On first listen, what was clear to me was that while Shadow Minds are definitely part of the EBM genre of industrial club music, they have something very different about them. While their are some very obvious similarities between them and VNV Nation and other notable EBM bands in the way the vocals work with the beats and sometimes in the way the beats themselves flow and undulate, they have managed to bring something very, very unique to a genre that, more often than not, ends up being very formulaic and similar.
The music of Shadow Minds is clearly defined by strong beats, melodic synth hooks, and fantastic dance rhythms that would flow across a dance floor like shimmering silver waves of liquid mercury. Their strong and powerful mix of hard hitting beats and subtle electronics with strong vocals and beautiful melodies makes for an exceptional listen. However, what makes them really stand out from the rest of the similar sounding electronic and dance industrial music are their vocal and lyrical melodies. The vocals and lyrics are full of powerful emotion and passion and the melodies produced are so very unique, that it is quite difficult to describe in words just what makes their music so beautiful and emotionally moving.
Formed in September of 2003 in Husum, Germany, they entered the scene with the 2005 album "Simply Different", a very fitting title for their debut. Since then they have released a DVD, a limited box release of said DVD, and are currently working on their sophomore release. With their current line up Charly on vocals and lyrics, Michael Nielsen the keyboardist and musical composer, and Timo Winkler also on keyboards, they have released the single "Nemesis" from their forthcoming second album, and are on their way to becoming one of the Great bands of the EBM/Idustrial genre. With their hard dance beats and beautiful vocal and electronic melodies, Shadow Minds are a band that are sure to take dance floors by storm and become one of the best EBM/Industrial dance bands the scene has ever known.
Website-
myspace
http://www.myspace.com/shadowminds
official
http://www.shadow-minds.de
Posted at 02:14AM Apr 30, 2008 by Greg Barstad in Music | Comments[2]
Extize- PVC clad cyberindustrial
Hearing Extize is like plunging into a river of electronic beats and rhythms with currents of noise and hard hitting electro shocks. The music is very danceable and at the same time pleasantly hard and edgy.
Formed in 2007 by band members Cyb3rella, Cyb3rSlut, Ionic Matrix, and Cyb3rc0re the band is based in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Extize have endeavored to bring together many different cultures and aesthetics in a musical combination rooted deeply in the band's own personal growth and evolution, and is both melodic and bright while at the same time being tormented and dark.
The music of Extize is a very well manufactured combination of many different musical and electronic elements. At its core the music is very club-friendly, with strong beats, subtle dance hooks and a waterfall of different electronic sounds and rhythmic industrial twists and turns. At the same time however, there is a strong element of noise industrial in the mix and woven into the music are very dark and sinister synth riffs and distorted and aggressive industrial beats and samples.
The music creates an interesting dynamic between light and dark, as their music has a very strong mix of both. The dark and heavy elements contrast with the lighter electronic hooks and beats to create a very multilayered auditory experience which, in the end, is what appeals to me most about the music of Extize. As of yet still unsigned, this band is off to a very strong start and are most certainly destined for great things. I wouldn't be surprised if their music infiltrates the club scene very, very soon.
Posted at 11:16PM Apr 29, 2008 by Greg Barstad in Music | Comments[1]
Angelspit: Defying the Mainstream
Moving at you with the precision and power of a military strike team and with the destructive force of an armored tank division, Angelspit defy the mainstream and assimilate earways as they continue to attack and expand the world of industrial music.
Combining driving and hard-hitting militant beats with crunching industrial guitar and electronic loops and synth lines, this Australian duo takes industrial end electronic music into their own hands and remakes it in their image. Angelspit's slick, PVC clad breed of heavy electronic industrial music is made even more noticeable and exceptional by their strong cyberpunk sensibilities and attitude. The band's opposition to the mainstream and heavy counterculturalism give the band a very strong edge, which I find to be most refreshing in their music and is one of the elements that appeals to me most about Agelspit. They are also heavy and catchy, with strong and almost harsh female and male vocals and sharp, biting lyrics that show no mercy.
With the release of their "Nurse Grenade EP" and their infectious and heavy first album "Krankhaus" both in 2007, Angelspit unleashed their crunching breed of cyberindustrial upon the masses. Now, in 2008, they are back on the warpath once more with their sophomore release "Blood Death Ivory", available in June.
Angelspit are a band that will definitely be around for a while, as they have already shown themselves to be consistent in the quality of their music, impressive live, and quite ready to take the world of industrial music by its horns. This PVC-clad cyberpunk force are, quite frankly, one of the best new industrial bands to make their way into the electronic music scene and I look forward to hearing more from them, both with new music and new tours.
