On September 17th I had the pleasure of discovering two new thrash metal bands Fog of Leprosy and Spewgore.
I saw them at The Blue Moon, a venue that I have never been to or heard off. It is located just steps away from the Opera House on Queen Street West. I was impressed with the venue since it had a pretty decent stage. The place could easily hold 200 people, however, it is narrow, which only adds to its appeal. The place looks more packed then it really is, which makes you feel like you're part of something bigger. It also has an amazing deal on beer too; $20 gets you bucket with five bottles of beer with most domestic brands to choose from.
Fog of Leprosy opened the show. They are a four piece band hailing from Grimbsby, Ontario. This is a thrash band with one guitar player. They play straight-up riff-driven metal, best compared to Exodus and Annihilator. The singer rasps his voice but not past the point where the lyrics are incomprehensible; also, other members contribute to the vocals mosttly in a question-and-answer and narrative style. Their lyrical theme deals with imagery of goblins, cannibalism, and drunken debauchery, among other things. Part of their image is a smoke machine constantly spewing out "The Fog." They have been recording a new album for some time now, so stay tuned for upcoming news. This is a band worth checking out if you are into straight up, no bullshit, thrash.
Spewgore is a four piece out of Brampton. They also have only one guitar. They play mostly thrash metal, however, from time to time you can pick up elements of hard core. However, that does not make them a metal-core band by any means; they are a thrash band. They looked quite comfortable on stage. The drummer was very tight. The singer had a persona comparable to Henry Rollins. Their songs mostly dealt with violence, however, not in a dark way. More like the type you see in a mosh pit. This was their album release party and they were in top shape. They have a unique sound, this is a band worth checking our. I have a feeling that they might be getting picked up by a label soon.
There were two more bands on the bill Fatality and Redeemer. However, I did not watch their sets so I cant really say anything about them.
What was amazing to see is how metal has grown in Toronto, especially in the last 10 years. In 2000-2002 bands like Inflames and Nevermore were playing shows that size. However, ten years later a few regional bands can put on a hell of a metal show, and draw and decent crowd too.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
A Review of Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir
Every one who knows me knows that I love Megadeth! Particularly, I'm fascinated by the life of Dave Mustaine. This is a person that pioneered two of the greatest metal bands: Megadeth and Metallica. This while high on drugs and living a life that earned him the nickname Dangerous Dave. For years me and my friend (a fellow Megadeth fanatic) would comb over each lyric and interview and piece things together in order to understand the genius behind Megadeth. That's why it shouldn't be a surprise that when Dave Mustaine decided to release his autobiography, my friend and I were one of the first people to go down town Toronto and purchase our copies, and meet our hero (for the third time now) at a book signing on July 28,2010. Over the next two days, I read that book cover to cover only occasional placing it down to wipe away a tear or to get lost in a daydream.
In the documentary Metal: A Headbangers Journey, Sam Dunn points out that metal heads are usually outcasts that seek comfort in heavy metal. The people that are isolated and ridiculed by the mainstream, instead of going postal on society, find comfort and empowerment in the aggressive yet uplifting message of Metal. The majority of my friends, including me, were born in other countries. This act alone made us the outsiders in a strange land with foreign customs. Not only that, but your average immigrant family moves disproportionally more then any one else, because they need to build capital starting from scratch. My friends and I had the displeasure of switching schools multiple times and never having a place where we could plant our roots. We are secretly longing for a return of the simpler times. That's is why I was able to identify with Dave Mustaine so much. Even though he was born in America, Mustaine suffered a lot of similar experiences as myself. His parents divorced early in his life which made the family poor. To make matters worse his father would stalk the family forcing them to move in the middle of the night and a moments notice. What added to Dave's isolation was that his mother converted to Jehovah Witness after the divorce. Her conversion isolated Dave even more since he was forced to be excluded from things like birthday parties, Christmas and pledging an allegiance to the flag. It was this isolation and life as an outcast that would be the driving force behind his music.
Dave Mustaine credits his sister's record collection as sparking his love of music. Though his sister was into folk, particularly Cat Stevens, he credits these times for developing his sense of melody. At the age of twelve he got a guitar and taught himself how to play. However, it wasn't until his teenage years that he got serious about music. In high school he discovered pot and heavy metal. He goes into detail about how he would find an escape by getting high and listening to the early metal records of Priests, Maiden, and Motor Head. Soon he would look at music as a way to escape mediocrity, as a way to be cool, and earn respect of his friends and the opposite sex. Through out high school he played in a band called Panic before eventually joining Metallica.
