In Opposition to Live Musical Performances (Dec. 2012)

Concerts are irritating endeavours. From the performance to the venue to the audience, there are too many variables in play to offer decent odds for having an enjoyable time. The primary purpose is for the band to give live renderings of their songs in an effort to build up a fanbase through increased exposure or simply for the appreciation of the fans that they have already acquired. A lot of people feel that experiencing such a thing is far more significant than just listening to the music on CD, as they actually get to see the band playing the music and for an exchange of energy between the musicians and the crowd. Under the right conditions, this could be an opportunity for something positive and memorable, yet in many cases it results in disappointment. Several bands realize this and refuse to play live, though they are often criticized by this by those that are not fully aware of the reasoning behind it.

First, the atmosphere is something that is overlooked by a lot of bands. Say what you will about the behaviour and attitudes of the band members, but a group like Watain seems to put a lot of effort into the overall presentation. Whether or not they are serious about their professed beliefs, the live show gives off the feeling that it is all genuine and they go a long way to help generate the right kind of vibe. That does not necessarily mean that every band has to use blood and rotten meat in their shows. However, aesthetics play a much larger role in the creation of the proper atmosphere than a lot of bands seem to realize. In the case of Watain, it makes perfect sense to use candles and rotting flesh and fire and so on, with even the stench of death adding to the feeling. Many musicians get lazy or think that their mere presence is enough, but that isn't so. If a band plays music that is even remotely dark, then flashing neon green lights are probably not going to help the audience get into the right mental state. As well, the number of bands that get on stage in sweat pants, sports jerseys or any other normal and casual-looking clothing really show that they don't get it. The point is not that dressing a certain way makes you a true Metalhead or not, but if you are on stage then you should at least look the part. Lawyers don't show up to meetings with their weekend clothing and nor should Metal bands, especially those playing Black or Death Metal. That does not mean that you must have some sort of choreographed moves and synchronized headbanging, but at least replace the Garfield t-shirt with the pizza stains with something black. While the music is ultimately the most important thing, aesthetics and presentation cannot be ignored.

The next thing that is likely to ruin a show is a shoddy performance from the band. This could result from any number of things, some voluntary and others involuntary. Sometimes, bands just are not willing or capable of pulling off what they did in the studio in a live setting. In these cases, they should either rehearse more or stick to playing songs that don't require any studio trickery. A lot of times, musicians will just get too intoxicated to properly perform, ending up in a sloppy show for those in attendance. The primary culprit is frequently the vocalist, which can often ruin everything else. Over the years, from Megadeth and Metallica to Cannibal Corpse and Deicide to Watain and even Mayhem, there have been plenty of times where the vocalists were in no condition to give their best and put on a rotten show with worn-out throats because they failed to take proper care of themselves. Or even more irritating is when they appear to forget lines or decide to change up the vocal patterns for whatever reason. This leads to the next point.

People show up at gigs in hopes of hearing their favourite songs performed as they know them from the albums. When the band alters the pace of a song, playing it faster or slower than the original, it ruins the atmosphere more times than not. For one, a lot of bands like to see the crowd headbanging or singing along and this becomes more difficult when a familiar song is turned into something hardly recognizable. If you want to take an already fast song and speed it up a little, that it no big deal. But it is a mistake to take a song that is supposed to be fast and intense and slowing it down so that idiots in the crowd have a better opportunity to mosh. The same goes for speeding up a slower song and robbing it of most of its impact. The time to edit the songs is in the rehearsal room or in the studio before they get recorded for an album. Once you're on stage, stick to the script and just play the songs as they are meant to be heard. Nevertheless, when a band is in top shape and putting forth full effort to do their best to play precisely and to offer a decent show, things still go to hell, more often than not. The main reason for this has nothing to do with the bands themselves, rather it has more to do with the audience.

People are stupid. Naturally, there are exceptions, but the masses are empty and worthless and would be better off utilized as landfill. A lot of people see concerts as a chance to go out and socialize, with no thought to what band is even playing. They are simply there to be seen, to whore around or just looking for an excuse to go out and get drunk. This is the worst offense, as these inebriated mouth-breathers ruin the atmosphere for everyone else, as they are typically engaged in some sort of idiot behaviour. They start fights, make a lot of obnoxious noise, stumble into people as they wander through the venue and generally annoy the hell out of everyone else. The worst is when these subhumans engage in moshing or crowd surfing, among other activities. There is no point in moshing in the first place. It is some sort of primitive and savage custom that is best left to the jungle-dwellers. Anyone that engages in this behaviour needs to be taken out into the alley and shot, point blank. Too many ridiculous people go to gigs for the sole purpose of thrashing around and slamming into each other and this really is not the place for it. Rarely do they ever demonstrate any connection, whatsoever, to the bands that are playing. It often turns out that these losers are hardcore kids that don't even listen to Metal. They just need some noise to add to their tribal mating dances, showing up to ruin the concert for those in attendance that actually paid to see the bands play. The same goes for crowd surfing, particularly those morons that choose to do so from the back and end up just climbing on others and kicking them in the head in their attempt to get up and going. The only amusing part of this is when the imbeciles get dropped on their heads by those that want no part in the whole thing.

