Long Day Cure

It’s been a long-long day. The kind of day when all you want to do is lie on the couch with a shot full of booze down the pipe, but you can’t. Because tons and tons of meaningless things called ‘workload’ is cluttered before you and demands your full attention.

What a day.

I have found that the only way to relieve the mounting headache after such a day, rather than hammering it with more hangover headache, is to listen to good, loud and filthy metal. Of particular effectiveness are those old-styled, Thrashy Black Metal stuffs. The kind that newer bands nowadays, as rumors has it, like so much to emulate (or is it ‘resurrect’?)...

Whatever. Here are my choices of shitty-long-day panacea from the good ole 90s.

Nothing from the 2000s? OF COURSE NOT.

Desert dreamin’ made in Norway

Evocation of the darkened Japanese kind

Uncanny Places

Some boring everyday places can really turn uncanny with the right sort of music. An airport waiting lounge and some psychedelic 60s Hard Rock, is one example. I spent the last few pre-flights moments watching people drowse, argue, eat, read, flirt or just getting bored out of their minds while listening to Cream’s Jack Bruce singing about “World of Pain” and “Sunshine of Your Love”.

Who needs Black Metal to know misanthropy? I know I didn’t.

Misanthropy by Cream (1967)

Tasty Unknowns (Pt.2)

Talking about hearing unusual and damn good music, I think I might have acquired a taste for less-mainstream music ever since listening to some 60s and 70s psychedelic Progressive/Hard Rock stuffs. This was way before I start getting acquainted with all the Heavy Metal and NWOBHM stuffs (not to mention the underground extremities).

I’ve always remembered the first uncanny psychedelic Hard Rock album I heard. It was Germany’s Lucifer’s Friend self titled, debut album, with the two “men-in-black” looking weirdoes on the front cover.

The feeling I get on that first listening, with such synthesizer-crazy songs like “Ride In The Sky” and “Satyr’s Dance”, is just priceless.

Lucifer’s debut (1970).

Tasty Unknowns

Around those early years that Black Metal started pushing Death Metal to the side, I can still remember snail mails and fanzines getting all fired up on the issue of ‘originality’. Basically, many fans of the extreme underground metal scene back then were sick with the over abundance of copycats, particularly of the Swedish Death metal kind. At least that was how I understood it.

As naïve as it may seem now, the quest for “uber-originality” did cause me to become quite persistent in choosing only the weird and unknown of any kind of genre. It may have been silly at first, but it really has expanded one’s musical horizon by quite a stretch. Of course good music still counts a lot but, when it is also unheard of or just plain unexpected it becomes that much better and memorable.

So, in a nutshell, hearing anything unusually good always makes my day. Just as it is a pleasure to hear the likes of Heroin and Your Veins’ 2009 “Nausea”, for example.

I know absolutely nothing about “Post-Rock” and whatever it actually means. But, if all the genre artists play like this Finnish act then I am all ears!

For me, this simply sounds like a delightful soundtrack of some vile thoughts brewing through the mind, with nothing but a bottle of whisky, a pack of cigarette and a dead pale moon as company.

Vile thoughts and nausea.

About Boozing

Out drinking with a couple of friends in a local bar the other night, we started talking about how a little senseless binge recently turned into a murder. Apparently, a few high school kids got “over active” and insulted some shady characters. One of the kids then got stabbed and turned icy cold within the night. Lovely.

The whole crap reminded me of a simple “rule” I have created for myself since my first binge about a decade or so ago: never go out boozing unless you’re feeling good inside. In other words, I don’t drink to forget anything.

Bad mood and alcohol is like razorblade and a bathtub. Sooner or later something's got to give and someone’s going to bleed.

All Hail The Bong!

Another great reason to keep things instrumental, other than just a lame vocalist, is when you have already made awesome music that lasted for way longer than 3-4 minutes without getting boring. And when your killer lengthy songs come packaged with a killer cover artwork plus a killer no-half-ass attitude to boot.

That’s what I have always believed about making music. That’s how this killer 2010 album from Chicago’s Bongripper feels for me too. (I just love saying ‘killer’.)

