Sacred Son - Opinion

Η πιο πολυσυζητημένη κυκλοφορία φέτος του Black Metal  δεν θα μπορούσε να περάσει απαρατήρητη.

Κακά τα ψέματα το Black Metal έχει καθιερωθεί στην συλλογική συνείδηση του μουσικού κόσμου . Αυτό δεν είναι απαραίτητα κακό . Δεν είμαστε πια οι έφηβοι βλάκες , ούτε οι σκληροί μάγκες που σφάζουν κοκόρια. Πλέον το είδος βγάζει πρωτοποριακές κυκλοφορίες και μαζικά. Η μουσική βιομηχανία επίσης ,δεν είναι ηλίθια και ξέρει  ότι ο μεταλάς είναι βαθύτατα  ρομαντικός. Είτε μιλάμε για τον true fan ή και ακόμα τους περαστικούς εφήβους που αντιμετωπίζουν το μεταλ σαν ορμονική ακμή.

Η περιπτώσεις με διχογνωμίες είναι σαν αυτές του Sacred Son που βρίσκονται στο μεταίχμιο.

Οι – O Sacred Son παίζει αξιοπρεπέστατα μουσική με ένα εξώφυλλο το οποίο θα μπορούσε να είναι από διακοπές σε κάποιο ελληνικό νησί .Είναι one hit wonderer και πέσαμε στην παγίδα του?  Κόλπο για να υπογράψει σε μια μεγαλύτερη δισκογραφική? Είναι πολλά έτη μπροστά?

Δεν μπορούν να απαντηθούν όλα. Σίγουρα οι μεγαλοκοπέλες που θεωρούν φλώρο κάποιον από το attitude  μπορούν να πάρουν μια χρονοκάψουλα και να έρθουν στο 17’.  Επίσης, αν κάποιος τα κάνει όλα αυτά για να προωθηθεί στον κύκλο δεν το βρίσκω κακούργημα. Οι δισκογραφικές χρόνια έχουν μαδήσει τον κάθε μικρό καλλιτέχνη και είναι ευκαιρία να πάρουμε ότι μπορούμε (πλέον θα τα σκάτε καθίκια).  Στο μόνο που ίσως μου είναι λίγο αλλότριο είναι το εικαστικό του πράγματος  και εξηγούμαι :

Θυμάμαι ότι ένας λόγος που αγάπησα το BM ήταν η θεατρικότητα του. Ναι, μου άρεσε το corpse paint (και δεν με ξενίζει ούτε τώρα) , μου αρέσαν και οι μανδύες και οι φλεγόμενες πεντάλφες. Επίσης πάντα είχα ένα κρυμμένο επιχείρημα στην φαρέτρα μου όταν στα late 90’ όταν τσακωνόμουν με αλλόθρησκα μουσικά τύπους  (μιλάμε για πόλωση) : « Θα μπορούσες να φοράς μπλούζα  την μούρη του τάδε σκυλά ή του δείνα ράπερ?» . Η απάντηση ήταν αρνητική. Το ίδιο συμβαίνει αντίστροφα με την περίπτωση του Sacred Son , συγγνώμη αλλά δεν θα φορούσα ούτε σε patch ούτε σε τίποτα την μούρη Dane Cross  όσο καλός μουσικός και να είναι. Όχι, δεν είναι έφυες εξώφυλλο (δεν μιλάω για την εμπορικότητα ) το έχουν κάνει και πολλοί άλλοι . Ωστόσο ,θα άκουγα με ενδιαφέρον την μουσική του γιατί αυτό μετράει. Αλλά τελικά έχει και τόση σημασία η γνώμη μου?

Το βασικό είναι ένα: ότι το πρόσημο είναι θετικό. Είναι καλό να τραντάζεται ο βάλτος ακόμα και με πέτρες . Να βγαίνουν τα κόμπλεξ της κοινότητας στην επιφάνεια και να ξαναβυθίζονται . Πιο πολλοί άνθρωποι έρχονται στην «φάση» μας , κάνουν τα όνειρα  τους  και ζούνε  από αυτό . Το BM δεν δημιουργεί προβλήματα ούτε τα λύνει, απλώς τα αποκαλύπτει και τύποι σαν Dane Cross είναι το καλύτερο παράδειγμα όπως και να χει . 

