Music Banter - View Single Post - The Playlist of Life --- Trollheart's resurrected Journal

Trollheart · 10-01-2013, 05:31 AM

The time is here, the moment has arrived.

Welcome to a whole month of music that's hard, heavy, fast and loud. Well, most of the time. Some of it is slow. And loud. But always loud. And heavy. Welcome to a world where music is written with little thought for romance or getting you out to shake your booty on the dance floor, where the lyrics can range from songs about motorbikes and women to death and loneliness, and from nuclear armageddon to a good old punch-up. There are also songs about magic and wizards, science-fiction and beer, devils and angels, and poking someone's eyes out with a skewer just fer the hell of it. You know, heavy metal.

In entering this journal today you've crossed over to the wrong side of the tracks and found yourself in an often harsh world of tough guys and tougher girls, where nobody gets the bus and if you mention a motorcycle crash helmet you're likely to get kicked in the head. These bands are hard, they're uncompromising, and they're all pretty damn loud. But that doesn't mean it's just noise, oh no. Well, some bands are. Just noise, that is. Some of these guys' idea of singing doesn't let's say tally with mine, and if you're of a nervous disposition there are bands you should definitely think twice about listening to.

But Metal is generally a friendly community, with the rough camaraderie of the trenches or the booze cruise, and as long as you're not a Poseur you should fit right in and find a home here over the next month. If you are a Poseur - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia then be warned: there will be nothing here for thirty-one days but metal, so if that's not your cup of poison then I suggest you look elsewhere until November rolls around. If you're someone who is not that au fait with Metal then this is the place for you, as I'll be doing my best, ably assisted by two Metal forum icons, to educate you and play music from every subgenre I can, even if I don't personally like it. The aim here is to try to provide, in as far as possible, a broad demonstration of what Heavy Metal is all about, how the various subgenres differ from each other, and why we love it.

If you're already a Metalhead, then hopefully you'll enjoy what I present here over the next month. I'm happy to admit I'm just really an amateur here --- not quite a Prospect but not a full gang member of the Heavy Metal Motorcycle Club --- and much of what I'm listening to here is the first time these ears have experienced that band or album. But as I say I do have two helpful True Metalheads to help me out, so they will hopefully guide me and field any questions. I've tried to sample albums from the bigger and also the lesser known bands in each genre, but it won't be just a month of album reviews: there are plenty of other things planned which I will reveal over the course of the coming days and weeks.

If you're the sort of person who wouldn't listen to heavy metal if it was the only music on the planet, you've probably taken a wrong turn and found yourself in unfamiliar, which is not to say unfriendly territory. If you're prepared to listen and give this music a chance, you may learn and who knows, even come to appreciate this music which is to many of us the lifeblood that pumps in our veins and the thing that gets us up in the morning. If not, then I suggest hauling your arse out the door, because you will not see anything here over the next four weeks which is other than heavy metal music. There are going to be album reviews, specials, features and hopefully a lot of good discourse and debate, and with a bit of luck we may all actually end up having a good time. At the very least I expect there'll be heated arguments leading to chairs being smashed over heads, pool cues used for a purpose other than that for which they were intended, and a whole lot of smashed beer bottles.

But worry not: the cops don't come here --- pussies! --- and you're quite safe to, ah, express yourself, whether it's a love of Black Sabbath or why Motorhead's "Bomber" is the greatest metal album of all time, or tell us all why Trivium do NOT suck or even why Scandinavian Black Metal kicks everyone else's arse. Whether you're into Death, Doom, Thrash, Speed, Progressive, Melodic, Gothic, Extreme, Black (yeah I said Black), Power, Stoner or just Classic, or hell, even Nu-Metal, you will hopefully find something to interest you here over the next month.

Before we begin, some notes:

1. Although I am a Metalhead I have already admitted I have a somewhat limited appreciation of Metal. I know what I like and in general I stick to it. These last two months of research have been something of an eye-opener and an education for me, and I've certainly learned a lot, broadened my musical metal horizons a little. But many of the bands featured here are ones I have never heard prior to this, and in many cases I've had to guess at the best album to showcase their talents. In some cases, it hasn't been hard if the band is well known or have a particularly famous album, but then I don't always want to go for the obvious. But in others it's been more difficult, as the band may not be well known in general circles. In all instances I've done my best to pick an album that will meet with everyone's approval, but of course this may not always be the result. In those cases, I would ask you not to post comments like "Why did you choose album X? Album Y is far better!" or such. I am, as I say, learning, so bear with me.

