“I’m not the kind of guy who typically gravitates towards ’emotionally driven’ metal. At least, not metal that is driven solely by emotional expression. Metal, in essence, represents an outpouring of some sort of strong feelings that may vary widely by genre. But the sadboy sect devoted to mashing up dour poetry and uninvolving chord progressions robs the style of what makes it so special in the first place.” Against sadboys (and widows).
“For years, I thought something was wrong with me when I got in the mood for some simple, catchy rock/groove. I mean, there is something wrong with me when I get the urge to listen to Volbeat over Mercyful Fate. But, sometimes, one needs a palette cleansing. And that’s exactly why I feel no guilt when listening to bands like Darkhaus, Ghoultown, A Life Divided, and Diablo Blvd. Week after week of listening to constant doom, black, heavy, thrash (and everything between) can make your brain mush. Not to mention, trying to find the words for the couple selected for review while meeting writing deadlines for a textbook, teaching classes, etc. So, detoxing is necessary.” Cleanse my wounded palette.