One of the most discussed Black Metal release of this year, couldn’t be left unnoticed.

Certainly black Metal has been set in the music world’s conscience.  This is not necessarily a bad thing. We are not stupid teenagers anymore, nor are we the bad-ass dudes who slaughter the cocks. New avant-garde releases are out massively all the time. Music industry knows for sure that all metalheads are extremely romantic. Even those that are true fans or those transient teens who think of metal as an hormonal episode.

The controversial cases are similar to Sacred Son which are on the cusp.

Sacred Son plays respectable music along with a cover which could have been a photo from vacations on a greek island. He is one hit wonderer and he has set a trap for us? Is it a trick so that he finds a bigger records company? Or is he at the forefront?

We can’t answer all our queries. Of course the old dudes who judge someone as a wuss based on the attitude, can wake up on 2017. Also, if someone tries this way to be promoted isn’t such a bad thing to do. Records have robbed so many artists for years, and it is time we take back whatever we can (from now on you will foot the bill bitches). Something that feels a little weird to me is the artistic field and by that I mean:

I remember that one reason I have loved BM is its dramatic tone. Yes, I liked the corpse paint thing (and it doesn’t repulse me even now), I liked even the mantles and the flaming pentalpha. Also, I always had an argument in late 90’s, when I had words with fellows from other music fields (It’s all about polarization). “Could you wear a tee with a pop or rap idol on it?” The answer is no. The same applies inversely in the case of Sacred Son. Sorry, but I would never wear neither a patch nor anything that has Dane Cross pan on it, it doesn’t matter that he is a good artist. No, it is not a witty cover (I do not refer to how commercial it is), it looks like a common choice of many others. However, I would listen to his music with interest because that’s what matters. But eventually, is my opinion that important?

Substantive is that the outcome is good. It is good to provoke the world. To bring all of the Black Metal society’s complexes to the surface. So many people come to our “world”, they dream and they live. BM doesn’t create any problems but doesn’t resolve any too. It just helps shed light to them. Guys like Dane Cross are the best example. 

Sacred Son Bandcamp

HOW TO OPPOSE FASCISM IN THE EXTREME METAL SCENE

A BEGINNER'S GUIDE FOR COMRADES AND FELLOW ANTIFASCISTS

Article written by Barbarie and originally published in Italian at this address: "Come opporsi al fascismo nel metal estremo"

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Download the PDF [A5] ready-to-print: 

• How to oppose to fascism in the extreme metal scene [english]
• Come opporsi al fascismo nel metal estremo [italiano]
• Comment s'opposer au fascism dans la scène metal extrême? [français]
• Cómo efrentar el fascismo en el metal extremo [español]

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Very often the extreme / black metal scene has not been the most welcoming place for non-white and/or LGBTQIA people. These people would like to go to black metal concerts and be part of their scene but often don’t feel safe by the consistent presence of racists at gigs and festivals. The heavy presence of racists in Black Metal even produced a completely new and autonomous subgenre: the infamous NSBM, or National Socialist Black Metal.

WE MUST OPPOSE RACISM IN ANY FORM, MAKE SURE THAT DANGEROUS PEOPLE AND THEIR DISGUSTING IDEOLOGIES ARE NOT WELCOME AND THAT METAL IS A PLACE FOR ANY KIND OF PEOPLE APART FROM BIGOTS, SEXISTS AND PEOPLE WHO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THE COLOUR OF SOMEBODY'S SKIN.

This pamphlet is just a tool aimed at solving this stifling problem. Boycott has always been a revolutionary tactic: we just need to find a way to use it effectively. First, just for simplicity, we need to divide the problem of nsbm in 2 parts: the bands and the scenes.

1) THE BANDS

• Openly NS bands like Graveland, Satanic Warmaster, Peste Noire or less popular ones must be hindered and boycotted in every possible way.
• The boycott shall also include non-NS bands where fascists play. Many NS bands from the 90s has in fact become more intelligent through time and for marketing and political reasons they cleaned their image leaving behind the most obvious nazi paraphernalia. Nokturnal Mortum is a great example of this process: while they are now publicly “apolitical”, their members are still obvious militants or supporters of Ukrainian neo-fascism.
• We must not tolerate also bands that share the stage with openly NS bands who, despite the severity of racism, claim that they only care for the music or other similar bullshit completely unattached to the material reality. If they care about the music so much, why don’t they make gigs the most welcoming places they can to all kind of people? Contrary to adhering to an ideology of hate – which is a choice someone makes – the conditions you are born into, your traits, your ethnicity or your sexual orientation are not something you choose. Musician, who do you want to play for?

