Wulf's Official Response to Decibel Magazine's Top 100 Black Metal Albums (part 1)

It's come to my attention that Decibel Magazine just released a special issue that lists their picks for the top 100 black metal albums of all time. Usually these sorts of things do nothing really except bring out an endless spew of whining and complaining from the internet's vast legions of IMNs, but we here at Malicious Intent (i.e. me) felt left out from the party and decided to weigh in with our own thoughts on this controversial list. Here we go!!

100. "Ominious Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm" - Inquisition


#100?? Seriously?? This should be much higher, as it's one of the best black metal albums to come out since 2000!! Killer stuff. Dagon's guitar-playing is top-notch, his croak is gnarly, and the way they layer the instruments in their songs is tastier than the new 7 Layer Bean Dip Crunchwrap Supreme at Taco Bell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously though, even Inquisition's lyrics are both interesting and original as well...most bands blather on about Satan and blah blah, but their take on "cosmic Satanism" is refreshing. As someone who's scared shitless of outer space after reading H.P. Lovecraft and taking astronomy courses in college, these lyrics resonate with me much more than talking about dying and going to Hell or whatever LaVey was trying to convey in The Satanic Bible.
On a side note, I actually met Inquisition when I was living in Sydney, Australia...really nice guys!! Friendly yet soft-spoken and a bit intense, I found these guys to be really cool and genuinely interested in meeting their fans and hanging out. If you're going to check out Inquisition, I would say it's perfectly reasonable just to enjoy the music as it is, but if you read the lyrics along with it I feel like it adds an extra dimension (so to speak) to it that solidifies it in my mind as a masterpiece!!


99. "Vampires of Black Imperial Blood" - Mütiilation

I've never actually listened to Mütiilation (or any other LLN band for that matter) so I'm kind of a n00b when it comes to old school French BM. I'll check it out very soon, but I still refuse to believe that it's going to be better than some of the lunacy the French have been sending our way in the past few years via Blut aus Nord, Deathspell Omega, Peste Noire, Spektr, etc. Anyway, yeah yeah I'm sure this is a great album...NEXT!!

EDIT, APRIL 2015: Finally checked out this album.   I haven't listened any other LLN bands at the moment, but from what I've read this is supposed to be the pinnacle of that collective.   It's not bad!   I kind of dig the atmosphere and overall vision of what they seem to be going for, but as far as songwriting goes this isn't very good.   However, I definitely respect this record in terms of influence (raw minimalism, experimentation, vaguely romantic atmosphere), especially within the French BM scene.   I suppose this spot on the list is appropriate for this album, but it's definitely not better than anything Inquisition has put out, EVER!!

98. "Tentacles of Whorror" - Leviathan

First of all, this cover art is fucking insane. I really have no idea what to make of it...it's so bizarre and creepy that I'm just going to let it speak for itself. That being said, I've really tried to get into Leviathan and while I think it's interesting stuff, if we're talking one-man USBM then I'd much rather listen to Xasthur! I usually tend to go for the more atmospheric stuff to see where it takes my imagination, but for whatever reason it doesn't quite do it for me. I still need to check out his later albums tho, plus I'm sure at some point I'll revisit his earlier stuff. I did enjoy his Lurker of Chalice stuff tho, IIRC it's much more atmospheric and strange.

97. "Ordo ad Chao" - Mayhem

This is another great album that should be higher on the list. Yeah, yeah, it's maybe not as good as De Mysteriis, but it's arguably Mayhem's second best LP. Damn...isn't it crazy to think that Mayhem has only released four full-lengths??
Anyway, I haven't listened to this album in awhile but I remember this used to be a favorite to pass out listening to after a night of utter madness!! I don't know why, but it always reminds me of that one scene in Time Bandits where they're trying to escape from the hanging cages (or the last third of the movie where they enter the Fortress of Ultimate Darkness).

96. "Infiltration.Downfall.Death" - Revenge

I've never heard of these dudes, let alone listened to this album. I guess it's a Canadian black metal supergroup of sorts with Pete from Angelcorpse thrown in the mix? I'm pretty unfamiliar with Canadian black metal like Axis of Advance, Weapon, Conqueror, and Blasphemy. Sorry, not really much to say except that their band name is lame and they don't look like very nice guys :(

95. "V - Halmstad" - Shining

I remember when I got this promo in the mail and thinking "WTF is this?" Back then, DSBM hadn't quite become the popular subgenre that it is today, but I would argue that this was a very important album in bringing that style to the metal masses (or at least me haha). And I hadn't even heard of their legendary stage shows or all the drama surrounding Niklas Kvarforth's disappearance, addictions, mental health problems, etc. Yeah, it's pretty emo and I'm not really sure what to make of Kvarforth...he's a weird guy with a big ego for sure, but his vocal performance on this record is great!! I need to give it another listen, but at the time I hadn't quite heard music so atmospheric, depressing, and experimental, and yet at the same time still vaguely be categorized as black metal. I would say this should be higher on the list as well, kvlt warriors be damned (in black)!!

94. "Triarchy of the Lost Lovers" - Rotting Christ

I'm more familiar with Rotting Christ's newer stuff, but I thought this was the album where they started exploring a more gothic rock kind of sound or whatever. I could be wrong, maybe that's "A Dead Poem"...either way, I hate to say it but while I've listened to this album I really don't remember it at all. Sorry!! For what it's worth, I really enjoy some of Rotting Christ's newer stuff!!

93. "La sanie des siècles - Panégyrique de la dégénérescence" - Peste Noire

It's too bad that Famine's such a racist hooligan, because this band's music is awesome!! I put PN in the same boat as Nokturnal Mortum or Graveland; politically-incorrect bands that write some really killer stuff. Anyway, we're focusing on the music here, so I just want to say that I've been a huge fan of this album (PN's best, by the way) ever since Mark of the Beast played it on Malicious Intent years ago. I was blown away by the sloppy, punky attitude of Famine's guitar-playing, combined with his fucking insane vocals and the music's bizarre experimentation. Listening to this always made me think of a Bubonic Plague-stricken France, with peasants living in squalor, cities crumbling, and plague doctors wearing those bird beak gas masks running around trying to save the day all while the unwashed masses hysterically scream for forgiveness within vast cathedrals. Every Peste Noire album has gotten weirder since, but it's still been an awesome ride!! I just wish Famine wasn't such a bird brain!!

92. "Welcome to My Last Chapter" - Vinterland

Damn, 13 reviews and 94% on metal-archives.com???? I've never heard of these guys!! I'll be sure to check it out very soon.

91. "Göetia" - Mystifier

This album cover is awesome!! Sadly, I've never listened to Mystifier even tho I always feel like Brazilian bands come off as way more evil than anyone from North America or Western Europe...I have no idea why. Maybe because so many MMA fighters come fom there?
Anyway, sorry it's amateur hour at Malicious Intent right now!!

90. "Le Secret" - Alcest

Annnndd to finish off with what started with a bang and is rapidly ending in a whimper, we have Alcest's "Le Secret", which I've never listened to!! I'm quite familiar with the Neige's back story and their full-length releases, but I've never listened to this EP. I'm sure it's great though!! I remember Ty from Hammerlord saying that he really liked this release more than their later stuff. Or maybe he was talking about Amesoeurs and their "Ruines Humaines" EP, I can't remember.

Sorry this ended up being kind of shitty! It's pretty disheartening because I really thought I knew my black metal!! Looks like I've got some catching up to do!! Check in soon for further analysis of Decibel's Top 100 Black Metal Albums of All Time, more zany stories, and mildly interesting commentary!!

