A couple of quick notes.

I'm aware I haven't blogged in a while, but I recently wrote in to Kerrang magazine nominating my top three albums of the 21st century. Because Trivium asked their fans on Facebook to vote for them. The same way I joined Twitter because Universum asked me to...


"I just felt I had to nominate three albums that have made the biggest impact on me these last few years. It's hard for me to pick just three, but - oh, screw that diplomatic bullshit; these won by a landslide.

Trivium - Shogun (2008)
This album blew me away completely as soon as I heard it. It's a perfect blend of metalcore and Metallica-style thrash, served straight up with no frills attached. It's metaphorical, powerful, and has some teriffic anthems on it - Down From the Sky and Kirisute Gomen are two of the best songs I've heard this century, and the title track could damn well represent everything the band has worked for in its eleven minutes of progressive brutality and near-operatic choruses. I saw Trivium live in May, and they played all the right tracks. They know how to work a crowd, and they know how to record incredible albums.

Alice Cooper - Along Came A Spider (2008)
The grandfather of shock rock, and one of the first influences on heavy metal, has returned with a stomping, hook-laden album that hearkens back to his garage days, while being infused with a heavier resonance and a killer guitar solo from Slash. Darker than Brutal Planet and somehow more sensual than Trash, Alice has churned out another album well worthy of classic status. I look forward to seeing Alice in late August, and he's been one of, if not my favourite musical figure for many years now. His metamorphosis has never been more apparent.

Universum - Leto Destinatus (2008)
Universum are from my hometown, so maybe I have a slight bias, but since they only formed in early '08 and have already supported DragonForce and Cradle of Filth on their Australian tours, they're nothing to sniff at. Leto Destinatus is a brutal melodic album sweeping the listener along at breakneck speed. The vocals, guitars, and keyboards all combine to beautifully devastating effect on the title track and War of Ages. I'm seeing them in about three weeks, and they should be even better as headliners. More than anything else this album has shown me that living in Adelaide has not cursed me to being talentless!"


I also forgot to get on here on Sunday and wish Robb Flynn of Machine Head a happy 41st birthday. Whoops.

Happy fuckin' birthday, Robb. \m/

Yeah, I know nobody reads this, least of all Flynn himself, but meh. Maybe it'll get some of you to listen to Machine Head, one of the best bands out there.

Check out "Halo", and try telling me it's not fucking awesome. If you like that, just go out and buy the whole album, The Blackening, because it's without a doubt one of the best I've heard, and if you like awesome metal and know what's good for you, you'll feel the same way.

That's it for now. Maybe I'll actually write another fucking blog sometime.

If there's anything you want me to talk about in my next post, any suggestions, questions, album reviews, etc, just put it here and I WILL do it. Put as much as you want. I mean it. I need things to talk about, otherwise I'll just blather on about crap nobody cares about.

That's it for now,

~Ronnie

A dose of metal, you need to bang your head 'til you bleed.

So, because I want to shove all of my work for art school aside momentarily, I would like to take a moment to talk about concerts.

Because we metalheads are surprisingly social creatures. If we are sheep, then the band is the gentle group of shepherds, there to guide us to a common cause before ripping off our faces and shoving them in our ears.

The collective noun for a group of metalheads is open to debate. One may argue that an appropriate term would be a "mosh" of metalheads, but others would argue that moshing is an activity, and should therefore be regarded as a separate entity entirely. One could also refer to collective nouns of creatures often associated with the metal culture - a herd of goats, a coven of ravens, and a murder of crows could all come to mind. However, none exactly seem accurate to describe a crowd of black-clad long-haired people, often male, and - when at concerts - almost invariably sweaty.

For the purposes of this particular post, I will refer to a group of metalheads as a "mob". A mob of metalheads. Not too far from the mosh with which we are all familiar, and it had that lovely alliteration which I, as a poet, am so fond of.

So why is the concert such an exciting and essential experience for the metalhead? Basically, you go to a venue, stand for four hours, get beaten by fellows of the mob, and you may or may not wake up the next morning unscathed. The music is too loud, the drinks are too expensive, and the whole place smells like sweat, alcohol, and sometimes, something a little stronger.

