At the end of last year, as has been my tradition, I let loose with a completely premature "best of" top 10 list for metal/hardcore albums in 2008. Of course I hadn't heard all that I should have/needed to, and for what it's worth I still haven't (most notably Mirror of Dead Faces and InExordium), but I've heard a lot more. So here goes the "other" tradition -- a more finalized top ten with some more music digested and a few months of perspective.
But first, some honorable mention:
Azmaveth -- Strong as Death: The whole album wasn't as strong as the samples I'd heard, but this still has to be the best Christ-influenced black metal that Puerto Rico has produced, right?
Austrian Death Machine -- Total Brutal: If there's a better joke band (musically or jokingly) around, I haven't heard them.
Once Nothing -- First Came the Law: They've broken up and are again nothing, I suppose, but not before they took us on a riiiiiiiiiiiiide!
Soul Embraced -- Dead Alive: Dead Alive? Is that like True Lies? Don't get me wrong, this isn't on True Lies level, but it's quite good still.
Miseration -- Your Demons - Their Angels: A little overblown as far as the hype went in my opinion, but I guess if something has to be hyped you could do a lot worse.
And now, the winners:
10) The Famine -- The Raven and the Reaping: A great album, but if only it was as heavy as their live show it would be top 5.
9) Once Dead -- Visions of Hell: Yeah, so the production got jacked up and it sounds like it was recorded in 1988. Great songs are still great songs, and this one delivers 'em.
8) Divine Symphony -- The History: Brazil has produced about a thousand Christ-influenced metal bands in the last couple years, but with only Eric Bruntlett-like "success." Divine Symphony represents the one home run for the year (wait -- Bruntlett still hasn't hit one -- well, here's to hoping).
7) With Faith or Flames -- A Conquest Triumphant: What is that like "Paper or plastic?" Ummm. . . faith, please. Don't have to think to hard on that one. Oh, and extra metal!
6) Call to Preserve -- From Isolation: On a certain level this isn't all that special, but I just keep coming back to it. Probably the best tough-guy hardcore band currently active in the scene.
5) Synnove -- The Wh0re and the Bride: I like this title a lot better than my web filter does. I saw this marketed as "epic and aggressive" and I can't find two better words for it myself.
4) War of Ages -- Arise and Conquer: These cats are churning out great albums with a speed and consistency that I don't think I've ever seen matched.
3) Sympathy -- Anagogic Tyranny: In many ways this "should" be at number one. Unmatched in brutality and technicality, but it just needs a little more personality and memorability to take me where I'd like to go. Nonetheless, a remarkably outstanding album.
2) MyChildren MyBride -- Unbreakable: The exact opposite of Sympathy, where on one level there's nothing all that remarkable going on here. Except for -- oh yeah -- brilliantly compelling and memorable songs.
1) Enshrouding -- Volitale Times: Here's one I didn't see coming. A one-man project out of nowhere (or at least he won't say where) that was only replicated into 100 units and "released" (if you can even call it that) with absolutely no fanfare or expectation. But it captures everything that's right and good (ha ha -- that will really chap off the black metal elitists, won't it?) about raw, primitive black metal in such a way that probably only Dark Endless (equally impossible to find in 2009, I'm afraid) really comes close to. Don't bother looking for this one though, it's gone.
Legitimately, the titles at the top here aren't quite up to par for a yearly best-of, and although there were tons of strong and worthwhile releases, the superior few at the very top of the bell curve didn't quite show up. Do note, however, that Becoming the Archetype was removed from the list because (even though it was out in '08) the copyright is '09, and along with them bands like August Burns Red have already assured us of a monumental 2009 for metal. So look forward to those heading up a strong but pre-mature '09 list in a couple of months. Wohoo!
Showing posts with label Metal/Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Metal/Music. Show all posts
Friday, August 28, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Metal Was Great in 2008!
I think I have one reader who listens to metal. But let's be honest -- this blog isn't really written for readers anyway. So, just because I want to, here's a year-end top 10 from my world of metal (and hardcore).
Of course, I haven't heard every record from 2008, so in fairness to some that I've missed, here are a few who would have been most likely to have made the list but for eluding my grasp:
Azmaveth -- Strong as Death: What I've heard of this has absolutely ripped.
In Exordium -- In Exordium: The new Paramaecium playing death metal? How did I not find a way to get ahold of this? I should be ashamed of myself, and I am.
Mirror of Dead Faces -- Lamentation: Everybody who's heard this raves. But metal raves, not like techno raves.
Synnove -- The Wh0re and the Bride: This band was kind of considered marginal until this effort, which is "supposed" to be fantastic.
One album that I have no idea what to do with:
Frost Like Ashes -- Born to Pieces: On musical merit, this is easily top 10. But they call it an ep, and even though it's 10 tracks, there are only 2 new songs, a couple re-recordings, and a Johnny Cash cover? There's just no category for this.
Finally a couple honorable mention that were good listens but didn't crack the final list:
For Today -- Ekklesia: Why were bands like For Today and Nodes of Ranvier not around when I was growing up in the Midwest? Oh yeah, because the members were probably about 4.
My Silent Wake -- A Garland of Tears: A good album, but not up to snuff with last year's outstanding Anatomy of Melancholy.
Once Nothing -- First Came the Law: More fun "Southern metal." From Pittsburgh?
And finally, the winners:
10. Call to Preserve -- From Isolation: Probably the best tough-guy hardcore band going right now.
9. Austrian Death Machine -- Total Brutal: Easily the best joke band in the history of the world. And while the music is admittedly trite and generic, it's listenable, too.
8. Holy Blood -- The Patriot: It has to be tough to follow up the completely brilliant Waves Are Dancing.
7. Soul Embraced -- Dead Alive: An impressive return. Maybe more bands should take a few years off.
6. The Famine -- The Raven and the Reaping: The embodiment of brutality and chaotic death/metalcore.
5. Once Dead -- Visions of Hell: Depending on your persective, you may have waited 3, 16, or even 18 years for this. Regardless, it proved worthwhile and the best old-school thrash album in what feels like forever.
4. MyChildren MyBride -- Unbreakable: Some people rip on this for not being original. Fair enough, but I'll bet that those people go to Wendy's when MyChildren MyBride are feasting at Fuddruckers.
3. War of Ages -- Arise & Conquer: These cats have it down. A great album that takes the next step forward from Pride of the Wicked.
2. Sympathy -- Anagogic Tyranny: Insanely brutal and professional sounding technical death metal. Blistering blast beats, phenomenal leads, just all around fantasticness.
1. Becoming the Archetype -- Dichotomy: Last year's Physics of Fire was good but still somewhat disappointing for such a leading band. This one, however, is only disappointing if you were hoping that they'd suck. Brutal, catchy, memorable, progressive, technical, atmospheric, and dare I say worshipful? What more could anybody possibly imagine could come from an audio compact disc? Truly a masterpiece, and if you only buy 1 album from 2008, I'd suggest that you reconsider your record buying policy and then pick this one up.
On the whole, at this point '08 doesn't quite have the depth of '07 which had a tremendous number of great releases, but if some of those that I missed come through it could be as good yet. But for the moment I'm more looking ahead to what promises to be an excellent '09, with albums from A Plea for Purging, Living Sacrifice, Deus Invictus, Impending Doom, Monotheist, Dagon, Believer, and Divine Symphony to name a few. Wohoo!
Of course, I haven't heard every record from 2008, so in fairness to some that I've missed, here are a few who would have been most likely to have made the list but for eluding my grasp:
Azmaveth -- Strong as Death: What I've heard of this has absolutely ripped.
In Exordium -- In Exordium: The new Paramaecium playing death metal? How did I not find a way to get ahold of this? I should be ashamed of myself, and I am.
Mirror of Dead Faces -- Lamentation: Everybody who's heard this raves. But metal raves, not like techno raves.
Synnove -- The Wh0re and the Bride: This band was kind of considered marginal until this effort, which is "supposed" to be fantastic.
One album that I have no idea what to do with:
Frost Like Ashes -- Born to Pieces: On musical merit, this is easily top 10. But they call it an ep, and even though it's 10 tracks, there are only 2 new songs, a couple re-recordings, and a Johnny Cash cover? There's just no category for this.
Finally a couple honorable mention that were good listens but didn't crack the final list:
For Today -- Ekklesia: Why were bands like For Today and Nodes of Ranvier not around when I was growing up in the Midwest? Oh yeah, because the members were probably about 4.
My Silent Wake -- A Garland of Tears: A good album, but not up to snuff with last year's outstanding Anatomy of Melancholy.
Once Nothing -- First Came the Law: More fun "Southern metal." From Pittsburgh?
And finally, the winners:
10. Call to Preserve -- From Isolation: Probably the best tough-guy hardcore band going right now.
9. Austrian Death Machine -- Total Brutal: Easily the best joke band in the history of the world. And while the music is admittedly trite and generic, it's listenable, too.
8. Holy Blood -- The Patriot: It has to be tough to follow up the completely brilliant Waves Are Dancing.
7. Soul Embraced -- Dead Alive: An impressive return. Maybe more bands should take a few years off.
6. The Famine -- The Raven and the Reaping: The embodiment of brutality and chaotic death/metalcore.
5. Once Dead -- Visions of Hell: Depending on your persective, you may have waited 3, 16, or even 18 years for this. Regardless, it proved worthwhile and the best old-school thrash album in what feels like forever.
4. MyChildren MyBride -- Unbreakable: Some people rip on this for not being original. Fair enough, but I'll bet that those people go to Wendy's when MyChildren MyBride are feasting at Fuddruckers.
3. War of Ages -- Arise & Conquer: These cats have it down. A great album that takes the next step forward from Pride of the Wicked.
2. Sympathy -- Anagogic Tyranny: Insanely brutal and professional sounding technical death metal. Blistering blast beats, phenomenal leads, just all around fantasticness.
1. Becoming the Archetype -- Dichotomy: Last year's Physics of Fire was good but still somewhat disappointing for such a leading band. This one, however, is only disappointing if you were hoping that they'd suck. Brutal, catchy, memorable, progressive, technical, atmospheric, and dare I say worshipful? What more could anybody possibly imagine could come from an audio compact disc? Truly a masterpiece, and if you only buy 1 album from 2008, I'd suggest that you reconsider your record buying policy and then pick this one up.
