The State of Metal, pt. 1

Metal. It's been the code I've lived by since I was 16. The music of metal has colored my worldview in more ways than even I may know. To those of you who don't listen to metal as obsessively as I do you probably don't understand the appeal. It's loud, full of lots of notes played really fast, aggressive and very much counter cultural. Metal, real metal, will never "sell" and will never be understood on a grand scale. Every now and then a band like Metallica will make waves, but let's face it; the 'tallica boys gave up on real metal right around 1991. Still, somehow they have been able to expose the main stream of society to the world of skull crushing, house shaking music. Metal is much more than a style of music; it is a lifestyle. It is not, despite some misguided assumptions, about becoming an ardent Satanist. It is not about being an overly aggressive meathead. Does it appeal to these folks? Hell yea it does. Why is that? Well, metal has at it's core several characteristics, two of them being aggression and dissent.

Aggression is in the nature of the music itself. Metal was always about playing faster, rougher, louder, darker, and angrier. It's music that gets the blood pumping. It’s music that makes you, as a guitarist friend said, "want to break a rule." However, the music is also about dissent, but not necessarily in the "punk rock" sense most imagine dissent to be.

Dissent in punk music revolves around rallying against something happening presently in society that you don't agree with. It is a reactionary form of music. Metal on the other hand, grew organically from harder edged rock of the 60's and 70's. The people creating the music though were not the disenfranchised middle class youth of punk. Rather it was kids who had nothing more to do than play music. Kids who grew up in rough neighborhoods, in families that were sometimes broken, and didn't necessarily make a whole lot of money. It came from people who lived in "shit-holes." In severely non-affluent backgrounds. To wax sociological and somewhat Marxist, it came from the "peasants" and the "workers," those who are under the heal of the Capitalist system. Here is metals dissent. It is not a reactionary form of music like punk, but rather an outgrowth of strained cultural dynamics. Here is where metal begins to become a lifestyle. It grew initially out of the same stock of people, growing up in the same depressed urban and rural environments and presented itself to these same people. As such, it's influence and ability to appeal to a wider audience was built in from the get go. However, someone from an affluent background would not particularly understand the issue of growing up in this culture and system. The aggression of the music, the rallying against religion as a form of social and cultural control, grows from the frustrations born into an individual from this facet of society. This is what I have come to think is at the heart of metal as a lifestyle.

This is not to say that one must come from this sort of background to understand and appreciate metal, but it helps. I myself am from Colorado Springs, CO. I grew up in a loving home, with parents and family who have supported me every step of the way. We have always been considered "poor" by American standards though. I think, at our peak, my family made around 26,000 a year. For a family of five, that's just barely scrapping by. Of course, as a teenager I didn't understand the things that I just outlined above, I just liked the music. There is something in there that speaks to the same type of person though and I now feel that part of that was what I outlined above.

Due to the title of this blog, I am assuming many of you felt I was going to talk more about what is actually happening in metal musically today. Don't fret I will get to that. I feel though that some background was needed as metal has also changed in regards to its "lifestyle." Culture is not a static thing and neither is metal. The music as well as the culture of metal is changing in sometimes-drastic ways. If this is for the best or not, I haven't decided. Personally, my view on metal and the culture surrounding it have changed as I've grown more and dove more fully into the metal world. It is these ideas and perceptions I have come to over the years that I want to talk about in the next few parts of this blog. I will begin the next time outlining the current musical state of metal, how it got to the point it is at, and where I feel it is headed. Then I will begin to talk about the implications on the culture of metal and it's changing state. I don't know if I'll have more after that, but there is a good chance. So, stay tuned, I hope to get the next part up soon (which I always say, I realize that). Horns up!

-Dan

Vegan update

Well, it's been a little more than a week of trying to be vegan. First off, I've been hungry. Really hungry. Getting enough foodstuffs is a problem for a college student, let alone a vegan one. But, I did alright. Raisin Bran is a good source and there are these really good vegan frozen waffles. They are called "Vans'" and you can find in the frozen "naturals" section of most supermarkets.