The Grym Kym Interviews: Episode 1

One of my favorite things ever is to ask people what their opinions are on music, especially when under the influence of alcohol or other things.  This interview with Grym Kym was conducted sometime in the freezing Winter of 2012, in the middle of the night outside of town.

WULF:  OK, it's 13 degrees (farenheit), and (Grym Kym) wants to go outside for a cigarrette. 

GRYM KYM:  Well, I'd like to see the stars, actually, because, to be honest with you, that's a fair argument...
(We were listening to black metal, after all...)

WULF:  OK, well let's go see the stars...I'm not gonna lose a metal argument here, to Grym Kym...
(to our audience) Even though you know what?   You know what really sucks?  Grym Kym doesn't know this right now, 
but this is Grym Kym (G-R-Y-MK-Y-M), (and) she's unaware of the existence of Grim Kim Kelly, who is (already) a famous metal writer-

Grim Kim Kelly, NOT Grym Kym

GRYM KYM:  Oh-

WULF:  Her name is Kim Kelly...

GRYM KYM:  I guess my dreams are completely dashed now.

WULF:  Well, you can spell yours with a "y", the only problem though is that it wouldn't make a difference except (Grim) 
Kim Kelly posted a comment on the Malicious Intent website to Judge Dredd's post in which he linked an article
that she wrote.

GRYM KYM:  Which one?

WULF:   I don't remember.

GRYM KYM:  I read a couple of them...a couple of Judge Dredd's.

WULF:  Yeah, I don't remember.

GRYM KYM:  It seems like he was really kind of taking the reins there...

WULF: Yeah, no definitely.  Well, the thing is, the biggest problem I think I have is as far as productivity goes is that
whenever I have a lot of free time, I'm not very productive. Whenever I'm really busy, I'm very productive.  

GRYM KYM:  Actually, to be honest with you, I think you actually do a pretty good job.  Coming from somebody
who's not productive at all-

WULF:  A good job of what?

GRYM KYM:  Being productive!  On a semi-regular basis, I think you do a very good job.

WULF:  Well, that's very sweet Grym Kym, thank you.

GRYM KYM:  I wasn't trying to be sweet.

WULF:  Well, you know, you're a sweet person.  But anyway, OK, I just want to say, for those who are listening-

GRYM KYM:  Oh, I forgot about-

WULF:  Yeah, we're recording!  For those who are listening, Grym Kym and I are out in the middle of-

GRYM KYM:  Well, who are you?  You haven't introduced yourself.

WULF:  I'm Wulf.  We are in the middle of like, really fucking cold weather.

GRYM KYM:  Only 13 degrees.

1.   "The Funeral Wind Born in Oriana" - Nokturnal Mortum

"Nechrist"-era Nokturnal Mortum

WULF:  (It's) 13 degrees Fahrenheit, and we are in the middle of the frozen wastes of Kansas, and we are looking at the stars
and the moon and farmhouses and Grym Kym just heard Nokturnal Mortum's "Nechrist" for the first time...not the album,
just the first track.  I was explaining to her, about how...they were obviously really into the Ukraine (being) their homeland and (that) they incorporate a lot of folk elements or whatever... ...Grym Kym, what do you have to say?



GRYM KYM:  I was just going to say, I thought you wanted my opinion on it, but you're going into the history of it,
and that's fine.

WULF:  Well yeah, but that all leads up to-

Knjaz Varggoth back in the dizay

GRYM KYM:  Well I just thought that he sounded really upset and-

WULF:  Who?

GRYM KYM:  The singer...I thought he sounded really upset.

WULF:  Knjaz Varggoth is his name.

GRYM KYM:  I also felt like he probably experienced maybe extreme, cold winters but also I feel like the string
folk section sounded a lot like Korpiklaani, and tell me I'm crazy for that, but it sounded a little gypsy-ish,
you know?  And that's my intelligent contribution to this metal discussion-

WULF:  Well here's the thing, I know that you are well-versed in folk (metal), but maybe not the (black/folk metal)
element-

GRYM KYM:  Well that was actually kind of a new combo for me.  That actually made me laugh a lot.
(laughs)

WULF:  OK, well what I want to ask you is, what do you think of the whole onslaught of the sound though?  
GRYM KYM:  The onslaught of the sound?

WULF:  Yeah, like when that first came on-

GRYM KYM:  OK, I got a little excited.

WULF:  But you were like, OK, this is too much, I can't handle this, and you changed the track, and I was like,
no, you gotta wait for like, the shit to come-

GRYM KYM:  OK, fair.  For the stuff that I actually enjoy listening to I would say that for like, pure black metal,
I care for symphonic, and apparently, I care for folk a little bit, I give it, maybe, a 5 out of 10, maybe even
a 6, a little bit-

WULF:  But don't you think they make up for it, though, in like, enthusiasm?  And what I think what really does it for

Old pic of Munruthel

me is, like, it would be one thing if it was just like, the guy screaming and the folk elements, (but) what really does it for me (is) Munruthel's-

GRYM KYM:  Munruthel?

WULF:   The drumming.  The drumming is so frantic!  And is so intense and so urgent, you know what
I mean?  It's so like, "you need to listen to this".

GRYM KYM:  I did feel that, when it was the screaming, kind of your basic black metal, and the folk came in, and it hit you, and you were like "whoa", like, this is getting a little weird at this point, and then yes the drums, you know, with that, as well, and then the onslaught of the sound, I would say, will surprise you.

WULF:   But did it make you kind of like, want to do a little jig?  Made you kind of want to dance around?

GRYM KYM:  Well, yeah.  Anytime I hear something like that, I kind of want to dance a little bit, BUT at the same time I'm thinking, 'well I'm listening to a bunch of nazis and they're really upset because they
sound so upset you know...

WULF:  Do you think they're OK?

GRYM KYM:  No.

WULF:  You don't think they're OK?

GRYM KYM: No.

WULF:  I'm sorry.

GRYM KYM:  Well it was your topic.

WULF:  Well that was Grym Kym's judgement of the first track off of "Nechrist" (A Funeral Wind Born in Oriana") by Nokturnal Mortum, and we're going to continue.

2.   "Moon Shrouded in Misery, Part 1" - Xasthur



OK, so we just listened to the second track off of the Xasthur (demo) "A Gate Through Bloodstained Mirrors", but Grym Kym, what do you think of Xasthur?

GRYM KYM:  Of Xasthur, or his music?

WULF:  The music!

GRYM KYM:  The music itself?

WULF:  You just told me you had a whole story-

GRYM KYM:  Sure, but you just asked what I thought of Xasthur.

WULF:  OK, OK, but what's the story that you have in your head (while you were) closing your eyes and listening to it for a little while.

GRYM KYM:   OK, well this is just something that came to me.  (As) I shut my eyes and I listened to Xasthur and his opus, I felt like I was creeping through a castle, that had, like, water dripping from the ceiling, and most of the stairs were crumbled away, and it was a spiral (staircase) up the tower so you had to really get close to the walls while you were creeping up and be careful not to step on any crumbling stairs.  I felt like I got up to the top of the tower, and I don't think it was really me, it was probably someone else. Maybe Xasthur himself.

Malefic right before he told a real knee-slapper

WULF:  Malefic?