1.1) RESEARCH

• Many symbols related to Nazism can be found in artworks: their presence should ring a bell.  



The “Hate on Display” project provides a solid database of racist symbols and can be found here

• It is very likely that someone already discussed online about the ideas of a band and of its members. It is easy to find these info.

1.2) INDIVIDUAL BOYCOTT

Stop fuelling Nazis with our money. Stop buying NSBM albums, merch, stop going to NS-friendly gigs. Who still wants to listen to these bands can download their music illegally, but without publicizing it. Do not ever go to their gigs (apart if planning to picket it as presented in point 1.4 below).

1.3) SOCIAL BOYCOTT

If we organize, we are (of course) more effective.

Make scorched earth around the Nazis.

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• Make effective use of all available connections and even social networks to make pressure on non-NS bands so that they have to take a side and avoid sharing stage with fascists.
• Pressure must be put also on the organizers of NS concerts and on the people that provide them with a place where to hold them: they must acknowledge who is going to play there, what are the band's stances on anti-semitism, racisms and homophobia and what their members said and did during the years.

1.4) STREET BOYCOTT

The objective is to block and disrupt a concert from taking place.

A few examples of effective antifascist actions:

• hang up banners, flyers and posters all around the concert venue days before the concert in order to push and distress the owner of the place even more;
• hand-to-hand flyering is as always a good option too;
• a picket in front of the place should be organised the day of the gig - if it is possible to deploy enough forces to make the action safe.

These tactics present the biggest risks and should be organised with care and taking any precautions that will make their accomplishment safe from both a physical and a legal perspective..

2) THE SCENES

THE EXTREME METAL SCENE

The places where the scene lives must be kept free from fascists. Ambiguous people must be disambiguated, confrontation is necessary to defend yourself and to keep our spaces safe for everybody to enter and enjoy. Does someone with a Burzum t-shirt walk around our places? Confront him/her and make your move. A panacea solution does not exist, some people should just be warned about the shit they are endorsing, and other ones must be simply kicked out.

It’s now obvious that fascists will not disappear by themselves. We can’t waste time in organizing generic black metal concerts or festivals that just allow people to enjoy themselves one night. The gigs we organize or we attend to, must be more and more explicitly political, clearly antifascist and, in case of black metal, understandably anti-nsbm.

OTHER SCENES

We should not enclose ourselves in our scene: prolific connections can be made "outside" of it. The punk and hardcore scenes are possibly the most antifascist and revolutionary existing ones, many of us are already active members of these scenes or have comrades or friends in them.

As antifascists, we must develop non-sectarian mutual-supportive relationships with those comrades, and, since these scenes have a long and established antifa history, we should learn what they have already developed through time to keep their scenes safe.

If their participants are not aware of what is going on inside the extreme metal scene, or if they have prejudices against it, we should share knowledge with them about the growing anti-racist feeling that is developing in our scene. With the migrant and social crisis deepening, political positions are also taking a more defined shape: taking an antiracist stance has become necessary for everybody that oppose Nazis. The help from these people is necessary.

IF YOU DON’T STAND AGAINST YOU ARE COLLABORATING

Our objective is to be able, over time, to blur the distinctions between scenes that share the same values: defending our music, places and concerts from the fascist scum and, ultimately, defeating fascism by kicking out racists from concerts, from scenes, from the world, from the universe.

