A Myspace forum post that got my back up!!!

As I was browsing through the metal forums on Myspace, I came across a post that really got my back up! As a fan of metal for over 10 years now, I despise when people misinturrperate the music I love because they've heard one metal band, and from there have closed their minds to the whole genre!

This is the original post:

"Hey, you all.

My name is Clifford Rafferty and I would like your opinions on something.

Is this 'Metal' music actually taken seriously by anyone?

I have listened to some of these 'Metal' tunes, and they all sounded horribly loud and abrasive. The lead singer was simply yelling in a decidedly rage filled tone and I found the whole thing laughable.

I for one enjoy a wide range of musical genres, everything from good old Rock & Roll to Showtunes to Americana, but the idea of listening to a full LP of this 'Metal' junk makes me cringe. My suggestion to any 'Metal' groups who try to make music again in the future is this: Turn down your equipment, lay off the drums and sing properly instead of just shouting. Writing intelligible lyrics would also help.

For example, I imagine the typical 'Metal' lyricist would write something along these lines.

"Help, I am angry
What should I do
I am cursing and yelling
At all of you
I dispose of smiles and create frowns
I really hope you all die
Don't tell me to calm down
I'm not even going to try"

The problem with these sorts of lyrics is that they are not positive. The message expressed is that the young man is confused and desperate for help, and decides to take his anger out on innocent bystanders, causing their moods to be affected by his rage. That is the wrong message to be sending.

Why don't you 'Metal' lyricists write something more positive and uplifting once in a while?

If I was the lead singer and lyricist in a 'Metal' group, I would write happier and much less morbid lyrics, as displayed below.

This is an excerpt from a 'Metal' piece I wrote, as I like to dabble in all genres.

"Life really gets me down sometimes
But gosh, the world is an amazing place
Filled with natural beauty and wonder
We all train for the human race
Anger is not productive
I'm grateful for my happiness
I sing and dance and laugh
I don't complain like activists
Other 'Metal' groups should follow our lead
Stop being angry
For there is no need
To express such rage
You must keep all your positive emotions
In a metaphorical cage
I wish you fellows would stop yelling
I can't understand what you say"

Notice how I present my thoughts in a clear manner and I don't dwell on negatives.

I show that problems can be conquered as long as you want them to be. I don't yell about Satan and killing children or anything lewd.

I'm sure there will be detractors on this forum who will disagree with me, and that's fine. You're allowed to have an opinion as well. Just don't pretend that I'm incorrect because we all know the truth.

Until next time

The People's Lifeline,
Clifford Rafferty."

This sheer ignorance for a genre of music that the writer has clearly no idea about, got me worked up, so I had to respond to this:

"Is metal taken seriously by people? Yes it certainly is, else there wouldn't have been so many replies to this thread.

I think what you are having a problem understanding is that metal is a very large genre of music, with many different subgenres. Some of the lyrics can be "Argh, I hate my mom and dad", that's usually the metal aimed at teenagers (the likes of Slipknot you can tie in here). But there are bands who have more postive messages, perhaps the ones who aren't so mainstream, and don't get the media out there talking about them and scapegoating them into whatever bad things happen to be going on in the world.

Yes you do get the bands who like to go out and burn down churches and sing about how great Satan is, you also get the bands who go to church every Sunday and sing about how great being a Christian is.

You can't really swipe at a genre because you've only heard what the media say about it. You can't taint all metal with the same brush. As I say, it's a very big genre with a lot of different subgenres, not all will appeal to each individual metal fan though. The fans are equally as diverse as the bands are.

Personally, I listen to a whole range of music, from Opeth to Beethoven, Johnny Cash to Frank Sinatra, Black Sabbath to Alphabeat, Terror 2000 to Kelly Clarkson, Little Richard to Andrew Lloyd Webber. I am very open in my musical tastes, but I would prefer to listen to metal if I had the choice.

Lyrics vary from band to band. There is a lot of angst from some bands, there are also some bands who write the funniest lyrics that will have you in stitches. Some bands put a lot of effort into writing about things they have a passion for, for example Rage Against The Machine have a lot of political lyrics which highlight problems that people may not have had any idea about before. Or Deadlock who sing about animal rights, and saving the seals. It's not all hatred in the lyrics!

People can relate to some metal, because there are lyrics that you feel tie in with how you're feeling at a certain point. They don't sugarcoat the lyrics just to make people blind to what's going on around them, they sing from the heart, and if that's singing about despair, then that's their choice. And people will relate to it and take something from it, I know I've personally pulled myself out from a dark place knowing I'm not alone in how I feel.

Yes it can be a therapy. People need something they can feel relates to them. It's also a great way of letting go of your anger without smashing someone's face in for the hell of it. I'd much rather head into a mosh pit and release my anger without injuring anyone, than going down to the local park and beating the sh*t out of someone for no reason.

I heard in the news lately about how different people who listen to different music are related. It said that there isn't a lot of difference between people who listen to metal and people who listen to classical music. Don't believe me? Here is a newspaper artical about the study:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2680987/Heavy-metal-and-c lassical-music-fans-share-personality-traits.html

"Professor Adrian North, of Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University who carried out the study, said he was surprised by the results.

"I was struck by how similar fans of heavy metal and classical music really are," he said.

"Apart from the age differences, they were virtually identical. Both were more creative than other people, both were not terribly outgoing and they were also quite at ease.""

We are not all a bunch of mindless idiots! We listen to metal because it speaks something to us (or perhaps yells something to us) that we can relate to. Plus, it's not all about the lyrics, the music is what appeals to me a lot more. The sheer complicity you hear in how the music is written is mindblowing. The likes of Opeth and Tool who write music in different time signatures, that push the boundries on how music is meant to sound. You can hear the influences from old 70s progressive rock bands, who in-turn were highly influenced by the great classical composers.

Open your eyes, open your ears, and open your mind. We have listened to what you have said, and sure you got the odd "f*ck off", but there are some serious responses from people who HAVE listened to what you said, and HAVE responded. The metal fans are very protective of their tastes, which you must have noticed. So why not take on board what has been said, and respect our views on why we listen to metal, and stop bitching about why you don't like it. That's your choice, and this is ours!"

The original post can be found here:

http://forums.myspace.com/t/4303706.aspx?fuseaction=forums.viewthread

Wykked Wytch New Cover

Taken from the band's Myspace page:
Due to the overwhelming response for our "Sweet Dreams" cover, we've been asked by the fans for another cover song. This time we have decided to rape Evanescence's "Bring Me To Life" which is now streaming on our myspace page.

The track was recorded by Matt LaPlant (Nonpoint, Sikth) & Gus Rios (Malevolent Creation) at Bieler Bros. Studios in Pompano Beach, FL. Mixing & Mastering was handled by Eric Rachel (ATREYU, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) at Trax East Studios in NJ.

The song will be available exclusively through iTunes and other digital online stores in October. There are also plans for the song to be included on a movie soundtrack early next year. More details to follow.

Don't forget to check out WYKKED WYTCH appearing on the mainstage of Indianapolis Metalfest II - September 26-27

To purchase tickets & more info check out the official site:
www. indianapolismetalfest. com / www. myspace. com/indymetalfest


We also have some Euro tour plans coming up this fall with an official announcement coming soon!

Check Wykked Wytch out at:

http://www.myspace.com/wykkedwytch

Scar Symmetry New Track Streaming!!

This message has been posted on the myspace blog of Scar Symmetry.

Greetings all!

We've now posted a new song, called "Morphogenesis".
It comes off our brand-new album "Holographic Universe", which will be
released on the 20th of June!
More news as it happens!
/The Scars

Go forth and sample the new delights http://www.myspace.com/scarsymmetry.

Myspace A Place For Metal?

I've been into metal for a good 8-10 years now, which won't seem long to a lot of you, and like a million years to others. In that time I've seen some real changes in how music is promoted and how we hear new bands. The internet has a lot to do with this, with places like Myspace being used as a bands main marketing tool. But is this really helping these smaller acts out?

Back in the day when I first got into metal, and before I had access to the internet, I found most of my bands through demo CDs free with magazines or through friends sending cassettes with a whole host of bands that I'd never heard of before. I can honestly say, this is where I found the bulk of the artists I listen to today, from In Flames to Cheesecake Truck, Static X to Guano Apes, my tastes evolved and developed based on recommendations from media and mates.

But now, when people recommend you a new band, they send you a link to a bands profile on Myspace. It's a great way of finding new bands, hearing some tracks by bands you might not normally get a chance to check out, and a great way to promote up and coming acts.

It's a fantastic tool to get exposure for your brand new shiny metal band, or is it?

The problem with Myspace is there are far too many people trying to push their act in your face. Bands and artists which you may have no interest in (the amount of hip hop/rnb and dance artists that try to add me really annoys me). So what do you do? You block bands from adding you, and you end up missing out on some brilliant acts in the process! And if it's not the bands adding you, or sending you spam messages telling you to "check us out", it's these stupid little fan created street teams trying to do the same, but they're even harder to block because they have normal profiles.

On the flip side, there are too many people who "friend collect" and just add people and bands to make up their numbers. You may be listening to a fantastic new act who have 10000 friends, but out of those, how many of them are actually fans of the band, and how many have actually listened to them?

This is a real issue in my eyes. With bands who have real talent, but without loads of backing from friends and acquiantances struggling to promote themselves, and bands that just suck managing to create a huge hype around themselves because they know the right people.

I guess this has probably always been the case, but Myspace doesn't seem to be helping the situation. All you need are the right links, or the right software, to make your band look like the next big thing, forget the talent! And to be honest, Myspace is full of acts that really shouldn't have got any further than some teenagers bedroom.

I don't know what can be done about it, or how new artists are meant to try to promote themselves. But with so many so called bands out there, there is a saturation of talentless w*nk flooding up Myspace, while the real gems get missed or over looked.

It's part of the reason I set up Metaholic Music. We are all fans of metal, and we'll all stumble across little gems that we want people to hear, because we're so passionate about our music. Hopefully that comes across to you readers out there.

I don't know what anyone elses views on this are...?

Metaholic Band Contest (edited)

After much positive response, we have decided to go ahead with our version of Eurovision, The Metaholic Band Contest!

So what is it?

Like Eurovision, we are looking to find the best act from each country, but we're doing around the world rather than just Europe! And it will be up to the readers of Metaholic Music to vote for the best act!

How do I join in?

Fans will need to visit the Metaholic Music page (as the poll on Myspace just didn't work) and vote on there firstly for a band to represent each country, then for the overall winner.

Bands will need to add us to their friends to participate in the contest, and you will need to add us before the 20th of March! It will then be down to our Myspace friends to decide whether or not you will represent your country. There needs to be AT LEAST 5 acts from each country for that country to be put forward!

When will the final votes be announced?

We would love to make it coincide with Eurovision, which is 24th of May! But it depends how it all goes. It would be awesome if we could get the results at the same time!

If you need any more information, please don't hesitate to drop us a line.

Remember to add us on Myspace: www.myspace.com/metaholicmusic

Readers Opinions Needed!

Well it's coming up for the annual European pop event of the year... Eurovision! Now what has that got to do with metal other than Lordi winning it the other year? Well, after seeing many a discussion on metal forums, we thought it'd be a great idea to have our own version with metal bands!

Using bands from around the world, rather than just Europe, it would be up to our Myspace friends to choose from 5 bands from each country, and then down to the readers of Metaholic Music to vote for the best overall act!

The bands would have to be on our friends list too (and have tracks on their page), and there would need to be at least 5 from each country for them to take part.

What do you guys think?

Mental Infestation's Myspace Recommendations! Pt 1

I'm sure most people that use Myspace have at one point got sick of all the band friend requests
and most will have probably banned them from being able to add them. However, there are some great artists to be discovered on Myspace, so here are some of my favourites that I think you should check out!

SubVerSi0N

SubVerSi0N are probably my favourite unsigned Myspace band of the moment. Currently they're a two piece looking for more band members to complete the line up, but if they sound this good with 2, I just can't wait to hear what they sound like when they're a complete unit.

They're so good, that when I listened to their latest track on Myspace, the earth moved! It measured 5.2 on the richter scale.

Recommended Track: Te Odio

Peter Wichers

Peter Wichers formally of Soilwork fame has his own page for his latest musical projects on Myspace. He wrote the music for the Nuclear Blast Allstars second release Out Of The Dark, with a whole bunch of vocalists from the label. A fantastic song writer, I'm desperate to hear what else he has up his sleeve!

Recommended Track: The Dawn Of All

Smokescreen

Smokescreen are one of the most exciting metal acts in the UK at the moment, having played with the likes of Prong, Mendeed, Breed 77 and Panic Cell! They're about to head out on an English tour in the next few weeks, so make sure you check them out!

Recommended Track: Hatred Comes

Drag The Lake

Drag The Lake are the best thing out of Nottingham since Robin Hood! If you like your metal with a bit of extra bite, then these guys will do the job, and do it well! Another band who have a few tour dates coming up in England, so make sure you get yourself along!

Recommended Track: Among Nettles And Broken Earth

Blinded Colony

Blinded Colony are one of my favourite new artists out of Sweden. There are a lot of really good bands continuing to come out of Scandinavia, and these are definitely one of the best! After downloading Bedtime Prayers, I instantly went out and bought the album, which I listen to on a regular basis!