On the whole, at this point '08 doesn't quite have the depth of '07 which had a tremendous number of great releases, but if some of those that I missed come through it could be as good yet. But for the moment I'm more looking ahead to what promises to be an excellent '09, with albums from A Plea for Purging, Living Sacrifice, Deus Invictus, Impending Doom, Monotheist, Dagon, Believer, and Divine Symphony to name a few. Wohoo!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Metal From Heaven, Redux
Early in the year, I posted my top ten albums for 2007, noting that there were a couple of notable releases that I'd missed and would have likely altered the list substantially. Now nearly into October, I think I've managed to check out most all of the important releases, and the list HAS changed somewhat. It's not timely, but in the interest of credit where it's due, here's something closer to a "final" best of for 2007, all IMHO, of course:
Honorable Mention:
Deborah -- Soteria: Honestly, this has some great moments but has no business on a "best of" list. That said, when a female, Christian, Mexican black metal band puts out an album that has any real merit (which it does), it seems to deserve honorable mention, no? Also, this should be notable because it ought to be required listening and the new benchmark. Do you have a band? Good, I hope you do. And I hope you're really excited about it. BUT -- if you can't top this, don't ask me to listen. Let me put it differently -- if you can't do better than Mexican Christian women, maybe black metal isn't your thing. If you still want to try, great. Keep working, keep practicing, and keep improving, but in the meantime, take down your band's myspace and stop spamming the message boards. When you can do this well or better, then we'll be very happy to listen.
Inhale/Exhale -- The Lost, The Sick, The Sacred: I never really worked to pick this up, because I was sure it was either more Solid State pseudo-metal or weak As I Lay Dying rip-offs. It's more melodic than I'd like, but it turns out to be a pretty solid effort.
Oh, Sleeper -- When I Am God: I had almost conciously ignored (if that's possible) this band untill a buddy loaned me the cd. I was shocked at how much I liked this. Sometimes I love being wrong!
Remove the Veil -- Another Way Home: "Southern metal" is burning itself out at record pace, but this is just one fun listen. "You're the devil chiiiiiiiiiiild!"
Dagon -- Paranormal Ichthyology: A fun album from a criminally overlooked band.
Seventh Star -- The Undisputed Truth: A great swan song from a top-shelf hardcore band.
Apostisy -- Famine of a Thousand Frozen Years: This band came from WAY off the radar to within a hair's breadth of cracking the list. If the entire album wasn't played at exactly the same tempo, it probably would have made it.
And the winners:
10) Deliverance -- As Above, So Below: A return to greatness from one of the scene's founding bands. It's the feel-good story of the year!
9) Nodes of Ranvier -- Defined By Struggle: South Dakota's finest make good even as they hang up their metaphorical cleats.
8) My Silent Wake -- The Anatomy of Melancholy: Dooooooming metal that's beautiful and epic and just plain wonderful.
7) Becoming the Archetype -- The Physics of Fire: When an album comes in as a disappointment at number seven, that speaks volumes for their previous work, right?
6) Feast Eternal -- With Fire: Sure, they made a splash in a quality-starved scene 8 years earlier, but the bar had been raised a long way since then, and to be honest I doubted that they'd be able to cut it. Once again, I LOVE being wrong!
5) Immortal Souls -- Winterreich: Wow. When an album THIS good comes in at number 5, it's a banner year.
4) August Burns Red -- Messengers: Jaw-dropping in precision and technicality.
3) A Plea for Purging -- A Critique of Mind and Thought: Brilliant high-end shredding metal(core) becomes the greatest new sound of the year and nearly takes over the world.
2) Common Yet Forbidden -- The Struggle: Blast-beating technical brutality that never slows down or sleeps. That's the recipe for giving me exactly what I want, kids!
1) As I Lay Dying -- An Ocean Between Us: I know, it's a generic choice, and I hate it for that. But I LOVE it for being a brilliantly amazing album. Brutal, catchy, melodic, memorable, and about as close to perfect as you could dare imagine. This is what happens when the rare combination of talent, passion, and professionalism come together.
Honorable Mention:
Deborah -- Soteria: Honestly, this has some great moments but has no business on a "best of" list. That said, when a female, Christian, Mexican black metal band puts out an album that has any real merit (which it does), it seems to deserve honorable mention, no? Also, this should be notable because it ought to be required listening and the new benchmark. Do you have a band? Good, I hope you do. And I hope you're really excited about it. BUT -- if you can't top this, don't ask me to listen. Let me put it differently -- if you can't do better than Mexican Christian women, maybe black metal isn't your thing. If you still want to try, great. Keep working, keep practicing, and keep improving, but in the meantime, take down your band's myspace and stop spamming the message boards. When you can do this well or better, then we'll be very happy to listen.
Inhale/Exhale -- The Lost, The Sick, The Sacred: I never really worked to pick this up, because I was sure it was either more Solid State pseudo-metal or weak As I Lay Dying rip-offs. It's more melodic than I'd like, but it turns out to be a pretty solid effort.
Oh, Sleeper -- When I Am God: I had almost conciously ignored (if that's possible) this band untill a buddy loaned me the cd. I was shocked at how much I liked this. Sometimes I love being wrong!
Remove the Veil -- Another Way Home: "Southern metal" is burning itself out at record pace, but this is just one fun listen. "You're the devil chiiiiiiiiiiild!"
Dagon -- Paranormal Ichthyology: A fun album from a criminally overlooked band.
Seventh Star -- The Undisputed Truth: A great swan song from a top-shelf hardcore band.
Apostisy -- Famine of a Thousand Frozen Years: This band came from WAY off the radar to within a hair's breadth of cracking the list. If the entire album wasn't played at exactly the same tempo, it probably would have made it.
And the winners:
10) Deliverance -- As Above, So Below: A return to greatness from one of the scene's founding bands. It's the feel-good story of the year!
9) Nodes of Ranvier -- Defined By Struggle: South Dakota's finest make good even as they hang up their metaphorical cleats.
8) My Silent Wake -- The Anatomy of Melancholy: Dooooooming metal that's beautiful and epic and just plain wonderful.
7) Becoming the Archetype -- The Physics of Fire: When an album comes in as a disappointment at number seven, that speaks volumes for their previous work, right?
6) Feast Eternal -- With Fire: Sure, they made a splash in a quality-starved scene 8 years earlier, but the bar had been raised a long way since then, and to be honest I doubted that they'd be able to cut it. Once again, I LOVE being wrong!
5) Immortal Souls -- Winterreich: Wow. When an album THIS good comes in at number 5, it's a banner year.
4) August Burns Red -- Messengers: Jaw-dropping in precision and technicality.
3) A Plea for Purging -- A Critique of Mind and Thought: Brilliant high-end shredding metal(core) becomes the greatest new sound of the year and nearly takes over the world.
2) Common Yet Forbidden -- The Struggle: Blast-beating technical brutality that never slows down or sleeps. That's the recipe for giving me exactly what I want, kids!
1) As I Lay Dying -- An Ocean Between Us: I know, it's a generic choice, and I hate it for that. But I LOVE it for being a brilliantly amazing album. Brutal, catchy, melodic, memorable, and about as close to perfect as you could dare imagine. This is what happens when the rare combination of talent, passion, and professionalism come together.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The Scream Certain Selected Portions of the Prayer Tour
With all due respect to the Stronger Than Hell tour, the summer's premiere extreme tour dropped into town on Tuesday night, and it was cool. Here's the skinny:
Pre-show
Because there were so many bands, the show was slated to start at 3:30 in the afternoon. Of course that's rough for a lot of people with jobs (which, interestingly enough, did NOT apply to me that particular day), so I stood in line overhearing comments like "Yeah, so-and-so's coming to town, but it's an 18 and over show!" "I was in Hot Topic yesterday and I saw. . . ." "They're really old school, I think they started back in, like, '06 or something." (Ok, I made that last one up.) I'm used to feeling out of place at shows, but yikes. Finally Jason showed up, and I wasn't sure if I was happier to see somebody I knew or somebody over 16 years old. Either way, it was better that way.
Better, that is, until we chatted with a merch guy (or band member? there were like 12,000, who can keep track) who listed off the bands that were going to be playing, with the notable exception of With Blood Comes Cleansing. They're absence caught me, because I thought it was weird that they were supposed to be playing near the start when they were on Victory. Turns out they had to drop off a few days before. Too bad. After walking away we realized that he hadn't mentioned Soul Embraced, either. Sure enough, both bands were missing without a word of explanation or apology. Bad deal, but the good news is that losing two bands of that magnitude would have been enough to cripple a lesser tour, but not this one. Nice.
Sing the Prayer with a Sappy Melodic and Slightly Off-Key Portion of the Show
The first three bands screamed. . . um. . . with clean melodious "screams"? There was, of course, some metal, but too much singy Underoath-style stuff going on. Not my bag. Andy, TJ, and Matt did show up, so that was a plus for these sets. And -- oh yeah -- an out of control dancer kicked a dude standing beside me in the chest hard enough that he left the building. The dancer didn't seem to notice.
Blessed By a Broken Heart
How do you follow three mediocre sappy bands? I suppose Blessed By a Broken Heart is one way. These guys are weird, even for being Canadian. Fog machines, an amped up light show, and hair right out of Stone Cold (no, THIS Stone Cold). Otherwise, the guitarist surely shredded, and I wouldn't pop them in and "bop out!" per se, but they put on a fun show. Real beef though, with the frontman -- you HAVE to either keep that shirt on or pull those pants up. Seriously, look how things are ending up for Britney. Regardless, it was an experience.
War of Ages
Awesome as always, but why did BBABH get to try to play themselves back into being cool and War of Ages only gets five songs? Having seen them several times in smaller venues it was cool to hear them with a good pa and all that, though.
MyChildren MyBride
Here's the truth -- MyChildren MyBride sound better on their album than they do live. Of course, they really sound pretty great on the record and it was still good to see them, but a little disappointing anyway. Also, the same out of control dancer hit a kid who was standing on the outside of the pit in the face during this set (I believe). He didn't notice until someone pointed him to the kid bending down holding his face. A minute later the poor dude left the building, still holding his face (couldn't tell if it was a nose or an eye or what, excactly).
