After the Approaching track by track, I emailed Katie and I never heard anything from her. A week went by and I figured she was busy. She probably is, most people have a life, but I’m almost certain she read it and not a whole lot of good can come from wishing that your ex would get a divorce from her husband. It felt good to get all of that out at the time but I wish I could take it back. I understand if she hates me. I mean, it is kinda creepy that after 5 years I still can’t get over her. I was with her during all of my teen years and it’s hard to pick out memories that don’t involve her. She helped me through so many tough spots and they’ve all been coming back to me. I’ve been thinking about this time that happened a few summers ago. I had this gigantic blow out with my dad. We almost got into a fist fight and I had to leave. There was no way I could stick around. My dad is the angriest person I’ve ever met. Me and her had to take the bullets out of his gun once because we were so uneasy about him. I’ve never seen anything like it before or since. He still hasn’t dropped this incident and he isn’t afraid to bring it up whenever he feels slighted. I remember having to go stay at her house until things cooled off. It was one of the best and worst times of my life. I was upset from all of the bullshit at home but she always had this way of comforting me. She always knew what to say or what not to say. We slept in her bed and she went to work the next morning. I had no idea that 2 weeks later it would all be over. I would be left with a small drinking problem and a desire to do nothing. It’s a big mess but what it comes down to anymore is that I love her. I’m gonna miss it when her emails stop for good. I just felt like I had to get that out of my system but no matter how many words I spew out you will never give you the full picture of her and how much she meant. I guess the worst that could happen is that I end up like Jesse Lacey but he’s cool as shit so I dunno…
Continue reading ‘Unbookable #8 (The Aftermath)’
Archive for the 'Columns' Category
One of the things that has always fascinated me is the absorbtion of extreme music into the American mainstream. It happened to death and thrash metal long ago, when bands like Metallica and Megadeth exploded, Earache Records releases got distributed through Columbia and Morbid Angel signed with Giant. Styles that were once reviled by the populace at large somehow found their way into the bins at Best Buy. Some styles have taken much longer to achieve this, particularly black metal. One could argue that Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir (and possibly Satyricon) have long been commercially acceptable black metal bands here in the states, but I would argue that those bands strayed very, very far from their BM roots in order to become accepted and “marketable”. It has only been in recent years that traditional black metal bands have come to sign with more “mainstream” metal labels here in the USA, and a perfect example of this is California-based Prosthetic Records releasing the new albums from 1349 and Ov Hell.
I decided to take a departure from Approaching time around. I didn’t want to give too much away about the album before it’s finished so to keep the mystery alive and to keep you reading, I present you with two new interviews from two great men. The first one up to the plate is Dedicated Records owner Bradley Palko. He asked me to do an interview with him a few weeks ago and it’s finally all done. I’m a huge fan of the guy’s label and work ethic and I look forward to seeing his label become a regular name in the net label community. He’s put out some amazing music from Anna Rose, Snowmobile, and Heinali. Expect great things from him and the artists he works with.
The second is the man, the myth, and the legend….Josh Haun. Our chat came about from a Facebook status that he posted. He said he wished someone would interview him for a change and I jumped at the chance. Mr. Haun has become my go to guy for advice. He’s become my Mr. Feeny, if you will, and I’m honored that he took a few seconds to talk with me. I hope you enjoy the interviews. Not really sure what I’m gonna talk about in the next column but I’ll think of something. Stay posted guys. Until next time.
Continue reading ‘Unbookable #7 (Finney vs Dedicated Records + Haun/Sonic Frontiers)’
The last time I talked about the new FY album, I gave you a little sneak peek into the sound, what some of the songs are about, and why we named it Approaching. I didn’t want to give away too much and I still don’t. We’re about halfway through it and everything is sounding great. We’ve both changed so much, lyrically and musically, and this album is a huge step for both of us. We’re so excited about finishing this and we can’t wait to get it out there for all of you. It’s been the one thing that’s pulled me out of bed lately. I can’t talk much about the music since that part isn’t through but I thought I’d do a track by track with the lyrics on the album. A lot of people worry about revealing the meanings to songs and I understand that. Most of my favorite songs are about things that are vague. That connect with me in a way that might not connect with you and that’s what’s great about music. These are my most personal lyrics. Some of them are pretty cringe worthy and I know I’m going to get a lot of pissed emails and facebook messages after people find out what they’re about. I also think they’re the most universal and I hope you guys will agree. A full lyric sheet will be available when the album is closer to being finished. Sorry for all the self-pity in advance. Have mercy on me!
