Known for its relentless touring and one-of-a-kind, fearless live show, IWRESTLEDABEARONCE — the Shreveport, Louisiana quintet now transplanted to Los Angeles, California — has announced a change in musical direction. The group's foray into black metal is exemplified by its newly designed logo and band photos.
"We were sick of getting lumped in with 'scene' and 'whatever-core' bands, so we decided to embrace our roots and just go straight black metal on the new album," says guitarist Steven Bradley. "I'd say 90 percent of the new record is straight-up black metal, so we had to change our image to match... Because, of course, that's just as important, if not more so, than the music."
post by Alx_Casket at May 17,2011 10:44pm edited May 17,2011 10:46pm
troll content? you decide.
In any case, this is good news for hipster black metal-- They're not the target anymore.
post by arilliusbm at May 17,2011 11:03pm edited May 17,2011 11:04pm
nothing wrong with standing by what you believe in. and I hate to see bands like this make a mockery of the genre, regardless of what the music sounds like. black metal is the only genre of music that I had held a conservative value on, but alas, that has now disappeared within the past 3 or so years.
post by Randy_Marsh at May 17,2011 11:10pm edited May 17,2011 11:12pm
thats why i like bands, albums and songs, not specifically genres of music. bands like these dont have any musical inspirations except for genres of music.
post by arilliusbm at May 17,2011 11:13pm edited May 17,2011 11:16pm
no. what would make me feel better is if people understood the aesthetic and raw emotion that goes into good black metal. arguably, it has been dead for years, but there are certain bands that capture the proper feel in which it should encompass. Sadly, it is a lost art, albeit, still a legit genre of music. Horrible analogy, but consider old school hip hop compared to today's hiphop. there's no fucking difference between what happened to black metal and what happened to hip hop. the underground still thrives in both genres, but everything is generally watered down garbage with people that just don't get it. I still enjoy black metal occasionally and spin a lot of the classics, but I don't get boners over it anymore like I used to.
I'd argue that 85% of black metal sucks.. but when speaking in USBM terms, that number jumps up to 99%.
i've already said my 2 cents 1,000,000 times on this board, and some of you can take it at face value or just plain laugh at it. frankly I don't care anymore; most metal is LOL worthy now. give me metal from the NWOBM up until the late 90s and we'll call it even.
I see your analogy, but even the underground/purists must progress in order to stay contemporary. In terms of hip hop, if Kurtis Blow tried playing a show in present day, he would be laughed off stage.
As for USBM vs. european bm, there are a good deal of decent bands. I wouldn't say it's 99%, but it usually does suck more than a given bm band from across the pond. You can blame that on the internet as being the primary source of inspiration for nowadays bands, or blame something else. It doesn't really matter because bands that suck will either die out or get lumped into pay-to-play shows and die a slower painful death. Good music can reach more ears than ever, given our current electronic social mechanisms. The effect is good and bad, but the fact is that it perpetuates in people's mindshares more than if it never reached their ears in the first place, which is what keeps the underground alive in the first place, right? I stand by file sharing 100%.
post by arilliusbm at May 17,2011 11:24pm edited May 17,2011 11:25pm
Answer me this, Nietzsche, what is 'contemporary' in black metal? Cross-genre ing styles? Or being pure to the roots? Does it even matter with what is considered 'contemporary' ?
and lol @ making this into a conversation about file sharing. I've been file sharing since Napster and have never stopped. But I've ALWAYS preferred physical copies to electronic copies. There's no question on what is the better one.
Contemporary refers to stuff that's coming out now that is lumped into the black metal category. The word refers to the current time period, nothing more.
And I wasn't making this into a file sharing conversation, just saying that file sharing and the internet have been invaluable tools in getting music into the hands of people way beyond the normal "hard copy" scope of things. Quality-wise, I agree that hard copy is better (obvi).
I would argue that black metal ran into a brick wall in the 90s and shattered into a bunch of little pieces. Since then, kids have been picking up the pieces and pasting them with other pieces of shattered genres. What we have now are cross-genre bands which deem themselves original, and in some cases they are. But from an artistic perspective, black metal in and of itself can no longer progress as a genre. You either are influenced by the black metal sound and aesthetic, or you are straight up worshiping the bands/gods of old.
Music has been dead for years. Wake me when a new genre arises - something that is fresh and does not require rehashing and pasting of other genres. (that's not to say I don't enjoy some of those bands that do)
But from an artistic perspective, black metal in and of itself can no longer progress as a genre. You either are influenced by the black metal sound and aesthetic, or you are straight up worshiping the bands/gods of old.
i enjoy the aesthetic of black metal quite a bit and i enjoy many older bands. i see nothing wrong with this.
what i was saying before about the genre of music is that I think it is stupid to want to play a certain style of music just for the sake of playing that style of music.
Ok, I will let you know when a new genre arises that doesn't infer anything from other genres. LOL
And your argument is acknowledged by other musical critics, many of which have described the progression of the black metal sound as broken into 1st wave, 2nd wave, etc. In the end, genre talk is a fruitless battle because a lot of the bands out there aren't genre defining. That is, to categorize them, you will get a different answer depending on who you ask, and possibly a mash-up of genre labels. Like the "blackened ___ ___ ___ death ____ ___ metal" bands.
