Uh, sorry for not posting anything for like, months. I'm quite busy at the moment with writing my thesis, and listing to harsh Black Metal like early Mayhem, or to sorrowful tunes like Slowdive. Sounds weird? Well, welcome to my world.
Destroyer|Borderlines is about to be released in two days, and for the last few weeks a lot of reviews came in. It's funny to see that either people seem to really like it, or think it really sucks. Only very few reviews are in between those two poles. That really makes we wonder how things like "taste" work. I mean, how is it possible that two persons, listening to same same record, come to totally different conclusions?
One thing that seems to be important is, of course, the scene or subculture the listener feels hisself connected to. Like, there was this one review from this dude whose favourite bands are Children of Bodom and Blind Guardian. The "commercial metal" kind of guy. Of course he didn't like our record. He said something in the meaning of ambitious, but not executed. Other people, who I'd say also came to our shows before and in general belong to same sub-scene or hardcore like we do, like the record. Of course. They understand the different influences, the whole concept behind the album, and they don't expect us to sound like Lamb Of God or something. Then you'll find a lot of reviews written by people, who, sorry for that, don't seem to know A SHIT about music at all. Not necesserilly Hardcore, or extreme Metal. Just no clue at all. One review said "Old School Hardcore with youthcrew melodies" or crap like that. Come on, we might sound like a lot, but Old School Hardcore?! What's that anyway? It's just like names like "Indie" or "Heavy Rock". It sais SHIT about the music, it doesn't mean anything. And "youthcrew melodies", fuck, that's even worse. When I think about youth crew I think of bands like Youth Of Today or Chain Of Strength, Gorilla Buscuits, you name it. And even though those bands are kinda melodic, it's definetly a different kind of melodies than we do. When I read the review I knew what the kid who wrote it looked like: White flesh tunnels in his ears, red, checked shirt above a Go It Alone t-shirt, tight jeans, New Era Vans. Am I right? I'm sure I am. How do I know the Go It Alone shirt? Because that was the only band he compared us to. None of us ever listened to that band. The only effect reviews like that have is that the reader realizes that the writer doesn't know shit.
One guy thinks the production is bullshit, everybody else thinks it's good. Weird. Even though the cultural studies tell me that every media reception is linked to cultural influences, I don't understand how it works. Maybe the wide range of reviews tells at least one thing: Destroyer|Borderlines is a record that is not just black or white, but releases different feelings in everybody who listens to it (unlike records like "Reign In Blood" everybody loves haha), and call me pathetic: that's the only thing you can hope to achieve by playing music.
On the other hand: Do I really give a shit? Reviews mean rating music, and that doesn't make a lot of sense anyway, it's just a part of music business. I mean, when I write a review, I want to support the band (that is why you only find good ones on this blog). But a lot of reviews are written because some guy writing for some zine/blog gets it and has to review it, because he's part of the whole music-consume-machinery. Although he's writing for nothing but fame for some non-profit blog. I don't exactly know what I want to tell you haha. Just make up your own mind, listen to what you want, fuck everybody who want's to tell you what to listen to, including me. Culture belongs to you, so use it the way you want it.
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