GRYM KYM:  Whatever.
(laughs)
So he walks through this doorway, nothing special about it, and there's like this billowing, purple curtain.  And he stands there for a moment because he can't decide, should he get it over with and open the curtain?  Or should he flee?  Because there's this horrible dread in his stomach.  And the curtain is billowing, there's obviously a draft coming through.  And he just like, pulls the curtain away, to reveal a very dark room with high ceilings.  It's the top of the tower.  And everything's OK, he sees like a chair, a makeshift throne in the center of the room with candles on either side.  There's nobody in the chair.  But then his eyes kind of adjust to the darkness and he sees all of his companions impaled and dead on spikes (that) encircle the room.  And the candlelight is flickering on their corpses.  And he's pissed off about it!  And that's about as far as I got.

WULF:  OK.  Well, I think that's good enough so far, obviously the whole album is a journey.  The album was called-

GRYM KYM:  "Xasthur's Fun Times."

WULF:  "A Gate Through Bloodstained Mirrors".  So I think that kind of matches up!  I think this is very productive so far.
(laughs)
We're going to continue.

3.   "Ashen Cold" - Summoning



WULF:  OK, well personal things aside, we just listened to (the album) "Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame" by Summoning.  
(Grym Kym laughs)
OK, I just told you that it was funny-

GRYM KYM:  I know, no, it's funny to say that-

WULF:  OK, now it's funny?!

GRYM KYM:  No, it's funny to have an interview where you go "alright, well we've been gone for awhile, but, uh, personal things aside...
(laughs)

WULF:  Yeah!  It's funny!!  But no, you laughed when I said-

GRYM KYM:  But it's not funny to cry to an Austrian metal band.  It's not funny!  I didn't cry for the record.  At all.

WULF:  OK, yeah, but the thing is-

GRYM KYM:  OK, I cried the whole time.

WULF:  OK, but all personal things aside you did laugh when I told you the album name, which was "Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame", by Summoning.

GRYM KYM:  Eh...I didn't laugh that much.

WULF:  Well you laughed a little bit.  I played the first track, and it was OK, but-

GRYM KYM:  No, the first track was awesome.

WULF:  OK, well that's good, but the track that things got a little emotional (for)-

GRYM KYM:  For (Wulf)...
(laughs)
Wulf got really emotional.

WULF:   Yeah, but it was the track "Ashen Cold" which is my favorite track, that I played for Grym Kym.  OK, so, personal things aside, what did you think of that track?  What did you like?

GRYM KYM:  That track had a little bit of everything.  It had a little bit of mystery...I wish I could go into details, I wish I could talk about it while it was happening because I can't remember it that well.  I know it had a lot of...well, it was mostly uplifting, the tune and the melody of the song was very uplifting.  But then I felt like once the vocals came in it got a little confused.  As well as being an uplifting song, I feel like perhaps the vocals were not as high-spirited as the melody.  But that is what's great about a lot of oldies songs, because they always have really depressing lyrics to really uplifting beats.

WULF:  OK!
(laughs)
Well that's one thing to say, however-

GRYM KYM:  But I don't know what they were saying.

WULF:  But don't you think though that as far as the melody goes and matching the "Lord of the Rings" kind of theme, don't you think like it could have been like...an orc singing?

GRYM KYM:  Oh!  Well I've heard orcs singing before and-



WULF:  Yeah, but the harsh vocals-

GRYM KYM:  I didn't take (orcs) for singers but that's fine-

WULF:  Well one reason why I think harsh vocals mesh well with being (in this style of music) is because I kind of sense it's like, channeling this like, "old world" kind of (feeling) or atmosphere of, like, a creature, or this really crazy warrior or barbarian...but that's why sometimes those vocals don't work well with me when bands are trying to be taken more seriously.  Like, bands like Opeth or Enslaved, where they're like critically acclaimed and it's like, bordering on serious musicianship as far as like, comparing them to bands like Pink Floyd or something.  But then the harsh vocals come in and-

GRYM KYM:  In a way to be more metal, or to keep up with the times, or why do they do it?

WULF:  Well, I think they have the harsh vocals because it's still extreme music, but when it comes to bands like Opeth and Enslaved, it's like because it's like they're still trying...or not necessarily trying...or maybe they are trying?...to, like, continue that sort of sound but they want to be taken seriously as far as musicians, as far as "The Greats" go and shit.  It's just weird for those bands that are really serious musicians that are bordering on, like, crossing (into) the mainstream...that's why Opeth, on their latest album, they just ditched harsh vocals.

GRYM KYM:  And then what happened?

WULF:  They pretty much just ditched metal.

GRYM KYM:  Well how did that work for them?  Did it work out?

Opeth 

WULF:  For Opeth?  Some people liked the new album, but I didn't like it, but it's not because there (weren't) harsh vocals, I just didn't think it was very good.  But like, if they had put harsh vocals over it, it would have been silly.  But I feel like they've been trying for awhile to, like, ditch metal, because they want to be taken seriously.



GRYM KYM:  So what do they have if they're not metal?  Are they easy-listening?

WULF:  No, just a rock band.

GRYM KYM:  Oh, a rock band...

WULF:   Yeah...but not rock like Clutch or like Witchcraft or something like that, you know what I mean?  Witchcraft are somehow still considered a metal band, or a quasi/proto metal (band) or whatever.

brb, submitting The Black Keys to metal-archives.com

GRYM KYM:  I thought they were like, doom...doom-ey.

WULF:  Yeah, they're doom-ey, but like-

GRYM KYM:  They sound like a garage rock band.

WULF:  Yeah!  They're not like, really metal, they're kind of-

GRYM KYM:  They do sound more like The Black Keys than they sound like, you know, Celtic Frost or something.



WULF:  Yeah right!  But I think there are bands like, for example, like...OK..name a metal band.

GRYM KYM:  Blind Guardian.

WULF:  OK, Blind Guardian, right?  Blind Guardian don't even use harsh vocals, right?  But like, what would it take for Blind Guardian to become, like, acclaimed to the point where you would bring them up to people that are really serious about good rock music and are way into the great guitarists of bands and all that shit, and are like "yeah, I'm really into Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd", or even new guitarists like Jack White (of The White Stripes), and all that shit.

GRYM KYM:  He's good.

WULF:  Yeah I know!  He's a really good guitarist, right?

GRYM KYM:  He's a good singer too.

Obviously better than Jack White just by looking at him

WULF:  Yeah!  And you'd be like, "Jack White is a great guitarist, but have you ever heard the Blind Guardian guitarists?"



GRYM KYM:  That would never happen!!
(laughs) 
So Opeth thinks that's going to happen for them?

WULF:  Well no, but here's the thing, it's like, yeah, we laugh, but metal fans would be like, "oh yeah, like, the Blind Guardian guitarists are way, way better than Jack White.  Obviously."  You know?  Or maybe not, maybe we're selling metal fans short...or maybe I am.

GRYM KYM:  But it's completely different!  I mean, it's a different art(form) altogether, I think.  It's hard to compare two completely different genres like that.

WULF:  Yeah that's true.  You're right.  But, as a metal fan, I'll even put myself out there and say that I feel like if you look at mainstream stuff, as far as like, Rolling Stone's, top 100 guitarists of all time, or 400, or whatever, the latest issue was, top 200 guitarists of all time, you're not going to have a lot of metal guys.

GRYM KYM:  But then if you did a metal-specific one it would be completely different.  Well if you did any genre-specific (list) I'm sure-

WULF:  But that book that you got me-

GRYM KYM:  Was it good?

