” Sure, there are longtime USBM diehards like Inquisition, Absu, and Averse Sefira, groups who’ve been there for decades, and who will keep releasing strong albums without showing up on your non-metal friend’s iPod.”
Brandon Stosuy, Pitchfork 23/09/11
I think it’s the statement “without showing up on your non-metal friends ipod” which really offends me. I just find it so unbearably smug…mind USBM (U.S. Black Metal) is not everyone’s cup of tea…knowing some underground metal acts discography by bands entrenched in the scene does not mean you are any more or less a metal fan than someone whos favourite band is Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax or Megadeth. So what if ‘visible’ Black Metal such as Wolves In The Throne Room and Liturgy have crossed over..and so what if that’s how people get into metal? It’s just the lack of respect for listeners and the pure simple joy of loving music that really fucks me over. I’m going to gladly trot down to my local record shop on Monday and buy the new Mastodon album. Now I don’t have a lot of metal, but I LOVE metal. I love what some fuck head once refered to as Hipster Metal, but I also love METAL, I LOVE SABBATH, I LOVE THE BIG FOUR. Napalm Death got me into extreme music..System Of A Down, Tool, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Slayer, Anthrax, Nails. I like it raw and hard and fast. I find the above statement so divisive as if there’s some battle line drawn between 2 warring factions. Between metal and non-metal. Folks there is no fucking line! There is just MUSIC and LOVING MUSIC. Metallica AND Absu.
