Category Archives: Ramblings
Thoughts about all things metal, from metal truisms to thoughts about the music we hear.
Show Cancellation! Reason: Potential Destruction of the Facility
It is one thing for a corporation like Disney to cancel Machine Head show for whatever fucked up reason I can’t even remember now. It is another thing to have a gig cancelled for weather, sickness, and death, but what if you were in a band and were told “sorry guys you can’t play here because you might destroy the building!” Seriously, this is what happened to the mighty grind-masters Napalm Death. For some strange reason they were involved with some kind of artistic experiment at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, England.
Based on what I read…and you can read it here for reference, it looked like the intent of the show was to have the band play at normal concert decibel levels in the historic museum while ceramic “things” would (hopefully) disintegrate from the decibel level of a Napalm Death set. Vocalist Barney Greenway stated after the cancellation “Sound as a weapon – or a weapon of change – is a very interesting concept and I think that the whole process of our sound gradually degrading clay sculptures is captivating.”
Here is what I know of the museum. On one of our first trips to London, we went to the Science Museum just down the road. As we were walking in South Kensington, I noticed a building with a lot of outer damage. I ended up finding a plaque that stated the structural damage was from the German bombings during WWII. This was our first serious piece of history during our stay in England. It turned out to be the Victoria and Albert museum. Interesting! So, if the Germans couldn’t take the building down raining bombs on London, how was Napalm Death going to ruin it with decibels? I guess the curators heard a sample of Greenway’s signature growl and had second thoughts. In all seriousness, there were concerns that the noise level would, in fact, damage historic stuff. As I appreciate history, I can’t say I blame the museum, but what a damn cool idea! Maybe they can move this experiment to a more stable facility.
What’s Metal Got To Do With It?
While I was living in England for four years, I had the privilege of being surrounded by so much history and culture. I found it fascinating to be encircled by structures over 1,000 years old…still standing…part of a rich history. While there, my family and I seized the opportunity to see and do as much as we could especially in London. One thing I found great about the city was that museums were free. People think the UK is so expensive, but if you do your research there are so many inexpensive things to do. Anyway, I got to see the British, Science, and History museums, the Globe Theater, Churchill’s War Rooms (not free), The Museum of London, The Maritime Museum, The Royal Observatory, and a cool museum called the Tate Modern. It’s what I saw in the Tate Modern that inspired this post, which I am sure you are wondering what does this have to do with metal? I am getting to that.
In the Tate Modern, there happened to be an exhibit which consisted of about 100 million hand-painted porecelain sunflower seeds. The first thing I thought was damn; this takes up a lot of space. Then I wondered how long it must have taken to put this all together. Dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was responsible for this display of artwork which I have to say was impressive. Check out my pictures below…
So, what does this have to do with metal? I am getting to that, hang on. Ai Weiwei is an outspoken person in China and if you follow the news, that (American) freedom we have in this country doesn’t bode well in China. Some high-profile people have disappeared for being forthright. Well, it seems the artist decided on his next work. Wait for it! Wait for it! A metal album!
Blood & Banjos Are Awesome, And You Can Make Them Awesomer!
A bit over a year ago I stumbled upon a blog called Blood & Banjos, and with a name like that, how could I not stop and check it out. Upon reading one of the first few posts that they had I quickly learned that the blog was to be a chronicle of the creation of an album from its inception to its finish. The original idea for the record was conjured in the brain of project leader Mike Lindsay during a casual conversation between friends when the idea of making an album that combined the visceral, raw sound of black metal with the conservationists passion for bluegrass music. The churning mental gears quickly gave way to Mike starting up the project of seriously making an attempt at this daunting task of combining polar opposites of the musical spectrum. Blood & Banjos were born.
Throughout the year I kept up reading this blog, as a look into what goes into writing, recording, and conceptualizing an album from start to finish was quite interesting to me personally and seeing it being done by a group of regular Joes and not the usual ‘big rock star’ album chronicles piqued my interest further. Then there’s the fact that they were not just creating your usual metal album, but quite an experimental take on it, my interest went through the roof. As time went on and their posts on concepts and brief histories into the styles of music went on things started to shift from concepts and ideas towards actual songs being created. Very neat stuff, and being the cool dude he is, Mike took the time to listen to the comments people were leaving on his blog and even embraced a few ideas for specific song sections I threw his way when he went to post up the next demo recordings. The fact that Mike had the management capacity to be able to make recordings with his group of musicians and collaborators scattered all across the USA and EU was very neat to observe also.
Now, some of you may be thinking that the whole black metal/bluegrass combo has already been done, and quite well I might add, by the one man band Panopticon on his album Kentucky. While this may be true, what really grabs me about the Blood & Banjos project is the angle they are approaching the concept from. Instead of going for the intensely deep side bluegrass and metal like Panopticon did, they are putting the focus on the fun side of the genres. Almost resembling a Broadway spectacle, the album will tell the tale of a simple Appalachian family man named Abram Stone who has been deceived by Satan into believing only himself and his banjo can prevent the coming of the anti-Christ and the coming Apocalypse. The town’s mayor and townsfolk stand in his way and inevitable violence of mass proportion ensues. Amazing concept if you ask me, and B&B take it a step further by taking the time to actually cast various musicians and singers to fill the various roles in the story.
