Black Metal doesn't have anything to do with the world like you know it.

The headliners of the KINGS OF BLACK METAL Festival 2009 in Giessen, Germany, and Norway's INFERNO festival, are Sweden's Watain. According to the bio on their My Space page, "Watain performs Black Metal in it's original form; dangerous, passionate, sinister and magical. Drenched in blood, swept in mystery, shunning no sacrifice. You have been warned." Vocalist and bass player, Erik Danielsson, proclaims, "the Black Metal we want to inspire people to produce, if any, must be built upon the pillars of chaos, madness, lawlessness and boundless darkness! Fuck the world and its futile currents, and let’s make art that is timeless and world-less!" and the band succeeds in their mission. The darkness and the power in Watain's sound is magic to behold. Listening to the songs on 2007's landmark, Sworn To The Dark, you can't shake the feeling that this band is tapped into some supernatural phenomena.

"I believe that black and death metal originally comes from a place that very few of the people involved in this kind of artform know about or have been intentionally in contact with, and some bands along the way during the 20 years that this form of music has existed have been in touch with that place, or whatever you want to call it, and, we are one of them. And we have found ways to communicate with that place and that is what makes our music other worldly."~Erik Danielsson, Watain, Metal Show podcast interview.



Excellent Watain interiew from Disobedience Collective
watain youtube interview
Watain My Space page

Watain-Sworn To The Dark.Mp3
Watain-Legions Of The Black Light.Mp3
Watain-Storm Of The AntiChrist.Mp3
Watain-The Light That Burns The Sun.Mp3

Zeitgeist

Thought I'd post this in honor of the fervor surrounding today's date.

Death Crisis

Death Crisis

TOTD 01

6 song self titled debut 7"

Too Old To Die Records

http://deathcrisis.com

Six songs that clock in at just under eight minutes. This is the envelope of hardcore punk pushed in a direction of pandemoneous hooks, rhythms, and growls, that Death Crisis command with authority and contempt. Manic, jet-speed riffs and beats take you by surprise, leaping at you like a rock and roll exorcism, hammering your skull, and pumping you with adrenalin. When it's over, you feel exhilherated and want more.

It's no surprise this band hails from San Diego with a ridiculously noteworthy pedigree consisting of former members of Life Crisis, Los Kagados, Chicken Farm, and The Rabbits (to mention just a few). After years in the game, the members of Death Crisis have obviously concluded that the only direction to go with their sound is straight into the fire. Screaming over the bedlam is the commanding voice of Alberto Jurado. His animated vocal delivery is rabid and melodic, carried with urgent ferocity like some insane mexican soldier in a cinematic bloodbath.

There is also a heroic element to his persona that shines in the momentary calm between songs throughout the band's 16 minute live set, as demonstrated in his oratory prelude to the song, "Broken Spirit", in which he reminds the audience that no matter how self-destructive our lives can become, that each of us has the ability to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off, as long as we believe in ourselves, as he points out, "Remember, you are all gods." In Spanglish, Jurado spews socio-political venom with conviction, warmth, and tongue-in-cheek delivery. His character shifts effortlessly from sage to madman to comedian. It's this honesty and authority in his presentation, coupled with the voice of an all-time great punk singer, that seals the deal with Death Crisis and demonstrates to the audience the undeniable truth that they are in the presense of masters.

Death Crisis encourages the sharing of these six songs I've ripped from vinyl for your listening pleasure. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Metallica.

Broken Spirit.Mp3

Until We're All Dead.Mp3

Que Interesante.Mp3

El Masturbador.Mp3

Sounded Like A Good Idea.Mp3

Sadam Is Dead.Mp3

http://deathcrisis.com

Death Crisis My Space

North Park Awesome Fast

I've worked very hard for a very long time to try to make something that is beautiful enough so that I can enjoy it, and other people can enjoy it

"The thing is to find a truth which is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live and die." -Søren Kierkegaard 1835

I came across this short video from Scottish prog-rockers, Mogwai (thank you, Laurie), in which they pay homage to Iggy Pop, splicing a haunting instrumental song with the highlights of an interview conducted with Iggy on a Canadian talk show in 1977. I found it very moving.