That brings up another point. So many of the people are shows are obnoxious as hell and take give no consideration to those around them, in any way. Everyone is enclosed in a small space, trying to get a decent view of the band and pay attention to what they're doing, so anyone with intelligence would think that this would all be taken into account. But that doesn't keep the guy that is standing practically on top of your feet from headbanging wildly and giving you a taste of his shampoo... or lack thereof. It certainly doesn't prevent the other morons from stumbling into you, falling on you or the moshing idiots from slamming into you at the speed of a minor automobile collision. No one wants some drunken dumbass slamming into them every ten seconds, nor do guys in the crowd want to have to take their attention away from the band in order to focus on protecting their girlfriend from being smashed to pieces. In other words, there are still people that spend their money on tickets and go to shows because they want to experience the live performance by the band, rather than going there to be assaulted by strangers. The least these moshers could do is to avoid those that are clearly not participating in their idiocy. Otherwise, there is no need for the dirty looks or fights when someone gets tired of having a sweaty guy slamming into him and decides to shove him twenty feet in the other direction. It's typical of people, these days, to show no concern for those around them as they do whatever they want but to then get offended when someone infringes on their 'right' to negatively affect others. Who are the people that pay their money to attend a gig and to them ignore the band in favour of the aforementioned behaviour? Why even shell out the cash for a show if you intend on spending the whole time slamming into other sweaty men? You'd be better off going to some sort of gay bar and getting the hell away from those that want to enjoy the show, altogether.

Finally, even when the bands are on top of their game and the audience is relatively well-behaved, there are some things that ruin a show right from the start. It may be a personal preference, but there is no reason for so many of the biggest festivals needing to take place during the spring and summer. Nothing ruins the feel of a Black Metal band's set quite like baking in the sun, being drenched in your own sweat and being ready to pass out at any moment. Obviously, not too many people are going to want to arrange to play in the mountains during the middle of winter. Nonetheless, it seems that autumn would be the ideal time for such things. The weather is cool, but not too cold, and it certainly suits the atmosphere that a large number of Metal bands are going for better than the sweltering heat of the summer. Festivals, in general are irritating anyway and would probably still be incredibly lame even if they were moved to a less miserable time of the year. Everything is insanely overpriced, there are too many people and promoters try to cram way too much into the time and space that is available, sometimes. The tickets, themselves, often sell out before the full line-up is even posted so, by the time you realize that you're interested in going, it's either sold out or the only remaining tickets will cost you an arm and a leg.

Most Metal is quite misanthropic and solitary at heart, anyway. In all likelihood, the very best way to experience the music as it was meant to be is to make your own atmosphere. Turn off the lights and tv and computer and just light some candles and soak in nothing but the music, or maybe even read along with the lyrics and look through the booklet to appreciate the efforts that went into its initial presentation. Dealing with Jewish concert promoters and vendors that do all they can to rip you off, as well as the many annoying people that show up to gigs is only going to ruin everything. Even if the concert goes well, chances are that when you try speaking to one of your favourite musicians, you'll only find out that half of them are drug addicts and scumbags. One way or another, there are just too many chances for the whole thing to be ruined and it is all much more of a hassle than it is worth. Sometimes, a pleasant experience sneaks by, but those occasions are rare.

On the Taming of Evil in Black Metal (Dec. 2012)

In the 1980s, Black Metal was a term that denoted any band that was using Satanic or occult themes in their lyrics. Most of the time, the overall aesthetics of the band and their albums matched this. Some bands, such as Bathory, Slayer and Possessed were likely just using this image to come off as extreme. With Venom, it almost seemed like a tongue-in-cheek 'fuck off' to the establishment, more than anything else. Then there was Mercyful Fate, a band that appeared to be taking the occult matters very seriously. In any event, these old bands were adhering to the traditional Rock and Metal attitude of rebelling against the norm. Throughout the '80s, more bands came along to join the Satanic legions, with the likes of Sodom, Hellhammer, Poison, Tormentor and others joining the crusade against Christianity. As the decade wore on, many bands dropped the Satanic lyrics and imagery, which was taken by many as a sign that they were not serious about it. It would be up to the next generation of Black Metal bands to take things to a new level.

In the grim lands of Norway, a scene was developing that was centered around the band Mayhem. As Euronymous and his band mates turned from the gore-inspired themes of their youth to the dark and Satanic approach that would culminate on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, many of the younger musicians were influenced by this and followed suit. Not content to simply wear cod-pieces and use choreographed moves and pyro, Mayhem did their best to create a morbid atmosphere on stage with the use of rotten pig heads, as Dead cut himself and bled all over the place. Of course, Dead's subsequent suicide was used by Euronymous to further add to the mystique surrounding Mayhem. Some felt that his reaction to, and exploitation of, this death was rather tasteless, but he was determined to show just how serious his band was, compared to those that came before. Concepts of darkness, evil and death were not just lyrical themes; they were a way of life. This ideology crept into many other members of the Norwegian scene, who were not only resurrecting the old Black Metal style, but were adding their own black magic and creating something new. However, the significance of the musical developments in Scandinavia will forever be overshadowed by the extracurricular activities that followed the release of such albums as Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism, Wrath of the Tyrant, Burzum and A Blaze in the Northern Sky. Several of these musicians went on to commit various crimes, most notably murder and church burning. This took things to an unprecedented level. Whereas Venom and Mercyful Fate sang the praises of Hell and Satan, these guys were taking an active part in the war against the oppressive Judeo-Christian establishment, going so far as to burn down historic churches that they felt had no business being built on Norwegian soil. It seemed as if many of them were living in their own world, unbound by the rules that most people take for granted. This was quite evident by the time Varg Vikernes murdered Euronymous. Things were quite out of hand. Churches continued to burn, on and off, and the murders even spread to Sweden, as Jon Nödtveidt of Dissection got himself mixed up with a scumbag that led him down the path toward a prison stay. Clearly, the second generation of Black Metal bands had made a definitive statement that they were more dedicated to Satan, the occult and the destruction of Christianity. However, their behaviour often led to their own personal destruction. Those that followed were aware of the countless downfalls of living such an extreme lifestyle, and most of them backed away from the edge that many had leapt from. Yet they still wanted to be taken just as seriously, if not moreso, than their predecessors.

And so it came to pass that the modern era of Black Metal became filled with musicians that profess to take everything quite seriously; however, while wishing to appear extreme and to be respected in the Black Metal scene, they want no part of the troubles that come along with killing people and burning down houses of worship. As with most people that fear taking actual action, they take the moral high road and claim to be wiser and more mature than the bands that had influenced them. They are very cautious, but desperately want to be taken seriously and have no desire to return to the ways of the '80s, when it looked like most were just using Satanism as a cool and rebellious image. It is understandable that they want to feel as if they are taking things to yet another level. In their case, it is more spiritual. At least, that's what they say. The strange thing is that a lot of these bands that belong to the 'Orthodox' Black Metal camp come off as quite feeble-minded and laughable. The same goes for many associated 'Satanic' organizations, such as the Temple of the Black Light. These people seem as if they spend all of their free time studying scripture, rather than listening to old Bathory records. Their lyrics reflect a severe devotion to the Book of Lies, also known as the bible. Whereas the preceding generations of Black Metal musicians had a firm grip on reality in the sense that they recognized Judeo-Christian mythology as the nonsense that it is and wrote about destroying it, modern bands are true believers in the Great Lie. Erik Danielsson of Watain has stated in interviews that he believes in god and that faith is important for his religious beliefs, going on to remark that he has nothing to say to those that would try to tell him that none of this exists. He is also quoted as stating that religion means everything to him and that those who want to see the destruction of the church are humanists, basically trying his best to rehash some of the views espoused by Euronymous, years earlier. In other words, it is the same as trying to explain to a Christian that Jesus never existed and was nothing more than an amalgamation of pre-existing mythological characters and the fact that anyone that believes in the reality of Judeo-Christian mythology is brainwashed and / or mentally deficient. This breed of theistic Satanists almost seem to be working to the opposite effect of those that came before them; i.e. necessitating the existence and legitimacy of god based on their spiritual stance. Unfortunately, many of today's Black Metal musicians spend more time studying theology than history, and they are willingly brainwashing themselves into believing in one of the greatest hoaxes to ever plague mankind. As a result, they are spreading this filth to their followers.

It is a sad thing that so many humans are afflicted with herd mentality. Most people want so desperately to be part of something, no matter what it is, just so they won't be alone. All too often, Heavy Metal in general has been looked upon as some sort of boys' club or a refuge for rejects. Those that think for themselves or analyze things with a critical mind are more and more in the minority while the sheep continue to follow their misguided shepherds. This is quite prevalent within the Black Metal scene. As if it is not bad enough that we have all of these idiot bands that try to give legitimacy to the bible with how they constantly refer to it as anything other than a work of fiction; the majority of their fans are just as weak-minded as they are. In what can be looked at as a form of idol-worship, many fans these days take on the beliefs of the bands that they listen to. That is not to say that all of them really believe, since it is quite common for people to put on an image that has nothing to do with their true thoughts. Still, a great number of these morons really seem to soak up anything that their 'masters' say. How many people were running around in the underground preaching chaos and talking about this 218 business before Dissection returned, or Watain's subsequent adoption of these themes? Practically no one. But as soon as their favourite bands started spouting off about it, suddenly, the Black Metal scene was filled with new bands and legions of sheep that were obsessed with this. There then came a noticeable shift in what these fans were spending their money on. Less and less were they buying the actual albums or t-shirts or even bullet belts and spikes. Increasingly, they began spending all of their spare cash on occult books and religious texts in general. It all may come down to some huge conspiracy to raise book sales for Jewish occult authors. To further demonstrate the Jewishness of all of this, think of the founder of the Temple of the Black Light. 'Vlad' was a Dissection fanboy and hanger-on that possessed no musical talent of his own and whose only attempt at creating something was a sad imitation of old Abruptum. Yet somehow he managed to weasel into the scene and brainwash Jon to the extent that he was involved in a senseless murder that ruined his life and cost him several years where he could have been making albums with Dissection, as well as convincing him to sign over the rights to Dissection's music, prior to his death. This is not Satanic behaviour. It's purely Jewish. Of course, like many, it looks as if the organization that he spawned just picks and chooses random things from various mythologies, creating their own 

