Opinions on new look for the webpage:

[Jim LotFP]

http://www.lotfp.com/index2.htm

This isn't live, of course. But there are a couple reasons for wanting to do such a thing.

First of all, the rate of subscriptions stays constant no matter the fluctuation of visitors. Since that's the case anyway, with the print edition being my major concern, I want the webpage to reflect that.

However, the rest of the site would NOT go away! It would stay as-is, so none of the stuff currently there would be lost.

Do you think the text under About LotFP accurately reflects the attitude and tone of the mag? Any better suggestions for the "our idea of x metal" lines?

 

[DBB]

Are you going to change the color in the forum to reflect the changes on the front page or leave it as is up in here?

*hums Cryptic Slaughter's "Just Went Black"*

 

[Farseer of the Benighted Land]

I prefer the white version ... it looked like actual print, was easier to read, and was unique since every other metal web site is black already.

 

[JayKeeley]

A few things, if I may:

1. I prefer it white

2. Not sure how big your monitor screen is, but on a laptop, I have to scroll across to see the entire right hand column under "Links"

3. Is Dark Throne really two words? It's not is it? I always cringe when I see that.

4. Are Deceased really that good? Good album to begin with?

5. "as we do not listen to music on the computer" should read "...on the computer or any portable MP3 player" (because you will have people tell you just to load the MP3s on to your (non-existent) iPod))

6. Can you even it all out a little so the first column under "Ordering Info" isn't three times longer than the rest of the page.

 

[Jim LotFP]

2. Not sure how big your monitor screen is, but on a laptop, I have to scroll across to see the entire right hand column under "Links"

hmmm. What is the most common screen resolution these days?

3. Is Dark Throne really two words? It's not is it? I always cringe when I see that.

Hmmm. The official site lists it as Darkthrone, but the logo clearly indicates two words. Frankly, I just don't give a shit and it's just tempting to say FOR THE LOVE OF GOD I DON'T WANT ANY BLACK METAL except there's stuff tinged with or influenced by black metal that is really fucking great. I'm not sure how to handle that in a way that's concise and accurate.

4. Are Deceased really that good? Good album to begin with?

Supernatural Addiction. Fearless Undead Machines is pretty good but would have been great at about 45 minutes instead of over an hour.

5. "as we do not listen to music on the computer" should read "...on the computer or any portable MP3 player" (because you will have people tell you just to load the MP3s on to your (non-existent) iPod))

I hate technology. Seriously.

6. Can you even it all out a little so the first column under "Ordering Info" isn't three times longer than the rest of the page.

Buy the rest of the Scum and LotFP shirts so I can remove those order forms.

 

[Jim LotFP]

And the look changed to white like I'm promoting the upcoming Nightingale or something.

 

[Jim LotFP]

http://www.lotfp.com/index3.htm

How's that look on everyone's screens? I'm at 1280 screen width, I see most people are at 1024, so hopefully that works...

 

[BenMech]

Not bad Jimbo

 

[JayKeeley]

It looks MUCH better now, and works on my little laptop screen resolution.

The official site lists it as Darkthrone, but the logo clearly indicates two words. Frankly, I just don't give a shit and it's just tempting to say FOR THE LOVE OF GOD I DON'T WANT ANY BLACK METAL except there's stuff tinged with or influenced by black metal that is really fucking great. I'm not sure how to handle that in a way that's concise and accurate.

I know, but come on man, with maintaining your credibility and all, it's spelled "Darkthrone".

 

[Jim LotFP]

I know, but come on man, with maintaining your credibility and all, it's spelled "Darkthrone".

OK, fixed.

But...

The wording of this section is perhaps something that could be better written by someone on the outside looking in. I'm very uncomfortable with the black metal part (if something new passed through here sounding like Venom, I wouldn't even associate it with black metal) but I've already mentioned by unease in trying to describe my relationship to black metal. What about the rest of it? Is it accurate?

"We favor traditionally inspired metal, including traditionally based death and black metal. Do be aware our idea of traditional metal is more The Gates of Slumber and less Dragonforce, our idea of black metal is more Venom and less Darkthrone, our idea of progressive metal is more Solefald and less Dream Theater, and our idea of death metal is more Deceased and less Suffocation."

 

[Cheiron]

I don't get your issue with Darkthrone to start, but that's okay. I mean I'm not a big fan, but I see the polars on the other ones, but oh well.

 

[Jim LotFP]

I don't get your issue with Darkthrone to start, but that's okay. I mean I'm not a big fan, but I see the polars on the other ones, but oh well.

Well they're just my poster boys for the whole Norwegian way of doing things... rough production, funny names, total aversion to color... but I could just as easily name Mayhem or Marduk or Dark Funeral or whoever. But then there are the black metal offshoots like Enslaved and Sigh and In the Woods... and Solefald and the first Hammers of Misfortune, not to mention Emperor... things that make me want to have black metal mentioned to begin with.

Another reason why the black metal comparison doesn't work is that I want a "unknown" vs "known" thing going and Venom's hardly in that lesser-known class. It also means "more Emperor less Darkthrone" wouldn't work as a comparison either.

argh.

Very thinly related: I bought Tormentor's Anno Domini the other day and it's pretty good.

 

[Cheiron]

And its okay Jim. We know you don't like Suffocation only because it has black people in it =D jk.

But I can see your problem. And I don't know any lesser known but really good black metal bands that aren't purely 'local' types.

