The Metal Thread 4.0

[CynicalSphere]

Originally posted by Tracer
That was cool, I've only encountered a dew WP guys in the world before, but when I did I was quite literally shocked. I wanted to smash the guys skull in with a bottle.

Yeah, I know that sentiment quite well, though sadly I've met a lot of racist/WP people over time. It sometimes seems that small Texas towns are crawling with them...

Station mentioned to me that he'd like to think that most metalheads are above racism, and I think we'd all like to think that. But the fact of the matter is, I've encountered more racists in metal than just about any other community I've been part of. Maybe it's the fact that metal is supposed to be "subversive" or rebellious against PC garbage. Maybe it's the fact that a lot of extreme right/left wingers are attracted to metal (which I think should be void of political ideology, not saturated with it). Who knows.

It must be said that most of the racists in metal I've met are far more concerned with the ideology of the music they listen to than the music itself, especially in the field of NSBM. There are a few "racist" bands out there such as Graveland (though his best work came out before he embraced NS stuff) and Arghoslent that make really good music, but most bands of that stripe make music that bores me intensely. Yet people that want music with this ideology eat it up.

Personally, I think racism is an unmetal attitude, because it promotes foolishness, fear, and weakness, at least inasmuch as many racists I've seen are afraid of other races for a variety of reasons, and will make up any number of conspiracy theories or purity manifestos to villify them. The foolishness here is refusing to see things as they are in favor of what they want them to be or are afraid they might be.

I think Gunther of Ancient Rites said it all when he said "Since when does being proud of one's own culture mean hating another?" It's one thing to be proud of your heritage or even be a little ethnocentric, but it's another to completely reject every other culture in favor of your own. The former emphasizes the freedom to accept who you are, and the other emphasizes bondage to fear and hatred of what is different from you. Period.

And as an amusing side note, people have told me more than once that black and Oriental people were "new" to metal and thus untr00, but any moron that has looked into the subject would know that Thin Lizzy (the real inventors of the Iron Maiden twin guitar leads) had a black bassist/singer in the late 70s, and that there were HM bands being formed and live albums being recorded in the Land of the Rising Sun since the late 70s, such as Loudness and Judas Priest's "Priest in the East." I'd say that these "newbies" to metal caught on pretty damn quick, wouldn't you?

[station82o]

Good post Cynical.

Man...has been quiet lately in the world of metal - no important news happening (only a lot of rumours) and after the big year 2002 was for releases (well for me anyway) I think 2003 will have a slow time starting off. Aside from the Stratovarius album coming out in early February theres not going to be much to look forward too until spring/early summer. Alls fair though, as my wallet could use a break.

Those rumours I spoke of are namely:

Rob Halford rejoining Priest (not likely until later this year IMO)
Queensryche - Chris DeGarmo has been rumoured to have rejoined the band since late 2002 - supposedly some people have seen him in the recording studio with Queensryche up in Seattle and some friends of the band say that he's been in the band since November - we'll find out around April when their new album is released.

[Rick]

Most recently I started listening to the bands Chaos Opera and Thales, both are mostly melodic instrumental. I plan on picking up Thales' A World Beyond, it's only 4 songs but that still makes it about 25 minutes long. If you haven't heard either of them, check out Chaos Opera's "Desperate Ride" and Thales' "Pellucid Lake" for a good diea fo their sound.

[CynicalSphere]

I've heard Chaos Opera a few times over the past couple of years and they remind me of JANGLI JAGGAS (also available on mp3.com) from Pakistan. It's more like Castlevania-ish videogame music mixed with metal than anything else, and both are more or less guitar and samplers. Of course, if that sounds like what you want then you're encouraged to check both bands out.

What I heard of Thales wasn't bad, but the one song I really listened to sounded like a slightly doomier version of Amorphis' "The Karelian Isthmus" album. They aren't bad, far from it, but I didn't find it terribly exciting. Interesting that both bands are from Finland yet Thales doesn't list Amorphis as an influence.

[FirstBlood]

http://music.ign.com/articles/384/384514p1.html

... well i'm suprised

IGN interviews Peter Lindgren of Opeth

[Astral]

Well i got sick and didn't have to go to the manager meeting. So i got to see opeth yesterday. =)

They were fucking awesome live!!!

[station82o]

cool interview first blood - did you get around to checking out the one I PMed you about?

[FirstBlood]

Originally posted by station82o
cool interview first blood - did you get around to checking out the one I PMed you about?

I just checked it out now, but i'm on a shitty laptop right now since my regular computer died, and i can't view the vids just yet, but i definitely want to see them as soon as possible

[Tracer]

Humm, browsing MP3.com and found that they have a most downloaded list for each category.

The LOTR frenzy may have catapulted Blind Guardian to the top of the list, or maybe it's just because they are by a great GREAT margin better than every other band listed.

http://genres.mp3.com/download_charts/metal/

I just thought I would share.

Also: The NESkimos.

[CynicalSphere]

Originally posted by Tracer
Humm, browsing MP3.com and found that they have a most downloaded list for each category.

The LOTR frenzy may have catapulted Blind Guardian to the top of the list, or maybe it's just because they are by a great GREAT margin better than every other band listed.

http://genres.mp3.com/download_charts/metal/

I just thought I would share.

Also: The NESkimos.

Blind Guardian have always had several songs in the top 20, though they've never really been in 1st place before that I know of. But that fluctuates.

As for the NESkimos, I tried them out but honestly I think they need to spend a bit more time on their arrangements and less time talking shit about the Minibosses, because the Bosses quite frankly run rings around these guys in everything other than sheer heaviness...