Ragnarokkr 2015

[Diabolik]

To Bob's assertion of diversity, I submit the 2005 lineup of Maryland Deathfest: You've got the gore-infused Carcass style of death metal purveyed by bands like Lord Gore, Impaled and General Surgery, grindcore stalwarts Pig Destroyer, Regurgitate, Birdflesh, and Leng T'che, blasphemic legends Immolation, brutal death metal legends Cryptopsy, brutal death up-and-comers Wormed, and DIY workhorses like Magrudergrind waiting to pick up the pieces.

Now, in light of this, I'd think the casual death metal listener has heard of maybe four or five of these bands, and given a serious listen to maybe two or three. This is only about half the bands at that festival (other names not mentioned: Warscars, Guttural Secrete, XXX Maniak, Kill the Client, Despised Icon, Ion Dissonance, Amoebic Dysentery, etc. etc). Just understand that what you think is a nuance sense of "diversity" isn't really diversity.

But I'm not clamoring for utmost diversity here; it wouldn't be Ragnarokkr if they started lining the roster with death metal bands or something like that. And I don't want it to be Chicago Powerfest either. I'm just saying that given a lineup that has 30-40 bands, 25 or more of which I've never even heard of (yet, somehow I have an idea of how they'll sound based on stereotypes and genre tropes), I'm not as excited to delve into it.

Plus the band name Dogbane just sucks. And I'm not listening to a band with that name.

But in the end all those bands you mentioned at all just death metal bands...it isn't different genre's...you are hitting mostly the same crowd...I look at that as different styles of death metal, not genres. I am talking about genre's like thrash, doom, and traditional metal. Those are three different genres altogether. I am actually shocked by your comments...you seemed more sensible and in-the-know than you are writing. Not a big deal if you don't come...you are a fun guy to hang out with at shows. Just odd that you will look for any unheard of death metal act but can't go to youtube to hear a few bands that you actually may like but the names make you think generic metal. I guess this fest isn't KVLT enough...oh well.

Plus the Dogbane comment is pretty much an odd statement for someone as open minded about music as you seem to be. Look at some of the names of bands you mentioned and think how silly those sound. Just saying.

 

[Jasonic]

Make Me a Donut?? Brilliant!!!

Ever hear of the midwest band, Whoppers Taste Good???

 

[J. Golden]

Plus the band name Dogbane just sucks. And I'm not listening to a band with that name.

I'm sure no one in the band is going to loose sleep.
But please humorous us, your issue with the name is? Please enlighten us not on the asinine reason for not listening to a bad because of their name, but the issue you have with the name. The opinionated should be able to back up their opinions.

 

[dcowboys311]

I think every single person hating on the name comment has made remarks about not listening to a band because of their "VERB the NOUN" name or their logo

 

[J. Golden]

I think every single person hating on the name comment has made remarks about not listening to a band because of their "VERB the NOUN" name or their logo

That is a stupid reason not to listen to a band. Maybe there is one I have that attitude about but find it hard to come up with one at the moment.

 

[Justin G]

Plus the band name Dogbane just sucks. And I'm not listening to a band with that name.

That's your loss then. They're quite good at the traditional/doom sound.

 

[Justin G]

That is a stupid reason not to listen to a band. Maybe there is one I have that attitude about but find it hard to come up with one at the moment.

The DC hardcore bands whose names all sounded like Steven Seagal movie titles?

 

[J. Golden]

The DC hardcore bands whose names all sounded like Steven Seagal movie titles?

point... I do have an aversion to bands with sentence fragment names

 

[Palabra de Dios]

The Dogbane comment was a joke, not an opinion about the band's sound. I think it's a silly name. I listened to a couple of YouTube songs; it's not my cuppa tea. The joke about their name was just an extra tag on my post about early Maryland Deathfest. Still, with a name that silly, they'd have to be a bit better than average to impress me past "Meh, it's all right."