 

[Jim LotFP]

How about this in place of that second paragraph (and again, I'd be looking for more appropriate band choices):

"If you would like your band to be considered for coverage, send a copy of what you want to be reviewed (including lyrics please) to the address below. Do not send sound files, or link to them or to Myspace as we do not listen to music on the computer. Our focus is metal, and our preference is music with meaning and permanence - what is popular right now is meaningless to us. Deep Purple, King Crimson, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Rush, Scorpions, and all the 70s bands that laid the foundation for what heavy metal could be... Angel Witch, Diamondhead, Holocaust, Iron Maiden, Venom, Saxon, and the rest of the NWOBHM for defining what metal was... Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol, Omen, Jag Panzer, Fates Warning, Manowar, Slayer, and the bands that established US heavy metal... Bathory, Celtic Frost, Possessed, Sodom, and later Morbid Angel, Death, Carcass, Entombed, and the rest that began pushing the limits of what metal could do... Megadeth, Voivod, Coroner, Hirax, Annihilator, and all those who thrashed... Discharge, DRI, ENT, Napalm Death, and all those that crossed over... Candlemass, Cathedral, Unholy, Runemagick, and all those who doom on... Watchtower, Cynic, Atheist, Spiral Architect, and the rest that give us the cleanest kills... Emperor, Enslaved, Sigh, Solefald, and the rest that separated music from the madness... Skyclad, Amorphis, Opeth, Edge of Sanity, Therion, and the rest that kept the 90s fresh... this history is what drives us and we seek the bands today that honor those that came before them by playing real heavy metal from the heart. We prefer to cover independent releases which are intended to be purchased by listeners rather than demos which are designed to attract label attention. Instrumental (and tech!) bands welcome, electro/industrial and racist/fascist bands are not."

 

[JayKeeley]

I really like the new paragraph.

However, it's a bug chunk of text isn't it. I know this really spaces it out, but how about breaking it up a little. Can you do it like this:

If you would like your band to be considered for coverage, send a copy of what you want to be reviewed (including lyrics please) to the address below. Do not send sound files, or link to them or to Myspace as we do not listen to music on the computer.

Our focus is metal, and our preference is music with meaning and permanence - what is popular right now is meaningless to us.

Deep Purple, King Crimson, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Rush, Scorpions, and all the 70s bands that laid the foundation for what heavy metal could be...

Angel Witch, Diamondhead, Holocaust, Iron Maiden, Venom, Saxon, and the rest of the NWOBHM for defining what metal was...

Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol, Omen, Jag Panzer, Fates Warning, Manowar, Slayer, and the bands that established US heavy metal...

Bathory, Celtic Frost, Possessed, Sodom, and later Morbid Angel, Death, Carcass, Entombed, and the rest that began pushing the limits of what metal could do...

Megadeth, Voivod, Coroner, Hirax, Annihilator, and all those who thrashed...

Discharge, DRI, ENT, Napalm Death, and all those that crossed over...

Candlemass, Cathedral, Unholy, Runemagick, and all those who doom on...

Watchtower, Cynic, Atheist, Spiral Architect, and the rest that give us the cleanest kills...

Emperor, Enslaved, Sigh, Solefald, and the rest that separated music from the madness...

Skyclad, Amorphis, Opeth, Edge of Sanity, Therion, and the rest that kept the 90s fresh...

This history is what drives us and we seek the bands today that honor those that came before them by playing real heavy metal from the heart. We prefer to cover independent releases which are intended to be purchased by listeners rather than demos which are designed to attract label attention. Instrumental (and tech!) bands welcome, electro/industrial and racist/fascist bands are not

 

[JayKeeley]

Also...

Manilla Road, Cirith Ungol, Omen, Jag Panzer, Fates Warning, Manowar, Slayer, and the bands that established US heavy metal...

Does US heavy metal really need to be singled out? I'm not so sure. Nothing against the bands, more the "US metal" tag. Personally, I would see Slayer as a thrash daddy before a US metal band, and so on.

 

[Jim LotFP]

Does US heavy metal really need to be singled out? I'm not so sure. Nothing against the bands, more the "US metal" tag. Personally, I would see Slayer as a thrash daddy before a US metal band, and so on.

You caught me! I tried to figure out how to handle that but couldn't come up with a better way off the top of my head. The point isn't to highlight the fact that these bands are from the US, but to basically expand on and double the names in the NWOBHM/early metal style, a subtle way of making that a bit more important (which fits perfectly with how LotFP views things I think).

Putting Slayer there instead of with the thrash crew is the same thing: the bands I listed as thrash are rather "high end" performers, and my favorite Slayer album (this month anyway, hehe) Show No Mercy, with my favorite later work being the title songs off of South of Heaven and Seasons in the Abyss - not their thrashiest work.

I want Burns and Andreas to sign off on this as well (and find a way to get their names and basic contact info up on this front page too...!) but ultimately the main contact address sitting on this site is mine and I want to do everything I can to best alert people as to what I'm going to respond to.


As for breaking up the paragraph... hmm... maybe. I think a way of shortening it a bit is to limit the number of bands mentioned in each category to four... here's what I'm playing with now: http://www.lotfp.com/index4.htm

 

[Occam's Razor]

I would agree with the term US-metal. There is indeed something like a distinctive American style of power metal that justifies the term - even though it is basically due to the lack of something more appropriate. It's just not what European bands used to offer and still do not offer.

 

[JayKeeley]

here's what I'm playing with now: http://www.lotfp.com/index4.htm

Actually, I like it. Once you see it up there in that format now, it looks good.

 

[Jim LotFP]

OK, http://www.lotfp.com/index4.htm

Four bands per category in the central column. The other guys' names and email addies on top... the latest website article added to the list of links on the right (too bad adding the caption Almost Nothing on the Internet is Worth Reading would be too wordy and cumbersome, hehe)...