- Jun 26, 2003
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As founding Death and Black Metal musicians reach middle age and the genre celebrates its twentieth anniversary, original fans too approach the chronological knife-edge separating the late thirties and early forties. This is notable because Metal, as a genre, is often typified as celebrating youth, or giving voice to the anger felt by a generation raised under Bible-Belt Christianity or greed-based Capitalism; showcasing a noisy rebellion against scared elders.
Do you foresee yourself ever growing out of metal entirely as middle and finally old age approach? Reasons for such may range from succumbing to the lure of the system itself, mellowing with middle-aged spread or simply hedging ones bets spiritually just in case that Hell place is real after-all (as Pascal might ask, what are Burzum cds compared to eternal torment?).
I ask you, gentle reader, will Immolation hold the same appeal in fifty years time, walking stick gripped firmly in hand?
One of the most notable changes, tinged slightly with sadness, I underwent in my later teenage years was the realisation that I no longer classed myself as a Metal-head or felt much loyalty towards the current genre except out of habit. Someone wise once said you never like a band the way you like them when youre fourteen and for me, the times of hero-worship had passed.
Concomitant with that however was an increased appreciation of select albums. While the field of my listening narrowed, the quality increased four-fold. Now, at 22, other worlds of Classical, Dark Ambient, Electronic and traditional Folk music have opened before me. The ideology Ive developed through my learning is reflected in my listening and the ideals championed by Metal remain an integral part of my character.
Personally, I will always have a fondness for certain extreme albums I consider genius, even if they may gather dust somewhere of have been passed on to relatives. A much-maligned vocalist once wrote, in regards to having a lingering appreciation of Metal, theres a part of me thats always sixteen, Ive found the secret to eternal youth.
Listening to the intro to Hell Awaits or the opening bars of Day of Suffering, its hard to disagree.
Do you foresee yourself ever growing out of metal entirely as middle and finally old age approach? Reasons for such may range from succumbing to the lure of the system itself, mellowing with middle-aged spread or simply hedging ones bets spiritually just in case that Hell place is real after-all (as Pascal might ask, what are Burzum cds compared to eternal torment?).
I ask you, gentle reader, will Immolation hold the same appeal in fifty years time, walking stick gripped firmly in hand?
One of the most notable changes, tinged slightly with sadness, I underwent in my later teenage years was the realisation that I no longer classed myself as a Metal-head or felt much loyalty towards the current genre except out of habit. Someone wise once said you never like a band the way you like them when youre fourteen and for me, the times of hero-worship had passed.
Concomitant with that however was an increased appreciation of select albums. While the field of my listening narrowed, the quality increased four-fold. Now, at 22, other worlds of Classical, Dark Ambient, Electronic and traditional Folk music have opened before me. The ideology Ive developed through my learning is reflected in my listening and the ideals championed by Metal remain an integral part of my character.
Personally, I will always have a fondness for certain extreme albums I consider genius, even if they may gather dust somewhere of have been passed on to relatives. A much-maligned vocalist once wrote, in regards to having a lingering appreciation of Metal, theres a part of me thats always sixteen, Ive found the secret to eternal youth.
Listening to the intro to Hell Awaits or the opening bars of Day of Suffering, its hard to disagree.