And this in not just about Dogbane; I really don't have any hate for the band, they're just not my style. But I guess neither is a lot of what I heard on that Ragnarokkr roster either. None of what I did check out actually got me super jazzed. High Spirits I really liked, which made me excited to see them at Alehorn. But I'd much rather see Dawnbringer. With a lot of the "true metal" or proto-metal bands, the vocals and lyrical themes do it in for me. So many of these bands just have terrible singers. Now, if you don't like growls, screams, harsh vocals, black/death/whatevercore, I get it. But I'm turned off way less by generic versions of those vocal styles than when I hear a traditional metal band with a singer who can't hold a tune. It's like that band Sacred Steel - they have everything I should love in a band, cool album art, cool lyrics, cool song titles, even some rockin' riffs - but when that singer goes I just fucking hate it. And with some of those Ragnarokkr bands I checked out, it just seemed more of the same. And some of those songs are just about drinkin' and partyin' and rockin', like it's still 1984. And when it comes to thrash metal, that's my least favorite style too.

The contradiction to all that is my love for Manilla Road. Those vocals aren't traditionally good either I guess. But goddamn I love Manilla Road. And a few others here and there; but I just can't go to a whole fest of that stuff. I'd fall asleep. And that Ragnarokkr band list is like 40 bands deep of that stuff.

And Bob isn't completely right either. The genres represented by early MDF aren't just variations on the death metal theme. I have learned even more of this in the years since going to that fest in 2005. I love death metal; but I genuinely can only handle grindcore in small quantities. And the audiences for grindcore and death metal, while there is some overlap, are quite different. I learned this by going to the MDF online forum years ago; those grindcore and hardcore dudes would post about shows full of bands I'd never heard of - and since looking into some of those band, I'm still not into them. And believe me, those bands have some stupid fucking names too. It just so happens that Weekend Nachos, kinda fucking rules. They'd have to. Weekend Nachos is a 20 times dumber name than Dogbane.

 

[J. Golden]

You still have not explain why the name is "dumb" quite interested in hearing this.
And of course you like Manilla Road, every hip kvly guy likes Manilla Road it is like a first box on the checklist of being underground.

 

[dcowboys311]

Not to speak for PdD but it just sounds funny -- I had to look up what it is. It's like naming a band Cummingtonite. Maybe a geologist would think "OH! COOL" but every other English speaking person on planet Earth is going to think "LLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLL"

 

[MeTuLHeD]

point... I do have an aversion to bands with sentence fragment names

Protest The Hero?

 

[Justin G]

Not to speak for PdD but it just sounds funny -- I had to look up what it is. It's like naming a band Cummingtonite. Maybe a geologist would think "OH! COOL" but every other English speaking person on planet Earth is going to think "LLLLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLL"

I have a similar reaction when I read kvlt black metal band names. Hlksdlkc, you say? And your discography is 50 hand made cassettes? That's not ridiculous at all.

 

[dcowboys311]

^^Good one

 

[Mardoch]

Protest The Hero?

That's a valid imperative sentence.

 

[TENTH DREAMER DECEIVER]

Pain of Salvation?

 

[Palabra de Dios]

Brian (dcowboys311) summed up my thoughts exactly. I had no idea it was a plant. I had to look it up. Otherwise it just looks like "the bane of dog." Which is dumb.

 

[Palabra de Dios]

And of course you like Manilla Road, every hip kvlt guy likes Manilla Road it is like a first box on the checklist of being underground.

No, the first box on the checklist is claiming that Burzum's vocals are good.

 

[J. Golden]

Brian (dcowboys311) summed up my thoughts exactly. I had no idea it was a plant. I had to look it up. Otherwise it just looks like "the bane of dog." Which is dumb.

“You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.”
― Harlan Ellison

The bands name is perfect for a stoner-ish rock/doom metal band. A plant used in Native American Ritual, a plant that is poisoniness to eat, um sounds thoughtout to me.

 

[J. Golden]

No, the first box on the checklist is claiming that Burzum's vocals are good.

HA, I agree.
There certainly should be one (a check list).
I just heard something else from Bob the other day about a black metal show that is exclusive and you need something like a password to get into or something like that. How fuckin stupid is that, and what kind of dumbass would buy into an idea like this? It does take the whole VIP/gold badge douchebaggery to a new level. But certainly that has to be some ultimate kvlty street credit status point grab.
I guess everyone needs something.:Smug: