Best of 2010

#1 - Deathspell Omega -  Paracletus

You were seeking strength, justice, splendour!
You were seeking love!
Here is the pit, here is your pit! Its name is SILENCE…

These are the final words spoken on Paracletus, the climax of a trilogy composed by a very enigmatic band. They've gotten a lot of attention this past year from the metal community in the form of unwavering devotion but also slanderous hate. People have used words like pretentious, overrated, unsatisfying while describing their work and though I may have lashed out in anger at these opinions at first, I've come to respect that Deathspell Omega just isn't a band that everyone is going to appreciate. What's important for the sake of this list is that I appreciate their work and in my mind Paracletus has raised the bar for what I'm going to expect from bands in the future.

The density of the composition, the unconventional techniques, the hypnotic atmosphere, lyrics that read like ancient text... every part of this album is intricately developed, polished and delivered with unbelievable precision. I didn't have this strong opinion after my first spin of course. It was all too much for me to absorb, but given time, each instrument revealed itself individually. I found myself focusing on the smallest details (like clever rhythms on the high hat) and isolating them to see where they would take me. And after I had explored each instrument, layers of synth work and subtle whispers and screams began to draw my attention. With each listen my initial curiosity and excitement matured into quiet admiration which gives me no choice but to give Paracletus my #1 position.

Best of 2010

#2 - Cephalic Carnage - Misled by Certainty

AHHHHhhhhhhhHHAHHAHHHhhhhhhhhhh, IT'S SOOOOOOOOOO HEEEAAAVVYYYYYYYYY, AAAAHHhhAHHHAHahhahah, I CAN'T STAND THE TENSSSIOOONNNNN. THESE PEOPLE ARE SADISTIIIICCCC. UUHHHHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA, I'MMMMmmm GOING TO HAVE AN ANEURYSMMMM!

Best of 2010

#3 - Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit

There was a lot of anticipation for this album. I followed the headlines as closely as I could, watching for the track list, the cover art and telling everyone I knew with excited enthusiasm that the new album was approaching quickly and that it was undoubtedly going to be in my top 10. I never had any doubt, which leaves me in an odd position. All I want to do is get people to listen to this so I'll try my best to do that here.

Have you ever gone on a hike into a forest without knowing where the trail would take you? Picture the entrance, the sign post weather-beaten and unclear but you proceed with a sense of adventure. It's winter out with a fresh snow covering the rocky ground like a blanket. You walk along the trail noticing the sound of running water, the icy wind blowing through trees making their branches sway and creak. Things seem so serene and peaceful you lose track of the distance walked and suddenly realize you haven't seen a trail marker in some time, maybe a mile, maybe two. The first attempt is made to regain your bearings, but the path is unclear, what you've been walking on has been your own path, one previously untraveled and this realization sends a shiver of panic through your body.

Confused and trying to deal with the feeling of being lost in a strange place you search for something familiar; the running water, the stream you heard at the entrance to the forest. Approaching the sound a clearing comes into view. Moving at a frantic pace toward the clearing hoping for a sign of civilization, a road, a farm, but what you approach is a lake frozen over and still. It's beautiful and for a moment the silence takes hold of you trudging up memories, regrets, the struggle of existence as you walk onto the ice looking up toward specks of white against the gray. Suddenly the ice gives way and you're reminded that your delicate existence is being questioned right now. You struggle for the edge, for your life which caught in a moment of reflection is soon to be snuffed out, but you manage to escape the icy grip of death.

It may not be possible to find a way out of the forest before nightfall, so you start considering other options. In this moment a faint line of smoke becomes clear against the gray horizon. It may not be a way out, but at least it's a warm place to ask for help, a glimmer of hope in an otherwise hopeless situation. You make your way to a small cabin, a hunting lodge for one. And inside through the window you see a figure but can't believe your own eyes. It is you, rocking in a chair swaddled in a red cotton throw next to a raging fire. Is this a dream or death? Have you drowned?

This is what Marrow of the Spirit feels like to me. Now go and find out what it feels like to you.

Best of 2010

#4 - Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini

Enslaved has been around since the beginning, since black metal emerged from the cold dead heart of Norway, and they're one of the few bands from the original scene still making records. While spinning this album countless times over the course of 2010 I've been trying to figure out why they're still here; what makes them resilient when their brethren have fallen into distant memory. To display my theory I'll have to give a bit of background. Black Metal was started as a form of immature teenage rebellion, albeit more extreme than examples of American suburbia. These young gents lit up churches and killed people for spite, but it was still just teenage insecurity. Back then, the music was mostly the same, blasting insanity with horrible production and literally no effort to enter the mainstream. This initial group of musicians gained fans, gained popularity and became something definable, a musical movement; structure when the original intent was anarchy. I think this realization had a powerful effect on a lot of the musicians involved and caused two reactions: personal struggle, insanity and stagnation, in the case of Varg and Fenriz and an evolutionary leap of creativity in the case of Enslaved and Emperor. Unfortunately, Emperor split in 2001 with Ihsahn preferring to compose under other various monikers. Enslaved on the other hand released Monumension in 2001; the album that ended up disillusioning the Enslaved fan base but also paving the way for truly progressive black metal.  

So here we are in 2010 with a band that has been shaping black metal since it began, that has been releasing consistently astounding albums, one after another, for their entire 20 year career. What can I say about the new one? What can I say about Axioma Ethica Odini that hasn't already been said? Probably nothing, but I can tell you with absolute honesty that it is essential listening and that it is a welcome addition to an already unbelievable discography.

Best of 2010

#5 - Withered - Dualitas

My perception of this album has changed quite a bit since the first time I spun it. At first I was blown away by the heaviness. The production is absolutely filthy bringing the guitars and percussion somewhere underground, somewhere damp and devoid of light where monstrous crags shift and quake. The vocalist is trapped down there somewhere suffering and struggling desperately to climb toward the surface. And with that description I'll gladly give Dualitas the title, "Heaviest album of 2010." 

But when I started delving into the lyrical content and the artwork of the album, it shed it's initial brutality in favor of something more intelligent. In the liner notes under the lyrics for every song is an explanation of what each song is about. I've never seen anything like this before and although I generally believe good music to be interpretive and appreciate it when the same music can mean something different to different people, it's certainly refreshing to see exactly what these tracks represent according to the musicians who created them. Boiling the explanations down, this album is about being able to identify the shallow nature of popular culture and distancing oneself from it in order to grow as a spiritual individual. Needless to say I was not expecting this sort of content from the lyrics. I was expecting dark meaningless imagery mixed in with words that sound good when growled, which is what most death metal lyrics are comprised of. What I got was a message these musicians are obviously passionate about; a message that they want their fans to absorb and learn from.

This evolution from bludgeoning brutality to intellectual enlightenment is why Dualitas is worthy of your undivided attention and why it's here in my 2010 list.

Best of 2010

#6 - Kayo Dot - Coyote

Coyote was originally written as a long-form composition by Toby Driver and New York based writer/filmmaker Yuko Sueta who had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The composition was to be used as the sound track for a film, but when Sueta became unable to continue the work, Driver decided to adapt it as music for his band Kayo Dot. The motivation behind this work was Sueta's battle with the disease and with her own mortality. Yuko Sueta passed away while the album was in post-production on October 31st 2009. Here are some lyrics from the album which should convey the atmosphere, the honesty and why I picked it for my Best of 2010.

Help me, I'm disappearing
The doors are breathing
Floorboards are bowing
Remind me if I'm not saying anything
There's just so much I can't see
I feel misplaced

Like a moth trapped in the window blinds
After wings came apart into pieces

Who knows who I am anymore?

One day I entered the room of my mind
Shut the thick door behind my bed
Although there was no life

I felt safe here

I decided to draw some pictures in the air
When the darkness drove it up - all my imaginations
They were creeping and you told me

I want to live forever

Best of 2010

#7 - Her Name is Calla - The Quiet Lamb

What a wonderful little album... I feel the same way about post-rock as I do about post-metal as described in my last entry. Post-anything should come from simple beginnings and take you somewhere new and exciting. This album is another stunning example of how creative musicians can be if they forget about genres, acceptable techniques, templates and formulas and write directly from the heart. Her Name is Calla go so far, it's hard to even call this rock. It's got equal amounts of ambient, neo-classical and a dollop of free jazz mixed together to make a beautifully delicate composition.