2. Metal, as we know, is a huge, huge beast, sprawling across many subgenres and with us for over half a decade now. There is no way in Satan's Kingdom that I could hope to feature all the main players in this genre over the course of a mere four weeks, and inevitably someone is going to be left out, forgotten or just not included for time reasons. In that case, the same as above. Please don't comment asking why I haven't included this band or that band: it's simply not possible to cover everyone in Metal, and I've done my best to look at not just the giants but the smaller bands too. I have tried to ensure all classic bands are included but again that can be a little subjective, so once again bear with me. Remember, I've been doing this all alone. Oh boo hoo, I know!

3. For those of you who may not be that familiar with my journal (excuses on my desk in the morning please!) I have previously featured a fair amount of Metal, and where necessary I will refer back and provide links to these reviews or features so that if anybody wants to they can check them out. Also, if I'm doing say a review of an Iron Maiden album and I know I have reviewed one or more of theirs in the past, I'll provide links to these too.

4. As ever, anyone can comment and debate and even fistfights are welcomed --- this is Metal Month after all, and where would we be without a few "differences of opinion" sorted out in the street? --- but please respect the opinion of others if you do comment. I've no problem with anyone debating the awesomeness of Slayer versus the awesomeness of Motorhead, or whatever, but if anything should descend into cheap namecalling and insults I'll have to bring a mod in. Unless it's two mods, in which case have at it! Seriously, you don't want me to have to call Security, do you?

5. I had intended originally to write a short bio on each band I reviewed, then I was possessed briefly by the spirit of The Batlord and thought, "Fuck that! Wiki has the articles: look them up yourselves you lazy bastards! I'm not rewriting their articles for you!" When I had him exorcised and I was back to myself I did however agree with him: no point in rehashing what's already been written, so now each band featured will be accompanied by a link to the Wiki entry on them, which you can look up to your heart's content. This leaves me much more time to listen to and review the albums, without getting too bogged down in their history or bio.

So, as the band tunes up backstage, the Marshall stacks begin to shake and the restless crowd of long-haired, leather-jacketed rockers pump their fists in the air, the first screeching note from a Flying V cuts through the low rumble of anticipation from the audience and burns into the night sky, and the curtain is slowly raising to reveal two massive red animatronic eyes glaring balefully out while thick smoke billows from under the rising backdrop. A bass drum kicks out a one-two-three...

So grab your favourite beer, turn your amp up to ten and throw the horns: this is

and it starts... right now!

