Last month, I discussed how I got into black metal despite not being completely into it at first, as it wasn’t what I originally perceived it to be. Despite this, and the research that led me into it, I now enjoy it and consider it a genre of choice. Thus, in addition to these genres, I also got introduced to several others at the same time. Continue reading
Last month, I discussed my penchant for symphonic metal and how its fandom eventually led me to listen to it with a lot of caution. Now, the three albums I chose for that segment weren’t my first gateway albums, but are three that remain close to my heart and are underappreciated by a lot of listeners. Anyway, for this chapter of the column – and for the sake of a timeline – I decided to talk about a subgenre that has remained controversial despite the claims of apolitical affiliations and people making terrible decisions.
It’s time we talk about black metal. Continue reading
Last month, I discussed the three albums that led me on the way to become a metalhead after I decided to find the heaviest matter of the universe. Those three albums became the springboard that would eventually lead me to the kind of music I would enjoy now as an adult. Because my subgenre of choice was symphonic metal for a good portion of my teenage years, it became a springboard of sorts into other genres that I would end up enjoying as well. However, before we get there, I decided to backtrack into this subgenre that I have revisited with caution since I stopped being involved in its fandom in 2014. Continue reading
Everyone has an album that they fondly remember as their first foray into metal, one that makes us feel nostalgic from time to time. Years later, after the countless albums and concerts one has gone to and listened to, we still remember our first, and we tend to defend it when someone talks shit about it. This led to the idea of exploring gateway albums, who or what introduced us to it, and how we came to love metal as our genre of choice.
After all, metal is one of those genres you get introduced to when you are old enough to make your own choices and you start rebelling against your parents. Thus we begin a new journey with our friend Hera so dive in and stay tuned for more chapters in this story. Continue reading
I am honored to join the Nine Circles team and the superb work they’re doing covering metal. I visit their site every week in my never-ending quest for heavy, ugly, gorgeous music. I’m hoping to add some periodic banter about the state of metal in 2017, and the journey of being a lifelong metal fan.
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