Black Metal as Art[views:6579][posts:35]____________________________________ [Mar 28,2006 9:31pm - infoterror ""] Phenomenal leaps have occurred in the skill level in the black metal genre. Where black metal drummers used to be a source of amusement for anyone past the first handful of percussion lessons, now it is easy to bump into a qualified candidate at any show. The guitar work is precise in ways the founders of the genre could not have imagined, and new degrees of technique in tremelo picking, sweeps and arpeggios dwarfs the old ways. Even in the simplistic bands great advancements have occurred. The song structures are well-known in all of their variants, and bands now are so proficient in this area they can tell from a single glance what type of song must be built around a riff to complement it. Everything's less awkward; we know the best tempos to carry the audience, and what paces from them we can leap without causing abrupt disconnects. There are ratios for melodic riffs to blasting atonality, codices for when the keyboards come in and percussion layers boil off, tables for the use of dual vocals... black metal is almost a science, now. Aesthetically, there is much less confusion and far fewer missteps. No band today would put out that awkward video that the Immortal guys did, or screw up like Burzum did and make those very earthy and not very black metal flyers. No self-respecting 2006 black metal band would be caught with the mishmash of gear these guys attempted to use at first, the wrong string guages and pick widths, the wrong amplifiers and pedals, even drumsets all mis-arrayed for the task ahead... no, we've got a much better grip on the craft of black metal, these days. We've got the whole thing so much farther advanced than the founders of this genre that it's doubtful they'd get a second listen today. Just hearing those sloppy riffs, the un-slick arrangements of keyboard, seeing the awkward band photos and hearing their very-far-from-pro sound, well, they'd probably not make it. We've come so far that we probably don't even need Immortal, Burzum, Gorgoroth, Enslaved, Mayhem, Emperor, Varathron or Bathory; we've got bands that are so much better at what they do. There is one crucial difference, though -- the recent Summoning CD pointed out beyond doubt that black metal which preserves the epic feeling of past grandeur, and the sense of lawless abandon in the night which frees our souls from the preemptive frustration of morality and profit ethics, could still be written. What was the difference? Summoning don't appear to have varied equipment or technique since 1993 or so. The answer is simple: it's in the composition. http://www.anus.com/metal/about/metal/art/ |
| _____________________________________________ [Mar 28,2006 9:32pm - DrinkHardThrashHard ""] The new Summoning is amazing. The past few records still use the same basic setup as they always have, with a synth drum machine, etc, but they have really improved in the hypnotic use of samples and some great, soaring compositions. Try the new Drudkh too, assuming you haven't already. Quite good. |
| _____________________________________ [Mar 28,2006 9:37pm - AUTOPSY_666 ""] DRUDKH are great. |
| _____________________________________________ [Mar 28,2006 9:42pm - DrinkHardThrashHard ""] I think this new one is the best yet..."Blood in Our Wells" |
| _____________________________________ [Mar 28,2006 9:52pm - AUTOPSY_666 ""] Gonna get it soon. |
| ____________________________________ [Mar 28,2006 11:05pm - tomx nli ""] okay, so we don't emperor because black metal is so far past them now. last i checked, they were an extremely talented, technical, avant-garde band... and all this radical new black metal "art" like xasthur, leviathan, and craft sounds like a baby smacking a paper plate with a spoon, recorded with a Playskool I-Can-Sing Karaoke toy on a windy day. i dont see how this soud qualifies as "pro". new black metal = entering the realm of a 13 year-old mallgoth's idea of cool [img] |
| ____________________________________ [Mar 28,2006 11:10pm - tomx nli ""] P.S. leviathan says: [img] RARRRRRRRRGHHGHGH enter the unholy abysmal depths of my parent's basement! behold my massive, obscenely expensive mixing board that i dont know how to use!!!! GRAAAAAAAAGHGH KVVVLLLTTT |
