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I love the new Behemoth, and fwiw, if you've never seen them, you're in for a treat. They put on one of the best shows in metal. I've seen them a bunch of times, and thus far my only complaint has been how goddamn packed it is every single time. Not to be missed, I promise.

There's a black metal band called "HOTH" and I kinda recall they started out making Star Wars-themed music, as their name would imply. The latest HOTH album, though, comes with this bio: HOTH hails from the icy blackness of the void seeking to envelop this world in an unending permafrost by bringing forth musical compositions that are captivating, powerful, and haunting. This pivot is totally understandable and even laudable. Elder started out making Conan-themed music, and I'm pretty happy that they evolved into the Elder that we know today. But HOTH ... like, they "hail from the icy blackness of the void" but they still use the same logo as before, which is VERY OBVIOUSLY drawn in the exact shape of Darth Vader's TIE fighter. https://www.metal-archives.com/images/3/5/4/0/3540357307_logo.jpg https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/images/vaders-tie-fighter_8bcb92e1.jpeg

Needless to say, these names are still better, more creative, scarier, cooler, and more powerful than those of basically every black metal band, for whom "Darth Insanius" would represent an impossibly high water mark.

Thing is, as I recall (and Ryan Leas can fact-check me on this), there's a Lucas-created canon character called "Darth Insidious" -- an embarrassingly terrible name in its own right -- so "Darth Insanius" isn't just dumb, it's also a gormless act of self-plagiarism that seems to assume the Star Wars audience to be even lazier and less engaged than Lucas himself. And yet somehow, "Darth Insanius" has an almost Dickensian ring when compared with the alternative: DARTH ICKY (?!?)

If you're looking for evidence of George Lucas' shameful and truly holistic ineptitude as a writer, this is both edifying and delightful: https://twitter.com/viperwave/statuses/807005499614859264

Oh I agree. At its best, Lucas' Star Wars was a visual spectacle on par with Kurosawa. All of its narrative profundity was borrowed from religious parables, although Lucas was just tracing the outlines of these ancient archetypes to the extent they served his needs, almost always sacrificing their humanity, which has otherwise been with us for millennia and provides the basis for much greater art than Star Wars. Lucas was a brutally unskilled and lazy writer. But I had totally forgotten about my Luke-as-Bodhidharma idea till I saw your comment, and you gave me an excuse to publish it here, in the comments of Julia's Britney Spears story -- which I loved, incidentally. I have devoted many non-ironic hours to this subject, and you won't be surprised to learn I think it's worthy of serious treatment, as long as the writer approaches it seriously. (As Julia did.)

Lucas' early vision was inspired by Kurosawa. I contend that Rian Johnson modeled The Last Jedi's Luke Skywalker on zen patriarch Bodhidharma: Throughout Buddhist art, Bodhidharma is depicted as an ill-tempered, profusely-bearded, wide-eyed non-Chinese person. He is referred as "The Blue-Eyed Barbarian" ... https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--oZbNvwHM--/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/rqreivhqygqtdrh5cevu.png Lamenting the decline of the true teaching in the outlands, he subsequently crossed distant mountains and seas, traveling about propagating the teaching in Han and Wei ... he lived in a cave, where he "faced a wall for nine years, not speaking for the entire time" ... https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gzFetddEAAw/Wk4MEl2Um9I/AAAAAAAArQA/PouV09B6Y9okXgt0VABzxRligCISg_gEgCLcBGAs/s1600/rey-i-know-quote-poedameron.jpeg The most popular account relates that Bodhidharma was admitted into the Shaolin temple after nine years ... Bodhidharma tried to bolster [the Shaolin monks'] stamina and willpower by teaching them Indian breathing exercises as well as martial arts ... https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_KOhuDh6KII/maxresdefault.jpg In one legend, Bodhidharma refused to resume teaching until his would-be student, Dazu Huike, who had kept vigil for weeks in the deep snow outside of the monastery, cut off his own left arm to demonstrate sincerity ... https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2016/04/14/12/c3po-red-arm.jpg [Some legends suggest] that he "passed away, seated upright" ... https://s.newsweek.com/sites/www.newsweek.com/files/styles/full/public/2018/10/22/luke-skywalker-last-jedi-death-mark-hamill.jpg https://static.stereogum.com/uploads/2018/10/bodhi_luke-1540316896.png

I think perhaps something was lost in translation. The "hardcore" line was in reference to the Menzingers' 2017 album, After The Party, not this song, which I called a "decidedly autumnal piece of music, especially by Menzingers standards." That said, I wasn't actually calling After The Party a hardcore album, either. I was saying it's an album about looking back at a bygone period of life soundtracked by hardcore albums, "the classics to the more obscure/ From Minor Threat to your old roommate’s band." It was poorly worded, however. My apologies for the confusion!