Eventually, the bands and fans alike should realize that training to become a biblical scholar does not make you more evil than the next person, nor does writing lyrics that come off as twisted bible verses make you more intelligent than the older bands that wrote about raping nuns and killing priests. This shift is one reason why the original vocalist for Deathspell Omega left the band, as he saw the writing on the wall. Putting all of this faith into the Great Lie of Judeo-Christian mythology is a sign of mental weakness. If these bands want to one-up those that came before them, without risking jail-time by setting fire to churches or killing people, then the only other option is to actually put some effort toward making worthwhile music. Very few modern bands are even bothering with this aspect of it, preferring to use various gimmicks to try to set themselves apart from the older bands, when it is clear that their music is vastly inferior, in most cases. Even bands that have made decent music lose some respect when they go on talking about their theistic Satanism and how well versed they are in Jewish nonsense. All they are doing is making themselves look ridiculous and contributing to this growing trend. It is sometimes good to understand and know your enemy, but these people would do well to put down the bibles and spend more time with their guitars.

On Recording Albums Prematurely (Nov. 2011)

In the modern era, it is quite common for bands to rush themselves and skip over critical parts of their natural development. While, in the past, musicians would rehearse a lot, record demos, play gigs and hone their skills throughout this process. Not only would they become more proficient with their instruments, but their songwriting would get stronger as well. It is no coincidence that, long ago, most bands put out their best material early on. Part of the reason for that is that they had a lot of time to work on their initial releases, crafting the songs to better suit their vision and being ready by the time they were able to record their debut album. Unfortunately, this is no longer how things are done, much of the time.

Rehearsing and recording demos seems to be a lost art, presently. A lot of times, a group of people come together and go straight for making a full-length album. They do not bother to rehearse much, rather they begin the songwriting process before they are even sure of what direction they want to go in. Playing gigs is something that many are unfamiliar with, and perhaps even impossible since so many 'bands' are simply solo projects of some guy working out of his mother's bedroom. As soon as these projects have produced a handful of songs, whether they are good or not, everyone rushes off to the studio –in other words, back to the bedroom-- to record the music with great haste. Songs are then uploaded online before the band even has a chance to think twice about what they have created, and they simply focus on making their second album. After a handful of atrocious releases, they may finally develop as musicians and learn how to make decent tunes. That is why so many bands do not sound worthwhile until their third of fourth record, since they skipped the previous stages and marched forward, unprepared. This has a few detrimental effects.

Think of the impression that the band makes. Instead of being truly ready and putting their best foot forward, they burst onto the scene with horrible music and lose all credibility right out of the gate. Even if the band, eventually, manages to improve it will not matter since most will have written them off. Imagine if Metallica had released an early garage demo as a full-length album. No one would have paid them any attention by the time they finally mastered their instruments and found their style. Hetfield's vocals, for one, would have been enough to turn a lot of people away. It took a couple years of playing and getting comfortable before the band found their own identity. Once they released Kill 'Em All, they had a strong following and made a great impact by offering up an excellent record that had been worked on for a long time. The do-it-yourself ethic of making and releasing your own music is fine and prevents bands from having to be slaves of the music industry, yet those years toiling away in obscurity while trying to secure a recording contract often worked to the benefit of many bands. Things have gotten too easy and too few see the logic of actually learning how to play, developing an identity and writing high-quality songs before presenting your work to the public. Just because you can form a band and release an album one week later does not mean that it is a good idea. There is no reason to rush things, making your band look like amateurs and flooding the scene with awful music, at the same time.

On the Definition of Black Metal (Nov. 2011)

Black Metal is often described as raw, fast-paced music with harsh vocals, blast beats and an emphasis on tremolo picking. Anything that possesses these core traits is accepted as being Black Metal, while anything that lacks these characteristics is rejected. This has created a problem when it comes to defining Black Metal, as younger people are unaware of the roots and thus discredit the very bands that created this movement in the first place. At the same time, this leads to bands that have very little to do with the original ideology or approach as being considered part of something that they are not, solely based on aesthetics or certain techniques.

