Rolling Metal Thread 2009

It's a weird time for P-Fork to slam WITTR, when as someone pointed out elsewhere, stylistically it's not far off from the first two albums, which they unabashedly loved. Plus Stosuy was singing the album's praises in his column if I recall...I'd trust his opinion over the editors' when it comes to a metal album, that's for sure.

Hellhammer makes a statement about how he's proud of Bard for killing a faggot. That really makes me question seeing Mayhem live, or giving them any local press when that tour comes through town...

At the very least it's good to know which black metal artists have grown up, and which ones are still idiots after all these years. Shame, too, cos he's such an incredible drummer.

If that Pitchfork review makes people who "trust" Pitchfork reviews stay away, that's fine with me.

Marduk didn't make the gig tonight. Oh, well; at least I got to see Lair of the Minotaur.

Just watched a screener copy of the black metal documentary Until the Light Takes Us.

Just wanted to big this up. It's really really good.

man, I really want to see this.

hellhammer sounds like a big jerk/MORAN.

does that surprise you?

no, but it still kind of blows my mind that he would think it's cool to say that.

and I just read the pitchfork wittr reviews. really weird that they would slam those last two releases while praising two hunters/diadem. they definitely seem cut from the same cloth.

plus, diadem is really, really boring.

review seems to boil down to, "this black metal band plays black metal too much on these records."

I was actually slightly disappointed by Black Cascade, mainly because I don't think it followed through on the most promising aspects of Malevolent Grain that I really liked. But still, no way either of them deserved that kind of trashing.

it just means BM isnt hip in pitchforkland now. troo elitists will be rejoicing that their music isnt being tainted by hipsters anymore.

it's confusing because the same dude wrote both this review and the two hunters review. i don't get one guy feeling so differently about those records.

anyway, show last night: john was right, it was pretty amazing. krallice was very good, played all new stuff. they were held back a little bit by sound issues (mick barr couldn't figure out why his guitar was like twice as loud as the other guy's) and the fact that they played pretty early and didn't get cool lighting or anything. new songs sound great though.

then we chilled in the back during a storm of light because they are a pretty boring doom-lite band.

wolves in the throne room was incredible. i think it's easy to underestimate them as musicians on their albums, but no chance you could do so live. they are really really good, a special band imo. everything was balanced perfectly and sounded amazing. great setlist too, some new stuff plus "vastness and sorrow" (still my favorite song of theirs) and the first song from diadem as a crowd-pleasing encore. i'll repeat the message: go see them if you get a chance.

yeah, black cascade is single-minded in a way that malevolent grain isn't. and I was initially disappointed for the same reasons.

but is it really that much of a departure from the rest of their catalog? I don't think so. it's just probably their most METAL record. not a bad thing, imo.

I have to see wittr live sometime. just missed em.

well theres been rumours about bone awl for a while. So fuck knows. I have an lp and tape of theirs so id be gutted if they really were into it

― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Wednesday, 20 May 2009 17:39 (2 days ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Coming in late to this but yeah are you sure you're not thinking of someone else? I do love me the fuck out of some Bone Awl I must say

I just kind of expect it when it comes to BM. It's not really going to influence me liking it either way, I mean I like Burzum and Mayhem and shit so whatevs.

review seems to boil down to, "this black metal band plays black metal too much on these records."

Seems to me like if anything he's saying the opposite?

New Ahkmed is really good. Anyone else heard it?

Seems to me like if anything he's saying the opposite?

oh yeah? I just skimmed at work and don't feel like re-reading, but it seemed like the dude kept saying that two hunters was way more varied/pulled in more disparate influences/etc. which is true to some extent but I feel like this is such a common non-metal guy complaint! and it always makes me wonder, "well, why are you even listening to metal records if what really floats your boat are the non-metal bits?"