Listen to "All The Kids Are Right" if ya don't know it. It's fucking ridiculous. We all always talk about bands that deserve to be bigger or whatever, but nobody ever provides evidence as compelling as that goddamn song. Also their cover of "Wolf Like Me" sounds like the Misfits circa Walk Among Us and it kinda somehow makes the TVOTR original sound like a cover of a circa-'82 Misfits song. NB: I wholeheartedly adore both the Misfits and "Wolf Like Me," so this is the highest praise I can offer for just about anything in the world.

I actually felt negligent publishing the story without tossing in my (100% unsolicited) opinion on Local H. I love 'em! And, as I was just telling Ian, this interview made me love 'em even more. So I parasitically grafted onto his terrific work, reasonably certain my obscure editor's note at the end of a 4.5k-word interview that is (mostly) about a 20-year-old album will finally elevate Local H to their long-deserved and criminally denied rightful status as career superstars and multi-millionaires.

I'm pretty apathetic about Slash, but Axl stands alongside the gods as far as I'm concerned. This one doesn't quite go 50 pages but I still think it's got some worthwhile stuff, and I promise to return to the subject at greater length ASAP: https://www.stereogum.com/1844250/heres-why-id-hate-a-guns-n-roses-reunion/franchises/sounding-board/

There was one night this past January or February I couldn't sleep, like 3AM, and I 100% randomly decided to listen to this podcast called "The Truth," which tries to blend short fiction and radio drama. (It didn't click with me, fwiw, hence "tries.") Totally unfamiliar with the entire endeavor, I decided to start with a story called "You're Not Alone," because it was the title of the new AWK album. At that point, I think the single "Music Is Worth Living For" had JUST been released. If you know the AWK backstory (esp. the parts where he appears to be suffering from dissociative identity disorder vis-a-vis Steev Mike) and you know the lyrical message of "Music Is Worth Living For" and you consider that the dude's album is called You're Not Alone and you hear THIS in the middle of the goddamn night ... let me tell you, it didn't help me get to sleep. http://www.thetruthpodcast.com/story/2013/5/9/youre-not-alone

I didn't even get into a lyrical analysis of the new album, but if you go into it looking for "clues," you'll start believing YOU are Andrew W.K. before long. E.g.:

I’m in the back of your mind I’m in the front of your head I’m in the meaning behind I’m in the gold and the lead...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N81YTs_7NNQ

@grioir: This is fucking spectacular, man. I hope AWK sees it. I think he'd be flattered and inspired. I'll do my best to address your questions, although I'm afraid I don't have much to offer... 1. AWK came up in the Michigan noise scene and collabed with Wolf Eyes prior to coining the AWK name (Wolf Eyes often get tied into the conspiracy theories, willingly or otherwise). He's got deep roots in avant-garde music, so I'd say the artists you named above are a reflection of that side of his musical profile. Incidentally, the American experimental noise scene has a long history of high-concept total-immersion situationist mind-fuckery. (I had totally forgotten about this till this very moment, but five years ago I wrote an article for Stereogum comparing Death Grips to Marina Abramovic: https://www.stereogum.com/1428802/deconstructing-death-grips-no-show-live-show-and-what-we-expect-from-concerts/franchises/deconstructing/) 2. Never heard of this but needless to say, I'm intrigued... 3. So, for example, I read a lot of Mahayana Buddhist literature (hence the David Loy/Nagarjuna stuff above), and I remember at one point thinking AWK was OBVIOUSLY drawing from that particular philosophical well, because there were times he was almost (to my ear) quoting it directly. If you're familiar with the Heart Sutra, you'll probably hear it too. But one day I was reading an interview with AWK where he said something to the effect of, "A lot of people assume I read a lot of Buddhist stuff, but the truth is, I'm really not well versed in it. But I dig those types of exchanges, because they always point me in the direction of some great books that I wouldn't otherwise know." My point is, I have no idea if he's familiar with the stuff you're hearing in his work. I will say (as far as I know) he's a very literate dude whose tastes run toward some truly challenging, abstract ideas. If he does read your comment and he's not familiar with the authors you've mentioned, maybe he'll seek them out. And if it plays out like that, the world will have you to thank for whatever he produces as a result... Great stuff, man. Thanks so much for sharing!