Black Metal was born in the early 1980s. The term originated with the NWOBHM band Venom, and was even the title of their second full-length album. That this trio from Newcastle represents the true beginnings of Black Metal there is no doubt. The hellish sound, raw and energetic playing, dark atmosphere and Satanic themes were present from their first release. And it was these last two points that were the real determining factors as to whether or not something would be categorized as Black Metal. If it was dark and Satanic, then that was all that it took to be worthy of such a label. Bands such as Mercyful Fate, Slayer, Hellhammer, Sodom and Bathory all joined the unholy war and were considered part of the same movement. While similar imagery played a part, the lyrical content and dark atmosphere were the main elements to be taken into consideration. However, over time, the definition of Black Metal evolved and the First Wave bands were later expelled or ignored by many. Despite bearing dark, Satanic and occult lyrics, many albums were disassociated from the movement that they created, or given the tag “proto-Black Metal”. Even Venom was lumped in with Thrash Metal and thus robbed of their legacy, to a degree. Albums like Show No Mercy, Don't Break the Oath and Seven Churches were disregarded, completely, when discussing Black Metal. If anything, Slayer was nothing more than a heavier, faster version of Venom with better musicianship. What more is needed when every single song includes multiple references to Satan and Hell? Even the first two Bathory records are frequently said to be more Thrash than Black. It is only the band's third album, Under the Sign of the Black Mark, that is considered as a pure Black Metal album and this masterpiece is in many ways the template by which many later recordings were patterned. Strange that even the very band that perfected what Venom started could receive such treatment, as it regards their earlier output. Much of the problem can be traced back to the early Norwegian scene, which is ironic since even the main figures of this movement knew that it was mostly the lyrical content that determined whether or not something was Black Metal.

Norwegian Black Metal began with Mayhem and this influential group was largely responsible for the shift in perception. As their musical style developed, they dropped a lot of the more primitive structures and riffs and began to utilize tremolo melodies and blasting drums. As Euronymous was a very important figure in the scene and Mayhem was well-respected, many others were inspired to play a similar type of music. Not only did they incorporate the riffing style and overall approach, but they were educated on the older bands and soon many were discovering the classic 80s releases. Burzum, Darkthrone, Immortal, Thorns and Emperor all exhibited some similarities (or influences from) with Mayhem, as well as many of the First Wave bands. The most important, by most accounts, would have to be Bathory. They also injected a lot of original thought and demonstrated a high level of creativity. Though each one could be easily distinguished from the other, they shared many characteristics and thus the modern definition of Black Metal was born.

It is true that the Norwegian bands helped revitalize Black Metal and to resurrect it. Through the combination of old school 80s influences and their own artistic vision, they created a distinctive sound that soon narrowed the overall style of Black Metal. After a certain point, things got confusing and this Scandinavian variant seemed to reinvent the sub-genre, altogether. However, this lead to many misunderstandings. Any band from Norway that shared aesthetic or musical tendencies were considered Black Metal, regardless of the lyrical content. Listen to the early albums from Immortal, Satyricon and Enslaved, for example. They had the look and the general sound of Norwegian Black Metal; i.e. the tremolo guitar riffing, the blast beats, the screeching vocals, etc. But they would be the first to tell you that they didn't play Black Metal because their lyrics were not Satanic. Immortal said that they played "Holocaust Metal". Satyricon called their brand of music "Medieval Metal" and Enslaved claimed to play "Viking Metal", though it sounded nothing like Bathory's Hammerheart album. For them, the lyrical content was as important, if not more so, than the sound. They even cited Deicide as Black Metal, simply because of the Satanic content of the lyrics. They called it 'commercial Black Metal', but Black Metal nonetheless. So it came to be that people looked to the Norwegian sound as the one that defined Black Metal, yet ignored the words of musicians such as Euronymous, Fenriz and countless others when they discussed the history of the music and actually gave credit to where it belonged; i.e. the First Wave bands.

With the passage of time, the lyrics and atmosphere became secondary. The sound and imagery were all that mattered. This resulted in countless bands coming along and espousing a message that had absolutely nothing to do with Black Metal, yet being considered a part of it because they play a certain way or wear corpse paint. Somehow, though their music is neither dark nor evil and has nothing to do with Satanic or anti-Christian themes, these fake bands managed to sneak in and join something that they cannot even begin to understand. It has gotten to the point where emo kids have been able to hijack certain elements, injecting them into their depressive goth-rock projects and still get labeled as some form of Black Metal when, in fact, it has nothing at all to do with it.

Obviously, labels can become subjective to the point of insanity. There comes a point between "Medieval Metal" and "Midnight Stroll By the Lake Near the Forest Metal" where someone has to draw a line. The narrower the categories, the more subjective it becomes as something can fit into several different sub-genres. In this case, the point is that some need to have more of an open mind and realize that bands represent different things to different people. The Norwegians did a lot for Black Metal, but they don't have the final say in how it is defined. It is done a little differently in Sweden and in the Czech Republic and in Greece and so on and each scene has its own sound. The beauty of the First Wave was that there were so many bands, including Venom, Slayer and Mercyful Fate that had similar themes and some of the same influences, yet they all had distinctive sounds. It is completely asinine for someone to come along and say that Mercyful Fate was not Black Metal, because it doesn't sound like the Second Wave stuff. Ironically, though they seem to worship the likes of Euronymous or Fenriz, they missed the point that both made on numerous occasions, regarding the definition of Black Metal.