Recommended Track: Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Soilwork Parts Ways With Guitarist Ola Frenning

This statement comes from their Myspace blog:

"Swedish metallers Soilwork, who recently completed the Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage U.S. tour in support of their new album Sworn to a Great Divide, have decided to part ways with guitarist Ola Frenning.

It was felt that Ola resisted the demands of the road and found it difficult to come to terms with the amount of touring scheduled.

Sworn To A Great Divide is Soilwork's fastest seller and the live demand for the band is growing. They intend to play everywhere and fulfill the album's potential.

Vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid says: "It was a very difficult decision to make because Ola has been our friend and bandmate for a very long time."

The decision will not affect any of Soilwork's plans. Guitarist David Andersson will fill in on their upcoming Finnish/Baltic tour as well as the "Scum Of The Earth" U.S. tour with Throwdown. The band will then tour Australia, Japan and Southeast Asia before returning to Europe for festivals and a headlining U.S. tour in the fall.

Ola Frenning comments: "After 10 years, seven albums and several world wide tours, we've realized that we have developed in different directions and have a different set of values, profession wise. The disagreements have reached their peak and it has become an untenable situation. The band's solution is that I part ways with them so that I won't be in the way for the future plans of Soilwork. However, since I'm not gonna be on the road (at least for a while), I will now be able to continue with my songwriting and producing at another level. For further information, visit www.myspace.com/olafrenning. The page will be updated in the near future. Cheers to ya all... And thanks for making these 10 years with the band memorable.""

So is this the end of the mighty Soilwork? I doubt it. It may be the second departure in as many albums, but there are many bands who have constant line up changes that survive. If anything, the departure of Peter Wicher was a more significant shift for the band, since he was pretty much their backbone being the main songwriter.

I personally want to wish Ola the best of luck in the future, and I'm really looking forward to hearing what he does next!

Bloodstock Open Air (BOA) 2008

Bloodstock Open Air Festival (BOA) is now into its 3rd year out in the open, and 7th year as one of the best metal festivals in the UK. The first 4 years were indoor events, but as the festival has gained momentum, it has moved from the darkness into the light of day! The festival takes place on the 15th, 16th and 17th of August at Catton Hall, Derbyshire.

This is the metal festival to go to if you want to hear the more brutal and underground artists playing in the UK (if you want mainstream, get yourself to Download).

The line up has yet to be completed, but from the artists already announced, it looks like it will be one hell of an event! So far, the bands confirmed for BOA 2008 are:

COMMUNIC

EVILE
OPETH
SAINT DEAMON
ELUVEITIE
HELLOWEEN
PRIMAL FEAR
TYR
PRO-JEKT
AT THE GATES
DIMMU BORGIR
MOONSORROW
SWALLOW THE SUN
CLOUDSCAPE
MOB RULES
SOILWORK
KATAKLYSM
OVERKILL

I would kill to get along to this event (and trying my hardest to make sure I can)! I'm most excited about Opeth, Soilwork and Swallow The Sun, and can't wait to see what the full line up looks like!

Personally, I would love to see Bloodbath, Blinded Colony, Paradise Lost, Novembre and Sonic Syndicate playing this year. The last three I'd love on the bill are playing the German festival Summer Breeze in the same week, so I'm keeping my fingers, toes and eyes crossed that they all confirm for BOA too!

For more information, check out their website:

http://www.bloodstock.uk.com

Or their Myspace profile:

http://www.myspace.com/bloodstock

Melloboat 2008, 8th of March

Now this to me looks like the coolest thing ever! On a boat, with some of the most amazing acts entertaining you over 2 nights!

So who's going to be there? How does this sound?

OPETH
COMUS
KATATONIA
LEAF HOUND
ANEKDOTEN
TRETTIOÅRIGA KRIGET
BO HANSSON with Eric Malmberg & Niklas Korssell
MATS/MORGAN ALL STAR TEAM
THE COLINS OF PARADISE
PROMISE AND THE MONSTER
QOPH
PLANKTON
EMMA NORDENSTAM
CECILIA KLINGSPOR
EMIKA KLASDOTTER
PIU
MARTIN AXENROT and NATHALIE LORICHS

Yeah Opeth and Katatonia being on the same boat for 2 days sound good to me, haha!

For more information, please check out their website:

www.tallinksilja.com/sv/tab1/hobbyTrips/cruiseMelloBoat.htm

Or alternatively, their Myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/melloboat