Delicate is the key word here. There are many moments of near silence with a single instrument sounding quiet notes or a light drum beat establishing a loose rhythm, but the music never loses your attention. I love it when a band can do that. Moments of quiet simple melodies create so much space within a composition. When my ears can barely make out the subtle nuances, my brain makes up for it by picturing the sound off in the distance with obstacles in the way; blowing wind, falling leaves, a snowfall that has the audacity to feel warm. And in between these moments are the conflicts presented by a soaring, passionate lead vocal accompanied by guitars, horns, strings and a trove of percussion instruments. The artists involved showed not only that they can tastefully incorporate a wide selection of instruments, but also a mastery in execution. Be patient with this one and you'll undoubtedly be rewarded.

Best of 2010

#8 - Questioner - Self-Titled

On to the metal. I mentioned these guys before saying they were the light at the end of the tunnel; a tunnel built by my disappointment with 2010 from a musical as well a more personal perspective. In retrospect that opinion held true. Although the year didn't take the dramatic turn I begged for, it did begin to show promise after I discovered this release. And the discovery of this album made me more aware of BandCamp which I personally think is the future of music marketing and distribution.

Anyway, this album is a good example of what I look for in metal these days, which is music that is difficult to define and manages to tell a story in an original way. After hearing that, someone might just say, "Oh, post-metal, what's the big deal?" but they would be missing the point. Although Questioner could be described as post-metal, they bring their own personality, their own influences to the table. I make the distinction because in the ocean of post-metal, bands will take influence from other post-metal bands and mimic them instead of attempting to find their own identity. It is only the post-metal elite who expand upon the idea of metal; they take basic ideas and techniques and draw them out, driving them somewhere new and original. 

I actually wrote a little description of the sound of this album in a previous post, so out of laziness I'll quote it here:
"Questioner flows organically, but not in the sense that it's warm or comforting, in the sense that it's raw, unassuming, maybe a little rough around the edges. In a world where crystal clear production reigns, Questioner is deliberately muddy, but not to any detriment. The slightly mid-range heavy mix gives every nuance a sort of subtlety, a hint of modesty. The percussion is aggressive and seems to be the leading instrument with the guitar following close behind with a touch of reverb. The second spin is revealing minor tonality, but the resolutions are a little confusing. There's a lot hope in this which means they're taunting the listener with a few temporary resolves into the relative major. This approach gives Questioner a really nice emotional balance having sorrowful intervals resolved by big complex rhythm sections. I hear a bit of death metal, a bit of blasting black coming together in a nice posty blend of metal goodness."

Best of 2010

#9 - Crippled Black Pheonix - I, Vigilante

I was born in 1985, so in the grand scheme of things I've seen very little of music history with my own eyes. I've thought of what it would be like to live in the 70's and see how culture responded to Pink Floyd and King Crimson and of course Led Zeppelin, but all I can do is listen to their music, listen to the music they influenced, and speculate. These artists represent something special in my mind, they represent music that was intelligent, emotionally charged, yet accessible enough to appeal to anyone. Very few bands can claim to embody those qualities these days but a few are trying as hard as they possibly can, which leads me to my #9 spot, I, Vigilante by Crippled Black Pheonix.

Previous efforts by CBP have left me unsatisfied, as if they were still trying to figure out who they were or who they wanted to be, but I knew it was just a matter of time before they figured it out. I, Vigilante represents a turning point for the band; the time when they figured out how to let their obvious talent for writing catchy hooks unfold into a few of the most ambitious compositions I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. There are only five tracks on this album plus one hidden track so we're talking length here; length, without an ounce of filler. Each track has such a strong identity I can easily picture them being released as a series of 5 EP's but when combined these songs make for an emotional journey. I, Vigilante reminds us that you can write beautifully intelligent music and still maintain humility, modesty, and patience, that invariably appeals to the human spirit and ultimately reveals itself as timeless in the grand scheme.

Best of 2010

#10 - Island - Self-Titled

Every list needs to be grounded, it needs to begin with a setting, a symbolic grassy pasture in which one can sit down and expand his ideas, build something, go somewhere. Island is the pasture in which I did a lot of thinking this year so it would be an appropriate place to begin. Hailing from Germany, Island is a group of musicians who by themselves embody a small but substantial movement of music. You may or may not be aware of Valborg or Woburn House or Klabautamann but they are all related to the same founding artists, the same creative fountain. Island in particular swells with ideas and influences I can't pin down; rhythmic discoveries, melodic resolution that shouldn't make sense but consistently does.

This record is certainly not a blasting slab of metal, rather a wanderer. The guitars are mostly clean sometimes accompanied by subtle horns, yet the composition has a density that makes it feel complete; as if each idea was developed patiently and brought to its inevitable end. The verses are hinged together with a warm, mostly clean production that has a very smooth organic feel burying the listener in atmosphere and guiding them with welcome narration unique enough to stand out in my memory for some years to come.

Best of 2010

As the years pass it's important for us to remember personal events, accomplishments, experiences so that we may grow as individuals, educate others, and ultimately reflect upon them in order to evaluate our lives and find some comfort in our eventual departure. I have many memories of my past but few that I could identify with a year. 2010 presented an exception. 2010 was the year we lost Peter Steele and Ronnie James Dio, and I don't think I'll ever forget that. The music of these two men greatly influenced my growth as a metalhead and their deaths set the tone for what music I searched for over the past year. Even though much of this influence was subconscious I recognize that 2010 was a year of loss and the music I spent the most time with, the music that I found most attractive, was music that sympathized with me, that comforted me, and ultimately helped me understand that it's important to move on and welcome new bands and musicians with the passing of the old. So this is my list, a selection of 10 albums from 2010 that helped me through a tough year.

Book: Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton

 I bought this book a while ago as another source of lyric ideas without the intention of ever reading the whole thing, so this isn't a review. I just wanted to share a poem within that serves as an introduction:

'Tis my sole plague to be alone,
I am a beast, a monster grown,
I will no light nor company,
I find it now my misery.
The scene is turn'd, my joys are gone;
Fear, discontent, and sorrows come.
  All my griefs to this are jolly,
  Naught so fierce as Melancholy.
I'll not change life with any King,
I ravisht am: can the world bring
More joy than still to laugh and smile,
In pleasant toys time to beguile?
Do not, O do not, trouble me,
So sweet content I feel and see.
  All my joys to this are folly,
  None so divine as Melancholy.
I'll change my state with any wretch,
Thou canst from gaol or dunghill fetch.
My pain's past cure, another Hell,
I may not in this torment dwell,
Now desperate I hate my life,
Lend me a halter or a knife.
  All my griefs to this are jolly.
  Naught so damn'd as Melancholy.

Show: Enslaved and Dimmu Borgir

I almost missed this but thanks to an unlikely coincidence I was reminded to get my ass up to Norther Lights in Clifton Park. The venue was smaller than I was expecting. In the center of the room was a large rectangular bar surrounded by maybe 20 feet of standing floor on each side with the stage in the front. And, get this, the bar served Dogfishhead 60 minute IPA for $6 a solo cup which paired nicely with progressive black metal.

