"Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm" - Inquisition: The Best Album of 2010

I've been meaning to write about Inquisition's latest album "Omininous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm" for quite some time now, but after seeing this album pop up all over metal critics' "Best of 2011" lists within the past couple of weeks, I feel like now is the perfect time for me to weigh in on this album with my own thoughts. Before I begin, however, I would like to say that without a doubt this would be my favorite album of 2011, except since it technically originally came out in 2010 I'm not going to include it in my own "Best of 2011" list. Yeah, yeah, it wasn't on my "Best of 2010" list last year, but I hadn't heard it until this year and I don't feel like going back and editing that old post, so whatever.

Anyway, I'm really happy to see this album getting such high praise because I feel like it's easily one of the best black metal albums to come out in a long time. I know some people are turned-off by Dagon's Immortal-esque croaky vocals and the lack of a bass (I definitely can't hear any bass whatsoever on this album, pretty sure it's just guitars), but besides that, there's nothing else to dislike! Inquisition somehow come up with pretty simplistic riffs, but MAN are they bitchin'. Whether they're fast and pummeling ("Astral Path to Supreme Majesties") or slow, groove-laden, and hypnotic as fuck ("Desolate Funeral Chant"), or a combination of both ("Crepuscular Battle Hymn"), it's been over a year and I'm still not over them. However, what really drives Inquisition's "sound" are the vaguely psychedelic lyrics and occult themes that layer the album with a very strong mystical atmosphere, to borrow from the title of the album. If you've read any Inquisition interviews, it's pretty safe to say that Dagon actually seems pretty serious about his shit. Viewing space as the physical embodiment of the anti-cosmic Satanic spirit, mysterious pagan rites, mythical beasts, astral projection, inter-dimensional travel, it's all in there, and Inquisition's lyrical themes and mystique definitely contribute positively to their overall sound.

I don't want to go on for too long blabbing away about how cool I think this album is, just check it out for yourself! I'm pretty sure you'll dig it!

In Defense of Liturgy

Obviously, I'm sticking myself out here for tons of ridicule by white knighting for notorious post-BM upstarts Liturgy, but before I stick up for these guys I'd like to catch everyone up on all the basic drama via some embedded videos and links because I'm lazy:

The Video That Started It All:


HHH's Manifesto (most of it):
http://www.vice.com/read/not-fit-to-print-transcendental-metal

Obviously, it's these two things that have really caused the internet to take the piss out of Liturgy. As far as I know, it all seemed to come to a head when Chris Grigg of the USBM band Woe:
Without Logic - An Open Letter to Hunter Hunt-Hendrix - Metal Review Features and Editorials - Metal Review Community

You can find more interesting reviews, videos, and blog posts about Liturgy on your own, I'm definitely not trying to be exhaustive here.

Last, if you haven't heard Liturgy and you're too lazy to go on youtube or myspace or whatever to listen to them, I'm gonna embed one last video so you can hear them for yourself:


Obviously, for internet metal nerds like myself, this is very controversial stuff! These guys don't look or act very black metal!!

The reason why I feel bad for Liturgy and have some respect for them is because what they're doing is much more ballsy than most other metal bands out there attempting to be "controversial" by being anti-Christian, evil, or even racist! At this point, I feel like the whole "is it OK to listen to Burzum even though he's racist and a murderer?" is fairly played-out, and no one really gives a shit that Nokturnal Mortum or Graveland have strong NSBM tendencies. In 2011, if you really want to stir the pot, bring up Liturgy (or even better, Krallice, Wolves in the Throne Room, Nachtmystium, Deafheaven, etc.) to a bunch of internet metal nerds and watch the fireworks.
Anyway, another strength of Liturgy's is their originality. Obviously, these guys are competent musicians, and their style is unique both musically and lyrically. If you listen to their songs, you'll notice that their sound is very "high" compared to the typical grim, "low" sounds of BM's heavy distortion and thundering drums. Of course, something else to point out is Liturgy's lyrical themes. Sure, Hunter Hunt-Hendrix's "manifesto" is pretentious and a slightly arrogant, but aren't those characteristics that are usually embraced by the metal community? Read any interview with Peste Noire, Judas Iscariot, Deathspell Omega, it doesn't matter...it appears as if all this backlash truly stems from so-called post-black metallers' fashion sense, not music.

Ones That Got Away: Lost Interviews

Over the several years that I was a DJ for Malicious Intent, I conducted as many interviews as I had time for and have posted almost all of them on here. Unfortunately, there are some that I either lost, conducted live on-air and didn't record, or found the audio to be too garbled (ESPECIALLY with my DragonForce interview). It sucks because some of the interviews were great, including the first interview I ever did-- with Justin Broadrick while he was touring with Jesu (Isis supporting) 5 years ago or so. Anyway, besides the Justin Broadrick interview, the ones that got away include:
Ihsahn

Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal)

Karl Sanders

Derek Sherinian

DragonForce

Freddy Lim (Chthonic)

John Kevill (Warbringer)

Samothrace

Týr
Hammerlord

Diskreet

Stull


There are also a couple interviews that I've recorded but have just been too lazy to put up here, namely the one with Jason Decay of Cauldron (which was split into two parts and is overall pretty messy, long story). I'll try and put them up later.

