On Genre.

I'm gonna start off by saying, I hate labels. I don't get the obsession with categorizing and micro-categorizing, and the pretentious behavior that goes along with it. Is it black metal? Avant-garde black metal? Symphonic black metal? Or how about primitive black metal? Is it death metal? Is it sludge? Is it industrial? Or gothic symphonic melodic black metal? Is it melodic death metal? Progressive symphonic death metal?

OH MY GOD. CAN YOU JUST LISTEN TO THE MUSIC, ENJOY IT, AND BE DONE?

Must it have a category? Must there also be disparaging comments between fans because of their preconceived notions about a small, compartmentalized, micro-genre of music, that may as well be just ONE BAND, and all the bands that imitated them?Anyone who has ever wasted precious moments of their lives reading YouTube comments on music videos knows the bottomless pit of spiraling snobbery those threads become. It is this obsessive categorization, and subsequent stigmatization and creation of new obscure stereotypes which has turned some aspects of the metal world into a self-defeating fail. I have seen metal scenes destroy themselves with this nonsense. The constant pretentious genre-snobbery has got to go. I don't want to hear about how "x band" used to pioneer primitive black metal back in the day (probably when said bloviating individual was still in diapers and yet to be weaned) and how they are just beside themselves regarding the band's new material, and how they sold out because they no longer play primitive black metal, or have decided to use female vocals, or keyboards.

But I cannot help but wonder if all this obsessive genre categorization is actually just people geeking out about the music-- which is all well and good. But when people mindlessly imply that anything new that comes from very old bands cannot possibly be better than their first ever album in 1994, for example, it drives me nuts. I mean, get over it. Mayhem will not release another Di Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. (and thank goodness for that! Today's technology and production quality has only HELPED the sound of black metal.) In Flames is not releasing another Clayman, nor are they going back to their Subterranean album. Amorphis has morphed. So has Katatonia. Samael tried to go back to their pre-Passage black metal style, but only for one album. (Oh, and about Samael-- That can be an hours-long discussion whether they are industrial or black metal or industrial black metal.) The same goes for Emperor, Cradle of Filth, and any band that may strike your mind when going deep into the realms of the origins of extreme genres.  It is possible to respect and revere older work without completely defecating on anything new as though it is all Screamo Emo garbage.

Third, what is up with the homophobia that comes with trashing music? I don't think one's style of musical performance has anything to do with their gender preferences. Calling a musician gay, or their music gay, can really put the wrong ideas in people's heads. It creates and implants associations between certain qualities in music and what represents stereotypes about gender and gender preferences, and does absolutely nothing but create negativity and homophobia. It also creates this phenomena of closet metalheads about certain bands. "The shame feeds the anger feeds the shame feeds the anger feeds the shame!" (Let me pay homage once again to Ihsahn, out of context, but his newest work is pure genius.

I guess this post is a call for more open-mindedness in metal. It really is quaint, no? So many narrow-minded attitudes in a music scene which--let's face it-- one has to be really open-minded to embrace to begin with. It seems so senseless to me.

Here are some bands, new and old. Some mentioned in this post.

As much as I respect that most black metal that exists today is because of this group, I can't say I like this, personally. To each their own, but I am glad the music has progressed from this.

 

And Amorphis, a complete change of pace. This is a band that has changed profoundly over the years. IMO for the better. 

And Enslaved... Then...

and now... (I didn't list RIITIIR because I already posted that in a previous entry.)

Old In Flames. It wasn't bad, but some people are really stuck in the past, and don't think it ever got better than this.

And here is something new that I have come across, well, actually it's from 2008. There is a kick-ass user's YouTube Channel called Full Black Metal Albums which I have been using as a reference to find those old black metal albums that I either no longer own, or never had a chance to own, and to sample things I have never heard of. 

It must be the winter, I find myself drawn into the wall of sound that is black metal. My tastes fluctuate, and I love all sorts of metal, and can go from something like this to Nightwish to DevilDriver to Eluveitie while also listening to cyberpunk/industrial stuff like Nolongerhuman and Suicide Commando. I am the genrebuster. \m/