The opening band, Dawn of Ashes was interesting. They played a sort of fun blackened GWARish metal complete with costumes and breakdowns aplenty. They were definitely fun live, but I'm afraid I can't with good conscious recommend them. Here's their myspace in case curiosity strikes:
http://www.myspace.com/dawnofashes

The second opener is considerably more well known, Blood Red Throne. Even though these gents weren't clad in hellish costumes they embodied brutality and evil much more accurately. This band is all about harsh blasting, slightly blackened, death metal. Most of what they did tended to blur together in constant bludgeoning speed, but there were a few memorable solos to be enjoyed, so I was content:
http://www.myspace.com/bloodredthrone666

Enslaved was up next and I was indeed giddy. There's something about seeing a band in person for the first time after watching countless interviews and the infrequent music video, something that makes my time spent admiring music seem worth it. As far as their performance it was exactly what I was expecting, expertly choreographed, expertly executed with a stage presence that was honestly menacing. Grutle Kjellson was especially impressive as the frontman. His vocals although obviously not leveled any higher than normal fought with the already overwhelming guitar tone, which in this sort of music is rare and I can only image how much damage he's dishing out to his poor vocal chords. I certainly appreciate his sacrifice in any event. Here's a taste, but I highly recommend all their albums especially their most recent Axioma Ethica Odini:
http://www.myspace.com/enslaved

Dimmu Borgir has been taking a lot of flack lately, and I can see why. Their focus has shifted over the past few albums toward an orchestral-centric sound, which means they're moving away from guitar-centric much to the fans' chagrin. Live however, a band has an obligation to play the old with the new and it was the old that captured my attention, especially a couple tracks off of Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia; one of the guiding albums in my metal education. And even though the rest of the material wasn't nearly as memorable, it was still solid fucking metal and the band was tight. There was a lot of focus on the light show and the lead even needed a break for a costume change, which I thought was rather silly, but overall a good end to a good night. Here's some Dimmu:
http://www.myspace.com/dimmuborgir

Movie: Night of the Living Dead

Traversing the strange realm of the zombie flick, I was led here by very reliable sources of guidance. I had not known until now that this was the film that defined the genre and after sitting through Dawn of the Dead, I was skeptical. However, as anyone should know the skeptic in me is often wrong and after the final scene of this cult classic I was skeptical no longer.

I first started watching the 30th anniversary version with over dubbed audio, but as soon as I was told that the original was available on IMDB I switched over. There's something wrong about a film from the late 60's having perfectly produced synth work as the soundtrack. The original soundtrack is much more haunting, but anyway.

The aspect of this movie that stood out for me was the script which is full of the most memorable quotes of any horror film I've ever seen. In fact a few of them I had heard before at the beginnings of Death Metal and Grind songs, as those musicians are apt to use such things in their compositions.

Here's a few:

Johnny: They're coming to get you, Barbara, there's one of them now!

Newscaster: It has been established that persons who have recently died have been returning to life and committing acts of murder. A widespread investigation of funeral homes, morgues, and hospitals has concluded that the unburied dead have been returning to life and seeking human victims. It's hard for us here to be reporting this to you, but it does seem to be a fact.

Ben: Don't you know what's goin' on out there? This is no Sunday School picnic!

Johnny: Hey, come on, Barb. Church was this morning.
[pause as lightning is seen]
Johnny: I mean, prayin's for church.
Barbara: I haven't seen you in church lately.
Johnny: Well, there's not much sense in my going to church.

Dr. Grimes: In the cold room at the University, we had a cadaver, a cadaver from which all limbs had been amputated. Some time early this morning, it opened its eyes and began to move its trunk. It was dead, but it opened its eyes and tried to move!

Newscaster: All persons who die during this crisis from whatever cause will come back to life to seek human victims, unless their bodies are first disposed of by cremation.

Field Reporter: Chief, do you think that we will be able to defeat these things?
Sheriff McClelland: Well, we killed nineteen of them today right in this area. The last three, we caught them trying to claw they're way into an abandoned shed. They must of thought someone was in there, but there wasn't though. We heard them making all kind of noises so we came over, beat 'em off and blasted them down.

Sheriff McClelland: Good shot! OK, he's dead; let's go get 'im. That's another one for the fire.

Another quality worth some explanation is the perspective the modern era has toward this film. There are obvious scenes of racism and sexism throughout. I think the most shocking for me was when Ben slapped Barbara across the face because she was freaking out. I understand that in movies back then when a woman broke out into "hysterics" a man would hit her. This doesn't happen very often in modern cinema and I'm thankful for that, and I'm not about to say anything condoning such a response, I'd just like to say that I appreciate the shock value of such a scene.

One more interesting aspect having to do with how dated this film is was the use of radio as the source of updates on the zombie outbreak. Just hearing the words spoken by a fearful newscaster describing what was happening was so much more powerful than if it had been a tv station reporting on pictures of what they saw. Little devices like that make the imagination run wild and I wish modern horror at least attempted to take advantage of them more often.

Anyway, I now understand why this film provoked a movement and I'm glad I finally experienced it.

5/5

Book: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Wandering the rows of fiction in B&N, buzzed on caffeine, keeping an eye out for girls hovering around the Murakami section, this jumped out at me. I should say the newer addition with the movie tie-in jumped out at me, but fuck that. I reached down, pulled out the original and fanned through it for a minute wondering if watching the movie first ruined any future enjoyment I might have. As with most trips to B&N this trip was motivated by impulse so I carried it to the checkout and drove home on a new avenue of self-inflicted depression.

I'm not sure if the general public knows about this story. If I recall correctly, the movie did rather well, but I can imagine the subject matter having somewhat of a polarizing effect on hopeful audiences. Just in case the story isn't known I'll describe enough to convey the mood.

The Road is about a father and his son, both unnamed, traveling toward the ocean. The world around them is burned, decaying and cold. Everyone they knew is dead, and many of the remaining survivors have resorted to cannibalism in order to stay alive.
The story documents their journey as they attempt to live as good men, finding food where they can, finding warmth and avoiding survivors who no longer have the capacity for mercy.

Given I'm not a novelist, nor do I ever plan to be, so I'll leave the technical commentary to those better educated. What I can comment on is how it made me feel.
And, quite simply this novel made me feel awful. Empathy was pouring out of deep wounds cut with paranoia, loneliness and desolation. And if you know anything about me, you'd know that I quite enjoyed it.

There were so many heart-wrenching scenes. I've heard criticisms of repetition, but they're unfounded. Each scene of loss builds on the last, each step they took was toward a conflict of whether or not to live. And the father, a man of great strength always chose to keep going, and tried to instill the importance of the fight, the fire of survival, in his terrified son.

A few scenes are going to stick with me for a while and I'll describe two for my own future benefit, but please stop here and go buy the book if this sort of thing interests you. The man and his son happened upon a farm house, seemingly vacant and a possible source of forgotten nourishment. Within the house the man finds a cellar and descends with his son eager to find food, but what they find are people, stripped, emaciated and unclean, chained to walls and steel mattresses begging for help, gasping in terror. And they had to leave them there, food for cannibals, helpless. Truly horrifying.

The other scene worth mentioning is one that hit me on a personal level. When I was in grade school, my father came down with an illness that brought him near his own demise. There was a day before he was admitted into the hospital when he asked for me to listen to him. He simply wanted to tell me that he loved me. This jarred me as a teenager, I was filled with sadness and hate and... it was hard. So toward the end of the story when the father is speaking his last words to his son, trying to convince him to keep the fire alive, to keep going without him, I was there with him. It was a profound moment for me, so I owe you some gratitude Mr. McCarthy. That's the sort of emotion I live for because pain reminds us how fragile and beautiful life is.

Anyway, buy the book, enjoy it, if you can; if you can handle being dragged through mud and ash and fire and loss.

5/5

Movie: Fallen

I've said before that the only benefit of centuries of religion is artistic influence. What I never personally understood was why there aren't more great films about satan and his demon hordes. There are countless ancient stories to lift and adapt, yet movies about the devil are perpetually campy and shallow.

There are exceptions however, like Fallen. It would be harsh to call this one campy, but it rides the line; I'd be more apt to call it modest. The story follows a detective who is introduced as the valiant hero in a serial murderer's capture. The killer is executed, but unfortunately for Detective Hobbs, the killing doesn't stop.

Before long Hobbs discovers that what he's been chasing can't be described in terms of the physical world and his valiant nature transcends his title as detective into a new role as a crusader.

