Award Show Nonsense and Life Affirming Black Metal
We whine about why the Grammys are dumb, praise what might be the best metal album of the year and list a bunch of things you should check out.
Happy Thanksgiving my meat eating monsters. I hope you’ve all had a wonderful time heating up a carcass filled with other bits of carcass and the things that both those carcasses eat. In my opinion, the more parts of a food chain that you can incorporate into a single dish, the better. It’s a nice little reminder that we aren’t prey… most of the time.
Before we dive into the music, I’d like to give a shout out to the Action Cookbook Newsletter, which was kind enough to give us a shoutout in their latest issue. If you’re not a subscriber, I highly recommend getting a free subscription, though the paid subscription is more than worth the money. Much like this newsletter, it’s a bit about everything, which makes it perfect for everyone. Definitely go give it a look. And if you’re here because of Action Cookbook’s recommendation, welcome! I hope you’ll stick around to watch me wade through the muck of the metal world. If nothing else you’ll get a first hand account of what it’s like to watch a man descend into total madness.
ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Liturgy - Origin of the Alimonies
The most exciting part of listening to metal is finding a band that is willing to push boundaries without losing their edge. Over the past decade, it would be difficult to argue that any single band within the confines of the genre has done this more effectively than Liturgy. Billed as “transcendental black metal” the group flirts with music techniques that are almost completely unheard of in metal. Everything from glitched out electronics to flutes and hip-hop beats can be heard on this record, sometimes within the same song.
Now, I won’t pretend to fully understand the narrative that Liturgy and Hunter Hunt-Hendrix are trying to weave throughout this album. Even looking at what few lyrics there are, all one can glean is hints of themes. But even without context, the album rings out as a searingly original work from one of the brightest voices in metal.
But were there themes that I had to take a stab at, they are clearly themes of transformation and change. This guess is not without consideration. Earlier this year Hendrix took the bold step of coming out as a trans-woman. Given the dangers the trans community faces on a regular basis, this is always a bold choice, but to do so as a prominent figure within the metal community (a place that is not always known for its tolerant fanbases) is a revelatory decision, and her newfound freedom in her public identity has pushed her music even further into the realm of impossibility. We are not dealing with a band that does interesting things with metal. We are dealing with a band that is shattering boundaries and expectations in every way possible.
I’m not speaking in hyperbole when I say that Liturgy is singlehandedly redefining the perception of how music can be created and experienced. Yes, at the end of the day it is still music that comes out of your speakers and headphones like anything else. It is not trying to be Zaireeka, or something that approaches the format in a new way. No, this is a raw, violent, triumphant bolt of lightning that captures the spirit of countless genres and compresses them into a singular diamond. It will tear open your mind and reassemble it, regardless of how much music you’ve experienced. There is nothing like this, there may never be anything like it again.
Great Metal from this Week
Once again, we’ve been saved by the small timers. There was an absolute deluge of new metal this week but it wasn’t until I dug deep into the weeds that anything worthwhile began to present itself. But of course, once the reeds parted, it turned out that I’d been wading through a paradise this whole time. I was especially blown away by Oscillate from pg.lost, which managed to tackle a proggy version of post-metal that never got too cute for its own good. All albums shown in bold received an 8/10, but every album listed here is more than worth your time.
As always, highlights from each of these albums that were on Spotify, as well as a few bands that didn’t quite make the cut but had excellent tracks, can be found on the Fresh Kills playlist. Follow the playlist to stay up to date so you don’t have to listen to 80 metal albums in one week like someone who might be writing this newsletter had to.
Mutated Merchandi… Movies?
Those of you who have been reading this for a while have become accustomed to this section showcasing some nutty or neat piece of metal merchandise. But today I wanted to throw some shine on a film about the world of metal. The film in question is Sound of Metal. Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler) and Olivia Cook (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) star as Ruben, the drummer of metal duo Blackgammon, and Lou, the singer of Blackgammon and Ruben’s girlfriend.
The film finds Ruben, a former addict now sober for four years, as he begins to experience rapid and severe hearing loss. Shot in only four weeks, the film explores all the things you’d expect it to, but seeing Riz Ahmed rocking an Einstürzende Neubauten shirt instead of some Maiden gear tells me that first-time writer and director Darius Marder did his research. So I have high hopes that the film will explore the world of metal, and the potential consequences of that world, genuinely and thoroughly.