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Download the PDF [A5] ready-to-print: 

• How to oppose to fascism in the extreme metal scene [english]
• Come opporsi al fascismo nel metal estremo [italiano]
• Comment s'opposer au fascism dans la scène metal extrême? [français]
• Cómo efrentar el fascismo en el metal extremo [español]

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Repressione - Col Sangue Agli Occhi

Genre: Hardcore punk/ powerviolence

Country Of Origin: Bologna (Emilia Romagna, Italy)

Tracklisting:

1. Guerra Alla Città
2. Huye Hombre
3. Cieli Di Piombo ( feat Max from Contrasto Hc)
4. The Game (INFEST cover)
5. I Giorni Dell'Ira
6. Col Sangue Agli Occhi (feat Afshin from OhxCristo)
7. Colpo Su Colpo (feat Vale from XCenereX)
8. Macho Free Zone
9. About To Crack (Vitamin X cover)
10. Happy Time (xLIEx)


streaming/download


"Col Sangue Agli Occhi", the new album of the Bologna band Repressione, is to be included in the context of the social changes that are taking place in this historic moment. The Spectacle is moving forward, and under its tentacles Western cities increasingly assume the character of a metropolis , becoming a product and an item consumable by those who pass through it. It is from this awareness that we can start to fully understand the message of their texts: a world that increasingly has dystopian characters, where advance the gentrification, the homologation and social domestication. With faster sonorities, arriving to powerviolence risonances (with the cover of groups such as Infest, xLiex and Vitamin X, give an idea of ​​the development to where their style tends to go) and more and more sharp texts, Repression offer a breakdown of this daily life of oppression and domination, seeking through their own music to create a politic consciousness and a community of intentions that can break with the existing, creating affinities and tugging moments of joy. It is the scream of those who try to revolt and escape from a suffocating reality, breaking the cage in which we are confined, stuffed with alienation in the cyclicity of the present; is the humus from which born stories of a struggle to attack the sky and reappear their own lives armed of their anger. The album also sees the collaborations with members of other groups of the Italian hardcore scene such as OhxCristo (in the track "Col Sangue Agli Occhi"), Contrasto (in the track "Cieli di Piombo") and XCenereX (in the track "Colpo su Colpo"). With this work the Repressione continues to overcome themselves, continuing with the attitude of always building an imaginary tense to subvert the present, while we wait under a plumbean sky the rain that can corrodates the chains that oppress us, to finally pass the attack.

Path to Ixtab / Asmodie – Split (2017)

Country of Origin : Greece (Athens)

Genre: Black Metal/ Black- Death Metal

Tracklisting :

1. Path to Ixtab - Roam upon the World

2. Path to Ixtab - Where All Rivers Run Dry                          

3. Path to Ixtab - Lucifer's Lust                   

4. Asmodie - Desecrate My Enemies                      

5. Asmodie - Eternal                      

6. Asmodie - Dark Rites                

7. Asmodie - Elixir of Iniquity

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Oι Path to Ixtab καθώς και οι Asmodie είναι από τις μπάντες που θυμίζουν πολλά σχήματα του δεύτερου κύματος του Black Metal που γουστάρουμε. Οι μεν Path.. δείχνουν να συνεργάζονται πολύ καλά. Τα “πιο” Death φωνητικά και οι low tempo drums συνθέσεις μας γυρνάνε 20+ χρόνια πίσω. Οι δε Asmodie ,είναι το πειραματικό solo-debut του Σεραφείμ με λίγο πιο Black Stoner αισθητική παρόμοιου ύφους των Ιxtab. Τα κομμάτια έχουν καλές ιδέες αλλά στην εκτέλεση λίγο πιο μπερδεμένες. Διαλέγετε και παίρνετε.

The Path to Ixtab and the Asmodie as well, are the bands that familiarize a lot with the second wave of Black Metal, we enjoy a lot. The Path show that they co-operate very well. The real Death vocals and the low tempo drums compositions travel us more than 20 years in the back in time. The Asmodie are the experiment solo-debut of Seraphim having Black Stoner aesthetics, similar of the Ixtab. All the tracks have good ideas but they are a bit confusing when performing. Choose and take

Tellus Effluentia - Physical, Emotional, Temporal (2015)

Genre: Post - Metal, Sludge, Hardcore

Country Of Origin: U.K (Norwich)

Tracklisting:

1. Impassable

2. Intangible

3. Irretrievable

Listen On

Είκοσι δυο λεπτά είναι αρκετά αν είσαι εύστοχος . Οι Tellus Effluentia αν και δεν βρίσκονται σε ενεργό δράση , σκάρωσαν πριν 2 χρόνια αυτό το λιγόστιγμο αλλά πανέξυπνο Post album.  Αυτό το review είναι απόδειξη ότι πολλά στο πέρασμα του χρόνου μπορεί να χαθούν αν δεν βοηθήσουμε και εμείς αλλά και οι μπάντες. Επίσης, είναι ένας ευσεβής πόθος για ένα δυναμικό comeback.         