Dave describes his years in Metallica very fondly. For the first time in his life he felt accepted. He found a band of fellow misfits that shared his love of metal. He mentions that he and James Hetfield became close friends. This is not in the book, but I suspect that they had a lot in common since James also came from a broken home and his parents were heavily involved in Christian Science. Musiaine claims that he trusted those guys and considered them to be his first family. In retrospect, he recalls moments when warning bells should have gone off with regards to his eventual dismissal from the band. However, he could not phantom that his new so called family would ever betray him like that. When he was fired from Metallica he was forced to take a four day bus ride from New York to California without any money or food. He describes that period as a tragedy greater than when he watched his father die of a brain aneurysm. This bus ride was also the moment that he swore revenge and to recover better then ever. It was also at that moment that Mustaine decided that he would never abdicate control and power in a band like he did in Metallica
In the book, when talking about Megadeth, Dave mostly focuses on the years between 1984-1992. The years from 1984-1990 were a drug induced craze. His first band mates Gar Samuelson and Chris Poland introduced him to heroin. This addiction would plague his life until the present day. In 1992 he got sober for a significant period. However he would face another demon: the success of his previous band mates, Metallica. What bugged him most was the fact that on their first two albums they used material that he wrote while still in the band. These feelings of jealousy, resentment, and betrayal caused him to relapse and not fully enjoy his success. Reading about those years, you really see how lucky this guy is to be alive. Drugs, alcohol, and a violent temper never go together smoothly.
From 1992-2004 Dave talks about his inability to handle success and his continuous relapses into drugs. In the mid 90's he began to shoot heroin (until that time he only smoked it). Just when you thought he has conquered his demons, something would set him off and he would relapse, causing him to enter another rehab institution and start all over. In 2004 his wife filed to legally separate from him; this was also the year that he became a Christian. He has been free of hard drugs since 2004. He claims that he has found a balance in his life where he occasionally smokes a little weed and drinks a glass of red wine.
About 3\4 of the book deal with his early years until 1992. He goes into a lot of detail about his childhood, Metallica, and early Megadeth. From 1992-present he just barley mentions certain things like the arrival and departure of Marty Friedman, the The World Needs a Hero years, and his falling out with Dave Ellefson. He only briefly mentions any of the albums from Cryptic Writing to United Abomination. Which is too bad since I'm a big fan of his recent material.
Overall, I loved this book and would recommend it to any Megadeth fan. I learned some good lessons like don't do heroin, don't abdicate power in a band that you lead, follow your intuition, love God, and don't take no shit from no one. I think it's one of the better books I ever read. When I red the last page I was devastated that it's over and automatically started re-reading my favorite parts. It made me a better Megadeth fan and a better human being. I recommend that everyone reads it. It is written very well and captures the right emotions.
In the documentary Metal: A Headbangers Journey, Sam Dunn points out that metal heads are usually outcasts that seek comfort in heavy metal. The people that are isolated and ridiculed by the mainstream, instead of going postal on society, find comfort and empowerment in the aggressive yet uplifting message of Metal. The majority of my friends, including me, were born in other countries. This act alone made us the outsiders in a strange land with foreign customs. Not only that, but your average immigrant family moves disproportionally more then any one else, because they need to build capital starting from scratch. My friends and I had the displeasure of switching schools multiple times and never having a place where we could plant our roots. We are secretly longing for a return of the simpler times. That's is why I was able to identify with Dave Mustaine so much. Even though he was born in America, Mustaine suffered a lot of similar experiences as myself. His parents divorced early in his life which made the family poor. To make matters worse his father would stalk the family forcing them to move in the middle of the night and a moments notice. What added to Dave's isolation was that his mother converted to Jehovah Witness after the divorce. Her conversion isolated Dave even more since he was forced to be excluded from things like birthday parties, Christmas and pledging an allegiance to the flag. It was this isolation and life as an outcast that would be the driving force behind his music.