This is a bit of a personal pick for me (isn’t everything in this newsletter?). Not only am I clearly a big fan of metal and shows, but I’m also a frequent concertgoer, and my habits at said concerts haven’t always been the safest for my ears. Today, I rock earplugs to every show, but back before I did that, I got too close to a stack at a club show. I’m sure you can imagine the consequences for yourself, but suffice it to say my right ear has never heard quite as well since. The idea of something you love “going away” is terrifying, but clearly this film is interested in exploring life after the change, and finding meaning in a changed life. Sounds pretty applicable to some things that are happening right now.
The film is already out in theatres (please do not go to a movie theatre) and hits *shudders* Amazon Prime Video on December 4th. In the meantime, check out the trailer.
Award Shows are Stupid, So is Having Good Taste
We’ve reached the point where it’s no longer particularly fun to make fun of the Grammys. Okay, maybe it’s still a little fun, the Best New Artist category (which this year includes Phoebe Bridgers, Kaytranada, Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion, who all released albums, on major labels in some cases, in 2017, 2016, 2018 and 2017 respectively) which doesn’t have a criteria that makes any sense whatsoever. But for the most part, the fun of flaunting your “superior music taste” on Twitter whenever they release the nominee list has disappated.
The most common take anytime the Grammys release their list of nominees, or brutally whiff on a winner (no shade to 1989 but it beat To Pimp A Butterfly, and that’s a top three album of the past decade at worst) is to claim that Grammy voters have “bad taste.” But is it really bad taste? Sure the music industry, and those who are a part of it put out a lot of garbage each year. I mean, someone let Alanis Morissette do whatever it was she was trying to do on “Alanis’ Interlude” and then they put it out and promoted it. Still, the core problem doesn’t seem to be an issue of bad taste, so much as it is having no taste at all.
As I’m sure you’ve heard, taste is subjective. Everyone has their own set of songs, albums, genres and artists that they like and a similar set of things they don’t like. It’s part of the issue with playlists generated by algorithms. Sure they know what you listen to, and they give you similar stuff to listen to, but where’s the fun in that. Isn’t it more exciting to find out that your friend’s favorite album of the year was the tragically awful Shadow Work by one-hit-wonderchuds Trapt? That would be hilarious. That would be something that would never happen at the Grammys. And there’s the problem.
Doing things by committee removes taste. As a voter for more than a few album of the year lists, I’ve had my fair share of number one’s not even make the top 50. Sometimes this lack of taste is good, such as in the case of politics (TO A DEGREE!!!) and community planning, where it prevents one person from getting too much of what they want and others from not getting enough of what they want. But art doesn’t work like that. Beyond the craft considerations (yes some art can be objectively bad) art is a personal experience that reflects your own likes, dislikes, and sometimes even your ideals. So when 12,000 people, each of whom probably has a fairly interesting list of their favorite records from any given year, have their votes amalgamated into a single faceless list of nominees, of course that list is boring. How could it not be?
And this works both ways. Plenty of people work on the tragically dull Pitchfork year end lists. These are people who have more connections in the music world than I do, more experience listening to music critically and probably more albums listened to in any given year. They suffer from a different ailment, “good taste.” Honestly, good taste might be even more awful than no taste. It means that you look at music through a certain set of criteria that extends beyond your enjoyment of the music, and into the perception of the music itself. The train of thought starts to get a little wonky here, but bear with me. When you have a consensus perception of what good music is, it begins to bleed into your own thoughts, and actually, over time, erodes your ability to have a unique taste of your own. It’s why most best albums lists look basically the same each year, especially around the top ten. Not to say these albums aren’t good, but how many people’s top ten looks exactly like the one Pitchfork has. I’d venture to guess that not many do.
So the next time you’re roasting the Grammys for having trash taste, remember that good taste also sucks. Be weird, have fun, read the Quietus, listen to Tra… wait those guys actually suck as people hold on. Listen to Insane Clown Posse if you like. The world is a whole lot more interesting when you wear your interests on your sleeve, and the people who share those interests will be all the happier when they meet you.
But I will say, The Weeknd got fucking snubbed.
