JonoBlade

It was worth the trip. The Wedgie Doods were great. Listening to the bandcamp albums now. Unfortunately they are on my shitlist, having signed to Century Media, and no BC for latest album. So dumb. I hope you enjoy your 1 cent per billion streams on Spotify. Live, they weren't exactly animated and I am very wary of a band with no bass but the drummer was notably cool, kind of like John Bonham doing blast beats. @GoatmasterGeneral would argue it doesn't matter for black metal, however, it sure don't look right. Anyway, am I a fan of the band if I refuse to buy their album on the basis it is on Century Media? Yet a fan of the albums available to me. After a fairly quick turnover and dead on time for the very early start of 8.05pm for the headliner, Russian Circles took the stage (mind you, they set up all their own gear so appeared to little rockstar fanfare). I am struck that this would be the perfect post metal band if they were fronted by Aaron Turner. Now that the post-Neurosis future of post metal is so uncertain. Since I don't know RC that well, this was more of a curious reconnaissance mission where I happened to pick up another band I'll be coming back to (bassless though they may be). Anyhow, they put on a good show. As @navybsn noted, probably more reliable than Deicide. I only saw those guys once probably coming up 20 years ago when the Hoffman brothers were still onboard. I don't remember anything, but assume I enjoyed it. I came across a photo a while back which evidenced my brother was with me. So, it would have been a good night. A gay old time was had. I somehow remembered the layout of the club and the distinctive brick walls even though I would have been munted the last time I was there (my guess 2004 or 5). Jeez, but I was lucky on the way home. My train was cancelled while I was sitting on it, yet I didn't hear the announcement as I've got new custom IEMs which let nothing through. Luckily, as everyone started disappearing, I worked out the train on the next platform was rerouted to take me home. Pity the poor bastards who wanted to get to Liverpool - where the original train was supposed to terminate. They were told "we can get you to Crewe, but there aren't any trains to Liverpool from there. We will look into it and hopefully sort out a bus or something. Enjoy the ride and have a great evening!" The great British privatised rail service. Avanti, you cvnts. But I got home only 10 minutes later than scheduled.

De Doden Hebben Het Goed | Wiegedood (bandcamp.com) The other day I posted aboot Russian Circles. By blind luck I checked their giglist on bandcamp and turned out they are playing TONIGHT. So, got a ticket and off to catch train shortly. These guys (Wiegedood) are opening. Interesting match as this is pretty brazen modern black metal. Should be good. They are playing at a gay club I haven't been to since the ecstasy days nearly 20 years ago. Full (Russian) circle. Deicide is also playing in London tonight. I was torn between which to see, but a buddy of mine happened to already be going to RC.

Please provide an example of a "creative" sport. Figure skating? I never would have known you were into it, but each to their own. I suppose there was that cool routine in the '84 Winter Olympics set to Inquisition. Growing up in my land "footy" was rugby. Here in Blighty I presume it is soccer. Neither are creative in the way I define creativity. Although it takes skill no doubt. Sport is based on rules, which are anathema to creativity. Every great band there ever was broke one rule or another to present something new and different to the world. Taking a random example, Venom would be the opposite of sport - high creativity/no skill. Speaking of this band/album fan topic, I have been listening a lot to Russian Circles - Gnosis (although hard to know if supporting Russian Circles is politically correct. Like those goddamn un-aMurican boys in Anthrax around 9/11). I am delighted to see that Russian Circles have an abundance of old albums to check out, but I'm not in a hurry. So, am I a fan of the band or the album? Such existential crises will send me to an early grave. BTW, Nostradamus - the last troo Priest album. Yes it was unlistenable even for most boneheaded fans, but I can handle the trooth. I harbour no delusions and am no longer a first day buyer of any new album from any classic-era band except, unsurprisingly, Judas Priest. It defies logic but, being a music fan or a sports fan, fundamentally defies logic. Neither sustains life. You can't eat or fuck a band or sports team (well...), nor does a band or sports team carry your genetic material which qualifies it for some level of care and nurturing. One day soon it will be a moot point because Judas Priest will end. I guess a part of me will die that day, even if they are 30 years beyond their best before date. Kind of like that old girlfriend you could never quite get over. Even after all these years you'd still walk through fire for that bitch.