Impending Doom
The polar opposite of MCMB is Impending Doom. Honestly, despite it's insane brutality level, their album doesn't do a lot for me. Live? Amazing. Also, the frontman did a great -- not good, great -- job of speaking about Jesus Christ. Sometimes I go to shows and bands will try to talk about stuff, but they're just not good at it. It's ok -- if you play music and it slays, play music. But this dude is the RIGHT guy to speak up and say something. Really well done. And although I knew his name, Andy's joke afterward was pretty great: "I guess if your name's Brook you have to learn to scream that low." Ha ha ha, nice! Oh yeah, and the SAME out of control dancer hurt a third person during their set. I didn't see this one happen, but I think it was a fellow dancer this time. That guy left the building, too. Hmmm, maybe if you're hurting multiple people on the same night, something's wrong and it's NOT everybody else? Seriously, I understand dancing and all that, but when you have 300-ish square feet to do your thing do you think you could not injure the people who just want to enjoy the show? Please?
Sleeping Giant
Much like Impending Doom, I'm not the biggest fan of the Sleeping Giant record -- but after the show, I'm a big fan of Sleeping Giant. This is a legit minsitry band like I haven't seen since Jesus Freaks, except these dudes were even better at presenting their beliefs in an appropriate and meaningful way. I can't fully go along with everything he said, but along with Impending Doom these cats are absolute dynamite at proclaiming Jesus to a subculture that's almost completley rejected him. Really, really nicely done, and a completely unique show experience. I was toiling in the obscurity of South Dakota/rural Minnesota during the original "spirit-filled hardcore" scene, but I wonder if it was a lot like that. I hope it was. And -- oh yeah -- nobody was hurt that I could tell, but out of control dancer after hurting three people? Oh yeah, he was back.
Final thoughts? Even without WBCC and Soul Embraced, the best tour that I've seen come through Louisville. Nothing can measure up to Crimson Moonlight, Becoming the Archetype, and Aletheian that I drove 6 hours for, but this was a sight and a sound and an experience all in one. Now next time let's just keep those spin kicks compact and those drawers pulled up, fellas. . . .
Pre-show
Because there were so many bands, the show was slated to start at 3:30 in the afternoon. Of course that's rough for a lot of people with jobs (which, interestingly enough, did NOT apply to me that particular day), so I stood in line overhearing comments like "Yeah, so-and-so's coming to town, but it's an 18 and over show!" "I was in Hot Topic yesterday and I saw. . . ." "They're really old school, I think they started back in, like, '06 or something." (Ok, I made that last one up.) I'm used to feeling out of place at shows, but yikes. Finally Jason showed up, and I wasn't sure if I was happier to see somebody I knew or somebody over 16 years old. Either way, it was better that way.
Better, that is, until we chatted with a merch guy (or band member? there were like 12,000, who can keep track) who listed off the bands that were going to be playing, with the notable exception of With Blood Comes Cleansing. They're absence caught me, because I thought it was weird that they were supposed to be playing near the start when they were on Victory. Turns out they had to drop off a few days before. Too bad. After walking away we realized that he hadn't mentioned Soul Embraced, either. Sure enough, both bands were missing without a word of explanation or apology. Bad deal, but the good news is that losing two bands of that magnitude would have been enough to cripple a lesser tour, but not this one. Nice.
Sing the Prayer with a Sappy Melodic and Slightly Off-Key Portion of the Show
The first three bands screamed. . . um. . . with clean melodious "screams"? There was, of course, some metal, but too much singy Underoath-style stuff going on. Not my bag. Andy, TJ, and Matt did show up, so that was a plus for these sets. And -- oh yeah -- an out of control dancer kicked a dude standing beside me in the chest hard enough that he left the building. The dancer didn't seem to notice.
Blessed By a Broken Heart
How do you follow three mediocre sappy bands? I suppose Blessed By a Broken Heart is one way. These guys are weird, even for being Canadian. Fog machines, an amped up light show, and hair right out of Stone Cold (no, THIS Stone Cold). Otherwise, the guitarist surely shredded, and I wouldn't pop them in and "bop out!" per se, but they put on a fun show. Real beef though, with the frontman -- you HAVE to either keep that shirt on or pull those pants up. Seriously, look how things are ending up for Britney. Regardless, it was an experience.
War of Ages
Awesome as always, but why did BBABH get to try to play themselves back into being cool and War of Ages only gets five songs? Having seen them several times in smaller venues it was cool to hear them with a good pa and all that, though.
MyChildren MyBride
Here's the truth -- MyChildren MyBride sound better on their album than they do live. Of course, they really sound pretty great on the record and it was still good to see them, but a little disappointing anyway. Also, the same out of control dancer hit a kid who was standing on the outside of the pit in the face during this set (I believe). He didn't notice until someone pointed him to the kid bending down holding his face. A minute later the poor dude left the building, still holding his face (couldn't tell if it was a nose or an eye or what, excactly).
Impending Doom
The polar opposite of MCMB is Impending Doom. Honestly, despite it's insane brutality level, their album doesn't do a lot for me. Live? Amazing. Also, the frontman did a great -- not good, great -- job of speaking about Jesus Christ. Sometimes I go to shows and bands will try to talk about stuff, but they're just not good at it. It's ok -- if you play music and it slays, play music. But this dude is the RIGHT guy to speak up and say something. Really well done. And although I knew his name, Andy's joke afterward was pretty great: "I guess if your name's Brook you have to learn to scream that low." Ha ha ha, nice! Oh yeah, and the SAME out of control dancer hurt a third person during their set. I didn't see this one happen, but I think it was a fellow dancer this time. That guy left the building, too. Hmmm, maybe if you're hurting multiple people on the same night, something's wrong and it's NOT everybody else? Seriously, I understand dancing and all that, but when you have 300-ish square feet to do your thing do you think you could not injure the people who just want to enjoy the show? Please?
Sleeping Giant
Much like Impending Doom, I'm not the biggest fan of the Sleeping Giant record -- but after the show, I'm a big fan of Sleeping Giant. This is a legit minsitry band like I haven't seen since Jesus Freaks, except these dudes were even better at presenting their beliefs in an appropriate and meaningful way. I can't fully go along with everything he said, but along with Impending Doom these cats are absolute dynamite at proclaiming Jesus to a subculture that's almost completley rejected him. Really, really nicely done, and a completely unique show experience. I was toiling in the obscurity of South Dakota/rural Minnesota during the original "spirit-filled hardcore" scene, but I wonder if it was a lot like that. I hope it was. And -- oh yeah -- nobody was hurt that I could tell, but out of control dancer after hurting three people? Oh yeah, he was back.
Final thoughts? Even without WBCC and Soul Embraced, the best tour that I've seen come through Louisville. Nothing can measure up to Crimson Moonlight, Becoming the Archetype, and Aletheian that I drove 6 hours for, but this was a sight and a sound and an experience all in one. Now next time let's just keep those spin kicks compact and those drawers pulled up, fellas. . . .
Friday, July 4, 2008
Credit Where It's Due
I'm pretty hard on the entertainment industry sometimes, and let's face it -- they deserve it -- their products are generally uninspired, uninteresting, and unwatchable (no text message required, Jim). But in the interest of fair play and honest recognition, I've been pleasantly surprised at a couple different films this summer already, and so I offer my open praise and admiration where it's deserved:
1) Iron Man. I know it's old news now, but this is the best movie I've seen in a LONG time, and the first I've seen twice in a theater since. . . the first Lord of the Rings maybe? Fun, funny, and dare I say "cool"? Seriously, it finished and my WIFE said, "Well that was super cool!" THAT doesn't happen often.
2) Get Smart. It's no Dumb and Dumber, but it was pretty funny. Of course, seeing movies with Jamey isn't always a good litmus test to tell if a movie's actually funny on it's own merits or not, but regardless, I went, I laughed, I left. And that's pretty much exactly what I was looking for.
3) Hancock. Not on Iron Man level, but another that wins with both the wife and myself, and that's no easy task. Plus, I was just starting to get bored at about an hour and a half, so I glanced at the time -- oh no! There's TOTALLY another 40 minutes left to wade through -- why do they always do that? But nope -- then it ended, right when it should have! It's sad when a movie gets bonus points for ending, but that's what the industry has come to, and so there it is.
4) Sort of unrelated as Bombworks Records isn't exactly "the industry", but I finally picked up Common Yet Forbidden's album, and my good golly-gosh that thing blasts and thrashes and flat-picks and just slays generally and to an exponential degree. Best record I've heard in a long time, and just wholly satisfying on every level possible.
Finally -- and completely unrelated, but it's a landmark day in my life and bears mentioning -- on Saturday my Championship t-shirt arrived. DVD ships later this month. Has life EVER been this good?
1) Iron Man. I know it's old news now, but this is the best movie I've seen in a LONG time, and the first I've seen twice in a theater since. . . the first Lord of the Rings maybe? Fun, funny, and dare I say "cool"? Seriously, it finished and my WIFE said, "Well that was super cool!" THAT doesn't happen often.
2) Get Smart. It's no Dumb and Dumber, but it was pretty funny. Of course, seeing movies with Jamey isn't always a good litmus test to tell if a movie's actually funny on it's own merits or not, but regardless, I went, I laughed, I left. And that's pretty much exactly what I was looking for.
3) Hancock. Not on Iron Man level, but another that wins with both the wife and myself, and that's no easy task. Plus, I was just starting to get bored at about an hour and a half, so I glanced at the time -- oh no! There's TOTALLY another 40 minutes left to wade through -- why do they always do that? But nope -- then it ended, right when it should have! It's sad when a movie gets bonus points for ending, but that's what the industry has come to, and so there it is.
4) Sort of unrelated as Bombworks Records isn't exactly "the industry", but I finally picked up Common Yet Forbidden's album, and my good golly-gosh that thing blasts and thrashes and flat-picks and just slays generally and to an exponential degree. Best record I've heard in a long time, and just wholly satisfying on every level possible.
Finally -- and completely unrelated, but it's a landmark day in my life and bears mentioning -- on Saturday my Championship t-shirt arrived. DVD ships later this month. Has life EVER been this good?
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Metal from Heaven In 2007
Ok, so December was crazy busy and I haven't updated in a while. Sorry Nick! No worries, though, you won't like this one either. Maybe next time . . . .
Anyway, since I have exactly zero readers who listen to or care about metal, I thought I'd make it my business to post my top-ten albums from the past year. Let's face it -- blogs are, by their very nature, pretentious and self-absorbed, so you'll just have to excuse me for this one and chalk it up to PAC-10 refs. And I have good news -- there should be a new Dido record for 2008!
First, the gem from 2006 that I didn't hear until 2007:
Eluveitie -- Spirit: Amazing. Plus, just by listening you'd never guess there were more than six or seven members!
Second, a record that I have no idea what to do with:
War of Ages -- Fire From the Tomb: A re-recording of (mostly) material from 2005 that's marketed as a new album. If it "counts" as 2007, it's probably top 3-ish, but really, how do you figure?