Yeah truth... I guess you can substitute 'metal' for a whole load of other genres and there's an example, like ppl whose favourite punk band ever is Refused or who think it's wildly exciting that an indie-rap producer listens to Stereolab or something

I don't have a problem with it per se though, I don't think most people's tastes are worked out via spreadsheet... you end up liking and disliking stuff for all manner of arbitary reasons. Anyway, the review had that bit about sounding like Enya which I was going on partly, so I guess he's not saying the opposite so much as "this has relatively trad BM bits and non-trad BM bit and non-BM at all bits and none of them are very good"

yeah, I generally don't care either. just a little frustrating coming from a critic trashing a record.

haha

Scott how could you embarrass yourself like that ;)

that's not me, it's chris farley back from the dead!

most fucking stupid and irresponsible merch ive ever clapped my eyes on.
http://www.bluecollardistro.com/hydrahead/product_info.php?products_id=3363&cPath=4_141&store=0
http://www.bluecollardistro.com/hydrahead/images/hhi-kn-173-full-pre.jpg

wow

I don't see the problem. Art-metal fans can't be trusted with sharp objects now?

well, if someone gets stabbed or killed with it imagine the bad publicity the label and band will get. The customs will also have a field day if anyone outside the usa tries to order it.

kind of tempted to buy it though tbh.

i dig it. that blue collar distro place is cool. they'll put your name on anything. the harvey milk stadium cups are cool too:

http://www.bluecollardistro.com/bcd/images/hhi-sc-159-02.jpg

isis pint glass is sweet

http://www.bluecollardistro.com/bcd/images/isi-pg-001-01.jpg

ok i think i need that pint glass

I'm loving the new "acoustic" Eluveitie album. I was kind of worried it was going to be noodly and gutless, just to prove some sort of cultural point, but it's not. It's basically a metal album performed on acoustic instruments (including drums). And a really good one.

Yeah, the Eluveitie was a really pleasant surprise. Pretty darn heavy for an acoustic record, too.

Acoustic metal sounds EXACTLY what I've been looking for. Thanks for the tip :)

Yeah, I liked that Eluveitie disc too.

Some of the songs were a little weird. Can't remember which off the top of my head, though.

i almost hit everyone in Opeth with my car on friday

also, akerfeldt was wearing a gingham red/white shirt at that time

nothing else to report

you hated his shirt that much?

it was cute actually, and i didnt see him until it was almost too late, the drummer guy pointed at me like "look at this crazy girl driver" and akerfeldt skipped up the bus stairs with some astounding agility

all this was to chase grutle and ice dale who tbh i passed earlier on the street carrying to-go containers from old city java and grutle gave me possibly the gruffest "HI." i've ever received.

had a great weekend with opeth/enslaved on my birthday and then day 2 of deathfest the following day. BOLT THROWER! <3

it was my favorite time seeing opeth, despite incongruous theater setting -- actually kinda made it more awesome. it was definitely a crowd there to see opeth, which was odd because in my head enslaved were the main event, but then it was obviously a different thing altogether when i got there. grutle did this great, hissing intro to "ruun" where he mimed the shape of the "daeg" rune with his hands and I looked around and everyone in the audience was kinda blank. :/ when opeth came out the place practically went up in flames, and i understood what was up. akerfeldt's banter is great. heart were playing across the street at the tennessee theater, and he said "i am very sad tonight because heart playing. i think i want to fuck them both." haw!

Yeah, I was shocked at how much more exciting Opeth were than Enslaved this year.

But tell us more about Bolt Thrower!

I will tell more later, but for right now I'll just call it blissful and wild. My first headbang of the season!

The whole scenario (kids eavesdropping from the overpass, group headbanging, amazing band, etc) made me proud to be a metalhead.

Opeth always delivers...sure wish Enslaved's headlining tour wasn't nixed.

heart were playing across the street at the tennessee theater, and he said "i am very sad tonight because heart playing. i think i want to fuck them both."

Further proof we need a book of the collected stage banter of Mikael Akerfeldt. There was a thread on the BW&BK board that was just hilarious.

Hey, it was nice meeting you at Deathfest, Adrian. Though I don't know that you know that was me.

hey ps i implore everyone:

http://invisibleoranges.com/2009/05/argentinum-astrum-self-titled.html

Hey, it was nice meeting you at Deathfest, Adrian. Though I don't know that you know that was me.

I'm afraid I actually spent the weekend 1500 miles from Baltimore. Did my evil twin escape or something?