This isn't a perfect movie; there are weak bits. Hobbs' brother played a pivotal role but was portrayed awkwardly. We never find out much about him other than he's a father and slightly mentally handicapped. A little more character development with him and the emotion Hobbs felt toward him would've been more believable. And this is definitely subjective, but a little more time with Embeth Davidtz's character would've been appreciated. I've always had a thing for her, one of the rare modern examples of glamour. Her and Saffron Burrows... But she's not in this movie so I'll get back to the point.

Overall Denzel did a great job bringing life to the script and there are a few very memorable scenes, especially the final battle between Hobbs and a demon. Highly recommended for a unique portrayal of evil of a biblical nature.

4/5

Movie: The Shining

The Shining is a staple for any decent Halloween movie marathon and a film that I've loved for a long long time. Every scene is literally dripping with horror, from subtle beginnings of a child's delusion and his innocent, understanding mother to bold foreshadowing of the hallway flood of crashing waves of blood, going so far as revealing the climax of the film in one of the first scenes; the plot is so rich and complex, so multi-dimensional and cyclic. Given the story is from Stephen King, so yes, it's wonderfully developed, but it's Kubrick's atmosphere and such a wonderful casting job that brings this movie to the top of the horror genre.

A mandatory film for foggy halloween nights.

5/5

Movie: Dawn of the Dead (1978)

Second movie of my horror marathon, and a supposed classic that I've never seen before. What can I say about this one... Hmmm. This might be an example of a movie that should be respected for getting the ball rolling, but not one that will stand in my mind as a great horror film. I can sum up my sentiment with this: It was just too goofy. The characters, especially the Captain America soldier guy, were goofy. The conflicts (driving freight trucks in front of the entrances?) were goofy. The music was painfully goofy.

The gore was good, I thought they did really well with what they had at the time and I certainly cringed during a few chomping scenes, but damn were the zombies themselves really goofy. They just painted green makeup on them and had them stumble around... I know, I know, this was before the whole 28 days later running zombies revelation, but man...

You could dive into the interpretive side and say "Well, the stupid slow zombies are a jab at middle-class america." And I'm sure there are many similar satirical elements going on here. It's fairly clear that the fact that the zombies gravitated toward the mall was a pretty big statement about how mindless most of the people are who shop there, but I think any comments of genius or visionary should be left to... well... not George Romero.

The one part that struck me as really interesting, but much too short-lived was right after they conquered the mall as a zombie-free zone and realized there was nothing really to do. So they wandered around and watched tv and tried on fur coats etc... Triumph against the zombies is kind of a bum deal when you realize you can never just resume your previous life.

Overall Meh... too Goofy.

2/5

Movie: [REC]

So I've setup a little horror movie marathon for myself to combat the long stretches of time in between reading and pacing. First on the list was [REC]. If I recall correctly it was some IMDB list that led toward this. I had known little about it other than it was the original film that inspired an american rehash called Quarantine, which I'm pretty sure bombed, but the existence of an american rehash generally means the original is worth seeing. So here we go...

The movie begins with a cute spunky girl, the host of a TV show titled "While you're asleep," or something like that, on her way to a fire department to report on the nightly activities of fire fighters. She begins by interviewing a few of them asking what their job entails other than putting out fires and as the night progresses she grows impatient wanting a spectacle of sorts to report on to make the show an especially good one.

At this point it's fairly obvious the writer/director has a good sense of anticipation which is a relief because this is one of the make or break qualities of any horror film. The people involved really have to show restraint and hold off on the shock until that sliver of time right before boredom and then lay it on thick.

The call finally comes for the firefighters to pack up and deploy to an apartment complex where a woman is reported as being trapped in her room. As the story develops relationships are formed rather quickly between the reporter and the firemen. When they arrive on scene more characters enter the mix, the tenants of the building gathered in the lobby, waiting impatiently. They explain that not only is the woman alone in her apartment but that she'd been screaming wildly and uncontrollably.

I'll stop there with the description of the story because any good horror film should be experienced without any prior knowledge of the surprise. I can say however that tension escalates very quickly after the introduction of the conflict.

A quality that stands out for me is the strength of the characters. This film is a short one and we only know a few of the characters for a short time, but they were colorful enough to be memorable; and not overstated beyond an honest reflection of how a person would act in such a situation of chaos.

As far as how scary it was, there was one scene that really got me. There were many moments of sudden shock and the film should be commended for that, but the one scene that stood out for me I'm almost embarrassed to say. I'll describe it without much detail: The cameraman is peeking into an attic panning around slowly in a circle. You know something is going to happen, I mean, it's a dark attic, something's going to pop out and I was just waiting patiently. But, man, when it happened I went cold and stiff all over. I think I may have yelped a little in horror. It was a good moment for me.

Anyway, if you like horror movies and aren't thrown by subtitles, this is definitely worth the ride.

5/5

Illusion

It's natural to feel lost. We're spinning about the universe hurtling toward empty space, alone and sometimes afraid. We can create illusions for ourselves, believe in love, believe that someone/anyone is capable of understanding us, believe that our goals are important, worth the investment of time. We need to hold on to personal illusion to help us believe we have some importance as an individual. Without this there's nothing to live for because the universe is too big to care. I'm no more important than the stink bug that wanders around my apartment looking for crumbs. We both live and die, we both will eventually decompose and be forgotten.

My illusion is abstract in that it only presents itself after interpretation and is only found in dark corners caked in dust and cobwebs. Places like the comment portion of the song Alberto Balsalm by Aphex Twin on youtube:

i just imagine someone trying to make music...and they play the intro...no one digs it so there is a pause...then some random chick hits a table with her waist and that noise is made...then it all comes together :D

Lmfao, I can kinda see that, too, now that you mention it.

tripping on acid, my friend said to get this face out of here, so i made it my background....great shit

Lmfao, epic.

this might be the best comment ever made on youtube

I must agree with you, sir. Quite epic.

This, together with On, are probably my favourite tracks by him. This one has such a deep melancholy sadness to it, but still manages to sound uplifting in the strangest way. Like witnessing the end of the world while knowing you've still managed to save your porn. At least that's how I feel.

I feel that too, looking over the precipice and thinking, "Hey, at least I tried."

At least I'm trying...

Book: A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.

Obeying a slight craving for the post-apocalyptic, I stumbled upon this supposed classic of the genre. I initially chose it because of the stark contrast between this and my trip with Dawkins through atheist regions. Although the plot was unknown to me before purchase, the illustration of a shrouded monk walking through fire under circling vultures was enough to tip me off to a strong religious element.

The book was written at the height of nuclear paranoia in the 1950's and the author's personal fear and lack of faith in humanity is clear from the get go. The story takes place in a world where nuclear destruction had occurred and in retaliation the surviving uneducated waged war against the people who were responsible, bringing civilization back to the days of candle light and religious dominance.

The novel's story revolves around the monastery of Saint Leibowitz. Leibowitz is revered for beginning a movement of preservation of literature during the retaliation against modern education and that is the purpose of the monastery, to seek out and preserve technical literature of any kind.

Although the monastery and its penitent monks are the focal point of the entire novel, the story is broken into three parts; The first being a re-creation of the dark ages, where the monks could only preserve the scientific documents but couldn't understand or interpret any of them. Irony oozes liberally from the pages when thinking about what these monks were trying to achieve, to return civilization back to modernity where religion is no longer a way of life but rather a crutch, and they do it with such devotion. Brother Francis is the main character in part one and he's described as a pitifully meek and obedient follower but with such heated passion toward the cause of the monastery of Leibowitz. While praying in seclusion in the desert, as was the thing to do when called upon to do it, Francis stumbles upon an old fallout shelter containing evidence of Leibowitz's existence including a shopping list, which he treats like ancient scripture. He's then visited by an enigmatic character; an old man who at first gives the impression of a loon, but hints at a greater wisdom. This character is somewhat of a mystery throughout the novel, an observer of events likened to the biblical Lazarus and is seemingly immortal. I won't get into full detail of the following events other than to say Francis is hurtled into a national conflict that shows two clear sides: those who want to understand and return to modern civilization and those who don't.