Second, I "graduated" college yesterday! Woo hoo! I still have a couple classes for the summer, but for all intents and purposes, I'm DONE! My g/f threw me this huge party yesterday, lots of friends and family and tons of food. Problem is, none of it was vegan. So, in order to keep things easy and not complicated, we recanted on our month long vegan-ism yesterday. Yes, I ate cheese, cake, and snack mix with cheese. Later, my body decided to yell at me after playing a gig, forcefully stating just why I can't splurge on something I've cut out of my diet. So, if any of you were going to chastise me for not sticking to it for a straight month, and rightly so you would be, let it be known my body told just how stupid I was.

The cake was flippin' incredible though. And all the other food. I'll have a graduation blog later, as it was kind of a trip.

In case you are wondering if I am going to keep with the vegan thing for the rest of the month, I think that I am. I haven't decided totally yet, but I think I will be.

Grrl Powered Cock Rock!!

I took this Anthropology class which discussed the implications that art has on globalization and how art has and is an expression of an individual's culture from their own viewpoint. Basically, the whole issue of globalization is seen as a negative, however through the medium of art, which is constantly crossing international boundaries, there is a positive take on globalization. There is a crossing over of genres and new ideas being added to old sounds. Exciting stuff really. This blog however is not about that. No, this blog in fact is about feminism and rock music. One of the girls in my class gave a presentation where she exposed the class to, as she deemed them, "girl cover bands of cock rock bands." I know what you are thinking; "some chicks out there are doing their own version of Ratt, Poison, WASP, etc." See, when I hear "cock rock" that's what I think of. Overly masculine, horrible 80's power metal bands. Perhaps I'm mistaken in that definition. If I am, please correct me.

The cover bands she featured were "Lez Zeppelin," "AcDshe," "Kisses (female Kiss cover band)," and "Iron Maidens." For the most part, these bands sound like cover bands. They play the songs decently well, don't sound terribly original, and overall have bad vocals. Still the implication that these bands are taking what is perceived as a hyper masculinized form of rock music and making it their own is an indication of female empowerment (mind you, this was still the presenters assertion). I would like to disagree with this.

First off, I will admit that it isn't a huge stretch to reach the conclusion she made. However, my first problem is that these bands are not doing anything new. A cover band is meant as one thing; to pay tribute to a band that you enjoy to listen to. To regurgitate someone else's artistic accomplishments and then say that what's being done is new and empowering, is recursive. There is little ground made by a group of women covering "Number of the Beast" in a smoke filled bar in Southern California. Sure the idea is neat, and the whole "taking back the phallic symbol" of the guitar does have some implications, but really it's not going to advance the state of equality and feminism. These tribute bands come across as more of a shtick than anything else and I think most people would view it as such.

Second, the idea of simply doing something that's been done before lends little credibility to someone as an artist. These women could very well try and create music of their own, something that allows them to say what's on their minds. This in and of itself could be a source of motivation and empowerment for younger women who see these original female groups. The idea of, "I want to do what she's doing." The young woman would then go home, learn an instrument, and start the process of creating something new. With the right mindset, the lyrics and the music could be a vessel for change, much as rock music has been in it's short history. A cover band does little to nothing to advance these goals.

Third, focusing on these types of bands as the source of empowerment does not give credit to the real force of change going on in the metal community; female fronted metal bands. If you are even remotely familiar with the heavy weights of the metal scene at the moment, you know that Arch Enemy are huge. Arch Enemy are fronted by none other than Angela Gossow. Otep (not Opeth) are also a female fronted metal band who have gained a fair amount of popularity. Both of these bands feature aggressive vocals (of the "cookie monster" variety), places that have been dominated exclusively by males. The fact is, these women (along with many others) have taken the most unintelligible, aggressive and what would typically be thought of as "masculine" vocals and done them extremely well. Sometimes better than most guys. If you want to talk about women taking over something that has been seen as masculine and domineering, talk about this. Not only are these women creating something of their own, but they are also placing themselves in the position of authority (the singer) and doing it in a hyper masculine form (death metal style vocals).

There is still a breach though. There are very few female guitarists out there. Very few female drummers. There seem to be a disproportionate number of female bassists though. Also, while Gossow and Otep have talked about empowering young women by being on stage, the majority of the metal fan is still male and still only sees "the hot singer." While this in itself is nothing new to rock (there has always been the "hot singer" in rock, male or female) there are still more "hot" sentiments towards the women. This is a chasm that the rock/metal community may never pass.

I've only touched on the surface of a very complex issue here. Mostly, it's me reacting and raving. However, I think I've got something here. I would suggest going and looking up some female fronted metal bands. There are some good ones out there. I'll even give you a short list too. Look at me, all nice and shit. :P

Arch Enemy
Otep
Straight Line Stich
In This Moment
Nightwhish
Within Temptation

And there are more. Those are simply the ones I can pull off the top of my head.

Mayday! Mayday!

Alright, so my month long poetry-a-thon Didn't pan out as planned. However, I'm still going to try something here. First off, many of you know that I am a vegetarian. Well, I've decided for the month of May that I am going to attempt to go full fledged Vegan. Mostly, I'm doing it to try and get myself out of some bad eating and spending habits. So, it's kind of like a fast. Starting tomorrow and up until the 31st I will not consume a single animal byproduct. No cheese, no milk, no ice cream, no chocolate... I must be crazy. :P I do however think this will be a good thing for me though, get me back to eating better and not spending my money on Taco Bell or Qudoba.

With this though, I would like to extend an invitation for anyone who is interested to go vegan (or at least vegetarian) with me. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to go veg, or felt a pull to do it recently, this could be your place to start. Hey, I freakin' started because of Lent, so it's not that strange.

I'll be using this blog as a kind of weekly, maybe semi-daily journal to record my progress, my feelings, and other such reality-TV esque variables. So, come and watch me give up that last bastion of dietary normalcy! It'll be a fun ride!

Sad Day...


Goodbye... it's been fun...


Here! Fun link!

You know, just in case you need a reason to go veg. :D

Fearful Women

Arms and the girl I sing - O rare
arms that are braceleted and white and bare

arms that were lovely Helen's, in whose name
Greek slaughtered Trojan. Helen was to blame.

Scape-nanny call her; wars for turf
and profit don't sound glamorous enough.

Mythologize your women! None escape.
Europe was named from an act of bestial rape:

Eponymous girl on bull-back, he intent
on scattering sperm across a continent.

Old Zeus refused to take the rap.
It's not his name in big print on the map.

But let's go back to the beginning
when sinners didn't know that they were sinning.

He, one rib short: she lived to rue it
when Adam said to God, "She made me do it."

Eve learned that learning was a dangerous thing
for her: no end of trouble would it bring.

An educated woman is a danger.
Lock up your mate! Keep a submissive stranger

like Darby's Joan, content with church and Kinder,
not like that sainted Joan, burnt to a cinder.

Whether we wield a scepter or a mop
It's clear you fear that we may get on top.

And if we do -I say it without animus-
It's not from you we learned to be magnanimous.

-Carolyn Kizer

February in Sydney

Dexter Gordon’s tenor sax
Plays “April in Paris”
Inside my head all the way back
On the bus from Double Bay.
Round Midnight, the 50s.
Cool cobblestone streets
Resound footsteps of Bebop
Musicians with whiskey-laced voices
From a boundless dream in French.
Bud, Prez, Webster and The Hawk,
Their names run together riffs.
Painful gods jive talk through
Bloodstained reds and shiny brass
Where music is an anesthetic.
Unreadable faces from the human void
Float like torn pages across the bus
Windows. An old anger drips into my throat,
& I try thinking something good,
Letting the precious bad
Settle to the salty bottom.
Another scene keeps repeating itself;
I emerge from the dark theatre,
Passing a woman who grabs her red purse
& hugs it to her like a heart attack.
Tremolo. Dexter comes back to rest
Behind my eyelids. A lonliness
Lingers like a silver needle
Under my black skin,
As I try to feel how it is
To scream for help through a horn.

-Dexter Gordon

A plethora of poetry!

