While I was well immersed into the world of underground Metal by 2000, I was still naïve and impressionable in terms of my metal tastes. I obsessed over sub-standard bands like Deeds of Flesh or Thyrfing. I thought Vinnie Paul was one of the best drummers in Metal. I thought "Re-Load" wasn't THAT bad of an album. And sure, I had become accustomed to the expected sounds of 99% of Death Metal, Black Metal, and (insert standard sub-genre here) Metal bands.
But then, seemingly all at once, I was catapulted into a kaleidoscope of sounds: ISIS, Discordance Axis, Cave In, Phantomsmasher, and Old Man Gloom among others on the Hydra Head roster. What was wrong with these people?! Were they, like, on a lot more drugs than your average metal musician? How was it even possible to BE on more drugs than your average metal musician?!?!
Unfortunately, I was only ever able to answer the first question: From what I could tell, they did not give a fuck what anyone else thought about them or their music. They were bands and musicians that were brave enough to break away from the stale and standard sounds of most of their metal brethren. Instead, they forged their own myriad musical paths. In other words, they let their freak flags fly. To this day, bands that are or once were on Hydra Head are still some of my favorite bands.
Thank Satan there was a label that was brave enough to foster them.
R.I.P. Hydra Head Records
I still want to know where you guys got your drugs.
I had a laugh recently when The Dillinger Escape Plan posted a note dating back to a gig in 2008 on their Facebook page. The note was passed to them by the management of a venue and it reads, "If they dive in the crowd with guitars or climb the truss or get anyone else to climb it I will cut the power." If you know anything at all about the violent acrobatics contained in a DEP live setting, you should find this just as hilarious as I do.
WULF: To my knowledge, this is the first Accursed Wound interview...tell us a bit about the band as far as its origins and its members. What do you hope to accomplish as a group?
WIZARD: Thanks for having us!! The band is relatively new, we’ve been playing together for a year now. Aaron (Orc) and I (Wizard) have been musical cohorts for a while now and share a passion for all types of metal. We recruited our friend Dean (Aeden) specifically for this project, he’s insane. We met Simon (Grimhilt) in a tavern during our travels and he joined our cause. Sei played keyboards for us on the record but isn’t a regular member, Aeden might take on that role for live shows. As far as a band goal?... We’d like to continue putting out fantasy themed black metal records and possibly some ambient instrumentals.
WULF: While I hate asking about a band's inspirations as it's usually the same answers every time, I'm curious as to what are some of Accursed Wound's main inspirations, both musical and literary?
WIZARD: I really can’t speak for everyone on this front, however, I can say that we all love hard science fiction and fantasy and we are all very much into dark themed role-playing games. Musically, me and Aaron were big into thrash, grindcore, sludge and extreme shit in general but also loved the emotional power and dramatic effect of classical music... Prokofiev, Bartok, Holst, Stravinsky. So the obvious next step was to put out something close to symphonic black metal, we are big fans of the greats like Dimmu, Bal Sagoth, Nile, Emperor. We gave it our best shot to put forth an authentic sounding record that could tell a tale we could all agree on, so naturally dark fantasy. Thanks for that question.
WULF: Your lyrics involve grim tales of dungeon exploration, morbid sacrifices, demons, trolls, the undead, etc. Would you care to elaborate what drives you to record such macabre visions, as well as perhaps some of the overall themes depicted on the album? Does the band promote a specific philosophy or message? What is the most ideal way for the listener to experience your music?
WIZARD: umm... Some of the lyrics are sort of compiled fragments from old D&D campaigns I’ve played. But the majority of it is basically a story of a necromancer or lich from the underworld who is gaining power on the surface, destroying villages and raising an undead army. The trick of it all is that a spell has been cast, so while humans are fighting their above ground crusades, the undead army is growing, when the dead are hauled back into the city they awaken and ransack the place. There’s also a bit(Dungeon Crawling) on heroes who have been contracted to venture down and kill the Lich only to be raised as undead warriors themselves. So yeah, i’d love to see this made into a film... or better yet a D&D adventure module. Maybe we’ll include a module with our next record!
