Today was “Weird Metal News Day,” apparently…

First, Invisible Oranges posted about pornstar Sasha Grey is attempting to become a metal critic, which I guess might be interesting, although it sounds like her taste is mostly restricted to Sunn O))) and other Southern Lord-type releases. That’s the second porn star I know of who is into extreme metal, the other being Liz Vicious. Kinda makes you wonder..

Then I found something even more bizarre: this article in SFGate. Apparently veteran actor Christopher Lee is performing vocals on a symphonic metal album called Charlemagne: By The Sword And The Cross. He has worked with Rhapsody and Manowar before, so it’s not like this is completely out of left field. The album will be released in March, and is also being adapted into a stage musical.

You can check out some samples from the album at the Charlemagne MySpace page. The music sounds pretty tame, which I guess is not that surprising. The samples don’t contain too much actual ‘metal’ stuff, but you can hear some guitars here and there. I’m having a hard time deciding whether to be amused by it or to think it’s awesome because it contains Christopher Lee.

This seems to be all over the internet already but I think it’s hilarious so I’m going to post about it anyway. Death metal band Embryonic Devourment are basing their next album Vivid Enterpretations Of The Void on the Reptilian Agenda, which is a conspiracy theory developed by former professional football player, author and reporter David Icke.

Icke’s theory essentially states that a race of 7-foot blood-drinking, shape-shifting reptilian humanoids from outer space secretly controls the world. Many world leaders, including both Bush presidents, Hillary Clinton and Tony Blair are asserted to either be controlled by the reptilians or to be themselves reptiles in disguise.

You can check out Wikipedia for a bit of info on David Icke and the Reptilian Agenda, or you can check out some of Icke’s books on the subject:

» The Biggest Secret: The Book That Will Change the World

» The David Icke Guide to the Global Conspiracy

If all that’s not enough, you might want to check out the lengthy interview that Embryonic Devourment posted recently on their MySpace page with Zulu Shaman Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa talking about reptilians and all sorts of other bizarre stuff.

I recently learned of Thomas Karlsson though a fairly cryptic news item on Ajna Offensive titled “Qliphotic Qabalah, Goetic Magic and Draconian Initiations,” which at first glance seemed to have nothing to do with music and had me curious as to what it was all about.

Karlsson is best known to metal fans as the lyricist of Swedish metal band Therion. He also has two advanced degrees and is working towards a PhD at Stockholm University, where he teaches a course in Western esotericism. He has also written several books on occult topics.

Karlsson is also the founder of Dragon Rouge, a magical order focusing on the darker side of magic and the Left-Hand Path. The order has numerous members and several lodges worldwide, including Therion founding member Christofer Johnsson.

The main purpose of the Ajna article was to announce that Karlsson will be travelling to the US to lead the first Dragon Rouge magical working on American soil. From the Ajna description:

“Thomas Karlsson will lead the first official Dragon Rouge magical working on the American continent. This evening we will explore the tunnels of the Qliphoth and work with Typhonian Alchemy and Goetic invocations, where we summon initiatory entities like Lilith and Lucifer.”

He’ll be visiting Seattle, of all places, on the 18th of September this year, and he will also appear at the Esoteric Book Conference on September 19th and 20th to give a lecture and present one of his books. Click the banner below for more info.

Originally when I planned to feature notable artists from the metal scene on this site, I had a short list of prominent names (Dave McKean, Dan Seagrave, Travis Smith, Wes Benscoter, etc.) and I was actually worried that I’d run out pretty quickly. Instead, I’ve been discovering new artists faster than I’ve been able to post about them, and have been generally amazed at how many talented artists and designers are out there contributing to the scene.

The subject of this post is Belgian artist Christophe Szpajdel, an artist whose name may not be as recognizable as the artists mentioned above, but whose body of work is at least as pervasive in metal as any of them. Szpajdel has designed over 7,000 band logos, including the iconic logos of Emperor, Enthroned, Nargaroth, Tsjuder, Horna, Moonspell and Nachtmystium. A forestry engineer by trade, Szpajdel draws inspiration from landscapes, forests and other aspects of nature. He also is influenced by different styles of architecture he encounters while travelling, and he has lately begun exploring different directions such as Art Deco and Art Nouveau.

Various interviews with Szpajdel over the years have revealed him to be a fascinating and complex person whose passion for underground metal is matched only by his enthusiasm for his profession. He speaks eight languages, has traveled the world performing research, and possesses almost encyclopedic knowledge about regional metal scenes and bands.

It’s interesting that Szpajdel has admitted that he has, at least in the past, preferred not to receive direct monetary compensation for his logos. Instead, he requests several copies of the bands’ CDs so that he can both make some money and promote the band. His commitment to the scene is also evident in his method of choosing which bands to design logos for - he compiles information about the band and makes a decision based on the level of dedication the band displays to their music.

You can read more about Christophe Szpajdel in this excellent 2002 interview by Maelstrom Magazine, as well as this interview in Vice Magazine. You can also find Szpajdel on MySpace and Flickr.

I always like it when musicians have a strong set of beliefs, meanings or philosophies they try to express through their music. Deathspell Omega is a good example - as amazing as their music is, it exists as an expression and extension of the deep philosophical positions of the band.

Little-known Portland, OR black metal band Eldrig is another such band. They recently began maintaining an Eldrig Blog which gives some insight into their philosophy and the ideas which go into their songs. It explains the origins of the band name, provides lyrics for the band’s latest release, among other things.

