Vio-lence, some Thin Lizzy, Enslaved, and more Vio-lence

Chris has approximately 500,000 metal video on cue from NetFlix, so Metal Night will be about these for a while. Metal is a genre best heard, not seen(except in live, ear shredding context), in my opinion, but I am also starved of the visual aspect. Too much abstract theorizing from metal mags and blogs can actually bury the social context of the music. Metal has evolved from a proletarian music to an elitist one and......I don't know why I just wrote that. I'm trying to sound intellectual, but it just not working this afternoon. I have procrastinated for a week in writing in this blog. A new Metal Night begins.....tonight!!! Ok, this is the part where I stop rambling and focus on the music.

"Blood and Dirt" is a documentary about San Francisco Bay area thrash legends Vio-lence, made and financed by fans of the band. It culls from much live footage, old interviews, new interviews, and backstage footage. The video is an essential document on how not to make it in the music business. It is essentially as a story of how a promising young metal band screwed up their careers through sheer stoner fucktardedness. They became third wave thrash metal also-rans when they fired their sweet, motherly manager, who had successfully negotiated a major label contract for the band, in favor of some fast talking LA slimeball who sent them on a disastrous tour with goth band Alien Sex Fiend. Despite the major label distribution, their last two albums failed, in part because the label only signed the band due to a friendly relationship with their former manager. The best parts of the film focus on on band history and old live footage; the worst on the inevitable early 2000's reunion, with band and fans making lemonade out of lemons, dispite being tired, burned out, and in their late 30's.

We switched gears and mellowed out a bit by watching Thin Lizzy's "Live and Dangerous", their classic 1977 live concert film. This found the boys in rare form on a hot and sweaty night in England in the 70's. Lizzy are really only considered a metal band because of the influence of their double lead guitar attack on Iron Maiden and hordes of other heavier metal bands. A few of the songs offer considerable heft for the time, but ultimately, we had to stop in the middle because it just wasn't metal enough for our mood that evening. Phil Lynott was laying down some sweet bass lines, I must admit.

Enslaved's "Live Retaliation" DVD suited our mood perfectly. It is an entrancing live document, capturing the band in their element, blasting their cold Scandinavian grimness to an polite, attentive, and enthusiastic audience. Which is weird. You might expect black metal fans to unleash their darkest fury in a live setting, but the opposite is true. There was a small mosh pit, but the majority of the audience sat in rapt attention, headbanging were appropriate, while Enslaved delivered a tight set of their best blackened prog metal. There was sincere applause between songs. There was a good light show, and minimal stage banter, but the focus was purely on the music. This show was a pure joy to watch and listen to. Makes me want to see them live. Winner.

We finished off the evening with Vio-lence's classic debut 'Eternal Nightmare'. This, gentlemen, is basic thrash metal. Nothing fancy, lots tight riffing, fast tempos, time changes, gang vocals, and good musicianship. But the tuneless yelping vocals have always been a big turn off for me. Chris likes this band better than I do.





Can't wait for Metal Night tonight. I think we are having an Anthrax retrospective, if Lieske shows up.