WULF:  The Blind Guardian guitarists were on there.  Yeah, it was great!  It was really good!  I was very happy with it.  But, it's metal guitarists.

GRYM KYM:  Are you saying, perhaps, that metal guitarists get overlooked as far as skill goes because of the genre that they're playing?  Like, these guys can be 10x better than Santana and not get any recognition because of the genre that they're playing?  Because they can shred, like, insanely shred, and then you have Carlos Santana playing lame-ass shit with Matchbox 20, but he's good at his solos-

WULF:  Yeah, definitely.

GRYM KYM:  And then the guys in Dream Theater...
(laughs)
I'm just kidding, I just hate them.  20-minute solos...do you think they're neckbeards?

WULF:  I don't know, whatever.  But what I want to say is that Mikael Akerfeldt, as great a guitarist as he is, or John Petrucci, or whatever, or maybe I'm overstepping with John Petrucci, but Mikael Akerfeldt or the Blind Guardian guitarists, as good as they are, or whoever-

GRYM KYM:  But they don't get recognized in the mainstream.

WULF:  Great, like, metal guitarists are a lot of times...by great, I don't mean like "mainstream great" like Dave Mustaine or somebody, but like, I don't know, Blind Guardian or whoever, like, fucking Mikael Akerfeldt at least right now would probably not get into those lists even though he's a great guitarist, but that's why I feel like those bands like Enslaved or (whoever) are really trying to almost, may not even consciously do it, but-

GRYM KYM:  Break out of the genre confines?

WULF:  Yeah, unconsciously trying to legitimize themselves, or maybe they're just even sick of metal, or whatever.

GRYM KYM:  I hear what you're saying.

WULF:  But it's unconsciously being like, we're good musicians and trying...I shouldn't say trying, but you know (what I mean).

GRYM:  Like compare any guy who can do double bass to Ringo Starr.
(laughs)

WULF:  Yes!!   That's a great example!



(EDIT:  This may or may not be real, but if it is it then it makes Ringo slightly more metal...although I don't think he'd be cut out to drum for Fleshgod Apocalypse anytime soon.)

GRYM KYM:  I know, I get what you're saying, I do.

WULF:  If Rolling Stone did the top 300 drummers of all time, like, Dave Lombardo of Slayer would probably be on there, but compared to modern drummers now, Dave Lombardo, like...he's influential to them, (there are) guys (who) could wayyy kick his ass as far as really crazy, insane drumming (goes), but they're not going to get recognized.

GRYM KYM:  Because they're playing metal.

WULF:  Because they're playing metal!  I think that is a very good argument.

GRYM:  No, I agree with you, I'm not arguing.

WULF:  No, I'm not saying you're arguing with me, I'm saying we're both arguing that that's a great point.  That's a very great point.  But that's why I think those bands are doing that, consciously or unconsciously.  Anyway, we'll continue on, that was a great Summoning debate, there.

GRYM KYM:  All personal things aside.

WULF:  We'll continue on with maybe one more.


4.   "The Shining" - Anorexia Nervosa



WULF:  OK, we just listened to Anorexia Nervosa's last (full-length) album before they went on an indefinite hiatus, "The Redemption Process" I believe.  We just listened to the first track, and we listened to a little bit to the intro and then, like, the first 45 seconds after that, of "Sister September".  So, Grym Kym, what did you think?

GRYM KYM:  Well, I hate to admit it, but as of late I've been listening to a lot of The Black Keys, and listening to Pandora (and) kind of hipster-ey music lately, and I've gotten to hear a lot of songs that I haven't heard before, and kind of exploring that branch, that genre of music a little bit, but I have to say, out of all the music that I've listened to in the last, you know, pretty long time, that band just now was the most enjoyment I've gotten out of listening to music-
(laughs)

WULF:  Yeah, see-

GRYM KYM:  If that makes any sense, there's this element to their music that I've heard in other symphonic black metal bands, and I don't know which instrument it is, the synthesizer, but certain melodies just sound like you're in a castle...does that make sense at all?  There's the haunting, like, pipes, or whatever...it's very medieval-sounding and creepy and...energizing, and I would have to say that I would even classify that as kind of like, castle metal.

Grym Kym at one point asked me if I thought
they left their wigs on when they had sex...
It remains a mystery to us to this day.

WULF:  See, I'm biased when I'm listening to Anorexia Nervosa because they're from France, so when I listen to their shit I feel as if I'm transported back to like, the French Revolution, and automatically when I listen to (their music) I have visions of people in like, powdered wigs, and makeup, and moles, and really ridiculous hair and costumes and all that shit.



GRYM KYM:  That sounds really fun.

WULF:  The orchestra and all that stuff reminds me of it, but the violence of the music of the French Revolution so I think of like, the guillotine and really violent mobs rising up against the royalty and the decadence.  But at the same time I also think of simply the decadence.  You know what I mean? Like, the decadence of the royalty and I don't know, massive feasts and orgies and-

GRYM KYM:  That's not what I was thinking of.

WULF:  Well that's what I think of.  But not like, happiness, like-

GRYM KYM:  Denial?

WULF:  Well, I don't know, yeah, maybe.  But just decadence and (the) very kind of nihilistic attitude of that whole era, I suppose, in France.

GRYM KYM:   OK, well I just thought it was great castle metal, so that's all I'm gonna say.  I really enjoyed it, and I did see the similarity to Cradle of Filth, but I felt that with (Anorexia Nervosa's) instrumentals and melodies, it was a bit better than Cradle of Filth.

WULF:  OK, but here's the thing, and here's what I challenge you on, is yeah it reminds you of being in a castle but that really fast kind of urgency and all that stuff, what does that remind you of?

GRYM KYM:  That one part, or just the crazy-

WULF:  The gunshot and the really fast burst of-

GRYM KYM:  What did that make me think of?

WULF:  Yeah, because being in a castle is one thing, with the epicness, but-

GRYM KYM:  Sure, but I wasn't even saying that I was picturing a castle so much that the kind of instrumentals they were using, especially the beginning, sounded just like a castle, like your stereotypical castle-

WULF:  Right, but the really fast, crazy...what does that remind you of?

GRYM KYM:  Well I can tell you it didn't remind me of powdered wigs and moles and revolvers if that's what you're asking.

WULF:  Well they didn't have revolvers, but (they had) the (flintlock) pistol-

A masterpiece. 

GRYM KYM:  Well, excuse me, history major-

WULF:  Well didn't it remind you of The Man in the Iron Mask?



GRYM KYM:  Well I could see that-

WULF:  Come on!  I haven't seen that movie in like 14 years but-

GRYM KYM:  Me neither but Nathan and I tried to find it one time.  We were like obsessed...we just thought of it one day and became obsessed with the idea of watching The Man in the Iron Mask.
(laughs)

WULF:  Yeah!  I want to watch that!

GRYM KYM:  We could probably watch it right now.

WULF:  Pirate Bay that shit.  It would be like...Leonardo DiCaprio has not been in such form-

GRYM KYM:  Did you hear that he's taking a break?  Anyway, let's get back to the metal.

WULF:  Wait, hold on.

GRYM KYM:  He's taking an acting break.

WULF:  Well that's a good segue into...maybe nothing...or hold on, he's taking a break?  Are we going to get sued for libel here?  He's taking a break?

GRYM KYM:  He's taking a break from acting.

WULF:  Django was just too much for him?

GRYM KYM:  He said he'd done three films in the last two years and he was exhausted, but he still has to do this whole publicity tour for The Great Gatsby.