Part two of the novel describes a time when science is just starting to take hold. The tension between the primitive and the modern is magnified and an interesting theme is present. When modern civilization has already occurred and a lot of the literature has been preserved, it would naturally take a lot less time to return to modernity. However, this accelerated speed of scientific progression would do nothing but amplify social tensions and that is exactly what these chapters depict. Brutal tribes of cannibals, simple monks and scientists all fighting for power and what they consider to be the way of life. On a critical note, of the entire novel this was the intermission, the bridge that was obviously important to the narrative, but not quite the page turner that I wanted or expected.

Part three brought an immediate end to my slight boredom with previous chapters. The setting is a second modern civilization, far beyond present time when colonies had been formed on the closest habitable planets in the galaxy and earth finds itself on the threshold of a second nuclear holocaust. It's interesting how Miller goes about finding a story within these settings. He seemed intent, especially in this part, to approach certain controversies and flesh them out with colorful arguments on both sides but showing a reluctance to form an opinion either way. The argument that dominated the final chapters of the novel was euthanasia. An entire city was blown completely off the map and millions were dead, the wounded survivors had to deal with the grim realization that radiation sickness is often incurable and leads to a harsh and painful death. The argument was between a doctor and the head of the monastery. The doctor had the responsibility of deciding which victims were beyond medical care and were to be given the choice of assisted suicide as an alternative from a brief painful existence. The monk was trying as hard as he could to convince the doctor that assisted suicide was wrong and it is these people's destiny to die painfully, to rob them of that is to spit in the face of God and his plan for human existence. Obviously I sided with the doctor, but the argument was presented in such an unbiased way that a religious person would have obviously agreed with the monk and never given it a second thought.

Overall this was an immensely interesting and thought provoking read. It certainly dragged in some parts, but those pages served to raise the tension until the finale which was very satisfying and at the same time unsettling when some time is taken to reflect on our own civilization.

5/5

Movie: Robin Hood

This one doesn't deserve as much depth as I usually commit to movie reviews. Damn movie was a waste of time... But not for the reason I remember so many people saying, which was, "The movie started at the wrong spot, who cares about why Robin Hood became the prince of thieves?"

I for one was legitimately interested in seeing a prequal to the story I've seen several times before, the setup to a period of civil unrest when the townsfolk decided they've had enough and struck back.

And that's exactly what I got. The story was intact, everything was explained thoroughly and it led right up to the main event by the time the movie was over. The problem, and I can't imagine how this wasn't painfully obvious to a master like Ridley Scott, was that there was no focus on the characters at all. This was a movie of information, an introduction that rushed toward the main event. I felt no emotional attachment to anything, people died and I didn't care, seemingly emotional exchanges took place, but with no weight or concern. The film was a big tease with no depth, and not a single satisfying moment.

That and the deliberate casting of a bunch of A-list actors and actresses who obviously had no on or off-screen chemistry makes this an abomination, a over-hyped hollywood disaster.

1/5

Fucking Glenn Beck

I'll probably take this down at some point because I don't want to even give recognition to this fake. I just want to briefly point out the characteristics of a compulsive liar.

1) A compulsive liar gets off on lying

2) He makes grandiose statements to get attention from the gullible

3) He gestures toward symbols which meant something to someone at some time, rewriting the meaning of said symbols to adhere to his personal agenda

4) He conditions the tone of his voice and adds dramatic pauses in his speech mimicking emotional expression

5) He makes reference to a single historical truth and then attaches lies to it to give the illusion of education

Glenn Beck is a compulsive liar. This video oozes of trained acting and practiced queues of decisive intention. His intention has nothing to do with this country, or the idea conservatives covet as patriotism. His intention is simply to enjoy lying, to enjoy the attention his fallacies attract, to create conflict where there might well have been prosperity. He is leading people, leading sheep, toward mindless aggression, hate and inhumanity.

Book: The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

It's about time I got around to reading this, with the reputation it has as the definitive reference for modern atheism. Generally speaking I'd rather spend my time reading fiction, but the irony of stumbling upon this book for $1 at a church sponsored book sale was too much for me to ignore.

The first thought I had while turning the first few pages was how similar his written word was to his spoken word lectures. He somehow infuses the same tone in each, a tone of patience and charm, but with bold sometimes tongue in cheek statements interspersed to grab the attention of his audience. I immediately understood that this wasn't going to be an unbiased reference, but rather an emotional and passionate presentation of why religion is ridiculous. This is the source of my first criticism. Being an atheist, I don't need to be convinced that faith is irrational, but for someone looking for a book to lead them away from faith, The God Delusion may seem too abrasive, too matter of fact. Dawkins has no patience for believers of any sort and wastes no time discrediting anyone with any belief in the supernatural, from noted scientists to poor farmers of the mid-west.

To go even further, Dawkins even turns his back on agnostics. He has the personal belief that agnosticism is a cop out, an easy answer to a difficult question. He says that if evidence were to be presented of the supernatural he would have no issue judging the evidence objectively and changing his mind, but since no evidence exists it's ridiculous for agnostics to hold out hope and believe in something undefinable, it's more logical to be an observant, open-minded atheist.

One of the major topics that stood out for me was an in-depth explanation of the anthropic principle. The principle basically says that if we're here to observe the universe, then it would make sense that certain universal constants were perfect for life to exist and to evolve to the point of cognition. This explanation is followed by several theoretical explanations for how other universes might have failed at producing cognitive beings. Either this universe is just one of many in a long timeline of universes going back to infinity, or existence is based on a multiverse model in which an infinity of universes exist all at once and we just happen to be existing and aware of one that was perfect for human life. These are really interesting topics to think about and discuss and I'm glad Dawkins spent some time explaining it all with several references to sources of related theoretical science.

The argument that I sometimes bring up in conversation when talking about the "benefits" of religion is that it presents morality in a fun, colorful way and that if society did away with religion, some accessible moral construct would have to fill the void left in religion's absence. After reading the applicable chapters on this topic I'm going to have to reassess my opinions slightly but not completely. Dawkins makes the argument that it's not the bible that is responsible for the moral construct taught to children, it's the interpretation of the bible by biased ministers. If it was the bible directly, morals found in the Old Testament would teach children to kill and seek revenge and make sacrifices etc... The New Testament is considerably more PC, but still not a good guide of moral responsibility considering the views of homosexuality and women's rights. Dawkins thinks that morality shouldn't be the product of literature, but rather based on the success of a society. It's a very utilitarian view to think that you shouldn't kill, not because someone told you not to but because it's obvious that killing reduces the chances of the survival of a society. This leads to another criticism though. Morality is extremely complex and oftentimes the right decision isn't as black and white as kill or don't kill. It takes a very involved construct to explain all of these moral issues and there needs to be something to replace all the adapted stories of the bible; stories that nowadays hardly have any resemblance to the original scripture, but would not exist if not for religion.

The next topic worth talking about is, in my opinion, Dawkin's most controversial argument. He states very clearly that bringing a child up under a religion they had no power in choosing is more abusive than sexual assault. You might ask why he would make such an insanely ludicrous statement and it is basically a response to all of the sexual assault cases committed by priests. He says that sexual assault, while horrible and scarring, is nothing compared to the reinforcement of the idea that the supernatural exists. He describes how grown men and women are tortured by the possibility of the existence of hell, experiencing horrible nightmares and severe depression because they feel they very well might be doomed for an eternity.
On this point I can see why Dawkins made the argument but that doesn't make it a tactful relation. Sexual assault is horrid. Bringing up a child in an environment where the only motivating factor is fear is horrid. Neither is more horrid.

However, after setting a somewhat sour, unsettling tone for the last portion of the book, Dawkins comes back to what he's most passionate about, which is the idea that Atheism is the only path to reason, and that there is no gap that needs to be filled if religion were to be abandoned. Arguments have been made about the wonder of religious art, but people too often forget that artists are wonderfully imaginative. They don't need a book to tell them what to write or paint or compose; they'll always find a muse and a subject. I sort of wish Dawkins spent a little more time talking about mortality, because it's the issue I've spent the most time grappling with. But, he believes no gap is left by religion here because of the idea proposed by a simple quote from Mark Twain: "I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it." It's a refreshing way to look at it, as long as you can accept that your existence is a speck, a molecule, an unremarkable blip in infinity.