Twenty two minutes are enough if you are on target. Even though the Tellus Effluentia are not active, prepared this short but brilliant Post album. This review is proof that many thongs can be lost in time, unless we and the bands offer help. Also, it is a wishful thinking for a dynamic comeback.

The Dark Skies Above Us Compilation -No cages, no masters (2017)

Genre: Acoustic /Folk / Punk

Country Of Origin : International

1.All these Wasted Nuts - Some parts repeat 02:13

2.Apes of the State - Bill collectors theme song 04:03

3.Beng Beng Cocktail - Lonely Bobby 02:20

4.Blackbird Raum - Reveille 05:23

5.Chatterbox and the Latter Satanists - Kingpins and pawns 02:39

6.Dead work - The land bridge 09:05

7.Dustin Tyler - Coffee for dinner, Beer for breakfast 03:16

8.Harry the Loser - Supervillains 02:40

9.Me and my Two Horses - Alone (E.A Poe) 03:13

10.Mike xvx - Natalie's song 03:22

11.Modesto Continente - Tragedy (accordion cover) 01:36

12.Monday Morning Justice - All men die alone 02:55

13.My pizza my world - SIREN 03:05

14.Nana - Turning point 02:54

15.poj.wlkp - serce

16.Psychopatyczne - Don't let me go to war 01:54

17.Roy Peak - Broken 02:35

18.Sloppy Folk - What is your plea! 01:39

19.Sprank - Ondergronds 03:18

20.The Rotten Pichas - Nothing else fills 02:24

21.The Suburbanists - Brand New Song 02:42

22.We the Heathens - The blood behind the dam 06:58

23.Vientos sin Fronteras - Alegria, esperanza y libertad 02:31

Bite BackMagazine 

Ίσως αυτή η συλλογή να είναι ότι πιο διαφορετικό έχει μπει ποτέ στην σελίδα μας. Κάναμε την Μαυρομεταλική μας ψυχή μας στην άκρη και σας παρουσιάζουμε την εβδόμη συλλογή μας με χαρακτήρα ακουστικό και «αλέγκρο» . Δεν θα έλεγα ότι είναι του γούστου μου αλλά άνοιξη είναι και αυτό το άκουσμα πάει πολύ με την εποχή. Τα έσοδα θα πάνε αυτήν την φορά στον site/περιοδικό  Bite Back που χρόνια τώρα άοκνα ασχολείται με το Μαυροπράσινο κομμάτι του Αναρχισμού. Τέλος να ευχαριστήσουμε μια-μια τις μπάντες για την προσφορά τους καθώς και την TDSAU COLLECTIVE για την οργάνωση- επιμέλεια.

Perhaps this collection is the most different of our past choices. We have placed our black metal sentiments aside and we present you our seventh "allegro" and acoustic collection. It's not of my style but it's spring and fits with the season. The earnings will be headed to site/magazine Bite Back that deals for years now with the BlackGreen piece of Anarchism. Last, we should give our thanks to every band for their contribution and the TDSAU COLLECTIVE as well for the organization.

Huldrekall - What Else Will Fade? (2017)

Genre : Black Metal /Cascadian Black Metal

Country Of Origin : U.S (Olympia, Washington )

Tracklisting:

1. La Danse Macabre

2 .Frozen Heart

3. Insolent Oppressor

4 Psychic Self-Mutilation

5. Fading Light

Listen On 

Η ακμαία σκηνή της Cascadia που ποτέ παίζει Black ποτέ Punk-ιζει αλλά ,κυρίως Crust-αρει μας προσφέρει δείγματα ποιοτικότατου Μεταλ σαν τους Huldrekall . Πέντε κομμάτια με προσωπικότητα και πώρωση, με καθηλώνουν . Μπάντα με πυρωμένη σφραγίδα προέλευσης στο μέτωπο που γράφει: «περηφάνια» .10/10.

The robust scene of Cascadia that sometimes is Black, others Punk and mostly Crust, offers us quality Metal like the Huldrekall. Five songs with personality and passion, attract my attention at once. A band with a unique signature on the top of the head that writes “pride”. 10/10.

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