Front to back it's probably not as strong as the first record or the Totem Skin stuff but that's a high bar, man. If I had one "complaint," it would be that there's not much variety between the songs, which is more noticeable when you're giving us four songs that run like 15 minutes apiece. But that's my only criticism, and it's more of a macro view. The individual songs themselves are basically just an endless succession of highlights. I feel like he's probably still one album away from a legit AOTY contender, but if you can just bask in the sounds as you're hearing them, it's hard to name too many bands that are better.

This is fucking incredible RJ. You put into words a lot of stuff that was flickering on the periphery of my own awareness, and introduced a few very compelljng ideas that had never occurred to me on any level. I'd fully co-sign the great majority of what you've written above, and I think you've added a lot to the conversation, both here and wherever it might occur in the future. Thank you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzwa_XCfet4

Comment #56: This one is for @RaptorJesus, in case he ever makes his way to this thread. From http://awilkeskrier.homestead.com/: "It's believed that "Andrew W.K." or the organization ANDREW W.K. has had some sort of involvement with Nicole Kidman [see Figure 11]. Images of Nicole Kidman were found on several ANDREW W.K. related websites [more later] and her name appeared in code in several of the coded messages appearing on other various websites. One website in particular spelled out a Beverly Hills address which corresponded to the address of "CAA - Creative Artists Agency". CAA is the largest agency for Hollywood actors and entertainers. CAA, which represents, among others, Tom Cruise [see below], Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, has by far the best actors' list. You'll remember that CAA is also listed as the agency which represents "Andrew Wilkes-Krier" as an actor." FYI: Per the simplest form of the AWK code, "CAA" would translate into (3)(1)(1). Or: 311. Just sayin... https://www.stereogum.com/1941116/nick-hexum-addresses-311-truther-rumors-talks-new-album/franchises/interview/

The truth will make you sad! But if it helps, here's more, from the old guiarist in AWK's band and the moderator of his website. I didn't really wanna add weight to a piece that was already a little wordy, but I could have gone longer on all this. Honestly, I just wanted to tell the story as best I could, in a way that tried to capture the feeling of FOLLOWING the story as I did, because I feel it's a really unusual and amazing thing and it deserves to be treated that way. Also, nobody has ever collected or connected this stuff - some of it is almost impossible to find even if you know what you're looking for - and I felt like somebody should at least TRY before it all disappears. https://static.stereogum.com/uploads/2018/09/20180905_160451-1537580952.jpg

As you know, I would love nothing more than to spend 11 hours talking about this subject, but I am unable to do so at the moment, I'm afraid. That said, I hoped the Crandall stuff would suffice in this regard, e.g: Gary Helsinger (former music publisher at Universal Music Publishing Group): ... everybody knows it's made up! It doesn’t blow any cover, does it? Sorry to disappoint, my man. We shall return to this topic, though, I have no doubt!

Is it 20k? I couldn't bring myself to do a word count. At some point during the process, I worried that it might wind up longer than the actual Crying Of Lot 49. Pretty relieved to find out that it didn't get that out of hand.

You should have been here for the referendum on the "correct" title of "Paint It Black" when Tom wrote about it for No. 1s last week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4irXQhgMqg

EVERYBODY ACCIDENTALLY ADDS AN APOSTROPHE TO "DYERS EVE"!!

EVERYBODY MIXES UP "DYER'S EVE" AND "TO LIVE IS TO DIE"!! That said, I appreciate your careful eye and have amended the text to reflect this. Thanks!

Aaron legitimately loves that Deicide album and has been talking it up for a month. It's absolutely inexplicable to me but I'm pretty sure the stuff I dig is absolutely inexplicable to him. So it goes!

Thanks man! I dunno about Ulysses, but I've got both a poor man's Crying Of Lot 49 and an ersatz Moneyball in various stages of completion. They'll be published here soon enough unless I die trying to finish them. Could go either way. Absolutely let me know about yr syllabus, I'm sure you've got it locked down real well already, but if I can offer any suggestions, I'd be honored to do so. I'm honored to be asked!

If it's not in next month's column I'm firing all these motherfuckers (unless it's been deemed categorically ineligible because it's "not metal enough," in which case I'm firing all these motherfuckers).