...And finally i would say first that the best way to listen to any metal record is to read the lyrics along with the music, I remember doing this with Butchered at Birth when I first got into metal, because i couldn’t understand the words. It made the record awesome and more listenable for me. I’d say Listen to Embrace the Forge in a low light subterranean environment.. or driving recklessly at high speeds. Nothing in between. haha
WULF: Are there any future plans to perform live or tour? What is the black metal scene like in your region of the US, and do you associate with it?
WIZARD: We have played this material out live only twice and since the band is kind of spread across the country right now we don’t really know. A regional tour is definitely something we’d like to do, though it might involve new members or stripping down to a smaller group. Regardless of the difficulties there will be more live shows. We are’nt really involved in the scene here, since we are so new, but there’s definitely a lot going on here in the bay area, of course classic thrash and garage but also some pretty sick heavy metal.
WULF: Braden Young mixed your album, who is he and what is your connection to him?
WIZARD: Basically we know him through Simon(Grimhilt). Three of us were already going to be in Lawrence, KS (where we grew up) over the winter so we just asked him to record us and he agreed. It was pretty strait forward, we played through the songs and then overdubbed our parts again. Braden was really particular about perfecting all the parts, I think it made the album alot more solid. The whole project definitely woundn’t have happened without him. He also hooked us up with Brommer, who did the cover art.
WULF: Besides any possible live shows, what are some of the band's future plans? Do you have any more music on the way?
WIZARD: We have 8 songs that still need to be recorded so look forward to that. Definitely the ambient stuff and of course adventure modules! I’m really considering that right now.
WULF: Thanks so much for this interview!! Any final comments?
WIZARD: I guess I would say to all the metal heads and metal musicians out there, keep listening to and creating stuff that you believe in. If you believe in that candy coated corporate shit then good for you, but know that you’re seen as a fan of easy listening. Thanks Wulf.
Something Corey Taylor of Slipknot (ugh...I know, but
bear with me) said during one of those lame-o history of metal shows on
VH1 struck my fancy. He said, "Metal is probably the last bastion of real rebellion,
real masculinity...real, real men basically getting together and beating
their chest." If you ignore the slightly homoerotic implication
(notice: I didn't include the part where he talked about guys taking off
their shirts), his apparent endorsement of archaic notions of
masculinity, and the fact that the speaker is Corey Taylor of Slipknot,
you realize that he has a really interesting point.
From my
experience, the newer generations of male metalheads don't generally fit the mold of
"traditional" masculinity. As I mentioned in a previous post, most fellow male metalheads that I've come into contact with (friends, acquaintances, bands, etc.) are overwhelmingly nice; as well as introverted, empathetic, soft-spoken, and shy. These are certainly not traits that traditional masculinity embodies, nor are they traits that are reinforced by media and society as being "typical" male traits. These are traits that in our society are seen as "subordinate" (i.e. female) traits relative to the hegemonic masculinity hierarchy. Because...you know...that's how are lovely patriarchal society works: men aren't supposed to have emotions because emotions are a sign of weakness, you ding dong!
However, I think through our (metalheads)
collective desire to be a part of that "traditional" masculinity narrative, we have created a hyperreal
masculinity within our music. By that, I mean a masculinity that is amplified to a ridiculous degree on steroids and fuckloads of bacon. I would say this hyperreal masculinity is reproduced in 95% of Metal. I mean, just
think of all the metal lyrics that are practically cartoonish in their
portrayals of rugged individualism, misogyny, war, physical aggression, and metal fraternity. I mean, Christ! How many different Manowar songs could I quote right now?!
"Brothers stand beside me, as I battle on
Know my words are true.
There's a battle for true metal.
They're marching; they're marching on
Me and you!"