10-01-2013, 05:31 AM	#1898 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,971	The time is here, the moment has arrived. Welcome to a whole month of music that's hard, heavy, fast and loud. Well, most of the time. Some of it is slow. And loud. But always loud. And heavy. Welcome to a world where music is written with little thought for romance or getting you out to shake your booty on the dance floor, where the lyrics can range from songs about motorbikes and women to death and loneliness, and from nuclear armageddon to a good old punch-up. There are also songs about magic and wizards, science-fiction and beer, devils and angels, and poking someone's eyes out with a skewer just fer the hell of it. You know, heavy metal. In entering this journal today you've crossed over to the wrong side of the tracks and found yourself in an often harsh world of tough guys and tougher girls, where nobody gets the bus and if you mention a motorcycle crash helmet you're likely to get kicked in the head. These bands are hard, they're uncompromising, and they're all pretty damn loud. But that doesn't mean it's just noise, oh no. Well, some bands are. Just noise, that is. Some of these guys' idea of singing doesn't let's say tally with mine, and if you're of a nervous disposition there are bands you should definitely think twice about listening to. But Metal is generally a friendly community, with the rough camaraderie of the trenches or the booze cruise, and as long as you're not a Poseur you should fit right in and find a home here over the next month. If you are a Poseur - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia then be warned: there will be nothing here for thirty-one days but metal, so if that's not your cup of poison then I suggest you look elsewhere until November rolls around. If you're someone who is not that au fait with Metal then this is the place for you, as I'll be doing my best, ably assisted by two Metal forum icons, to educate you and play music from every subgenre I can, even if I don't personally like it. The aim here is to try to provide, in as far as possible, a broad demonstration of what Heavy Metal is all about, how the various subgenres differ from each other, and why we love it. If you're already a Metalhead, then hopefully you'll enjoy what I present here over the next month. I'm happy to admit I'm just really an amateur here --- not quite a Prospect but not a full gang member of the Heavy Metal Motorcycle Club --- and much of what I'm listening to here is the first time these ears have experienced that band or album. But as I say I do have two helpful True Metalheads to help me out, so they will hopefully guide me and field any questions. I've tried to sample albums from the bigger and also the lesser known bands in each genre, but it won't be just a month of album reviews: there are plenty of other things planned which I will reveal over the course of the coming days and weeks. If you're the sort of person who wouldn't listen to heavy metal if it was the only music on the planet, you've probably taken a wrong turn and found yourself in unfamiliar, which is not to say unfriendly territory. If you're prepared to listen and give this music a chance, you may learn and who knows, even come to appreciate this music which is to many of us the lifeblood that pumps in our veins and the thing that gets us up in the morning. If not, then I suggest hauling your arse out the door, because you will not see anything here over the next four weeks which is other than heavy metal music. There are going to be album reviews, specials, features and hopefully a lot of good discourse and debate, and with a bit of luck we may all actually end up having a good time. At the very least I expect there'll be heated arguments leading to chairs being smashed over heads, pool cues used for a purpose other than that for which they were intended, and a whole lot of smashed beer bottles. But worry not: the cops don't come here --- pussies! --- and you're quite safe to, ah, express yourself, whether it's a love of Black Sabbath or why Motorhead's "Bomber" is the greatest metal album of all time, or tell us all why Trivium do NOT suck or even why Scandinavian Black Metal kicks everyone else's arse. Whether you're into Death, Doom, Thrash, Speed, Progressive, Melodic, Gothic, Extreme, Black (yeah I said Black), Power, Stoner or just Classic, or hell, even Nu-Metal, you will hopefully find something to interest you here over the next month. Before we begin, some notes: 1. Although I am a Metalhead I have already admitted I have a somewhat limited appreciation of Metal. I know what I like and in general I stick to it. These last two months of research have been something of an eye-opener and an education for me, and I've certainly learned a lot, broadened my musical metal horizons a little. But many of the bands featured here are ones I have never heard prior to this, and in many cases I've had to guess at the best album to showcase their talents. In some cases, it hasn't been hard if the band is well known or have a particularly famous album, but then I don't always want to go for the obvious. But in others it's been more difficult, as the band may not be well known in general circles. In all instances I've done my best to pick an album that will meet with everyone's approval, but of course this may not always be the result. In those cases, I would ask you not to post comments like "Why did you choose album X? Album Y is far better!" or such. I am, as I say, learning, so bear with me. 2. Metal, as we know, is a huge, huge beast, sprawling across many subgenres and with us for over half a decade now. There is no way in Satan's Kingdom that I could hope to feature all the main players in this genre over the course of a mere four weeks, and inevitably someone is going to be left out, forgotten or just not included for time reasons. In that case, the same as above. Please don't comment asking why I haven't included this band or that band: it's simply not possible to cover everyone in Metal, and I've done my best to look at not just the giants but the smaller bands too. I have tried to ensure all classic bands are included but again that can be a little subjective, so once again bear with me. Remember, I've been doing this all alone. Oh boo hoo, I know! 3. For those of you who may not be that familiar with my journal (excuses on my desk in the morning please!) I have previously featured a fair amount of Metal, and where necessary I will refer back and provide links to these reviews or features so that if anybody wants to they can check them out. Also, if I'm doing say a review of an Iron Maiden album and I know I have reviewed one or more of theirs in the past, I'll provide links to these too. 4. As ever, anyone can comment and debate and even fistfights are welcomed --- this is Metal Month after all, and where would we be without a few "differences of opinion" sorted out in the street? --- but please respect the opinion of others if you do comment. I've no problem with anyone debating the awesomeness of Slayer versus the awesomeness of Motorhead, or whatever, but if anything should descend into cheap namecalling and insults I'll have to bring a mod in. Unless it's two mods, in which case have at it! Seriously, you don't want me to have to call Security, do you? 5. I had intended originally to write a short bio on each band I reviewed, then I was possessed briefly by the spirit of The Batlord and thought, "Fuck that! Wiki has the articles: look them up yourselves you lazy bastards! I'm not rewriting their articles for you!" When I had him exorcised and I was back to myself I did however agree with him: no point in rehashing what's already been written, so now each band featured will be accompanied by a link to the Wiki entry on them, which you can look up to your heart's content. This leaves me much more time to listen to and review the albums, without getting too bogged down in their history or bio. So, as the band tunes up backstage, the Marshall stacks begin to shake and the restless crowd of long-haired, leather-jacketed rockers pump their fists in the air, the first screeching note from a Flying V cuts through the low rumble of anticipation from the audience and burns into the night sky, and the curtain is slowly raising to reveal two massive red animatronic eyes glaring balefully out while thick smoke billows from under the rising backdrop. A bass drum kicks out a one-two-three... So grab your favourite beer, turn your amp up to ten and throw the horns: this is and it starts... right now! __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 12-24-2013 at 01:51 PM.