Non-Metal AOTW
Megan Thee Stallion - Good News
As someone who is deeply unqualified to speak on either hip-hop culture or the presence of women within said culture, I’m going to avoid using my shovel to dig myself into that particular hole. I will however suggest that you check this album out right now. Megan Thee Stallion has spent quarantine pouring herself into her music, and Good News is the culmination of all that practice. Sure, the album is a bit too long in terms of total tracks, but at 49 minutes it never gets to the wildly unnecessary length of a Drake record, and even then there’s enough hits to keep this record in rotation for a long time. Best of all, it has everything a music fan could want. Party tracks, check. Megan rapping her ass off, check. Great features, mostly check (tbh the Beyoncé feature carries a lot of weight in that category). It ticks every box and solidifies Megan Thee Stallion as something far more than a pop-phenom. She’s well on her way to claiming her rightful place atop the throne of modern hip-hop, she’s got all the tools, skills and artistic sensibilities. So it’s time we all knelt down to kiss the ring.
Honorable Mentions:
Transported to Another Realm
If you’re anything like me, you miss concerts so much that you’ve begun digging through the pile of crap in your garage to find your Xbox 360 and a copy of Rockband 4 just to watch the crowd vibe. Sadly, virtual concerts haven’t really scratched the itch. They just can’t seem to capture the nigh religious experience that an excellent concert can provide. While I haven’t tried the new Bandcamp Live, which seems to knock out some of those impediments to a great experience (and properly benefits the artists playing said show), I can say that there is another service trying to provide the most immersive musical experience the internet can provide.
The World According to Sound is more a radio show than a live streamed concert, but to call it a radio show seems like a disservice. Designed by Chris Hoff and Sam Harnett, a public radio sound engineer and a reporter, The World According to Sound was originally designed to create a space where people could wholly immerse themselves in music and sound rather than an environment. When the pandemic took away their ability to perform entirely as they intended they adapted to fit the times. Instead of collecting people in a room and handing out eye masks to encourage maximum auditory immersion, eye masks are now mailed out with the purchase of a ticket to their show. Ultimately, the removal of all other stimulus allows for maximum immersion in an environment of sound that sets the mind alight with possibilities. Will the next show place you on a factory floor, the surface of the moon or near a crackling fire at a desert campsite? While they do give out hints on their upcoming shows page, no description can equal the rich environments that Hoff and Harnett are able to craft each week. Tickets run for $25 per show or $100 for the season pass (nine events), and they’ve been kind enough to extend us a 25% off code (WATSound25), so be sure to check them out. If you need something to try and turn these past nine months into something positive, The World According to Sound may just provide that much needed spark.
A Terrifying Vision of the Future
Even when the future is bright these days it can still be terrifying to look at. While the non-metal world didn’t exactly bring their best to this coming week, there was a ton of metal released and much of it by bands I’ve never heard. The bad news is we’ll probably be a little light on non-metal next week. The good news is that most of the best metal from this year comes from bands I didn’t know about going into the year. Despite the relative lack of releases due to the Thanksgiving holiday there were still a few new records that caught my eye on Friday.
Metal Albums
Plini - Impulse Voices
Paysage d’Hiver - Schnee & Im Traum (two separate EP’s)
Windhand - Levitation Sessions
Palm Reader - Sleepless
Non-Metal Albums
Miley Cyrus - Plastic Hearts
Bad Bunny - EL ÚLTIMO TOUR DEL MUNDO
Let me know if there’s something I missed that I need to check out. Drop a comment to let everyone know what you’re looking forward to listening to this coming week, metal or not.
Shrinekeeping
I’d like to once again thank Action Cookbook for passing the gospel of metal along to some new readers. I hope y’all stick around to enjoy the fun. There’s lots of big stuff coming over the next two months, including a best albums of 2020 list and some TV and film lists as well. If you have a friend who you think might enjoy any of those things, send them the newsletter. If you tell me about it I’ll personally send you a virtual high-five.
If you’re just checking us out and liked what you read, why don’t you stay for a while. Sure the ruins are a bit drafty but you get used to it. And they do say that fresh air is good for both the mind and body.
That’s it for this week, stay indoors folks. It’s a madhouse out there and I need you healthy for the ritual.