- 'Die for Metal', by Manowar
"Woman, be my slave
That's your reason to live
Woman, be my slave
The greatest gift I can give
Woman, be my slave"
- 'Pleasure Slave', by Manowar
"Blood and death are waiting like a raven in the sky
I was born to die
Hear me while I live
As I look into your eyes
None shall hear a lie
Power and dominion are taken by the will
By divine right hail and kill"
- 'Hail and Kill', by Manowar
I could add about a million more, but I'll stop here because Joey DeMaio told me to.
So I think our desire to be a part of the "traditional" masculinity narrative (and maybe even frustration from being excluded from it), we channel our energies into participating in and creating a hypermasculinity within metal. There is no place that we ritualize and perform this masculinity more than at Metal shows. For example, I believe one purpose of the mosh pit is an animalistic way to show alpha male status. How many times have you wanted to go into the mosh pit, but have been scared shitless because there is that one 6'3, 250 lb. Death Metal meathead just roving around waiting for the next person to enter so he can pummel them into oblivion?
Hyperreal masculinity in Metal, in my opinion, is also why there is a severe lack of a
female presence in Metal. Why would most women want to be actively
involved in a subculture that promotes a mega-masculinity? I mean, obviously the coolest, most awesome girls already listen to Metal (such as our very own Cate the Great), but for the other 99%, Metal is a tangled mess of man sounds.
I think as time goes on, this hyperreal masculinity is becoming less and less present in metal. While notions of masculinity have become multivarious (yet still with the patriarchy of hegemonic masculinity), Metal has become more homogenized and liberalized; as well as less worldly and more transcendental. While there isn't really a direct connection between the two, the fact is that while "traditional" masculinity is becoming less ubiquitous within the Western world (or at least dissected and criticized), Metal bands have become more comfortable exploring the internal world (i.e. emotions) rather than the external world. Therefore, the hyperreal masculinity within Metal is also becoming less ubiquitous. Time will only tell just how this aspect of metal might change in the coming years.
I think the latter half of this year is shaping up to be the better half of 2012 in terms of new metal releases.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, sludge/noise supergroup Old Man Gloom (featuring members of Cave In, Converge, and ISIS) reconvened earlier this year to play a string of shows in the NE United States at the beginning of May. Around that time, they also announced a new album called "NO". The band already had a short run of copies available for the shows, but it won't be widely released until June 26th via Hydrahead Records. In the meantime, check out this hilarious interview with Old Man Gloom from back in the day. P.S. I definitely think naming the album "NO" was just to intentionally play a joke: "OMG NO"...tee hee hee!
This next piece of information seems to be under the radars of most of the metal news websites I frequent: Cult of Luna are (finally!) preparing a new album! They have not released a new album since 2008's "Eternal Kingdom". According to their website, they are currently in the recording process, so hopefully we can be expecting the new album by late this year or early next year.
Mysterious, Orthodox Satanists Deathspell Omega are releasing a new EP entitled "Drought" that will come out on June 22 via Season of Mist. You can stream a song here. I'm not sure how I feel about the new song yet, but like most DsO releases, it will probably grow on me. Their last album "Paracletus" was my favorite of 2010.
Those southern psychedelic sludge hooligans, Baroness, will be releasing a new double album entitled "Yellow & Green" on July 17th via Relapse Records. From what lead man John Baizley mentioned in interviews, the album will be more catchy, more straightforward, and less aggressive than previous releases. You can hear a new song here.
A new album by Egyptian-themed Death Metal masters, Nile, will be released this year as well. The album is entitled "At The Gate of Sethu" and will be out on June 29th via Nuclear Blast. You can hear a new track here.
There have been rumors that a new Pig Destroyer album will collectively smash our brains to pieces this year. If a new album does come out, it will be PxDx's first since 2007's "Phantom Limb". Here some new songs performed live here.
Finally, I haven't heard too much new information about the new Gorguts album, but there aren't any sources saying a new album WON'T come out this year...so we'll be optimistic.