Dave Mustaine credits his sister's record collection as sparking his love of music. Though his sister was into folk, particularly Cat Stevens, he credits these times for developing his sense of melody. At the age of twelve he got a guitar and taught himself how to play. However, it wasn't until his teenage years that he got serious about music. In high school he discovered pot and heavy metal. He goes into detail about how he would find an escape by getting high and listening to the early metal records of Priests, Maiden, and Motor Head. Soon he would look at music as a way to escape mediocrity, as a way to be cool, and earn respect of his friends and the opposite sex. Through out high school he played in a band called Panic before eventually joining Metallica.
Dave describes his years in Metallica very fondly. For the first time in his life he felt accepted. He found a band of fellow misfits that shared his love of metal. He mentions that he and James Hetfield became close friends. This is not in the book, but I suspect that they had a lot in common since James also came from a broken home and his parents were heavily involved in Christian Science. Musiaine claims that he trusted those guys and considered them to be his first family. In retrospect, he recalls moments when warning bells should have gone off with regards to his eventual dismissal from the band. However, he could not phantom that his new so called family would ever betray him like that. When he was fired from Metallica he was forced to take a four day bus ride from New York to California without any money or food. He describes that period as a tragedy greater than when he watched his father die of a brain aneurysm. This bus ride was also the moment that he swore revenge and to recover better then ever. It was also at that moment that Mustaine decided that he would never abdicate control and power in a band like he did in Metallica
In the book, when talking about Megadeth, Dave mostly focuses on the years between 1984-1992. The years from 1984-1990 were a drug induced craze. His first band mates Gar Samuelson and Chris Poland introduced him to heroin. This addiction would plague his life until the present day. In 1992 he got sober for a significant period. However he would face another demon: the success of his previous band mates, Metallica. What bugged him most was the fact that on their first two albums they used material that he wrote while still in the band. These feelings of jealousy, resentment, and betrayal caused him to relapse and not fully enjoy his success. Reading about those years, you really see how lucky this guy is to be alive. Drugs, alcohol, and a violent temper never go together smoothly.
From 1992-2004 Dave talks about his inability to handle success and his continuous relapses into drugs. In the mid 90's he began to shoot heroin (until that time he only smoked it). Just when you thought he has conquered his demons, something would set him off and he would relapse, causing him to enter another rehab institution and start all over. In 2004 his wife filed to legally separate from him; this was also the year that he became a Christian. He has been free of hard drugs since 2004. He claims that he has found a balance in his life where he occasionally smokes a little weed and drinks a glass of red wine.
About 3\4 of the book deal with his early years until 1992. He goes into a lot of detail about his childhood, Metallica, and early Megadeth. From 1992-present he just barley mentions certain things like the arrival and departure of Marty Friedman, the The World Needs a Hero years, and his falling out with Dave Ellefson. He only briefly mentions any of the albums from Cryptic Writing to United Abomination. Which is too bad since I'm a big fan of his recent material.
Overall, I loved this book and would recommend it to any Megadeth fan. I learned some good lessons like don't do heroin, don't abdicate power in a band that you lead, follow your intuition, love God, and don't take no shit from no one. I think it's one of the better books I ever read. When I red the last page I was devastated that it's over and automatically started re-reading my favorite parts. It made me a better Megadeth fan and a better human being. I recommend that everyone reads it. It is written very well and captures the right emotions.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Testament, Megadeth, and Slayer at the Molson Amphitheater
On July 29, 2010 I had the pleasure of watching Testament, Megadeth and Slayer. I was looking forward to this event for a long time. You see, I was originally planing to see that show at the Air Canada Center a few moths before. That show had to be postponed because Tom Araya had to undergo back surgery. What was even worse was that I heard about the cancellation when I walked into the venue and discovered it was closed. These are some of the things that stood out on that night's event:
Testament had Paul Bostaph of drums. They played two songs from what I believe is their best album: The Gathering. They had decent energy, however, I couldn't help thinking that they are past their prime. That band has been through countless line up changes that left a mark on their music.
Megadeth preformed their entire Rust in Peace album from start to finish and then played four more songs. I believe that those tracks were Head Crusher, Trust, A Tou Le Monde and Symphony of destruction. It was a descent set and worth seeing. However, I really hoped that they would play more new material. I really love all the work that they did from The System has Failed on ward. Hopefully they are planing to come back and play a smaller venue as a headliner and play something for their die hard fans. It was nice to see Dave Ellefson back in the band. Even though that new bassist was infinitely better, it's just not Megadeth without "Junior." The new guitarist, Chris Broderic, was awesome. He played every Marty Freedman solo note for note and with a lot of soul. I cant wait to see what his line up will do next.