Posted at 04:25PM Apr 29, 2008 by Greg Barstad in Music | Comments[0]
A few years ago, while in college in Kansas, I discovered a very unique band based in Canada. The band was first known as Imagica for their first 2 demos, but then changed their name to The Birthday Massacre. Upon first hearing them, I immediately fell in love with their unique musical combination of new wave, goth, industrial, rock, great lyrics, and beautiful female vocals.
When I first started listening to them, they were completely unknown. They had never toured, having only played isolated shows in Canada, and even in the goth scene they were unheard of. Over the next couple years, I followed the band's progress, keeping my eyes open for any news of an american tour. In 2006 the band signed to Metropolis records, the largest industrial and EBM label, and launched their first US tour, followed by a European tour. I was fortunate enough to see them twice on that tour, once in Denver and once in Colorado Springs, and have the opportunity to spend a good deal of time hanging out with the band and getting to know them. Getting to spend time talking with my favorite band was an amazing experience, and is something I will never forget. Now the Birthday Massacre are one of the most popular and well-loved bands in the goth and industrial scene and with the release of the 2007 album "Walking With Strangers" they have gained even more popularity, and to some small degree have begun to infiltrate the mainstream.
Their success has been solidified even further with their 2008 tour opening for Mindless Self Indulgence, a band who is already very well established and has a large fan base. The current tour with MSI is also huge, with over 30 shows. This is almost the realization of a dream to me, because I remember back when I saw The Birthday Massacre on their first tour talking with my friends about how great it would be if they toured with MSI. And now it is happening! It has been awesome to see a band who I have followed since their early, unknown days gain the success and popularity they deserve and to get to meet them and several occasions. For those of you in Denver, The Birthday Massacre will be opening for MSI at the Ogden Theatre on June 7. I am so exited to get to see both bands, since I have not yet seen MSI, and especially to get to see The Birthday Massacre at a decent sized venue. The Birthday Massacre are on the rise and their cds are sold at every major record store. Keep an eye out for them, because they are going to be big. Very big. Check them out.
Posted at 01:21PM Apr 17, 2008 by Greg Barstad in Music | Comments[0]
Easter: A Pulse in the Flatline
Well, the Easter season has come again and to some it means nothing more than stupid fucking rabbits, god-awful TV specials, and lots of candy. To some, it means they have to get dressed up nice and go to church with their families, which may or may not be a good experience. To me, Easter has a great deal of meaning this year.
In the Catholic church, the beliefs and traditions of which have a great deal of influence on how I feel about Easter and what I do for the holiday, there is the tradition of fasting for 40 days called lent. In past years I have done the traditional fast of no meat on Fridays, giving up something I like, such as booz or smoking or whatever. The whole point of this is to bring about a mindset of preparation both spiritually and physically for the event of Christ's death and resurrection and, this year, I followed none of the traditional ways. I did not fast from meat or any other food for that matter, I gave up nothing as a conscious sacrifice. Even without the traditional methods of fasting and sacrifice, this has been the most brutal and trying lent I have ever experienced.
During this lenten season, I have lost my girlfriend due to very bad things I have done and the lies that surrounded them, lost my job, haven't been able to pay rent, been in major financial trouble due to my own stupid choices, physical problems- severe burn, terrible toothache, and a corneal ulcer, and all the stress and self-hatred and general feelings of failing that come with all these events. This lent, all of my trials and sacrifices have come in very different and non-traditional forms, so I don't feel as if I have really needed to make any additional and conscious sacrifices. This lent has certainly accomplished what it was supposed to. I have realized that I can either be angry with God and blame everything on him and take the easy way out and hold onto anger and hate, or I can do the the hard thing and let go of the anger and believe in faith and trust in God. After all, what do I have left? Not much. This lent has broken me and forced me to take the hard road. And so for me, Easter is the culmination of this entire lenten period and marks a new point in my life. It is a time where I recognize all the things that I have gone through, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and look at what changes I have and have not made, and what I have seen as the changes that have yet to be made. But primarily it is a time for me to look at all the good things I have done and the changes and progress I have made. It is very truly a time of new life, not in the cheesy, hatching chicks and blooming flowers sense, but in the sense of my new life. It represents for me a point where I have to change and become a different person. Different in the sense of eliminating the things in myself that have caused me to fall, bringing real stability to my life and relationships, and trying to repair the damage I have done to myself, my life, and others.
I can only pray that God will help me to repair the damage caused my my own actions and choices and that I will not lose the person that I truly love forever. After so much shit, I am finally ready to stop fucking around, get my shit together, and do things right. There are some things, though, that I can only hope I have not damaged beyond repair, such as my chance to be with the girl that I love with all my being and consciousness. All I can do now, though, is move forward and try to become the solid, strong, trustworthy, and good person that I am certain I can become.
This is what Easter represents; a chance at new life, a promise of strength, and an experience signifying the first real and solid step towards the fulfillment of who I truly am, and a future that is filled with happiness and satisfaction in myself and the life I have made. And with that, CHRIST IS RISEN and HAPPY EASTER!