No half-assin’ here.

Between The Ghost and The Devil

I still remember playing in a band once with solid players on all instruments, but one hell of a lame vocalist. We end up with good metal songs that sounded shitty courtesy of the microphone man. Hell, it wasn't even a type of band that needed splendid clean vocals.

Ghost (Sweden)

This is definitely one of the reason why the absent of human voice is quite a delight sometimes.

Devil (Norway)

Talking about the type of metal music that simply demands clean vocal work, particularly Heavy Metal, I always have this naïve expectation about how the vocalist should be. The ideal frontman should perform something like Ronnie James Dio, Bruce Dickinson, David Byron or King Diamond, where every notes sounds like they are sung with real workmanship and character. Nothing pretentious, but nothing mediocre and half-ass either.

This is why, listening to Swedish Heavy Metal/Doom act, Ghost and Norwegian Doom/Thrasher, Devil just leaves me scratching my chin in annoyance.

On one hand, there are positive things from both acts. Ghost has good music and theatrics. There is an averagely good music for Devil. Great album cover artworks for both bands. The vocals, however, just don’t work with any of them.

But, that’s just me then. Surely there’ll be others who actually like such vocal works. Shouldn’t judge something without tasting it. I know I didn’t.

Opus Eponymous ‘Half ass-us’ by Ghost (2010).

Magister Mundi Xum ‘Mediocri’ by Devil (2010).

Second Algol Encounter

I have always been attracted to lengthy, uncanny instrumental music. The absent of human voice is quite a delight sometimes. And knowing that it’s composed and performed by a guy like Fenriz of Darkthrone fame just makes it even more interesting.

Anyway, it’s not the first Neptune Towers album I’m blabbering about. This is Fenriz’ second release with the dark soundscape project (1995) and it’s no less intriguing. Still framed in the fictional saga of ‘empire algol’ (“Transmissions from Empire Algol”), I have read mixed review of this release (notably on metal-archives).

Maybe it’s the short and repetitive weird melodic tunes midway through the album that makes the whole affair less appealing than its predecessor. It sure makes the whole thing sounds a bit more ‘melodic’ than Neptune’s debut.

Whatever. This is no review blog. You either f#$king love it or f@#king hate it. I just know I can still stomach the album, with the melodic bit and whatnot.

Spacedustin’ to Empire Algol.

日本の

Japan used to mean two simple things for me: cool gadgets and even more cool video games. The underground extreme metal music scene changed all that. It thought me that there is no less musical talent and dementia in that country compared to Europe or North America.

Sabbat is one fine example (if not the finest). Not only have they existed for 2 decades, they have also made some of the most breathtaking Blackened Thrash/Speed Metal songs next to the likes of Venom; Bathory and Hellhammer. Plus, they did it all when it wasn't yet 'cool' to be evil. Hah!

Never a boring riff! (Envenom, 1991)

Good Ole Mushroom

It was the 90s. College. Senior year. Faculty’s annual hazing camp. Booze, weed and all sorts of chemical abuse everywhere you look. I seemed to remember a ‘super’ senior guy dashing through the camp and banging his head against a tree trunk after some tasty mushrooms.

This 1996 album by Acrimony would have been a great soundtrack to that weird night. Especially with that closing song “Firedance”.

Chew on that mushroooommmm.

Reliving Sabbath (Pt.2)

Continuing with my new found and rather belated joy for Sludge/Stoner/Doom music galore that seemed to bring the best of Black Sabbath’s sound to modern day metal, here’s Cough’s 2010 “Ritual Abuse”.

Damn, don’t you just love that artwork?

Get tainted.

Trippy Notes 2 - Deep Space

I wonder if anyone know or remembered a band named Yes, who produced absolutely godly progressive/art-rock works all through the 70s? Back in the days of MCs, tape decks and walkmans my personal favorite soundtrack for tripping to dreamland, or just to chill out after a long day, was Yes’ “Tales From Topographic Oceans” 1973 double album. The psychedelic and otherworldly soundscape of that lengthy album is simply hypnotic. That one album was also the reason why I fell in love with such lengthy, ambient musical work that really painted landscapes in my mind with nothing more than sounds.

I have always thought such things belongs only to the 70s prog/art-rock scene. That is until I started to find out that even within the underground extreme music/metal scene there are also highly talented musicians producing equally hypnotic soundscapes. And I’m not talking about industrial bands here.

Fenriz’ Neptune Towers is one of those gems. Despite its allusion to Black Metal-esque misanthropic view (as a work of art in support of the total decimation of all life forms), listening to its 1994 release “Caravans to Empire Algol” truly creates images of otherworldly landscapes not unlike Yes. The album cover (depicting the Horse Head nebula) have always created a sort of mental reference in my mind to a sort of hibernating power, somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of space.

What a trip it would be to go to such a place and awaken that power.

Deep Space Hibernation by Neptune Towers (1994).

Talking About Radar...

The very first post in this blog deals with a ‘radar-themed’ allegory. Not that it matters much anyway. It’s just that it reminded me of a certain heavily ‘under-the-radar’ NWOBHM act from UK. Tragically named Radar, the outfit -as far as I know- never created a bigger blip on the genre’s radar map beyond a two tracks Single release in 1983.

How’s that for flying it out under the radar? Pretty impressive I guess (unless your band is actually named Radar)?

Reach The Sky (and Dodge The Radar) from this great blog.

Reliving Sabbath

I can still remember it like yesterday. It was a fine clear day and I was truly enjoying the first few years of school, barely passing the single digit age number. After a morning full of education it was time to go where only my older brothers and sisters have gone before: the local record shop.

That was the day I bought my first MC. And that tape was Black Sabbath’s self-titled debut. I didn’t know exactly how it will sound like. I just had one look at the cover and got mesmerized instantly. Just as instantly as when the actual music mesmerized me since the first song.

What a day that was.

I could be having a really bad day and all it will take is just a few minutes of ‘Sleeping Village’ or ‘Evil Women’ and it’ll all feel alright again.

Of course, as time goes by, I started getting properly acquainted with the more extreme development of heavy music. Got swamped in the vast landscapes of Thrash, Speed, Black and Death Metal so much I hardly ever listen to that first tape again along the late 80s and early 90s.

Anyway, Black Sabbath’s music has never really been erased from my taste bud. The likes of St. Vitus and Cathedral have kept it flickering every now and then too. But I never thought there will be a day when I could actually hear such delightful sludgy, dark and doomy music becoming prevalent again.

So, one can only imagine how delightfully surprised I was when I finally discover the likes of Acrimony, Eyehategod, Yob and Cough since the early 2000s. Yeah, I know I was really late in catching the drift. Better late than never I guess?

Hell. Let’s start with the shadiest and vilest of them all.

Luciferian signs by Cough (2008)

Owl-choke

I just learnt here that ‘Kvelertak’ is Norsk for stranglehold or chokehold. I have also just learnt that it’s the moniker for a so-called rock n’ roll (?) band hailing from Norway.

Why I bothered to find out, you might ask? Well, because this Norwegian band album cover is just so damn curious. It gave me that perplexing expectation of either a 70s sounding psychedelic Sludge/Doom band or something else completely (which would probably end up being a major disappointment and waste of time).

Anyway, I just cannot resist that beautiful cover art. It is like you can almost lick the sinister tinge underneath that uncanny looking owl with the tentacles and the fairy looking females around it. Hell, you can almost say that the owl really got me on a chokehold to listen to the band.

Sure am glad that I did let it choke me. It’s no Sludge/Doom, but it surely has some killer 70s riffs (like the Hendrix-esque jam on ‘Sultans of Satan’ or the Sabbath-sounding one on ‘Liktron’).

PS: The hell with that Wikipedia (dis)information on the band’s ‘rock n’ roll’ music style. This is hard rockin’ metal with balls! Nothing less! Now go get choked!

Gasp on the owl-choke!

“Someplace You Have Never Been. But Have Always Longed To Be”

I have always enjoyed curious, lengthy titles. I like it even more when it is actually part of a no less curious work of art. Just like this one by Glenn Danzig, way back in 1992.

Listening to this really does feel like going to places I have always longed to be, and yet have never been able to go to. Like flying over distant dark landscapes. Especially with the song ‘Dirge of Defeat’.

Exaggerating? Hell yes! Not that many musical works can conjure such thoughts and feelings in me. So this album damn well deserved some f#@king exaggeration.

Too bad these ones are a bit short. Maybe it’s because they were just, as I read somewhere, meant to be intros/outros/preludes between songs?

Who would think somebody fronting the likes of The Misfits, Samhain and Danzig could actually compose such heartfelt and haunting music? I know he can sing very well but this is hardly a simple change of singing style?!

But then again, if it was not Danzig making it would I actually bother to pay attention anyway? I probably wouldn’t.

Someplace You Have Never Been (until Mr. Danzig came along)

The ‘Missed’ Things

Back in the snail mail days, when you live faraway enough from Europe, well..,mostly from Scandinavia then, there always seemed to be something hot brewing in the underground that you miss out on. Raison d'être is one of those things that I had missed back then. Not to mention the rest of Cold Meat Industry’s releases.

Other than a few dubbed tracks obtained through tape trading (yes, if you are not familiar with this most underrated form of underground camaraderie ritual, then you are just too green behind the ears to ever understand what it is) I have never really get the chance to fully appreciate Peter Andersson’s work full-length. Thank the demons for the internet now I cannot stop enjoying his works. Like this piece of gem here, for example.

There is that tinge of darkness in Andersson’s work with Raison d'être that always tingles the very depth of my psyche, whatever actually lurks in there.

Raison d'être in 1993.

Trippy notes

Let’s make this brief. Someone told somebody something about meditation and music and stress venting astral-whatever-tripping quite some time ago. One point of discussion then came into focus: is it acceptable to drowse into sleep while trying to reach that elusive astral plane? Is it all about choosing the right music?

Never did remember how that trivial query was resolved. All I know, there have been many instances where I did get the best deep sleep moments while listening to a certain kind of playlist. Thought it might be amusing to share one of it here, by Hildegard von Bingen.

Some of you might not sleep at all on this. Who gives a sh@#t anyway?

A Medieval Sleeping Gas Chamber by Hildegard von Bingen (1983).

The Perks of Teaching

Teaching certainly has its perks, even when it’s not in a formal school setting. No. Not that kind of perk. Not now anyway.

So, a few centuries ago, a certain student did come up to me and ask ‘what does the word misanthropy mean?’ That actually presented me with a dilemma. First of all, I don’t like talking to people in general unless it is really necessary or unless the other person(s) is/are really significant to me. Secondly, why the hell would I give a f*#k how this endless maze of shortcomings and pointless c!*p called life should be named or defined as?

Luckily, I’m not just a boring old fart. I’m also a boring old school metalhead. Raised through and by the spikes, leather, booze and inverted Christianity galore of the 80’s and early 90’s.

The f*#king c#%p of a student’s question turned from being an annoyance into a perk, as it rekindled memories of extreme musical expressions befitting the word ‘misanthropy’. Like this one for example.

Misanthropy - 101 by Darkthrone (1992). Nuff said.

Just Another Blip

There must be a billion blog already cramped in the internet’s virtual space by now. Each featuring trillions of well thought or deeply felt words, most of which remains as a soliloquy. Many also feature a minimum of words or consideration, seemingly lost in the hopeful notion of getting attention from someone/something by simply creating a blip in the vast radar map of blogs.

So, the most responsible question to be asked by anyone out starting a new blog is of course ‘why do another’? If someone is out looking for a certain level of interactivity then surely opening a twitter or facebook account makes more sense? Why add another blip to the radar?

Perhaps, it is exactly the lack of interactivity that makes the ‘blip’ so appealing. As appealing as the realization that just about no one will actually bother to read this first blog entry, let alone ‘interact’ with it. Distanced and somewhat desolate. Like the pages of a dusty diary. An intriguing place, where the creator is also the only one who knows a blip actually exist.