WULF:   Ohhhh, what a hard life.

GRYM KYM:  I know, right?  And he said he wanted to travel around and save the environment.  I think he's having a breakdown.
(laughs)

WULF:  He's like, I already adopted seven kids from Africa, what more do you want from me??

GRYM KYM:  He didn't though, he's a playboy.
(laughs)

WULF:  I know, I just made that up.  That was silly.  I shouldn't say that.  I don't mean to downplay anyone who's done that.

GRYM KYM:  I hope you're not recording anymore because this has gotten off the rails.

WULF:  I'm still recording.

GRYM KYM:  This has gone off the rails.

WULF:  OK, so Anorexia Nervosa, you think (they're) better than Cradle of Filth?

GRYM KYM:  Yeah!

WULF:  Better than Dimmu Borgir?

GRYM KYM:  Um...I don't know.

WULF:  Do you remember (them)?

GRYM KYM:  Yeah I do! They're awesome!

WULF:  OK, so is Anorexia Nervosa the best metal band you've ever heard in your life?

GRYM KYM:  No!

WULF:  Well who's better?

Haggard- best listened to when driving to Home Depot,

GRYM KYM:  Well, I really like Haggard.

WULF:  Haggard's better?



GRYM KYM:  I wouldn't...well, what do you mean "better"?  Better to my tastes, or which do I prefer?

WULF:  Yeah, which do you prefer?

GRYM KYM:  I think I'd rather drive around running errands listening to Haggard-

WULF:  Because yeah, personally I'd rather listen to fucking Devourment than Megadeth.

GRYM KYM:  Well, let's hear it.

WULF:  OK, well, Devourment is up next.

5.   "Abomination Unseen" - Devourment



WULF:  OK, so we just listened to Devourment's "Unleash the Carnivores", and I think Devourment is one of the greatest death metal bands of all time.  Grym Kym?

GRYM KYM:  Well, I'm not a fan of death metal in general.

WULF:  OK, fair enough.  Do you think the best part was the intro?  We listened to track 2, I think it was "Devoured by Pigs" but maybe I'm not sure.
(laughs)
But it was track 2 off of "Unleash the Carnivores".  So whatever that song was.  But you felt the best part was just the intro of that guy talking?

GRYM KYM:  Yeah, that was insane, I enjoyed that clip a lot.  I think that if it is real then that's fucking cool.  To incorporate that into your music, I think that's awesome, I mean...I don't know, I like anything macabre and creepy and disturbing, so to think that that was an actual clip from a serial killer, like on trial or whatever else, an interview on 60 minutes, I think that's really cool!  I liked it.  The drums were good-

WULF:  But you didn't like the cool, like, groove/slam, you couldn't just ride it?

GRYM KYM:  Well, I've heard it before!

WULF:  From who?

GRYM KYM:  I've heard bands like that!  You've made me listen to bands like that, that have that kind of beat to it.  It sounds the same to me.  I'm personally just not a fan.  It made me listen to Brujeria or whatever.  I don't know, I'm just not a fan of death metal, but I can see how they'd be good because I thought the quality was good-

WULF:  Do you feel like you would like it a lot more if you were drunk at a live setting?

GRYM KYM:  Oh, yeah!!  But that's completely different!

WULF:  So if you were drunk in a live setting would you be going crazy?

GRYM KYM:  Yes!  Absolutely!

WULF:  You'd be like, "this is the best band of all time!!"

GRYM KYM:  Well, I'm trying to have an intelligent discussion with you, and it's not working.
(laughs)
But nearly every metal band I would be having a really good time listening to.

WULF:  Live?

GRYM KYM:  Yeah, live.

WULF:  So would you say (with) every metal band live, you'd just be having a ball?

GRYM KYM:  Except for doom and sludge.  And maybe stoner metal as well.  Those are going to kind of make me bored.  Lookin' around at everything.

WULF:  So if you were stoned at a stoner metal show you'd be bored, but if you were stoned at a black metal show you'd be having fun?

GRYM KYM:  If I were anything at a black metal show I'd be having fun.

WULF:  If you were bored at a black metal show you'd be having fun?

GRYM KYM:  Yep.

WULF:  Alright!  Well it's like 4:30 in the morning so...Grym Kym, any last words?

GRYM KYM:  Um...no.

WULF:  OK, so we're doing this next week?

GRYM KYM:  Yep.

WULF:  Alright, Wulf (and Grym Kym) signing off.

Interview with Senyt of Dark Mirror ov Tragedy!!

Interview conducted via email in October 2013.

https://www.facebook.com/darkmirrorovtragedy

WULF:  Greetings, and thanks so much for agreeing to do this interview!   Who are you?  How would you describe your sound?  Also, would you mind giving us a brief history of the band?

Senyt:  We are Dark Mirror ov Tragedy. We live and play in Seoul, Korea.  We play Dark Symphony Metal (kinda Symphony Black Metal). The band name Dark Mirror ov Tragedy is taken from the Middle-age prophet Nostradamus who saw the through the mirror the dark cursing future. Like the name, our music is the combination of small pieces of harping memories from self life experiences carved by going back and forth from darkness to brightness. Dark Mirror ov Tragedy is formed in 2003. Members are M.pneuma(Vocal, 2003~), Gash(Guitars, 2003~), Senyt(Guitars, 2007~), Reverof(Bass, 2006~), Confyverse(Drums, 2005~), Zyim(Piano, 2011~), Arthenic(Violin, 2010~).

WULF:  We here at the Malicious Intent blog are trying to learn more about the Korean  metal scene...what is your opinion of it?  How would you compare it to the various other metal scenes in Asia?  Also, are there any other strong bands you can recommend for those who are interested in checking out more Korean metal?

Senyt:  Korea culture is narrow. It means most Korean, they enjoy just k-pop. Dance music, ballad music, or a few soft rock music, it's all.  But like us, some bands are still fighting in Korea. Like Method, Oathean, Silent Eye, Vassline, Remnants of the Fallen, The Choppers... Many bands appear and disappear in Korea. We go to Japan 2 or 3 times for a year for the show. So I think Japanese metal scene is same as Korean's. But I heard in Indonesia, Taiwan and some of Southeast Asia counties, there are many metal bands, and Extreme Metal is popular than East Asia.  

WULF:  The atmosphere and lyrical content on your albums is quite dark.  Are your lyrics based on personal feelings and emotions, or are they more fantasy-based?  Also, where does the main inspiration for your music comes from?  Besides musical influences, are there any specific films or literary works you draw inspiration from as well?

Senyt:  Our lyrics are like a novel. For example, in our new album, it's 3rd full-length album, in each song, there is a character like a dancer, composer, sculptor-..etc. and there is something happening.
but it is not just novel. It reflects the world what we live, we see, we feel. We see many tragedies in the world. So our music reflects tragedy, contains, describes present tragedies metaphorically. The character, the dancer in the new song "'Dancing in the Burning Mirror", he is burnt to death. It's metaphorically described the world where the people live who are crazy for mass media, pop culture or k-pop. If you want to know the reason of his death, please check out the lyric.

WULF:  One of my favorite aspects of your band is the incredible atmosphere you pack into each song. Violins, acoustic guitars, a grand piano, melodic female vocals, etc.  Is there a main songwriter who is responsible for all these embellishments, or is your music more of a group effort involving the entire band?  Also, how do you recreate this atmosphere during a live performance?  Do you have a violinist or guest female vocalist or anything like that?   