Third, a couple records that surely would have made the list but they evaded my grasp:
August Burns Red -- Messengers: I'd have if if interpunk wasn't lame and out of stock.
Common Yet Forbidden -- The Strugge: I'd have it if The End Records wasn't lame and out of stock.
Fourth, some honorable mention:
And finally, the top 10 records (that I've heard and am sure they count as 2007) of 2007:
10. Remove the Veil – Another Way Home
The whole “southern-fried metal” thing is about one band away from being old already, but I still can’t listen to this and not smile!
Anyway, since I have exactly zero readers who listen to or care about metal, I thought I'd make it my business to post my top-ten albums from the past year. Let's face it -- blogs are, by their very nature, pretentious and self-absorbed, so you'll just have to excuse me for this one and chalk it up to PAC-10 refs. And I have good news -- there should be a new Dido record for 2008!
First, the gem from 2006 that I didn't hear until 2007:
Eluveitie -- Spirit: Amazing. Plus, just by listening you'd never guess there were more than six or seven members!
Second, a record that I have no idea what to do with:
War of Ages -- Fire From the Tomb: A re-recording of (mostly) material from 2005 that's marketed as a new album. If it "counts" as 2007, it's probably top 3-ish, but really, how do you figure?
Third, a couple records that surely would have made the list but they evaded my grasp:
August Burns Red -- Messengers: I'd have if if interpunk wasn't lame and out of stock.
Common Yet Forbidden -- The Strugge: I'd have it if The End Records wasn't lame and out of stock.
Fourth, some honorable mention:
Demon Hunter – Storm the Gates of Hell
Decent, but again unable to fully re-capture the disturbing-ness of Summer of Darkness.
Impending Doom – Nailed. Dead. Risen.
The problem with deathcore? Rather than combine the brutality of death metal with the energy of hardcore, they put the brutality of death metal in the no-creativity box of hardcore. Insanely brutal album but it just doesn’t take me anywhere.
Sleeping Giant – Dread Champions of the Last Days
The most unique record of 2007, but too hit-and-miss to crack the list.
xDeathstarx – We Are the Threat
Very good hardcore, but that won’t break the list this year.
And finally, the top 10 records (that I've heard and am sure they count as 2007) of 2007:
10. Remove the Veil – Another Way Home
The whole “southern-fried metal” thing is about one band away from being old already, but I still can’t listen to this and not smile!
9. Dagon – Paranormal Ichthology
Honestly not quite what I was hoping for after Secrets of the Deep, although I think most of the let-down was in the production (what happened to the drum sound?). Still a fun record that I reach for months later.
8. Seventh Star – The Undisputed Truth
I always expect Seventh Star to be average and uninspired, and then they always punish me for my unbelief. I wish they’d punish me like this again – unfortunately they broke up, but fortunately they gave us this first.
7. Deliverance – As Above – So Below
Honestly I’d lost interest in Deliverance and all things Jimmy Brown, but after the buzz around this one I gave it a chance and was more than repaid. All metal, all heavy, and still progressive but not too much. Nice work fellas, very nice work.
6. Becoming the Archetype – The Physics of Fire
One of the greatest “disappointment” albums ever. It has to be tough to follow up something as beautiful as Terminate Damnation, but although I get lost in the technicality at times there are plenty of moments of brilliance as well.
5. Nodes of Ranvier – Defined by Struggle
Let’s face it – there’s nothing here that we haven’t heard before, but let’s also admit that they make it sound GREAT! Like Seventh Star, it’s too bad they broke up, but so good that they’re ending on an excellent note.
4. My Silent Wake – The Anatomy of Melancholy
Mmmmm, the tastiest doom/death album in years. Sorry, no bonus points for the double mellow acoustic disc, but this kind of metal needs bonus points like Mike Martz needs more passing plays. Brooding, plodding, epic, masterful.
3. Immortal Souls – Winteriech
In a mediocre year this could have been #1, it easily surpasses Ice Upon the Night and is probably their best record yet. Great songs played with an unbeatable fusion of melody and aggression.
2. A Plea for Purging – A Critique of Mind and Thought
Wow did THIS band catch me off-guard. With just a little more memorability this could have topped the list. Freaking amazing debut that either shreds like metalcore has never shredded or breaks-down like metal has never broken-down. Whatever, it slays.
1. As I Lay Dying – An Ocean Between Us
As popular as they’ve become, I’ve always figured them for a middle-of-the-pack metalcore band until now. Heavy, catchy, melodic, thrashy, and by far their most interesting and engaging album, I can’t shake these songs from my head or the cd from my player. Not that I would want to!
Friday, December 14, 2007
Impending Draft?
So I saw Impending Doom last night. It was cool! On top of being insanely brutal, they seemed like fun and genuine people. I'm a bigger fan of theirs today than I was yesterday, and that's always better than those times that you go away thinking that your image of a band in your head (or on your cd insert) was way better than the real deal.
Do you know what's even nicer, though? I didn't get hit in the face! Call me pansy or old or whatever, but bloodless shows are a plus for me. The "dancers" DID, however, manage to knock out a window. That's right, they didn't break it, just completely popped the bad boy out of the wall and onto the sidewalk. Good times, good times.
It was so much fun I'd like to do it all over again . . . and so I check their page and sure enough, they'll be back . . . on Valentine's Day? DANG! That's a tall order for married guy. Impending deal with the wife? How many chick flicks will that cost me? I don't know, I mean I'm pretty hardcore and all, but Mandy Moore movies just don't move me, you know what I'm saying? Impending decision, I suppose.
Whatever. Sorry this post is so lame. I'll try to do better next time (but no promises).
Just a couple random thoughts in the meantime:
1) Professional athletes often put their bodies through massive amounts of abuse. Not Celtics back-up center Scot Pollard, though. He's missing time because of a bad back that he hurt getting out of his car at Starbucks. Huh, and I thought that $4 for a white chocolate mocha cost ME a lot, but I guess not compared to him. Anyway, he thought it was better until he apparently aggravated his injury by putting on socks. My goodness. Seriously, what makes a guy (or a front-office, not that I'm going to be at ALL critical of Danny "bring me number 17" Ainge) think that he's going to be able to compete at a world-class level athletically when getting coffee and wearing socks puts him out of the game? My good golly-gosh. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up -- click here and read it right from the globe.
2) There's a preliminary version of what will become a Life Pointe promotional dvd (as well as the full half-hour performance at 4th Street Live as broadcast on the CW) on here. It's pretty flippin' cool, y'all, and if you're in the Louisville area, reading this, and STILL haven't checked out a service, you're missing out. Make it happen, you won't be sorry!
Do you know what's even nicer, though? I didn't get hit in the face! Call me pansy or old or whatever, but bloodless shows are a plus for me. The "dancers" DID, however, manage to knock out a window. That's right, they didn't break it, just completely popped the bad boy out of the wall and onto the sidewalk. Good times, good times.
It was so much fun I'd like to do it all over again . . . and so I check their page and sure enough, they'll be back . . . on Valentine's Day? DANG! That's a tall order for married guy. Impending deal with the wife? How many chick flicks will that cost me? I don't know, I mean I'm pretty hardcore and all, but Mandy Moore movies just don't move me, you know what I'm saying? Impending decision, I suppose.
Whatever. Sorry this post is so lame. I'll try to do better next time (but no promises).
Just a couple random thoughts in the meantime:
1) Professional athletes often put their bodies through massive amounts of abuse. Not Celtics back-up center Scot Pollard, though. He's missing time because of a bad back that he hurt getting out of his car at Starbucks. Huh, and I thought that $4 for a white chocolate mocha cost ME a lot, but I guess not compared to him. Anyway, he thought it was better until he apparently aggravated his injury by putting on socks. My goodness. Seriously, what makes a guy (or a front-office, not that I'm going to be at ALL critical of Danny "bring me number 17" Ainge) think that he's going to be able to compete at a world-class level athletically when getting coffee and wearing socks puts him out of the game? My good golly-gosh. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up -- click here and read it right from the globe.
2) There's a preliminary version of what will become a Life Pointe promotional dvd (as well as the full half-hour performance at 4th Street Live as broadcast on the CW) on here. It's pretty flippin' cool, y'all, and if you're in the Louisville area, reading this, and STILL haven't checked out a service, you're missing out. Make it happen, you won't be sorry!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
So . . . Do You Like Bacon?
1. The Celtics lost, in overtime, on the road, to the defending Eastern Conference champions last night, and I'm upset about it. That's WAY better than, say, last year, when the losses were completely forgettable and the wins were shocking. So much better that I had to go order tickets for when they come to Indianapolis. Six years I've lived in Louisville, and never in that time did I make seeing a Celtics game a priority -- until now.
2. On Saturday OU plays the grammatically challenged but athletically formidable and #1 (ranked) Missouri ("Mizzou") Tigers for the Big Twelve Championship. And #1 is a three point underdog! It doesn't mean they don't "deserve" to be #1 -- they've lost one game and we've lost two -- it just goes to show that being the "best" team isn't always the most important thing. Anyway, here's to taking them down (again) and winning (another) conference championship. I know, it would probably put Ohio State in the championship game and nobody (outside of Ohio) wants that, but let's make it happen anyway.
3. Isn't Thanksgiving weekend supposed to be a "down" week for church attendance? Because Life Pointe just had our best attended service since Mother's Day and capped off our best attended month ever! The momentum and excitement are back, and if you're in or near Louisville you really owe it to yourself to check a service out. I really, really think you'll be altogether pleased with your decision.
4. Yep, I like bacon, too.
5. The latest from Nodes of Ranvier? Really quite enjoyable, if not necessarily original or groundbreaking. South Dakota's finest, and doing us all proud, thank you very much!
6. Fans of all things hilarious and worthy of repeated viewing click here. Just make sure you're not drinking anything that you don't want splattered all over your keyboard and monitor as you watch. You're welcome.
7. I desperately hope I have something more substantial to write about soon. In the meantime, if you can place the post title, leave it in the comments. That's right, the gauntlet's been thrown down. . . .
2. On Saturday OU plays the grammatically challenged but athletically formidable and #1 (ranked) Missouri ("Mizzou") Tigers for the Big Twelve Championship. And #1 is a three point underdog! It doesn't mean they don't "deserve" to be #1 -- they've lost one game and we've lost two -- it just goes to show that being the "best" team isn't always the most important thing. Anyway, here's to taking them down (again) and winning (another) conference championship. I know, it would probably put Ohio State in the championship game and nobody (outside of Ohio) wants that, but let's make it happen anyway.
