as mentioned a while ago after, i wrote a column on Scion and hardcore for the 10th anniversary issue of SFL. Get it here.
E mail me if you want an electronic copy of the column, but seriously, don't be a dick and buy it anyway if you give a shit about hardcore being more than just something you like on facebook.
Slaughter Strike - Winter's Agony
and if anyone wants the Slaughter Strike final demo it's still available to download here:
winter's agony mediafire free music omg piss in your own mouth with sheer unadulterated joy death metal oop lol old school old school old school ;)
all physical copies are now gone, if you see any on e bay for more than $5 then feel free to flood the market with your own bootlegs (og art file included with download)
Listening:
ENT - Peel Sessions and split w/ Slang
Bizarre Uproar/ Will Over Matter split
Killa Instinct - The Bambi Murders
Low Threat Profile - Product #2
Pig Heart Transplant side of the split w/ Endless Blockade
Reading:
King Kong Theory - Virginie Despentes
lots of shrill hysteria about fascism in music - various know nothing idiots with loud voices
13 comments:
Regarding the second part of your reading list and since your playlists already included records by Bizarre Uproar, Grunt, Mauthausen Orchestra and so on, I wonder how you feel about bands using NS-/WP-imagery/lyrics, etc?
Especially in Power Electronics there’s alot of this stuff, which is pretty cool musicwise (e.g. the side project oft he BU-guy or Deathkey). I’m often undetermined about how deal with bands heading in this direction, so it'd be interesting to hear the opinion of someone having a, eh, 'punk background' towards this.
On a related note - any specific "these lads are obviously nazi rock" books you;re reading?
The Will Over Matter side of the BU split lp was an unexpected surprise.I need to pick up the other releases.
good question, and my answer today is vastly different to what it would've been in the past.
Personally, i'm not going to have a playlist that includes Doctrine of Intolerant Hatred or Hornets of the Pogrom (or a reading list with Decline of the West or Men Among the Ruins) for a number of reasons and the biggest being that i don't need an endless discussion with people who might think those are my politics, which they aren't.
There are acts that are fascists (yes yes, that's generally a confusing and blanket term that has become meaningless) and then there are acts that are either not very good at explaining themselves or are merely what i would describe as "total dickheads". The problems their art and how they represent it may give them are their own.
I feel people should be able to say or do whatever the hell they want, but with that is also the proviso that you have to be prepared to a) be questioned on anything you say in a public space or b) deal with any negative fallout.
If someone stops your shows don't fucking cry about how no one understands you and Antifa are just left wing nazis and you're a Strasserite anyway and hate Hitler's version of National Socialism.
And if you wear a Graveland shirt to a punk show and someone sticks a bottle in your face then deal with it, you can't have the veneer of confrontation if no one ever really confronts you.
People have the right to say the most horrendous shit imaginable, but they shouldn't be all that suprised if they find themselves on the receiving end of a sound kicking if they're not careful. That goes for both left and right.
And if you're using symbols you don't understand or don't actually believe in then you deserve everything you get.
The same also goes for misogynist or paedophile stuff; MDF patrons take note.
Jamie, my comments come from reading too many different sources and my frustrations at left wing 'activists' who are just stupid beyond belief.
My frustrations as ever also come from "hey, you're a heathen too? Check it out; A MASSIVE FUCKING SWASTIKA!!! 1488 LOL"
But fuck, how much more shit about Tony Wakeford and Boyd Rice (originator of black metal) can a person read after all this time without getting a little tired? Are there not more relevant targets these days? Shit, some guy just released 15 American Boots tapes and gave them away for free, the world must be ending...
Yes, the Will Over Matter side of that record is excellent, BU side is suprisingly not excellent though. I must say i have no small amount of reticence when it comes to checking out more WOM judging by reviews which sould like they don't like it but can't quite bring themselves to say it
I agree that Nazibands whining about their shows getting cancelled and then talking about 'freedom of speech' and so on are fuckin ridiciolous.
So you don't generally ignore bands because of their views and you can listen to something like Deathkey or Arghoslent without being put off by the lyrics/band's attitude as long at it's 'honest', if I got you right?
i still haven't figured out my personal answer to this. In general i don't listen to bands when their songs are specifically political; ie i don't like or listen to nsbm but i can quite easily digest drudkh if you follow my logic
Deathkey i'm not really that keen on, i just don't think that project is anything special and if you took away the politics no one would care. I think most of his audience is probably made up left wing bi-curious ex hardcore fans seeking a little thrill on the side.
