Episode 50: Hypocritical Kyle is Hypocritical

Two weeks away from hitting our first anniversary, we hit the big 5-0! So what did we do for it? Absolutely nothing special. We didn’t wanna, um, blow our load to early, so we keep things status quo this week bringing you some more new reviews, biased ranting, and constant disagreeing. Speaking of biases, you’ll also quickly see how this week’s album choices are definitely not favorable to 2/3 of the hosts…but, if you have been listening, you can probably already tell who they are.

SideShow.50

Reviews: Hooded Menace – Effigies Of Evil, Cryptopsy – Cryptopsy, Ex Deo – Caligula, Wodensthrone – Curse

Hooded Menace – Effigies Of Evil
Brian – Try | Kyle – Try | Nick – Skip

Cryptopsy – Cryptopsy
Brian – Buy | Kyle – Try | Nick – Skip

Ex Deo – Caligula
Brian – Buy | Kyle – Buy | Nick – Skip

Wodensthrone – Curse
Brian Try | Kyle – Skip | Nick – Skip

As part of our anniversary show, we want discuss something we brought up a few weeks ago: how to get into metal. As we previously mentioned, we want to find some gateways for people who don’t listen to any heavy music. So, we want YOU to tell us how you got into metal and/or what you think would be some good bands, albums, songs, etc. for somebody else to do that. Leave a comment here, post on Facebook, send a Tweet, or leave a post for Brian on Google+!

You brought up a topic that I am a big believer in: the seasonality of music. For most music, there is a time and place to listen to it in order for the music to have the appropriate emotional impact upon the listener. My music listening friends make fun of me because I have been known to take the seasonality of music to great lengths. But to me the way the seasonality of music has evolved in my life has become a part of it to the point that certain music only fits in at one time of the year. For example, the first two Foo Fighters album were released in the summer, so I ended up listening to them in August in those two years. I enjoyed those albums so much that I began to associate August with the Foo Fighter’s music to the point where I subsequently hold off listening to a new Foo Fighters album until August in order to keep a consistent feeling to my life at that time of year.

A more obvious (and common) example of seasonal music is Christmas music. I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t wake up on Christmas morning and turn on Slayer. Even though I am not a Christian, the Christmas season still evokes certain feelings and emotions in me that are not aligned with metal music. So just as there is a time and place to listen to Handel’s Messiah (I outgrew Jingle Bells a long time ago), there is a time and place for less aggressive metal as well. I attribute the fact that I listened to this year’s Alcest album in the dead of winter as one reason why it struck a chord with me at the time. If I had first heard that music in the summer, I don’t think I would like it as much. But for me, I find it hard to un-remember those initial feelings it evoked at a time when the days were short and the nights were cold.

Regarding Decibel, I like that term “Decibel darlings” and I completely agree with you, Kyle, about Decibel. Even though I subscribe to Decibel, the music they like doesn’t seem to be the same music that I like. If something has any popularity whatsoever, then it’s not good enough for Decibel. Just look at their Top 100 albums of the last decade (http://newmusicexcess.wordpress.com/music-lists/decibel-the-top-100-greatest-metal-albums-of-the-decade/). While there are lots of good albums in that list, it is more notable to me for many glaring omissions. Here are some bands that did not have an album in the Top 100 according to Decibel:

Metallica
Lamb of God
Slipknot
Trivium
Testament
Arch Enemy
Machine Head(!)

While I haven’t heard all 100 albums on Decibel’s list, are you really telling me there are 100 albums released from 2000 to 2009 that were better than Death Magnetic and The Blackening? But yet Melt Banana is number 19? For the entire decade??? I certainly realize that everyone has their own opinion but I also question if Decibel’s opinions differ so much from mine then why do I continue to subscribe to the magazine? So if I subscribe again next year you’ll have to call me a hypocrite as well (and you won’t be wrong about it).

3 comments

Pingback: Episode 51: I Am the March of the Epic Cursed « The SIDESHOW Podcast
Corey says:

09/20/2012 at 8:53 am

Your last bit about where the hipsters live in metal reminds me of a conversation with my former hipster roommate…

Me: So, what kind of music are you into?
Hipster (meekly): Um, well, like, power violence.
Me: Power violence??
Hipster: Yeah, you know, power violence. Like, really brutal.
Me: Great.

I think at that moment, I was listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers….

Bob Sala (@bobjsala) says:

09/16/2012 at 6:28 pm

You brought up a topic that I am a big believer in: the seasonality of music. For most music, there is a time and place to listen to it in order for the music to have the appropriate emotional impact upon the listener. My music listening friends make fun of me because I have been known to take the seasonality of music to great lengths. But to me the way the seasonality of music has evolved in my life has become a part of it to the point that certain music only fits in at one time of the year. For example, the first two Foo Fighters album were released in the summer, so I ended up listening to them in August in those two years. I enjoyed those albums so much that I began to associate August with the Foo Fighter’s music to the point where I subsequently hold off listening to a new Foo Fighters album until August in order to keep a consistent feeling to my life at that time of year.

A more obvious (and common) example of seasonal music is Christmas music. I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t wake up on Christmas morning and turn on Slayer. Even though I am not a Christian, the Christmas season still evokes certain feelings and emotions in me that are not aligned with metal music. So just as there is a time and place to listen to Handel’s Messiah (I outgrew Jingle Bells a long time ago), there is a time and place for less aggressive metal as well. I attribute the fact that I listened to this year’s Alcest album in the dead of winter as one reason why it struck a chord with me at the time. If I had first heard that music in the summer, I don’t think I would like it as much. But for me, I find it hard to un-remember those initial feelings it evoked at a time when the days were short and the nights were cold.

Regarding Decibel, I like that term “Decibel darlings” and I completely agree with you, Kyle, about Decibel. Even though I subscribe to Decibel, the music they like doesn’t seem to be the same music that I like. If something has any popularity whatsoever, then it’s not good enough for Decibel. Just look at their Top 100 albums of the last decade (http://newmusicexcess.wordpress.com/music-lists/decibel-the-top-100-greatest-metal-albums-of-the-decade/). While there are lots of good albums in that list, it is more notable to me for many glaring omissions. Here are some bands that did not have an album in the Top 100 according to Decibel:

Metallica
Lamb of God
Slipknot
Trivium
Testament
Arch Enemy
Machine Head(!)

While I haven’t heard all 100 albums on Decibel’s list, are you really telling me there are 100 albums released from 2000 to 2009 that were better than Death Magnetic and The Blackening? But yet Melt Banana is number 19? For the entire decade??? I certainly realize that everyone has their own opinion but I also question if Decibel’s opinions differ so much from mine then why do I continue to subscribe to the magazine? So if I subscribe again next year you’ll have to call me a hypocrite as well (and you won’t be wrong about it).