3. Isn't Thanksgiving weekend supposed to be a "down" week for church attendance? Because Life Pointe just had our best attended service since Mother's Day and capped off our best attended month ever! The momentum and excitement are back, and if you're in or near Louisville you really owe it to yourself to check a service out. I really, really think you'll be altogether pleased with your decision.
4. Yep, I like bacon, too.
5. The latest from Nodes of Ranvier? Really quite enjoyable, if not necessarily original or groundbreaking. South Dakota's finest, and doing us all proud, thank you very much!
6. Fans of all things hilarious and worthy of repeated viewing click here. Just make sure you're not drinking anything that you don't want splattered all over your keyboard and monitor as you watch. You're welcome.
7. I desperately hope I have something more substantial to write about soon. In the meantime, if you can place the post title, leave it in the comments. That's right, the gauntlet's been thrown down. . . .
Sunday, October 7, 2007
A Plea for . . . Rhinoplasty?
So I go to a hardcore/metal show (side note -- which is it, hardcore or metal? The answer depends on who you ask. Metal kids would call them hardcore. Hardcore kids would call them metal. I, of course, am not a kid.) in E-town on Friday night. GREAT bill -- a new favorite (A Pea for Purging), an old favorite (War of Ages), plus others. I'm there with my buddy Kyle and his 8-year old Jacob (how hardcore is that!), and we're ready to get crazy. Sure, as the token old dudes at the show "get crazy" pretty much means stand in the back and maybe head-bob, but still, we're ready.
Now -- as the old dudes, we look out of place. And it's not JUST that we have ten years on everybody there, it's that we're kind of like normal guys. Our forearms are tattoo-free, our ears don't have holes that you can see through, and our hair's the same length all the way around. I said we get crazy, right? But just because we may LOOK like rookies doesn't mean it's the case. I've been going to shows since '92, and obviously a lot of things have changed . . . but I've seen most of it happen. I have some idea how things roll. I understand pits and dancing and all that. I've even done my share, albeit not since the first Bush was in office.
All that to say we weren't taken off guard when the dancing began. Now as you might guess, this isn't "dancing" like on those tv contest shows, right? It's more like this (fair warning -- a couple of f-bombs in the song here). Anyway, the dancing started, and we all backed up . . . and up . . . and up . . . and . . . . There were like 60 people in the building -- which was a gym -- and there were about 8 people actually dancing. Which is fine, except those 8 people were given a space big enough for about 40. If we were at Keswicks, I would have had my back to the wall. If we were at the Bulldog, I would have been at the merch table. Seriously, I was about 40 feet from the band, and we were exactly 1 deep all around the perimeter. I actually thought to myself, "Why are we still backing up? How much room do they need?" I've literally been at shows with several hundred people where the dance areas were smaller. It's ironic, I suppose, that that was my last thought. BAM! Watch that video again if you want to, and check out the backward windmill action shots at 0:28 and 0:46. I took a fist flush to the nose. HARD. Hey -- it's a hardcore/metal show, and we've all taken our shots from either overly aggressive or just stupid dancers, but this bad boy was different. I felt something wet drip on my hand. I touched my hand to my face and saw crimson. Holding it to stop the bleeding I staggered to the restroom and let go of my nose . . . WHOOOOSH. Faucet, baby. I've never seen even close to that much blood come out of my body, to the point where I was a little woozy and could only half-way think straight.
For the next half-hour, let me say "thanks" to the dude who had been an army medic who helped know what was going on (seriously, I couldn't hardly think), the drummer from War of Ages for helping clean up the sink (that was cool man, but really -- it's somebody else's blood and it's nasty and you don't have to do that!), the guy who ran out to get me a bag of ice (it helped a LOT on the drive back -- really, that was huge bro), Kyle for wiping my blood up off the floor, Jacob for being cool about a ruined evening, Greg for caring enough to check in the next day, everybody who cared to ask me if I was ok (well let's see . . . I'm not dying, I have health insurance, I'm convinced that the God of all creation loves me personally, I have a ridiculously amazing wife, a church that I absolutely love, and probably the over-all best life of anybody in the building, so on a certain level I'm doing really quite well, thank you . . . but on another level, I just got blasted in the face, I've lost a sink full of blood, an ex-army medic's telling me that my nose is broken for sure, I'm going to miss the show, and all the "attention" is making me feel like a 2nd grader who fell down and skinned his knee on the playground, so on another level no, I'm not as good . . . now how am I supposed to answer the question?), and everybody who did NOT ask since I really had no good answer and honestly just wanted to be left alone.
Now the story would be a lot better if it was actually broken. Turns out it probably isn't (x-rays haven't been read by a real radiologist yet since it was the weekend). So that means that I'm just a wuss who bled like Niagara Fallls and had to leave the show (and, to follow Dr.'s orders the next day, had to sit and continue to ice it and miss a friend's wedding!) without any really legitimate injury. How lame is THAT!
As the silver lining and completely unforeseeable twist, though, check this out. Later that night I'm sitting on the couch with Laura watching tv and icing my wound. We're watching the news because I'm curious to see whether UofL was going to be able to come back and take care of Utah, and they do one of these "human interest" features on a woman who's been hiccuping for something like 20 years. Nothing will make it stop, but there is one thing and one thing only that, in legitimate fact, grants her temporary reprieve. I can't make this stuff up, y'all. Laura saw it too, and you KNOW she doesn't lie. The hiccups stop if the woman engages in . . . yodeling. Buzz, your powers clearly extend far beyond what I would have thought possible. I don't know how, but I know you have done this. There simply exists no other explanation. I used you for my own purposes, and now not only has your music taken up permanent residence in my mind, but you're drawing me further and further in to the ugly under-belly of the yodeling subculture, and now there's no escape, no surrender. Everywhere I go, when I least expect it, yodeling finds me. Like a heat-seeking missile or an IRS auditor, it just knows. It just knows.
Now quickly, since I know this was long, a word on the color change. The Phillies got swept out of the playoffs, and I didn't necessarily change out of disappointment with their play (poor though it was). They gave me a GREAT season and, sadly enough, the best post-season in 14 years. But on that same day, OU beat the team from the state to the south and vaulted back into the national championship picture. Sadly they have only two colors to play with, but Crimson and Cream it will be. Nice work fellas, VERY nice work.
By the way -- with only two colors, you'll have to move the cursor over the text to find the links. I hope you do though!
And here's my face, post-bashing/mid-swelling/under-eye-bruising:
Now -- as the old dudes, we look out of place. And it's not JUST that we have ten years on everybody there, it's that we're kind of like normal guys. Our forearms are tattoo-free, our ears don't have holes that you can see through, and our hair's the same length all the way around. I said we get crazy, right? But just because we may LOOK like rookies doesn't mean it's the case. I've been going to shows since '92, and obviously a lot of things have changed . . . but I've seen most of it happen. I have some idea how things roll. I understand pits and dancing and all that. I've even done my share, albeit not since the first Bush was in office.
All that to say we weren't taken off guard when the dancing began. Now as you might guess, this isn't "dancing" like on those tv contest shows, right? It's more like this (fair warning -- a couple of f-bombs in the song here). Anyway, the dancing started, and we all backed up . . . and up . . . and up . . . and . . . . There were like 60 people in the building -- which was a gym -- and there were about 8 people actually dancing. Which is fine, except those 8 people were given a space big enough for about 40. If we were at Keswicks, I would have had my back to the wall. If we were at the Bulldog, I would have been at the merch table. Seriously, I was about 40 feet from the band, and we were exactly 1 deep all around the perimeter. I actually thought to myself, "Why are we still backing up? How much room do they need?" I've literally been at shows with several hundred people where the dance areas were smaller. It's ironic, I suppose, that that was my last thought. BAM! Watch that video again if you want to, and check out the backward windmill action shots at 0:28 and 0:46. I took a fist flush to the nose. HARD. Hey -- it's a hardcore/metal show, and we've all taken our shots from either overly aggressive or just stupid dancers, but this bad boy was different. I felt something wet drip on my hand. I touched my hand to my face and saw crimson. Holding it to stop the bleeding I staggered to the restroom and let go of my nose . . . WHOOOOSH. Faucet, baby. I've never seen even close to that much blood come out of my body, to the point where I was a little woozy and could only half-way think straight.
For the next half-hour, let me say "thanks" to the dude who had been an army medic who helped know what was going on (seriously, I couldn't hardly think), the drummer from War of Ages for helping clean up the sink (that was cool man, but really -- it's somebody else's blood and it's nasty and you don't have to do that!), the guy who ran out to get me a bag of ice (it helped a LOT on the drive back -- really, that was huge bro), Kyle for wiping my blood up off the floor, Jacob for being cool about a ruined evening, Greg for caring enough to check in the next day, everybody who cared to ask me if I was ok (well let's see . . . I'm not dying, I have health insurance, I'm convinced that the God of all creation loves me personally, I have a ridiculously amazing wife, a church that I absolutely love, and probably the over-all best life of anybody in the building, so on a certain level I'm doing really quite well, thank you . . . but on another level, I just got blasted in the face, I've lost a sink full of blood, an ex-army medic's telling me that my nose is broken for sure, I'm going to miss the show, and all the "attention" is making me feel like a 2nd grader who fell down and skinned his knee on the playground, so on another level no, I'm not as good . . . now how am I supposed to answer the question?), and everybody who did NOT ask since I really had no good answer and honestly just wanted to be left alone.
Now the story would be a lot better if it was actually broken. Turns out it probably isn't (x-rays haven't been read by a real radiologist yet since it was the weekend). So that means that I'm just a wuss who bled like Niagara Fallls and had to leave the show (and, to follow Dr.'s orders the next day, had to sit and continue to ice it and miss a friend's wedding!) without any really legitimate injury. How lame is THAT!
As the silver lining and completely unforeseeable twist, though, check this out. Later that night I'm sitting on the couch with Laura watching tv and icing my wound. We're watching the news because I'm curious to see whether UofL was going to be able to come back and take care of Utah, and they do one of these "human interest" features on a woman who's been hiccuping for something like 20 years. Nothing will make it stop, but there is one thing and one thing only that, in legitimate fact, grants her temporary reprieve. I can't make this stuff up, y'all. Laura saw it too, and you KNOW she doesn't lie. The hiccups stop if the woman engages in . . . yodeling. Buzz, your powers clearly extend far beyond what I would have thought possible. I don't know how, but I know you have done this. There simply exists no other explanation. I used you for my own purposes, and now not only has your music taken up permanent residence in my mind, but you're drawing me further and further in to the ugly under-belly of the yodeling subculture, and now there's no escape, no surrender. Everywhere I go, when I least expect it, yodeling finds me. Like a heat-seeking missile or an IRS auditor, it just knows. It just knows.