| ____________________________________ [Mar 28,2006 11:33pm - DJ Death ""] what are you saying tom??? Wrest from leviathan uses a 4-track machine.... And i think he lives alone in an apartment the last i knew. |
| _______________________________ [Mar 29,2006 10:41am - Yeti ""] the new Craft has awesome sound. its raw yet clear. Leviathan i can agree with, i like the structure but it sounds like it was recorded under water in a tunnel |
| ______________________________________________ [Mar 29,2006 10:43am - DrinkHardThrashHard ""] DJ Death said:what are you saying tom??? Wrest from leviathan uses a 4-track machine.... And i think he lives alone in an apartment the last i knew. Isn't he also a tattoo artist with his own shop? |
| ______________________________________________ [Mar 29,2006 10:44am - DrinkHardThrashHard ""] tomx nli said:okay, so we don't emperor because black metal is so far past them now. last i checked, they were an extremely talented, technical, avant-garde band... and all this radical new black metal "art" like xasthur, leviathan, and craft sounds like a baby smacking a paper plate with a spoon, recorded with a Playskool I-Can-Sing Karaoke toy on a windy day. i dont see how this soud qualifies as "pro". new black metal = entering the realm of a 13 year-old mallgoth's idea of cool [img] Wtf are you talking about? There have always been the multiple approaches to black metal, like Emperor's symphonic, more technical style and the stripped-down, lo-fi Darkthrone/Burzum approach. That still holds today, there are still bands going for that lofty Emperor throne. What a terrible pun. I will now cease. |
| _______________________________________________ [Mar 29,2006 11:06am - BobNOMAAMRooney nli ""] I heard that Wrest recorded one of his albums with a microphone stuck through a dead rat. THIS PIECE OF BLACK METAL SENSATIONALISM BROUGHT TO YOU BY METAL-ARCHIVES.COM |
| ______________________________ [Mar 29,2006 1:42pm - CNV ""] Yeti said:the new Craft has awesome sound. its raw yet clear. Leviathan i can agree with, i like the structure but it sounds like it was recorded under water in a tunnel Fuck The Universe has my vote for album of 2005 I cannot think of one newer black metal band better than them |
| _____________________________________ [Mar 29,2006 2:02pm - Josh_Martin ""] Infoterror should stick to political essays. Anyone who says we don't need Bathory anymore should have "poseur" tatooed on his forehead. |
| ____________________________________ [Mar 29,2006 3:36pm - anonymous ""] Wrest's real name is Jeff Whitehead he is a sucessful tattoo artist in SF (Blackheart Tattoo) and was a semi-pro skater. |
| ____________________________________ [Mar 29,2006 6:01pm - infoterror ""] I think some of you here should have read the whole thing, or at least scanned it to the end. It's not as linear as it seems. |
| ___________________________________ [Mar 29,2006 7:01pm - dreadkill ""] anonymous said:Wrest's real name is Jeff Whitehead he is a sucessful tattoo artist in SF (Blackheart Tattoo) and was a semi-pro skater. skateboarding is so not grim. if he was ice skating, that would be grim. also, living in SF is not at all kvlt. |
| ____________________________________ [Mar 30,2006 3:22pm - infoterror ""] Skateboarding is grim if you hurt yourself. Anyone wanna repost that video of the guy who breaks his arm in like three places and starts screaming? Or was that someone here in the video...? |
| ________________________________ [Mar 30,2006 6:22pm - Abbath ""] CNV said: Fuck The Universe has my vote for album of 2005 I cannot think of one newer black metal band better than them 100% agree with you on that statement, Fuck the Universe is probably one of the best black metal albums i've heard in a long time |
| ______________________________ [Mar 30,2006 6:30pm - Yeti ""] Abbath said:CNV said: Fuck The Universe has my vote for album of 2005 I cannot think of one newer black metal band better than them 100% agree with you on that statement, Fuck the Universe is probably one of the best black metal albums i've heard in a long time i love the slower tempo. its got its properly placed blast beats but they arent chaotic, and the singer whatever his name is has a fucking awesome voice. so many black metal bands have singers whos voices sound painful, but that dudes is clear, and doesnt crack at all. |
