"Awe. Yeah."
Sometimes in the middle of the afternoon
you run across some amazing mo
ments
nothing that you expected or created or decided
upon
against all good timing and all good sense
you see something
hear something
feel something
that hits the switch in your tired brain bank
and pops that vault wide
open
doesn't matter if the words come out wrong
much less if the scansion's weak as Pong
gotta push rhymes sometimes
to get through the interstitial gristle
and address the joy that comes with moments like
this all alone with a beer and a mind that knows
despite knowing better on all fronts
fuck the words
moon pointing at the finger and shit
no crossed signals blink
of the eye
knuckles against palm
words in cat's ears
string it out bounce it off the walls
the walls
oh shit! oh shit!
the smile's pushed the rhyme scheme
out the room (out the room)
check the fridge for caffeine
the savior of later
ignore the hater that's you put 'em in lockdown
like history and Nader vote two thousand
oops got it backward
and things fall apart
things chinua achebe wants nothing to do with
this is the end when my eyes scan
up and down
and up and down
but it doesn't
mean that this motherfucking poem
isn't a heart: split 'em!
paean to what me and them and you
and the rest of the world can do
even for a long-assed head-bobbing
summation of the moment
when all the weirdness is pooling
and the pituitary's drooling
down the CNS
There's nothing better than right now.
Stand back
head back
bask in the tracks and strings and ho
liness of what makes you smile unabashed.
Awe.
Yeah.
---
This shitty poem is dedicated to, in no particular order:
my fiance, Saint Arnold beer, shit poetry, growing up nerdy, Orange Kitty, Matt "Scientist"/"Poet" Swulius, the first frustrating hour of Phantasy Star II, Red Pine, 8-Bit Boys, Youtube videos, studying Chinese, fresh headphones, Last.fm on Netflix on Xbox360, all the other loves of my life, and yours fuckin' truly.
Live life, but no more than conscience dictates. Don't do what I've done and let the past capture and paralyze your imagination. Don't sweat perfection. Good times are now Dissect the past like the Renaissance man dissected human bodies. Learn. Right now is it, and this is it.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Scott's Stash: Maiden America
Today's edition of "Scott's Stash" covers one album and eleven bands:
V/A- Maiden America- Iron Maiden Tribute & American Metal Compilation
This is a two-disc set: the first being a series of Iron Maiden covers by underground and/or lesser-known American metal bands c. 1999, and the second being original songs by those bands. I haven't listened to the second disc, because I didn't know it was included until I was halfway through the Maiden covers disc, and I went into this album with Iron Maiden on the brain. Maybe I'll write up the second disc sometime, but don't hold your breath.
In the paragraph above I mentioned "American metal bands." This simultaneously means "metal bands from the United States" and "bands that play American heavy metal," which in turn means, by my lazy and imprecise definition, "heavy metal inspired by late '70s metal, the NWOBHM, and offshoots thereof such as thrash and speed metal, melding the lot into what might also be termed 'traditional metal'."
Enough heavy metal etymology. I'd venture to guess that my brother got this album from one of the Agalloch dudes when he was a regular correspondent with/web designer for them. Agalloch, one of the greatest bands ever, shares members with Sculptured, who appear on Maiden America and whose debut album I remember seeing reviewed in the pages of Sentinel Steel.* Sculptured provides the only really memorable cover here, pretty much by virtue of being Sculptured- i.e., the weird metal-jazz band on the compilation that doesn't sound "like Maiden if Maiden had a different vocalist/guitar tone/faster riffs/whatever."
Not to say that the other bands suck, because they don't. There are some good covers here; hell, they're all competent, but the problem is that they're almost all forgettable. Even when there's something that stands out- Final Prayer's growling intro to "Killers," the quicker pace of Twisted Tower Dire's "Powerslave," Sadus being Sadus on "Invaders," and what I'll call the standard-plus (or Standard+) approach to "Hallowed Be Thy Name" provided by Edenrot- the compilation as a whole suffers from half-assed production and a slavish love of the source material. These factors combine to give the impression that the bands played their hearts out of songs they love, but under horrible recording conditions and without any interest in or ability to make these Iron Maiden songs their own.