As a bonus, here are the questions for my Burzum interview that I spent like 4 hours trying to come up with, but ended up not working out for some reason. I'm actually pretty proud of these questions, and would legitimately like to know the answers to some of them, so if you're an interviewer and you read a question that you think is a good one, feel free to steal it and use it if you end up interviewing Mr. Vikernes...I doubt I'll have the chance again. I was really excited too (mostly because I wanted to know how his rpg was coming along!).

Malicious Intent's Official Burzum Interview That Didn't Make It:

PREFACE
Mr. Vikernes, thank you for taking the time to do this interview. I apologize in advance for my lengthy questions, as well as if there are any you find irrelevant or impertinent to the subject at hand (your new album, "Fallen")...or maybe just find to be a waste of your time. Also, you may notice that many of my questions are based on answers you've given in other interviews. I don't mean to do this, but I've found this method to be much better in creating questions than coming up with original ones on my own since almost everything I could think of ended up being already answered by you in earlier interviews!

INTERVIEW:
*I read in a recent interview you did for the blog Invisible Oranges that what you hoped to accomplish with "Fallen" was to "make an album you could listen to without growing tired of it." That was almost a month ago, and since then I'm sure you've conducted dozens of other interviews answering question after question about this album. How has this album fared o far in that respect? Are you still hungry to discuss "Fallen", or do you believe you've essentially discussed this album to death and are ready to move on to a new project? For what it's worth, I feel that this album is very powerful (I actually found myself more drawn to "Fallen" rather than "Belus, although "Belus" of course was excellent as well) and I don't see myself growing tired of it any time soon.

*You've stated in various interviews that you spend much of your time listening to and/or working on unfinished Burzum tracks. I'm curious as to whether or not these "unfinished tracks" were songs that were all going to go on "Fallen", or if you're ALREADY working on another album?? Obviously, in the past you've had enough time to probably compose material that could fill up 20 albums or more, but how much material have you written exactly up to this point?

*In that same interview with Invisible Oranges, you acknowledged that death is a dominant theme in "Fallen", but it is only part of an "eternal cycle". If that also reflects your personal beliefs on the concepts of life, death, and rebirth, what do you feel about the "end of the world", or rather, when our planet decides to "rid herself of us" as you stated in your recent interview with MetalKings.com? Is humanity to be reborn anew, or do you feel we will be replaced with a new lifeform altogether and this "eternal cycle" shall continue?

*In a recent interview with MetalSucks.net you stated that you had to censor yourself a bit in order to not be too "politically incorrect". Why? As an artist who is constantly courting controversy, I found this to be an interesting choice.

*In the same interview, you also stated that "innovation, creativity, and lunacy go hand in hand". I know that you were speaking about our neanderthal-human origins, but I also found it to be a relevant statement regarding the mixed blessing (or, perhaps, more appropriately, the "double-edged sword") of being a writer. Your thoughts on this? On a seperate note, I mean no disrespect in asking this, but have YOU ever questioned your sanity while laboring over your music, or felt you may be going mad? The music of Burzum can be quite intense at times...

*While every song off of "Fallen" is intriguing in its own way, after reading many interviews you've done I haven't found much information about the last track, "Til Hel Og Tilbake Igjen". Forgive me if I'm way off the mark, but is this inspired by ancient Norwegian/European folk music, or is it completely from your own imagination? It's definitely eerie and perfect to listen to in complete darkness, which I suppose accurately evokes the "essence" of the theme (to Hel and back again). It's definitely unlike anything I've heard before, let alone from Burzum!

*Lyrically, these recent Burzum albums involve mythology, paganism, death, etc. While it's understandable that your Tolkien-inspired lyrics from your older albums haven't resurfaced, is there a chance that you will ever return to these themes on future albums, or has your interest in Tolkien waned over the years? Also, are you familiar with the works of George R.R. Martin (dubbed by some as the "American Tolkien")?

*Are you the sole member behind Byelobog Productions? I can't find much information on it besides it being Burzum's current record label. Also, are there any plans for Byelobog to expand its roster, or will it always be a "Burzum-only" label?

*It's clear that you're an extremely busy man these days, and it seems as if Burzum is your main priority right now. However, I know that you have other projects right now, such as your new (completed?) book "Sorcery and Religion in Scandinavia", as well as another book about the early days of Burzum (according to an excerpt from an April 2009 interview you did with the magazine Dagbladet). As a huge fan of role-playing games, however, I was very surprised and excited to see that you had stated in that same interview that you were working on your very own RPG (as well as some fantasy and science fiction books!). Would you care to give us any details on this RPG project? Is it similar to Dungeons and Dragons (sword & sorcery), Star Trek (sci-fi), or something else? Perhaps the first-ever black metal RPG? ;)

*Thank you so much again for taking the time to answer these questions. I wish you good luck in the future with Burzum and your writing! Any last words?

