SlayerM's Certified Ramblings

Top Ten Albums of 2010

2011-01-05T15:23:00Z

2010, you were weird. Weird and fucked up, and you were god damn endless. Although some nice things did end up happening while you were still (barely) around, I'm glad to see you gone.

But, before I officially say goodbye to 2010, I had, yet again, an almost impossible task at hand: compiling the "best of" list.

Like I said, 2010 was a hard and weird year for me, and the weirdness stretched out to my music tastes too. Even though last year, the infamous 2009, had more spectacular releases than 2010, and even though 2010 started out pretty slow and I had practically all of the first half of the year to carefully examine albums, I had this one problem that was bugging the shit out of me: nothing, and I mean not one god damn thing GRABBED me, like The Chasm or Ancestors or Astra or Drudkh had done last year, where I practically forbade people to move in my area when I was listening to those albums (yes, I'm psycho like that). All the new releases that were coming out were so... weird, and required time and then more time to figure them out. Sure, there were albums that I really liked, like Nechochwen or Angst Skvadron, but none of them possessed that "I shall grab a hold of you now and wont let go" quality that barely kept me alive last year. I thought there was something seriously wrong with me, especially when my good friend Zach, to whom I chatted about this a lot, and with whom I always had almost identical tastes, kept telling me: "Are you saying you're not feeling this album?! You crazy."

Anyway, to cut things short, I excepted the fact that this year isn't exactly the "grabbing" kind of year, and that releases that came out this year that I liked required more time to let 'em sink. So, here they are, my choices for best albums of 2010:

10. Inquisiton - Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm I think anyone who heard this album and likes heavy metal needs no explanation for this one.

9. Deathspell Omega - Paracletus I've had many dissapointments this year, and I don't think I could've handled if DsO disappointed me too. Luckily, that didn't happen and this album is growing more and more with each listen.

8. Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR Also a grower. I was a bit disappointed when I first heard it because I was expecting Mabool - The Clone, but when it sunk in, and I peeled the layers it became a sure keeper.

7. Decrepit Birth - Polarity Awesomepants. Loved every minute of it, and is a great way to keep myself busy while waiting for the new Chasm.

6. Winterfylleth - The Mercian Sphere I enjoy this album immensely. The hour and 8 minutes just breeze through every time.

5. Ludicra - The Tenant For a while, I thought this was going to be my number one. It's that good and it's my most listened to album this year.

4. Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy I've said it once and I'll say it again. This album is maybe Nevermore at its finest and it gave us some new Nevermore hymns like Moonrise or Emptiness Unobstructed, and I absolutely love it.

3. Dawnbringer - Nucleus Now this one, I have to admit, took me by surprise because I definitely didn't expect to like it this much that it ended up at spot No. 3. But, there you go. Life is full of surprises.

2. Ihsahn - After I can safely say that I consider Ihsahn one of the top twenty artists in metal today and this album is just grand, mature and wonderful.

1. Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit Only one album could knock Ihsahn of his throne, and it's Marrow of the Spirit. Ok, maybe there was one album that grabbed me after all.

Stuff that would have maybe made my list if I had more time:

- (beloved) Slough Feg - The Animal Spirits

- Mirror of Deception - A Smouldering Fire

- Atlantean Kodex - The Golden Bough

- Place of Skulls - As a Dog Returns

Stuff that almost made my list:

- Stargazer - A Great Work of Ages

- Ufomammut - Eve

- Valborg - Crown of Sorrow

- Bison B.C. - Dark Ages

- Negură Bunget - Vîrstele Pămîntului

- Atheist - Jupiter

- Arkheth - IX & I: The Quintessence of Algaresh

- Accept - Blood of the Nations

Biggest disappointments of the year, aka these broke my heart in 2010:

- Drudkh - A Handful of Stars

- Melechesh - The Epigenesis

- Wuthering Heights - Salt

- Astral Doors - Requiem of Time

- And I better not mention Enslaved or else I'll get assassinated.

And, of course, thank you Metal Review for another year of being here fer us.

Here's to 2011! Cheers.

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Black Metal Releases 2010

2011-01-04T19:34:00Z

2009 was a crazy year. There were so many (outstanding) releases throughout the entire year that I could barely keep track. Also, 2009 was terrific for black metal and seeing how black metal is one of my favorite genres, the one genre I most love to explore, read about and discover new gems, I wanted to keep track of those albums that were coming out most of all. And so, when 2009 slowly started to reach its end, I wanted to check out if there was a black metal album that I had maybe missed amidst all of the great madness of 2009. Naturally, google junkie that I am, I tried to find a list of BM releases for that year, but such a list was nowhere to be found. Sure, there were Wikipedia music lists, Amazon users must buy lists etc., but nowhere did I find a list of strictly black metal releases for that year. I found that somewhat frustrating and so I decided to make a list myself for the upcoming year of 2010 to make sure I don't miss anything. I also decided to share it with you guys.

Now, the list I share with you here is in no way an entire list of all 2010 BM releases, but primarily a list of BM albums reviewed on Metal Review that had a tag black beside the review. The minority of albums that weren't reviewed here, I mostly picked up on while reading Invisible Oranges, Teeth of the Divine and Lurker. I also always double checked the album info, release dates and labels on Metal Archives.

The list includes ALL breeds and hybrids of black metal such as: post, progressive, industrial, symphonic etc. The main criteria were the tags here on Metal Review and on Metal Archives - if those two sites labeled an album as black, on the list it went.

There's a total of 146 albums here with links to MR reviews, if there are any, so just click and read, and hopefully you'll discover something new or simply solidify your love for an album. Whatever you do with the list, have fun. I sure did.