On the Fate of Metal (Oct. 2011)

At times, the future of Metal looks quite bleak, and one has to wonder what will happen when those few bands that keep the flame burning are no more. As it is, too few are adhering to the traditions of real Metal and far too many are putting forth great efforts to turn it into something hardly recognizable. Those that deviate from the true path are often hailed as being progressive and doing their part to help along the evolution of this music, when they are actually tearing it down. Meanwhile, those that try to uphold the tenets of Metal are often labeled as "retro acts" and not taken seriously. This discredits the bands and, even worse, allows the type of music that they are playing to be considered old and outdated.

In essence, Metal itself is becoming a relic of the past. Anything that does not possess the trappings of modernity is usually thought of as being retro or a tribute to those that came before. Even worse, very few bands seem to have a good grasp on what made the old albums special, so it is difficult to defend a lot of them. Things have become so diluted, over time, that the original inspirational forces behind the creation of the early classics of each sub-genre have been forgotten. Now, all bands are able to do is to try their best to mimic what their predecessors did, but without the true understanding it comes off as hollow and lacking the quality and sincerity of the old ones.

Looking at modern Thrash Metal, for example, one can see that most of these bands are doing all they can to rip off those that came before, without the talent to really match the creativity of the classic releases. More or less, they are going through the motions. In the 80s, there were countless bands that each had their own distinctive sound. Even within tight scenes, several bands would bear similarities while managing to carve out a place for themselves. Anyone with any familiarity with Teutonic Thrash, for instance, can tell the difference between Kreator, Exumer, Destruction, Sodom, Assassin, etc. Similarly, it is just as simple to discern Metallica from Slayer or Megadeth from Testament. However, most of the retro bands are unable to create their own identity; the best they can do is to earn praise by being compared to some group from the past. While there are a few that have maintained the true spirit of Thrash Metal (often mixed with something else), these bands are frequently lumped in with the masses and ignored.

Then there’s Death Metal, where all of the original concepts were completely abandoned and what passes for Death Metal today has nothing at all to do with great records like Scream Bloody Gore, Slowly We Rot, Consuming Impulse, Altars of Madness or Left Hand Path. As time went on, many bands abandoned Death Metal entirely, simplifying their music in an effort to catch the ears of more casual listeners. Others took it to the opposite extreme, going out of their way to play as fast as possible, with an infinite number of riffs and timing changes, and deeper vocals that all focused on trying to be more "brutal" or technical. Of course, there were also those that added more outside elements to the music until reaching the point where they could no longer be considered real Death Metal, thus spawning such movements as the Melodic Death scene, which owes more to Iron Maiden than to Death or Autopsy. It has gotten to the point where the whole purpose of creating a dark atmosphere of death and horror has been totally lost. Whenever a band comes along that still has a degree of respect for the past and tries to resurrect the old sound, they are labeled as a retro act and brushed aside, for the most part.

In the case of Black Metal, there is more of a traditionalist sense that is part of the core philosophy. For every band like Emperor that became more symphonic than Black, and ended up reverting to Death Metal, there have been groups like Nifelheim that continued to play a primitive and old school style of music that never allowed the flame to weaken too much. The same can be said of Doom, which was also hi-jacked by goths and used for purposes other than what it was meant to be, but there were always bands that continued to take things in the right direction, maintaining the true essence of Doom Metal (often the Death/Doom or Funeral Doom bands).

The unfortunate thing is that purists are often considered to be backward or stubborn for trying to uphold tradition, as many of their peers dilute the music with foreign, experimental elements that do not belong. Strange that for a Black Metal band to play pure Black Metal, for example, is thought of as stagnant and instead praise goes to the idiot bands that steal some of the techniques of Black Metal (as well as the aesthetics) and go on to make something completely different in the name of progress. Naturally, this is not too surprising in a world where maintaining one's own culture is looked down upon, while the mixing of races and cultures is hyped. In the end, all that is achieved is destruction of all variety and unique types of music in favour of abominations that are mere amalgamations of different styles.

In time, the experimental side of things very well may overtake the traditionalist approach and true Metal will die, only to be replaced by something else that goes by the same name while having nothing to do with what once was, at all. More bands should seek to connect to the inspirations that influenced the bands that started it all, rather than just watering things down by looking no further than the most recent generation. This is the only way to combat those that would see the various types of Metal disappear. Even still, no one should worry too much. There are enough lost or forgotten albums from years past that will keep real Metal fans satiated for a lifetime. Even after spending a few decades involved in the Metal scene, there are always more forgotten gems to dig up and explore.

On Expectations in Metal (Oct. 2011)

Why are Metal fans so hopelessly optimistic when it comes to their favourite bands? Time and time again, listeners are disappointed when a band's claim to be returning to a preferred style proves to be nothing more than wishful thinking, or when the return of a long-lost band member is hyped as the missing ingredient that was needed for a band to reclaim their former glory. Regardless of how many times a band burns its fans, far too many of them remain loyal and optimistic, only to be let down yet again. The recent Morbid Angel release is a good example of this.