Continue reading ‘Unbookable #6 (Approaching: Track by Track)’
When we last left Unbookable land, I was venting about how my hatred for most of the folks around here ended up in the new FY album and hoping to introduce you guys to the sound of Automobile, Swift (i hope it worked. if you guys haven’t listened to his music yet, i feel sorry for you). A lot has gone on since then. Mr. Haun is married. Give the guy a huge round of applause! Finneyerkes is still working on our fourth record. It’s a slow process but we’re crafting the best stuff we can. In the next column, I’ll give you guys some more insight into what’s going on with Approaching. I’m really on the edge of my seat.
This time around, I’m focusing on two very different but equally amazing bands. Two bands that are dear friends of FY (I’m currently doing guest vocals on upcoming collabs with them) and are making some of the most amazing music out there. The first is A Death Cinematic. Mr. Haun did an incredible job on his interview with him and it just makes mine seem silly. I really look like the 9th grade journalism failure that I am on this one but I had a blast. I hope you guys will give him a listen if you haven’t already. He’s one of the few artists these days that I will scrape and save up to buy an album from. He’s incredible, that’s all I have to say. The second interview is with Australian post rock champs Sleepmakeswaves. I heard about these guys a while back. A year or so ago and I fell in love with their “In Today Already Walks Tomorrow” EP. These guys have a knack for awesome song naming and songwriting. The songs are designed to stay in your head and become a part of your every day soundtrack. They’re so young, it’s amazing to think what these guys are gonna put out later down the road. I’m a die hard fan hopefully you’ll see the light as well.
Continue reading ‘Unbookable #5 (Finney vs A Death Cinematic + Sleepmakeswaves)’
I got the idea of doing a behind the scenes diary of Approaching from Josh. I was stumped for ideas, like I usually am, and I asked him what he would like to see me writing about. I know, kind of cheating with this being my column and all, but sometimes it pays to cheat. He told me that he thought it would be interesting to do a diary of the recording process. What was going through my mind, what made us go in the direction we went in, what the lyrics were about, etc. these were things that I wanted to talk about but I didn’t want to come across as a conceited dickhead. Hopefully I won’t.
Continue reading ‘Unbookable #4 (FY behind the scenes + Finney vs Automobile, Swift)’
Have you ever had a record that makes you feel at home the second you put it on? A record that reminds you of the town you grew up in and the people you grew up with? If these are the kind of records you love then Sumner McKane will blow your mind. He’s pretty much a photographer with a guitar. The landscapes he paints are of an America that’s better than the one we’re living in. Wide open expanses, the beating heat of summer, bitter winters. Honeysuckles, honey locusts. The people with their hopes and their setbacks. Maybe if we kept trying instead of giving up then this could be our anywhere.
The first song I ever heard by Sumner was “After the Fireworks We Walked to the Rope Swing” from his album “What a Great Place to Be”. The title took me somewhere and made me lonely. This was just the title. The actual music pulled me in deeper. The guitar slides, the energy. It made me wish I had a time machine. It made me long to be with my family and my friends before everyone got so busy and we stopped talking. It made me want to forget how awful the past year had been so we could all sit down and laugh. I’ve been hooked ever since.
He’s a brilliant songwriter, as technical of a guitarist as you can get, and he has a soul in his playing that refuses to be locked away. I don’t know why a person would choose not to listen to something this gorgeous but people do a lot of things that leave me wondering. I recently had the chance to talk to Sumner and I found him to be a really great and grateful person. I’m eagerly awaiting his latest release to find its way to my P.O. Box and I’m listening to the sampler of it for the 10th time in a row. He’s a great guy and he deserves the biggest of audiences. I hope as soon as you finish reading this that you will go buy a record and tell a friend. Many thank you’s to Sumner for taking the time to talk to me. Enjoy the interview, the tunes, and go do some shit that you have done since you were kid.
