I for one welcome verisimilitude and creativity. My fractured mind needs constant impulses to refrain from completely collapsing in upon itself. The evolution of the arts fascinates me, but some might find it frightening as it defies the confines of false security residing in tradition and nostalgia.
I indulge in gorging myself on the nectar of the muses, for my spirit is never sated. Not until my body lies dead, rotting in the ground.
Currently rummaging through my old music archive to find half forgotten gems of the blackest old songs I can remember
The "evolution of the arts" is only interesting to me when this evolution involves a cohesive amalgamation. What present day "black metalers" are doing is combining disparate, randomness completely at odds with what was the original artistic impetus of black metal: transcendental idealistic romanticism. It is by no means frightening; it is merely sad, like seeing a once noble, dangerous polar bear in a cage at the zoo-- people castrate that which has power because it is scary.
Fenrir of Darthrone said it best with:
"We make sure only the right people play blackmetal. Its not just some fashion that will go away. If they're not right, we'll use whatever means necessary to get them to stop devaluing blackmetal. It is our way of life."
-- history proves him naive... and one can't stop the tide coming in... Just a passing state of decay
Once the beast was drained of its life force, it should have been allowed to die. Now it is kept alive on a ventilator and synthetic chemical compounds. Structure and composition take a backseat to throwing in as much randomness as is possible: bike horns, rumbling bowels, abrupt stylistic changes-- it leaves a fellow numb after awhile.
Solefald is quite nice in some respects though, and they fall into that avantgarde sphere. Their last album sucked though-- a charicature of past notable, inspired realeases. I hope, dear friend, we shall not be at loggerheads over this issue.
Tradition represents that which has stood the test of time-- the combined continuum of trial and error through ages that roots a people to their land and each other. It is the shadow of the past in the newly created-- the height with which we measure ourselves, but over which we always send our hopeful arrows-- the breadcrumbs we leave in the wilderness, that we can one day find your way back out when lost... It's good to keep in mind at least...