I hate saying things like that because the bands involved inevitably sound like amateurs. I don't think that's the case here, because the musicianship is completely up to snuff with the original Iron Maiden songs; there's just not the level of individuality I like to see on tribute albums. (See Nativity In Black, where the songs were identifiable as Black Sabbath tunes, but with the artist's own spin on them.) There are flashes of it here and there, and the bands don't all sound the same, but there's an undeniable similarity across the board. Sculptured, and to a lesser degree Sadus and Edenrot, are the exceptions.
I admire the spirit that went into this. Iron Maiden is a force of nature in the metal world, and the bands on this compilation proved their appreciation. They just did a relatively undistinguished job of it, which is hard to fault given the constraints of the album's theme.
The more I think about it, the more likely it is I'll give disc two of this album a spin. No, scratch that- I'll look into the bands' own work. I'm really curious to see how everyone does for themselves without having to try and live up to Iron Maiden.
And, honestly, I'm looking forward to the next album in my brother's collection.
*I think. According to the Encylopedia Metallum, Sculptured's first album wasn't released until 1998, when I would'nt have had access to Sentinel Steel, but I could swear I saw it mentioned or discussed before then. Who knows; memory is a fickle and untrustworthy thing.
V/A- Maiden America- Iron Maiden Tribute & American Metal Compilation
This is a two-disc set: the first being a series of Iron Maiden covers by underground and/or lesser-known American metal bands c. 1999, and the second being original songs by those bands. I haven't listened to the second disc, because I didn't know it was included until I was halfway through the Maiden covers disc, and I went into this album with Iron Maiden on the brain. Maybe I'll write up the second disc sometime, but don't hold your breath.
In the paragraph above I mentioned "American metal bands." This simultaneously means "metal bands from the United States" and "bands that play American heavy metal," which in turn means, by my lazy and imprecise definition, "heavy metal inspired by late '70s metal, the NWOBHM, and offshoots thereof such as thrash and speed metal, melding the lot into what might also be termed 'traditional metal'."
Enough heavy metal etymology. I'd venture to guess that my brother got this album from one of the Agalloch dudes when he was a regular correspondent with/web designer for them. Agalloch, one of the greatest bands ever, shares members with Sculptured, who appear on Maiden America and whose debut album I remember seeing reviewed in the pages of Sentinel Steel.* Sculptured provides the only really memorable cover here, pretty much by virtue of being Sculptured- i.e., the weird metal-jazz band on the compilation that doesn't sound "like Maiden if Maiden had a different vocalist/guitar tone/faster riffs/whatever."
Not to say that the other bands suck, because they don't. There are some good covers here; hell, they're all competent, but the problem is that they're almost all forgettable. Even when there's something that stands out- Final Prayer's growling intro to "Killers," the quicker pace of Twisted Tower Dire's "Powerslave," Sadus being Sadus on "Invaders," and what I'll call the standard-plus (or Standard+) approach to "Hallowed Be Thy Name" provided by Edenrot- the compilation as a whole suffers from half-assed production and a slavish love of the source material. These factors combine to give the impression that the bands played their hearts out of songs they love, but under horrible recording conditions and without any interest in or ability to make these Iron Maiden songs their own.
I hate saying things like that because the bands involved inevitably sound like amateurs. I don't think that's the case here, because the musicianship is completely up to snuff with the original Iron Maiden songs; there's just not the level of individuality I like to see on tribute albums. (See Nativity In Black, where the songs were identifiable as Black Sabbath tunes, but with the artist's own spin on them.) There are flashes of it here and there, and the bands don't all sound the same, but there's an undeniable similarity across the board. Sculptured, and to a lesser degree Sadus and Edenrot, are the exceptions.
I admire the spirit that went into this. Iron Maiden is a force of nature in the metal world, and the bands on this compilation proved their appreciation. They just did a relatively undistinguished job of it, which is hard to fault given the constraints of the album's theme.
The more I think about it, the more likely it is I'll give disc two of this album a spin. No, scratch that- I'll look into the bands' own work. I'm really curious to see how everyone does for themselves without having to try and live up to Iron Maiden.
And, honestly, I'm looking forward to the next album in my brother's collection.