Posted at 11:16AM Mar 23, 2008 by Greg Barstad in Music | Comments[0]
The following post is about the goth scene in Denver. I have listed, with a brief description of each, many of the stores and other places that cater specifically to the goth crowd as well as some of the events that are held by the Denver goth community. I have also written a short bit about my own personal views on the scene and my experience in it. Hopefully you will find this informative as well as interesting.
Want to shop like a goth? Denver has several stores which cater to primarily the darker crowd.
Rave's Oh My Goth- Located at 1516 Emerson Street, between the Fillmore Auditorium and the Ogden theatre
Rave's caters specifically to the goth crowd, and carries various types of goth clothing, including a fantastic selection of boots and women's shoes, large selection of lingerie, many different styles of coats, both men and women's, along with other clothing accessories and items. One of the things that Rave's is most well known for is their very large collection of corsets in all different styles. Rave's also carries misc. items such as belt buckles, patches, hats, spikes, amusing and offensive t-shirts, and other random items for the darkly inclined
Fashion Nation- Located at 613 E 13th Ave in Downtown Denver across from Wax Trax record store Fashion Nation is another goth clothing store, but does not have nearly as large a clothing selection as Rave's. They do, however, carry many more unique items and a decent selection of genuine military garb, some of it being from other countries. What they lack in clothing they make up for in boots, of which they have quite an extensive collection both for men and women. They also carry body jewelry, spikes, belts, chains, and other misc. accessories. Fashion Nation has been around for about 25 years and they have a wall covered with the signatures of members of many well known goth and industrial bands and occasionally they will have in-store signings with band members or other similar events. Ogre from the band Skinny Puppy did a signing there last year and it was great to be able to meet him.
The Crypt (Denver Location)-Located at 8 Broadway in Denver
The Crypt does not cater only to goths, as it is primarily a sex-oriented store. There are 6 locations in 4 different cities: Denver CO, Long Beach CA, San Diego CA, and Seattle WA. Below is a list from the Crypt Denver home page of some of what they carry.
Clubwear T-Shirts Fetish gear Leathers Bondage gear Bedroom toys Gay gadgetry Lingerie & Corsetry Cards & Gifts Lubes & Condoms Magazines, guides, handbooks, and erotic art books
Vendetta Music- Located at 11 E. Bayaud Ave. between Broadway and Lincoln St. in Denver Vendetta is a record store specializing in Industrial, EBM, Gothic, Synthpop, Darkwave, Power Electronics, Neofolk, Electronica, Experimental. They also have a large selection of t-shirts, limited edition items, vinyls, and various other music related merchandise and magazines. The owner, Dave, is a friend of mine and he recently started an industrial record label, also with the name Vendetta. In addition to the store, Dave also runs a mail order business, with many of his customers in Germany and in Europe in general.
Cafe Netherworld- Located at 1278 Pennsylvania St. Denver
Netherworld is a bar and cafe specifically geared towards the dark ones. In the back is located the cafe area, equiped with several round booth style seating areas and 2 pool tables. This is one of the places where people in the goth scene go to hang out and meet up before and after clubs and shows. The ambiance is fun if you like dark and creepy, and the food is pretty good. The cafe/restaurant area also doubles as an art gallery, with work from local artists adorning the walls. The also have an outdoor patio area with tables and umbrellas. Sometimes they will hold goth related events and activities. Overall, a fun place to hang out if you are into that sort of thing.
In addition to the many goth-oriented stores, there are also some events that are held every year and are put on by people in the denver goth scene.
The Gothnic- Every summer, there is an event held and one of Denver's many large parks called the Gothnic. As the name may suggest, it is basically a big picnic for the local Goths. Basically, a bunch of black-clad men, women, and children gather at a park and have a pot-luck lunch and play games and have fun activities throughout the course of the day and into the evening/night. I have never attended myself, even though I have always wanted to. The Colorado Dark Arts Festival- This is an event that takes places every year in Denver and is actually hosted in several different clubs and other places, with different events being held at each place during the day and night. The festival features live performances by both local and major-label goth and industrial bands, a wide range of other live performance events, fashion displays and events, art displays by local artists, various kinds of dark merch; cloths, art, music coffins, jewelry, and tons of other stuff. At night, the clubs are open and there is much loud music, dancing, drinking, and whatever else happens when clubs and alcohol are mixed. Unfortunately, I can't be any more specific that the general terms I have just described the event in because I have not found and information on this year's event except that it is at the end of may and industrial band Zombie Girl will be headlining the festival. Overall, it is like a goth convention, with a very wide variety of live acts, art, merch and who knows what else. Expect to see a full post about this event on my blog as soon as I find out actual details. So keep an eye out for that!
