Monoman

June 22, 2006

The Great Seduction

I've not previously come across an article that equates Web 2.0 with Marxism, but this one does. It's arguments are erudite and persuasive. But as the author points out, the Law of Unintended Consequences ensures that anything in the world, including the Net, can be utilised in ways not anticipated or advocated by its creators (this inherent vulnerability of things also protects against rampant technological determinism.) In other words, Web 2.0 may exhibit traces of Marxist philosophy, but Web 3.0+ may not. Ironically, it could be argued that Marxism itself was vulnerable to the Law of Unintended Consequences, through its evolution into Leninism and its practical application by Stalin in the Soviet Union. The extent to which Stalinism became a corrupted analogue of Marxism is illustrated here; this example of denunciation letters is itslef an exhibit in the Museum of Unintended Consequences at California State University.

I highly recommend Andrew Keen's blog for its intellectual insights into emerging technologies.

Posted by monoman at 09:45 AM

June 08, 2006

Review: 'Monotheist' by Celtic Frost

Monotheist is almost the perfect extreme metal album. It’s an incredible achievement: the near-flawless synthesis of Celtic Frost’s traditional linear and Spartan sound, raw but focussed brutality, amazing production, and real innovation – in terms of what a metal album can and should constitute. Each track is unequivocally Celtic Frost – thanks to Tom G Fischer’s iron-clad riffs and Teutonic vocal barks – but sounds pretty much unlike anything you’ve heard before. ‘Progeny’ comes on like a brawl between Nitzer Ebb and Darkthrone. ‘Ground’ and ‘Os Abysmi vel Daath’ are both underpinned by the rhythms of their respective vocal refrains ‘O God, why have you forsaken me?’ and ‘I deny my own desire. Lying one among the liars’. ‘Drown in Ashes’ is reminiscent of Gary Numan in its use of electronic atmospherics and female vocals. ‘Temple of Depression’ is the best track NIN never wrote. ‘Obscured’ would be Fields of the Nephilim’s greatest anthem if they’d had the genius to write it. Totengott is quite frankly terrifying – it wouldn’t be out of place on Sunn O)))’s ‘Black One’. The album concludes with a heart-rending arrangement for strings called ‘Winter’. A fitting and restrained end to what is an exhausting listening experience – and therein lies my only criticism: Monotheist is maybe a tad too long. But there’s no excess or fat here – just an overabundance of ideas. The artwork is amazing too. Best track: all of them.

10/10

Posted by monoman at 10:58 PM

Review: 'Dismantling Devotion' by Daylight Dies

Dismantling Devotion is a difficult record to describe. I’ve been listening to it for a few months now and it pretty much falls outside most genres, so is probably best explained in terms of mood and atmosphere – which is overwhelmingly dark and melancholic, but by the same token emotional and uplifting. Tracks are mid-paced and incorporate elements of prog, death, doom etc. I suppose the closest bedfellows are Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride. But I’d argue that Daylight Dies have forged their own sound, which is far richer, complex, textured and modern than their potential influences. If you like Opeth, but wish they’d spend less time as noodling guitar musos and more time creating heavy, atmospheric soundscapes, then Daylight Dies will pretty much press all your buttons. Oh yes, and Mosh loves them (which, if you knew Mosh, would be a huge endorsement.) Best track: A Dream Resigned.

A free download of 'All We Had' is available from Darkdose.com - Jesse Haff's (Daylight Dies drummer) MP3 blog.

9/10

Posted by monoman at 10:50 PM

Review: 'Age of Winters' by The Sword

Didn’t know what to expect from The Sword, but they name-checked …And You Will Know Us… in their liner notes, so that was good enough for me. Turns out the album is a corker, and sound-wise nothing like …AYWKUBTTOD. It’s tempting to call ‘Age of Winters’ a doom album – riffs and vocals are clearly from the Sabbath stable. But they’ve taken the basic template in a new direction to create simply an excellent metal album, in the same vein as Grand Magus or High on Fire’s recent waxings. The Sword are pretty damn heavy though – less so than say Electric Wizard, but more so than Goatsnake. What sets them apart is their determination to rock harder than most; almost every track requires the listener to assume a metal posture and wear their best metal face. In this respect they’re similar to the likes of Orange Goblin – providers of good time, hard-rocking heavy metal. I’m a convert anyway. Best track: Lament for the Aurochs.

8.5/10

Posted by monoman at 02:10 PM

June 07, 2006

Metal Face

I've set up my latest, and indeed first, Flickr group: Metal Face. Pull your best metal face (see above), take a photo, upload. Grrrrr.

\nn/

Posted by monoman at 01:15 PM

June 06, 2006

Sunn O))) in NYT

An extremely generous portrait of Sunn O))) from John Wray, writing for the New York Times. Long but well worth reading - it provides insights into both the emergence of a metal avant garde, and a history / profile of Sunn O))) lynchpins Anderson and O'Malley.

Posted by monoman at 11:13 AM