C o n t r i b u t o r s
Note: None of these statements have been edited
In response to PA Hunger USBM 'Zine editorial #1 "USBM/New Mentality"
From: Maria, XLunarAurora@aol.com
I agree with you 100% about how pretentious people in Unholy Metal can be. Fuck them and their BROOTAL death metal and grindcore. I praise you for putting together a zine in honor of black metal, whether it be from the US or not. I support anything that is Pro-black metal. Anyone who thinks there is no American Black Metal Scene is quite blind. Unfortunately, I'm not much of a "scene person," but I do make an effort to support black metal, whether it be going to a show (the few we have around here!), buying merchandise, or simply raving about it. I also do know that there are quite a few good BM bands from the US. I admit I do like more European bands, but there is something hateful about USBM, a lot of it has such a misanthropic element. I don't know of too many USBM bands who use those stupid psuedo-operatic female vocals that grate on my nerves.
I have a feeling that the reason many people are blind to USBM is because they hate America (Right, like all of Norway is infested with metal?). Once they stop whining about how badly they want to move to Germany or Scandinavia, because they think they'll have it so easy there, then I'm sure they'll realize that there are more than 3 USBM bands, and actually realize that a lot of it is good. Bloodstorm, December Wolves and Summon are fine examples of USBM. Benighted, Ibex Throne, Algol and Kult ov Azazel are great USBM bands I would like to hear more of in the future. A member of Cult of Daath is sending me some of their material soon, and I look forward to hearing it.
My reason for the scene here not being strong is because of lack of unity. There are maybe only a handful of bands that get along, I've noticed. Location could be a big factor, too. Nowhere in the US do you see a cluster of BM bands all from one area. It is difficult for a few of the bands to get together and play out often. But at least we have the various fests, and plus, they get to play shows in their respective areas.
I also agree with you about there not being a solid base for metal here. I too, have a friend from Germany, who works at a radio station where he gets to play extreme metal. How many radio stations here get to do that? A few years ago I had a radio show where I played extreme music, unfortunately, it got cancelled. However, the effort I put into it went a long way, as in, getting bands booked to play in Albany, giving all sorts of bands exposure, etc.
Well, I must end this letter now (work calls =/), but as a closing statement, I would like to say I would gladly contribute more to the black metal scene, in any way, shape or form.
Hail ALL BM.
From: abeigor@hotmail.com
Sedit,
Abe from BREM here. Just read your editorial about USBM and the online chatroom...great thoughts! Here in the Bay Area of California, there is a huge scene, but bands like mine will probably never have the chance to play with bands from PA. That rips me, but it's a fact of life. The last issue of Canada's UNRESTRAINED! mag devoted a page or two to the American black metal scene, with a great interview with Proscriptor, and his suggestion was that all the black metal bands should move to the same state (say TX or CA) and build a scene there. Pipe dream perhaps, but a nice thought nonetheless. Anyway, good rebuttal to all the asses out there who are too dumb to realize that scenes don't happen without a fanbase.
-Abe S.
BREM / Spiritual Eclipse
From: keith666@earthlink.net
Hail, Keith here from AKHKHARU, I just read your editorial on you site. I
have to agree completely with your views. I am originally from England but
have lived here most of my life. I was over there about a week ago some of
my friends there have more trouble finding black metal than I do, but they
live in the country. When I was in London for a couple of days, on the other
hand, I went into a tower records and they had a huge separate metal
section, I could have spent a fortune. As for the seen in this country
people have to get of their ass and look for it, but if it became
commercialized they would destroy the musical integrity of the bands. In
Europe they respect music, over here it's all about the money. Just a little
tidbit last year or the year before in Germany Hammerfall knocked Brittany
spears of the #1 spot on the billboard charts over there ha ha ha!!!!!!