In addition to special events, there are also goth club nights, which always seem to be coming and going and I can never keep track of which clubs are doing goth nights. The only one I know for sure right now is Sunday night in the basement of The Church (which is actually an old church), a popular club in downtown Denver. As far as other regular social goth events besides clubs, concerts and concert related parties (after parties, etc.) are about it. When I go to industrial shows here in denver, I always see many familiar faces. Some I know from one of the goth clubs, others I have met or seen at shows or one of the many goth stores. I have met a lot of people I see regularly at shows and clubs from hanging out at Vendetta music. One thing I have always enjoyed about the goth scene is seeing people you know, or at least recognize, at every related event you attend.
After being involved with the scene for a while, you get to know a large number of people at shows and clubs and even more on myspace and other online social networks like vampirefreaks and facebook. You end up getting to know all the DJs and local bands in the scene, as well as concert promoters, organizers, and various other people who have a direct hand in the organizing and implimentation of various goth and industrial events. The really fun part though, is that depending on who you know in the scene, you can get directly involved in the promotion and organization of shows, club nights, and other such events.
One of the things that makes the goth scene fun and enjoyable to be involved in, is that everyone ends up knowing everyone else. The same people are at the same shows and more often than not, the same clubs as well. Ever since I was first exposed to the goth scene in Denver several years ago, my favorite aspects of the scene have been the music and the people. Once you really start meeting people and getting to know the DJs at the clubs, you really start to feel like you are involved with something, because you are. You become part of a great social network, where everyone enjoys similar things. That, I think, is the best part. I know it was for me anyway, because I was used to being the only person I knew who listened to industrial and wore exclusively black. I felt alone, and more often than not, I felt judged. So for me to find a place where everyone was into the same music I was, liked the way I dressed, and where nobody judged me at all, was a fantastic experience that helped me get through some difficult times in my life. The goth scene is certainly not for everyone, but it definitely has a lot to offer, and was definitely a very positive experience for me. These days I am not very involved in the scene, but I still know a lot of people who are, and I still recognize many, many faces every time I go to shows and clubs. The goth scene is somewhere that I will always be able to go back to, and still be able see what attracted me to it in the first place.
Posted at 12:06PM Mar 22, 2008 by Greg Barstad in Music | Comments[1]
Musical Greatness- A thing of the past?
There are some bands that are considered to be 'Great' because of their originality, popularity, and most of all the influence they have had on other artists. Bands such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, U2, the Ramones, and Black Sabbath. Sometimes, as I am listening to the music of a band that is noted by society and the music world to be 'Great', a question of magnitude enters my head. Where are the Great bands of today? It seems to me that the music world of today is overflowing with bands of every genre and with the advent of the digital music explosion and the internet in general, all this music is much easier to acess than was thought possible in past decades. The problem I see with this, is that it has become often very difficult for truly 'great' bands to become noticed and attract the attention given to bands such as Black Sabbath and the Ramones. For many bands, popularity is not a problem, but I beleive that everyone would agree with me when I say that just because a band is popular does not mean that they are necessarily any good. Some examples- Fall Out Boy, Linkin Park, Disturbed, and Panic! At the Disco. Also, all of this oversaturation makes it difficult for one band to become a cultural phenomenon like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. In their heydey, everyone was into Floyd and Zeppelin. They appealed to a much wider audience than many of today's bands are able to. Now, we have a shit load of popular bands, but there isn't one band in particular that appeals to a majority of the listening public. There are too many bands now that are stuck in a niche, which prevents many people from hearing them or actively listening to them. For example, there is a band from Canada called The Birthday Massacre. They are very popular in the goth and industrial scene, which will automatically turn many off to them since the goth culture seems to have such a negative rep with many people such as those who listen to pop music, for example. The truth of the matter, however, is that I have played The Birthday Massacre for dozens of people who all listen to different kinds of music; pop, emo, metal, country, alternative, classic rock, goth, industrial, even rap and all of them have liked what they heard. This comes as a suprise to many, because so many people have a very set idea of what 'goth' is, and they never expected to hear anything like what they heard from Birthday Massacre come from the goth scene. In the end, I think that what makes a band great has nothing to do with record sales, but has everything to do with passion and creativity. I think that what most people are looking for in so-called 'great' music is originality, technical skill, passion, and more often than not, something they can directly identify with. We may have no more bands like Zeppelin, Floyd, or The Beatles as far as their immensley widespread acceptance, but I think that we have, possibly, more musical greatness now than ever before. Much of it is simply pushed under the carpet of genres, scenes, and what media corporations will allow on the airwaves. Great music is all over, within every genre and scene. Many people are simply to close-minded or just don't have the interest in finding greatness outside of their own bubble of musical taste. People simply do not broaden their auditory scope to encompass more than what they are used to. Those who are, however, able to look in different and strange places will find more music that could be considered great than they ever thought possible. So don't limit yourself to simply one style or genre, branch out and listen to a little bit of everything, even music you do not particularly like, and you will be rewarded with music that is not only great in a technical and creeative aspect, but you will find great passion and beauty. So keep your ears open. Stray from the path that is your iPod and explore, because there is so much that we are all missing out on. Your ears and even your very soul will thank you.
