Why do you listen to metal?
I
t seems our last little article on “orthodox black metal” stirred up a bit of angry debate. Here at Anti-Humanism HQ we received a large amount of emails on the subject, mostly in defence of Watain et al.
A common thread running through most of the critcism was “Watain and Ofermod are the best in the scene today, why slag them off when there’s so many other, much shittier bands out there”?
Well, I can say that I’ve observed the career of the likes of Watain since they were self-proclaimed underground heroes (from about the year 2000 kids) and although their debut work was admirable in intent and ambition, it was still miles from the cohesive and stark brilliance of a Mayhem or Immortal (both heavily referenced throughout “Rabid Death’s Curse”).
And from there, it went downhill. Badly. And it seems people don’t want to accept this rather sad reality. Many needy people out there apparently want to believe that the era of Watain is a new golden age for black metal. Perhaps they feel they missed out because they weren’t around in the early 90’s, or want to relive their youth.
It’s a bit like with the proto-emo singer Morrissey, the singer whose fanatical fans project onto him their actual desire to see the Morrissey figure of his former band The Smiths and not the paunchy and boring Morrissey of 2010. Such is the case with Watain. “E” aka Erik has made a career out of fans projecting the ancient skin of Mayhem onto his tiresome Dissection-Swedecore.
In any case, let me ask you something, and I hope you ponder it as you listen to your latest kvltest black metal ever, or the latest br00tulest death metal ever, or whatever is flavour of the month right now.
WHY DO YOU LISTEN TO METAL? Seriously, think about it. Is it because you like to keep up with the latest coolest bands? Do you like to consume everything new in the genre, whether you think it’s really all that great or not? Are you in fact, like a 17 year old prom queen in a clothes shop?
According to some, the likes of Watain are above criticism because they are “the best in the scene today” (which I wouldn’t agree with in any case). But you know, why support something at all if it isn’t truly great? Something isn’t good just because it’s less crap than everything else.
I suggest a shift in attitude is required. Being a metalhead, a hessian, a black metaller or whatever you want to call it, doesn’t mean you’re a constantly active consumer like some fat idiot in a shopping mall who needs all the latest gadgets/clothes/music all the time. Let’s face the harsh reality that most metal just isn’t very good, and that has always been the case, even more so today.
Praise the good, condemn and ignore the weak, even if this means not buying any new “exciting” CDs every month. Rediscover old classics that you missed or go back to the ones you love. Don’t sit there listening to the latest gimmicky garbage just because it’s new, trying to convince yourself that you enjoy it.
I listen to metal because the heights of the genre surpass or equal any other form of modern music out there. At once of the spiritual and the divine yet of the harshest denied reality, metal at its best takes the listener on a journey of many moods - triumph, fear, horror but always alive and coursing with energy. There’s probably only a couple of hundred albums out there of this quality, but who the hell needs more than 200 albums just so you can say you’re down with what the kids are listening to?
Tags: dissection, erik watain, norma evangelium diaboli, orthodox black metal, religious black metal, swedish black metal, watain
February 18th, 2010 at 5:54 am
Well said. This trendodox thing has gone on long enough, it isn’t even funny anymore, just deplorable and pathetic – bunch of psychotic 30 year olds on towering high horses riding the media and shocking/impressing the youth to sell Black Metal thongs. What a circus.
February 18th, 2010 at 8:44 am
seriously-admin-writer- can we get together for a fucking beer and roast duck?
Could you please, possibly write something that I don’t agree with? I hate actually “liking” a consistent amout of anything.
I never stayed “ABSOLUTELY” within one certain, particular, genre of music. I love everything from Tori Amos (early Tori-she lost me a bit after Under The Pink-found me a again with the “Raining” cover) to Classical, Doom Metal, etc. I have not bought a new CD or downloaded a “new” BM band in over 10 years. By new, I mean, a band thats put out their first CD within those 10 years. I am sure there have been a few good bands that have put out quality BM albums-but I just don’t care anymore. The bands that I grew up with, the bands that influenced me and my music-they stayed-and I am happy and content with that. To begin with, even as a “youth”, I never needed to find the newest, “coolest” thing-band whatever. I am still as in love with and passionate about “To Megatherion”, “The Return”, “De Mysteriis…” “Orgasmatron”…etc..
