tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post8350765340340095023..comments2024-03-28T15:20:35.787-07:00Comments on Illogical Contraption: HAIL TO SWEDENShelby Cobrashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04077451792653323915noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-4829909252707284612011-04-11T17:17:15.899-07:002011-04-11T17:17:15.899-07:00"isn't it funny how all of this great evi..."isn't it funny how all of this great evil, malevolent, gore-obsessed music comes from two countries ranked way up on the happiness and quality of living scale?"<br /><br />Yes, yes it is.<br /><br />I would argue that civilizations produce great art at a rate that is proportional to their leisure time. Which is why aside from a few instances in California in the 80s and Florida in the 90s, America the land of long toiling pioneers has always been a cultural backwater compared to Europe. There are no great American symphonies until the 20th century. There are no great master painters from America until painting fell by the wayside as a genre.<br /><br />So I'd say that producing great metal, like any other great art, would come from a country with plenty of leisure time like Sweden.<br /><br />http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ikea-union-20110410,0,5341610.story<br /><br />Money quote "The big difference is that the Europeans enjoy a minimum wage of about $19 an hour and a government-mandated five weeks of paid vacation. Full-time employees in Danville start at $8 an hour with 12 vacation days — eight of them on dates determined by the company.<br /><br />What's more, as many as one-third of the workers at the Danville plant have been drawn from local temporary-staffing agencies. These workers receive even lower wages and no benefits, employees said."<br /><br />So if you are Joe metalhead in Sweden you can work in a factory and afford Mesa Boogie amps and studio time and take the time off for a mini tour. If you are Joe metalhead in America you can't even afford an Epiphone Les Paul, let alone afford to tour outside your shitty county.<br /><br />But I could be wrong.Mister Boozehttp://misterbooze.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-82219542444337959392011-04-11T09:46:27.175-07:002011-04-11T09:46:27.175-07:00I suppose there is a dichotomy that exists in such...I suppose there is a dichotomy that exists in such a situation, where mediocrity and the fallacy of a "happy" society work to build depression and forlorness amongst its people. Bret Easton Ellis' "Less Than Zero" would be a good example of the situation on a much smaller scale. Wealth and boredom, almost Victorian social values, and complacency can keep the fire of boredom and disgust burning. In such an environment, an individual who displays any feelings, other than the "good" and pleasant, becomes an outcast, which then furthers his feelings of despondency and worthlessness. In "Until the Light Takes Us", Fenriz tries to explain it, but doesn't get into any detail. He mentions something about coming from wealth and comfort, and feeling sick at the pretense of it all. I have heard that suicide and alcoholism rates in Finland are relatively high as well. (On a side note: here in Minnesota, we have the highest number of people of Finnish decent in the U.S.. My lady is part Sami.)RyGarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18428088110856319459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-76590569325541837292011-04-10T01:03:24.551-07:002011-04-10T01:03:24.551-07:00"I know that they pointed it out on Metalocal..."I know that they pointed it out on Metalocalypse, but isn't it funny how all of this great evil, malevolent, gore-obsessed music comes from two countries ranked way up on the happiness and quality of living scale?"<br /><br />Sub-urban middle class boredom I presume. There's something to be said about the happiness though. I am not dismissing any of these quality-of-life studies, for the most part I believe them to mirror reality well enough and I'm sure northern europe isn't the worst place to live in, but at least here in Finland 750 000 people eat antidepressants and it's a huge number if you keep in mind that the whole population of this country is only 5300 000 and some.Nekromantishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03439391978636334926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-85437068429716952192011-04-09T19:42:20.216-07:002011-04-09T19:42:20.216-07:00Hey, has anyone heard Vinterland before? They'...Hey, has anyone heard Vinterland before? They're also from Sweden and feature members of The Black, Porphyria, and Tyrant. Definitely influenced by Dissection and Sacramentum but have an element unto themselves.Aegipanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01995516885634385610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-35139410185707266702011-04-09T16:58:00.570-07:002011-04-09T16:58:00.570-07:00There are nine. Nice try though, poser.There are nine. Nice try though, poser.Shelby Cobrashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04077451792653323915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-12752602197170708302011-04-09T16:37:58.875-07:002011-04-09T16:37:58.875-07:00you nailed me, of course.
all six are fucking sw...you nailed me, of course. <br /><br />all six are fucking sweet though.SEANFORDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05580585141402574820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-39636041357691862202011-04-09T16:24:36.048-07:002011-04-09T16:24:36.048-07:00Jag knullar din utsökt metal!
I still haven'...Jag knullar din utsökt metal! <br /><br />I still haven't waded through that Swedish Death Metal book so I'm completely ignorant other than the big names, but this looks mighty tasty.Sabinhttp://symptomcomics.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-75006768920356567122011-04-09T14:32:31.165-07:002011-04-09T14:32:31.165-07:00At the gates "Red in the Sky..." is a pr...At the gates "Red in the Sky..." is a pretty awesome, overlooked album in this style.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-84537604040279473442011-04-09T12:04:10.622-07:002011-04-09T12:04:10.622-07:00Once again, Shelby, thanks for the histo/geo Metal...Once again, Shelby, thanks for the histo/geo Metal lesson. I know that they pointed it out on Metalocalypse, but isn't it funny how all of this great evil, malevolent, gore-obsessed music comes from two countries ranked way up on the happiness and quality of living scale? Too busy being guitar nerds/wizards to go out and commit crimes, huh?RyGarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18428088110856319459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-39322394595454853692011-04-09T11:23:49.603-07:002011-04-09T11:23:49.603-07:00First came Merciless and then Dawn. Now this?! Dud...First came Merciless and then Dawn. Now this?! Dude, I'm digging this trend of yours (i.e. your recent posts in honor of Swedish Black/Death Metal!) This makes me want to go get a six pack, dig out the classics in my collection, and get drunk while listening to them... Nihilist, Unanimated, Liers In Wait, Niden Div. 187, Dawn, Mithoyn, General Surgery, The Black, Sacramentum... Ah, to live the past again. Metal nowadays just ain't the same.Aegipanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01995516885634385610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-40958488458883889952011-04-09T09:30:45.178-07:002011-04-09T09:30:45.178-07:00Explanation accepted. :-)Explanation accepted. :-)Nekromantishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03439391978636334926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-32355855738251914922011-04-09T09:16:47.894-07:002011-04-09T09:16:47.894-07:00I don't know how to umlaut an upper-case lette...I don't know how to umlaut an upper-case letter. Please note that the lower-case 'o' is properly umlauted.Shelby Cobrashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04077451792653323915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-56471371013332571212011-04-09T02:58:57.436-07:002011-04-09T02:58:57.436-07:00...And it's mÖrk gryning you non-scandinavian ......And it's mÖrk gryning you non-scandinavian wretches!Nekromantishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03439391978636334926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-7739749370679080822011-04-09T02:26:49.853-07:002011-04-09T02:26:49.853-07:00I can't say Swedish melodic death/black thing ...I can't say Swedish melodic death/black thing is really the stuff I know or care about the most but I have always digged Runemagick. A classy bunch with a awesome name.<br /><br />I'm checking out some of these other bands.Nekromantishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03439391978636334926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6645554669355760340.post-88636769035785744512011-04-09T00:45:13.323-07:002011-04-09T00:45:13.323-07:00Woah, man, I just posted Far Away From The Sun the...Woah, man, I just posted Far Away From The Sun the other day on my own blog. I don't even know why I find that weird. Man.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com