Slayed played mostly songs from their Seasons in the Abyss album. They opened the show by playing two new songs: World Painted Blood and Hate World Wide. Then they played almost the entire Seasons in the Abyss album. The closed the night by playing Reign in Blood and Angel of Death. They did not bother going back stage and being encored. They just thrashed out from start to finish without talking too much. They wanted to give the fans as much music as possible.
The atmosphere of the show was pretty cool. Slayer fans are a colorful bunch of people. I particularly enjoyed chanting "Slayer Slayer" in the washroom after the show. However two things I was not fond off. I had a ticked in the 400's section which cost me $75 plus tax. I bumped into a friend who got the same ticked for $10. I could not understand that. Are they punishing people for wanting to support a band and get their tickets when they go on sale? If anything, tickets should increase in price as the concert draws near.
The other thing that pissed me off was seeing how many people purchased pirated band t-shirt after the show. I think that that is just discussing: you are literately steeling from the band you love. I can understand downloading music, since if you buy a CD for $20, less then a $1 will make it into the bands pocket. But buying merchandise at a concerts is the best way that you can support your artist since most of that money will go to the band. So if you love a band and have downloaded all their music for free, go see them live and buy a t-shirt. Don't be an asshole!
Testament had Paul Bostaph of drums. They played two songs from what I believe is their best album: The Gathering. They had decent energy, however, I couldn't help thinking that they are past their prime. That band has been through countless line up changes that left a mark on their music.
Megadeth preformed their entire Rust in Peace album from start to finish and then played four more songs. I believe that those tracks were Head Crusher, Trust, A Tou Le Monde and Symphony of destruction. It was a descent set and worth seeing. However, I really hoped that they would play more new material. I really love all the work that they did from The System has Failed on ward. Hopefully they are planing to come back and play a smaller venue as a headliner and play something for their die hard fans. It was nice to see Dave Ellefson back in the band. Even though that new bassist was infinitely better, it's just not Megadeth without "Junior." The new guitarist, Chris Broderic, was awesome. He played every Marty Freedman solo note for note and with a lot of soul. I cant wait to see what his line up will do next.
Slayed played mostly songs from their Seasons in the Abyss album. They opened the show by playing two new songs: World Painted Blood and Hate World Wide. Then they played almost the entire Seasons in the Abyss album. The closed the night by playing Reign in Blood and Angel of Death. They did not bother going back stage and being encored. They just thrashed out from start to finish without talking too much. They wanted to give the fans as much music as possible.
The atmosphere of the show was pretty cool. Slayer fans are a colorful bunch of people. I particularly enjoyed chanting "Slayer Slayer" in the washroom after the show. However two things I was not fond off. I had a ticked in the 400's section which cost me $75 plus tax. I bumped into a friend who got the same ticked for $10. I could not understand that. Are they punishing people for wanting to support a band and get their tickets when they go on sale? If anything, tickets should increase in price as the concert draws near.
The other thing that pissed me off was seeing how many people purchased pirated band t-shirt after the show. I think that that is just discussing: you are literately steeling from the band you love. I can understand downloading music, since if you buy a CD for $20, less then a $1 will make it into the bands pocket. But buying merchandise at a concerts is the best way that you can support your artist since most of that money will go to the band. So if you love a band and have downloaded all their music for free, go see them live and buy a t-shirt. Don't be an asshole!
Fighting Back Against Security Scum
Every concert goer at one point had to deal with an asshole security guard. I'm sure you know the type: smug and arrogant assholes who one day dream of going into the police academy. However, until that day comes, they will exercise their complete authority (following the rules to the last detail) that was granted to them by the employer.
The average concert goer is completely powerless against such pricks, as with the push of a button, they can have you ejected off the premises absolutely at their discretion. One power hungry asshole has the power to ruin the experience for countless of concert goers. And, for the most part, we are helpless against them. If you punch them out, you will go to jail. If you file a complaint, it will get lost in the bureaucracy.
