Don't Feed the Trolls : Episode Two

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f you didn't catch the first installment, we climb under the bridge and try to understand the logic of trolls. Maybe there is no understanding them so in that case we will try to sort through their fecal deposits on the various web sites I write for. Regulars here know I also write for such sites as Cvlt Nation, No Clean Singing, Treblezine etc . Its just math that dictates with a bigger audience comes a larger percentage of those who rarely think before they type. While in their parents basements many of these find their only source of pleasure trying to argue non-existent points for no other reason than the attention their parents did not give them. While one might assume taking steps to break the cycle of endless forums and masturbation would make the most sense, these glue sniffers only respond to one thing...nothing. That's right, I learned a conspiracy of silence speaks louder than words, so post the article then drop the mic. So

But since this is my blog and I can do what ever the hell I want here I am going to dissect the troll excrement for nothing but my own amusement, and maybe you might learn something along the way. we are taking at look at the sometimes skewed logic of metal comments. I pretty much adhere to a do not feed the trolls policy when it comes to my interactions in the comment sections, since logic and looking at things in context is a waste to the two centers, so what we are going to do here is take a look and clear somethings upJudging by the numbers most of you are familiar with my top 10 lists for the past year, if not here is one

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-top-ten-doom-albums-of-2015.html,

 some of these ...the more metallic were also published by No Clean Singing the blurb in question was in regards to Bell Witch's new one This album really had to battle it out with number seven and, while this is more of an overwhelming piece of work, the twenty-minute songs made it hard for me to get multiple listens or really desire to commit myself to them, even though I like what is going on here. The growth and new ground broken is undeniable. This is a beautiful album. But I wish some of the songwriting could have gotten to the point. The same thing could have been conveyed (at times) in ten minutes, as the passages that droned on with the same theme for so long would have been better served abbreviated. The doom genre can stand at a tricky spot bordering on stagnation if bands allow drone to overcompensate for lack of songwriting. While it is not the case for this album, it makes me wonder if the band felt obligated to draw out certain passages so they would not be seen as any less relevant.

so there is the more typically perusal and acknowledgement that starts us off.




 Reply deckard cain says: December 30, 2015 at 9:00 am I’ve got Slow Death’s last CD and that’s brilliant and the fact that they had an album out completely missed me. King Woman heard a song or two but never followed it up. Hearing them now. Shape of Despair makes my list as well. Would rate this higher than Angels of Distress.

 Reply MelbCro says: December 30, 2015 at 6:27 pm Slow Death have already recorded their next album as well, will be out early next year.

 Reply Grant Skelton says: December 30, 2015 at 10:35 am Most of these I’m familiar with. I was deep into doom in 2015, but there were still so many releases I either missed and/or didn’t have time to check out. I’m head over heels for that Shape Of Despair album. So much sorrow and anguish. And such beauty. Great list. Must check out King Woman and Domovoyd.

 Reply MelbCro says: December 30, 2015 at 6:12 pm Man I love that Shape of Despair album so god damn much. Its actually bummed me out how little its appeared on end of year lists, I don’t get it And the slow death are so good, probably the most underrated doom band going around.

 Reply Comrade Aleks says: December 31, 2015 at 3:07 am Thanks for this list – I need to check Khemmis, absolutely missed them.

 Reply Islander says: December 31, 2015 at 5:50 am Oh man, you really do! Great album, and really good people too.

 Reply Comrade Aleks says: December 31, 2015 at 9:58 am Then expect the interview! :)

 Reply Islander says: December 31, 2015 at 10:36 am Good! But you”ll have to think of some questions I didn’t ask them. :) http://www.nocleansinging.com/2015/06/22/an-ncs-premiere-and-an-interview-khemmis-ash-cinder-smoke/ 

Reply Comrade Aleks says: December 31, 2015 at 11:56 am Oh shit! : D t

hen we get to this


 Reply Gaia says: January 1, 2016 at 10:29 am I know it’s rare for people to actually read any list, but to comment on a doom band having long songs is like saying a marathon is really long. It is what it is. Sure, a cut-through might be nice for someone who doesn’t want to run the 26 miles, but that’s not the point. It’s the feat of endurance, the mild ecstasy as the miles blur beneath your feet.. in lieu of sounding hippy-drippy doom’s transcendental qualities surge via repetition and length.

so droning , which is good for mediative purposes and effective live, driving to the gym , work, a show , where ever, doesn't work as well. Droning can have it's place , but as seen with a band like Sunno))) can become white noise that is not engaging and offers nothing to bring you back to it. What is good music is something that demands repeat listens , and sure I haven't smoked pot in 14 years, so my need to be numbed out into a trance like state is diminished, but good music is good music no matter how it's ingested. Obviously for me to have included the album in the top ten means I see it purpose in this context , but the drone of it is something that kept me from returning to it as much as I did other albums that were more engaging, the most engaging listen that has stood the test of time is Black Sabbath, they wrote song that stood the test of time ,sure they were longer than the pop song of the day, but the made the most of the time. A great example of where drone and melody meet in a place where the song is immortal is "No Quarter" Page was deep into magick at this point so knew the right vibrations to tap into to achieve this state. 

 Hence, this sentiment – ‘The doom genre can stand at a tricky spot bordering on stagnation if bands allow drone to overcompensate for lack of songwriting. While it is not the case for this album, it makes me wonder if the band felt obligated to draw out certain passages so they would not be seen as any less relevant.’ – suggests a lack of understanding of the aims and purposes of such a band. Some bands are 100m sprinters, others are the 5000m. Bell Witch do the marathon. It’d be like opining on the length of the last Swans record, if only they cut it down to a snappier length. 

Swans are a great example, because in their most classic work "White light from the mouth of infinity" the got the right balance in the studio which is what we are talking about here , not best live performances, which is a much better venue for droning. Swans newer material does drag things out more and forsakes melody which is why it doesn't quite hit the same level of awesome the 90s albums do. 
Reply Islander says: January 1, 2016 at 10:37 am Well said. Being lucky enough to live in the same town as Bell Witch and having seen them perform live repeatedly, I look forward to the trance state they put me into. Yes, their sets usually consist of only two very long songs, but man, what an experience it is. If the songs were shorter, they would sacrifice a key component of their transcendental power (to use your well-chosen word).

  Here this proves my point live it's fine on the album not so much and since this is a list of albums well..you can see where I'm going here.

Reply Leperkahn says: January 5, 2016 at 12:00 am Lot of awesome picks. Surprisingly Domovoyd is the only one I missed. Reply