Morning Metal: Metal Rant #9: Thoughts
Rockso Rants
Thoughts and Questions
There are a few things I have been wanting to talk about, and have been pondering on some thoughts for awhile. I’ll just get into it.
#1 – Leaks: You’ve seen it brought up before and you’re probably guilty of the same thing as everyone else – illegal downloads. Granted, there is a difference between downloading an album that has been around for ages and a brand new record that has just been released. However, my question lays with albums that have not been released officially from the band on their due date, also known as “leaking”.
I am incredibly curious as to how unreleased albums become available to the general public. I have a few conclusions that may or may not be correct, such as; promotion companies, radio stations and other media outlets that are sent the album a few weeks in advance before the album is available in record stores and retail outlets. You know, maybe one guy at Roadrunner Records got his hands on Slipknot’s new album, .5; The Gray Chapter, and was like “I think my brother will like this”, little does he know that his brother is a psychotic album leaker and proceeds to upload all the songs onto the internet.
I received Slipknot’s new album through unconventional means *cough* I found it on Youtube *cough*, and OBVIOUSLY I am going to listen to it. Granted, it was not the whole album which did in fact leak recently before the due date of October 17th. I know it may sound crazy to all us illegal downloaders, but to show respect to the bands – we probably should wait until it is officially released… But in Slipknot’s case, I want.
With albums out of the way, what about singles? Machine Head were incredibly upset over the fact that “Now We Die” and “Killers & Kings” were released through another source. HOW? How in the Dark Lord’s chaotic grasp did that person get their greedy little claws on a single that was not even announced? It really blows my mind that a band could lose track on their distributors, especially a band like Machine Head. It could be a clever little scheme to draw attention to Machine Head’s new album but the fact that they were like “What the hell?” when the song was unofficially released makes me think otherwise.
Somebody explain to me how albums are leaked onto the internet before their actual release, because I do not understand how these bands, ESPECIALLY SLIPKNOT, could have their albums leaked online? If they ever found out who actually leaked it, the person would probably be responsible for every major leak in today’s music. In the end, they did deliver us wonderful amounts of music before it’s release – so yeah, that’s cool.
#2 – EP’s: This isn’t so much of a question as it is complaining. A trend that I have noticed in the local Ottawa scene is that bands release an EP… And then are never heard from again. Sometimes it’s not even an EP, just a few songs. I know a few bands that have played a few songs, released a couple of songs and then went off the radar. For some of those bands, I am thankful they went away because they sounded exactly the same as 95% of the bands in Ottawa. It is also the way of the metal scene nowadays, because it’s impossible to find a unique band on this planet we call Earth.
There will be one band who starts the trend (Asking Alexandria) and then a few bands get on board (Of Mice & Men, I See Stars, Chelsea Grin) and then everything sounds the same from then on out. I would just like to say that I do know that AA formed in 2008 and the other bands a few years before that but AA pretty much set the standard for generic metalcore music. Metalcore music… Remember when bands like August Burns Red and Killswitch Engage were the pinnacle for metalcore? Get out of the way, Adam D! Ben Bruce and his crazy solos are coming thr- Wait, he doesn’t do solos. When I say metalcore music, I am really talking about 2008 and on, because when it comes to classic metalcore as the aforementioned Killswitch Engage, August Burns Red, Unearth, Trivium, etc – they really set the bar too high for these teenagers to reach.
I digress. My point is that nobody releases LP’s anymore, and it’s usually for financial reasons but hey – here’s an idea; SAVE UP! If you don’t have money for an LP, you should wait. I know your fans will have to wait a little longer, but you’ll just have to play live shows for them. There are some EP’s that are absolutely killer and I am glad they were released, but… This is going to make me sound like a dick… Those EP’s were actually good. Of Reverie’s Dreamcatcher EP, Red Skies’ Identitas and Dreamer/Deceiver’s Generations EP’s are awesome. Talented dudes playing sweet music. It’s not just bullshit chugging with the occasional 0-1-0-1-0-1-3-5. And breakdowns.
It’s funny because most bands that are releasing LP’s are not in any way metalcore music. Thrash metal, power metal, death metal and symphonic metal bands are releasing full length albums. Shock, Crimson Shadows, Endemise and Sovereign Council are amongst some bands that have released LP’s for their debut albums and follow-ups. EP’s just provide a quick way for bands to get music out – but LP’s provide a story-telling aspect and a more satisfying experience because you’d have more than 4 tracks to jam.
#3 – Badass – My first thought when I heard Scar Symmetry‘s first of three albums – The Singularity (Phase I – Neohumanity) was “Damn, I wonder who produced this?”. Well, turns out Per Nilsson produced, mixed and mastered the entire record along with the entirety of the songwriting. HOW can one man have so much talent? And it’s not like the songs are watered downs pieces of crap, they’re brilliant. I know this kind of thing has been done before by other bands, but it’s still incredible when one guy can pump out fresh material and engineer the whole damn thing.
I always knew Per Nilsson was an insane guitarist and is one of the major songwriters for Scar Symmetry, but I never knew the dude had this much potential behind those Swedish hands. Not to mention he’s an actual genius because he is a member of the High IQ Society, with an IQ of 156. So, in the end it makes total sense.
Also, they have a song that ends the album called, “Technocalyptic Cybergeddon”, which is the most badass track title in the history of melodic death metal. Like, seriously. That’s some Terminator shit right there. As it stands right now, Holographic Universe was and will probably always be my favourite Scar Symmetry album simply because the combined talent of Per Nilsson and Christian Alvestam is too epic to comprehend.
That’s enough for now, I’m sure I will find more to think about in the next couple of days.
James Rockso – Host of CKCU 93.1 FM’s Morning Metal