Yet there's a definite sense of kinship. You're all there to see the same band. You're there for the same thing. You're brothers-in-arms, of a sort - metalheads united for a common cause, and that cause is to go there, have a good time, rock hard, and let the band know that they rock.

The people in mosh pits are friendlier than they seem. At Children of Bodom, people pushed aside to let a vertically-challenged girl to the front. At Opeth, I was helped upright again by two strangers when I was separated from my concert-buddy and almost fell over. The sense of camaraderie is an incredible feeling.

An indispensable piece of advice to the new concert-goer is to find a good, reliable friend. I have three people who I attend concerts with on a regular basis, and find them to be among the most trusted people I know. Adam has helped me enjoy two damn good concerts, Luke has stuck with me in the two most intense mosh pits I have ever been in, and while I have only been to one concert with Callum, I look forward to many years of moshing.

A good concert-buddy should be able-bodied and reliable. He or she should have a high tolerance for noise, good stamina, and be willing to defend you from the tool population in any given mosh pit. Martial arts skills are a plus, as is a good size, but neither are as necessary as the ability to recognize when you have gone under, or a determination to stick together.

At a concert, alcohol is a pleasant mood-enhancer, but drinking too much before entering a mosh pit is advised against. Of course one does not have to drink in order to have a good time; after all, that's what the band's there for, but nobody's going to blame you if you're legal and have a couple of beers before moshing. God knows you could end up sweating it all out anyway. If attending a concert with friends, always make sure at least one member of the party is sober enough to help out others who may find their inebriation places them at risk of injury. All too often I have witnessed a drunk concert-goer harm a fellow metalhead, and sometimes I have even been the receiving end myself.

Also, I hate to say it, but something to keep in mind at a metal concert in particular is to dress the part. One need not go overboard with expensive merchandise; the simple, universally accepted garb is jeans, comfortable footwear, and a heavy metal T-shirt. The shirt needn't even be of the band one is seeing; in fact, a relatively small amount of people wear these, and some may even view it as a faux pas of sorts. Spiked wristbands aren't necessary, and many view them as a hindrance, and indeed some venues may not allow such attire as wallet chains, steel-capped boots, or spiked accessories.

Comfortable footwear is absolutely vital, as you are likely to be on your feet for a good few hours. Even if one does not mosh, one will be standing for a long period of time. Sneakers, skate shoes, and comfortable boots such as Doc Martens are recommended.

Organization is a must. I take it upon myself to organize my friends for concerts, which my mother affectionately terms "Getting the posse together". If one member of the party can afford to do so, it is a good idea for them to buy the tickets for everyone at once, and well in advance - the sooner, the better. As soon as you hear about the concert, start organizing people. I found out about a local show completely by accident, had two friends willing to come with me, and by early June I had the tickets. The show isn't until mid-August. Organizing car-pooling and the like that early isn't necessary, but if you want to, particularly if friends live far away, then by all means do so.

Be one of the responsible people –if you see someone stumble, catch them. If someone looks dehydrated, share your water. Though to be fair, if someone shoves you, shove back. Be as respectful as you can while making sure no bastard thinks he can push you around.

Concerts can be frightening, but also exhilarating. Imagine being two feet away from Matt Heafy, or Mikael Akerfeldt, or Curtis Rx, or heck, even James Hetfield or Steve Harris! Okay, so the last two are unlikely, but you never know unless you GO.

And even if the concert’s a disappointment, at least it’ll be something you remember forever, right?

I myself have been to seven concerts in two years now, five of them heavy metal gigs, and I have at least three more coming up before the end of the year, so I’m getting around. I wouldn’t call myself a veteran, but I’m beginning to think that out of my friends, I am the concert-whore.

I should wrap this up for now – next time, I may talk about a couple of the concerts I’ve been to.

Happy moshing, my mob.

~Ronnie

PS – the first person to tell me which song this title comes from gets a cookie.