-WULF

Music Recommendations for the Open-Minded Metalhead

My friend once told me that he met someone at a show who only listens to Death Metal, but not just that-he only listens to Death Metal that MAKES him feel dead. Depending on how you feel about that will probably indicate how you feel about this statement: I consider myself an open-minded metalhead. In my approximately 15 years in listening to metal, I've expanded my tastes to other types of music including folk, jazz, alternative country, and indie rock amongst others. I don't think this fact makes me any less of a metalhead, nor does it make me a "hipster" (note: if someone were to actually call me a hipster, I would abandon my pacifist ideals faster than you can say "That's ironic"). After all this exposure to other types of music, I'm still happy to say that I would rather listen to a mediocre metal band than a mediocre band from almost any other type of music (meaning, that metal is still my favorite type of music). However, I think any metalhead being honest with him or herself would have to acknowledge that metal, no matter what subgenre, offers only a limited palette on the emotional spectrum. If you are satisfied by said palette, then more power to you! If not, then I can provide some suggestions for metalheads looking to branch out:

Leonard Cohen
Often erroneously lauded as "The Canadian Bob Dylan" for his expert storytelling, Cohen is far from Dylan in almost every conceivable way...OK fine, he's like Dylan's sad bastard fifth cousin. Leonard Cohen has written some of the darkest music in mainstream folk music, covering topics of suicide, infidelity, love, death, and religion amongst others. He most famously composed the tune "Hallelujah". While that song has been covered to death, his vast career has much more to offer than that. His lamenting, untrained voice and intimately personal lyrics is what first attracted me to him and allows his music to come through without pretense. Instead, his music evokes a feeling of very real human fragility and vulnerability.

Recommendations: "Songs of Love and Hate" and "Songs of Leonard Cohen"




Swans
Probably the most obvious choice in my list. Of all of the non-metal bands that get mentioned as influences for metal bands, Swans may be the name most often dropped, and for good reason. They are often claimed to be the progenitors to Post-Metal and Industrial Metal, while also greatly contributing to the beginnings of Gothic Metal. Swans began their career in the early 80s as part of the No-Wave New York scene. Their early sound was bleak and unforgiving. Their songs were often slow, dissonant, and metallic with Michael Gira's uncompromising baritone howl expressing perspectives of abstract violence, sexuality, and identity. Later, Swans refined their sound through a number of different musical transitions including Gothic music ("White Light from The Mouth of Infinity") and experimenting with found sounds ("Soundtracks for the Blind"). Luckily, Swans has reformed with their newest album "My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky" which matches the quality of the earlier material, with more orchestrated aspects.

Recommendations: I personally prefer their mid-late period, basically "White Light..." and on, highlights being "The Great Annihilator" and "Soundtracks for the Blind", but "Children of God" is also quite good. Check out their early material for more challenging aural experiences. Also, I would recommend checking out Michael Gira's other band, Angels of Light, which has a more folky sound heavily influenced by...you guessed it, Leonard Cohen.




90s Post-Hardcore and Math/Noise Rock
It was hard to pick one band out of one of my favorite periods/styles of music, but for me, bands like Polvo, Chavez, Drive Like Jehu, Jawbox, Jesus Lizard, Castor, Fugazi, Shiner, and Hum have made some of my favorite music...ever. It's incredibly unfair to lump all of these bands together because they all sound so different from one another. What most of these bands have in common is noisy, guitar-driven rock/punk music with whacky song structures and time signatures, but still retaining some sense of melody beneath the maelstrom. This balance between dissonance and melody is something I've striven for in my own music writing for years. Many of these bands would go onto influence the Noisecore of the late 90s and early 00s.

Recommendations: "Better Days Will Haunt You" by Chavez, "Yank Crime" by Drive Like Jehu, "Lula Divina" by Shiner, "Today's Active Lifestyles" by Polvo, "In on the Killtaker" by Fugazi, "Goat" by Jesus Lizard; and for those willing to endure a bit of "emo" vocal stylings, "Downward is Heavenward" by Hum and "s/t" by Castor.








King Crimson
For me, most progressive rock is just far too pompous, melodramatic, and even worse-cheesy. King Crimson is the only progressive rock band that I have consistently listened to and I can safely acknowledge them as one of my favorite bands without blushing. What makes them different than most progressive rock bands is, at least in their early period, they had a darker sound with minor third chord changes, flat fifths, and heavy metal-like distortion. Guitarist/songwriter Robert Fripp has always employed the most impressive musicians in King Crimson, not to mention Fripp himself who is widely considered one of the best guitarists of all time. King Crimson has gone through so many musical transitions it's hard not to find at least ONE album you like in their catalogue. I think most metalheads would prefer their early period, but I prefer their "new wave" period, with the apex of that being "Discipline".

Recommendations: "Red", Larks' Tongues in Aspic", and "Discipline"




Sleepytime Gorilla Museum
I purposefully put Sleepytime Gorilla Museum here on the list because they are actually heavily influenced by King Crimson. As a warning, I'll just say that these guys are fucking weird. As an example, one of their albums is based around a fictional political dialogue between The Futurists and The Unabomber. Not exactly your normal concept album, but interesting nonetheless. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (SGM) combine a penchant for industrial noise, progressive rock, and avant-garde classical music into some truly whacked out compositions. They've mentioned in interviews that the way they generally construct songs is by having one person in the band make some "noise", and then the other members add their own parts. This often ends up in a polyrhythmic cacophony, but there is usually off-kilter melody lurking beneath the maelstrom of dissonance. Besides all of that, they are masters of dynamic shifts. Hearing is truly believing.