*I think. According to the Encylopedia Metallum, Sculptured's first album wasn't released until 1998, when I would'nt have had access to Sentinel Steel, but I could swear I saw it mentioned or discussed before then. Who knows; memory is a fickle and untrustworthy thing.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
High of semntysome'n.
It's begun: the light is falling differently as the seasons shift, and my brain moves accordingly. I love this time of year, these lengthening sunsets, the sense of manageable urgency as days fade into nights that, when I was younger, felt like new phases of the day, but as of late are over before I know it, in bed by 11 PM and nodding off over a page of Mason & Dixon or In Search of Lost Time.
Doesn't matter, this shit is still pretty rad. I hope you think so too. Enjoy your spring, folks.
DAS
now playing: Brant Bjork, Gods and Goddesses
Doesn't matter, this shit is still pretty rad. I hope you think so too. Enjoy your spring, folks.
DAS
now playing: Brant Bjork, Gods and Goddesses
Monday, March 07, 2011
Scott's Stash: The Dark Saga
Today, folks, I'm listening to...
Iced Earth- The Dark Saga (1996)
I don't know who was responsible for my brother getting heavily into Iced Earth not long after we moved back to Texas in 1997, but they deserve a handshake. While never groundbreaking, Iced Earth was (and still is, at least the last time I heard them) a solid metal band with roots in traditional American metal. Their endless parade of band members has, vocalists aside, never seemed to hurt the band, because sole original member Jon Schaffer has always stuck to his guns.
Anyway, The Dark Saga is Iced Earth's fourth album, and second with Matt Barlow, who's been the best singer they've ever had. It's a strong album- again, there are no great surprises- until the last three songs, which are components of a greater song called "The Suffering." This trio of songs packs less punch than the rest of the album ("The Hunter," where I really dig the drumwork, and "Vengeance is Mine" stand out) and things lose some steam. It's a shame, because the first seven songs keep up a good pace. "The Suffering" strikes me as a forerunner to some of IE's later multi-song concept pieces, none of which really worked that well for me. Don't think I'm saying the last 30% of The Dark Saga sucks, because it definitely doesn't- it's just not as good as the rest of the album.
All in all, this is a metal album you can throw on without being blown away or disappointed by. Better than background music, but nothing you really need to wrap your head around. Dependable records like this aren't exactly rare, but there never seem to be enough of 'em.
P.S. The whole album is a concept album, really- or maybe I should call it a thematic record. What's the theme? Spawn. As in "Todd McFarlane's," "Image Comics," "parodied in the pages of Cerebus," "made into a shitty movie" Spawn. Don't sweat it too much. It works well enough, and this is heavy metal, after all.
Iced Earth- The Dark Saga (1996)
I don't know who was responsible for my brother getting heavily into Iced Earth not long after we moved back to Texas in 1997, but they deserve a handshake. While never groundbreaking, Iced Earth was (and still is, at least the last time I heard them) a solid metal band with roots in traditional American metal. Their endless parade of band members has, vocalists aside, never seemed to hurt the band, because sole original member Jon Schaffer has always stuck to his guns.
Anyway, The Dark Saga is Iced Earth's fourth album, and second with Matt Barlow, who's been the best singer they've ever had. It's a strong album- again, there are no great surprises- until the last three songs, which are components of a greater song called "The Suffering." This trio of songs packs less punch than the rest of the album ("The Hunter," where I really dig the drumwork, and "Vengeance is Mine" stand out) and things lose some steam. It's a shame, because the first seven songs keep up a good pace. "The Suffering" strikes me as a forerunner to some of IE's later multi-song concept pieces, none of which really worked that well for me. Don't think I'm saying the last 30% of The Dark Saga sucks, because it definitely doesn't- it's just not as good as the rest of the album.
All in all, this is a metal album you can throw on without being blown away or disappointed by. Better than background music, but nothing you really need to wrap your head around. Dependable records like this aren't exactly rare, but there never seem to be enough of 'em.
