Comment from CARTER
Time: December 31, 2008, 3:26 pm

2009 already looks good for music too, with Mastodon and Darkane releasing stuff early in the year

Comment from cody
Time: January 3, 2009, 12:02 pm

Cole, I miss our arguments. These lists have been completely amicable and it worries me. With that said, Meshuggah enjoys sucking hairy testicles.

Comment from coled24
Time: January 3, 2009, 8:30 pm

I honestly don’t miss our arguments. The end result is always me and carter not talking to you for like a month cause we don’t agree on anything. I much prefer going back and forth as a group at the uneducated masses.
If you’d really like it, I’ll take a pic of myself taking a shit on a copy of “Scarecrow” by Avantasia and post it as a reply to your Best of 2008 article. =P

Comment from cody
Time: January 3, 2009, 8:42 pm

But that would involve you actually purchasing the CD in order to really get the true effect of desecration.

Comment from coled24
Time: January 3, 2009, 9:09 pm

I would probably pay 20 bucks to take a dump in Tobias Sammet’s shoe, so I mean, I’d probably shell out the dough.

Comment from CARTER
Time: January 5, 2009, 4:47 pm

lets arrange a circle jerk around a copy of the respect issue. last one to spoot has to listen to the whole cd

Comment from cody
Time: January 5, 2009, 8:26 pm

I’d say that’s a good idea, but then the loser would be gay for listening to Emmure, nevermind the circle jerk.

Comment from Tim Keaton
Time: January 5, 2009, 11:07 pm

LOL. That’s awful. But funny as hell.

Comment from CARTER
Time: January 6, 2009, 11:30 am

I WISH someone from Emmure could see that.
Disrespecting the Respect Issue.

Ugh I feel shitty even capitalizing their band/album names.. emmure.. ugh…

Comment from Llewronymous
Time: January 6, 2009, 4:12 pm

“With Blood Comes Cleansing – Horror Christian Deathcore. Nuff said.”
Hope you are not just saying it sucks because its christian…

Comment from coled24
Time: January 6, 2009, 4:31 pm

Never really heard a christian band that I’ve liked and most deathcore is abysmal.

Comment from CARTER
Time: January 8, 2009, 11:17 am

I like Buddhist Melodic Doom

Comment from evaa
Time: January 23, 2009, 2:19 am

how come you guys don’t like Emmure?
just curious

Comment from coled24
Time: January 23, 2009, 12:47 pm

I figured someone would ask that. The three of us were exposed to Emmure at the New England Metal and Hardcore festival last year. They came on fairly late in the day and had a LOT Of fans waiting for them so we figured, hey, maybe they’re alright. What came on stage was a bunch of flat brimmed hat and tight hoodie wearing schmucks who can’t sing, write or play their instruments. I watched the guitarists just lock their hands on the neck in one spot for an entire song while the singer was dancing around on stage like Fred Durst and do some of the weakest growls I’ve heard in a while. Every single song sucks and sounds the same. They are the perfect example of whats wrong with the metal scene today: They’re prototypical Deathcore that gets insanely popular thanks to a massive ad campaign by Victory. And for that, kids flock to Hot Topic to buy their album (which I reviewed) and their shirts and hoodies.

Comment from Llewronymous
Time: January 24, 2009, 10:49 am

coled24.I see what you mean, but you should try Crimson Moonlight and Antestor of which the latter is a founder of white metal(unblack metal, now also known as black metal with christian views, a healthy alternate for those of us who just cannot resist the the cold atmosphere of black metal but fear to end up following the prince of darkness. In the end, that is just what it is, black metal with a favor of light rather than darkness, not that its happy.) There are some good christian metal bands out there, i’m not saying this one in particular is a good one because i haven’t heard and and death core is a bit low for my liking though there are some musicians i like of that particular genre. My argument is just that there are some decent christian metal bands out there so don’t just judge them because of religion. Otherwise, sometimes it is best to avoid religious topics whether its Xtian or Satanic and just focus on life as it is without those aspects. Its best to be neutral.

Comment from coled24
Time: January 24, 2009, 3:44 pm

More often than not, the “Satanic” or “Evil” metal bands out there aren’t evil or worship Satan, they just use it as a gimmick. Its kind the soul of metal if you ask me. I pledge my allegiance to no god or religion because I feel that I am more than capable of guiding myself through this life without the presence of religion. I am not a fan of Christianity and therefore I cannot get behind its music. Same goes for any band where I don’t agree with the lyrics. Look at Cattle Decapitation, pretty solid band but the lyrics are all about being how humans kill animals and how awful it is. I don’t agree with that and I cannot listen to it. I can’t even understand the vocals but I still know that the band would look down on me for my beliefs and practices, so fuck that. I’ve heard a handful of Christian bands and something is always missing to me. Listen to what you like and I’m not a fan of Christian music, so I’ll pass.

Comment from Alf
Time: January 26, 2009, 3:34 pm

Scar symmetry FTW!!!!!

Emmure and the sword will die in a van flip

Meshuggah did it

Comment from coled24
Time: January 26, 2009, 10:50 pm

The Sword is way better than Scar Symmetry. See The Sword live and I promise you will change your mind about them. Heaviest live show I’ve ever seen. Metal in its absolute purest form.

Comment from CARTER
Time: January 28, 2009, 3:20 pm

I was going to stay quiet on this because they’re a fan favorite around here but.. i keep listening to the sword on youtube and i just keep wondering what the big fuss is. Honestly they’re just not that good. I refuse to listen to any band who can barely play instruments much better than me. And I’m not that good.. It just seems like a bunch of poorly written, overly-standard metal riffs strung together with some dude trying to sound like Ozzy singing over it.. I dunno. I just think they’re horrendously overrated.

Comment from coled24
Time: January 28, 2009, 4:06 pm

Yeah, I mean, you can’t like everything. To me its like taking the energy of old Metallica and injecting into a band like Sleep. Its more energetic stoner metal. Its heavy and repetitive but I like it a lot. The riffs aren’t complex and the solos are going to melt your face off but when I hear those riffs its impossible for me to not to move my head to it. In addition, there’s a classic feel to it. Back when metal was young it wasn’t full of super technical musicians, it was just raw and heavy. Sometimes it might be muddy and sound grungy but thats almost the point. And I think thats really where The Sword fits in. Knowing that you aren’t a fan of older Metal bands at all, I think that explains why you don’t like The Sword. But whatever, if you don’t like it, you don’t like it.

Comment from CARTER
Time: January 28, 2009, 4:12 pm

They’re better than “Nephilims”

Comment from cody
Time: January 28, 2009, 7:37 pm

Carter – It’s the type of music they play, it’s not meant to be technical, as Cole said, The Sword’s music is supposed to be raw and powerful. If you listen to bands like Bongzilla, Cathedral, and Electric Wizard, they have really drawn out riffs with tons of reverb. It’s just the style.