MF: To get this started, introduce yourself.
SM: My name is Sumner McKane. I am 33 years old, and I live in Maine. I teach guitar, play in a country band, play in my own band, and write and record instrumental music.
Continue reading ‘Unbookable #3 (Finney vs Sumner McKane & Heat Death’
When i was asked to start writing a column for SF by Mr. Haun, i was more than a little excited. i had the chance to rant and rave about bands that i loved and i had a soapbox to do it from. i was talking to Randy (the other half of Finneyerkes) and he was pitching ideas to me for the column. one that really struck me was to do an interview with him. fans and critics know him as the guitarist who makes the intense and haunting soundscapes for FY. the one who doesn’t do a whole lot of talking. now’s your chance to get to know my favorite musician, one of my best friends, and an all around great guy. the man, the myth, the dance commander.
Continue reading ‘Unbookable #2 (Finney vs Yerkes + Yawning)’
Possessed by evil and obsessed by morbidity. A bath in virgin’s blood and stale whiskey. The foul/sweet stench of demon weed. Two southern maniacs wielding buzzsaws and sledgehammers, high on Satan and the fumes of burning Incantation lps. This is Vasaeleth. This is Death Metal.
With their debut album Crypt Born & Tethered to Ruin, multi-instrumentalist /vocalist OA and drummer Antinom have created what might be the finest example of undiluted death metal to come out of the United States in years. I struggled for quite awhile to write a standard review of this release before finally coming to the realization that a far more in depth analysis was required. In my extensive listening to Crypt Born & Tethered to Ruin, it became increasingly obvious with each spin that Vasaeleth is not a band that can be summed up in a mere 500 words.
Continue reading ‘Dethroned Emperor #26: Dissecting Vasaeleth’s Crypt Born & Tethered to Ruin’
First off, I’d like to say how weird it is to be writing a column. A music column, at that. When I was asked by Josh Haun to do this I had to make sure the guy knew what he was getting himself into. I’m a writer who couldn’t pass a high school journalism class. I’m a writer who spent a majority of his career ripping off Charles Bukowski until I realized he was a f**king moron. I’m a writer that thinks writing is a futile thing but every two or three days I’m back to sitting in front of a blank Microsoft word document typing out how sorry I feel for myself. Despite all of this, he was still in.
Continue reading ‘Unbookable #1 (An introduction)’
Well, what can I say? ‘Tis the season for year-end best-of lists, why should Sonic Frontiers be immune? In an attempt to keep to the spirit with which Dethroned Emperor was founded, I decided that this list must be constrained by two key parameters. First, no major label releases and second, only black and death metal albums allowed (although I decided to play it a little more fast and loose with the individual awards). I could go on a spiel about what a great year it was for metal in general, but no doubt if you’re bothering to read this monstrosity, you’re already a fan of the genre and don’t need me to tell you about it. Besides, every true ‘head out there knows that every year is a great year for metal. And so, without further ado…
Continue reading ‘Dethroned Emperor – Best of 2009 Edition’
You chosen few who read this column (and my writing in general) on a regular basis might think that I have a tendency to contradict myself. On one hand, I praise many bands who invoke the evil, cryptic tones of elder bands such as Celtic Frost and Venom, while on the other criticizing bands for half-heartedly regressing to/replicating the sounds of extreme metal’s infancy. I guess you could say I’m of two minds about the whole “nu oldschool” phenomenon that seems to be seeping into every nook and cranny of the modern metal scene. I’m all for bands who can take the crusty, decrepit tones of Hellhammer or Incantation and use them as a foundation for something all their own, but I’m not too psyched about insincere riff and image recycling (see: just about every modern thrash band) or ripping off Swedish death metal circa 1990 wholesale from guitar tone down to album art. Thanks, but I already own albums by Entombed, Dismember and Exodus to listen to, and I’ll always reach for the real thing over a subpar replica.