Recommendations: "Of Natural History" and "In Glorious Times"




Chelsea Wolfe
Chelsea Wolfe has been making some waves lately. She plays a dark, brooding form of folk and dirge blues usually accompanied by a piano or a guitar. She just released a new album called "Ἀποκάλυψις" which translates to Apocalypse. I really don't that much about her, but she has a beautifully haunting style, which sometimes can be downright frightening. She has also covered one of Burzum's more kvlt numbers, "Black Spell of Destruction".

Recommendations: "Ἀποκάλυψις"



Dax Riggs
Some of Chelsea Wolfe's material reminds me of Dax Riggs in a way...er, maybe that's the other way around. For those that don't know, Dax Riggs is the former lead singer of NOLA heroes Acid Bath. After the unfortunate demise of said band, Dax has forged a solo career as a dirge/neo blues rock phenom. The subject matter of his lyrics are still quite dark, covering subjects like suicide, death, Satan, and the like. The image that his music brings to mind is the dark underworld of New Orleans, or the backwoods swamps of rural Louisiana. Dirty and dark.

Recommendations: "Say Goodnight to the World"



Killing Joke
Killing Joke has been around for ages and is still producing good music. Not only that, but they have been highly influential on bands like Napalm Death, Nachtmystium, Behemoth, and even Metallica to name a few. They are considered to be one of the progenitors of Industrial Rock and Metal. Much of their music is often simple punk/metal riffs set with a driving rhythm section, noisy or melodic synthesizers, and of course, Jaz Coleman's recognizable snarl. Coleman's lyrics often deal with the negative side of the human experience covering themes like greed and religion. However, don't dismiss Killing Joke for their perceived simplicity or their use of synthesizers. Their cold, calculating execution is like that of a serial killer: exact and without remorse.

Recommendations: "Extremities, Dirt, and Various Repressed Emotions", "Killing Joke", and "Hosannas from the Basements of Hell"




Others
For Metalheads into bands with electronic elements, I would recommend the more-often-than-not cold sounds of Venetian Snares or Autechre. If you're interested in some darker post-punk you have bands like Joy Division, Bauhaus, and early Cure.

Enjoy!

Most Underrated Metal Albums of the 2000s

The definition of "underrated" is one that is hard to grasp if you don't have a pre-determined scale that you're utilizing. In my opinion, the few albums I've listed here were unique for their time (and still are), and may have even been highly lauded when they first came out, but I feel like they did not get the recognition they deserve in many retrospective, best-of-the-decade lists.

300% Density, by Candiria
Of the NE Noisecore/Mathcore/Whatevercore bands that made waves in the late 1990s and early 2000s (such as Converge, Cave In, Botch, The Dillinger Escape Plan, etc.), Candiria was by far the least abrasive. Despite their constantly shifting tempos and time signatures, Candiria had a smooth, fluid sound. That's not to say that I'm comparing them to the languid sounds of Smooth Jazz. It's more like Candiria were the "Kind of Blue" cool jazz to the others' "Giant Steps" Bebop. This comparison is also quite apt, because Candiria injected a heavy dose of Jazz into their particular brand of Noisecore…not to mention Hip-Hop and Progressive Rock. Furthermore, their heavy use of Hip-Hop rhymes and beats was coming at a time when Rap Metal was almost universally panned by fans and critics alike in the metal underground, but they did it both intelligently and unashamedly.

Seminar II: The Holy Rites of Primitivism Regressionism/Seminar III: Zozobra, by Old Man Gloom
Featuring an all-star lineup of Aaron Turner (Isis), Caleb Scofield (Cave In), Nate Newton (Converge), Jay Randall (Agoraphobic Nosebleed), Luke Scarola, and previously unknown drummer, Santos Montano, one could tell from listening to Old Man Gloom's albums as well as reading the liner notes that the band is/was a sort of concept-oriented joke (as also evidenced in some strange interviews). What that concept might be is…uh, up for debate and may be part of the joke. Something revolving around returning to a primal state, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Planet of the Apes, and smoking gargantuan amounts of weed. The sequencing of "Seminar II" goes something like this: one short burst of sludgy metalcore followed by one song of ambient electronics. On the other hand, "Seminar III" is one 30-minute track. Both albums are two of my favorites from the 2000s and both helped to usher in a new interest in sludge metal (nu-sludge?) by the mid-2000s.