So that's all I got for now! Considering every band listed here is a favorite of mine, 2012 could be an incredible rest of the year for (my tastes in) metal!
Seasoned and well-respected metal writer Kim Kelly recently wrote an article for NPR. The scene is set at Maryland Death Fest while she muses on stereotypes regarding metalheads and also the way in which American Metal is differentiated from that of Europe, etc. It's a good read!
Being that Metal is an international phenomenon that transcends race, class, gender, culture and everything else*, one might think it difficult to really pinpoint common characteristics amongst its brethren. However, there is one element that I have found to be not quite universal, but surprisingly common, is how fucking NICE everyone is.
I couldn't recover the exact quote, but I remember reading somewhere that Devin Townsend (the Mad Scientist of Metal, badass extraordinaire, etc.) said something like, "Metalheads are some of the sweetest people ever" (seriously, he said SOMETHING like that). I can't agree more!
Sure, you have your meathead Death Metal dudes ("I only listen to metal that makes me feel dead, and now I'm going to crush your skull") and ninja-dancing Metalcore dudes ("I only listen to metal that is 100% breakdowns and now I'm going to karate-kick your face in."), but for the most part, most fellow metalheads I meet end up being incredibly amiable, if not also warm, soft-spoken, and shy.
How can this possibly be? How can the fans of some of the most angry, brutal, scathing, grim music on this planet be some of the sweetest people?
Well, I have a few theories.
My first theory is primarily based on my own experiences, but I can't help but think there are many metalheads who feel the same. For me, the very act of listening to and/or playing metal is a sort of a ritualized purification of my negative energy. This aspect of the metal experience served me well through my angsty and hormonal teenage years. All my frustration as a result of a devastating shyness around the opposite sex was filtered through the likes of the chaotic quantum physics of The Dillinger Escape Plan, the post-modern madness of "City"-era Strapping Young Lad, and the Romanticism of Opeth. All three (and, of course, many more) served as a healthy way to channel all this frustration.
Of course, now that I'm older and am more self-aware, my taste in metal has become more specific and I listen to it for different reasons. There is still the element of the "purification of negative energy", but instead of venting adolescent frustration, it's more of an escape from the drab day-to-day experiences and existential weight on one's shoulders. A term I refer to as "the weight". Listening to metal is like a primal scream at "the weight". Even though it's still "there", I feel a little better letting it know that I'm still "here".
SO, to summarize: using metal as a way to get rid of negative emotions allows us to be nicer to everyone else!
My second theory is similarly related to the first one. Metal is an escape. Just like a good book or movie, metal creates a different world and world view for us to magically pass through. Having possession and knowledge of this escape allows us deal with "the weight" on a regular basis by...uh, completely ignoring it. This doesn't ring any more true than it does in traditional and power metal that covers fantasy topics about elves, ancient mysteries, rainbows and all that shit. By having these worlds created for us to delve into at our leisure, we can better ready ourselves for the mundane day-to-day experiences and treat everyone that much more pleasantly as a result! It may sound like a cheap high, but it's the little things that count, people!
My third theory also has to deal with the general content of metal. A great majority of metal is decidedly "dark". For 15 years I have been listening to songs about murder, suicide, war, Satan, etc.; but am I a sicker individual for the fact? No. In fact, I think that very aspect has had the opposite affect on me. While most metal isn't necessarily "life-affirming" (sometimes just the opposite), exposing one's self to the darker side of the human experience allows one to appreciate the greater, happier things in life like friends, family, nature, travel, good food, etc. Yay!
Let me be clear that I don't think these theories necessarily apply to everyone in the metal community. Furthermore, I would be an idiot for claiming that everyone in the metal community are nice, warm individuals. These are just what I have experienced and observed from years of being a metalhead.
In any case, everyone should remember: 'tis better to kill with kindness than with an axe to the head.
*OK, I'm exaggerating a little. In my hometown, the audience of an average show consists of 90% young, white, low to middle class dudes. However, I suppose that probably says more about the general demographic of NE Kansas.
