Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Black Metal Revolution 2010 - The Year that was...

My goal for Black Metal Revolution in 2010 was indeed greater than the manifest reality, but whether that means the year was unsuccessful is an entirely different debate. Intending to print this year, I'm not sure at what stage I realised this was not probable, though instead of lamenting what wasn't, 2010 remained a positive one with a collection of over 90 strong submissions that will appear between the book's covers.

Having posted a series of previews which you can see here, it would be erroneous to suggest these are the highlights of the collection, but what they do appear as are pieces that work well in isolation of their contemporaries. And while online seems a wholly suitable platform for some of the longer submissions, I think there's a degree of excitement to be found in the prospect of a listener taking the time to pull the record in question off the shelf and play it in concert with the pages or even chapters that are slowly materialising on some of BM's most revered artists and their records. And some of the more epic submissions demand this; a truth I can attest.

In one sense, the delays have provided for opportunities to include releases that even three months ago would not have been possible. Order From Chaos' 'Dawn Bringer' being one such recording, having never before been realised on the vinyl format, and recently announced as part of an NWN box set discography slated for 2011. If you were unaware, the book is only accepting submissions on recordings that have materialised on vinyl. If you were unaware of the importance for me in having submissions on OFC, consider yourself enlightened.

The demise of 2010 finds me still chasing a host of bands I seemed to have been chasing this time last year, though I deem all these acts well worthy of inclusion and acknowledge that what I am pursuing is conceptually simple, sometimes finding the right words to articulate that which you hold above all else is another matter entirely. This is not exactly teaching me patience, but it does no harm...

I have posted lists here and there covering all the artists who have submitted pieces thus far, so I won't revisit that at this time , but what I will say is that the year saw offerings come from a host of hordes truly important to me. Among those, Proscriptor from Absu, Master from Bestial Mockery, Impurath from Black Witchery, RR of Blasphemophagher fame, Denial Of God's Ustu, Azgorgh, the menace behind Drowning The Light, Tormentor from Gorgoroth, Meads Of Asphodel's Metatron, and submissions from the expected voices behind entities such as Toxic Holocaust, Rites Of Thy Degringolade, Profanatica, Satanic Warmaster, Sperm Of Antichrist, Raspberry Bulbs, Negative Plane, Morbosidad, Midnight and many more...

Having read through the close to 100 submissions I have acquired, it is clear that the goal of 333 needs to be met in order to adequately cover the quintessential BM records I deem necessary for inclusion. In no way are people coerced into writing or not writing about specific offerings though considering the myriad of master-works that have materialised since Venom's '82 monument, it's desirable to see as many of these recordings discussed in this light.

At a glance, the following are yet to find an author putting them under the microscope - so to speak. I for one am hoping to see at least some of these adopted...

IMMORTAL Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism
DARKTHRONE Transilvanian Hunger
BURZUM Burzum, Det Som Engang Var
GEHENNA Descending, First Spell
MASTER'S HAMMER Jilmenice Occultist
HAVOHEJ Dethrone The Son Of God
DISSECTION The Somberlain
MARDUK Dark Endless
MORBID December Moon
MERCILESS The Awakening
MAYHEM Grand Declaration Of War
PROFANATICA Split W/ Masacre
CARPATHIAN FOREST Chasms, Caves...
TORMENTOR Anno Domini
KAT Metal and Hell
BEHERIT Oath, Drawing Down The Moon
CELTIC FROST Emperor's Return
EMPEROR In The Nightside Eclipse
ENSLAVED Vikingligr Veldis
NECROMANTIA Scarlet Evil
SATYRICON The Shadowthrone
SIGH Scorn Defeat
TORGEIST Time Of Sabbath, Devoted To Satan

This list should not suggest that in order for an record to be revered that it must be drawing on 20 years old either. I see more of this on the horizon...

Onwards into 2011 we go with a goal of at least reaching the 200th submission...

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