Now quickly, since I know this was long, a word on the color change. The Phillies got swept out of the playoffs, and I didn't necessarily change out of disappointment with their play (poor though it was). They gave me a GREAT season and, sadly enough, the best post-season in 14 years. But on that same day, OU beat the team from the state to the south and vaulted back into the national championship picture. Sadly they have only two colors to play with, but Crimson and Cream it will be. Nice work fellas, VERY nice work.
By the way -- with only two colors, you'll have to move the cursor over the text to find the links. I hope you do though!
And here's my face, post-bashing/mid-swelling/under-eye-bruising:
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Fate. I Blame Fate.
Life changes in many different ways. Some are dramatic, some are subtle. Some are intentional, others are purely accidental. Sometimes the results are immediate, and sometimes the larger picture becomes clear only in hindsight.
I'm not exactly sure when yodeling become legitimately important in my life, but it's now positively undeniable that it is. Yep. Yodeling.
I just spent a week in Colorado, you see, and I had many experiences. I got to spend a lot of great time with my awesome wife, and it was great. I got to connect with my old buddy Shannon, and it was great. I got to hike to Mills Lake in the Rocky Mountains, and it was ridiculously fabulous. I got to hang out for a few days at a ministry conference, and it was generally pretty lame, but I got to meet and hang out with a whole boatload of great guys, and it was great. But all of these things were, more or less, expected.
What took me completely by surprise was the entertainment one night at the conference -- the Colorado Wranglers. Now let me be honest -- I didn't thing they sounded like something that I'd be digging on. At all. And, once again, I was (mostly) dead-on. Hey -- they were good, professional, fun, cheery, etc., but just really, REALLY not my style. Until they began chatting away about some of the unwritten rules and regulations regarding being a cowboy western band. They were as follow: 1) Sing in harmony (check), 2) Have a fiddle player (I thought it was a violin, but they're the experts, and they say "check"), and 3) Have a yodeler (WHAT?!). This was shocking for a couple reasons -- 1) I thought I was the only person ever to come across gospel yodeling, and 2) it was sounding like they were going to be able to meet the criteria . . . and I was not disappointed. They did a yodeling song.
Now before we get too far out of hand, let's get a couple things straight. 1) This was NO Buzz Goertzen. As far as yodeling goes, it was pretty entry level. Now I don't think the Wranglers would mind me saying so -- I think they'd agree themselves. By no means are they a yodeling act, so much as an act that contains a yodeling piece. There's a world of difference there, kids, and we need to be sure precisely where we're standing on this stuff. 2) I didn't "like" it. As in, I wouldn't hear it and think "yep, that's some darn enjoyable yodeling right there, now!" Because it just wasn't. I don't "like" yodeling in the first place, and it was mediocre yodeling even at that. I can't stress the point too much.
Through all of this, though, I can't deny . . . it was AWESOME! Have you ever been at a sporting event and had terrible seats, but something amazing happened? You might not have really even SEEN it, per se, but nonetheless, afterwards you and your buddy are screaming and will forever tell the story about the greatest thing you ever "saw". Or how about your first date? Looking back -- and maybe even at the time -- it was more awkward than anything, and probably the "relationship" went nowhere . . . but DANG! You were with a girl! And she even wanted to be there for part of it! AWESOME!!! And so we remember this moment fondly, right? Well this was it. This was my first live yodeling experience. We'd been making eyes at one another for some time, but in the moment I was caught completely unaware, and the suddenness only added to the amazement. It really happened. I was there. I saw a dude yodel, for real. I would say it was the kind of thing that only happens in the movies, but who's ever seen a movie with yodeling?
Now I'm in too far, and I don't think there can be any retreat. I'm one of them now, you see -- I've seen too much, and if I go to the powers that be I'll be incriminating myself too. The door has been closed behind me, and the only way to go is further in. I'm a part of the yodeling culture now, and I'm only even, like, 85% unhappy about it. That little but growing piece of me is becoming more and more enamored, engaged, enthusiastic.
Now if only ol' Buzz will accept my myspace friend request . . . .
I'm not exactly sure when yodeling become legitimately important in my life, but it's now positively undeniable that it is. Yep. Yodeling.
I just spent a week in Colorado, you see, and I had many experiences. I got to spend a lot of great time with my awesome wife, and it was great. I got to connect with my old buddy Shannon, and it was great. I got to hike to Mills Lake in the Rocky Mountains, and it was ridiculously fabulous. I got to hang out for a few days at a ministry conference, and it was generally pretty lame, but I got to meet and hang out with a whole boatload of great guys, and it was great. But all of these things were, more or less, expected.
What took me completely by surprise was the entertainment one night at the conference -- the Colorado Wranglers. Now let me be honest -- I didn't thing they sounded like something that I'd be digging on. At all. And, once again, I was (mostly) dead-on. Hey -- they were good, professional, fun, cheery, etc., but just really, REALLY not my style. Until they began chatting away about some of the unwritten rules and regulations regarding being a cowboy western band. They were as follow: 1) Sing in harmony (check), 2) Have a fiddle player (I thought it was a violin, but they're the experts, and they say "check"), and 3) Have a yodeler (WHAT?!). This was shocking for a couple reasons -- 1) I thought I was the only person ever to come across gospel yodeling, and 2) it was sounding like they were going to be able to meet the criteria . . . and I was not disappointed. They did a yodeling song.
Now before we get too far out of hand, let's get a couple things straight. 1) This was NO Buzz Goertzen. As far as yodeling goes, it was pretty entry level. Now I don't think the Wranglers would mind me saying so -- I think they'd agree themselves. By no means are they a yodeling act, so much as an act that contains a yodeling piece. There's a world of difference there, kids, and we need to be sure precisely where we're standing on this stuff. 2) I didn't "like" it. As in, I wouldn't hear it and think "yep, that's some darn enjoyable yodeling right there, now!" Because it just wasn't. I don't "like" yodeling in the first place, and it was mediocre yodeling even at that. I can't stress the point too much.
Through all of this, though, I can't deny . . . it was AWESOME! Have you ever been at a sporting event and had terrible seats, but something amazing happened? You might not have really even SEEN it, per se, but nonetheless, afterwards you and your buddy are screaming and will forever tell the story about the greatest thing you ever "saw". Or how about your first date? Looking back -- and maybe even at the time -- it was more awkward than anything, and probably the "relationship" went nowhere . . . but DANG! You were with a girl! And she even wanted to be there for part of it! AWESOME!!! And so we remember this moment fondly, right? Well this was it. This was my first live yodeling experience. We'd been making eyes at one another for some time, but in the moment I was caught completely unaware, and the suddenness only added to the amazement. It really happened. I was there. I saw a dude yodel, for real. I would say it was the kind of thing that only happens in the movies, but who's ever seen a movie with yodeling?
Now I'm in too far, and I don't think there can be any retreat. I'm one of them now, you see -- I've seen too much, and if I go to the powers that be I'll be incriminating myself too. The door has been closed behind me, and the only way to go is further in. I'm a part of the yodeling culture now, and I'm only even, like, 85% unhappy about it. That little but growing piece of me is becoming more and more enamored, engaged, enthusiastic.
Now if only ol' Buzz will accept my myspace friend request . . . .
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Taking On a Life of It's Own
Never before have I posted two days in a row, but some circumstances demand extraordinary action. This, my friends and reader, is one of those circumstances.
You see, yesterday I thought that my previous Buzz Goertzen blog was over and done with, but that was before I checked this joker's blog and had to go change my shorts. And THAT was before I saw his link to Buzz's myspace (even that phrase cracks me up), which features the FULL streaming version of my all-time (tied, at least) favorite Goertzen classic, "Then I Start to Yodel." And really, you HAVE to listen to the full song, because as crazy and out of control as the first half seems, it actually ends with a double-time feel and . . . are those . . . harmonies? I'm not enough of a music guy to really know or pick these thing apart, but one way or another I think it's imperative that anybody who wishes to be anything remotely close to a well-rounded or cultured person have a listen.
You see, yesterday I thought that my previous Buzz Goertzen blog was over and done with, but that was before I checked this joker's blog and had to go change my shorts. And THAT was before I saw his link to Buzz's myspace (even that phrase cracks me up), which features the FULL streaming version of my all-time (tied, at least) favorite Goertzen classic, "Then I Start to Yodel." And really, you HAVE to listen to the full song, because as crazy and out of control as the first half seems, it actually ends with a double-time feel and . . . are those . . . harmonies? I'm not enough of a music guy to really know or pick these thing apart, but one way or another I think it's imperative that anybody who wishes to be anything remotely close to a well-rounded or cultured person have a listen.
Monday, August 27, 2007
It Must Have Been Hot That Day
Honestly, I don't remember it ever happening, but it must have. One day at work I must have told Nick about the crazy gospel yodeler that my dad used to listen to (with that kind of memory, I sure hope that I never told him about that one time when I . . .), as you can see he referenced in the comments of my last post. After seeing his comment and then wiping chunks of partially chewed meatloaf off of my monitor, I went ahead and tried to google this cat, and apparently they have the internet even in Idaho now. And I'm telling you, if you never, ever click on a link from Flogging, But With a "B" again, click on this one. Really.
My thoughts:
1) This cat is serious. He's a real, live, gospel yodeler, and he's totally into what he's doing. And it's yodeling. Can you even make a joke about that? I know my own musical taste is somewhat off the beaten path, at least for a generally well-adjusted 30-ish dude. I know there are potentially a LOT of jokes there. Well and good. But really . . . did you click the link?
2) If you listen to a bit, it's undeniable that he's really pretty amazing. Now note well that there's a gulf a mile wide and 20 miles deep between "good" and "I like it." Shakespeare In Love was "good." Modern art is "good." Not eating 3 bags of butter lover's microwave popcorn for dinner is "good." I'm just not into a lot of things that are "good." That said, after the laughter stops and you actually get through a couple clips (I suggest "Yodel Your Troubles Away," "She Taught Me How to Yodel", and the classic that started it all, "Jesus Put a Yodel in My Soul"), I think you HAVE to admit that it's kind of fascinating. Not maybe quite in the enjoyable sense, but like if you had a crazy neighbor who dedicated her life to whistling showtunes through her nose, or maybe a friend's dog that could jump rope double-dutch style. In fairness it's not quite the same as a train wreck, but there's this strange "disturbing yet amazing" phenomenon at work, right?