Posted at 04:51AM Mar 17, 2008 by Greg Barstad in Music | Comments[0]
Achtung! The Germans in Denver
Last night I attended what turned out to be another amazing concert in a string of killer shows I have been to in the past few months. The headliner was And One and the opener was The Echoing Green. The show was at a mid-sized venue in downtown Denver called Cervantes, which I like because it has a good atmosphere and good sound.
The first band, The Echoing Green, are a Christian synth-pop band that has been around for a good 10 years and have released several albums and have been on many synth-pop compilations. Originating from Albuquerque, New Mexico they have become a fairly big band in the synth-pop scene and are also big in the Christian music scene. What I found interesting about the show last night was the response The Echoing Green received from the crowd, which was composed entirely of goths. They were well received by everyone and each song was followed by loud applause and cheering, which was surprising to me since they are not only a Christian band, but are also very light-hearted and lyrically blatantly religious, something that is not often well accepted by those in the goth and industrial scenes. They had a rough start to their performance, as they had many sound problems and it seemed to take a couple songs for the band to really get into the show. Once the initial problems were passed, their set was very good. They played all of their most popular songs, which sounded just as good as the recordings, if not better, and interacted well with the crowd.
The headliner, And One, are an industrial/EBM band from Germany. They have been around for probably close to 15 years and have released many albums and remixes. Their music is extremely popular in the goth club scene and I heard them played every time I went to the clubs when I used to go at least once a week. The tour that this show was part of is in support of their most recent album Bodypop, which was released about a year ago. And One have played shows in this country before, and in Denver, but only as an opener for other bands in the goth scene. This is their first headlining tour of the United States which made the show very special for not only those in attendance, but also for the band, who expressed this fact not only by putting on a great performance, but also by thanking the crowd and commenting on how great the show went. At the end of the concert, the lead singer thanked the promoters specially, saying they had never seen a show promoted so well before. They also commented that they would definitely come to Denver every time they tour the US and announced a second US tour starting in the fall. The show itself was amazing, the band consisting of a singer and 2 keyboardists, one of who took on vocal duties at several points in the show. Their music was incredible live, and I would say it was better than listening to the cd, due in part to the antics of the extremely charismatic singer who played to the crowd very well with his phenomenal dancing around the stage, his hilarious actions and comments, and his deliberate and direct attention to the audience. Overall, he gave the impression that he was having a great time and he seemed very genuinely happy to be playing for us. The crowd response was amazing and the band was obviously very pleased and happy to be playing to such an enthusiastic audience. The overall experience of the concert was fucking amazing. The music was awesome and well played, the band was fantastic to watch, and the overall vibe was extremely energetic and exited. I am definitely looking forward to seeing And One when they return to the US in the fall.
Posted at 02:24AM Feb 28, 2008 by Greg Barstad in Music | Comments[0]
The other day I was driving with my brother and I turned on the radio to hear and awful acoustic rendition of some shitty song by the band Hurt. Just when I thought the song couldn't suck any more, this bullshit acoustic version defiled my ears. The problem with a band like Hurt doing an acoustic version of one of their songs is that their music is carried by one thing and one thing only; loud, distorted electric guitar. There is nothing complex about their guitar, it is just a bunch of fucking power chords. So to make an acoustic version of the song is lame and pointless because without the mask of electric guitar distortion, there is nothing to hold the song together. The guitar is so simple and uninteresting that the only thing an acoustic version of the song does is show how simple and uninteresting the guitar in the song is, and also draws more attention to the unoriginal and pointless lyrics that can barely even be considered songwriting. What really pisses me off is that the airwaves are full of this shit. Popular radio is full of nothing but pop crap. Everything sounds the same. There is nothing that sounds different or new. New and good music is being held under the water by what a bunch of corporate jerk-offs think will make money. Has anyone ever thought that maybe people would like to hear something new and different? Maybe by playing some music that is more underground and sounds different than everything else more people would listen to the radio and maybe even increase record sales. What I am basically trying to say is that I think most people would welcome something different on pop radio and that the response to new music would be a lot better than the aforementioned corporate jerk-offs think.