Since I forgot to post the past few days, you all get four poems today! Neat huh?

My Husband Is a Sniper

And the fat kid likes cake.
We live in the sewer stewing over
melted flesh and our right
to pursue death.

My husband is a sniper
and he waits in the trees
for me to come home
before he fires.

Something went wrong in the desert
and he doesn’t know
whether he pulled the trigger
or not.

And all the men
slip into their corners
to be alive in nightmares
and not remember.

Pike felt blood on his hands
in the right light.
-Amy Solomon-Minarchi


My Sister, Who Died Young, Takes Up The Task

A basket of apples brown in our kitchen,
their warm scent is the scent of ripening,

and my sister, entering the room quietly,
takes a seat at the table, takes up the task

of peeling slowly away the blemished skins,
even half-rotten ones are salvaged carefully.

She makes sure to carve out the mealy flesh.
For this, I am grateful. I explain, this elegy

would love to save everything. She smiles at me,
and before long, the empty bowl she uses fills,

domed with thin slices she brushes into
the mouth of a steaming pot on the stove.

What can I do? I ask finally. Nothing,
she says, let me finish this one thing alone.
-Jon Pineda

Same Old

The same old story is different with each
re-telling. What did mother say? One
of the sisters asserts her truth to the other's
incredulity--someone has to be right.
Was the forest dark or light? Chiaroscuro
doesn't count. It's not logic but will,
the will to win. The trail in Mohican Park
leads to Lyons' Cave, deep and murky
with its rocky brow above the spring
you can drink from, or could. And the dark rot
of leaves under the oaks sprouts morels
you can fry, spongy smoke on the tongue.

You can't make people get along.
Are the sisters speaking? One sulks
outside. The other begins again,
the audience all her own. Branches
break their fall, and the few grasses
are shriveled. Why enter the forest at all?
The arrowheads have been harvested,
and all the bones filed into needles.
-Mary Crow; Colorado Poet Laureate


What It Was Like Those Days

Since, as a child, I was happy
as a child, I thought every one
was happy, including the grimy man
who lived at the city dump in a shack
decorated with hubcaps, broken chairs
by the door cheerfully facing out to a waste,
those days, of rubble smoking and oily dirt,
although it was a strange kind of happiness
I knew I wouldn’t ever know.
Even the dead, I thought then,
grinning as I biked around town,
were happy in their own way.
That’s what it was like.
-Robert King
(by permission Northwest Review)

Believing in Iron

The hills my brothers & I created Never balanced, & it took years To discover how the world worked. We could look at a tree of blackbirds & tell you how many were there, But with the scrap dealer Our math was always off. Weeks of lifting & grunting Never added up to much, But we couldn't stop Believing in iron. Abandoned trucks & cars Were held to the ground By thick, nostalgic fingers of vines Strong as a dozen sharecroppers. We'd return with our wheelbarrow Groaning under a new load, Yet tiger lilies lived better In their languid, August domain. Among paper & Coke bottles Foundry smoke erased sunsets, & we couldn't believe iron Left men bent so close to the earth As if the ore under their breath Weighed down the gray sky. Sometimes I dreamt how our hills Washed into a sea of metal, How it all became an anchor For a warship or bomber Out over trees with blooms Too red to look at. -Yusef Komunyakaa

National Poetry Month

Happy National Poetry month everyone! Woot! In honor of this month, I will be posting a new poem everyday throughout April. It will either be a poem of my own, or a poem by someone else. So, without further adieu, here's a poem!

Ode to a Coffee Bean
by Daniel J. Adkins

The smells of sunrise fly into my head
The black, earthy smell of liquid joy
Rouse me from the sleep of engulfing beds
That first sip is as to a child on Christmas,
Getting her favorite toy.
The dark, smooth coating given to the mug
Opens a portal into the secret word
Where one bean from a stately tree hung,
Picked, looked at with a careful eye, in fingers twirled
Chosen to be my morning comfort
From halfway across the globe.
Now you sit, among compatriots ground, covered
With scalding liquid to extract your essence
For me to ingest, to share, to connect as lover
To see the conjoined life we lead, you needing me
To unlock your potential, me needing you to unlock my mind.