BLACK METAL RELEASES 2010

ARTIST	ALBUM	LABEL
1349	Demonoir	Indie Recordings / Prosthetic Records
A Forest of Stars	Opportunistic Thieves of Spring	Transcendental Creations
Abigail Williams	In The Absence Of Light	Candlelight
Aborym	Psychogrotesque	Season of Mist
Alcest	Écailles De Lune	Prophecy Productions
Aldaaron	Nous Reviendrons Immortels	Paragon Records
Amestigon	Sun of All Suns	Hau Ruck! Rec.
An Autumn for Crippled Children	Lost	ATMF
Angst Skvadron	Sweet Poison	Agonia Record
Arckanum	Sviga Læ	Regain Records
Arkheth	IX & I: The Quintessence Of Algaresh	Australis Records
Arts	Vault of Heaven	Youth Attack!
Ascension	Consolamentum	WTC Productions
Astral Silence	Astral Journey	Kunsthauch
Avsky	Scorn	Moribund Records
Avzhia	In My Domains	Black Saw Records
Belenos	Yen Sonn Gardis	Northern Silence Productions
Bitter Frost	Bitter Frost	self-released
Black Funeral	Vukolak	Behemoth Productions
Black Witchery	Inferno Of Sacred Destruction	Osmose Productions
Blood Cult	We Are the Cult of the Plains	Moribund Cult
Blood of Kingu	Sun in the House of the Scorpion	Candlelight Records
Blood Revolt	Indoctrine	Profound Lore Records
Blut aus Nord	What Once Was... Liber I	Debemur Morti
Blutmond	Thirteen Urban Ways 4 Groovy Bohemian Days	Code666
Carach Angren	Death Came Through A Phantom Ship	Maddening Media
Celestia	Archaenae Perfectii (L'Arche Arcane des Parfaits)	Apparitia Recordings
Circle of Ouroborus	Cast to the Pits	Infinite Wisdom
Dark Fortress	Ylem	Century Media
Darkthrone	Circle the Wagons	Peaceville
Deafheaven	DFHVN (EP)	Self-released
Deathspell Omega	Paracletus	Norma Evangelium Diaboli/SOM
Denouncement Pyre	World Cremation	Hells Headbangers
Disiplin	Radikale Randgruppe	ATMF
Dordeduh	Valea Omului (EP)	Lupus Lounge/Prophecy
Drowning the Light	Catacombs of Blood	Dark Adversary
EgoNoir	Reste... (Was vom Sturme übrig blieb)	Ván Records
Eibon La Furies	The Blood of the Realm	code666
Elffor	Frostbitten Pain	self-released
Enslaved	Axioma Ethica Odini	Indie Recordings
Enthral	Spiteful Dirges (EP)	Duplicate Records
Enthroned	Pentagrammaton	Regain Records
Ewig Frost	Rust	Ashen Productions
Ezurate	Eve of Desecration	Rotting Corpse Records
Flagellant	Monuments	W.T.C Productions
Folkvang	Six Stories Without Keys	Winter Sunset Records
Forest Silence	Winter Ritual (EP)	Panik Terror Musik
Fortíd	Völuspá Part III: Fall of the Ages	Schwarzdorn Production
Fyrnask	Fjorvar ok Benjar	self-released
Gorath	MXCII	Twilight-Vertrieb
Graupel	Am Pranger...	Ván Records
Hæresiarchs of Dis	Denuntiatus Cinis	Moribund Records
Häive	Saimaata ei sanoilla selitä (EP)	Northern Silence Productions
Hinsidig	I en Tidlös Höst	Blut und Eisen Productions
Horn	Distanz	Black Blood Records
I Shalt Become	Poison	Moribund Records
Imperium Dekadenz	Procella Vadens	Season of Mist
In Lingua Mortua	Salon des Refusés	Termo Records
Inquisition	Ominous Doctrines of The Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm	No Colours
Istapp	Blekinge	Metal Blade Records
Jumalhämärä	Resignaatio	Ahdistuksen Aihio Productions
Keep of Kalessin	Reptilian	Indie Recordings/Nuclear Blast
Khors	Return To Abandoned	Paragon Records
Kozeljnik	Deeper the Fall	Paragon Records
Kratein	Trauma	Folter Records
Krieg	The Isolationist	Candlelight
Lantlôs	.Neon	Lupus Lounge
Lightning Swords of Death	The Extra Dimensional Wound	Metal Blade
Limbonic Art	Phantasmagoria	Candlelight Records
Ludicra	The Tenant	Profound Lore Records
Maax	Six Pack Witchcraft (EP)	Abyss Records
Maniac Butcher	Masakr	Negative Existence
Marțolea	Noaptea Dihãniilor	Self-released
Midnight Odyssey	Firmament	I, VOIDHANGER RECORDS
Mormânt de Snagov	Rise from the Void	Wintersunset
Mortifera	Maledictiih	Apparitia Recordings
Mortualia	Blood of the Hermit	Dark Adversary Productions
Nàttsòl	Stemning	Lupus Lounge
Near	The Opening of the Primordial Whirl	ATMF
Nechohwen	Azimuths to the Otherworld	Bindrune Recordings
Necrite	Sic Transit Gloria Mundi	Flenser
Nefarium	Ad Discipulum	Agonia Records
Negator	Panzer Metal	Remedy Records
Negură Bunget	Vîrstele Pămîntului	code666
Negură Bunget	Măiestrit (re-recording of Maiastru Sfetnic)	Lupus Lounge/Prophecy
Nightbringer	Apocalypse Sun	The Ajna Offensive
Non Opus Dei	Eternal Circle	Witching Hour Productions
Nyseius	Militiae	ATMF
Oathean	Oathean	Justin Productions
Odem Arcarum	Outrageous Reverie Above The Erosion Of Barren Earth	Osmose Productions
Ondskapt	Arisen from the Ashes	Osmose Productions
Otargos	No God, No Satan	Season of Mist Underground A
Ov Hell	The Underworld Regime	Indie Recordings
Pagan Hellfire	Spirit of Blood and Struggle (EP, 7'')	Genocide Aesthetics
Palace of Worms	Lifting the Veil (EP)	Flenser Recordings
Pensées Nocturnes	Grotesque	Les Acteurs de l’Ombre Productions
Primitive Graven Image	Celebrating Impending Chaos	Envenomation Records
Profanatica	Disgusting Blasphemies Against God	Hells Headbangers
Ptahil	Ortus (EP)	Stronghold Records
Ragnarok	Collectors of the King	Regain Records
Rotting Christ	Aealo	Season Of Mist
Sael	The Sixth Extinction	Pictonian Records
Sargeist	Let the Devil In	Moribund Records
Satanic Warmaster	Nachzehrer	Werewolf Rec/Northern Heritage
Satanic Warmaster	Ondskapens Makt / Forgotten Graves (EP, 7'')	Northern Heritage
Sator Marte	Za Zdmi	Naga Productions
Setherial	Ekpyrosis	Regain Records
Shining	VI Klagopsalmer	Osmose Productions
Sigh	Scenes from Hell	The End Records
Simple ExistenZ	Das Leben Vor Dem Tod	Ván Records
Sorgeldom	Inner Receivings	Nordvis Produktion
Styggelse	Heir Today - God Tomorrow	Unexploded Records
Svartahrid	Ex Inferi	Soulseller
Svarti Loghin	Drifting Through the Void	Aeternitas Tenebrarum Music Foundation
Terzij De Horde	A Rage Of Rapture Against The Dying Of Light (EP)	self-released
The Howling Wind	Into the Cryosphere	Profound Lore Records
The Royal Arch Blaspheme	The Royal Arch Blaspheme	Hells Headbangers
Thorngoth	Leere	Folter Records
Thrall	Away from the Haunts of Men	Total Holocaust Records
Thulcandra	Fallen Angel’s Dominion	Napalm Records
Trident	World Destruction	Regain Records
Triumfall	Antithesis of All Flesh	Regain Records
Troll	Neo-Satanic Supremacy	Napalm Records
Twilight	Monument to Time End	Southern Lord
Tyhjyys	Tyhjyys	Grievantee
Umbrtka	Kovový Háj	Werewolf Productions
Urfaust	Der freiwillige Bettler	Ván Records
Urgehal	Ikonoklast	Season of Mist
Utlagr	L'éveil de Jormungandr (EP)	Sepulchral Productions
Valdur	Raven God Amongst Us	BloodyMountain Records
Valkyrja	Contamination	Metal Blade Records
Vit	-	Self-released
Volahn	Live Ritual (live album)	Final Agony Records
Watain	Lawless Darkness	Season of Mist
Weapon	From the Devil's Tomb	Ajna / Agonia
Westering	Help a Body	Paradigms Recordings
Wilds Forlorn	The Great Loss	Self-released
Wilds Forlorn	Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes (EP)	Self-released
Winterfylleth	The Mercian Sphere	Candlelight Records
Wintersoul	Frozen Storm Apocalypse	Nokternal Hemizphear
Withered	Dualitas	Prosthetic Records
Withershin	The Wuthering Void	Canonical Hours
Woe	Quietly, Undramatically	Candlelight
Wolfshade	When Above…	Wraith Productions
Xasthur	2005 Demo (EP)	Hydra Head
Yaotl Mictlan	Dentro del Manto Gris de Chaac	Candlelight