P.S. The whole album is a concept album, really- or maybe I should call it a thematic record. What's the theme? Spawn. As in "Todd McFarlane's," "Image Comics," "parodied in the pages of Cerebus," "made into a shitty movie" Spawn. Don't sweat it too much. It works well enough, and this is heavy metal, after all.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Scott's Stash: Introduction/Triarchy of the Lost Lovers
Before my brother hit the road for California, he asked me if I wanted his CD collection. Not only has he embraced digital storage of music more than I, he didn't want the hassle of packing so many CDs. I haven't counted them, but there are probably a couple hundred. Like me, my brother is a metalhead, so I was eager to take the discs off his hands.
Some of them I already own, but there are a lot I don't; there are also many I've heard over the years, but don't remember. And, best of all, there are plenty I've never heard at all- things I didn't know my brother had, stuff his friend Drew gave him, or CDs I'd see around the house or in his room that I never got around to checking out. Now's my chance.
My plan is to listen to as many of Scott's old albums as I can- ones that aren't duplicates of things I have in my collection, or dumb shit like U2, the presence of which is Drew's fault, according to my brother- and write a little bit about each one. Not reviews, necessarily, just some thoughts about the music and all the things that come with listening to music. Since I'm quitting my job next week, time shouldn't be much of an obstacle, so I hope to make this a regular feature.
First up: Rotting Christ- Triarchy of the Lost Lovers (1996)
A name I've known for a while, Rotting Christ has nonetheless never received much of my attention. I know I listened to this album at least once- the band's name and the cover art all but guaranteed that- but that would've been sometime in the late '90s. I always think of my old friend Fran when I think of Rotting Christ; I recall he was a big fan.
A name I've known for a while, Rotting Christ has nonetheless never received much of my attention. I know I listened to this album at least once- the band's name and the cover art all but guaranteed that- but that would've been sometime in the late '90s. I always think of my old friend Fran when I think of Rotting Christ; I recall he was a big fan.
This album is really good. Mid-paced black metal from a period when black metal was starting to inform other metal styles and vice-versa. It's neither raw and simplistic nor symphonic and overblown; Rotting Christ has something unique going on here, though maybe someone more well-versed in Greek black metal could contest that. I thought the overall tempo would wear on me, but the songwriting and the understated atmosphere keep things interesting. Some great guitar work doesn't hurt, either. Generally speaking, everything works together quite well- I listened to the album twice without feeling like I had to skip a song, which is always a pleasant occurrence.
I hope there's another Rotting Christ album somewhere in the stash. Even if there isn't, this is a good start to this project. Later, folks.
Some of them I already own, but there are a lot I don't; there are also many I've heard over the years, but don't remember. And, best of all, there are plenty I've never heard at all- things I didn't know my brother had, stuff his friend Drew gave him, or CDs I'd see around the house or in his room that I never got around to checking out. Now's my chance.
My plan is to listen to as many of Scott's old albums as I can- ones that aren't duplicates of things I have in my collection, or dumb shit like U2, the presence of which is Drew's fault, according to my brother- and write a little bit about each one. Not reviews, necessarily, just some thoughts about the music and all the things that come with listening to music. Since I'm quitting my job next week, time shouldn't be much of an obstacle, so I hope to make this a regular feature.
First up: Rotting Christ- Triarchy of the Lost Lovers (1996)
A name I've known for a while, Rotting Christ has nonetheless never received much of my attention. I know I listened to this album at least once- the band's name and the cover art all but guaranteed that- but that would've been sometime in the late '90s. I always think of my old friend Fran when I think of Rotting Christ; I recall he was a big fan.
A name I've known for a while, Rotting Christ has nonetheless never received much of my attention. I know I listened to this album at least once- the band's name and the cover art all but guaranteed that- but that would've been sometime in the late '90s. I always think of my old friend Fran when I think of Rotting Christ; I recall he was a big fan.
This album is really good. Mid-paced black metal from a period when black metal was starting to inform other metal styles and vice-versa. It's neither raw and simplistic nor symphonic and overblown; Rotting Christ has something unique going on here, though maybe someone more well-versed in Greek black metal could contest that. I thought the overall tempo would wear on me, but the songwriting and the understated atmosphere keep things interesting. Some great guitar work doesn't hurt, either. Generally speaking, everything works together quite well- I listened to the album twice without feeling like I had to skip a song, which is always a pleasant occurrence.
I hope there's another Rotting Christ album somewhere in the stash. Even if there isn't, this is a good start to this project. Later, folks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)