Overall a fun, entertaining read. I would certainly recommend The God Delusion to any atheist or even any believer who was on the fence. But the myriad God-fearing people out there would do nothing but wail and curse which will cost you a point Dawkins. I'll be waiting for an example of atheist literature that actually tries to approach convincing believers to reassess their beliefs in a tactful, effective way for such a book does not yet exist.

4/5

Christopher Hitchens update

Situations like this test the resolve of atheists everywhere and make us question whether or not there's anything we can do. I'm filled with hope for your eventual victory over cancer Mr. Hitchens, but understand wholeheartedly that it is your personal strength that's going to be the variable. Luckily, I know there are few men stronger.

Music: Questioner - s/t

I've been without words, distracted, busy, frustrated with 2010 for some reasons, excited for others. One of my major concerns is for the music of this year. As I said in a previous review, metal music at large had betrayed me with poor offerings one after another for about 6 months... So I dabbled elsewhere, into the avant for a while, but found little that was comparable to the album that sparked my interest, that redirected my attention. So I'm back with an album, and oh boy... what an album it is.

Questioner, previously known as Isthmus, were unknown to me. And they have a very small presence in a commercial sense. All I could find was a myspace and a bandcamp website where you can download the album for a modest price. After sampling the first 30 seconds of the first track I immediately went for my wallet. Giving the album a full spin I can honestly say my gut instinct on music is still as sharp as it ever was. (mind you this only concerns music that i might enjoy, as for anyone else my instincts generally fail miserably)

At first I wanted to describe each part of the album but that's not feeling right. I want to approach this as one entity because that's the perspective the composition lends itself to; so I'll describe the tone of the album. Questioner flows organically, but not in the sense that it's warm or comforting, in the sense that it's raw, unassuming, maybe a little rough around the edges. In a world where crystal clear production reigns, Questioner is deliberately muddy, but not to any detriment. The slightly mid-range heavy mix gives every nuance a sort of subtlety, a hint of modesty. The percussion is aggressive and seems to be the leading instrument with the guitar following close behind with a touch of reverb. The second spin is revealing minor tonality, but the resolutions are a little confusing. There's a lot hope in this which means they're taunting the listener with a few temporary resolves into the relative major. This approach gives Questioner a really nice emotional balance having sorrowful intervals resolved by big complex rhythm sections. I hear a bit of death metal, a bit of blasting black coming together in a nice posty blend of metal goodness.

Please let this be the turning point of 2010. Please.

5/5

The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio : Introduction

I love how classic literature prepares the reader, either with in-depth descriptions of the setting or clearly explaining the purpose before embarking upon the work; as if it's a scholarly approach, not leaving any detail of context to question. In this particular case Boccaccio spent most of the introduction describing the face of the plague. The details are grim and more graphic than what I was expecting. For some reason I assumed a writer from this era was going to present the ravaging sickness with a sort of distant optimistic view, but Boccaccio cut right through to the nerve, first illustrating the gory symptoms of the plague then going into depth on the response. He describes for instance the beginning of the sickness when two priests would knock on the door of those afflicted and carry the dead out one by one, to several priests and servants being dispatched to not only go to the houses reported but be prepared for any other dead they happened upon, to the ultimate depravity of mass death, mass graves, covered with a thin layer of soil; entire towns wiped out, all worldly possessions abandoned.

Then Boccaccio describes the survivors, the few who watched society crumble around them. He introduces a small group of them individually, ten in all, and it becomes obvious that these are the people that are going to act as the driving force of the work. After doling out responsibilities to sustain them for the next ten days, Boccaccio constructs a machine of storytelling. Each evening all characters are to narrate a story based on a certain theme, except for the first night, which is open to each narrators discretion.

The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio

I stumbled upon this while searching for inspiration to write some music. I was specifically looking for literature from the plague era about the plague era and quickly realized there isn't a whole lot to be found except for a handful of iconic works, this being the supposed most influential work of that time. From what I've read about the Decameron, it's influence might extend far beyond the European Renaissance. The work is presented as a series of 100 Novellas grouped into 10 days, each having a particular theme. It's going to take me a while to get through considering my inexperience with Renaissance literature but I'll be posting updates along the way with some commentary, and possible thoughts for how the story could fit into a musical context.

Oil Spill

When asked to describe the massive mile long underwater oil plumes now lurking in the Gulf, Samantha Joye, an expedition leader from the University of Georgia responded with this:

It's an infusion of oil and gas unlike anything else that has ever been seen anywhere, certainly in human history.

Bacteria are breaking down the oil's hydrocarbons in a massive, microorganism feeding frenzy that has sent oxygen levels plunging close to what is considered "dead zone" conditions, at which most marine life are smothered for a lack of dissolved oxygen.

I generally don't post about current events, but that description struck me as important, also horrifying.

Here's a link to make a donation:

http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation/Threats-to-Wildlife/Oil-Spill.aspx

Also Here: http://www.healthygulf.org/

Debate: Is God Great? Christopher Hitchens v. John Lennox

I've seen a few other debates on whether or not a god exists and whether or not it's good for society to believe in something beyond themselves. And the more I watch and the more I read about this subject the more it seems like a useless effort.

It is my understanding that once a person decides to believe in a god wholeheartedly, no statement can be made to disprove their belief. When someone chooses to accept anything upon faith, they are assuming the existence of something without any physical evidence. And that assumption leads to the conclusion that it is possible for anything to exist. They effectively open their arms to the supernatural. To combat this ideology the only avenue for the faithless is to disprove, individually, the things that the believer has taken to be true based on faith.

Now the faithless may make an honest effort toward this end, but human imagination is infinite. If you prove a fact based on evidence that was previously explained with faith, you haven't disproved God. All you've done is shed light on a small corner of reality that was previously shrouded in darkness. To expand on this image, to disprove God the faithless would have to shed light on the universe, the infinite universe, every aspect of it. We would need to see everything that exists and be able to explain why it exists. The very definition of the infinite universe makes this impossible.

So... What are we fighting for? Hitchens is under the impression that the believers are dangerous because they use their faith to justify evil and gives myriad examples to support his opinion. He thinks that abolishing religion world-wide would cause people to be more enlightened and generally less-violent, less deceitful.

I disagree with this opinion by equating faith to ignorance. (as an atheist i can do that :p) In a society you inevitably have varying degrees of enlightenment. When one person understands something clearly that another person does not, that information can be used as a weapon. Information can be distorted and presented in such ways as to reinforce the intentions of the enlightened, whether they be good or evil. An atheist is no more honest than a believer. The terrible aspects of humanity will always be present, greed, selfishness, bigotry, the lot of it. There has never been a society in the history of the world that was devoid of these problems and I doubt there ever will be. Therefore religion is no more dangerous than the existence of privileged information. Evil men will do evil things with whatever tools they have at their disposal.

You also have the nasty problem of death. Any atheist who is appreciating their life is not going to want to die. He is going to be terrified of the thought. It is very likely that during their final breath surrounded by loved ones, his eyes will go wide with frightful anticipation, with horror as the darkness comes into sight, as the light around him grows dim and even though biologically we're engineered to feel euphoria in the moment, as long as his mind is operating normally he is going to be fully aware of what is about to happen.

To contrast this, the religious have no fear of death, or at least they shouldn't, because the after life exists and death is just the beginning to an eternity of existence. Any religious person who fears death needs to reevaluate their faith immediately. I see this as a distinct advantage because death then takes on the identity of "the next step." I would argue that a society who believes this is going to be more prepared to die, is going to be less desperate when faced with it, less willing to commit atrocities out of blind fear and aggression when death is imminent.

But again you can immediately say that because of this, the religious might place less value in our life on this planet and may be more willing to commit atrocities even when death is not imminent. On and on.

It's easy to say which side of the argument is more enlightened. It's difficult to say which side of the argument is better.