So what can be done about this? Is there any way that people can fight back against this within the law? The answer is NO. The reason for this is that most of the time the security guard has a legitimate reason to be engaged with you. The concert goer might be drunk or smoking weed which off the bat puts the concert goer at a disadvantage. However, drinking alcohol or smoking cannabis is just standard behavior at a Heavy Metal concert. If you don't want to be around that then go to a John Mayer show. However, recently I heard a story that gave me hope.
A good friend of mine recently shared an amazing tale of heroism that inspired me. While attending a big out-door metal concert my friend decided to smoke a small joint at the back of the venue hiding among the rest of the smokers. He was not even able to take a good toke before this smug security guard approached him. With a polite smile on his face, my friend apologized and extinguished the joint. However that was not enough for that asshole. He demanded that my friend drop the joint on the floor and rubbed the joint into the pavement with his military boots unil the weed was un-salvageable. Then with a phony, patronizing smile on his face he said "don't let me catch you smoking weed again, next time I will eject you." Instead of doing nothing, my friend decided to fight back. He took an empty plastic beer glass and went to the bathroom with it. There he filled it with urine. He stood with the cup for about 20 min so the piss cools down. Then when the lights went down and the main act was about to go onstage, in the commotion he pretended to trip and spilled the urine right on the security guard. He then quickly apologized and went back to his seat. I believe that my fiend is a hero! Imagine the countless concert goers who had their time ruined because of that pretentious asshole. This was Karma doing its thing.
Now to be fair, not everyone who works security is an asshole. A lot of them are decent human beings who are just trying to earn an honest living. This blog post is in no way encouraging any one to make their lives miserable. In a civilized society, there have to be people who have legitimate authority over you. However there is a difference between keeping the peace and getting high on power while earning minimum wage. If that security guard would of made my friend extinguish the joint and issue a warning, he would be just doing his job. There would be nothing wrong with that. However, he made my friend drop the joint and then destroyed it. This was totally unnecessary and he got justice. It is time that people start standing up for them selves. The written law cannot cover every single incident and too many times the bad guys are on the side of the law.
Gandhi said that " an eye for an eye makes the world go blind," and Jesus encouraged us to "turn the other cheek." That is why this kind of retaliation must be exercised with the most caution. This society would dissolve into chaos if every time a police officer would issue a ticket, a cop car would get torched. However, there is a difference between enforcing the peace and being a dush-bag with a uniform. I believe that when you see people abusing their power, it is your duty to fight back in anyway you can, whether it is against a security guard, an abusive supervisor, or a neighbor. Sometimes God can use you as his hammer. No one would call the young people at Tienanmen square who stood up for their rights criminals. I know I am not alone in this type of thinking. You just need to see the following quotes by these famous patriots:
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
-Edmund Burke-
Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who don't
-Thomas Jefferson-
The average concert goer is completely powerless against such pricks, as with the push of a button, they can have you ejected off the premises absolutely at their discretion. One power hungry asshole has the power to ruin the experience for countless of concert goers. And, for the most part, we are helpless against them. If you punch them out, you will go to jail. If you file a complaint, it will get lost in the bureaucracy.
So what can be done about this? Is there any way that people can fight back against this within the law? The answer is NO. The reason for this is that most of the time the security guard has a legitimate reason to be engaged with you. The concert goer might be drunk or smoking weed which off the bat puts the concert goer at a disadvantage. However, drinking alcohol or smoking cannabis is just standard behavior at a Heavy Metal concert. If you don't want to be around that then go to a John Mayer show. However, recently I heard a story that gave me hope.
A good friend of mine recently shared an amazing tale of heroism that inspired me. While attending a big out-door metal concert my friend decided to smoke a small joint at the back of the venue hiding among the rest of the smokers. He was not even able to take a good toke before this smug security guard approached him. With a polite smile on his face, my friend apologized and extinguished the joint. However that was not enough for that asshole. He demanded that my friend drop the joint on the floor and rubbed the joint into the pavement with his military boots unil the weed was un-salvageable. Then with a phony, patronizing smile on his face he said "don't let me catch you smoking weed again, next time I will eject you." Instead of doing nothing, my friend decided to fight back. He took an empty plastic beer glass and went to the bathroom with it. There he filled it with urine. He stood with the cup for about 20 min so the piss cools down. Then when the lights went down and the main act was about to go onstage, in the commotion he pretended to trip and spilled the urine right on the security guard. He then quickly apologized and went back to his seat. I believe that my fiend is a hero! Imagine the countless concert goers who had their time ruined because of that pretentious asshole. This was Karma doing its thing.