P.s. If you notice any mistakes in the list, feel free to PM me about it.

P.p.s. If you publish this list somewhere else, it would be very cool if you would post a back-link to this site.

Muchas gracias.

The Nightmare Accompanied by the Katechon

2010-09-13T23:06:00Z

I have nightmares sometimes, and sometimes, if they’re vivid enough, I write about them. I actually draw a lot out of my dreams for my writings. The last really terrifying nightmare I had, some of the MR community members had the chance to experience, because I woke up in the middle of the night and starting babbling about it on-line, since I couldn’t think of another way to shake the fear off.

Not to go into depths about what my nightmare was about, let’s just say it was vivid and it involved lucid dreaming and false awakenings. If you experienced any of these phenomena, you know that having a nightmare while you’re lucid dreaming and falsely awakening is some scary shit right there, dudes.

When you deal with scary stuff, i.e. when you experience it, you will, more often than not, also deal with post-traumatic stress. It can last for a day, it can last for a week, or, if you’ve been fucked good, you just might need therapy. I had a small trauma from this nightmare I’m rambling on about, and was kinda hoping for the next few nights that I will not have the same occurrences again, ‘cause a girl really needs her sleep. And, after about a week, it wore off. More specifically, the fear had worn off, other “side-effects”, however, came into light…

Now I know a little bit about dreaming from some of my studies of Freud and Lacan, and I know about how images in dreams are a latent representation of one’s subconscious, but I have become strangely fascinated with this dream, with the false awakenings and the whole lucid aspect of it. I started to research and read about it, and came to realize that there is more, so much more about my dream than meets the eye. I’ve learned that by peeling off the layers of the dream, one by one, you can come to torrents of meanings, symbols, latent messages and the exploring could go on forever. It was a process. From the night the nightmare had occurred to the sensation that there are things there that require close examination, that possess depth that can stretch above and beyond, and that I will keep on discovering as long as I have the will, well, it was an overwhelming feeling.

There was just one other time that I encountered that exact same feeling and the same process of realization, and it was when I first heard Deathspell Omega’s EP Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum: Chaining the Katechon.

The first time I listened to it, I thought to myself, now this is some scary shit. It had that sinister undertone to it, the same kind a nightmare leaves as an aftertaste of its messing with you when you’re not prepared, and while I didn’t need therapy, I was kinda hoping for the next few days that I wouldn’t hear it because a girl really needs her non-scary-shit music. And then, after about a week, the side-effects kicked in. Yep, I became strangely fascinated with the Katechon, with its layers, its philosophy that can stretch above and beyond, its symbolism and its meanings.

At this point, I couldn’t stop listening to it, trying to decipher the enigmatic feeling that arouse every time I was hearing it, at the same time being overwhelmed with the fact that my dream, my nightmare, something that came from inside of me, provoked the same feeling as a piece of music, something that was coming from the exterior and had nothing to do with me. I was/am captivated with that music that allowed me to be scared by its seriousness and, at the same time, allowed me to consider it beautiful, and worthy of much thought. It allowed me to sit and ponder about how it transcends genre classification and how music can serve as a vessel for philosophy simultaneously being glorious while it’s doing it… Much like a nightmare does.

The two became synonyms, the Katechon and my nightmare, I couldn’t think about the one without thinking about the other, and I am still spellbound by both, equally.

So, folks, enjoy my nightmare.

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A Dragon and Some Wolves

2010-05-13T22:22:00Z

There are several factors that made this May 11th show of Johann Wolfgang Pozoj and Wolves in the Throne Room somewhat emotional for me.

First, I turned 29 recently, so I’m slowly reaching my third decade in life and I’ve been in forced hibernation since early February. Those two things, me pushing 30 and not being able, until recently, to have my social life, made me do a lot of (involuntary) thinking and it caused the big question to pop up – the question of whether or not it’s actually normal for me to still be listening to metal with a fiery passion, getting tattoos and thinking about beer a lot while the vast majority of people my age have either “grown out of it” or never got it in the first place. I guess not being around the like-minded minority made it sink in that I actually am the weird one out.

Second, this was the first show I’ve been to in months. I’d forgotten how good it is to be hyped all day at work ‘cause you’ll be going to a great concert, with people that kick ass.

Third, it was the first time that I went to a show not as a fan but as a part of the band-team, riding in the van with the band and friends and arriving early to take care of behind the scene stuff while the fans were outside eagerly awaiting for the show to start.

Fourth (yes, there’s more) one of the members of the band I was with (not WitTR, obviously) had a family tragedy and couldn’t come to the show, so we were going there singer-less, not knowing how the fuck that’s gonna turn out.

After we arrived at the venue a bit late because the police officers at the border did their best to search for drugs in our van for the longest time, we had less time to set the merch stand, do a soundcheck and other things required. The crowd outside was getting restless and it was time for the singer-less Johann Wolfgang Pozoj to open the Wolves in the Throne Room concert.

As they started playing in a pretty-much crowded venue, and as the hole where our friend, the singer was supposed to be doing his part became obvious, I was nervously looking around at the audience to see if anyone’s gonna start booing or walking out of the club…but it didn’t happen, because apparently, the fans already heard what had happened and they came to watch Pozoj play as enthusiastically as ever. In the end, Pozoj did their damnedest not to disappoint and they performed the entire Escape of Pozoj instrumentally with unbelievable band-strength pouring out of them, and I guess the fans got an unexpected opportunity to hear how Escape of Pozoj sounds instrumental.

Wolves in the Throne Room played next. I was pretty exhausted but I was very anxious to hear one the most respected US black metal acts play because, even though I was never a die-hard fan, their particular style of black metal that is less raw and more melodic, ambient and doomy is what I enjoy if executed right.

As I was doing some research on them before the show, I came to realize that I don’t know if I’ll recognize any of them because they have no conventional band photos, but, following the band’s philosophy, have only primordial-like, blurry, nature footage and I’m sorry to report that use of flash on cameras was forbidden during the show, so I won’t help in disposing their mystical faces. However, the pics I did manage to take show (I hope) the incredible ambient they managed to create despite the tininess of the venue.

As I already mentioned, I wasn’t a die-hard fan and even though I liked the Wolves prior to this show, they gave such an astonishing performance that I do believe I will return to their releases more often now, because they helped me discover something in their music that I was never able to while listening to the studio sounds. (For example, I now know that I absolutely love Vastness and Sorrow of the Two Hunters album.)

One thing I always keep repeating is that I respect most of all when a band gives itself on stage and is able, with its music, to put both themselves and the crowd in a trans-like state where all of them/us are an object enveloped in living music. That’s what the Wolves did.

Their set-list for the night was:

1. Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog (Black Cascade)
2. Face in a Night Time Mirror Part II (Diadem of 12 Stars)
3. Vastness and Sorrow (Two Hunters)
4. Crystal Ammunition (Black Cascade)

My attempt of capturing the moment:

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p.s. A huge thank you to Will Lindsay and Nathan for everything.

Once, when I was dragging a dead deer up a hill

2010-04-02T22:04:00Z

There are times when a person simply wants do disengage from the outside world, push the off button and let everything be on hold for a while. Those are the times that let you breathe and be with just yourself no matter how painful that can be sometimes. Often, there are whole other parallel worlds to be discovered when in disengaged mode, worlds that you can only catch a glimpse off, because the "real" world can't be on hold for too long if you want to be a healthy person. At best, you can balance living in that real world with lurking at your parallel one from a comfortable corner.

There are also triggers. Those triggers launch you in your "other" universe with ease, and for me, their collective word is music. Not every music, of course, but the rare artists that are able to transform their "other" worlds into tones and somewhere along the way the incarnation of their worlds collided and coincided with mine. It's because of that that some of my beloved bands aren't my most played bands, because, hey, I wanna be a healthy person.

One of those bands, or rather, a one-woman project, is Grouper. That one woman's name is Liz Harris and up until last year, I had no idea she even existed. And then my trusty partner in life presented me with Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill, Grouper's (no less than) fifth release that came out in 2008 and that is entirely consisted out of dreamy, surreal Liz's vocals, ambient arrangements and acoustic guitars all packaged into one big trigger.

From the first minute the album starts, that's it, I'm gone, whisked away, or rather, gently positioned to exchange lurking at my parallel world to observing it fully.

It's like these aren't even songs, they're like entities floating somewhere in time, dutifully circling around the planet filling the space with inexplicable presence. The fact that contributes to this entity-like song arrangements is that you can hardly understand what she's singing about, there are no words fully articulated here, just murmurs sang in her meditative voice, and I swear, if someone will ever need an incarnation of a modern sprite's voice, it's right here, already recorded and distributed.

And the music, those acoustic guitars where the pick barely touches the strings, it's almost transparent. Songs that are guitar-less, have the same, barely-touching-the-keys, keyboards in the background, while in the foreground there is one key, one note, bending and stretching until forever, imitating her voice, or her voice imitating it, until you don't know which is which anymore.

So, as I already harassed some people here with this Reverb Dead Dear, it is now my intention to harass the entire community with it. That is all...

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As SlayerM Disintegrates

2010-03-21T01:02:00Z

Well okay, I’m not really disintegrating, but I aint doing great either. It’s been over a month and a half since ol’ SlayerM hurt her back, and things just seem damn gloomy. Spring arrived in the city, and people started taking strolls, drinking their coffee in the terraces and, sigh, riding their bikes.

I don’t like those people very much, because they can do all these things while I can’t, and most importantly, they can ride their bikes, while I, cannot. When spring arrives, and the ol’ sunshine decides it’s gonna put away the Immortal records on hold for a few months, I go down to the semi-cellar my building has and I take a good, long look at my trusty bicycle (its name is Chris, btw) and I know those months of bliss have come. The months when I’ll ride my bike, listening to my iPod, ignoring the crazy and the traffic of the city, and it’ll be just me and me music.

This is why, this spring sucks so far, and this is why, it’s Saturday night and I’m home (again), drinking sherry and listening to the Cure. Well, old friends, thanks for keeping me company. I’ve listened to this band on my walkman while riding in the bus going home from school, I’ve listened to it on my discman while I used to take long strolls in the city, just after the rain has fallen and there was no one around, and the streets looked so… well, great, cleaned of people. (Said the old closet misanthrope.) And here I am approximately 10 years later, sitting at home at 3 am, on a Saturday, listening to the Cure. I always thought they were good company and just the right thing with just the right tone for those moments of inspired solitude when you want to think, or write, or just want to have very little to do with the outside world.

They still do the trick, even when that inspired solitude is forced upon. Their music is something that has to be absorbed when one is alone (even if the “alone” part means shutting out everything off that bus) and when you can pick up on those lait-motif nuances of beauty that glance through their almost never-ending darkness. Yeah, darkness can be gallantly beautiful, just listen to Cure’s Disintegration.

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Survival of the fittest - Top 10 2009

2010-01-05T11:36:00Z

I made the initial messed up/no order list at the end of November, except that I had 3 albums with locked positions, first three that you’re seeing now. I tried to write down all the names of albums that were stuck in my head as memorable in one way or the other and the number of album names came to about 45. Then, I committed to spend most of the remaining year listening to those albums in order to see if there were any gems in that list, any hidden surprises that only a carefully tuned in ear can discover. Also, I wanted to see which albums got better with more spins as some albums tend to go that way – with more spins an idea of the album in my head starts to take on different forms and I sometimes learn to love a particular album when I’m not listening to it, but actually just thinking about it.

So, here goes.

10.Glorior Belli - Meet Us at the Southern Sign

This album clicked right away. From the vocals, which I love, to the sinisterism that prevails in the sound. But, what I liked most about it, is that this album is actually very elegant and well thought through.

9. Hacride - Lazarus

I had a really hard time deciding on this one, because, hey, top ten have to have the best of everything, right? The best musicianship, the best song compositions, the best lyrics... but for some reason I just could not exclude this little album from my top ten. It's epic, endlessly fun and with enough quality musicianship and freshness of sound and idea to make the cut. Yep. Shine on you crazy epic mothefucker.

8. Immortal - All Shall Fall

My history with this band goes way, waaaay back (and not necessarily in the most positive sense of the word), but I didn’t start to really appreciate them until I came here, to MR. And now, they managed to make my top ten. Some people would get a kick out of that. As with the previous album, this one gives me heaps and heaps of shiny good feelings, and fun. I know that maybe that aint exactly what the frostbitten kings had in mind, but what can you do. A deserved spot in my top ten, they did make.

7. Ancestors - Of Sound Mind

As a fan of good retro music, and as a person that grew up to the sweet sounds of Hammond, and as a person who digs the hell out of stoner and doom I think I can safely say Ancestors decided to make this album for me. Thanks guys, ‘twas very nice of yous.

6. Johann Wolfgang Pozoj - Escape of Pozoj

If someone told me that a local band would be in such exquisite company I would have a hard time believing it. But, times they are a changing and I tend to devote much more of my time to J.W.Pozoj - my ultimate surprise of the year.

5. Klabautamann - Merkur

Besides having the greatest cover art this year, I somehow knew before I even heard the album that it would be high in my year-end list. The thing is, this band as well as all the other projects involving Florian Toyka and the Zeitgeister dudes, has never let me down and absolutely everything they put out gets me excited as a little kid. I'm just sorry I didn't have more time to listen to Woburn House, but Klabautamann is my first Zeitgeister love and this just feels right. Not to mention Merkur is one hell of an album that definitely sealed the Klabautamann sound and if you're a fan, you don't even have to know what's playing, you'll just recognize it.

4. The Chasm - Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm

If I had balls, this album would have grabbed me by it. I mean holy shit. Simply relentlessly massive, not letting you catch your god damn breath all the way through. And I abso-fucking-lutely love it. Gorgeous.

3. Code - Resplendent Grotesque

This would probably be one of my most listened albums in 2009, and in a year that almost made my head explode from awesomeness, that says a lot. I never heard a single note from this band prior to this release, and they managed to make my top three. The thing that made this album stand out is definitely the lyrics. Some of the best I've heard in a really long time. All in all, a seriously addictive album.

2. Astra - The Weirding

I know this was supposed to be top 10/20 metal albums, and I wanted to do special, separated lists for top non-metal albums, but the lack of time and the fact that I was buried in outstanding releases did not make that possible. If I did have a top non-metal albums of the year list, this one would be at number one wiping the floor with every other album. All I have to say about this CD is that every single time I listen to it (and I’ve spun it a plenty) I am amazed by its greatness and I stand in awe of wonderful, emotion-full music these guys produced.

1. Drudkh - Microcosmos

Not many albums can get me in the state where I have trouble functioning on a normal level, i.e. becoming hostile if someone interrupts my listening to an album. This one has done it for me. From track one to track 6, with the paralyzing Ars Poetica sitting in the middle, Drudkh’s Microcosmos had no real opponent in my world. And I’m happy that one of my favorite bands holds the throne in this fantastic year in metal.

Honorable mentions:

Mastodon – Crack the Skye; Gorgoroth - Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt; Cobalt – Gin; Fen – Malediction Fields; Gorod – Process of a New Decline; Argus – s/t; Be’lakor – Stone’s Reach ; Blut aus nord – Memoria Vetusta II; Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue; Krallice – Dimensional Bleedthrough, Miserere Luminis - s/t; Funeral Mist - Marantha; Napalm Death - Time Waits for No Slave; Solstafir - Köld ; Black Math Horsman - Wyllt ... and like at least a dozen more.

So, that's it. I honestly didn't think I'd be able to make the list, not with this year. I'm sure all of us will remember it as the end of the decade that gave us not just the best albums in a long while, but the year that also produced some new all time classics of this our beloved genre.

And, of course, thanks MR for being here another year. We loves you.

Zoroaster, Razor of Occam, Pantheon I, Absu -- Pics From the Show

2009-12-06T21:47:00Z

I had the opportunity to see these great bands play a concert together, i.e. three of those played as support to Absu's 2009 European Tour.

Zoroaster

I was late to their set, but heard enough to say they live up to expectations and they're more than capable of delivering the heaviness they recorded on their last album "Voice of Saturn". I also hung out for a bit with Will Fiore and Dan Scanlan (guitar and drums) and they're extremely fun dudes. I also send out a huge thanks to Dan for getting us a drum stick singed by all Absu members and Dan himself. It's a trophy.

Razor of Occam

Anyone who's heard the debu album from these Australians knows they totally rip. In the world of blackened trash metal, they're a most welcome addition and their fierce, have-no-mercy riffs sound damn near perfect on stage. I was very thankful that sound on the show was good, 'cause I wanted to hear all those riffs loud and clear, and that I did. They were a dangerous competition to Absu that night. If you haven't checked these dudes yet, be sure to do so.

Pantheon I

This Norwegian outfit put out two albums. I wasn't all that familiar with this band's work, but I have heard most people say their first album "The Wanderer and His Shadow" is the better one. I'm always curious about BM bands that hail from Norway, hence the curiousness was present when I went to see the gig. Since I had fairly high expectations based on the band's background and positive reviews, I was mildly disappointed. They mostly played songs of the new album "Worlds I Create" (I know this, because they announced every song) and after a couple of songs, I completely lost interest. Then, they played a song of The Wanderer... and confirmed what people were saying -- that it's the better album. That part of their set, I enjoyed, but all in all, I wasn't impressed.

Absu

No explaining need. One hell of a band that re-proved it with their latest self-titled album. The band whose album made the MR's Top 100 Albums of the Decade list. A band that features one of the most established drummers today, Prosciptor and a band that calls its music "Mythological Occult Metal", because of their exploration of Sumerian and Celtic mythology. (No wonder Proscriptor played drums for Melechesh.)

Although it seemed quite hard to beat Razor of Occam's set, Absu showed who owned the stage that night, but not only that, they displayed their veteran status that a fresh band, no matter how good it is, can't overshadow.

I'm very glad I got to see them live and see for myself why they're such stars.

Fun fact: Brent Anderson from Zoroaster enjoyed the hell out of this show (although he was pretty wasted). It seems he's a big fan of Absu and of Pantheon I. If I'm correct, Pantheon I dedicated a song to him, which resulted in this:

He got up on teh stage and sang some with 'em.

And while Absu was playing, he was their number one fan:

I'm such a fucking paparazzi.

Pearl Jam Has a New Video

2009-09-28T14:39:00Z

Unless I missed something in the last decade or so, the last time Pearl Jam made a video was on Ten.

And, the video reflects the feel of the entire album, which is, as some critics are already calling it, a return to their roots.

It is a great feeling knowing that this band is still out there making music, and as much as I like the new record, because it's fun and cheerful, I have finally made peace with the fact that Jeremy will speak no more on this band's albums. Took me long enough...

Here's to Pearl Jam. Keep on rocking guys.

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Municipal Waste...literally?

2009-09-14T20:00:00Z

I grew up in a small town, and that pretty much marked my life in ways I really couldn’t possibly imagine. It is because of this small town that I started listening to music that will disconnect me from most, but bring me closer to people that are today my dearest friends.

So, what was on the menu in a town such as this in the nineties? You had your punks, your metal-heads, your grunge kids and skaters, and we all pretty much stuck together while rumors made by the town folk were surroundings us – they did not understand these kids with their ripped jeans, greasy hair (yeah, I loved that part) leather or commando jackets, sitting on the bus terminal drinking beer (well, most of the time sharing one beer, to be exact). And while the rest of the world was busy not understanding us, we were having the time of our lives – trading tapes, discussing the latest Headbangers Balls, and admiring the ones whose parents allowed him or her to watch it, ‘cause it was on a school night. We didn’t give a rats ass about what people were thinking or saying, ‘cause we were having so much fun in this world of ours that it was too good to give up for anything. Hell, we were proud when we would walk down the street and people looked at us as outcasts.

Now, what in the world does this has to do with Municipal Waste? Well, the show was held in a small town exactly like the one I grew up in and we decided to go for a road trip, ‘cause, hey, going for a road trip to see a show, you can’t beat that.

So, there I was, approximately 14 years later and it was like I was seeing my friends and me standing outside the club, buzzed like hell as the show was about to start. I mean, you just don’t get shows like these all the time in small towns. In fact, you hardly ever get them at all. Needless to say, all the metal kids from the town and around came and I could smell crazy coming up....and crazy it was. Everyone was so god damn happy and smiling, talking to each other and taking pics. It was grand to see. And, since everyone was standing at a big parking lot that’s located right in front of the club, it was the heavy metal parking lot in a town near you.

Three other bands played as opening acts – Dozer from Bosnia, Hitman from Serbia and E.N.D. from Croatia. They really did a good work at warming up the place for Municipal Waste….who truly, truly set the place on fire. I’ve seen shows. I almost got squashed at Napalm Death and nearly got punched in the face several times at Kataklysm. I had to fight just to get some breathing room at Iron Maiden and I was pushing people away from me for a full hour at Krisiun. But this, I never expected, and for the first time in maybe ever! I went to see the show from the gallery. That’s what you get when you bring a living, breathing U.S. thrash metal act to a small town in Croatia. People go fucking berzerk. It’s what they’ve been god damn waiting for! And Municipal Waste did a pretty good job at rousing them up even more, because a) their sound was terrific (someone knew their job); b) they browsed through their discography leaving everyone pleased (okay, I have to admit I sometimes have a hard time recognizing which song of theirs is which, but I recognized the new material and the older one); and c) they were talking to the crowd as totally cool people who like what they see. I mean Tony Foresta was laughing half of the time because he couldn’t believe that crowd. I bet ya he didn’t expect that.

And now, take a looksee at what the hell I’m talking about:

Ok, few pics of the band:

And a video, which, I think, says it all (notice how he stopped singing at the beginning because he had to laugh):

(Please visit the site to view this media)

That's all folks.

Brutal Assault 2009

2009-08-11T14:29:00Z

Brutal Assault 2009. Those words alone echo in my head as a connection to one of the most memorable times I’ve had. I know I’m prone to saying after gigs that I had a blast, or a great time, or that the band was awesome, and I tend to do so in superlatives, but what can I do. I attend really good gigs, and I’m fortunate enough to get to see the bands play in small venues in front of not-so-huge crowds and I’m incredibly enthusiastic about the shows I go to see and most of the bands live up to my rather high expectations. Although Brutal Assault was nothing like the shows I just mentioned, because there were tons of people there and there was no venue to speak of, the concerts were indeed awesome, with great sound (super sound if you will) and (mostly) great artists performing. So, expect superlatives people.

Things like Brutal Assault are the kind of stuff I live for. I spend my year listening to metal and attending concerts, reading about new stuff and trying to at least catch a glimpse of all the new albums that are coming out constantly, and keeping up with all that can be hard work sometimes, but only because I impose it on myself, ‘cause behind all of that lies a passion understandable to y’all. So, that’s how my year passes, that’s how I get through the long night hours of winter and the depresso mode of fall. And then comes spring and the festivals slowly start to announce their line ups and my mana bar slowly starts rising. I start clicking on those links, trying to decide which festival I’m going to attend, strongly advocating to my friends that they should come along and not act like old farts that they are. And so comes summer, the highlight of my year when I know I’m gonna go somewhere for three days and listen to some of my loved bands, drink beer any hour of the day, hang out with cool people and browse around many, many merch stands with my money saved up especially for that occasion.

Brutal Assault was the ultimate and undisputable winner this year. I’m not gonna list all the bands that played because it would take up too much space, but if you’re interested you can see it here.
Like I said, the sound at the festival was A+, all the bands’ performances were top notch and there isn’t really a serious objection I can put in, so it’s safe to say the organizers did an excellent job. All the bands played right on schedule with one minor change and that was switching the time of Cynic and Brutal Truth (and that was due to Paul Masvidal not getting his equipment on time – and that’s inside information folks ).

The second day of the festival was most intense because one awesome band followed another and I could hardly get a beer in between shows. It was also very hot and the fact that I was standing on my feet the entire day (actually, I hardly sat at all during the three days) made it pretty exhausting, so I hope the future festivals will have some crappy bands in between the good ones, so a girl can get some rest damn it.

Last but not the very bit least was the awesome time I had hanging out with our very own Sasha Horn. Drinking beer, eating Czech food and attending shows with him was one of the best times, so here’s to you buddy. And Novembers Doom did a kick ass performance with Sasha slaying those drums like there’s no tomorrow. The man deserves to be in a band of that magnitude (if not more).
In order for this not to turn into a 10 page post, I’m pretty much just going to post pics I took. I would’ve taken pics of all the bands that were of interest, but my fucking camera died on me. It’s because of that I didn’t take any, not one pic of Immortal for you guys, and I really wanted to, because they were so in the element that night, not to mention they had the biggest set – they played for an hour and a half. They had the smoke, the fire throwing, the lifting of the leg move, running up and down the stage, the works. That was definitely one of the highlights of the festival.

Other truly impressive performances beside Immortal and Novembers Doom were done by: Orphaned Land, Opeth, Obscura, Psycroptic, Ulver, Anaal Nathrakh, Negura Bunget and Vreid.

Now on to the pics.

(The new) Negura Bunget

Vried

Novembers Doom (MR staff gets more space)

Ulver

Anaal Nathrakh

And here's a pic of me and Sasha right before Hate Eternal. (I don't know how to pose for pics okay?)

Err, I guess this did turn into a gazillion page post...Sorry.

Mike's Silly Music Nerd Survey, or the thing that Flah did a year ago

2009-07-01T19:46:00Z

Well, I remebered that I thought at the time: "This must be fun". And it was fun!

Instructions: Put your music player on shuffle
Post the first 40 songs that come up. You can repeat artists if you want. If you have any repeats, skip to the next track.

So, here are my answers.

Normal 0 21 false false false HR X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

1. Circulus – The Aphid

2. Bathory – The Sword

3. Jimi Hendrix – Gypsy Eyes

4. Tom Waits – Blow Wind Blow

5. Cain – Badside

6. Scar Symmetry – Timewave Zero

7. Skyfire – Void of Hope

8. Bad Religion – Whisper in Flame

9. Sonic Youth – Tunic

10. High on Fire – Ethereal

11. Katsuya Yokoyama – Sanya Sugagaki

12. Fields of the Nephilim – At the Gates of Silent Memory

13. Darkane – Relief in Disguise

14. Nasum – Whip

15. Witchery – Disturbing the Beast

16. Dead Congregation – Subjugation

17. Peccatum – Between the Living And the Dead

18. Blut aus Nord – Metamorphosis

19. The Velvet Underground – Foggy Nation

20. The Blues Magoos – Rush Hour

21. Place of Skulls – The Black Is Never Far

22. Apokatastasia – Sag Lessek

23. Porcupine Tree – The Sky Moves Sideways

24. The Handsome Family – Up Falling Rock Hill

25. Testament – Alone In the Dark

26. Smashing Pumpkins – Tonight, Tonight

27. Sonic’s Rendezvous Band – You’re So Great

28. Torche – Without a Sound

29. The Lord Weird Slough Feg – Walls Of Shame

30. Pagan Altar – Acoustics

31. Irrbloss – As We Lived

32. Current 93 – Mary Waits in Silence

33. Emperor – The Loss And Curse Of Reverence

34. Dark Tranquility – Ego Drama

35. Frank Zappa – Inca Roads

36. Motor Humming – Satellite

37. Witchcraft – Bury Your Dead

38. William Elliot Whitmore – One Man’s Shame

39. Grayceon - Song For You

40. Smiths – That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore

Which song do you prefer, #1 or #40?

40. I like them crazy ass, trippy, dancing on meadows in weird clothing Circulus, but Smiths are an old love.

2. Have you ever listened to #12 continuously on repeat?

No, not that one. The one from FotN that I listened to on repeat is Chord of Souls. I love hypnotic melodies.

3. What album is #26 from?

Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. One of my most listened albums in high school.

4. What do you think about the artist who did #15?

Heck, I love Witchery. I think they’re fun, energetic, have a great sense of building melodies and balance riffing and melodic parts. They kick ass.

5. Is #19 one of your favorite songs?

No. Really no.

6. What does #38 remind you of?

Ha ha. Well, it reminds me of TF, ‘cause he’s been praising WEW a bunch at one point.

7. Does #20 have better lyrics or music?

Huh, well, let’s see. The keyboards are utterly pathetic, the vocals blow, and there are a few standard, formulaic okay riffs. So, the lyrics have to be better.

8. Do any of your friends like #3?

Yep, plenty. I grew up with old time rockers.

9. Is #33 from a movie soundtrack?

Oh, shit. No, but I would love to see that movie. I predict a psychedelic, cynic, tragic-comic flick that would be shown on some obscure film festivals and become a cult film known only to people that are into movies.

10. Is #18 overplayed on the radio?

Ha ha, that would be a no. If this would be something that gets overplayed on the radio, I see nothing but chaos.

11. What does #21 remind you of?

Doom? Great band? Downcast.

12. Which song do you prefer, #5 or #22?

Hm. Cain, but it’s a close win. Sag Lessek has the modern elements I like – strings, for one, but Badside is more genuine, has more feel to it. Plus, that ol’ rock n roll sound, no matter how corny it may be, is my soft spot.

13. What album is #17 from?

Ah. It’s from Amor Fati. I have to admit, Lost in Reverie is the album I listen to.

14. When did you first hear #39?

Not too long ago, actually. It’s a fairly recent album.

15. When did you first hear #7?

Also not too long ago. I was introduced to the band via MR.

16. What genre is #8?

Punk, baby. I should listen to this band more.

17. Do any of your friends like #14?

Nasum…. I don’t think so. JW loves them, though. :)

18. What colour does #4 remind you of?

Blue. Everything Tom Waits reminds me of blue. And orange sometimes. I did not know that until now.

19. Have you ever blasted #11 on your stereo?

Ha ha, blasted? No. It’s not blasting music, it’s meditative.

20. What genre is #37?

Ah, one of my favorite bands. People call it doom…I guess it has elements, but I call it retro.

21. Can you play #13 on any instrument?

I…can…sing it? Maybe?

22. What is your favorite lyric from #30?

It’s acoustic. Short and very sweet.

23. What is your favorite lyric from #23?

Eh, I dunno. I can’t believe out of all the PT songs I love, this one came up. I guess: We stepped right off the map; Drifted into blank space; And let the clocks relapse; We laughed the rain

down

24. Would you recommend #24 to your friends?

My friends think I’m weird as it is.

25. Is #2 a good song to dance to?

Well, it depends on how one defines dancing. If I were at a party and heard that song play, and if I were drunk, I’d dance to it… in a drunken, metal kinda way.

26. Do you ever hear #16 on the radio?

I think back in the day I actually did hear it a couple of times on the radio, yes. But, SM are radio material.

27. Is #32 more of a “nighttime” or “daytime” song?

It’s more of a “I’m not in this space/time continuum right now, hence I do not know this day or night you speak of, so please don’t bother me” song.

28. Does #36 have any special meaning to you?

Nah. It’s something I like to jam from time to time.

29. Do any of your friends like #31?

I don’t even like it.

30. Is #25 a fast or slow song?

Hold on, I’m air guitaring. Heh heh. Considering it’s Testament, it could be faster.

31. Is #35 a happy or sad song?

Uh…it’s Zappa….The guy wrote “Why does it hurt when I pee”. I don’t think he has a sad song…

32. What is one of your favorite lyrics from #9?

Hey mom! Look I'm up here - I finally made it; I'm playing the drums again too; don't be sad - the band doesn't sound half bad; and I remember mom, what you said; you said honey - you look so under-fed

33. Is #34 better to listen to alone or with friends?

Alone, cause it’s ego drama! Get it?

34. When did you first hear #27?

Sometime last year. And am I so ever glad I did.

35. Name 3 other songs by the artist who did #29:

It Begins and so It Ends; Love is (A Dream); This Grand Show is Eternal (two more, and you got yourself an album).

36. Do you know all the words to #6?

Um, no.

37. Does #28 have better lyrics or music?

Music. ‘Cause I can barely understand what he’s singing.

38. What album is #10 from?

Death is This Communion. I listened to that album the most, actually. God, is that a good song. Crazy drums.

Jarboe was in town

2009-06-15T19:15:00Z

And she brought Naer Mataron along.

It was a weird mix.

Firstly, I wasn't too impressed with Naer Mataron that opened for Jarboe. They have some great moments, but if a band doesn't do it for me on stage, it's highly unlikely they'll deliver what I want/need on CD. One thing I do appreciate (and was looking forward to) is seeing Vicotnik perform live, since I'm a fan of Ved Buens Ende. He delivers.

As I expected form a guy who's in an avant-garde outfit such as Ved Buens Ende, he's not your ordinary black-metal, pose your ass off on stage dude, but a man that can hold your attention while on stage and a guy who's completely into the performance. That's one thing where this show met the show that followed. Naturally, since it was a small venue, I talked to him a bit after the show, and he is one shy dude. Or maybe I'm too aggressive...? Anyway, it's always nice to see corpse paint and Nifelheim-like outfits once in a while, just to remind yourself that, yeah, you really dig this whole heavy metal ordeal.

Despite Vicotnik and his efforts, the dudes were meh.

As for Jarboe, that's a whole other story. I was never a die-hard fan, but I love her work with Neurosis and her latest Mahakali album is indeed one to twist your words when trying to explain and/or describe it. It's an entirely different level of awesomeness where you have to put effort in listening to it, and I never was able to listen to the album in its entirety 'cause it drains too much energy. But, that's just me, I know people who practically listened to it on repeat.

Mahakali aside, hey, it is the lady from the Swans. Her reputation precedes her, and deserved it be.

Since, the nature of the show and her performance was different from classic concerts where you sing along to the show, headbang or just quietly hum to your favourite tune, I'm just gonna go ahead and write my impressions as they were coming to me while I was listening to the concert.

Jarboe herself wrote on her site that she has zen-like moments on stage and that is very much true, except, you don't expect to be sucked into it, but I guess that's what a good perfomer and artist does. I am always, literally, every single time, amazed at how much a show can change your appreciation and perception of an artist or a band. They either suck and make you forget you ever bought their CDs, or they blow you away on new and unforseen levels and you go back to those CDs and listen to them, try to absorb their substance and listen to their music in this, new light. That's what happened here also, except, this time I think more than ever. If nothing else, my appreciation for The Living Jarboe has become a deep one and her almost 30 years worth of inspiration has not faded one bit.

She looked like an apparition on that stage, but not one that you would be afraid off, but one that hypotizes you and all the while you're so damn happy she did.

They opened up with The House of Void (after the show, I listen to it at least once a day), which has a great drum beat and this beat was extended for the show and had a ritual-like sound to it, while the guitarist was totally crazy - you could see he had a movie of his own going on in his head. So, while my jaw litarally dropped, as you could barely see Jarboe's face from all the hair, and her incredible voice kept coming, I realized, wow, this is just the first song.

The opening song reflects the entire concert, and, yes, it was energy draining, 'cause it was more of an experience where the music exists on its own and in the midst of it, you have Jarboe with an avant-garde stage performance, making theatrical movements while singing with a very unique and mesmerizing voice.

The guys in the band did an excellent job, and I had no idea that her drummer was the drummer from Cobalt! So, besides Mahakali, I bought Cobalt's Gin too.

Some more pics:

Err, yep that be me in the last one.

Never too late for Church of Misery

2009-05-19T18:07:00Z

Although it's been two weeks since I saw the show, I have a pretty good excuse for not posting pics and blogging about CoM = my life sucked.

Moving on, the show was simply awesome. Those of you who are familiar with the band, know that they sound pretty fucking amazing. Now multiple that by 10.

I have this theory, and it's that almost every stoner/doom band sounds better live than in studio. It's the kind of music that simply must be performed; those musicians must have that place where they'll let all those riffs get out there. After every show like that, I realize that stoner/doom riffs a particular band has to offer, no matter how good they are, they're simply cooped up on a CD, not enough space for them to stretch out in their fullest and they must be heard live, must be performed, 'cause when you hear 'em being played by a band that becomes this organism-like thing that produces awesome, awesome music, well, it's an experience both unforgettable and hypnotizing. Oh, and it's highly addictive.

Church of Misery played in a venue that our local bands play in. It's tiny, looks like a dump and I couldn't believe they would actually play there. You know that feeling when you get embarrassed while watching TV because someone on there is being extremely stupid, and, although it's got nothing to do with you, you're embarrassed because you're a part of their species? Well, I was kinda embarrassed by that venue. But then I found out how they got to play there. A friend of mine who's a fan of theirs, and is into arranging gigs, decided, when he saw they're on tour, he's gonna get them to play in Croatia no matter what. He contacted them, asked them if they're interested in playing in Croatia (er, they said yes), arranged the venue, the hostel where they would sleep, hell, even breakfast for the next day. He said before the show: "So, I arranged everything, put my money on this gig, and all I can do now is hope people are gonna show up and buy tickets". The place was packed. He still didn't make any profit out of the gig, and he actually lost some money, but he got to hang with them, the rest of us got to see them play, and everybody was happy.

As for the show itself, my theory proved to be correct again, but this time not so much because they sound better live, but because those guys were bursting with energy. The frontman was all over the place, the bassist was totally in a mood making silly faces to everyone who was taking pics, and you could actually see they were all having a blast. And they were producing some great music while they were at it. I guess, in a venue that small, where people are practically sitting on stage with you, you relax and just have a good time.

So, another awesome show.

Pics.

Video. (The sound is crap...sorry.)

(Please visit the site to view this media)

Would you like some Napalm Death?

2009-02-06T12:42:00Z

I sure as hell would. Over and over again!

I went to see them perform the other night and it was my first ND concert, so, needless to say, I was impressed as hell and had the most fun at a concert, possibly, ever.

The concert was held at this really small venue called KSET, which is basically an electrical engineering students' club and one of Zagreb's most valued club. This club is small, like tiny small, but it doesn't stop it from having kick ass concerts of bands/performers from all over the globe. Since this is the case, I've seen quite a few concerts at this club in the last 10 or so years ....but, none of them could be compared to ND's concert on Tuesday.

What's so amazing, well, actually there are a few things that were amazing at this show, like Barney's energy, the band's energy, Barney's small on-stage speeches, the fact that this band is out there for 22 years and they still rip....But, above all, and the thing that everyone who was at this show noticed, was the vibe that could be felt, an almost palpable vibe that was established between the band/Barney and the crowd.

Barney said that the last time ND was in Zagreb they almost tore the place apart. It was not any different this time around, I can tell you that. Most of the shows I go to, the band does show appreciation to the fans, but on an entirely different level. They mingle after the show, or make witty jokes on stage, but not ND, specifically Barney. This is such a simple and straightforward guy who's been in the business for over 20 years and didn't let all the "fame" go to his head, not one bit. It was like a guy next door got up on that stage and produced brilliant, aggressive, intelligent, full-of-life music with his band.

The crowd just loved them. It was like that was a concert all the neighborhood kids, young punks and metalheads were waiting for. I was fighting for my life most of the time and it was irritating as hell at first, but then it just took over me. People were getting on the stage and hugging Barney, but no one over did it, no one was being an asshole who can potentially ruin the show.

The two songs I really thought I wasn't gonna make it out alive, were Scum and Nazi Punks Fuck Off. Luckily, by this time I found a friend who sheltered me from the absolutely-gone-berzerk people. (Unlike on some previous songs, where two guys used me as a man shield. Thank God I'm a big girl.)

In short, it was one hell of a show.

I took loads of pics and tried to shoot a lengthy video, but that didn't work out, obviously. So, here's just a short clip I managed to film and some pics.

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