Posted at 05:26PM Feb 07, 2008 by Greg Barstad in Music | Comments[0]
Metalocalypse- The Show
Metalocalypse is a show on Adult Swim which consists of 20 ten minute episodes per season and is now in season 2. The show is about an extreme metal band called Dethklok, who have not only become the 12th largest economy in the world, but are also the world's greatest cultural force. So the show follows the band as they engage in various absurd situations and performances, causing world chaos and catastrophe. Dethklok live in a giant mansion called Mordhaus in Mordland and have become so extremely popular that any product they endorse drives the competition into the ground and fans have been known to kill themselves over band member's birthdays, album release delays, and a variety of other reasons. The band is opposed by an Illuminati- like group called the Tribunal who are constantly trying to bring Dethklok down and break the band apart, bringing in various scientists and other specialists to lead various schemes geared towards destroying the greatest band in the world.
The Band
Dethklok's musical style could be best described as melodic death metal. The band's live performances are highlighted by lots of lights, sweet lasers, elaborate stages, and the frequent death of fans. In fact, fans have to sign wavers releasing Dethklok from all liability involving injury and/or death. The band members and brief bios are as follows:
Nathan Explosion- lead vocals. Born in New Port Richey, Florida Nathan Explosion did not learn to speak until the age of five and has proved himself to be completely witless about everything not related to metal. He dropped out of high school and is a raging alcoholic who must go through periodic liver transplants. He is the primary songwriter for Dethklok and his primary focus is directed towards things that are 'brutal' and 'metal'.
Skwisgaar Swigelf-lead guitar. Born in Sweden, Swisgaar is the fastest guitarist alive and is known for his skill with woman. He often brags of his sexual conquests to the rest of the band. He is a nihilist and is ignorant to most everything not related to playing guitar. He practices constantly, and is even known to play in his sleep.
Toki Wartooth-rhythm guitar. Born in a village near Lillehammer, Norway he is the rhythm guitar player for Dethklok and is known for having a very childish personality and is the most naive and innocent member of the band. Like Skwisgaar, Toki also considers himself a nihilist and enjoys building scale models.
Pickles-drums. Born in Tomahawk, Wisconsin he is the irish-american drummer for Dethklok. Pickles is notorious for his obscene alcohol abuse and frequent drug use and is the ex-lead singer of the band Snakes 'n' Barrels. He is the most intelligent member of the band, despite being frequently intoxicated.
William Murderface- bass. Raised by his grandparents after the brutal chainsaw murder/suicide of his mother and father, Murderface is the most self-conscious and self-destructive member of the band. He is known for drinking, self mutilation, whining about being fat, and frequent guitar-smashing tantrums. He is very angry and nihilistic and collects 'morbid crap' and American Civil War memorabilia. He also had a very short-lived one man side project called Planet Piss which he quickly gave up on after recording one song.
The Dethalbum
The creators of Metalocalypse actually recorded and released a full-length album, featuring many songs from the show and some new songs, which was titled The Dethalbum. After the release of the album, Dethklok set out on a tour of American universities playing free shows for students. The lyrics for the Dethalbum are extremely silly and are very obviously meant to parody actual metal lyrics. Following the tracklist are the lrics for the song "Murmaider".
Tracklist for The Dethalbum
- "Murmaider" – 3:24
- "Go Into the Water" – 4:20
- "Awaken" – 3:37
- "Bloodrocuted" – 2:19
- "Go Forth and Die" – 4:22
- "Fansong" – 2:53
- "Better Metal Snake" – 3:27
- "The Lost Vikings" – 4:26
- "Thunderhorse" – 2:46
- "Briefcase Full of Guts" – 2:44
- "Birthday Dethday" – 2:48
- "Hatredcopter" – 2:56
- "Castratikron" – 2:57
- "Face Fisted" – 4:17
- "Dethharmonic"– 4:31
- "Deththeme" – 0:36
Lyrics to Murmaider
There are no fingerprints
Deep under water
Nothing to tie one to a crime
And if you seek vengeance
All you need are instruments of pain
You need your
Knives? Check.
Rope? Check.
Dagger? Check.
Chains? Check.
Locks? Check.
Laser Beams? Check.
Acid? Check.
Body Bag? Check.
Murmaider x 16
But beware
For when you quench your blood thirst
Others will seek their vengeance on you
And they won't rest
Until you're dead
They'll have their:
Shiv? Check.
Pipe? Check.
Hammer? Check.
Axe? Check.
Subject? Check.
Location? Check.
Desire? Check.
Vengeance? Check.
Hold your breath, swim and strain
The smell of death, can't escape
Blood will could and drift away
Attract the murders of Murmaids
It's so cold they all know
What you've done, you can't run
Vengeance is the law for thee
A thousand leagues below the sea
You've been tracked, you've been seen
Murdering the next kin
Ate their hearts drank their blood
Washed your fins in blackened mud
Now you swim try to hide
Heart beats faster from inside
Thought it was a big charade
Your life was ended by Murmaids.
Murmaider x16
Swords? Check.
Saws? Check.
