30.4.11

The silence inside the tomb

I came across Agalloch last year with their 2010 album, Marrow of the Spirit. I had decided that I wanted to get back to listening to more metal. I'd been reading a lot of year end lists, as I tend to do, and Agalloch's album was atop many of those lists, so I decided to check it out. I really like the album as a whole, it's solid from start to finish. The album's centerpiece, and my favorite track, is Black Lake Nidstång.

A quick aside, perhaps it's just me, but I really, really, really detest the way people throw the word "epic" around these days. That said, I can't come up with a better word to describe this song. It's like a long journey, an odyssey, a fucking epic, as suggested by the album cover above. The song is 17 and a half minutes long and I love every second of it. I dunno, it's that powerful to me. The vocals in the second verse give me chills every time I hear it. Try it, maybe you'll like it. Have a little patience, though, it's nearly 20 minutes long. I feel like it's worth it. And if you like that, the album is worth obtaining.

Agalloch - Black Lake Nidstång

16.4.11

The fruit is deformed children

I caught PJ Harvey's traveling road show the other night. She looked magnificent, decked out in a full length white gown with a raven perched atop her head. This is my favorite song from her new album, Let England Shake. I'm not sure what she means by "the fruit is deformed children," but I'm guessing it's the aftereffects of war.

PJ Harvey - The Glorious Land

10.4.11

Christopher Johnson

Another fictional character inspired mix. This time, it's District 9's Christopher Johnson. I like that the alien has adopted a perfectly average English name. I'd guess it's because the stranded aliens are all worker class. Anyway, I liked his story, how he's trying to collect enough fuel to get his people back home and the outrage he feels when he realizes the humans are experimenting on the "prawns." Very enjoyable film.

For the mix, I was just going for feel. The crushing weight of his situation, but with a tiny glimmer of light off in the distance. Press play, maybe you'll like it.