| ______________________________________________ [Mar 30,2006 7:19pm - BobNOMAAMRooney nli ""] I'm partial to Arioch/Mortuus's vocals |
| __________________________________ [Mar 30,2006 11:25pm - sxealex ""] ostracize dead rats for they are not black metal |
| ________________________________ [Mar 31,2006 12:14am - Tully ""] Haha, everything that article uses to justify modern BM are the exact reasons modern BM sucks ass. |
| ___________________________________ [Mar 31,2006 1:00am - tomx nli ""] <a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/9408/grimcake6kh.jpg" border="0" width="969" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a> |
| ___________________________________ [Mar 31,2006 1:01am - tomx nli ""] [img] |
| _______________________________ [Mar 31,2006 10:35am - Yeti ""] wow man who did that? someday when i have kids i'm going to put that on their birthday cake hahahaha that is brilliant. |
| _________________________________ [Mar 31,2006 1:34pm - burzum ""] DET SOM FROSTENG VAR |
| ____________________________________ [Mar 31,2006 7:07pm - infoterror ""] Tully said:Haha, everything that article uses to justify modern BM are the exact reasons modern BM sucks ass. ...i think that's the point yeth |
| _____________________________________ [Sep 21,2006 3:35pm - lord doron ""] new black metal = entering the realm of a 13 year-old mallgoth's idea of cool whoever thinks this is an idiot. leviathan and xasthur record their own musick on 4 track recorders without the help of some studio assholes to help them. and they have some homies to help them master there music. and personally they are some of the grimmest black metal around right now not to mention there other ties which include draugar, weakling, kreig, and twilight. and as far as emperor goes they suck now. not to say they arent talented but there music sucks now. and for what ever reason you said it sound like a toddler banging a spoon on a paper plate, your fucking stupid. they are fucking true raw black metal, hands down no fucking contest. and craft is sick too mother fuckers! |
| ___________________________________ [Sep 21,2006 4:27pm - nekrotisk ""] Fuck yeah they are. |
| ______________________________________ [Sep 21,2006 4:34pm - Anthony nli ""] [Mar 28,2006 11:05pm - tomx nli ] okay, so we don't emperor because black metal is so far past them now. last i checked, they were an extremely talented, technical, avant-garde band... and all this radical new black metal "art" like xasthur, leviathan, and craft sounds like a baby smacking a paper plate with a spoon, recorded with a Playskool I-Can-Sing Karaoke toy on a windy day. i dont see how this soud qualifies as "pro". I think that lo-fi black metal like Leviathan sounds amazing. The production "sucks" according to the textbook way of thinking about it, but the way the instruments and vocals are all buried in this heavy, murky fuzz just makes the sounds so immersive. I actually enjoy the super lo-fi black metal sound for the same reason I enjoy the highly precise, perfect technical death metal sound. Minus appreciating the technicality of SoP, I get the same enjoyment out of 'Howl Mockery at the Cross' as I do out of 'Noctambulant'. It's an immersive feeling of being drawn in to the music. |
| __________________________________________ [Sep 21,2006 6:35pm - dwellingsickness ""] Man, When someone has a somewhat controversial opinion about BM, They all come out of the woodwork to argue. There are like 3-4 people here who just magically showed up when this thread started |
| ____________________________________ [Sep 22,2006 1:06pm - infoterror ""] Most people want black metal to be more idiot music. That way it's not threatening. |
| ____________________________________ [Sep 22,2006 1:11pm - paganmegan ""] I just want it, simply put, to not suck. |
| ____________________________________ [Sep 22,2006 3:42pm - infoterror ""] IT WON'T NOT SUCK UNTIL IT RECOVERS ITS IDEALS THINK ABOUT OLDER EMPEROR VERSUS AVG BAND NOW |
| __________________________________ [Sep 25,2006 12:21pm - rapist ""] How about older Immortal, older Darkthrone? There was once magic in the music. |