Clubs? Check.
Claws? Check.
Hatred? Check.
Anger? Check.
Mermaid? Check.
Murder? Check.
MURDER! MURDER! MURMAID MURDER!
Your life was ended by mermaids.
Posted at 10:56PM Feb 04, 2008 by Greg Barstad in Music | Comments[1]
Ever since the rise of the mp3 in the past decade, one thing has always kept me from embracing the craze of mp3 and the iPod is what I call the impersonality of the mp3.
Don't get me wrong tho, I fully embrace the developement of new technology and innovations in music and music related technology, there is just something about the mp3 that does not seem to have the same character and personality that vinyl or cd have. What I love about vinyl is not only the large size of the album art, but in my opinion the sound quality is far superior. For one thing, the sound from a vinyl is produced by actual sound vibrations, while mp3 is a digital encoding, not actual vibrations. With mp3s, you get no album booklet, nothing you can hold and touch. For me, mp3s take away much of the exitment and fun of buying an album because there is nothing concrete and real you can hold and look through like a cd and lyrics book. I know with buying albums online in mp3, you can often download art and a printable lyrics book, but to me it just isn't the same.
The bottom line is basically that I like to be able to have something concrete when it comes to buying an album. I have always loved going out and buying cds or records because it is fun and makes me feel better when I am down. With mp3s, I just can't get that. This is the reason I have not embraced the whole iPod culture and bought an iPod. However, with the drop in price of iPods, I can now get an 80 gig iPod for 250 bucks. With this amount of space being so affordable, it would be quite convenient for be to actually purchase and iPod. So while my views on cds and vinyl vs. mp3 remaining unchanged, I feel that it may actually finally be worth it for me to adopt this particular technology and buy an mp3 player. And if they can get to me, they can get to anyone. The iPod will take over the world, no doubt.
Posted at 03:01AM Jan 17, 2008 by Greg Barstad in Music | Comments[0]
When listening to music, I am always on the lookout for something wild and crazy that just doesn't sound like anything else out there. One band that I think falls perfectly into the bizarre and wild category would be Mindless Self Indulgence.
MSI were formed in New York in 1995 and with unique blend of industrial, punk, hip hop, electronica, and rock quickly gained a large cult following. They have released four full-length albums to date along with a number of EPs, remixes, and a DVD. Their latest album You'll Rebel to Anything features a cover of the song Tom Sawer originally written and performed by Rush. The first video off the album, Shut Me Up, was directed by Jhonen Vasquez, the creator of the comics Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, Squee, and the cartoon Invader Zim.
In concert, MSI are quite ridiculous, employing the use of props, weird costumes, and the whole band has a ridiculously wild stage presence. The following is a complete discography as well as lyrics to my favorite song, Shut Me Up.
Mindless Self-Indulgence- full Length 1995
Tight- full length 1999
Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy- full length 2000\
Bitches/Molly- single 2000
Thank God- promo single 2001
Alienating Our Audience- live album 2002
Despierta Los Ninos- EP 2003
You'll Rebel to Anything- full length 2005
Straight to Video: The Remixes- remix album 2006
Another Mindless Rip-Off- EP 2006
Our Pain, Your Gain- DVD 2007
You'll Rebel to Anything- extended edition 2007
If- full length schedualed for release in spring 2008
SHUT ME UP
The bass, the rock
The mic, the treble
I like my coffee black
Just like my metal
The bass, the rock
The mic, the treble
I like my coffee black
Just like my metal
I can't wait for you to fuck me up
In a minute, minute
In a fuckin' minute
I can't wait for you to fuck me up
In a minute, minute
In a second
I can't wait for you to shut me up
And make me hip like bad ass
I can't wait for you to shut me up
Shut it up
I can't wait for you to shut me up
And make me hip like bad ass
I can't wait for you to shut me up
Shut it up
The bass, the rock
The mic, the treble
I like my coffee black
Just like my metal
The bass, the rock
The mic, the treble
I like my coffee black
Just like my metal
I can't wait for you to fuck me up
In a minute, minute
In a fucking minute
I can't wait for you to fuck me up
In a minute, minute
In a second
I can't wait for you to shut me up
And make me hip like bad ass
I can't wait for you to shut me up
Shut it up
I can't wait for you to shut me up
And make me hip like bad ass
I can't wait for you to shut me up
Shut it up
I don't find it funny right now (right now)
Just want my ma-ma-ma-money right now (now)
I'm on my way to the party right now (right now)
I don't find it funny right now (right now)
Just want my ma-ma-ma-money right now (now)
I'm on my way to the party right now (right now)
Because the break, the break, the break
I can't wait for you to shut me up
And make me hip like bad ass
I can't wait for you to shut me up
Shut it up
I can't wait for you to shut me up
And make me hip like bad ass
I can't wait for you to shut me up
Shut it up
Posted at 06:33PM Dec 19, 2007 by Greg Barstad in Music | Comments[0]
I recently read a rolling stone article about the secret rehearsals and possible tour plans for Led Zeppelin. I have extremely mixed feelings about this. Led Zeppelin were one of the single most influential rock bands of the 1970s and had a huge influence on metal, punk, and almost every aspect of rock and roll from the 70s on. Not only were they a rock band but were also a full-blown cultural phenomenon surpassed only by the psychedelic warlords Pink Floyd. So you think that I would be exited at the possibility of a reunion tour. I think however, that Zeppelin should just let go. A couple of them are dead, they have been dead as a group for a long time, and their last couple albums really were not that awesome. It is my opinion that they have done their part, and awesome as it was, they should leave us with that and stay finished. I also hope that they do not try to record any new material because the odds of it being shit are just to great to risk a reunion. Zepp were amazing, and they should not jeopardize their phenomenal legacy with talk of new recordings and tours. They did what they were meant to do. My final thoughts on this matter are this: Long Live Zeppelin, Zeppelin Rest In Peace.