So the conclusion I always arrive at is, why are we wasting our time trying to convince the other side? The thinkers should be busy thinking, finding new ways to uncover the universe and the believers should be busy imagining what could be waiting for them beyond the universe. Whichever side gives you more peace in your personal existence is the side you should be on, but there's no reason why it has to be a competition.

Ronnie James Dio, 1942-2010

"Today my heart is broken, Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss. Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."

- Wendy Dio

First Pete, now Dio...

Worst year for metal ever...

Book: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami

This was exactly what I needed after 2666. It is very unlike me to go into a novel without knowing anything about it, but I find myself appreciating surprises more and more these days. Needless to say after reading a couple other Murakami's I had an idea of what I was in for: Surreal dream-like excursions grounded by the self-reflection of interesting characters. Lucky for me, within this short description a lot can happen and Hard-Boiled certainly had enough surprises to keep me interested.

The plot develops around one character, (a name is never given) who makes a living organizing the data of scientific experiments in his mind; known as a calcutec. This skill, one he was trained for with various brain surgeries, comes at a very high risk because the setting is a world in which information is fought over constantly. The ability of being able to absorb a seemingly infinite amount of data and organize it into a usable form would obviously be very valuable to either side of these data wars.

From that description, this might seem like a sci-fi novel that would fit nicely between Asimov and Dick, but not quite because this is only one of the two stories introduced in this novel.

The second is set in a town completely isolated from the outside world by a giant wall. In this town there is a gate keeper who removes the soul of anyone entering the town and watches over beasts that roam within the town, a dream reader who absorbs dreams from the skulls of dead beasts, a librarian who minds the library and assists the dream reader in his duties, and a retired colonel who keeps the dream reader company at home with words of wisdom and games of chess. Next to the town, but still within the limits of the wall, is a forest which is forbidden to the townspeople and would cause harm to them if they passed through it. Within this forest are people forbidden from the town for having refused to give their soul to the gate keeper.

Right?! Wow...

The two stories alternate with each chapter of the novel. At first they seem completely unrelated as if you were reading two different novels, but with each chapter another parallel is formed that bridges the gap between them. The subtlety and patience used doing this is unbelievable. There were so many times during this book when I'd be reading along not paying any attention to the alternate reality, but during a pause to take in all the detail, images from the alternate reality would come rushing to me as if from my subconscious, which was the obvious intent of the author; to blur the gap between conscious and subconscious minds and show that one can be lost in either.

Highly recommended for those who like sci-fi, those who like fantasy, and those who just like to think.

5/5

Fairwell to Beer

It's time to accept reality. I am allergic to beer...

After all the Imperial Stouts, the Hefeweizens, the rich Porters, it's time for me to say goodbye.

I conducted a test to confirm this horrible conclusion. Last night, a night like any other, I sat down to a movie with a few Sam Adams Summer Ales and with each sip I experienced the inevitable truth; the pounding headache, the eventual nausea; symptoms I've been feeling for years but have refused to recognize.

Tonight, to confirm that it was indeed the beer and not alcohol in general, I bought myself a liter of Jack and had a few servings mixed with coke (probably 6 or 7 shots worth) leaving me in my current state, which is drunk, but with no headache, no turning of the stomach, no feeling of impending doom.

Granted this change in my body chemistry was gradual. Some times were obvious, other times would instill a feeling of hope that there was some other cause to my ailments.

But, no. This is definitive. This is my goodbye to beer, a hobby that kept me guessing, kept me interested, but became too painful to endure.

The Circle of Fifths

There is a fifth interval between each of the following notes:
C, G, D, A, E, B, F#(Gb), Db, Ab, Eb, Bb, F, C

This string of notes can be thought of as a circle.

Each note represents a Major Scale.

In ascending order from C to F#, the number of Sharps in each scale is incremented by 1, with C Major having 0 sharps and F# Major having 6.

When F# is reached to continue in order you must understand that F# Major is the same scale as Gb Major, and going forward you count the number of flats in each scale.

In ascending order from Gb to C, the number of Flats in each scale is decremented by 1, with Gb Major having 6 flats and C Major having 0.

To identify the specific accidentals (sharps or flats) for each scale there are two methods.

First method:

Starting at C and ascending to F#, the note to become sharp in each scale is going to be the seventh degree of that scale. For example G Major has one sharp which is it's seventh degree, F#. And these accidentals are kept as you ascend. For example A Major has 3 sharps, G#, C#, F#, with G# being the seventh degree of A Major.

Once the scale of F# Major is reached you must stop and begin at the final C and descend.

Starting at C and descending to Gb, the note to become flat in each scale is going to be the fourth degree of that scale. For example F Major has one flat which is it's fourth degree, Bb. And these accidentals are kept as you descend. For example Eb Major has 3 flats, Ab, Eb, Bb, with Ab being the fourth degree of Eb Major.

Second Method:

Starting at C and ascending to F#, the note to become sharp in each scale is going to be the fourth degree of the previous scale. For example G Major has one sharp, F#, with F being the fourth degree of C Major. And these accidentals are kept as you ascend. For example A Major has 3 sharps, G#, C#, F#, with G being the fourth degree of D Major.

Once the scale of F# Major is reached you must stop and begin at the final C and descend.

Starting at C and descending to Gb, the note to become flat in each scale is going to be the seventh degree of the previous scale. For example F Major has one flat, Bb, with B being the seventh degree of C Major. And these accidentals are kept as you descend. For example Eb Major has 3 flats, Ab, Eb, Bb, with A being the seventh degree of Bb Major.

FML

Movie: XXY

It's always good to sit down with a foreign film after spending a long time without seeing one. The actors in this were amazing and the reason is so incredibly simple: They spoke more with their eyes than with their mouths. This is still something American film makers just can't do, save for maybe Jarmusch. The script in this one is thin and that's putting it lightly. I don't think there was a single conversation that had more than two or so sentences of dialog, but there wasn't a moment of confusion as to what was going on and what each character was feeling and it was very easy to feel empathy for them.

The story revolved around the difficulties of sexuality, the complications, the confusion, and the judgment in modern society. Modern society is a difficult term to use, however, because there's nothing modern about our current perception of what gender and sexuality are. That seemed to be the purpose of this film. It's hard enough to grow up as either male or female but to grow up not knowing, to be forced by those around you to assume some identity and to be judged harshly for simply existing. That was the conflict of the main character and the young actress expressed it beautifully, with a sense of innocence and charm. If this is the norm for Argentinian films, I'll have to seek out a few more.

Thanks Leo.

5/5

People

There's a Dunkin Donuts in my town. Sometimes i like to drive over and get myself a medium black coffee and a boston creme on days i don't have to go into work. This morning i went early enough to catch the morning rush and was dumbfounded. There was a line of cars extending well out of the property of dunkin donuts, into the street and even into one side street all waiting for the drive-thru. I understand that the establishment is in an odd area that's built up too densely and not planned correctly, so congestion is expected. There's one detail that caught my attention however. THE PARKING LOT WAS EMPTY. And, of course this line of cars was blocking the entrance to it. All someone had to do was say, "This line is ridiculous, how bout i just park, walk inside and order in the store. No. So this is what i did. I noted a car that was waiting in line, a dark green mini-van. I drove across the street and parked in an adjacent gas station. I walked from said gas station to Dunkin. I ordered and walked out. I was able to do all this in the time it took the green mini-van to move two places in line.

Please people, look around. If you notice you're making life harder for other people, adjust your routine. It doesn't take much.

Dear Guitar Center

Remind me again how you explained the benefit of squeezing all of the mom and pop instrument shops out of business. Was it to provide a better service, with more selection and better trained employees? Was that it? Because you failed. If everytime i go to your store i have to order something to be shipped to the store, your existence as a brick and mortar establishment is completely useless. You should save a truckload of money, close your stores, and switch all sales to online. This would allow people actually passionate about music to open a few independent shops that carry some legitimately interesting products outside of the influence of Gibson and Fender.