Yeah all the skate chat aside, the last two Counterparts albums are monsters. The EP is wall-to-wall heavier, but the albums are really where it's at. YNYA is a straight masterpiece. Tragedy is phenomenal. The band's lineup sorta changed in-between those two, and I think the current band has taken stuff in a more metal-qua-metal direction (which charges me up), but whoever is playing, Counterparts don't make bad music. Anybody who likes slams, riffs, blasts, solos, drums, hooks, skramz, etc, will fuck with this hard.

Yeah I had Respire included in this heavy music essay I've been writing since May. They are rad. They kinda remind me of Deafheaven/Bosse-de-Nage but with acoustic strings and horns à la Neutral Milk Hotel. It works really well. (This comment will be almost definitely be repurposed in the aforementioned essay, btw, which should be published sometime before the end of 2018.)

This reminds me, I never thanked you for hooking us up with J.A. Happ. Love that guy. True Yankee.

Never forget ❤ https://youtu.be/x9NSSCzrnRw

Also, since we're on the subject of Baker and music, I half-considered doing a post on Stereogum about these two new decks from Baker's Fall 2018 collection, but it just made no sense. Still, love seeing Baker riders hyping great music: http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0518/3033/products/dd-jarvis-tribute-mock-web_2048x2048.jpg http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0518/3033/products/sb-cannibal-8-b640-8.0-mock-web_2048x2048.jpg

Lizard King is still beasting. I just saw a new part he did and it kicked my ass. Also HIGHLY recommend the new Vans vid "Spinning Away" with Tyson Peterson, K-Walks, and Chima Ferguson (plus a ton of quick cuts from other killer skaters like Elijah Berle, Rowan Zorilla, Geoff Rowley, and the whole Vans team). The music is incredible beginning to end, they got the title from the Eno/Cale tune which soundtracks Chima's part and it is one of the best syncs I've ever seen in a skate vid. I've watched the whole thing a hundred times and I can't pick whose part is my favorite because all three just blow my mind. It's probably gonna give Chima a good look for SOTY (deservedly, although it really should go to Nyjah this year), but I cannot get over Tyson Peterson. He's 21 and he's gonna be a superstar if this is any indication. I could watch him skate for days. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBKJoDxUaNM

It's weird because a lot of awesome and super-popular skaters can barely pay rent because they don't have a sneaker deal, but people like Nyjah or P-Rod or Janoski (basically anybody who skates for Nike) have Hawk-level riches. I definitely think that contributes to the hater-ism, and generally I do prefer to support and watch the gnarlier dudes, but Nyjah is really just on some Federer shit, his style is so fucking graceful. I guess I root for him partly because he reminds me of A-Rod, who was similarly resented-yet-godlike, but A-Rod was a goofball baseball nerd while Nyjah does come off like a douche most of the time when he's not skating. He doesn't flex with sport SUVs, he's got a garage full of Lambos like Jerry Seinfeld or some shit. (I worry about his finances tbh.) Still, I will watch every goddamn clip he posts and usually watch them like 20 times in a row. I just love to watch the kid skate.

The day Nyjah releases music is the day I back off my Nyjah apologist-fanboy stance. Nobody wants to hear that.

Left unspoken was my optimistic belief that in 20 years, purveyors of heavy music will speak of their still-living influences with the reverence currently reserved for the angels. Nobody cites Fenriz as a game-changing artist, he's mostly beloved for his kooky old-weirdo persona. Similarly, Tom G. did't really pave the way for a new genre, he's a sort of singular presence in metal. The better examples would have been lane-paving auteurs like Akerfeldt or Garm or Neige, but those guys are so often cast as apostates that I'm not sure how that sentence would have read with their names swapped in for Chuck and Quorthon. All this said, I see your point, and if I were given a second chance, I would scrap the existing lede altogether, because it really does set a confusing tone, and I kinda hoped nobody would call me out on that. Damn you, you beautiful bastard!

I never said I didn't like it! I was just bogged down in other stuff, and also, I wanted to cede the floor to different writers, as a result of which you got Larry's cover story and Chris' PE, both of which are (IMHO) incredibly fucking great.

To anybody unfamiliar with the Wetnurse tune embedded in Ian's fucking brilliant essay above: SLEEP NO MORE. The best song on a legit amazing album. I am one of the people who's been bugging Curran for the follow-up, and have been doing so for longer than I care to admit.

^^^ COTW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga9UPYNfpqM