Posted at 04:21PM Dec 02, 2007 by Greg Barstad in Music | Comments[0]
Soundtrack for the Cold and White
For me, everything has a soundtrack. There is always specific I listen to when it's raining, when driving, when it's summer, and when it is snowing. Well, here in Boulder it is balls-out cold and definately snowing. So I thought I would share with you some of my favorite music to listen to during snowy and cold days.
Artist- Peter Murphy
Album- Deep
I'm not sure why, but something about this album seems to fit with the cold and snow. There is a warmth and emotion present in the songs on this album that makes me feel comfortable and cozy when it is snowing. I love to just sit and read while drinking tea and listening to this album.
Artist- Nightwish
Winter seems to me to bring out an air of fantasy in an otherwise ordinary world. Nightwish's music has always revolved around adventure and fantasy and has a very beautiful and uplifting aesthetic. I love listening to Nighwish while watching snow fall and letting my imagination wander.
Artist- AFI
Song- Love Like Winter
In addition to the video featuring the band members playing in the snow, this song seems to me to bring out a very strong and honest feeling of love and affection. I get this same feeling from watching it snow while being with my girlfriend. There is a very distinct sentimentality that is only brought out by the falling snow and this song seems to catch it.
Artist- Johnny Hollow
I like listening to this band in the winter because their music brings out the coldness and eeriness of the snow and ice, especially at night. The music itself is very subtle, creepy, and very mysterious, very much like an empty and icy back road on a cold winter night.
Artist- The Smiths
Winter has always seemed to me to be an intrinsically emotional time of year, so I like listening to The Smiths while its snowing, because the music is very emotional and makes me feel strangely comfortable with the snow.
Artist- Wintersun
This band is perfect for a blizzard. Their music is very fast, harsh, icy and aggressive. I enjoy listening to this during snowstorms or whenever I am in a particularly aggressive mood during the winter. Simply put, the music of Wintersun captures the harshness and cruelty of winter.
Posted at 05:44PM Nov 21, 2007 by Greg Barstad in Music | Comments[0]
Once again the weather has turned to shit, trees are naked, and the warmth of summer is in its final spasms of death. This is a season I have always hated. the cold, the snow, and the dullness of the sky. But this year my dislikes stems not only from the aforementioned reasons, but also from assosciated memory. A year ago at this time i was still feeling the recovery pangs of a coke addiction and had become addicted to opiates. I was stealing pills and hurting all the people i was close to. I was also working a job i fucking hated as a photo tech at wal-mart. In addition to all this i was depressed, stealing from work, and hanging out with nobody but a bunch of drugs addicts and losers.
Today i awoke after a night of awful dreams and sickness feeling weighed down by something intangible. During my first smoke break at work i realized what my problem was: memory. So many bad memories i have tried to push under for the past year were rising to the surface again bringing with them all the pain and despair and hate that i was feeling a year ago. I could not get all this shit out of my head. As I write this rambling blog i still feel the pain of these fucked memories. I know that i am away from it now and that i am a different person in a different city with different friends and a new life, but the guilt and pain is still there. Will all this shit ever go away? I know it is a part of what makes me who i am, but i just wish i could wipe the slate and clean my mind of all the dirt and shit in my past. I know i cannot and never will be able to, i just hope that the wounds, physical and emotional, that i inflicted upon myself and the people i love will heal and that eventually i can be ok with what has happened and move on. For now, all i can do is hold tight to the things that i love: music, my girlfriend, and my friends. I know there are many of you out there who understand where i am coming from and know exactly what i am talking about. For those few of you who don't, pray that you never will.
Posted at 04:34PM Nov 17, 2007 by Greg Barstad in Life | Comments[0]