted cassette, and introduced himself. Given that said tape (Aksumite’s ‘The Gleam of Wetted Lips’) was one of my favorite releases of this past year, I was delighted, and wanted to delve a bit deeper into the story behind the label. Damian was gracious enough to submit to a couple questions about his young but prolific endeavor.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Where are you based, and when did you launch the label? What was CSR's first release?<br /></span><br />CSR is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. The label was launched in spring of 2011 and Aksumite - The Gleam of Wetted Lips is our first release. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">What prompted you to start the CSR label in the first place? What is your goal?<br /></span><br />I had been compiling material for years that I had wanted to release. It always seemed like getting someone else to be as passionate about the things you create is nearly impossible. It just seemed like a logical step to create CSR to release the music I felt most passionate about. I could have total control over everything 100%. I wouldn't have to compromise or pander to what someone else thought. The goal is simple: When I started buying underground music (1994) you would see an indie label's logo on the back of a release and you would know right at that moment that you would like the music on the record, even if you've never heard the band. The goal of the label is to create an aesthetic and experiment within that aesthetic.. If you like one CSR release, you'll probably like most, if not all the other releases. CSR is a there to develop a taste, a flavor. Granted that flavor is very specific and not everyone will like it, but the various shades of style exist under the same sonic umbrella. I have nothing against labels that are diverse, Profound Lore does and amazing job at this, but I also like when labels have an identifiable sound and aesthetic. Think Dischord, early Sub Pop, early SST, Amphetamine Reptile, early Touch & Go, Hospital Productions, Mego (Editions Mego), early Epitaph, Tragedy Records (hahah!). <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Why cassettes, instead of CDs or digital releases? What other formats are you planning to work with down the line?<br /></span><br />Cassettes are a perfect embodiment of the underground aesthetic. To the mainstream, they're useless, antiquated, and even laughable. But for the underground - they're a very powerful symbol. In the days before every man, woman and child knew how to download mp3s, people swapped tapes. They took time. This is how the underground flourished and bands were heard all across the world. I also like how there is something very temporary and fragile about them. They're a temperamental format, prone to all sorts of problems. It's an almost endearing trait. Also, due to the nature of CSR's music, there is a certain sort of "finishing touch" that happens when you place the music on a tape. The music of CSR is all relatively "lo-fi" and placing on a cassette compresses the sound in such a way that seems natural for the music. That being said, I'm certainly not opposed to the music being on CD or LP, but I have no plans for doing so at the moment. I have never and will never be interested in releasing something digitally exclusively. That's such a foreign concept to me. There should always be some sort of physical product available (or at least available at one time). But as a child of the 90s I'm enjoying the full-swing return of the cassette. Break out your No. 2 pencils! <span style="font-style:italic;"><br /><br />Tell me a bit about Aksumite. The filthy raw punk'n'black feel of 'The Gleam of Wetted Lips" totally floored me, and you mentioned something about recording some new material?</span><br /><br />I grew up being into punk and hardcore, I discovered metal around 1997 and started digging into really underground stuff in 1999. Aksumite is just the synthesis of styles I love. No regard for genre. It's unrepentant about what it is. We want to be like Hellhammer, loved by punks and metalheads alike. We will be recording our next album on March 17, live to 2" tape in a proper studio. Totally analog. Totally raw. Expect more thrash influence. It's going be a thrashing, d-beating, floor punching, black inspired dose of 100% blood cult metal punk. It will be titled Prideless Lions.<br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />You told me a bit about the idea behind the band - the African Christian empire of Aksum, and its blasphemous implications for tr00 kvlt black metallers. Can you expound upon this? I think it's really interesting.</span><br /><br />CSR is not, never claimed to be, and will never be a black metal label. We love black metal. We are certainly inspired totally by it, but it's not what we do. It's not who we are. I don't buy that a majority or even a large percentage of black metal playing Satanists actually are committed to any sort of theology or orthodoxy. The ones that are, and are religious about it, I actually admire completely. How can you not respect someone who believes something with conviction? Even if it differs from your own opinion. That being said, we borrow a lot from the musical heritage of Satanic bands, but are not Satanists, or grim or evil people. Quite the opposite. We're nice guys who actually do something with our lives to incite a change around us rather than bitching about how people "don't get us" like the scores of long-haired, army boot, camo-cutoffs wearing metalheads to busy swilling beer being burnouts to work hard and amount to anything. Or the laziness incarnate unwashed crust punks who scam their way through life spending what little money they've conned people out of on getting wasted and cool patches. Don't even get me started on their dogs... that shit makes makes me so angry. I say this as someone who has friends in both camps, the stereotypes are more often than not, sadly true. We respect all extreme genres and viewpoints no matter how they differ from our own. I thought it would be poignant to write about themes that hardline black metal people, supposedly the most extreme of all music fans, find so deplorable. Black and Semitics people and Christianity. So, why not start a band whose lyrical themes deal with the first Christian kingdom in Africa, Aksum (modern day Ethiopia). Furthermore, persons of this region claim to be the true chosen people of God, not the Jews. They are orthodox Christian keepers of the faith even still to this day. It's a fascinating country and story. They claim to own the Ark of the Covenant, and their claim is uncontested. So here we have all the things that the most extreme fringe black metal hates, rolled into one. I could not resist. <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">What other releases have you got coming up?<br /></span><br />CSR just put out it's tenth release and will have upcoming releases from A Pregnant Light, This Station of Life, Aksumite, Obliti Devoravit and more.Ravishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6770597701541522029.post-18363975260275032472012-03-11T17:54:00.001-04:002012-03-11T17:54:31.255-04:00Impiety - 'Ravage & Conquer' reviewIMPIETY<br />Ravage & Conquer<br />PULVERISED<br /><br />A clarion call heralds the return of Singapore's finest, the mighty Impiety, before "Revelaton Decimation" launches into eight minutes of seething black/death savagery. Fans of the band's earlier output will be well pleased with Ravage & Conquer; the band abandon the more experimental bent seen on their last LP, 2011's Worshippers of the Seventh Tyranny, and instead concentrate on mining the depths of death and black that have served them so well. Shyaithan's vocals have sunken into a gruff, ragged snarl (a la Master's Hammer or Abhorer), and the addition of new guitarist Nizam ups the intensity levels and melodic underpinnings while tormenting the whammy bar (listen to that bitch scream on title track!). Drummer Dizazter is all over the place in the best possible way, executing complex fills between the blasts and militant beats. For such a merciless act, Impiety have a firm grasp on the delicate science of dynamics, varying tempos and lapsing into thrashy or groovier territory within their infernal epics without sacrificing an iota of brutality. Their raw, pummeling cover of Bathory's "Sacrifice" is icing on the cake.<br /><br />- Kim KellyRavishing Grimnesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09723991436758049659noreply@blogger.com0