I knew I didn’t care anymore, when I lived in the midwest 11 years ago, and at a mall Spencers-they were selling Cradle Of Filth Shirts. Essentialy caring at all about where the genre was going ended that day. I just took consolation in where it had been…..
February 18th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Well I can think of a few good and I would even dare to say original BM bands that have existed for 10 or less years. Overall metal is a musical dead end, unless something revolutionary happens within the genre, which doesn’t rely on gimmicks and bland “genre bender” mutations that seem to have no end.
February 18th, 2010 at 10:40 am
Well said.
Well said indeed.
February 18th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Good fucking show! All well-put.
Me? For the highs and lows. For the energy and the power. For the memories.
February 18th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
I like to listen to metal because it is the only music appropriate for smearing shit on your cock and masturbating with a poopy dick and hand
February 18th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
My comment is the best because it’s less crap than any other.
February 18th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
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February 18th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
“I have not bought a new CD or downloaded a “new” BM band in over 10 years. By new, I mean, a band thats put out their first CD within those 10 years.”
Dude, for the record there is a lot of great black metal that’s come out in the last 10 years. I don’t want to start a subgenre-war or any of that stupid shit (which there undoubtedly will be) but a lot of these so-called “post-black metal” bands shy away from the “Arg! Satan!” stance and actually take the extreme, anti-establishment and misanthropy of what black metal should actually be and craft it into something simultaneously beautiful and evil. There’s some great music out there.
As for the “orthodox black metal” bands – it’s fucking irrelevent. Quit wanking over an era that ended nearly twenty years ago and move your music forward. All these bands with their corpse-paint and attempts to out-evil everyone else just boils down to a dick-waving contest in their mom’s basement. You’re only “staying true” to morons who already think you can do no wrong (See the previous thread for evidence of this) and everyone else thinks you’re fucking clowns. Grow up and get out of the sandbox.
February 19th, 2010 at 7:16 am
Post-black metal is the worst trend of them all. Go back to cutting yourself to Lifelover.
February 19th, 2010 at 8:38 am
Sure, Lifelover and the like (i.e. 1980’s post-punk indie rock dressed up as black metal) is utter rubbish too, but that doesn’t make Watain any better.
February 19th, 2010 at 10:34 am
Rory-”Dude”…
did I not say in my post that I am sure there have been a few “good”, “palatable” releases while I have been in Rip Van Winkle mode?
I simply don’t care….
let me elaborate: when I see that people post on youtube that Immortals “Wintermoon” video is joke-that the band meant it as a “joke”-I cringe-
of course it was not meant as a joke-they were playing up that whole “I am evil, I am evil in the woods” image-and it looks stupid. The music is fine, I guess, but the video.
Here is why I lose faith-that so many idiotic BM fans-and Immortal fans in particular-and I imagine they are “kids”
try to defend it as “Immortal” was just kidding around, because they know how ridiculous it looks-and the only way to justify that level of idiocy is to make it a joke.
If thats who I am expected to take advice from about who is good and who is not…
(not saying you-Rory “Dude”) in current BM…
then I will pass…because quite frankly I question the tastes of a majority of people who listen to BM-or metal …
so-again-I am happy with what I have,..hope you are with what you have in your collection
The part of the blog that I felt “kinship” with was-”rediscover old classics that you missed or go back to the ones you love”. That has been my feeling for sometime-for me personally. Speaking of which-I need to get my hands on “Don’t Break The Oath” again…
I think an ex g/f got her hands on it…..