An Anniversary Means... PARTAY!

"If we don't stop extending our troops all around the world in nation-building missions, then we're going to have a serious problem." — George W. Bush, Jan. 2001

Some of my favorite things we engage in as a culture are anniversaries. From birthdays to weddings there's always some reason to celebrate and in the spirit of that cultural norm, I'd like to propose we have a celebration, no wait, a PARTY to commemorate the Anniversary of the invasion and subsequent victory of "Operation Freedom" roughly five years ago. Can you believe it? It's been five years since major fighting was declared over. Georgie boy was right, wasn't he? Man, those history books will check this one in the "win" column. I mean, even W can acknowledge this; "There is no doubt in my mind when history was written, the final page will say: Victory was achieved by the United States of America for the good of the world." --George W. Bush, addressing U.S. troops at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, Jan. 12, 2008

Can you believe it? Victory for the good of the World! What a time we live in! I'll toast my four dollars of gas a gallon to that! Well, any great achievement such as that deserves some thanks so I'd like to take the majority of this blog to thank Commander in Chief Bush for all that he has accomplished over the past five years.

George W. Bush, here's to you!

Thank you so much for your foresight. I mean, who knew that we would be able to so effectively defeat our enemies. In a month's time we destroyed their whole social structure. We bombed schools, hospitals, mosques, homes, businesses, and an underground base here and there. They were there right? Housing those WMD's? Man, I sure would have liked to have seen those. I mean, Saadam could have used them against us, right? Oh and I'm so glad that there were no people in any of the buildings we bombed either. They must have been vacant because we would never bomb something if we knew there were civilians still in it. We want to avoid as much collateral damage as possible. So, once again thank you George for knowing that massive bombing is the wave of the future in warfare and we can win and end wars with it in enough time to come home for The Bachelor.

Thank you too for protecting Iraq's main source of income, oil. Without that, their country would be completely decimated, but now they can live full, Western lives knowing that we all need their oil. I mean, you're a good old boy who understands supply and demand and of course you want to promote capitalism as the best economic system. So of course the Iraqi people will get to sell us their oil at a fair price, one where they can make a profit and we can continue to drive our Toyota Highlands and Humvees without paying nearly half our paychecks to do it. Man, what a visionary! I do however, find that you seem a tad oblivious to current gas prices; "Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? ... That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Feb. 28, 2008. It's ok though, you have a lot on your plate. One little mistake is perfectly ok, because you certainly haven't made any other ones in these past five years.

On the issue of economics, I want to say a big thank you. War is so beneficial to the economy, World War II proved that, so of course it's true. I'm so glad that the Economic advisor who projected that Operation Freedom would cost 200 billion dollars was booted out in 2002. What a drag to hear that! I'm so happy it hasn't cost that much. I mean, 1.3 trillion is quite a bit more, but it's alright because we have plenty of jobs here in the States to stoke the flames of prosperity! A little outsourcing doesn't hurt either. It's not like we're in a recession or have a nine trillion dollar national debt, is it?

Mostly, I want to thank you for re-invigorating the military. We had a serious glut of people in the Armed forces. We definitely needed more people to defend our borders, especially after 9/11. Big deal if they are distracted and stretched a little thin by a simple Operation. If we need more, we can get a draft going. Volunteer armies are so overrated. I mean, the only way I could see that happening is if North Korea or some country like that decided to get some nukes built, test them and pose a threat to us. But that won't happen. No way, they're way the fuck on the other side of the world. I feel perfectly safe under your guidance Mr. Bush. Hopefully McCain will get to fill your auspicious shoes. I want to make sure myself and my children feel safe for, oh, at least one hundred years.

In the spirit of the event I'd like to let you all see some pictures that will tell you the real story that's going on in Iraq, not this crap that's being forced down our throats by the media.

*Note* I am hyperlinking these images. Many of them a very graphic and I want to give people the choice to view them or not. I do not believe in shoving my rhetoric down others throats. I encourage you to look, but remember I warned you. The guest password for the album is "iraqw."

Pictures