Now to be fair, not everyone who works security is an asshole. A lot of them are decent human beings who are just trying to earn an honest living. This blog post is in no way encouraging any one to make their lives miserable. In a civilized society, there have to be people who have legitimate authority over you. However there is a difference between keeping the peace and getting high on power while earning minimum wage. If that security guard would of made my friend extinguish the joint and issue a warning, he would be just doing his job. There would be nothing wrong with that. However, he made my friend drop the joint and then destroyed it. This was totally unnecessary and he got justice. It is time that people start standing up for them selves. The written law cannot cover every single incident and too many times the bad guys are on the side of the law.
Gandhi said that " an eye for an eye makes the world go blind," and Jesus encouraged us to "turn the other cheek." That is why this kind of retaliation must be exercised with the most caution. This society would dissolve into chaos if every time a police officer would issue a ticket, a cop car would get torched. However, there is a difference between enforcing the peace and being a dush-bag with a uniform. I believe that when you see people abusing their power, it is your duty to fight back in anyway you can, whether it is against a security guard, an abusive supervisor, or a neighbor. Sometimes God can use you as his hammer. No one would call the young people at Tienanmen square who stood up for their rights criminals. I know I am not alone in this type of thinking. You just need to see the following quotes by these famous patriots:
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
-Edmund Burke-
Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who don't
-Thomas Jefferson-
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Manowar: Well Versed In Classics
Sadly, even in the 21st century, fans of Metal still have to face stereotypes that they are less intelligent because of the music that they choose to listen to. Whats more sad is the fact that the same people who choose to ridicule will go and rock out to crap bands like Nickle Back or Sloane. Every true metal fan knows that Metal is a fine art. One needs to have a basic idea of scales, harmony and progressions to write a good tune. A good metal album should have enough riffs to fill ten commercial records. One only has to see Dream Theater to be convinced. However, still the stigma lingers on.
However, I believe that the world is slowly waking up. Recently, the CBC reported a story where they compared peoples personalities to the music they listened to. Through serendipity they discovered that people who listen to metal have similar character traits as fans of classical music. The reporters reported on this with great amazement. However, the findings of that study did not surprise me at all, since, I became a fan of classical music through Metal. In his documentary Metal a Headbangers Journey, when disusing the origins of Heavy Metal, Sam Dunn credits Wagner as the first Metal composer for "bringing out the bottom end of the orchestra."
I believe that Metal can make people smarter since its content usually focuses on literary works, mythology, social justice and obscure schools of philosophy. Literary works such as The Lord of the Ring, Hobbit, and even the Bible are a common theme in Metal; and I bet a lot of people significantly expanded their knowledge by listening to the lyrics. I can speak for myself, recently I discovered a band called Skyforger. The theme of their music primarily focus on pagan traditions and believes of the Balts. This inspired me to get interested in my own heritage and research Slavic paganism and folklore. Metal made me want to learn!
There is hope! while reading up on Manowar in Wikipedia, I found a little review of their epic opus Achilles, Agony and Ecstasy in Eight Parts. For those unfamiliar with the song, it is an eight part, 30 minute opus that opens up the legendary album The Triumph of Steele (1992). The track is based on Homers Iliad. The track recently attracted the attention of a group of scholars at Bologna University in Italy. Mrs. Eleonora Cavallini, Professor in Classics, has written about this song:
"Joey DeMaio’s lyrics imply a careful and scrupulous reading of the Iliad. The songwriter has focused his attention essentially on the crucial fight between Hector and Achilles, has paraphrased some passages of the poem adapting them to the melodic structure with a certain fluency and partly reinterpreting them, but never altering or upsetting Homer’s storyline. The purpose of the lyrics (and of the music as well) is to evoke some characteristic Homeric sceneries: the raging storm of the battle, the barbaric, ferocious exultance of the winner, the grief and anguish of the warrior who feels death impending over him. The whole action hinges upon Hector and Achilles, who are represented as specular characters, divided by an irreducible hatred and yet destined to share a similar destiny. Both are caught in the moment of the greatest exaltation, as they savagely rejoice for the blood of their killed enemies, but also in the one of the extreme pain, when the daemon of war finally pounces on them. Furthermore, differently than in the irreverent and iconoclastic movie Troy, in "Achilles, Agony and Ecstasy in Eight Parts", the divine is a constant and ineluctable presence, determining human destinies with inscrutable and steely will, and, despite the generic reference to 'the gods', the real master of human lives is Zeus, the only God to whom both Hector and Achilles address their prayers"[1]
I'm glad that the academic world is slowly waking up. And who knows maybe one day this song will inspire me to give Greek Classics a try and learn more about it.