Senyt:  Before this 3rd album, vocalist and also leader, M.pneuma, he wrote most songs in 1st and 2nd albums. But in the 3rd album, two guitarist, Gash and Senyt participate in writing the songs. We write song personally. and M.pneuma arrange the orchestra parts and each members arrange their parts.
The Violinist, Arthenic, she joined in 2010 but she left in 2012, but she rejoined in this year. So except full orchestra part, we can create the sound like studio album. Also the pianist Zyim has prominent skill for making orchestra sound in live performance.

WULF:  When I listen to your music, my imagination immediately begins to create a scene set in 18th century Seoul, except in my imagination it is very similar to 18th century London or Paris.   There is plenty of fog that obscures the gas-lit, cobblestone streets during the late hours of the evening and early morning, and who knows what kind of demented madmen, sinister vampires, or worse may lurk around the corner of a dark alleyway.   While the setting is also quite romantic, there is also a strong feeling of loss or tragedy as well, as if the protagonists in the story are doomed to failure, insanity, or death.  What images come to your mind when you listen to your music?

Senyt:  Impressive imagination! Great!  Well... we know the stories of songs, so when we play or listen to our music, we imagine the character of lyric. The character transcends the time and space. He doesn't live in specific age. He lives in the world where, when the people are enjoying the art. And he is in agony because of tragedy. We concentrate on his thought and emotion, not situation.

WULF:  As far as I can tell, it has been 3 years since you've released your last album, the "Under a Withered Branch" EP.  When can we expect to see some new music??

Senyt:  The process of recording new album is almost finished. the 3rd album. early next year, you can see the best album in the whole world!

WULF:  Your music is full of beautiful atmospheric passages ("Ashen Requiem, A Dirgeful Grace", for example, immediately comes to mind), but I've noticed that, while unique, seem rooted in a sort of Gothic, Western (European) style.  With the rise in Asian bands incorporating traditional folk instruments and melodies into their music (such as Chthonic from Taiwan, Tengger Cavalry from China, Baby Metal from Japan, etc.), have you ever considered experimenting with mixing Korean folk music, such as Pansori or Pungmul, into Dark Mirror ov Tragedy's overall sound?  Also, I hate to ask, but what is your opinion on the recent explosion of K-Pop as a global phenomenon?

Senyt:  It's good question. We don't try to make Korean traditional melodies in our music compulsorily.
Yes, we are Korean, and we know the Asia feelings, emotions are still live in our heart. But Metal is Western culture. The point is metal is not only Western culture anymore. Also, classic music is too.
We are based on metal and classic music. And emotion, thought, feeling are reflected in our music. If you didn't feel any Asia things in our music, yes, we also didn't have any inspiration of Asia style. But if you got some feeling of Asia emotion in some parts of our music, our thought, emotion, blood, and body made that naturally. It is just your feeling and emotion. And that is enough to make you recognize "we are Korean". We don't need any Korean folk music.  (As for) K-pop, it looks like factory production. K-pop is fast food. Kinda hamburger, pizza or kimbab, ramyun.  Some of k-pop are really good. Great composing, great mixing, and great sound. It looks like really good fast food that can be preserved for a long time or make us eat that every time. Anyway, fast food is good for city life. And it makes many sickness like obesity. That's all.

WULF:  Dark Mirror ov Tragedy is going to be performing at the upcoming Hellride: Resurrection of Death Party 2013 in Seoul on October 5th.   What can we expect from your performance?  What are you hoping to accomplish?  Are you going to be playing any more shows after this?



Senyt:  We will play new album's songs. Yes, you should expect the new song. It is the second time of showing of our new song in Hellride. After this Hellride show, we'll go to BEHEMOTH live in Seoul as a support band in Oct. and in Nov we'll go to Japan for the Tokyo Dark Fest.






WULF:   Besides any future live performances here in Korea, do you have any other plans for future, such as new music, tours, music videos, or a DVD?  

Senyt: Early next year, we'll release the 3rd album. and also we are planning to make the music video for our new song. Expect this!  The tours, we try to go tours in Asia first, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and Australia in next year.






WULF:   I wanted to keep this interview short because I know you're probably busy preparing for Hellride, so that's all the questions for now.  Thanks for chatting with us!  Any final comments to your fans?

Senyt: Dear WULF. we truly appreciate this interview. Thanks!
Dear brothers in darkness,
Expect the new album of  Dark Mirror ov Tragedy!
We'll show the most beautiful and spectacular album in the world.
Thank you.

Interview with Jeong Hyeon-seok of Mara!!

Special thanks to Shin Won-jae (신원재) and Hong Ji-yoon (홍지윤) for all their hard work in translating!!

https://www.facebook.com/ThrashMara

http://cafe.daum.net/Thrashmara

WULF: I have been to a couple shows in Seoul, but I am still new to the Korean metal scene. What is your opinion on the scene here? How does the metal scene in Seoul compare to the scene in your hometown, Busan?

Hyeon-seok:  In other countries (especially in Western cultures), heavy metal is respected as one popular (or not) genre among various other types of music. However many Koreans still have a prejudice about this kind of intense music. I think it’s still too early for most Koreans to accept heavy metal as a special genre of music. We heavy metal musicians also need to make our music have its own Korean style, and not just copy songs from Western bands.
The most noticeable differences between Seoul and Busan are cultural factors. Compared to Busan, for example, Seoul has more stages and spacious facilities that can accommodate many people. Moreover, a number of various festivals are held annually in Seoul, and they attract diverse audiences.

WULF:   As far as I can tell, it has been almost 10 years since you have released any new music!  Is this true?  When are you going to put out some new stuff??

Hyeon-seok:   In addition to existing songs, we always try to show our own style to audiences every time we're on stage. Thanks to the compilation album "MM" (Metal Man, split with Niflheim, Notrash, and Exodus of Contemporary, all metal bands from Busan), and our unusual mini-album ("I Don't Fear to Be Died"), we won some fame as a heavy metal band.
With pressure to make our first album perfect, however, we are still hesitating to release it. We will practice harder, and finally release a perfect studio album for our fans. Currently we are trying to make our music better by performing concerts and recording a demo.

WULF:  Tell us a bit about your band's history.  Who are you?  Where does your band name come from?  How did your band get started?  Why did you decide to play metal?  Were you inspired by any older Korean metal bands?

MARA

Hyeon-seok:  A young boy who was a big fan of Kwang-seok Kim and Huyn-sik Kim (Korean folk singers) fell in love with a guitar sound one day. A growling engine, a clap of thunder, and even the sound of rain sounded like the intense tone of the guitar for him. After that, he started devoting himself to playing the guitar everyday. That became a starting point of ‘MARA’.
Mara means a demon, the personification of temptation in Buddhist mythology. Although I wasn't a Buddhist, I was really interested in Buddhism at that time, and also I thought that the word, Mara, could reflect the struggle for overcoming extreme anger and isolation (loneliness) that I was feeling. That’s the reason why I named our band ‘MARA’.
Like other players, I practiced the guitar at first by listening to and copying songs of Iron Maiden, Led Zepplin, Judas Priest and so on. Especially, I felt a magnetic attraction to the playing style of Marty Friedman (of Megadeth).
I believe heavy metal is the most effective way to express our emotion(sadness and anger). The sound of heavy metal still makes me excited.

WULF:   How would you describe your music?