Perhaps the most fascinating tidbit is a post describing the themes behind each song on the band’s debut, along with some original chord/rhythm diagrams used in recording the album. It’s interesting not only reading about the band’s lyrical themes, but also getting an inside look at how Eldrig’s brand of extreme metal is conceived, written down and ultimately recorded.

Check out the Eldrig Blog at http://eldrig.blogspot.com/ and make sure to give the band’s latest release, 2008’s “Mysterion,” a listen as well! Some sample tracks can be found on Eldrig’s MySpace page.

Most metal fans should know Niklas Sundin as guitarist and founding member of Dark Tranquillity. In addition to his musical contributions to Dark Tranquillity and Laethora, his other death metal project, Sundin has also become increasingly active as an artist, graphic designer and photographer. He now handles all artwork and merchandise design for Dark Tranquillity, and has designed cover art and layouts for numerous other bands as well. Some recent clients include At The Gates, Evergrey and Arch Enemy.

You can view Sundin’s work at Cabin Fever Media. He also maintains a blog at NiklasSundin.com to share personal tidbits, rough sketches, and various artwork updates.

Sundin is an avid photographer as well, and he maintains an online portfolio of his photos. Subjects range from informal shots of fellow band members to various concert photos and numerous shots from the band’s travels on various tours worldwide. You can also check out his Flickr account directly.

Sundin has recently published Gadus Morhua, a book of his artwork and sketches. Both volumes are now sold out, but Niklas’s blog has links to PDF versions so you can see what you missed. The Cabin Fever site also mentions that prints and original artwork will be available for purchase in the near future.

Like France’s genre-bending Alcest, the U.K.’s one-man band Caïna blends elements of black metal with elements of post-rock and shoegaze, creating a style that is completely his own.  While Alcest’s music has an enveloping, dream-like quality, Caïna’s style is more deliberate and contemplative, with long melancholic acoustic passages giving way to sections of anguished ambient blackness.

Caïna’s lone member, .A., is quite forthcoming about his musical interests and influences.  He maintains a blog detailing his listening habits and musical history, although it now appears he prefers to post on the Caïna MySpace page, where you can check out his Top 20 albums of 2007, among other things.

Both of Caïna’s releases last year, the "Mourner" album and the "I, Mountain" 3" on God Is Myth, are now sold out.  Amazon.com still appears to have a few copies of "Mourner" in stock though, and you may be able to find some other Caïna releases over at Aquarius Records.

Caïna has quite a bit of new music planned for 2008.  A new full-length titled "Temporary Antennae" will be released in the fall on Profound Lore, and two splits, a 7" with Krieg and a 10" with Process of Guilt, are both slated for late Spring/early Fall.  Caïna’s MySpace page currently has a sample up from the "Temporary Antennae" album.

The SF Weekly recently paid tribute to one of music’s enduring icons: the beard.  The article counts down the top 10 beards in today’s music scene (with pictures of course), covering everything from reggae and hip-hop to indie rock and metal.  Mastodon were the first act that came to mind upon seeing the headline, and sure enough Troy Saunders and Brett Hinds’ formidable facial hair made its way to #7 on the list.  And what list of beards would be complete without Kerry King’s notorious bald, tattoed head and evil-dwarf-style beard?  King makes Slayer the highest ranking metal artist on the list, coming in at #4.

The article makes no honorable mentions, so I’ll add my own:

Om’s Chris Hakius is certainly a worthy candidate.  Hakius announced this week that he is leaving the band, so maybe that disqualifies him.

It’s also hard to argue with Decrepit Birth vocalist Bill Robinson’s scraggly and dissheveled facial hair.  This guy is the real deal - when not growling and moshing at shows, he supposedly lives in a self-made dwelling in the woods surrounding Santa Cruz. 

It’s always awesome when members of your favorite bands have their own blogs: you get to see what music they listen to, get the inside scoop on upcoming releases, and generally learn what makes them tick.  For example, Aaron Turner of ISIS has been digging Deadwood on DVD and the Bioshock video game lately, and Fear Falls Burning has been listening to Sunn O))) and Miles Davis.  It’s great when an artist’s playlist not only gives you greater insight into their musical inspiration, but also encourages you to check out some musicians you never would have otherwise.

Kayo Dot violinist Mia Matsumiya’s LiveJournal is whole different animal - sure, it’s got info on Kayo Dot and Mia’s other projects, such as Tartar Lamb, Gregor Samsa, and Ghastly City Sleep, but mostly you’ll learn that Mia has some very strange and interesting ways of keeping herself entertained.  Topics range from her experiences as a medical experiment test subject to her fear of ventriloquist dummies.  Definitely one of the more interesting personalities in the world of metal, at least that I’ve come across.  Mia’s MySpace page is also worth checking, and perhaps updated more frequently..

Mia and Kayo Dot’s Toby Driver recently released "sixty metonymies" under the name Tartar Lamb, with Mia on violin and Toby on guitar and vocals.  From the press release:

This full-length CD package features the title piece, a modern electroacoustic quartet exquisitely recorded by Randall Dunn (Sunn0))), Earth, Kinski, etc) and beautiful hand-painted artwork by Toby.

Head over to the Tartar Lamb MySpace page for samples and information on how to get a copy.

Kayo Dot is also putting the finishing touches on their new album, "Blue Lambency Downard," which should be released in mid-March on Hydra Head Records.  Kayo Dot’s MySpace page has all the latest info.

Check out the Fear Falls Burning Blog for an interesting glimpse into Fear Falls Burning’s activities and inspirations.  Posts cover everything from recording and tour experiences to playlists and musical purchases, which I find particularly interesting.  He also occasionally discusses his drone techniques and various approaches to sound which he finds interesting.