However, there are some bands out there getting it right, and they deserve praise for being able take extreme metal’s primordial ooze and mold it for their own twisted purposes. One such group of malignant souls is Crucifist, featuring Mr. Oldschool himself Dan Lilker (Brutal Truth, Anthrax, Nuclear Assault, SOD, need I go on) on bass guitar as well as members of East Coast doomsters Orodruin. Their first album, Demon Haunted World, might seem a bit out place on Profound Lore’s typically more avantgarde roster, but what it does have in common with PL’s other releases is a high level of quality. Unlike the dime-a-dozen bands out there trying to straight-up ape Apocalyptic Raids or Left Hand Path, Crucifist cull their sound from eldritch death and black metal, but also throw in thrash, doom, NWOBHM and even some hints of crusty d-beat in order to whip up something that’s much more than a carbon copy.
I’ve always been a fan of Megadeth. When the band’s classic Countdown to Extinction came out, I was just the right age to be sucked into Dave Mustaine’s world of gnarly thrash riffs and sardonic political commentary. The incredibly rad (for its time) music video for “Sweating Bullets” didn’t hurt either. If that wasn’t enough, a friend of mine had an older brother who just happened to play us a little album called Rust in Peace, and needless to say, from there it was all over. I was already beginning to obsess over Metallica, and now here was another band just as worthy (if not moreso) of my undying allegiance who featured a former Metallica member at the helm.
Complex both musically and thematically, Megadeth was a multiheaded beast capable of writing crushing political screeds (“Peace Sells”), mind-bending riff-o-ramas (“Lucretia”) or catchy headbangers (“Symphony of Destruction”) with relative ease. No two albums sounded exactly alike, although you could guarantee each would share the common feature of Mustaine’s sneering vocals and dazzling guitar shred. As great as Metallica was, Megadeth always seemed a little more edgy and a lot more brainy, the proverbial “thinking man’s thrash band”.
Continue reading ‘Dethroned Emperor #23 (Endgame and the Arsenal of Megadeth)’
As you might have noticed, I took the month of July off from writing an installment of DE. The reason being is that nothing seemed to crawl its way across my desk that I found inspiring enough to write a column about. Now, don’t get me wrong, I work with a ton of great labels that send me killer releases on a regular basis, just take a look at some of the reviews I’ve written lately for proof. But, I had been wanting to take this column back to its roots, which are obviously in black metal, and quite frankly nothing I’d heard recently in the BM department was really getting me excited enough to stoke the fires of a new installment of Dethroned Emperor.
That is, until I received a package from Transcendental Creations containing Migdal Bavel, the latest release from one-man black metal terrorist De Magia Veterum. The album is a sickening swarm of the most unholy blackened noise you’ve ever heard, like listening to Merzbow jam with Ildjarn and Filosofem-era Varg Vikernes while they get fist-f**ked by Lucifer. Everything on Migdal Bavel is buried under a thick black layer of utterly corrosive distortion. The song structures are pure chaos-theory, careening tremolo-picked melodies degenerate into scathing washes of pure white noise. A drum machine pulsates in the background, attempting to keep time but ultimately only adding to the album’s swirling, destructive dementia. The vocals are a disturbing, drainpipe distorto-howl reminiscent of Xasthur’s Malefic but even more inhuman sounding, if such a thing is possible.
Continue reading ‘Dethroned Emperor #22 (De Magia Veterum and the realms of black noise)’
I first discovered the Earth-worshipping drone druids of Sunn O))) just before the seminal Black One album was released in 2005. I was intrigued by articles sporting pictures of mysterious figures clothed in dark robes and brandishing guitars as if they were some sort of ritualistic diving rods. Then I began to hear rumblings about the collaborations taking place with black metal artists for the new album’s creation, specifically Leviathan and Xasthur, both of whom I was heavily into at the time. These factors combined to seal the deal, and I began delving into Sunn O)))’s back catalogue in preparation for the imminent release of Black One, beginning with White 1 and White 2, slowly working my way backwards to The Grimmrobe Demos. From their I was hooked. I was fortunate to be working as an assistant A&E editor at The Iowa State Daily at the time and received a promo copy of Black One, which I subsequently gave a stellar review.