February 20th, 2010 at 8:51 am
This is just ridiculous bellyaching of a true black trollmetaller. Just because you dislike something doesn’t make it good or bad. It is just an opinion that nobody should even care about. And the fact is that the more you bitch about something, the more close-minded you become. Especially if you don’t even say what makes particular artist utter crap as your only argument seems to be “it’s not true black metal”… it’s pathetic. There’s no “good and bad music”. There’s only “music you like or not”. Sure, discussion about bands and the quality of their music is welcome, but only when you have something clever to say. Bogon flux – nothing more.
February 20th, 2010 at 11:33 am
i think you’re just burnt because you don’t know how or where to find good underground metal anymore. it’s all around you but you’re too fucking dumb to find it. i think you’re the “weak” one because all you can get yourself to do is keep relistening to the same fucking mayhem album over and over. everyone knows that trendy people are full of shit but in the real world you just ignore it (like you claim people should do but ironically have a website dedicated to discovering the next trend only to make fun of it). keep fingering your own asshole, waste of life.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
All good, senor blaaarghhh. Sorry for assuming, but I’m used to having to deal with people who are a lot less level-headed in their tastes.
I hear you about the people taking a, frankly ridiculous, image (ala Immortal) so seriously to the point of idiocy. I suppose Watain and co. don’t camp it up as much but you hit the nail on the head about the lack of faith in BM
February 22nd, 2010 at 6:13 am
Only someone who isn’t confident about their tastes would say that music is subjective. Only elitism and merciless criticism can keep good music above the hordes of mediocrity and utter garbage. If every bleep and bloop was good music, then why would we even need actual music, as its all subjective?
Using the image of black metal (which I’m quite indifferent to) as some kind of musical factor is just dumb, but then again its a way of identification, I would even call it a tradition within the genre. It can be a way of paying tribute to those who came before, or a complete joke and mockery (both of them easily identifiable also through the music). In no case is it mandatory, or a way of identifying quality music.
February 22nd, 2010 at 7:11 pm
For the record, Watain are just as campy as Immortal (re: “Wintermoon” video), the difference being they desaturate and hyper-adjust the contrast on their promotional internet pictures.
Personally, I think black metal bands need to lose the gimmicky make-up and props. It was “cool” for a while, but I can’t help but feel like it’s become a seriously stupid thing in recent years. Especially when you plug MySpace into the equation…
February 25th, 2010 at 6:42 am
you are so right Beebo…
the days have changed now. It looks silly. Maybe a few of the more “tasteful” originators of “corpsepaint” can get away with it, but as a whole-it has lost it’s “edge” (and depending on your opinion-if it ever had an “edge” to it).
Back before the net, perhaps. When information and such was more hard to come by.
Everything seemed much more isolated. It’s hard to come across as “misanthropic” and disdainful of culture when you have 500,000 hits on your myspace page. And still present yourself with corpsepaint, etc. But it’s not just that either. It’s just hard to take so many figures in metal, BM, seriously. On hand they want you to, then on the other, they want to sell shit which runs contrary to their “message”.
Some want to come across as “the everyman” now…like the drummer from Darkthrone.
He is now the connesiuer of 80’s thrash metal when up until a few years ago, never once did he mention ANY of the bands that he now claims to have ALWAYS been influenced by. If he ever did read this-I request him to produce to me any interview prior to 2002 where he ever mentions thrash or punk or anything like that. Now he wants to be “hip” to a new generation-so discard the old, rewrite history and present yourself in a new light. It’s so translucent. Oh well….there will always be poseurs in wolfs clothing….
February 25th, 2010 at 3:34 pm
> everyone knows that trendy people are full of shit but in the real world you just ignore it
Or, you can not be a pacifist and instead confront it. Ignoring is usually why something festers and expands uncontested until it rules. Kinda like trends and hiding from confrontation rules today.
March 9th, 2010 at 4:56 am
Q: How many black metal fans does it take to change a light bulb?
A: It’s a pretty obscure number, you probably haven’t heard it.
Ha, and indeed, ha.