entire discography, by Khanate
Khanate is one of those bands that I simply don't listen to on a regular basis because they are so emotionally draining, which is similar to how I feel about Neurosis and Swans. The latter are two of my favorite bands, however I wouldn't consider Khanate to be one of my favorites. This is mainly because their later material got too sparse and improvisational for my tastes. For example, listen to over 30-minute track, "Every God Damn Thing", from their last album, "Clean Hands Go Foul. There is nary a discernible riff in the entire song. Some guitar noise here, a drum roll there, a blood-curdling scream of pain here…etc. I simply think that songs like that lose the power of their earlier material. Yet I still feel that their entire catalogue is underrated? Yes, and I'll tell you why. Khanate is the first Doom Metal band (at least, to my knowledge) that incorporated a Black Metal claustrophobic aesthetic into their particular style of Doom Metal. While most Doom Metal bands focus on creating a lumbering wall of sound to encompass the listener, Khanate was busy crawling under/within the negative space to explore existential agony. Maybe the loss of the discernible riff, and therefore the power, was the point…


self-titled, by Phantomsmasher
If "The Inalienable Dreamless" by Discordance Axis was Grindcore 2.0, then the self-titled Phantomsmasher was Grindcore 5.5. Phantomsmasher was the brainchild of guitarist/bassist/electronics guru/general weirdo, James Plotkin (also of Khanate). While most consider this album to be experimental/electronic Grindcore, it's also much more than that. While there is a colossal barrage of breakbeats and electronic glitches (in part, courtesy of drummer assassin-for-hire, Dave Witte), Plotkin's oddly pastoral guitar parts ring out, and DJ Speedranch's vocals (more than a little reminiscent of Yamataka Eye of The Boredoms) maniacally blabber from the undertow of it all. I don't think this electronic maelstrom will be fully understood by anyone (including myself), until the Terminator comes back from the future to destroy it.

From Wisdom to Hate, by Gorguts
Needless to say, Gorguts was going to have a hard time coming up with a follow-up to the stone cold (stoned cold?) classic, "Obscura". This was, if only retrospectively, apparent after the departure of second guitarist, Steeve Hurdle after the release of "Obscura". From what I remember reading and seeing, "From Wisdom to Hate" was considered a disappointment by fans and critics alike because it didn't continue the noisy, avant-garde nature of "Obscura", and seemed to rather take a step back. However, in my opinion, "From Wisdom to Hate" is one of, if not the best, Death Metal albums of the decade. The songs were thoughtfully composed, memorable (one can almost forget that Death Metal can be such), and reeked of absolute top-notch musicianship. True, there were some pretty obvious nods to Morbid Angel, Incantation, and the like, but I think that can be forgiven when taking "From Wisdom to Hate" as an effort unto itself and not in the context of the successor to "Obscura".

Grand Declaration of War, by Mayhem
I don't think anyone could have prepared for hearing this album. In fact, I don't think anyone could have even imagined hearing this album, except in passing jokes:

(while headbanging to "Wolf's Lair Abyss" upon it's release)
"Dude, this shit is so kvlt! I just knew Mayhem would continue carrying the flag for Trve Norwegian Black Metal!" - Metal Dude 1

"Dude, I know! But wouldn't it be funny if they had a trip-hop song on the next full length?" - Metal Dude 2

"Dude...(pauses music)...don't even say that." - Metal Dude 1

(Metal Dude 1 resumes playing music and both Metal Dudes resume headbanging)

Sure, prior to "Grand Declaration of War", we had equally weird (OK, much weirder) albums from Black Metal weirdos Ulver and Dodheimsgard, with "Themes from William Blake's Heaven and Hell" and "666 International", but Mayhem at that point were legends in the Black Metal scene. They were supposed to be the flag-bearers of Trve Norwegian Black Metal! When this album came out, it not so much stuck out like a sore thumb as it did a giant middle finger to the people that were expecting the next "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas". "Grand Declaration of War" (GDoW) featured electronic experimentation (yes, a trip-hop song), Maniac's auctioneer-like barks having even more of a presence, crystal-clear production, electronic drums (gasp!), and a surprising amount of technical prowess. All elements that were (and in some circles, now) still looked down upon in Black Metal. Of course, GDoW got torn to shreds in a lot of reviews and forums by the kvlt naysayers. Nonetheless, as the old saying goes, Mayhem can be credited with tearing apart the rulebook. The fact that it was Mayhem, the flagship band of Norwegian Black Metal, who wrote GDoW, gave other bands the right to fuck with the playbook. Oh, and GDoW is an extremely well-written and performed album, too.

Dulling Occam's Razor, by Found Dead Hanging
I'll start this one off by saying that 99% of Metalcore and Deathcore is just not for me for a variety of reasons that I just won't get into. Found Dead Hanging (FDH), however, are part of the lucky 1%. Unfortunately, these dudes just released one EP and then called it quits, but in my opinion, their sound had much more in common with NOLA bands than their contemporaries in the then thriving Metalcore scene. This gritty, southern quality, gave them personality amongst the stale clones in their scene. However, they still retained a technical acrobatic nature to their song structures and riffs. I hate reverting to simple band comparisons, but if Eyehategod decided they wanted to start sounding more like The Dillinger Escape Plan, "Dulling Occam's Razor" might be the result. After FDH broke up, most of the remaining members ended up forming a band called Architect whose material wasn't nearly as technically interesting or full of personality. Finally, it's also worth mentioning that one of my favorite song titles of all time is from this album: "Solar-Powered Sun Destroyer".

s/t, by Humo Del Cairo
OK, admittedly, this release didn't see the light of day in the United States until Meteorcity released it in 2010, but was released all the way back in 2007 in Argentina by label Estamos Felices. Yes, I am guilty for throwing it on my top 10 for 2010. Guilty as charged.