3) He apparently named his daughter "Tammy Sue." It's perfect. And -- oh yeah -- his name is "Buzz." This whole thing is starting to make sense now, actually . . . .
4) Why is there no clip available for "Will the Angels Yodel with Me?" Could we petition, do you think?
5) How priceless is this line: "Nothing stirs up an audience like yodeling, and no one yodels like Buzz Goertzen." Yeah, I read an arictle saying that NWA, Hatebreed, and Buzz Goertzen -- their shows are always the craziest. And, maybe almost as classic: "Buzz currently has ten albums, none of which is available in stores."
6) Buzz, if you ever google yourself (LOVE that phrase!) and come across Flogging, But With a "B," I won't deny that I do think the whole deal is pretty incredibly funny. That said, know that you yodeled me through a South Dakota summer or two in dad's Lumina . . . loudly. We laughed, it's true, but we also loved it (sort of, at least). So please know that it's all in good fun -- the kind of good ribbing that you're only comfortable giving to one of the fellas. Yodel on, my friend, yodel on.
My thoughts:
1) This cat is serious. He's a real, live, gospel yodeler, and he's totally into what he's doing. And it's yodeling. Can you even make a joke about that? I know my own musical taste is somewhat off the beaten path, at least for a generally well-adjusted 30-ish dude. I know there are potentially a LOT of jokes there. Well and good. But really . . . did you click the link?
2) If you listen to a bit, it's undeniable that he's really pretty amazing. Now note well that there's a gulf a mile wide and 20 miles deep between "good" and "I like it." Shakespeare In Love was "good." Modern art is "good." Not eating 3 bags of butter lover's microwave popcorn for dinner is "good." I'm just not into a lot of things that are "good." That said, after the laughter stops and you actually get through a couple clips (I suggest "Yodel Your Troubles Away," "She Taught Me How to Yodel", and the classic that started it all, "Jesus Put a Yodel in My Soul"), I think you HAVE to admit that it's kind of fascinating. Not maybe quite in the enjoyable sense, but like if you had a crazy neighbor who dedicated her life to whistling showtunes through her nose, or maybe a friend's dog that could jump rope double-dutch style. In fairness it's not quite the same as a train wreck, but there's this strange "disturbing yet amazing" phenomenon at work, right?
3) He apparently named his daughter "Tammy Sue." It's perfect. And -- oh yeah -- his name is "Buzz." This whole thing is starting to make sense now, actually . . . .
4) Why is there no clip available for "Will the Angels Yodel with Me?" Could we petition, do you think?
5) How priceless is this line: "Nothing stirs up an audience like yodeling, and no one yodels like Buzz Goertzen." Yeah, I read an arictle saying that NWA, Hatebreed, and Buzz Goertzen -- their shows are always the craziest. And, maybe almost as classic: "Buzz currently has ten albums, none of which is available in stores."
6) Buzz, if you ever google yourself (LOVE that phrase!) and come across Flogging, But With a "B," I won't deny that I do think the whole deal is pretty incredibly funny. That said, know that you yodeled me through a South Dakota summer or two in dad's Lumina . . . loudly. We laughed, it's true, but we also loved it (sort of, at least). So please know that it's all in good fun -- the kind of good ribbing that you're only comfortable giving to one of the fellas. Yodel on, my friend, yodel on.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Faulkner's Head-Banging in His Grave
I know, I know. "Metalcore" is too trendy and so nobody likes it anymore (right, like "nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded"). Still, I picked up the new As I Lay Dying ("An Ocean Between Us") today, and there's some SMOKE on this puppy!
It's not a perfect album. I wish they didn't use the clean vocals in the chorus of every-other song (if I liked clean vocals I'd buy Whitney Houston or Micheal Bolton or something, right?). I'm not into the lame 1:30 intro track or the "radio friendly" track (again, if I wanted radio friendly, I would have bought Korn or Linkin Park or some other band who's music I like about as much as their grammar and spelling). Also, I'm confused by why there are two album covers (makes about as much sense as when they put a cardboard sleeve around the case with the exact same art as beneath the sleeve . . . why?).
Those aside, however, this is maybe (probably?) the best AILD yet. There's no way around calling it metalcore, but where Shadows Are Security seemed "safe," "proficient," and "professional," this one takes more chances, feels a lot more inspired, and is twice as fun to listen to -- like they said, "hey -- let's make an awesome record!" as opposed to "I guess it's time to make another record". [disclaimer -- I'm not accusing them of putting out a half-mulletted album last time, just relaying my listening experience, cool?]
Let's put it this way -- after a promising carreer in the minors (their Pluto Records stuff), they got called up to the show (Metal Blade) and won rookie of the year (Frail Words Collapse) with a .305, 34, 110 type of season. It seemed like a step back, then, when their sophomore season (Shadows Are Security) was more like .280, 26, 92. Well so far, this one sounds like MVP consideration.
Since I'm on metal, by the way, let me just give an equal (or maybe even higher?) recommendation for the less-heralded, less heard of, and (not coincidentally) core-free, pure metal new Immortal Souls, "Winteriech." Oh my! Facedown is releasing it later this month, but you can buy the "original" Dark Balance version here or here right now. Wohoo!
[Edit -- Facedown actually released the Immortal Souls today, as it turns out. Because I KNOW you were concerned. . . .]
It's not a perfect album. I wish they didn't use the clean vocals in the chorus of every-other song (if I liked clean vocals I'd buy Whitney Houston or Micheal Bolton or something, right?). I'm not into the lame 1:30 intro track or the "radio friendly" track (again, if I wanted radio friendly, I would have bought Korn or Linkin Park or some other band who's music I like about as much as their grammar and spelling). Also, I'm confused by why there are two album covers (makes about as much sense as when they put a cardboard sleeve around the case with the exact same art as beneath the sleeve . . . why?).
Those aside, however, this is maybe (probably?) the best AILD yet. There's no way around calling it metalcore, but where Shadows Are Security seemed "safe," "proficient," and "professional," this one takes more chances, feels a lot more inspired, and is twice as fun to listen to -- like they said, "hey -- let's make an awesome record!" as opposed to "I guess it's time to make another record". [disclaimer -- I'm not accusing them of putting out a half-mulletted album last time, just relaying my listening experience, cool?]
Let's put it this way -- after a promising carreer in the minors (their Pluto Records stuff), they got called up to the show (Metal Blade) and won rookie of the year (Frail Words Collapse) with a .305, 34, 110 type of season. It seemed like a step back, then, when their sophomore season (Shadows Are Security) was more like .280, 26, 92. Well so far, this one sounds like MVP consideration.
Since I'm on metal, by the way, let me just give an equal (or maybe even higher?) recommendation for the less-heralded, less heard of, and (not coincidentally) core-free, pure metal new Immortal Souls, "Winteriech." Oh my! Facedown is releasing it later this month, but you can buy the "original" Dark Balance version here or here right now. Wohoo!
[Edit -- Facedown actually released the Immortal Souls today, as it turns out. Because I KNOW you were concerned. . . .]
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
What I've Seen at the Scene
Have you ever been to a hardcore show? Most of you probably haven't. I went to a hardcore show last night, and I have some thoughts.
The bands were fantastic. I LOVE War of Ages, and I like Seventh Star a lot, too, so it was a great bill for me. They're fun, energetic, and have great sounds -- plus War of Ages has a shredder guitarist who's just flat-out cash money. Love 'em.
The hanging out between bands was a lot of fun this time too, because there were several people there that I knew. That's completely strange for me -- I'm half used to going to shows alone, and maybe with one buddy at the most. With loving the bands AND hanging out with some cool cats (no "Catts" though) I think I may have come as close as I ever have to experiencing what "the scene" is supposed to be like. There's the rub right there, though. Here's what I mean.
My buddy Kyle found the venue a few minutes before I did, and called me to say I'd better hurry up because everybody was looking at him like he was a grandpa. We didn't really talk about it, but here's what he would have been experiencing:
He didn't look like everybody else. His clothes were a little different, his tattoos were few and covered by his sleeve, he had no piercings, and his hair was the same length all the way around.
He didn't know everybody else. In fact, he knew nobody.
He didn't talk like everybody else. He wasn't ready to make instantaneous conversation about the latest Zao line-up change or how Avenged Sevenfold has sold-out or the last August Burns Red album as compared to their earlier works.
He didn't dance like everybody else. If fact, he couldn't even SEE the invisible monsters that everybody else seemed determined to kill (if you've never been to a hardcore show, click here and laugh yourself silly)!
He didn't live the lifestyle of everybody else. He does crazy things like eat burgers and drink milk. Yep, he's a real radical.
Now how do I know what he was going through? Because I've been there a hundred times myself. It's pretty uncomfortable (and I'm NOT typically uncomfortable!) and can make you really feel like an outsider. You feel awkward, ignorant, unwanted, and generally out of place. Not the kind of experience that you really want to pay for again (unless you REALLY like the bands!).
You know what it makes me think of, though? I wonder if it's like that for people when they go to a church for the first time. Everybody else knows how to dress, how to talk, where to go, what to do when the music starts, and a lot of the other people. What if nobody greets them at the door? What if they're made to feel like they really don't belong? What if they were driven to church as a last resort because they were desperate for something, and it was just all they could think of . . . and then they experience something like that. The band may be great, the message might be really legitimately helpful, and the printed materials might be first-rate, but the entire experience is uncomfortable and awkward. They're not coming back. Neither would I.
Two thoughts, then, in conclusion.
1) If you're reading this and considering -- even a little bit -- coming to Life Pointe, please do so. Every single week we make every effort that we can to make everybody -- but especially first-time guests -- feel like they are important, valuable, wanted, and welcome. Because you are. One of my greatest personal passions is making sure that you know you're wanted and made to feel as comfortable as possible.
2) If you're a part of a church -- Life Pointe or otherwise -- consider what it's like to be a visitor with new eyes. What would it be like for somebody coming by themselves for the first time? You're an "insider" and probably don't really remember anymore. I assume you're there because you think something worthwhile's going on, and that people would benefit from it. I've heard WAY too many stories about people visiting churches and being completely ignored, and if nobody else will do something about it, maybe it's time that YOU did. Look outside of yourself and find somebody who doesn't know what's going on -- it takes a LOT of guts to step into a situation like that, and they're there for a reason. Help them to know that it was the right decision and not walk away just that much more jaded about a church culture that has forgotten to open itself up to those who have been on the outside.