Brethren i find laughable ("hollywood director Steeeeven Spieeelberrrggg") and simultaneously boring. At least Deathkey is probably slightly unhinged, Brethren just strikes me as in line with any other tedious family oriented White Nationalists.
I "prefer" my White Nationalism to be full of flying saucers and secret bases under the Arctic.
Arghoslent have been something of a disapointment to me of late. I always quietly admired the fact that they were actually really smart dudes and their music wasn't easily dismissable.
In order to debate their politics with them you had to bring yourself up to a certain standard of critical thinking and not just rely on "rah rah rah multi-culturalism" as your stance.
Race and anti-colonial issues are far more nuanced than that and unfortunately white leftists often aren't very good at debating these issues in any genuinely meaningful way.
The presence of someone like Arghoslent at least means (ideally) people have to work on their skills before tackling the ideas they have that they might disagree with
Then they go and make that Homophobia in Perpetuum shirt and i think "really, that's the best you could come up with?"
I think the bottom line is that everyone's record collection is full of complete idiots at the end of the day, it's just what type of idiot you choose to allow in.
And even talking about far right music in the kind of terms i'm using above veers dangerously close to some kind of stupid "look at how open minded (or unopinionated) i am" bullshit.
Personal honesty is something that the the listener also has to take into consideration (ie does someone buy right wing music because it reflects their outlook, they just like the music or it has an air of the forbidden about it).
the nazi comment had to be at least partly related to the absurd thread on the HNW board, even though it's an endless cringe inducing idiot-splooge. I have been reading the new posts all day, like picking at a scab.
actually, i hadn't seen that thread (which is on a semi-private message board, sorry to the rank and file proles) until you mentioned it
I'm sure if i read the whole thing i'll want to claw my eyes out but this guy comes close to my personal feelings:
"I don't think nazi shocks anymore, just in a "gosh, they still beat that dead dog"/"damn, aren't this people stupid?" kind of way. Same with S&M, and that´s maybe a good thing, as it becomes less of a easy shock imagery and more of a way of life/real interest, something like that.
In a personal level, it bothers me to see human suffering/degradation, I really don't like it and find if childish/stupid when used only for fun. It´s cheap. I still listen to the music, but, don't ignore the whole "package".
On the hypocrisy side, "fantasy" violence, suffering and gore is ok on my book."
Aye, I also thought you might be talking about the ridiculous HNW board thread. You should go there more often. We need more people who are capable of articulating analytical thoughts about noise. Getting way off topic now, but since your comments sections quite often seem to descend into a semi-sycophantic Q&A sessions anyway, do you compose HNW?
i don't make HNW, it's been one occasional influence in my approach to music (and noise), but i absolutely don't have the mindset to make pure HNW. Though there is a recording of me and Bloomer making HNW somewhere in his house, doubt it'll ever see the light of day
i've started writing a Survivalist print zine solely about HNW and my thoughts on it (there are other theme issues planned) . It'll take me a while to really do it justice but i'm hoping to have it done by the end of the summer.
these quotes from that thread are also good ones:
"I used to like Brethren for a little while, but having someone yell crap I don't care about into my ear made me realize that I don't think the music is very good and I kept finding things wrong with his noise and the theme didn't make up for it. After a while it just felt awkward to listen to any of the records I had by brethren and other similar things...the only solution was to stop listening."
"What bothers me a lot is people just dismissing discussion/analysis completely, like it´s evil or something. Art (and even crap) doesn't have to be uni-dimensional. You can be humorous and still not think that everything is only for fun. I think that people should be allowed to speak everything they think, be it PC, nazi, weird, dumb or whatever, and I don't think there is some sacred ground that should not be touched by criticism."
a couple of hardcore bands worth looking into from MA, give them a shot. deranged stuff i think you'd like.
SQRM - Rodeo
Salvation - Mortality Interaction
Hey Andy,
got a tape of Winter's Agony...killer stuff!!
cheers,
Joce
i agree with your feelings toward arghoslent, in fact their first couple of records were pretty great... i know that they have close ties to the hammerskins, etc. but as you said, their music isn't easily as dismissible as a lot of bands.
the homophobia shirt that they made available was when i stopped buying their albums... as a transgender/two spirit person i really can't support any kind of homophobia at all.
love the blog, love your bands. thank you for existing.
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