As one collective sub-genre, I love stoner metal. However, I have my grievances when it comes to individual bands. There are very few stoner metal bands that I can hear, and almost instantaneously say, "OH! Orange Goblin!" or "OH! That's the new Acid Witch!" Meaning, I hear very few stoner metal bands with unique sounds, or very few stoner metal albums with distinguishable songs. Maybe it's the fact that there is TOO much Sabbath worshipping (who knew that could be a bad thing) or that I stopped smoking the ganja many moons ago, but sometimes I resignedly think, "For fuck's sake, I'm just going to throw on a Melvins album!", but Humo Del Cairo changed that. Dynamic and variable song structures, memorable (even catchy!) riffs, and a variety of sounds. Not to mention a punchy/groovy as fuck rhythm section, and a masterful guitarist/vocalist. There is a lot of substandard stoner metal out there, but Humo Del Cairo is far in front of the pack!

Metal Inspired by the Works of George R.R. Martin

Since the premiere of the HBO series Game of Thrones, a whole new group of people have been introduced to the vivid world of writer George R.R. Martin. Martin's high-fantasy series Songs of Ice and Fire, which includes the novels A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast of Crows, and the newest novel A Dance of Dragons (released last month), centers on a fantasy world ripe with complex familial structures, rich history, and more blood and sex than you can shake a longsword at. Martin's detailed writing style provides the viewer with Tolkien-esque detail - and he has rightfully gained legions of fans, as well as attention from the metal community.

Anyone who has spent even a minimal amount of time listening to metal or loving fantasy genres can see the connection between the two. The influence of fantasy in metal spans as far back as the 1970's and early 80's - for starters, just listen to any Led Zeppelin album or watch the animated film "Heavy Metal." Themes of blood-soaked battlefields, alternate worlds complete with intricate geography, dragons, war screams, magic, and Medieval politics can be found in both. References to Tolkien can be found in the stage names and band names of many a metal act (Count Grishnakh, Amon Amarth, Radogost and so on). Not to mention fantasy is at the core of much Symphonic and Power metal. The armor? The Furs? Come on, it's obvious - epic sounds to accompany epic topics.

Wait, you mean this stuff isn't meant to be taken literally?

A relatively young fantasy series, bands that have dedicated themselves to setting Songs of Ice and Fire to music are few and far between, but on my hunt to identify and listen to as many as I could find, I found that even older staples had slipped some Martin-love into their recent releases.

Here's a list of bands who have either created entire concept albums based off of Martin's ideas, or written songs using his world as inspiration. Some were pleasing to both the metalhead and the fantasy nerd in me, others, eh . . . I'll let you decide.

Winterfell (Pennsylvania, USA)
As if the name didn't make it obvious, Winterfell gets their namesake from the Northern stronghold of Winterfell in Westeros, home of the Stark family at the beginning of ASoFaI. The thing that struck me hardest were how mind-splittingly awful this band's guitars were, it was hardly uplifting. The lead singer switches between smooth singing, to wailing, to growling, creating a very inconsistent and unpleasant feel to the music. All together, Winterfell sounded like a power metal garage band. Their EP "Winter is Coming" (the Stark's family words) contains a title track describing the harsh living conditions in the North: "Cast out, unwanted, the Others will take you! We've warned that Winter is almost upon you"

It was scarier when Septa Mordane said it.
After only one EP and one full length album, Winterfell are listed as currently on hiatus, because according to the MA, all but one member quit.

But hey, that's some pretty cool album art.

Seven Kingdoms (Florida, USA)
So far, the definite cream of the bunch. Seven Kingdom's first release "Brothers of the Night" is a good listen from beginning to end. A solid album, Seven Kingdom's present us with tight melodies and a good amount of shredding. Oddly enough, lead singer Bryan Edwards sounds a helluva like the guy from Candlebox (remember them?)

Seven Kingdoms went through a significant line up change before recording their second album, 2010's self-titled release, including a new lead singer (Sabrina Valentine). While the band's power metal sound and fantasy narrative lyrics still exist, it would appear that the band has moved away from Martin's works as lyrical topic to a more generic fantasy theme.

Shame.

This sword on your shoulder means you can't get laid anymore.

Arkngthand (The Netherlands)
Pronounced "Ar-ken-tand."

There have been a lot of buzz about Arkngthand in certain ASoIaF forums due to the fact that this lesser-known band released an entire concept album titled "Songs of Ice and Fire" last year. Their second full-length album I would not hesitate to call a two-star performance. While the references to the series are clear (almost too much so - the lyrics contain very little creative interpretation) the entire album sounded to me as if someone took a fair-to-typical power metal LP and played it on a slower setting (let's say, a 45 on a 33, or something). Painful and cheesy even in a genre renowned for its cringing cheesy-ness. The only highpoint to the album for me was the song "The Waterdancer," which is about Arya's training under Syrio Forel.

While I found the musical stylings of Arkngthand lacking, the lyrical content might be enough I feel for any hardened fan of Martin's to at least consider them an interesting anomaly.
You can find the entire album on itunes (and no where else, it would appear).