Hyeon-seok:  MARA’s own music. Once we started writing music, we try to avoid listening to other heavy metal songs to find out our own style. Therefore, I can’t compare our songs to anything.

WULF:  You are scheduled to play at the upcoming Hellride Resurrection of Death Party in early October.  What can the audience expect to see during your performance?  What are you hoping to accomplish?


Hyeon-seok:  Since the vocalist of Silent Eye, Seo Jun-hui (and the former president of WASP club) matched us with Death Party, we have participated in every show up to now. It has given us many chances to play on various stages.

Also, we are quite pleased to take part in this party again. We hope that it will be a meaningful concert for the audiences, and also we wish not only big fans but people who are not interested in metal music to be fascinated with our music at Death Party.

WULF:  Could you tell us a bit about your lyrics?  What are your songs about?  Is your music inspired by any particular books or movies?

Hyeon-seok:  Through the lyrics, we want to convey our attitudes towards meeting Death. I can sum up our all lyrics in a sentence, “I’m not afraid of death, but I might be sad.”
The scene from the movie, 'The Crow', that shows a crow's stare in the darkness provided an inspiration for our work, and then I could organize MARA’s thought (philosophy) after reading Dante's 'Divine Comedy'.

WULF:  What are your plans for the future?  Any new music, tour plans, or maybe even a DVD??

Hyeon-seok:  Standing on larger stages, attracting more audiences, making/releasing memorable songs, etc. We are hoping to achieve these goals in the future. Additionally, contributing metal music which will thrive someday is also one of our dreams.
We will surely produce a remarkable outcome (new album, DVD, etc) within the next year! To achieve it, we are always doing the best we can.


WULF:  That's all the questions for now!!  Thank you so much for doing this interview!  Any final comments?

Hyeon-seok:  I could look back on MARA’s 10-year-life during this interview. Especially, while answering your second question, I could realize that it is also important for us to produce visible results while continuing to make music. We really appreciate you giving us a chance to look both back and ahead.



ORIGINAL INTERVIEW
Original Interview:
1. 저는 서울에서 몇 번의 쇼를 봤었는데 여전히 한국의 헤비메탈의 모습은 생소합니다. 한국의 메탈의 모습에 대한 당신의 생각은 어떻습니까? 당신의 고향인 부산과 비교해 봤을 때, 서울의 헤비메탈의 모습은 어떻게 다릅니까?
┗개인적으로 한국메탈의 문제가 아니라 일반대중들이 메탈을 바라볼 때 가지는 선입견이 문제라고 생각한다. 다양한 매체에 의한 자유로운 문화가 자리 잡고 있는 외국에 비해 국내는 많이 좋아지긴 했지만 대중들이 받아들이기에는 아직도 시기가 이른 것 같다. 물론 밴드들도 외국밴드를 카피하는 듯한 메탈에서 벗어나 좀 더 한국적인 메탈로 대중들에게 다가갈 수 있는 다양한 시도를 해야 할 필요가 있다고 생각한다. 서울과 부산의 차이는 역시 위에서 말한 것처럼 문화의 차이라고 생각한다. 부산에 비해 서울은 좀 더 많은 무대, 페스티벌, 다양한문화를 수용할 수 있는 공간적인 여유가 있기 때문에 관객들의 폭이 넓다. 하지만 서울보다 메탈팀이 적은 부산은 밴드들이 힘을 모아 열심히 하고 있는 중이다. 소수의 부산 메탈메니아들 역시 언제나 큰 힘이 된다~!

2. 제가 알고서 말할 수 있는 한, 새로운 곡이 발표된 지, 어연 10년이 다 되어갑니다. 언제쯤 새로운 곡을 발표할 예정인가요?]
┗새로운 곡이라기 보단 앨범발매를 말하는 것 같은데 기존의 곡과 새로운 곡, 또 다른 색깔의 마라를 보여주기 위한 다양한 시도를 매번 공연 때마다 하고 있다. 부산메탈연합 “MM"컴필레이션앨범과 국내에선 생소했던 미니싱글앨범으로 마라가 알려지긴 했지만 정규 1집이라는 무게감에 망설이고 있다. 조금 더 신중하게 준비해서 완벽한 정규1집을 보여주고 싶다. 현재는 공연활동과 데모녹음으로 내실을 다지고 있다.

3. 당신의 밴드의 역사에 대해 좀 말해주세요. 당신은 누군가요? 당신의 밴드의 이름은 어디에서 따 온 이름인가요? 당신의 밴드는 어떻게 시작하게 되었습니까? 당신은 왜 헤비메탈을 하기로 했죠? 혹시 한국의 예전 헤비메탈 밴드에서 영감을 받았나요?
┗김광석,김현식(포크송)을 좋아하던 한 소년이 어느 날 헤비메탈을 듣고 전자기타소리에 빠져들었다. 버스엔진소리, 천둥소리, 빗소리에서도 전자기타소리가 느껴졌다. 그 이후로 소년은 미친 듯이 기타연습에 열중했고 그때부터 MARA가 시작되었다 MARA는 내안에 자리 잡고 있는 사악한 악마라는 뜻의 불교용어이다. 종교가 불교는 아니지만 불교사상에 관심이 많았고 내 자신이 품고 있는 극한의 분노와 고독, 그리고 그것을 극복하기위한 자신과의 싸움이 잘 표현된 용어라고 생각했기 때문에 “마라”라는 이름을 짓게 되었다. 여느 헤비메탈 연주자들처럼 나 역시 처음엔 Iron maiden, Led zepplin, Judas priest등의 음악을 듣고 카피하며 연습했다. 특히 Megadeth의 Martin adam friedman의 연주에 매력을 느꼈다.  나에게 헤비메탈이란 , 사람이 가장 슬프고 분노할 때 표출할 수 있는 극한의 감정표현이다. 메탈사운드는 아직도 날 흥분시킨다!

4. 당신이라면 당신의 음악을 어떻게 비유하겠습니까?
┗마라만의 음악이다. 곡을 만들기 시작한 순간부터 다른 헤비메탈은 가능한 듣지 않고 나만의 색깔을 찾기 위해 노력했다. 그렇기 때문에 마라의 음악은 다른 것에 비유할 수 없다.

5. 당신은 10월 초에 Hellride Resurrection of Death Party에서 연주하기로 일정이 짜여 있습니다. 청중이 당신의 공연을 보는 동안 어떻게 할 것이라고 생각하십니까? 당신이 이루고 싶은 것은 무엇입니까?
┗예전 WASP클럽 사장님이자 현재 Silent Eye보컬인 ‘서준희’형과의 인연으로 매번 Death Party에 참여해 왔는데 그 계기로 서울에서도 많은 공연을 하게 되었다. 10월 5일 다시 시작되는 Hellride Resurrection of Death Party에 참여하게 되어서 기쁘게 생각한다. 마라에게도 뜻 깊은 공연인 만큼 관객들에게도 뜻 깊은 공연이 되었으면 좋겠다. 메탈매니아들뿐만아이라 호기심에 찾아준 관객들도 메탈음악의 매력을 느낄 수 있는 계기가 되었으면 좋겠다.