However, I believe that the world is slowly waking up. Recently, the CBC reported a story where they compared peoples personalities to the music they listened to. Through serendipity they discovered that people who listen to metal have similar character traits as fans of classical music. The reporters reported on this with great amazement. However, the findings of that study did not surprise me at all, since, I became a fan of classical music through Metal. In his documentary Metal a Headbangers Journey, when disusing the origins of Heavy Metal, Sam Dunn credits Wagner as the first Metal composer for "bringing out the bottom end of the orchestra."
I believe that Metal can make people smarter since its content usually focuses on literary works, mythology, social justice and obscure schools of philosophy. Literary works such as The Lord of the Ring, Hobbit, and even the Bible are a common theme in Metal; and I bet a lot of people significantly expanded their knowledge by listening to the lyrics. I can speak for myself, recently I discovered a band called Skyforger. The theme of their music primarily focus on pagan traditions and believes of the Balts. This inspired me to get interested in my own heritage and research Slavic paganism and folklore. Metal made me want to learn!
There is hope! while reading up on Manowar in Wikipedia, I found a little review of their epic opus Achilles, Agony and Ecstasy in Eight Parts. For those unfamiliar with the song, it is an eight part, 30 minute opus that opens up the legendary album The Triumph of Steele (1992). The track is based on Homers Iliad. The track recently attracted the attention of a group of scholars at Bologna University in Italy. Mrs. Eleonora Cavallini, Professor in Classics, has written about this song:
"Joey DeMaio’s lyrics imply a careful and scrupulous reading of the Iliad. The songwriter has focused his attention essentially on the crucial fight between Hector and Achilles, has paraphrased some passages of the poem adapting them to the melodic structure with a certain fluency and partly reinterpreting them, but never altering or upsetting Homer’s storyline. The purpose of the lyrics (and of the music as well) is to evoke some characteristic Homeric sceneries: the raging storm of the battle, the barbaric, ferocious exultance of the winner, the grief and anguish of the warrior who feels death impending over him. The whole action hinges upon Hector and Achilles, who are represented as specular characters, divided by an irreducible hatred and yet destined to share a similar destiny. Both are caught in the moment of the greatest exaltation, as they savagely rejoice for the blood of their killed enemies, but also in the one of the extreme pain, when the daemon of war finally pounces on them. Furthermore, differently than in the irreverent and iconoclastic movie Troy, in "Achilles, Agony and Ecstasy in Eight Parts", the divine is a constant and ineluctable presence, determining human destinies with inscrutable and steely will, and, despite the generic reference to 'the gods', the real master of human lives is Zeus, the only God to whom both Hector and Achilles address their prayers"[1]
I'm glad that the academic world is slowly waking up. And who knows maybe one day this song will inspire me to give Greek Classics a try and learn more about it.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The Metal Scene Loses A Gigant: Peter Steele Dead At 48
On April 14, 2010, Peter Steel (real name Petrus T. Ratajczyk) died due to heart failure. He will be most remembered as the front man of the Gothic Metal legends Type O Negative. However, before that, he fronted a successful thrash Metal band in the early eighties called Carnivore.
The first time I ever heard Type-O was live at the Warehouse during their October Rust tour. I did not know what to expect. All I knew is that they were a Metal band with a lead singer who has a voice deeper then the Crash Test Dummies. That was also the night I got introduced to Life of Agony, since they were the opening act. When Type-O hit the stage, I was confused. I could not understand why they are playing so slow. I never heard that kind of music, and what didn't help was Steel's dry sense of humor. He kept apologizing, saying that "he has a soar throat". To be honest, I came that night to see a Metal show, instead, I didn't know what I was witnessing.
Despite having mixed feelings about the evening, the next day I went and picked up a copy of October Rust and Life of Agony's Ugly. A few months later, someone left a copy of Bloody Kisses in my car. Ever since that year (I believe it might have been 1997) their music has played a significant part in my life.