Not much to contribute here, but this struck a chord. Being a fan of a sports team is not quite the same as a band because I don't see sports as creative. Sports loyalties stem from tribalism. Yet, it's fair to say that some bands tap into whatever magic sauce fuels the boneheaded stupidity of a sports fan. It's reasonable to declare yourself a fan of a band if, on balance, they elicit a "oh yeah, I like those guys" as a first thought. With other bands, after years of disappointment, the default becomes "oh yeah, I used to like those guys" in which case, you're not a fan anymore, but love the early albums. I can see this in my vinyl collection. So many bands are complete then stop at 1990 - Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax. Oosh, even AC/DC and Judas Priest become sporadic and incomplete after that. With listening on bandcamp, which is how I consume most music day to day, it's way more random and I just dip in and out of bands and might not even notice or know if the band has other albums.

Transfigured In A Thousand Delusions | INANNA (bandcamp.com) This is an early album from these guys I picked up this morning (NYP!) as I've enjoyed the two more recent ones. It's death metal (in this case: música muerte) but with a broader palette and goes spacey at times.

I was reminded that there used to be a band from my home town called Afterbirth. There are a few on M-A but not the one I was thinking of. Couldn't find on you tube, but did find this from same era which brought some nostalgia:

SIDE BOOB!

That BBC program was the best publicity they ever got. I guess that (Christian indignation) is what shock rockers' business model is based on. Yet, the last 'Cocksterpiece had nary a satan on it. I think they've moved past that gimmick, although the side projects are quite blasphtastic. NP: Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion This has proved not to be a fly-by-nighter. Last few days I listened to a lot of Led Zeppelin while driving around Shropshire with my dad. While the rest of the northern hemisphere seems to be burning, it has been bloody wet and cold in old Blighty.

I direct you to 8.02 of ▶︎ The Ceremony Of Nine Angles (live) | Akercocke | Peaceville (bandcamp.com) ...and I remember now that Jason always yells "AKKA-KOKKA" during the crash out of the closing song in any set. As you do.

Agree, it is a really weird message. On the one hand, super insulting if Overkill are playing a carpark and a fat kid with a famous dad plays the main stage; on the other hand - it's a free market. If Overkill want to do it and get paid I suppose, why not?

I thought it was Ak-A-cock-A. Like Acca Dacca. Two of my favourite bands announced new albums on Friday, which gave me a nice surprise during morning ablutions (meaning, I shat myself). Pre-ordered without even listening to the early release tracks. This Heathen Land | GREEN LUNG (bandcamp.com) Glass Future | Howling Giant (bandcamp.com) and since it was bandcamp Friday I picked up that discordant caveman one with the chaos knight + tentacles artwork. Shrines to Dagon | Out of the Mouth of Graves (bandcamp.com) Not sure I can really sit through it in a critical listening session, but its cool background music for working. And these guys released an album on Friday too. Perhaps a bit too much yelping and musical preposterosity for most, but they try. Moose Cult | Moose Cult (bandcamp.com)

NO | Old Man Gloom (bandcamp.com) From time to time I need gloom.

Yip. I'll find myself liking this. Anything that goes from acoustic intro to chaos usually works for me. And I haven't bought anything on bandcamp in a few weeks. I'm slipping big time on new music recently.

I had to look up milky beans. Innocently, on my work computer. To be fired for misconduct I guess that's Jono's fate.

New 'Cocke! Decades Of Devil Worship | Akercocke | Peaceville (bandcamp.com) This was a pleasant surprise when it reared its head the other day. Considering I haven't heard the first couple of albums very much (production sounded like a swarm of angry bees trapped in a bottle), it's good to have a live album that sounds decent...albeit with David Gray's plastic triggered drums. It's a necessary evil with this band and all his projects. NP: Gnosis | Russian Circles (bandcamp.com) Basically ISIS without vocals. To the Gory End (Deluxe Edition) | Cancer | Peaceville (bandcamp.com) I made a note to check out Cancer but only just came across it on Bandcamp. Good old Peaceville. It's great.

Good management.

New 'Cocke! Decades Of Devil Worship | Akercocke | Peaceville (bandcamp.com) This was a pleasant surprise when it reared its head this morning. Considering I haven't heard the first couple of albums very much (production sounded like a swarm of angry bees trapped in a bottle), it's good to have a live album that sounds decent...albeit with David Gray's plastic triggered drums. It's a necessary evil with this band and all his projects. NP: Gnosis | Russian Circles (bandcamp.com) Basically ISIS without vocals.