Here is the interview in it's entirety;
http://archives.cbc.ca/programs/15-2806/

"I've worked very hard for a very long time to try to make something that is beautiful enough so that I can enjoy it, and other people can enjoy it., and I will continue working at it, because I haven't achieved it yet."-Iggy Pop

It should please you all to take eight minutes of your day and take in what Iggy had to say about "punk rock". He delivers a very heartfelt, poignant elucidation on what it means to be guided by a manic devotion to an energy that affects us so deeply that all we can do is give back to it everything we've got, without compromise, in our endless thirst to create something beautiful and share it with the world.

And here's an equally poignant ode to rock and roll's powerful spell by the almighty Flipper.

The Lights, The Sound, The Rhythm, and The Noise
(from Flipper "Blowin' Chunks" 1983)

The lights and the sound
And the rhythm and the noise
Hit my body like a thousand dances

Everyone knows
Where nothing is something
And our lives flash
Before our very eyes

Cause the lights and the sound
And the rhythm and the noise
Hit my body like a million years

Forever lost
Where the night meets day
And everyone thinks
That they know the proper way

Download Flipper link;

http://www.4shared.com/file/116292197/c851cedb/sln-fbc83.html

A HANGING

I almost let this blog wither away, filed under LOST INSPIRATIONS and INCOMPLETE ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS. It started when my file host, who had boasted to me once about his "virtually unlimited bandwidth" suddenly pulled the plug on access to my hosted uploads, essentially derailing a years worth of tedious construction of PTSD. It was just the kind of shit luck that left me aggravated and found me without the motivation to keep the ball rolling. The only brief moment of blogspiration I've had in this period of inactivity was my homage to Kim Wilde. I really felt like I didn't want to continue PTSD without first going back and fixing all the defunct links from previous entries dating all the way back to my first posting, which took a backseat to my multitude of other interests and hobbies.

Well alot has happened between then and now, both with my own musical endeavors and my continued discovery of artists who are doing it right and compelling me to share my interests in them.

On that note, since last October, I have been playing bass in the New Orleans Punk-Power-Thrash quartet, A Hanging. There's no denying the band has been gaining impressive momentum in the Nola hardcore punk and metal curcuit, in just a few months time having shared stages with the likes of EYEHATEGOD, GOATWHORE, ZOROASTER, EVIL ARMY, DEADBIRD, RITUAL KILLER, HAARP, HAWG JAW, TIREFIRE, THE DEVIL AND THE SEA, FLESH PARADE, and SAINT VITUS.

In January we were filmed alongside Louisiana's heaviest bands for a feature length documentary about the thriving insurgence of heavy music in the south entitled, Slow Southern Steel. The next week we rented a van and headed up to Little Rock, ARK, the hometown of SSS producer "C-T", to play with his band, RWAKE.

In January we self-released our debut cd, "Food For Rats" and have since completely sold out of the first run of 1000.


A Hanging "Food For Rats"


A Hanging "Blood And Spit"

I created a youtube channel under the nom de guerre, Atomicdruid, and there you will find an extensive
video playlist of A Hanging live videos, as well as videos from my past bands, Battalion Of Saints and The Tori Cobras.

Much more to come I promise.

Kim Wilde

A perusal of links to bands associated with providence hardcore legends, DROPDEAD, eventually led me to the myspace profile for Kim Wilde. I was 12 years old when I bought her platinum debut known for the smash-hit, "Kids In America", a joint composure by her brother, Ricky, and father, Marty Wilde. Kim Wilde could quite possibly have been the catalyst for the growth of hair on my balls In those restless nights of post adolescence, her uber-sweet voice would lull me to sleep from the turntable and I would dream of Kim, Debbie Harry, and Joan Jett engaged in a rock n' roll catfight for my affection.
Kim, who resides in London with her husband and their two children, still has a knack for making perfect pop songs and you can listen to her current work at her MySpace page.

Hearing "Kids" again on this youtube clip literally sent goosebumps up my back. Enjoy.