From: DaVEiSGoDD@aol.com
i was looking through your site, and came across the "editorial," i never really gave the USBM scene much thought as I don't even know many bands....most of the bands I know in the USBM scene, are friends of mine... Bloodthrone / Grom / Ceremonium....then of course there are other bands that I have heard of like Forest of Impaled / Veneficum, that are also very strong bands, unfortunately not receiving the recognition they deserve..
when i read your editorial it also "shed light" on various topics. i for one never really cared for the USBM scene, as i was new to it, and the European scene seemed to be thriving....well it was thriving 10 years ago. bands that once had a stronghold in the black metal community are moving on to other things...Dodheimsgard (doing a good job sucking at techno.) Emperor (letting the world know they would rather not play live shows). Burzum (have fun in jail.)
and also US bands want to keep the brutality in metal. i find that many of the US bands are heavier, and more brutal than a lot of shit out there...and this goes for all the metal genres...
the underground has always been around, and will always be around, so as you said, rather than putting down OUR music, its better the unite, and make it stronger..
i try to get as many connections with as many places / bands / and other establishments, for many reasons, it definitely helps our name to get out there in the world, it also shows that there are people who want to form "alliances" and have a stronghold in the genre. its better to unite rather than say how much everything sucks, and yet do nothing about it
-Dave
From: Askr710210
I have just read your Editorial with great interest.
I seem to remember being in the Room either when this opinionated individual made his statements or more likely during the aftermath when much conversation had been stimulated discussing the relative merits of various 'scenes'.
As you are aware my wife Cathy and I were keen to gauge British attitudes towards the US Black Metal scene as compared to 'home grown' music. Unfortunately, there is such a lack of genuine knowledge about USBM or at best a confusion over band names and locations that our efforts proved futile. There was no suggestion that Brit Metal Fans felt that USBM was 'unworthy' or 'inferior' simply that there has been very little journalistic coverage of the phenomenon and unless an individual puts in the effort to seek out new scenes they tend only to know what the magazines deem fit to write about.
As in so many things the UK seems to be a 'Half Way House' between the US and Continental Europe as far as Metal is concerned. There is a distinctive lack of media coverage for the more extreme musical genres but this is compensated for by having a close knit Underground and a plethora of Underground publications. We as a music buying nation lack the Metal as Mainstream mentality possessed by Germany and Scandinavia and as a result are less forgiving towards the mass of generic metal that comes from the Continent. The most galling feature of the British Alternative scene is the thousands of American Nu Metal 'wannabes' that infest our towns and cities. In this respect the UK is still very much influenced by US music and culture in general.
Whilst still mulling over your words I went on to read the Reviews page. It struck me as possibly very revealing that whilst reviewing various CD's you made reference to Nine European bands, two of them twice, to outline similarities and make comparisons. This heavily outweighed the number of US extreme groups used as terms of reference to describe their peers.
The physical geography of the US will always hold back small, underground scenes from uniting in terms of playing live and socialising. That is a given. However, a small number of bands in any given area can generate a scene out of all proportion to the size and population of their locality. Norway has a comparatively tiny population so the numbers of Black Metallers in places like Bergen must be minuscule. This is often forgotten because four bands from the same city can have a huge musical impact on the global scene as a whole.
There is a case for saying that we should all be blind to geographical, socio-economic and cultural boundaries when listening to our favoured musical genres. At the end of the day a band's nationality should never outweigh the emotional impact they have on the listening individual.
I have a certain sympathy for this view but personally am active in bolstering and elevating the extreme scene in both my country and my region. To be brutally honest my 'missionary' zeal began in the late eighties and early nineties when I became concerned and angered at the almost total musical domination of our Thrash and early Death Metal scenes by the United States. Ironically my own tape and LP collection mirrored this American preponderance. This motivated me to seek out British and fellow European bands instead. Happily, this hunt coincided with the beginning of what I call The New Wave Of Swedish Death Metal and the rest as they say is history.
It is through people like you and your publications that I will grow in my understanding of other countries music. With understanding will come appreciation and we can both dream that some time in the future everbody's National Extreme Scene will be able to stand proud and tall inhabiting their own unique niche in the Global Metal Market.
I Thank You.
KEITH