Holy Photoshop!

Hammerfall (Sweden)
While their are no definitive ties between Hammerfall and Martin, their 2005 album Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken (and a track on that album "Take the Black") are titled after phrases from Martin's series. "Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken" are the words of House Martell of Dorne, and "to take the black" is a phrase used throughout the series to indicate going to work on the wall.

While the lyrics of "Take the Black" are ambiguous at best when compared to Martin's work, it's still a bit of a coincidence, no?

Speaking of taking the black . . .

The Sword (Texas, USA)
This one threw me off. I had been listening to The Sword for a few years before reading Martin's series, and only recently made this connection. The song "To Take the Black" found on the 2008 release "Gods of the Earth" is about, well, taking the black on the wall. While no a huge stoner/doom fan, I've always appreciated The Sword's lyrical stylings, and this song is no exception. There's something about combining acid-drenched stoner rock with geeky fantasy (and picking quite the depressing scenario to sing about) that makes it irresistible.

Blind Guardian (Germany)

No strangers to fantasy literature (Nightfall in Middle-Earth, anyone?) German power-metal veterans Blind Guardian's latest album At the Edge of Time not only contained tracks about the writings of Martin, but Tolkien, Micheal Moorcock, Peter S. Beagle, and Robert Jordan as well.

Two of the tracks off of Wheel of Time are about Martin's characters - "War of Thrones" and "A Voice in the Dark" which is about Bran Starks dreams of the crow during his bed-ridden months.

See what I mean? Dragons aplenty.

If you want to hear a few of the tracks discussed here, here's a link to an 8-tracks mix I composed especially for this article:

http://8tracks.com/the_catacombs/george-r-r-martin-metal-music-inspired-by-songs-of-ice-and-fire?mix_set_id=1298624

You'll also find mixes containing the tracklists from my metal radio show "The Catacombs." If you live in Douglas County, KS, listen in Tuesday nights from 10-Midnight on 89.7 FM starting in September.

Also, here's a link to another super-nerd who recorded his own metaled-up version of the Game of Thrones theme song, complete with a free mp3:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GC-ZmlwBWKM

Til' next time!

We Do Not Sow

- Cate the Great

Funnest Live Shows

We go to see bands live for a variety of reasons. We go see bands for the music (obviously), the musicianship, and sometimes just to have a raunchy time. Some of the following bands are bands I don't always listen to in my free time, but I sure as hell see them live whenever they come around because they ALWAYS bring a raunchy good time:

Exhumed
Matt Harvey and co. are back and from what I've heard of their new album, "All Guts, No Glory" (which you can stream here for free: http://relapserecords.bandcamp.com/), it's still the balls out Gore Metal you would expect! I think I've seen Exhumed a total of three or four times and each time is just pure thrashin' metal madness! Matt gets this crazy look in his eyes as he seemingly recites medical dictionaries and grisly necromantic tales while the other members whip their hair around like there is no tomorrow, enticing audience members to do the same. At one point during one of the shows, the three stringmen all held up the backs of their instruments to the audience and what did it read? "GORE.FUCKING.METAL." in crooked duct tape. Hell fuckin' yes!

Cephalic Carnage
I think the first time I saw Cephalic Carnage I was 15 or 16 years old. I think I had only recently bought "Exploiting Dysfunction" and my friend had told me their drummer was a bio-chemist. When they came out and launched straight into "Hybrid", I could have only assumed that their bio-chemist drummer (John Merryman) had cooked up some nasty stimulant concoction for the five of them because they all went bat shit crazy on stage. I then had the pleasure of seeing the great Cephalic at a 20 person show with about 7 good friends. When they put on their Black Metal masks for "Black Metal Sabbath" I think we all about lost it. Cephalic Carnage is one of those rare metal bands that doesn't take themselves quite too seriously, and they make it quite clear to everyone.

Weedeater
A while ago, I mentioned to Wulf that "Dixie" Dave (vocalist/bassist) has to be considered one of the "madmen" of metal, if elite and notorious group were to exist. I've seen them twice and I can certainly attest to the madness that runs through "Dixie" Dave's Southern veins. Besides having one of the dirtiest, meanest bass tones of all time and having a whiskey-drenched croak of a voice that would make your grandpa sound like Justin Bieber, Dave's antics on stage are numerous. Known to cross his eyes, slobber, and jump up and down like a cricket, one would think that Dave is not only playing a few cards short of a full deck, but maybe he is actually mentally handicapped. All joking aside, Dave's use and abuse of substances is also quite apparent. A few friends of mine tell me of a time when they saw Weedeater and Dave was puking on stage into a bucket in the middle of songs. Furthermore, Dave has been nicknamed (besides "Dixie", of course) "The Hummingbird" because he tapes a bottle of Robitussin to his amp, puts a straw in it, and casually strolls over to it periodically throughout a performance. "Why?" you might ask. To throat his coat when it gets raspy from too much touring! (http://www.spinner.com/2010/03/08/sxsw-2010-weedeater/)

Amon Amarth
If there is one time you feel the need to chug mead out of a drinking horn, decide to grow a three foot long beard, and drunkenly praise the glory of Valhalla to your uninterested girlfriend, then do it at an Amon Amarth show! On their latest tour for 2011 album, "Surtur Rising", the Swedish sons decided to play the entire tour without any supporting acts. They played the new album all of the way through, then they played old favorites. Two hours of nothing but mid-paced (albeit catchy and melodic) Viking Death Metal means one thing: bangover. My neck must have been sore for a week after that show. After every song vocalist, Johan Hegg, would thank the American crowd in the only way one can: with a raspy "Thank you...thank you very much!"