So after a bit over a year of conceptualizing and writing, Blood & Banjos have finished the first phase of production and have even released some awesome demos (you’ll find something to listen to at the bottom of this post) and now starts a phase where they really need the help of music fans everywhere. I’m sure you know getting quality recording of ones music doesn’t come cheap, and even for the more economical options a pretty penny must be spent. Being the regular Joes they are with day jobs and the like, dropping 10 grand for an album recording just isn’t in their personal budgets, but fortunately, this wonderful thing called Kickstarter exists and could very well ensure that the bands dreams of seeing this project come to life does so at the highest possible quality. While the band states that even if they don’t meet their goal, they will still see this project through to completion, but wouldn’t you like to hear such an awesome concept for a record come to fruition as shiny as possible and actually know that you were partly responsible for that happening (c’mon, everyone one loves bragging rights even if they don’t admit it 
). So head over to the bands Kickstarter page, make a pledge, get yourself some cool perks (that poster is looking mighty fine), and support independent music, cause without it we’d be stuck listening to the same old stuff that the major labels habitually pump out. And it should go without saying, share the Kickstarter with as many as you can, you could be the one responsible for the really rich dude that has a passion for both metal and bluegrass music and has a hankering to toss a few grand at the project, I’m sure Mike and the rest of Blood & Banjos would be very appreciative. Enjoy!!! Peace Love and Metal!!!!!
Band Links: Kickstarter Facebook Soundcloud Official Blog Bandcamp
Demos will be added to the bands Bandcamp as they are released, you can hear a couple in the player below now 
Crushing Hammers of Metal
After discovering that the word ’monolith’ is used in quite a few song- and album titles (here), I started to look for other words that are common in heavy metal. With the help of my buddies on The History of Metal forum on FB, I ended up with a pretty long list of songs, albums and band names that have the word ‘hammer’ in them. So what is the deal with hammers?
A heavy, crushing, smashing weapon made of metal. That represents the sound of many bands in our favourite genre. But it can also be a mysterious and mighty magic item, like Thor’s hammer in old Norse mythology. There is also the judge’s hammer of justice that has the power to change your life. And, of course, the construction tool that makes lots of noise, used to build up and break down structures. What do you think is the reason so many bands chooses to include hammers in their music? It’s not always obvious what they symbolize in the lyrics. What’s your interpretation?
To Our Readers
Recently A Metal State of Mind was approached by a larger site which offered us an opportunity to start writing for them with a much, much larger audience than we have here at our humble little blog. The initial offer was interesting as the thought of bringing our love of metal to many more people sounded hella cool. As talks went on one of the stipulations included that Metal State be shut down, or better said, left abandoned and we would write exclusively for the other site. Me, Reggie (Plantera), and Irmelnis discussed the different pros and cons and ultimately decided that we couldn’t, even for a short while abandon Metal State.
Among the different topics discussed about taking this opportunity one of the big factors were you, the readers. I know that we don’t see that much traffic, but we do know we have a small handful of dedicated, constant readers and commenters, and even though I would still do this even if no one read the drivel I write, it’s you who really make me feel special and constantly invigorate me to want to improve my writing, find the best music and games to tell you about, and more or less feel like I can just be myself (in writing) on this site. It’s a wonderful little community we’ve built on Metal State over the years and believe it or not, you are an important part of my life even though we never met IRL.
This little opportunity led me to really realize just how important this site and small community is to me and upon inspection I realized I would actually would probably cry if Metal State was ever shut down (figuratively speaking, I’m a hard ‘metal’ man ya know…….. ‘cough’). So, in light of recent events, I just wanted to take a few moments to say THANK YOU!!!! You readers and commenters are awesome and it means the world to me that you support our humble little blog. We will always to our damnedest to bring you a constant stream of great content filled with our personalities that actually reflect us IRL and will always remain committed to you readers who’ve stuck with us over the years. I know that I end almost all of my posts with the typical ‘Peace Love and Metal!!’ and I also just want you all to know, when I say those words it is something I stand behind with all my heart. I wish you all ongoing Peace, never-ending Love, and copious amounts of the most glorious noise in the world METAL!!!!!
The Science Behind The Mosh Pit
Have you ever wondered why they rotate in a counterclockwise fashion? Have you ever wondered why they spontaneously ignite with certain musical patterns? Do you believe circle pits are random? The answer is rather scientific.
The Value of a Music Review…
What does an album review do for you? Do you make decisions based on what other people, those you don’t even know, say about an album? If you are an avid Slayer fan, and I told you their newest album sucked beyond all suckiness would you still buy it? After all, a review is nothing more than someone else’s opinion. There is no scientific method for a music review applicable to all listeners. But, do they still affect your desire to purchase something…or not purchase something?
