…can you finish the movie quote we jacked as an episode title?
There is some relevance to that, too. This week, we actually go over some of the happenings in the metal world, which you may or may not already know about. That would depend on if you follow us on Google+ (there’s a link tot he right). In doing this, we also bring a first impression, which we have not done in some time. This is all, of course, done amongst providing our opinions on four brandy new releases!
Reviews: Black Map – Driver EP (independent); Bodyfarm – The Coming Scourge (Metal Blade/Cyclone Empire); Mantar – Death by Burning (Svart); Soreption – Engineering the Void (Unique Leader)
First Impression: Whitechapel – “The Saw is Law” from Our Endless War out April 29th via Metal Blade
Mantar – Death By Burning
Black Map – Driver EP
Bodyfarm – The Coming Scourge
Soreption – Engineering The Void
The Sideshow Podcast 
What have people who only have a cassette player been doing for the last 15 years? They’ve been listening to the same music over and over again for the last 15 years, that’s what. There are more of those people than you might think. I have friends who are still listening to only 90s alternative rock/metal.
As for Aliens, I actually just watched that again over Christmas because I hadn’t seen it in years. I probably like that one even better than the first one.
-Cassettes. I’m a little surprised that neither of you hit on one of the reasons that people may still be buying cassettes, especially from someone who I believe you’ve mentioned owns (or owned) a Pontiac Fiero. I’m sure there are still a lot of cars on the road that only have a cassette player in them. Pontiac Fieros didn’t come equipped with CD players and iPod docks back in the day. Many people never bothered to put the money or effort into upgrading that car stereo. I know that it might not seem likely but I’m sure it’s true. Does your parents or grandparents old car still have a cassette player in it? If you were like me and had to borrow said parents car because you didn’t own one of your own, then you were buying cassettes way longer than the most of the rest of the buying public. It was just too much of an effort for me to record the CD on to cassette so I’d often just buy the cassette. While I’m not doing that anymore, I’d be willing to bet that there are still a small number of people who are in that boat.
-You’re going to have to explain why you only played only 90 seconds of Black Map. Did the label tell you that? Are they even on a label?
-I know that Closer is one of Nine Inch Nails most popular songs, but it was never a favorite of mine. There are so many better songs on The Downward Spiral than Closer.
-Here we go again with another tech death album that isn’t technical in Soreption. Is this The Kennedy Veil part two?
-New item for the drinking game: any time Nick alludes to the fact that he’s a cheapskate.
-Game over, man! Game over!
– Yeah, I know a small percentage of cars still do have tape decks, but I look at that a little differently. I could either spend $10 – $12 per tape, OR buy a tape deck adaptor for $10 and use my current medium of choice (iPod, iPhone, or discman.) Drink bitch, I’m cheap!
– We heard back from the bands press contact (no, they are not on a label) and they asked us to use a smaller portion of the song. If the show was streaming only we could have played a whole song, but since it is free to download they asked that we just use a chunk. That pretty much aligns with general Fair Use precedents. Honestly, I’m surprised that we haven’t been asked to do that more.
– I totally agree with you on Closer. FAR from a favorite of mine. Up until Year Zero came out, I would have called Downward Spiral my least favorite NIN album anyway. Fragile is far and away my favorite.
– It might as well be as far as how frequently I’m gonna go back to it! I think what rubs my wrong about it is that I see getting called “technical” as an achievement and an honor. It says to me that you are above and beyond the average musician. I think that tag should be given not by bands describing themselves, but by reviewers and the general audience. “Man these guys are awesome death metal…but more technical.” To give that label to yourself seems arrogant. If you’re gonna give yourself the title – the music needs to back it. In the case of Soreption and The Kennedy Veil, it just doesn’t. If they were more humble in their labeling and just called themselves “death metal” I would have probably been much more on board. Hell, I may even of described them as a bit more technical than the average death metal band – but going into expecting to have my brain leaking out of ears, they just don’t hold up!
– See above.
Coincidentally, 24 hours after posting about cassettes, I read this month’s Decibel and they had an article with their own take on the whole cassette thing. They mentioned that cassettes only cost something like 5 cents to produce, so it’s a no lose offering from a band. But they failed to mention that people may still have cassette players in their cars or even in their bedroom stereo systems (I have one of those two).
Gotta agree with Nick on the cassettes. There is just no need for them with so many solutions available to get around tape players in the few places they still exist. Also, to your argument Bob, cassettes only started resurfacing (at least to when we all noticed) last year. So, for the last 15 years, what were people doing?
I also agree on the labeling of Soreption and TKV. While the labeling is probably given by the record label as opposed tot he band, they need to stop being so liberal. I think that is especially true for Unique Leader, who signed both of these bands. When your label is all Death Metal in various forms, you should be extra careful to the adjectives you’re using to differentiate them.
You got the movie right, so I guess that is worth a point. You did better than Nick…he had no clue. lol