Converge
I've only seen Converge once, and although I LIKE Converge, I don't usually listen to them in my free time. But from what I saw of their live show, there are some people out there that would FUCKING DIE for Converge. I saw them around the time they had released "Jane Doe" (what many consider to be their finest album to date), and they were certainly in top form. With Jacob Bannon's maniacally shrieking and running around on-stage, the band acted as a tightly-knit killing machine with precise and violent noisecore. Unfortunately, with a band like Converge, you're going to see a lot of really retarded hardcore dancing in the pit. However, I remember at the apex of "The Saddest Day" that people literally converged in the front-center of the stage. It was like a gigantic car wreck with people trying to stage dive while simultaneously trying to get up on stage. Complete ecstatic chaos.

Soilent Green
Of the original NOLA bands, Soilent Green has been the only one I have had the pleasure of seeing live, but I dare say they are the only ones I would need to see! The night that I saw them, bassist Scott Williams (R.I.P.) was obviously drunk. He kept on yelling at the crowd with comments like, "C'mon you fuckers, what's wrong with you!" while violently swinging his bass around. As with Goatwhore, Ben Falgoust II is a great front man, and I would have no hesitation putting him as one of the best modern metal front men around today. Ben had no problem getting the crowd riled up while the rest of the band ripped Southern grind and groove at its best.

(The Lord Weird) Slough Feg
I honestly can't remember entirely too much from the time I caught Slough Feg. I do remember that mainman, Mike Scalzi, fearlessly standing on top of the pinball machines that were right next to the stage while ripping some ultra-melodic solos. All I could think of besides, "Holy shit he is going to break that glass and his leg is going to get cut up to shit and he'll probably break his ankle too and maybe his guitar and the show will be over" was "Fuck yea!" Slough Feg's Iron Maidenisms are far from hidden and one can practically imagine that you're seeing an embryonic Maiden when you see Slough Feg. For being an oft-dismissed band in the world of metal, Slough Feg manages to put on one helluva show.

Dimmu Borgir
Keep in mind that I saw Dimmu Borgir right after they released "Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia" and they were still playing in small venues. Although I must confess that some of the show was plagued by bad sound management, it was one of the most entertaining metal shows I've ever been to. Galder with his various metal faces, Vortex with his operatic singing, Shagrath holding his invisible oranges, and not to mention Nick Barker with his virtuosic drumming and Uncle Fester looks. It was quite a symphonic black metal affair! I'm sure their live shows have only gotten more dramatic as time has gone on.

Mastodon
I've seen Mastodon twice and what enormous contrasts those instances were. I first saw Mastodon after they had released their first EP, "Lifesblood". There may have been about 10-15 people at the venue when the opening band played (local favorites, The Esoteric) and then half of those people left. Kudos to Mastodon for still putting on a really good show with the short set that they had. The next time I saw them, there were about 10-15 TIMES as many people on their "Crack the Skye" tour. Amazing live performance, never missed a note, and had the entire story in movie form on the back drop. They have truly turned themselves into a force to be reckoned with.

Dragonforce
Anyone that knows my tastes in metal knows that I hate 99.99% of Power Metal bands. I can't remember the last time that I casually listened to an album by a Power Metal band. However, seeing it performed live is a different thing altogether. I firmly believe that going to a Power Metal show will reinvigorate you with the power of metal and Dragonforce is no exception. With the guitar wizardry of Herman Li and Sam Totman, the ludicrous keyboard runs of Vadim Pruzhanov, and the undying energy of the entire band, they CRAM the power of metal down your throat.

Hammerlord
Lawrence, KS Thrash Metal Lords! Maybe I have slight bias because I'm friends with the band, but I have seen Hammerlord at least 10 times. Big credit to Ty and JP for every performance having spot on guitar work with virtuosic trade-off solos, whammy bar destruction, and catchy thrashing. However, the rest of the band is just as awesome with Stevie singing about metal and professional wrestlers, Terry headbanging with his bass, and the Hammerlord himself, Adam on drums. I think the last time I saw them I was headbutting Stevie in the stomach while moshing in a pool of sweat and beer. Thrash Metal superb!

There are also TONS of bands that I ASSUME would put on an amazing show, but I have just not had the opportunity for whatever stupid reason. Besides the obvious ones (like Iron Maiden or Motorhead):

The Dillinger Escape Plan
Municipal Waste
Primordial
SunnO)))
Wolves in the Throne Room
Immortal
Meshuggah
Neurosis
etc.

I invite any of the other Malicious Intent writers to edit this post to add their own!

- Judge Dredd