Category Archives: Updates

Favorite Metal(ish) Albums Of 2012

‘Tis the season for year-end lists of what everyone and their dog thinks are the best albums of the past year, as well as the incredibly pretentious and elitist mindsets that come with them. I’m not going to pretend I know what’s best for anyone, but I do know that there are definitely albums I enjoyed much more than others, despite some critical flaws in some of them. My tastes can be a bit whacky at times, but I’m pretty sure that there are at least a few people out there who will be curious to know what my favorites are, so I will be sharing them.

But not here.

Instead, I’ll be doing a series of posts over at Under The Gun Review that will double as a countdown to when we’re free of the holiday hell that is the month of December.

Because they’re happening one at a time, I’ll be posting the list as it goes live day by day over at UTG in list form here.

#25: RIITTIIR by Enslaved (read it)
#24: Results by Murder Construct (read it)
#23: Awakened by As I Lay Dying (read it)
#22: Ex Lives by Every Time I Die (read it)
#21: Failed States by Propagandhi (read it)
#20: Eremita by Ihsahn (read it)
#19: Dead End Kings by Katatonia (read it)
#18: Les Voyages De L’Âme by Alcest (read it)
#17: Autotheism by The Faceless (read it)
#16: All Hail The Void by Enabler (read it)
#15: Legend by Witchcraft (read it)
#14: Death Is The Only Mortal by The Acacia Strain (read it)
#13: No Matter Where It Ends by Black Sheep Wall (read it)
#12: Book Burner by Pig Destroyer (read it)
#11: Parallax II: Future Sequence by Between The Buried And Me (read it)
#10: Monolith Of Inhumanity by Cattle Decapitation (read it)
#9: Incongruous by Beneath The Massacre (read it)
#8: All We Love We Leave Behind by Converge (read it)
#7: CVI by Royal Thunder (read it)
#6: Danza IIII: The Alpha – The Omega by The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza (read it)
#5: Hasta La Muerte by Xibalba (read it)
#4: A Flash Flood Of Color by Enter Shikari (read it)
#3: Yellow & Green by Baroness (read it)
#2: Koloss by Meshuggah (read it)
#1: L’Enfant Sauvage by Gojira (read it)

New venture: Press Team

So, I’ve been wanting to get in on the other side of music journalism for a while now. I’ve been quite used to working with press persons and teams for a few years, but I want to know if I can be successful at the other side–reaching out to bloggers, magazine editors, podcasters, etc. to get acts coverage. Rather than start with a band who needs someone experienced right out of the gate, I’m teaming up with a band with members I am close friends with, a band that has barely started even being a band.

I don’t want to spill the beans just yet as there are some finalizations that need to be made with the band and their music, but I can tell you it’s going to rock, and I can’t wait to help get them out into the world with it. They’re great dudes who just want to rock ‘n’ roll, and that’s just what they’re dead-set on doing.

Perhaps in the future once I sort of get the hang of it I’ll take on doing press outreach for other bands so feel free to shoot me an e-mail about this stuff, especially if you’re a contributor to a music blog/magazine/podcast/etc.!

Welcome to The Heaviest Matter of the Universe

This blog is all about me and my journey through the music world. It used to just be a metal blog where I would display my hackneyed opinions of all sorts of things. Going forward it will be chronicling all of my happenings in the music world, whether it’s album reviews, interviews, blogs about bands I do PR for, etc. you’ll learn all about my musical expeditions.

The posts here may be inconsistent at best, but that’s because I write for two other publications currently: The OurStage Magazine and Under The Gun Review.

(and yes, before you ask, my blog’s name is a tribute to and/or rip-off of the Gojira song of the same name)

Exploding In Sound

There are two types of people who are in the music industry: people who do it for themselves, and people who do it for the love of music. Dan Goldin, creator of Exploding In Sound, is in the latter category. I wish I could say I was exposed to his “brainchild” in a better manner, but I first discovered his website when I noticed it via Twitter, posts that mentioned “Heaviest Matter” and noticed he was spreading the love about Irepress by reposting my post about them.

Initially, I was a bit annoyed – I thought, “How dare he?” but soon realized that this was completely backwards, and completely conceited of me. After all, I really write this blog for the love of music, and other than potentially getting a job – I have no ulterior motives. I initially asked him to not post the article in its entirety, but I would gladly have settled for it simply being attributed to my name (I just want to be recognized for my work). Quickly he responded to my request, and now the article appears only partially, then links here.

Still, I can’t help but feel I handled this incorrectly.

In any case, what he and his team does over at Exploding In Sound is pure, and for the love of music, and I can’t help but feel wrong for impeding on him spreading the love for great music (and the people who are trying to put that music on the map). If you, like me, want a source for getting the scoop on great bands who love what they do – this is certainly one of the best destinations I’ve found. I encourage you all to give his site a look.

Consider this an apology for the error in my ways, I’ve shown exactly what is wrong with “journalists” these days in the blogging community. Next time you’re about to get upset over something so potentially trivial, think to yourself, “What exactly am I doing this for?” – it’s likely not worth ruining a potentially helpful relationship, or preventing the word getting out about a band you love.

A true legend never dies.

Not many words are needed, or could describe the loss that the world of metal suffered at approximately 7:45am on Sunday May 16. Metal lost its messiah, its patron saint.

Ronnie James Dio. The name rings with such deep power and meaning to those who have loved metal such as I have. Raised on the metal from the era in which Dio reigned supreme, his voice has always had a special place in my heart.

Too young to have lived when Elvis did, I can’t imagine it felt much different than Dio’s passing today. When I heard the news that the terrible rumors of his death had been confirmed, I put on Heaven and Hell while sitting in quiet sadness. For the first time ever, I felt personally sad when I heard news of the loss I had no personal connection with.

As the day has passed, thoughtful remarks and anecdotes of Ronnie have flooded in – each showing Ronnie’s true and incredible character as a human being.

I’ll not waste more words trying to convey his greatness both as a person and as a musician – we all know his potential knew no bounds.

Rest in peace, Ronnie – it appears your demons have let you go. Your voice will live on forever, like a rainbow in the dark.

Ronnie James Dio

RIP Ronnie James Dio, 1942-2010