Actually, it's true that I also don't actively seek to read that many reviews these days. But I look out for recommendations in places like here...which is basically like a wordless or one line review. It is more about awareness I guess and I'm only interested if the poster thought it was great. A review or a forum post is never going to "influence" an actual purchase...except it made you aware of it, enough to give it a chance. There are 8 bazillion new metal albums released every day so it is impossible to find out about all of them. Whatever I'm doing seems to work for me as I get a steady enough stream of new release material and sometimes come across something older because someone mentioned it, like you said. Year end lists tend to be the best source of information.

I've heard of them and recall having listened to "Fire up the Blades" a couple of times, but that was well after establishing a vocal style. Not sure I had read that M-A review, but it had some good lines in it. Yes, I do read reviews. I can see why it wouldn't be a good idea for some people, but I take the praise as some validation and the criticism as invalid because they obviously haven't got it. Ha. No album has been trashed across the board like a Cold Lake or something. Reviews are useful for me as a metal fan in general, although a mediocre review is basically pointless. It doesn't do the band any favours because it will not inspire anyone to buy the album or even listen to it. The best reviews are where the critic gushes over it (more often than not you listen and think "what are they taking about?" but it served its purpose to encourage a listen) or trashes it with clever wordplay, because at least that is funny/entertaining. High register vocals? Blame Rob. It is what came out the first time I stood in front of a microphone and the recording light went on. There was no practice on my part because the other guitarist had written the music/lyrics and did the lead vocals....which sounded awesome - to this day, the most demonic roar I ever heard. I was just doing back up yelps and shrieking but for some unfathomable reason I took over lead vocals after that because he didn't want to do it.

#metoo. #ineverheardoffryvocalseither In fact, I thought the OP made a mistake in the thread title. Even now, it doesn't make much sense because death vocals (low guttural ones) can also be considered "fry" vocals. (Death growl - Wikipedia) Whereas he specifically wanted death metal without... the death metal. Practically no one takes to death metal vocals on first exposure. I didn't. You get used to it. Now "fry vocals" are a way that any twit with a microphone can sound half decent in a metal band without having to have exceptional vocal ability like a Dio or a Halford. In the old days, a vocalist that was certifiably bad was an almost insurmountable barrier to success. Now, just be shouty and you can get away with it.

oh, it will.

Jesus Christ Superstar was quite influential on me. It was broadcast on TV and I videotaped it in mid 80s. I now have it on vinyl but that came from a stash of LPs my brother had (that and Sepultura Arise - score!). I think it is why I like screaming vocals , because Jesus sure could wail. Grease, no. Rocky Horror Picture Show, yes. My own random thought.... I went down a rabbit hole reading content on www.skeptic.com yesterday. I was looking for a counterview after seeing a "documentary" about earthing. This is where you stand on the grass and the earth heals you with its magic. I'll use it in the sense of sitting on the grass to eat my lunch but I draw the line when someone is trying to sell me a "earthing sheet" which goes on your bed and plugs into the ground of the wall socket. Y'know, so you stay connected to the Earth while you sleep.

That is the only Cephalic Carnage album I've heard and it is great. Excellent production on that one. Clear, but heavy as fuck. By contrast that Uada sounds quite gutless. I have the previous album and found it fun. Djinn didn't quite land although listening again now, maybe it just takes a bit of unpacking. ...but now you've got me listening to Xenosapien and there's no comparison. One of my favourite drumming albums is Labrat - Ruining it for Everyone. It's not on Bandcamp unfortunately. They disbanded years ago.

NP: Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion The CD arrived yesterday so I had a bit of a ripping frenzy on the ol' external CD-ROM drive. It has extensive (eye)liner notes so I regressed to teenage self and read them meticulously while listening yesterday evening. Love this. Production is pretty good for 1985. Better drums than most bands around that time. Music is timeless and could have been recorded last week. Although I don't know if that just says metal has not progressed in 38 years, but who cares! And who would want it to. The falsetto vocals that pop up out of nowhere every now and again are a bold artistic choice, but I listen to King Diamond so can't fault it.

Once upon a time in a galaxy far, far away I went on a band's forum. I cannot remember which one, it may have been Metallica. It was horrible and consisted primarily of "Metallica rulz!" on every topic. Forums where everyone agrees with each other seem the most pointless form of communication in history.