In recent months, there had been a lot of talk regarding Illud Divinum Insanus, their first record since 2003 and the first to include David Vincent since 1995's Domination. The album was met with a great amount of backlash, and one has to wonder why. Of course, the album is pure trash, but what were people expecting? It would appear that a large section of their fanbase were holding their breath, waiting for a return to the glory days of Altars of Madness and Blessed are the Sick. This demonstrates a high level of unrealistic hopefulness on the part of the listeners. The high hopes were even less realistic as the band had already begun to churn out sub-par material before Vincent's initial departure. Domination was a far cry from the brilliance displayed only six years earlier, on the full-length debut. And, truth be told, the members of Morbid Angel seem to have, long ago, lost the fire and passion for creating anything worthwhile. Bands with such longevity rarely retain the same spirit that once possessed them in their earliest days.

It is the same, in many cases, and one need look no further than Metallica to witness a classic example of this. Whenever they release a new collection of aural atrocities. Anyone with the tiniest bit of common sense realizes that Hetfield and Co. are decades past their prime and there is not a single shred of realism to the expectation that they would, somehow, return to form and release another Kill 'Em All or Ride the Lightning. It does not take a genius to realize that those records were created by completely different people, and that has nothing to do with the line-up changes but everything to do with who they were at the time, versus who they became. "Metal Militia" and "Fight Fire With Fire" were written by musicians that had that fire in their eyes and a burning hunger to dominate the world through their music. By the time those same guys gave birth to such songs as "Enter Sandman" and "Until it Sleeps", it was absolutely clear that it had become a matter of money and was no longer art. There was also a sense of knowing that, no matter what kind of excrement they offered, there would be millions of people to eat it up. By the time they acknowledged that they had strayed from their roots and tried to reclaim their former glory, they were so out of touch that it came off as extremely weak and forced. The end result was more of a parody of their past, rather than reconnecting with it.

Metal fans often go against all common sense in the hopes that a band can regain their former magic and rise from the depths of mediocrity. While there have been a few cases of this, they remain among the minority. Once a band has proven to be no longer capable of delivering as they once had, it would be best to lower one's expectations or simply move on to something else. That is not to say that one should give up on a band for a single bad album, as anyone can make a mistake, but once a certain band displays a total lack of creativity and, consistently, tarnishes their name with one terrible release after another, the chance of them ever turning back are slim. Even if they attempt to reconnect with whatever musical movement that they were once a part of, it is more likely that they will show influences from its modern counterpart, rather than actually sounding like they did in the beginning. Always remember: expectations are planned disappointments. This is as true in the realm of Metal as with other areas of life.

On the Deception of Nargaroth (Oct. 2011)

Things are not always what they seem, and it is always important for one to think critically about the information that is presented to them. Black Metal has enjoyed a rather high level of popularity, within the underground (and beyond), for the past decade and a half. For those who do not remember, or were simply not around, it must be mentioned that things were not always this way. It was once something quite obscure and unknown to many. Even those who were aware of it often mocked and ridiculed it. With the media storm surrounding the Norwegian scene in the mid-90s, the popularity of this form of music began to grow at an astounding rate. Bands sprang up from all over the globe, and more and more listeners were turned onto this dark art. By the late 90s, it had become quite trendy in a sense, and a great number of posers and idiots had flocked to the bloodstained altars, in hopes of capturing some of its dark essence. Many attempted to recreate the magic of the past, while others simply adopted whatever elements they chose and mixed them with other influences, producing some bastardized form of music that should never have been. In this chaotic time emerged a Black Metal warrior from the long forgotten past. He went by the name of Kanwulf, and his band Nargaroth was established to uphold the true ways of the black cult. Well... actually, he was just another goth fag that latched onto the latest trend in hopes of impressing people and finding some community of outcasts to take him in. This feminine loser was better known to his friends and family as mild-mannered René Wagner.

Of course, anything of any real quality will, inevitably, begin attracting the attention of the wrong kind of people. It has happened within any kind of movement imaginable, whether it be related to music, film, politics, etc. Black Metal was no different, except that the shameful losers it attracted were even more ridiculous than usual. Ranking near the top of that list was the feeble-minded René, a disgrace to his German blood. Like many others, he was drawn to the aesthetics and the dark atmosphere evoked by the music, but he failed to look beneath the surface. His understanding of Black Metal is shallow and rooted in self-created mythology, influenced by fantastical stories printed in newspapers and magazines.

This goth loser was not introduced to Black Metal until 1996, at the very earliest. More likely, it was even a year or two later. This is when he formed his own band and began imitating his new-found heroes. After a couple of demos, his band Nargaroth released Herbstleyd at the end of 1998. For one reason or another, this record appealed to a decent amount of people and this is something that René should have been proud of. He had infiltrated a world in which he did not belong, like so many others were doing around that time. But this was not enough for him. He wished to be associated with the originators of this musical style, instead of being among the legions of imitators. So he began to create a backstory for himself and his band, to gain more credibility in the scene.

