AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Prog metal mosh pit11/13/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() Well folks, that’s about all we’ve got time for this month. The final chapter in their Codex trilogy, Valley of Kings sees the band exhibiting an assured approach to their distinctive brand of fantasycore – an ambitious approach to fantasy storytelling realised through an impressive hybrid of classic metal vocals, deathcore aggression and an emotional alt sensibility.Īlbum opener, The Relics of Nihlux, sets the scene perfectly with its filmic intro sequence preceding pummelling and precise riffing, before contrasting harsh and clean vocals teleport the listener effectively into another realm.Īn immersive and, at times, joyous journey, Valley of Kings features many highlights, with the euphoric Forest of Illusions and the savage sounding The Door to Nowhere demonstrating that these guys can craft seriously memorable melodies. The Wise Man’s Fear’s pivotal third album sees the band completing a journey that began with their 2015 independent debut Castle in the Clouds and its 2017 follow-up Lost City. Shining lights of black metal, Dawn Ray’d will headline on Friday 1 January 2021, while sludge doom titans, Conan, will headline the festival on the Saturday night. Staying on the subject of the live music experience, two of Merseyside’s finest contemporary metal acts have been confirmed as headliners for Restart the Heart, a festival to celebrate the scheduled reopening of Camden rock venue, The Black Heart. The live metal music experience will become more individualised and even if there will be air guitars in attendance we will be playing them within our own atomised bubbles, devoid of human contact and that unique feeling of togetherness. ![]() Yet replicating those things that make metal gigs and festivals unique will be impossible – the culture of the mosh pit will be lost at a drive-in but, perhaps more importantly, those moments of communitas will no longer be available. With drive-in gigs being touted as a viable way of getting the live music industries off and running again and such events already taking place across Denmark, several countries are set to follow suit. ![]() The best metal gigs foster what the anthropologist Victor Turner called “ communitas” – that feeling of losing yourself within the moment, when the riffs and rhythms compel the audience to bang their heads in unison and for fleeting moments to come together as a collective whole regardless of background or status. Yet even with the range of bands on display on the screen, even with fans across the country celebrating by rocking out within their own homes, something was missing. Last weekend saw a virtual Download festival taking place across their website and YouTube channel. The prospect of being starved of live music for a prolonged period of time is, then, something that will be strongly felt by metal musicians and fans alike.Īside from the obvious existential threats to music venues, promoters, booking agents and so on, from an experiential perspective there is another sense of loss. Strong communal bonds were forged within clubs, arenas and stadiums. Rock and metal fans, therefore, became, as sociologist Deena Weinstein puts it, “ proud pariahs” they supported the musicians when the wider mainstream culture ignored or marginalised them. Indeed, mainly due to the success of their spectacular live shows, between 19 Kiss had no less than thirteen platinum albums in the US with virtually no radio airplay. In the 1970s when radio airplay was largely in short supply, acts like Kiss, Black Sabbath and AC/DC were hugely reliant upon developing a loyal live following. Metal and hard rock musicians have always depended heavily upon revenue from live performance. Getintothis ’ Nedim Hassan reflects on what will be lost if drive-in gigs are adopted for metal and brings us new music from Haken, Rebel Wizard, Living Gate and much more.Īs the live music industries continue to struggle with the repercussions of the covid-19 pandemic, it is interesting to see the activities that are, at least in the short term, replacing the traditional live concert experience. Headbangers at Bloodstock 2019 (Will Tudor) ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |