Black Metal is Opening Up

WARNING: This video clip and post are about a music style you’ll most likely hate. It’s the first time I actually blog about this and pretty sure also the last. Enjoy.

I’ve been out of the scene for a long time already, finding much more interesting and relevant things in other (underground) music scenes. One of the main reasons it couldn’t satisfy me anymore for a single bit was the lack of intelligence among most of those people and also the lack of relevant contemporary behavior and attitudes. It did have some advantages later on. There were (and still are) a few bands that grew older and matured in my eyes as much as life around them and the style of music did, but with most of those garage bands existing out of ‘not-gonna-invent-anything-new-shit-artists’ trying to profile themselves as ‘traditional’ or ‘old-school’ which basically was an excuse for repeating the same shit over and over again, music-wise as well as content-wise. “Really, you praise Satan, huh? Here, have a lollipop and suck some more on mediocrity.”

But last week I got to see this clip. Music-wise it’s the same raw French material coming from the artists who have been responsible for corrupting lots of teenage minds with their music in the acts Hell Militia and Arkhon Infaustus. But it’s the video clip that makes this so damn interesting. Not because there’s some hot chicks doing nasty stuff, but because it relates so much to contemporary urban nihilism, which is what this band, and lot of the music in this genre actually is all about.

There are some insiders in there only people in the scene can see and can laugh with, such as throwing away the Mayhem-cd (one of the traditional Norwegian pioneers in the genre) or the guy that gets a nice shag in the bathroom wearing a Mütiilation shirt. But overall, I think everybody young can relate to this content, at least ‘understand’ it. Which is why I think this is a good sign and hopefully we will see more of this. [of course we’ll see more of this, every time a BM-band does something original, 500 other copy-cats follow] But there has been a gap for too long between bringing a message of depression, negative thoughts and nihilism, and standing on a stage painted like a fucking ridiculous panda bear. How can anybody ever take you serious? Do you even want to be taken serious? I guess not …

This stuff comes from the guy most of the promoters wouldn’t want to book (I did twice). He has been caught throwing (used?) needles on his audience and more than once thrashing an entire backstage. He’s also pretty much of a veteran (his first release dates back from 1992!) in the scene, yet here he (them) proves himself worth some respect again in my eyes. Because if you’re really searching for the destructive minds in contemporary society; it are those who got bored on routine and escape reality into binge drinking, lots of drugs, unprotected sex, an most of all: a complete careless attitude about your surroundings and yourself. Bret Easton Ellis’s novel ‘Less Than Zero’ described this attitude perfectly. And NOT about praising some theme-park devil or Pagan heritage nobody gives a fuck about, wearing a black uniform like everybody else who wants to be “special”, or for just trying to have an excuse for being a complete failure in life.

That said; I do hope to see some more mature material in this style without losing touch and coming up with something really original. I’m not saying this clip itself is original, but the combination with this music is. And it fits so well.

When the Light Goes Out …

Follow Rivers

This video deserves some sharing and attention. I’m not a fan of Lykke Li, but this ‘I Follow Rivers’ cover by Belgian rock band Triggerfinger, done live on the Dutch radio recently, blew me completely away today.

Belgians always brag how many good (rock) bands we have. We do have some, but it’s overrated once in a while. Triggerfinger is among them though. If not, the best. If you’re into Queens of the Stone Age, definitely check out their album ‘What Grabs Ya?’ for some serious stoner / hard rock. This clip shows their more subtle side, nevertheless true artists at work here. Respect.

EDIT: They keep on deleting the video from Youtube due copyright claims, you can watch the video here as well: http://omroep.vara.nl/media/84673

A good share for a Friday 13^th if I may say so.

Have a Good One Jim

I know, I know, it’s a bit lame to blog about the death AND the birth of the same person in the same year (click here for my more personal opinion written last summer), but if there’s one person I feel completely comfortable doing that with, it’s without any doubt my personal hero Jim Morrison.

68 years ago (damn, that’s starting to become long), on December 8, 1943, James Douglas Morrison was born in Melbourne, Florida. With his brilliant intellect and vast interest in the arts, film, literature and music; he became an icon in the late sixties with the deep and emotion driven music The Doors brought back then. Damn, if there’s one band I simply never get sick off and can listen to all day long without feeling bored for a minute, it’s these guys.

I guess God wasn’t paying very much attention that particular day of his birth, because not that Jim is to be considered as the Antichrist, but his life morals were simply higher than the Christian faith ever could become. Yes, I do dare to challenge that. While the bible is trying to restrict and limit human behavior, Jim thought the world about the post-modern libertine way of living your life and trying to push the boundaries, physical but also emotional and intellectual. Jim’s life is the ultimate proof you can do a lot more than what they once told you, you could do; while probably his early death is the proof there are consequences of course. For you to choose, as long as you understand deeply you have that choice.

I think I have to thank Jim for that life lesson. Although he would probably hate being referenced on a blog that also deals around advertising and commercial value.

If you consider yourself a fan, I highly recommend you to read ‘Jim Morrison – Life, Death, Legend’ by Stephen Davis. A brilliant and precise biography about a man the world has seen too few of. Then again, it’s exactly that what makes him so unique and worth listening too.

 

2 Girls 1 Band

Now here’s some music I would like to share with you: Azure Ray.
I recently discovered them (shame on me), although they’re being active and popular already for quite a while (first official release in 2001).

Ok, people who claim I’ve started to listen to emo or whatever they don’t know about great crafted music, think again. This is simply brilliant, elegant and has so much passion it makes me want to be alone and rethink everything I’ve learned and done so far.

I like it for many reasons. First of all, because all real emo’s, goths, metal junks, hipsters … can learn how you do can portray sad music without sounding OR absolutely lame OR absolutely ridiculous and pathetic. If you check the youtube page from this clip you can read the lyrics which are pure poetry of which I could only wish my English (or Dutch) was that well. And; how with those simple words you can bring such a breathtaking story.

Second reason because they’re girls. I am so sorry to say, but for me, there’s few music out there that really touches me, created by girls. There are a few singers (Beth Gibbons, Édith Piaf, Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday, Justin Bieber* …), but really not that much and especially not that much where (almost) the entire band consists out of women.

Third reason … I actually don’t really know. You love certain music or you don’t. For me, great music is always the one that brought you to a next emotional level. A level words couldn’t reach or even bring you close. The fact there are (great) lyrics involved here, only brings it better to the surface, makes it more understandable, from the artist’s perspective.

 

 

*Obviously kidding. Of course I don’t like her music.