The bands were fantastic. I LOVE War of Ages, and I like Seventh Star a lot, too, so it was a great bill for me. They're fun, energetic, and have great sounds -- plus War of Ages has a shredder guitarist who's just flat-out cash money. Love 'em.
The hanging out between bands was a lot of fun this time too, because there were several people there that I knew. That's completely strange for me -- I'm half used to going to shows alone, and maybe with one buddy at the most. With loving the bands AND hanging out with some cool cats (no "Catts" though) I think I may have come as close as I ever have to experiencing what "the scene" is supposed to be like. There's the rub right there, though. Here's what I mean.
My buddy Kyle found the venue a few minutes before I did, and called me to say I'd better hurry up because everybody was looking at him like he was a grandpa. We didn't really talk about it, but here's what he would have been experiencing:
He didn't look like everybody else. His clothes were a little different, his tattoos were few and covered by his sleeve, he had no piercings, and his hair was the same length all the way around.
He didn't know everybody else. In fact, he knew nobody.
He didn't talk like everybody else. He wasn't ready to make instantaneous conversation about the latest Zao line-up change or how Avenged Sevenfold has sold-out or the last August Burns Red album as compared to their earlier works.
He didn't dance like everybody else. If fact, he couldn't even SEE the invisible monsters that everybody else seemed determined to kill (if you've never been to a hardcore show, click here and laugh yourself silly)!
He didn't live the lifestyle of everybody else. He does crazy things like eat burgers and drink milk. Yep, he's a real radical.
Now how do I know what he was going through? Because I've been there a hundred times myself. It's pretty uncomfortable (and I'm NOT typically uncomfortable!) and can make you really feel like an outsider. You feel awkward, ignorant, unwanted, and generally out of place. Not the kind of experience that you really want to pay for again (unless you REALLY like the bands!).
You know what it makes me think of, though? I wonder if it's like that for people when they go to a church for the first time. Everybody else knows how to dress, how to talk, where to go, what to do when the music starts, and a lot of the other people. What if nobody greets them at the door? What if they're made to feel like they really don't belong? What if they were driven to church as a last resort because they were desperate for something, and it was just all they could think of . . . and then they experience something like that. The band may be great, the message might be really legitimately helpful, and the printed materials might be first-rate, but the entire experience is uncomfortable and awkward. They're not coming back. Neither would I.
Two thoughts, then, in conclusion.
1) If you're reading this and considering -- even a little bit -- coming to Life Pointe, please do so. Every single week we make every effort that we can to make everybody -- but especially first-time guests -- feel like they are important, valuable, wanted, and welcome. Because you are. One of my greatest personal passions is making sure that you know you're wanted and made to feel as comfortable as possible.
2) If you're a part of a church -- Life Pointe or otherwise -- consider what it's like to be a visitor with new eyes. What would it be like for somebody coming by themselves for the first time? You're an "insider" and probably don't really remember anymore. I assume you're there because you think something worthwhile's going on, and that people would benefit from it. I've heard WAY too many stories about people visiting churches and being completely ignored, and if nobody else will do something about it, maybe it's time that YOU did. Look outside of yourself and find somebody who doesn't know what's going on -- it takes a LOT of guts to step into a situation like that, and they're there for a reason. Help them to know that it was the right decision and not walk away just that much more jaded about a church culture that has forgotten to open itself up to those who have been on the outside.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Becoming the Metal Fan
Do you kids like the rock 'n' roll? I do. Yesterday one of my very, very favorite rock 'n' roll (or progressive death metal, whichever) bands was playing in some type of an un-air-conditioned machine shed/garage/burning-scalding-sweaty-fiery-furnace deal in the middle of the "city" park in the middle of nowhere *cough* I mean the middle of Scottsburg, Indiana. As you might expect, I have thoughts.
First comes the biggest gripe -- why don't these things EVER start even remotely close to the times they advertise? Let's not even get into the fact that finding any kind of credible-looking info on the details of this one was a good chore, because even then I found three different start times! One source said 6, another 6:30, and a third 7. So, not knowing the venue or the promoter or how many bands are playing or just generally how things roll in Scottsburg Indiana (!), we swing through at about 6:30. When does the first band actually start? A little after 8. Cool! Hey fellas -- who wants to go sit in a park in Scottsburg? Er, I mean, not that cool. Besides, my friend Jeremy had to be at work at midnight . . . and we were in Scottsburg, Indiana! Becoming the Archetype (oh yeah -- that's the band we went to see) didn't get on until about 10:30, and Jeremy had to rush back to get to work on time. This IS a Sunday night, by the way. He may have been the only one to work that night, but I'm guessing I was NOT the only one who had to work on Monday morning. (On second thought, as about the only over-16 people there, if we hadn't shown up, maybe nobody would have had to work on Monday morning. I don't know -- when DOES the Scottsburg, Indiana McDonalds require their slacker punks to show up during the summer?)
That done, there were a lot of highlights, too. The fellas were a lot of fun, and a couple of them got introduced to a whole new world. One of them was my friend Kyle's seven year-old. Metal up, Jacob! Awesome. How cool was it to see him in the very front, bobbing his head up and down and grinning? Did I mention that he's seven? And maybe the best behaved seven year-old in the world (and for sure in Scottsburg, Indiana). He hung out with a crew of geriatric cats (and Damon) for like 4 hours and never made a deal out of anything. On the flip side, Jeremy was probably the oldest person there, but it was his first "real" metal show, too. He's not really a metalhead or a hardcore kid, he just likes to go to stuff and have fun, so we took him. He also really likes to make fun of people, and if you've never been to a metal/hardcore show -- ummm, how shall we say -- he had a lot of material to work with. A LOT of material. And his aim was true, friends. If you were at the show, Jeremy probably made fun of you. And thank you for taking the hit on that, because we never would have had as much fun without your a-symmetrical hair to rip on. -- Side note -- How did it ever become "cool" to have your hairline look like it was following the price of Enron stock? I know, I know, I just don't get it because I'm old and crap, but mark my words -- the "emo swoop" or whatever it's called will go down in pop-culture history alongside parachute pants, pet rocks, and glam rock. In ten years I'll bet you won't be able to find *anybody* who will admit that they did this, but we'll know better. -- End side note -- Also, you should know that this band in particular has one of the most phenomenally ridiculous metal guitarists that anybody could ever imagine, and after he ripped off his first phenomenally ridiculous (really) solo, the look on Jeremy's face was absolutely priceless. It was like . . . like the Lions WON a game. Seriously!
Anyway, in a "scene" where the word "amazing" gets thrown around for anybody who can chug an open drop-d, Becoming the Archetype truly are/were amazing. But even better (and a LOT longer!) was just hanging out and complaining about the heat with my bros Jeremy, Jason, Nick, Kyle, Damon, and Jacob. Oh yeah, and laughing at YOU, if you're the guy in the 95 degree heat who decided that taking off your hooded sweatshirt (that's "hoodie" to you, I believe) was a risk you just weren't willing to take. After all, you ARE hardcore!
First comes the biggest gripe -- why don't these things EVER start even remotely close to the times they advertise? Let's not even get into the fact that finding any kind of credible-looking info on the details of this one was a good chore, because even then I found three different start times! One source said 6, another 6:30, and a third 7. So, not knowing the venue or the promoter or how many bands are playing or just generally how things roll in Scottsburg Indiana (!), we swing through at about 6:30. When does the first band actually start? A little after 8. Cool! Hey fellas -- who wants to go sit in a park in Scottsburg? Er, I mean, not that cool. Besides, my friend Jeremy had to be at work at midnight . . . and we were in Scottsburg, Indiana! Becoming the Archetype (oh yeah -- that's the band we went to see) didn't get on until about 10:30, and Jeremy had to rush back to get to work on time. This IS a Sunday night, by the way. He may have been the only one to work that night, but I'm guessing I was NOT the only one who had to work on Monday morning. (On second thought, as about the only over-16 people there, if we hadn't shown up, maybe nobody would have had to work on Monday morning. I don't know -- when DOES the Scottsburg, Indiana McDonalds require their slacker punks to show up during the summer?)
That done, there were a lot of highlights, too. The fellas were a lot of fun, and a couple of them got introduced to a whole new world. One of them was my friend Kyle's seven year-old. Metal up, Jacob! Awesome. How cool was it to see him in the very front, bobbing his head up and down and grinning? Did I mention that he's seven? And maybe the best behaved seven year-old in the world (and for sure in Scottsburg, Indiana). He hung out with a crew of geriatric cats (and Damon) for like 4 hours and never made a deal out of anything. On the flip side, Jeremy was probably the oldest person there, but it was his first "real" metal show, too. He's not really a metalhead or a hardcore kid, he just likes to go to stuff and have fun, so we took him. He also really likes to make fun of people, and if you've never been to a metal/hardcore show -- ummm, how shall we say -- he had a lot of material to work with. A LOT of material. And his aim was true, friends. If you were at the show, Jeremy probably made fun of you. And thank you for taking the hit on that, because we never would have had as much fun without your a-symmetrical hair to rip on. -- Side note -- How did it ever become "cool" to have your hairline look like it was following the price of Enron stock? I know, I know, I just don't get it because I'm old and crap, but mark my words -- the "emo swoop" or whatever it's called will go down in pop-culture history alongside parachute pants, pet rocks, and glam rock. In ten years I'll bet you won't be able to find *anybody* who will admit that they did this, but we'll know better. -- End side note -- Also, you should know that this band in particular has one of the most phenomenally ridiculous metal guitarists that anybody could ever imagine, and after he ripped off his first phenomenally ridiculous (really) solo, the look on Jeremy's face was absolutely priceless. It was like . . . like the Lions WON a game. Seriously!
Anyway, in a "scene" where the word "amazing" gets thrown around for anybody who can chug an open drop-d, Becoming the Archetype truly are/were amazing. But even better (and a LOT longer!) was just hanging out and complaining about the heat with my bros Jeremy, Jason, Nick, Kyle, Damon, and Jacob. Oh yeah, and laughing at YOU, if you're the guy in the 95 degree heat who decided that taking off your hooded sweatshirt (that's "hoodie" to you, I believe) was a risk you just weren't willing to take. After all, you ARE hardcore!
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