As a side note, i have nothing against what those two companies have accomplished over the years. There was a time when they made legitimately good products and sold them at honest prices. I do have a problem with their current product line which consists of artificial feeling and sounding shit and equipment that's actually wonderful but priced so high it makes me cringe to peek at the tags.

Music: Kayo Dot - Coyote

2010 has been a rough year for me. My relationship with musical culture has been tested with disappointments for 4 straight months. It is my own fault because after such a strong year for metal, my appetite became insatiable. I was expecting albums of equal or higher calibre than what i saw in 2009 and it just didn't happen. So, i might be taking another break from metal, which leaves me with a question. After all the detours i've taken over the years, what branch of music is most deserving of my attention, of my harsh judgment?

Then i stumbled upon Coyote by Kayo Dot, and the answer became abundantly clear. I've dabbled in Avant-rock and other related progressive genres before but never dove headfirst into the atonal, dissonance before. If Coyote is any indication of the quality of music being produced by these undefinable genres i'm in for an interesting journey.

Kayo Dot has been on the periphery of my attention for a few years, having been a fan of maudlin of the Well way back when i first started getting into heavy music. They began by releasing similar music to what they released under their previous moniker, but gradually travelled into the world of avant-rock with each release since their debut. Coyote seems to be the destination where the tones and composition have settled into something of a distinctive and recognizable style. Previous albums seemed to wander, seemed to question their own existence and what purpose they had in the world of music, but on Coyote it seems the musicians have made a decision of what they want Kayo Dot to be.

The music on Coyote is at times unsettling, at times minimalist, at times chaotic, but it never loses it's sense of balance, which is ultimately why this album is so enjoyable. To picture the composition of the album, the first image that comes to mind is an empty room. The tonal clarity gives such vivid sense of space and every instrument inhabits different locations in that space. Often times each instrument is operating without obvious regard to other instruments until they resolve and that moment is at the same time beautiful and fully satisfying. The pacing of percussion is complex as well, with no discernible tempo or metre, the timing is part of the bigger complex composition and can't be separated into definable parts. Sometimes the album charges forward, sometimes creeps into seemingly unrelated tangents, sometimes comes to a complete stop only to be started again at the will of these talented musicians. After spending so much time with metal, where techniques are so fast the only option is to fit them into simple structures that repeat over and over again, it's incredibly refreshing to encounter a composition that moves like the wind, uncontrolled and unpredictable.

Highly recommended for those who can listen to interpretive music that pays no mind to traditional composition.

5/5

Peter Steele, 1962-2010

I heard the news mid-day today on a trusted music forum that Peter Steele had died of heart failure. He was 48 years old and still very much involved in a musical career that had given birth to many classics of the gothic metal (Type O Negative) and crusty hardcore (Carnivore) variety. Standing 6'7" and making use of a bass-baritone voice, Steele was one of the most recognizable frontmen of all time. He frequented music news articles with shenanigans including posing for a centerfold in playgirl and faking his death in 2005, creating an identity that stood out among myriad other musicians.

According to a few sources he was an atheist up until quite recently. Apparently some personal event had caused him to reflect on his mortality and he took up the beliefs of the roman catholic church. This was a surprise to me, because the most prominent theme in his music is futility. With songs like "Everything Dies" and "Love you to Death" and "Bloody Kisses (A Death in the Family)" it seemed like Steele understood that death is the ultimate end with no hope of anything to look forward to. This change of heart reveals a very human quality of a man i had often regarded as above the weakness of humanity, so far beyond weakness he laughed in the face of it and welcomed his own demise. My perception was ultimately false, but i don't respect him any less. I'm glad he chose to look beyond his own existence and see something to look forward to. And, i hope that whatever he pictured during his last breath was enough for him to go peacefully and calmly.

I'll be listening to a lot of Type O Negative for the next few weeks and hope that anyone reading this takes the time to seek out a couple tracks and show respect for a brilliant musician who will be missed and remembered for years to come.

Movie: Down by Law

Another Jim Jarmusch film (i'm quickly running out) featuring Tom Waits, Roberto Benigni and John Lurie (from Stranger than Paradise). I've been searching for this one for a long time and finally found it. What sparked my interest, outside of Jarmusch being my favorite film maker, was the presence of Tom Waits as a main character. I've only seen him play such short rolls before and it was worth the wait to see what he can do center stage.

The movie is about three men, a pimp, a radio host, and an Italian who has a very loose grasp of the English language, who get arrested and spend time getting to know each other in a jail cell. Two men are set up for unknown reasons and are ultimately innocent for the crimes they're convicted for, but the third (the Italian and most harmless of the three) is brought in on murder charges.

As with all Jarmusch films, there's hardly any story to speak of, very little is explained, the plot is incredibly simple, and there are only four or five sets in the entire movie. The focus is on the characters. Not who they were, not how they got to where they are, not where they're going in the future, but who they are and how they interact with other characters now. Jim Jarmusch seems to love how complex individuals are, sometimes achieving a level of complexity that makes them unable to exist outside of their places of comfort, unable to interact with anyone outside of their close group of friends. The three actors exhibit this complexity perfectly.

What makes Jarmusch my favorite film maker is the conversations he constructs between characters. He fills dialog with awkward pauses, confused looks, sometimes complete silence and it feels real. If you look at an average movie, there's always something happening and the dialog always has a purpose. Jarmusch wants to portray reality, where hardly anything happens, memorable moments are based on only a few seconds in an expanse of time and people sometimes can't even come up with the words to correctly express themselves which at times might explain more than words ever could.

It's hard to recommend any Jarmusch movie to anyone, however, because film making like this is commonly perceived as boring. They would be wrong, but different people, different tastes, as always.

5/5

Book: 2666 by Roberto Bolaño

After months of turning each page with patience and as much attention as i could devote to such a complex and detailed work; i'm finished. I can comfortably say that no other book has had such an emotional effect on me. No other book has made me feel disappointed that i can't keep turning the pages and dig a little deeper into the black hole that is the premise of this novel. I don't know what else to say about it.

I'd recommend 2666 to anyone who likes to read, but as with a lot of the subject matter i tend to drift toward, this is dark. It sucks the light out of existence. It describes futility in detail and you can certainly bet there isn't going to be a happy ending, or an ending at all for that matter because once the pages stop turning you can be assured the images won't fade nearly as quickly.

5/5

TV Show: The Mighty Boosh

The Mighty Boosh is the name chosen to identify a pair of comedians, Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt. They've performed as a team in several mediums; live, radio broadcast and a tv show of the same name. The tv show was my first exposure to the comedic pair and i'm glad i stumbled upon it. The setting for the first season is a zoo called the Zooniverse in which the comedians play the characters Howard Moon (a straight laced jazz aficionado) and Vince Noir (a cockney mod who prefers electro-pop and has the ability to speak to animals) who work as zookeepers.

The first thought when watching the first season was how in the world did they get enough of a budget to bring so many ridiculous ideas to life. The question answers itself in time when you realize there are only 5 or so actors in the entire show; 5 actors who play about 20 recurring characters, mostly done by Noel and Julian. One might think that would be a bit ambitious for just two men, but each character is brilliant, seriously. It's really astounding the amount of material these two guys were able to come up with for the first season alone.

The second season introduced a character that actually became an internet meme for a short while by the name of Old Gregg. To give a picture of the detail in each character i'll use him as an example and describe. Old Gregg is half man half fish with seaweed for hair and a vagina, which emits light and is referred to as a "mangina" or "downstairs mixup." He also wears a tutu and is looking for the love of another man adding to the sexual ambiguity. He is an avid painter, mostly self portraits. His favorite drink is Bailey's Irish Cream, preferably served from a shoe. He only appears at night under a fool moon. And, he has a reputation for killing sailors that venture out onto his lake, black lake, but only after they deny his love. Youtube Old Gregg for the visuals.

It was odd when the youtube videos gained popularity and i had a chance to talk to a few people about it. They had no idea where the videos originated from nor cared, which was a shame because the show is literally filled with that level of ridiculousness.

All three seasons are great and worth seeking out.

5/5