Sometimes, I think I should listen to more metal.
Though I think highly of quite a few people in the underground metal community, when it comes down to it, the only opinion that really matters is my own.
The main reason for this is that I listen to things from the guitarist's perspective. That's not something I see a lot in reviews.
So when there is "consensus" among writers that Album A is "good" and Album B is "utter shit"...well, I don't just go along blindly, I have to listen for myself to determine whether or not the "consensus" is accurate.
It is with that in mind that I'm writing today. Because there are some writers who will suggest things that at first blush seem outlandish. I seriously doubt that I'm one of them; when I write about music I don't really intend to influence people in any direction. I'm merely expressing my personal opinion about an album in question, from the guitarist's perspective.
Playing guitar since 1994 has colored the way I listen to music. Not just metal, but music in general. It is because of guitar that I listen to music with grave seriousness. I used to have an insatiable hunger for music with great guitar playing, and I decided that metal was the place to go for it. I don't have a lot of experience with other genres and to be honest I'm not as well-versed in metal as other writers. But at the same time, I don't find it necessary to be a "metal historian", as it were. Through experience in guitar and listening to metal, I feel as though I have something to contribute, even if it's small and intensely insular.
In addition, I find that energy and execution are the strongest contributing factors to my enjoyment of any album. For example, in the new Thantifaxath album Sacred White Noise, the vocalist sounds righteously pissed. This is not always evident in other bands and other vocalists. That passion is often missing or fails to come across.
Of course, vocals/lyrics are secondary to me. If it weren't for the great guitar work on that album, I wouldn't care how passionate the vocals are. But they are certainly worth noting; even in a genre that stews in anger as much as metal does, there are certain vocalists that are just better or more authentic at expressing it.
Another thing I was thinking about is songwriting. If I were to listen to something other than metal, even part-time, it would have to contain excellent musicianship and well-written songs. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother.
That got me thinking, though. If you remember the movie Adaptation (2002), one of the interesting peripheral characters is screenwriting "guru" Robert McKee (played by the excellent Brian Cox). Predictably, Charlie scoffs at McKee, while Donald is enthralled by him.
What if such a person existed to guide people through the songwriting process? What would this person look like (not just appearance, mind you)?
If such a person existed, any one of us could think of numerous musicians that would benefit from his/her service. After all, just because Musician A can play anything doesn't mean he/she can write worth a damn.
In that case, my cryptic line from the beginning of this piece (before the jump), is rendered almost entirely moot. It's not that I need to listen to more metal, it's that I need to listen to more music that is excellent.
So if you're reading expecting me to say something to influence your way of thinking in some small way, I guess now's the time for it: Find whatever you think is excellent in any genre of music and enjoy it.
Also, it wouldn't hurt to tell the "consensus" to go suck a lemon every now and then. Sometimes you just have to break away from the pack in order to find the excellence you're striving for.
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