According to his story (which often changed), he formed Nargaroth in 1989 and recorded the first demos in 1991 and 1993. During this time, he traveled to Norway and met with both Dead and Varg Vikernes and discussed the ill-fated path that Black Metal was on. He then went to prison on charges of manslaughter, then re-emerged a handful of years later to constantly weep and mourn for the old days (of which he was never a part, in any way) and to keep the ancient flame burning with his musical contributions. The only problem is that none of this is true.

The German Black Metal scene was a small and close-knit group, back in the mid-90s. No one involved had ever heard of Kanwulf or Nargaroth until 1997 at the earliest, and when asked about this idiotic drama queen Varg denied meeting him and went on to say that no foreigners were present except for a handful of Swedes. This does not even take into account that he was a mere child at the time, anyway. Countless people have come forth to dispute the claims made by René, in his quest for acceptance. Also worth mentioning is that his pseudonym was taken from a Canadian television program that did not even air in Germany until 1996, or so. Obviously, this would add more suspicion the the claims that those “old demos” were recorded and released in the early 90s. René also admitted later on that the inspiration for the name of his band came from Gorgoroth, which certainly did not exist in 1989. How ironic that this poser scum took on a dramatic tone in so many interviews, talking about how Black Metal died in 1994 and that everything that came after that was utter garbage. He was describing himself, perfectly. Somehow, he had convinced himself that his lies were truth and that he was the last of a forgotten age. The truth of the matter was that the era that he was so desperate to associate himself with was over before he had even heard of it. He spent a lot of time and energy in trying to craft the perfect image for his Black Metal persona, yet he allowed his true face to appear on national television in late 1999.

On a tv talk show called “Sonja Live”, he appeared in all of his feminine glory, seeming very giggly and shy and allowing himself to be ridiculed in a very low-class environment. Smiling and soft-spoken, he sat there in a fishnet shirt while his roommate lambasted him for listening to music too loud. The old school Black Metal warrior backed down and agreed to retreat to his car to listen to music, and could not have come off as more of a homosexual unless he began making out with the guy on stage. Far from the honourable Black Metal warrior that he pretended to be, this was most likely an accurate representation of his true personality.

To defend his actions, René took to the internet and masqueraded as other people in order to back up his own ridiculous claims or actions, as well as to speak highly of his own band. It was later discovered that the IP addresses for the fake users were all linked to the very university where René was taking classes. He brazenly lied time and again and then posed as random people to support his claims and to be his own number one fan... This guy truly had no shame.

As for his band's second full-length album, Black Metal Ist Krieg, it was nothing more than a pile of garbage and stolen ideas. It contains four cover songs from a handful of obscure bands that few were aware of. He had only been introduced to these bands a short time before recording the songs and, in the case of Moonblood, had actually said that they were shit. Obviously, the idea behind this was to build even more credibility by pretending to possess knowledge of these obscure bands. Weird that someone would cover a band that he considers to be shit, but understandable since they had a level of respect in the underground and he knew that others regarded them highly. Even more disgusting that this shameless poser has amassed such a following while a brilliant band like Moonblood languished in relative obscurity.

As for the rest of the album, it contains ridiculous lyrics that are all about Black Metal itself, resulting in unintended self-parody. Riffs are stolen, such as the Strid melodies in “Seven Tears Are Flowing to the River”, the Immortal plagiarism in “Erik, May You Rape the Angels” (which is a total farce, making a tribute song to someone that he had never met, pretending to be some close friend) and the obvious theft from Darkthrone in “Possessed By Black Fucking Metal”. Obviously, he spent a lot of time listening to End of Life, Pure Holocaust and Under A Funeral Moon, when writing the material for this album. Outside of these “borrowed” concepts, his own material is incredibly derivative and more of a mockery than a tribute. Just listen to “The Day Burzum Killed Mayhem” and read the lyrics and wonder how René managed to record this with a straight face. Boring and generic riffs, comical displays of false emotion and horrid movie samples all populate an album that has, somehow, gained a high level of respect among more casual listeners. Sad to see so many stupid children that do not realize what a piece of trash this album really is and this was only the second one.

René continued his pathetic antics, even including a home video of him whining and crying that some people had seen through his lies and burning t-shirts and records for some unknown purpose. The thing that seems to go unnoticed is that this loser is an attention whore and always has been. Like a lot of other people, he saw Black Metal as some “island of misfit toys” that would accept him in ways that the goth community would not. It was also probably more interesting and excited him to think that he could be a part of something that was, at times, dangerous and legitimately evil. Kanwulf is nothing more than a weakling that has enjoyed the attention of uninformed listeners that take his false claims at face value.

That is the real problem here. It is not just that some loser ran around, spreading lies and trying to be part of something to which he did not belong. Posers are all over the place, and their presence is annoying but, ultimately, does not matter. The thing is that this particular person managed to create a mythology around himself (not so much his true self, but a character that existed only in his mind) and his band to fool many in the underground for several years. There are many that still revere the work and words of this fool, based on his hideous lies and posturing, and it should not only be known that it was all false, but that others like him are surely lurking all over. Honour is something that is rapidly fading from this world. Disingenuous people are multiplying in this modern age of technology and it is only getting worse. Do not be so quick to offer your support to such scum.