I like to think that people make up their own minds. I like to think that I make up my own mind regardless of what other people say; however, I find myself in a position where an album review is actually impacting whether or not I buy an album.
Proud Monoliths of Metal
The other day something caught my attention. I kept seeing the word ‘monolith’ everywhere. Song titles, albums, band names… It popped up when I least expected it, always when I was spending time discovering new bands and albums. I admit, it’s a very good looking word. It feels mysterious and can be used in many different ways. The tall, often erected stone structure is historical, there are many old myths and legends about monoliths, made of one solid piece of rock either shaped by nature or constructed by humans. Maybe the mythical and mystical shape contributes to the fascination we have with these huge rocks?
It made me curious, how many symbolic meanings exist and what are they? How is the symbolism used in song lyrics and album titles?
Something solitary, standing proudly alone. It’s solid and can’t be moved by ordinary men, unaffected by all living creatures. It’s tall, reaches far above and overshadows everything else. Something strong and powerful that can’t and won’t be ignored.
Maybe these songs below will help in finding more answers..
MTV and The Jersey Shore Please Help the Jersey Shore
As many readers may have deduced by now, while I no longer live on the Jersey Shore, the area holds a special place in my heart. From the majority of my family and many of my good friends living there and memories such as riding on the boardwalk rides and playing the games as a kid (and as an adult kid ) and sneaking under the boards to chug some beers, burn a doobie, or try to kiss a girl and the countless amounts of metal and rock shows I’ve seen there, the area is very important to me. This past week it was hit by Superstorm Sandy along with NYC and suffered massive damage. As I look at my Facebook wall and communicate any way I can with my family back in the states, it’s surreal hearing about all of the damage this storm has done. The boardwalks from Atlantic City up the whole coast are have been ripped up and destroyed and only 10% of them remain, homes are destroyed and flooded, food and gas is scarce, and some of my friends are both out of homes and work. Luckily no one I know was physically injured and the death toll is very low thanks to some great work within the communities in preparation and the government’s (local, state, and national) quick response to the handling of the disaster.
As of right now power is starting to be restored to the towns not directly on the coast and food is getting shipped in and to those who need it. But there needs to be a lot of work in setting things back to normal, and for some, normal may never be achieved again. This is going to take a lot of man power and the help of the community, and it is also going to cost a pretty penny, and since NJ’s cash crop is now in ruins, funds for the reconstruction raised by the state itself are going to be scarce.
Being on a whole different continent than my beloved shore towns and seeing all of my friends hurting so, I felt the need to do something within my power to help them out, so I started calling upon one of the most famous things from the Jersey Shore outside of Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi (who are already quick on the ball and are holding a charity event to be broadcast on national TV tonight). Since the 90′s MTV has made use of Seaside Heights on the Jersey Shore for both their summertime broadcasting beach houses and as their platform for their super successful reality show The Jersey Shore. While locals and many others scoff at their drunken antics, there’s no doubt that they brought a better economy to the Jersey Shore and in return local officials continued to sign the releases to allow MTV to continue filming there fattening their wallets exponentially.
Given that these 2 things work symbiotically, I feel it’s only right that the cast of The Jersey Shore steps up to the plate and starts holding charity events and fundraisers to aid in the reconstruction of the Jersey Shore and its citizens. Over the past couple days some cast members have sent their condolences and promises to do what they can to help, and I applaud them for that. But given that many members of the cast were also affected by Superstorm Sandy, I’m sure that they can’t do all they want to do to help out. That’s where the support of MTV comes in.
Now, I know MTV is based in NYC, and NYC was also hit pretty hard by the storm, but given that they have offices all around the world and the channel is broadcast in nearly every developed country in the world, I don’t think they are hurting for money. Especially not hurting for enough money to do fund-raisers for NYC as well as monetarily support the cast of The Jersey Shore in fund raising venture. So I have started a petition addressed to as many big wigs at MTV as I could find as well as producers of the show asking them to step up and do something big for the Jersey Shore.
As with any petition, the more signatures that it has the more likely it will get noticed and more likely something will happen due to it. So, what I ask of all you awesome readers of Metal State, is to sign and share the petition. It takes no more than one minute realistically speaking to add your name. I also did my research on the petition site I’m using (Change.org) and they are quality and legit and won’t steal or misuse any information you give them (which is just your name and email at minimum; you can also use Facebook to sign). You can sign by clicking the link below or by clicking this link here. If you sign, I give you one of those teary, super emotional, totally ‘not metal’ thank yous. It means a lot to me and my family and friends back on the Jersey Shore. And now I leave you with one of my favorite Jersey Shore bands, the prog metal maestros Symphony X!
Petition link: http://www.change.org/petitions/call-to-mtv-and-jersey-shore-cast-to-raise-money-for-superstorm-sandy-victims#
You can follow the following link to the NJ chapter of the Red Cross to make monetary donations if you’d like: http://www.redcross.org/nj/tinton-falls