6. 당신의 가사에 대해 말해줄 수 있나요? 당신의 노래는 무엇에 관한 것입니까? 당신의 노래가 어떤 특정한 책이나 영화에서 영감 받았습니까? 당신의 미래의 계획은 무엇입니까? 어떤 노래나 투어공연, 혹은 DVD라도 소식이 있습니까?
┗가사를 통해 하고 싶은 말은 죽음을 마주하는 자세에 관한 것이다. 모든 가사의 내용을 한소절로 표현하자면“죽음은 두렵지 않다. 다만, 슬퍼질 뿐이다”정도가 될 것이다. 마라의 색깔을 잡는 것은 영화“CROW”에서 어두운영상속에 펼쳐지는 까마귀의 또 다른 시선이 도움이 됐고 마라의 생각을 정리하는 것은 단테의 “신곡”이 도움 되었다. 음악하는 사람이면 당연한 생각이겠지만 좀 더 큰 무대, 많은 관객, 기억에 남을 만한 음반을 제작발표하는것이 미래의 목표이다. 그리고 새로운 멤버들이 좀 더 안정을 찾아서 분명 다시 한 번 찾아올 메탈의 부흥에 기여하고 싶다. 공연은 항상 하는 것이고 내년엔 기필코 만족할만한 결과물(음반, DVD)을 보여줄 것이다~!그것을 위해 현재도 연구하고 공부하며 데모녹음을 계속하고 있다.

7. 이것이 현재까지의 질문입니다. 이 인터뷰를 해주셔서 매우 감사합니다! 마지막으로 하실 말씀 있으십니까?
┗이번 인터뷰로 어느덧 10년이 지나버린 마라를 다시 한 번 되돌아보는 계기가 되었다. 특히 두 번째 질문을 받고 음악을 계속하는 것도 중요하지만 눈에 보이는 결과물도 중요하다 는걸 다시 한 번 느끼게 되었다. 날카로운 질문에 감사하다 ㅎㅎ
메탈이란 장르가 대중적이지 않다는 것은 누구보다 잘 알고 있다. 하지만 메탈음악이 좀 더 부흥하기 위해 모든 메탈인들이 힘을 모을 수 있었으면 좋겠다.
마지막으로 인터뷰할 수 있는 기회를 주어 감사하다.

Extreme Fecal Impaction - Music from the BOWELS of Hell!!

This post is dedicated to Anson the Ornery.

A fecal impaction is a solid, immobile bulk of human feces that can develop in the rectum as a result of chronic constipation." - Wikipedia

Sounds pretty metal to me.
This is going to be a short post since the team here at MI are busy compiling some cool stuff for you that we'll post in the near future, but I just wanted to put this out here:

Have you noticed that almost every gore-themed metal band is either death metal or grindcore? Obviously, extreme violence involving various bodily functions lends itself well to DM and grind's music and overall aesthetic (and wouldn't work for say, something goofy like power metal or black metal), but what about doom metal? Obviously we've all experienced countless times where the perfect soundtrack to our time in the toilet would have been "Rampage" by Mortician or pretty much any song by Disgorge (from Mexico, DUH), but I'm sure we've all been there when the musical equivalent to a brutal dump is less Abosranie Bogom and more along the lines of, say, Wormphlegm:

Not only do I feel like this song perfectly captures what I would imagine to be the blueprint to Gore Doom as a metal subgenre, but it's literally the best soundtrack to my favorite movie of all time, (80s version) Conan the Barbarian (besides the actual OST, of course). I can't remember exactly how I synced it up in the past, but I remember even my friends who aren't metal fans had a blast with this...highly recommended as a follow-up activity after drinking 20 Miller High Lifes with your bros while watching Road House completely naked in the summertime.

Anyway, Wormphlegm is definitely the closest I think we'll get what I'm talking about in this post, although they do have lyrics that touch on the concept of going #2 on their 2001 demo "In an Excruciating Way Infested with Vermin and Violated by Executioners Who Practise Incendiarism and Desanctifying the Pious", but this involves the complete opposite of constipation. Also, with band members touting stage names such as "Conqueror Worm Grubgorge Pestilent Diarrhoeator" and "Apostatic Excrementor", these guys obviously have an anal fixation. If only they hadn't split-up in 2006 maybe they could have realized the errors of their ways and noticed that as far as bowel movements go their sound is much more suited to someone feverishly attempting to relieve themselves rather than just singing about diarrhea like every other gore metal band. Sigh.
Seriously though, I think someone should seriously consider it... at least for one demo. Similar to my idea of a one-off split 7" consisting of metal bands whose lyrical themes involved being frustrated over not being able to decide on which sex or gender is more sexually desirable (a post for later, maybe?), I really think a one-song, 30-40 minute long demo entitled "Music from the Bowels of Hell" by the world's first (constipation-themed) Gore Doom band, Extreme Fecal Impaction, could really be cool!! I think it's a subtle variation (constipation) on a subject (poop) that's been completely unexplored in a genre that's obsessed with its cousin, diarrhea. I know blast beats best fit the image of a a mammoth splatfest, but we shouldn't ignore the imagery that funeral doom can bring to the table (or toilet).

Just think about it-- a gore/doom metal filled with tortured vokillz of agony, extremely down-tuned guitars, samples of bodily fluids and documentaries detailing bizarre medical anomalies, crushing bass, and drums to make your ears bleed as you beg for some kind of a release.  Who knows, at the end of the 45-minute long dirge you could finally have 13 seconds of really brutal, disgusting, sloppy grindcore (which could thematically be interpreted in several ways). For those of you starting a metal band, this could be the gimmick that rockets you to fame and fortune (or at least semi-notoriety on metal-archives.com).  Anyway, just wanted to put it out there!

With a little bit of work, this would make a great album cover!!

Bonus: I mentioned them earlier, but although Abosranie Bogom are really bad I've always felt like they had pretty brilliant song titles. Some of my favorites from the 2003 masterpiece "Coprotherapy" LP:
"Satisfaction From Sipping a Glass of Steaming Stool"
"No, That's Not Chocolate, My Dear"
"The Fear of Flushing"
"Shit Xmas Mince Pies Metal Poser Obliteration"
"Anal Miscarriage"
"Pregnant With Turds"
"Clinical Death of an Excrement"
"Archaeological Excavations of Prehistoric Faeces"
"Castration of an Uncircumsized Excrement"
"Anal Dentist"
"Genetic Engeneering of Faecal DNA"
"Eternal Constipation"
And to end, one of my favorite song titles EVER (from their 1999 "Isus Pokritiy Ponosom" demo):
"Someone Crapped"

Extra Bonus: One time I was driving around smoking weed with Tony D. AKA Tony Bologna and even though he wanted to listen to Dream Theater I just was not having it, and insisted on putting on "Enema Bulldozer" by Cock and Ball Torture:
Tony was so grossed out that he had to go home because he literally felt nauseous after the song was finished. Mission accomplished, CBT!!

Phew!! Now I'm starting to feel grossed out after typing all of this! Here's some Dragonland to "clear the air":

Hellride: Resurrection of Death Party 2013!!

After a bit of silence, the time has come to make a couple announcements!!  Prepare yourself for a series of interviews that will further probe into the mysterious depths of the Korean heavy metal scene, with a focus on some of the bands performing at the upcoming HELLRIDE: Resurrection of Death Party 2013 here in Seoul on Saturday, October 5, 2013!!   It's going to be a great show, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of what the Korean metal scene has to offer.  The last time I tried to do interviews for Asia Metal Fest it was on too short of notice for many of the bands, so this time I'm a bit more prepared.  

Also, I'm planning on doing some interviews with bands/artists from the Kansas City/Lawrence/Topeka area.  I'm not homesick, but I want to get a better idea of what's been going on there these past couple of years and feel like surely there are some tales to be told!!  Stay tuned!!