Peter Steel provided every Metal head a CD that they can put on in order to create a romantic mood. Lets face it, I'm sure that every Metal head would love the idea of scoring wile blasting Slayer, but girls just aren't into that. However, pop-in any album from Bloody Kisses to Dead Again, and you have the perfect music for getting-it-on.
On the other side of the spectrum, while single, many times I took comfort in Typo-O's music. It was confronting to know that there is someone out there, who is infinitely better looking that me, having the same wows in the romance department.
I still never got a copy of Life is Killing Me, and I just recently discovered Carnivore, so I still have a lot of music to discover. Yet, it's just awful that we will never hear any new material. Peter Steel had a truly distinct style that contributed greatly to the development of the Metal genre. He will be greatly missed.
Peter Steel
January 4, 1962 – April 14, 2010
R.I.P
Monday, April 5, 2010
2nd Annual Metal Fest at D.C Music Featuring: Polarity, CayM, Assassinate the Following, and Quietus
On April 3, 2010 I had the pleasure of attending the 2nd annual Metal feast hosted by D.C Music. For those unfamiliar with the venue, D.C Music is a rehearsal studio and concert theater, just steps away from Kipling station. They specialize in anything related to bands, from merchandising to concert promotion. That night, I caught the sets of four bands: Polarity, Assassinate the Following, CayM, and Quietus.
Hailing from Mississauga, Polarity is a quintet fronted by a female singer. Their sound varies from from heavy Tool-like riffs and rhythms to more Edge 102 friendly songs. Their singer has really good energy on stage. Her vocals could be described as a cross between Alanis Morissette and Maynard from Tool. To be fair, I only caught the latter part of their set so I wont say too much. I got the impression that they are a young band that is still trying to mold their sound. They show a lot of promise. If they stay true to them selves and stick with it, I'm sure they will be a force to be reckoned with.
Next, hailing from Windsor, was Assassinate the Following. The first thing that caught my attention was the bass player's sick bass that was in the shape of a sci-fi battle axe. Their set begun with a sample of carnival music before ripping into a fury of double kicks and sweeping arpeggios. Their sound has a little bit of everything. Each of their songs consist of multiple riffs ranging from old school trash riffs, groove oriented hooks, clean choruses, with the occasional blast beat. Each member is quite technicaly proficient at his instrument and the band was tight as a whole. The vocals (ranging from growls to clean) were really low for the first two songs, however, this was rectified by the end. If aggressive music with a progressive edge is your thing, then this band is definitely worth checking out.
Next was CayM, a quintet from Mississauga. These guys have really excellent energy on stage while not missing a beat musically. Their singer sometimes resembled a younger Phil Anselmo only with higher vocals, wearing a white wife beater and a red baseball cap. Their set started of with a sample of bluesy music, before ripping into a thrash riff with a wall of double kicks behind it. The drummer of this band really impressed me. What was more impressive is that later we found out that he just came back from having three hernia operations. Bravo! Their sound is a mixture of old school Testament riffs and new school grove-oriented hooks with really aggressive vocals. Once in a while the two lead guitarists (both playing Jacksons) would rip into a solo. Occasionally they would do some duel guitar action, witch (being the Maiden head that I am) I enjoyed very much. Like I said earlier, they had excellent energy which was contagious. At the end of their set, they left me wanting more.
The last band of the night was Quietus. This is a band with three lead guitarists and a keyboardist. They brought a change of atmosphere to the evening. Their songs are all epic, over 6 minutes long, and very rich harmonically. Their sound is a mixture of folky Opeth parts, Fusion breakdowns, jazzy interludes, Norwegian riffs, and guitar counterpoint. All the musicians knew their way around their instrument. The problem was that, with such a multi-layered sound, it took the sound man three songs to figure these guys out. The thing is that (with their songs being so long) their 30 minute set consisted of four songs. These guys need to make sure that they give who ever is working the sound board a "heads up" before they play. You could tell that the band was still getting use to each other, however, I'm sure this will change when they play more shows together and gain some confidence. It was also refreshing to see a female drummer know her way around a double kick. Overall, this is definitely a band that's worth checking out.
In the end, the evening was a success, ending at about 1am. I definitely got my money's worth ($10). I hope that this event will be held next year.
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