I might add that I HATE when bands change their sound and/or image after they've already established what they are.
EXAMPLE: Abigail Williams
Fuck that band. I saw them not even 5 years ago and they were shitty deathcore with some broad on keyboards. Now they're black metal? Fuck you. Fuck all of you.
post by Alx_Casket at May 17,2011 11:41pm edited May 17,2011 11:44pm
Ulver. Mundanus Imperium. <-examples of the opposite effect still being quite good.
I never got into abigail williams because I remember seeing them at some palladium fest and they were shitty, then I heard they became black metal and I checked them out again. Still wasn't feeling it, but I wouldn't generalize based on that band. Not everyone in black metal bands you like started off playing black metal.
Ok, I will let you know when a new genre arises that doesn't infer anything from other genres. LOL
As dumb as it sounds, I stand by that statement. Granted, art is always borrowing and progressing from earlier styles and genres. Any person who has studied the history and development of Art and/or Classical music would know this.
But, looking at the big picture, what is unique to me are the paintbrushes (musical instruments) we are given. There are hundreds of them. Needs moar black metal without distorted guitar or rock drums, but with 100% other instruments.
And your argument is acknowledged by other musical critics, many of which have described the progression of the black metal sound as broken into 1st wave, 2nd wave, etc. In the end, genre talk is a fruitless battle because a lot of the bands out there aren't genre defining. That is, to categorize them, you will get a different answer depending on who you ask, and possibly a mash-up of genre labels. Like the "blackened ___ ___ ___ death ____ ___ metal" bands.
Agreed. The bands that had established black metal for what it WAS, deserve the credit by being labelled into a certain niche. Today, however, genres are nothing but a joke because of the meshing.
Ulver. Mundanus Imperium. <-examples of the opposite effect still being quite good.
I never got into abigail williams because I remember seeing them at some palladium fest and they were shitty, then I heard they became black metal and I checked them out again. Still wasn't feeling it, but I wouldn't generalize based on that band. Not everyone in black metal bands you like started off playing black metal.
Agreed, although there's a big difference in going from something respectable, and going into something even more respectable in its own right.
I didn't start off playing black metal. I don't expect anyone else to, either.
That being said, i've got to head to bed. no more responses from me tonight. I hope there some thought-provoking posts come morning, because this board lacks balls now and is all nonsensical bullshit. Just look at MillenialKingdom. Dude's the biggest troll ever. I'm purely convinced he doesn't exist and is merely RichHorror laughing behind a computer screen, naked and drinking beer.
post by Alx_Casket at May 17,2011 11:55pm edited May 17,2011 11:56pm
I didn't start off playing black metal. I don't expect anyone else to, either.
And if Abigail Williams or IWABO just so happened to actually make good black metal, would you give it a chance, or would you judge it before listening like so many other closed minded people out there, based on what they've played in the past?
That's the crux of what I'm positing. Like if everyone who hated your 8-bit stuff heard you decided to get into some black metal band and said "fuck that guy, it'll be a bunch of beeps and whipperclipper sounds."
Aye, bedtime for me as well. make some room for me in there.
no. i don't give much black metal a chance. like deafheaven for example. decent music with too much reverb, but i can't take it seriously. it's nothing but a joke to a genre in which I used to hold dearly.
and haters gonna hate. ive been making computer music far longer than ive been playing guitar, and could give a rats ass if some black metal fag called me a poser for it.
there's nothing to be insecure about with music, and most BM fans are insecure little pussies who have no life. at least, they used to be. who knows, It's all different now.
I didn't start off playing black metal. I don't expect anyone else to, either.
And if Abigail Williams or IWABO just so happened to actually make good black metal, would you give it a chance, or would you judge it before listening like so many other closed minded people out there, based on what they've played in the past?
That's the crux of what I'm positing. Like if everyone who hated your 8-bit stuff heard you decided to get into some black metal band and said "fuck that guy, it'll be a bunch of beeps and whipperclipper sounds."
Aye, bedtime for me as well. make some room for me in there.
i think everyone gets what your saying alex, but IWABO will always be and is just straight faggot shit....I mean there's no way in hell I could ever get past the name alone and aside from that the music is actually shit.
That being said, i've got to head to bed. no more responses from me tonight. I hope there some thought-provoking posts come morning, because this board lacks balls now and is all nonsensical bullshit. Just look at MillenialKingdom. Dude's the biggest troll ever. I'm purely convinced he doesn't exist and is merely RichHorror laughing behind a computer screen, naked and drinking beer.
Why you dragging me into your drama?
post by EL OH EL at May 18,2011 12:28am
at DIS thrud.
post by arilliusbm at May 18,2011 12:33am edited May 18,2011 12:36am
Being a pessimist asshole about a newly formed poser black metal band and voicing my opinion on the matter is "drama" ? Lest we forget that whenever you defend yourself and your religious beliefs, you are invoking drama upon yourself - more than anyone else that posts here. I'd think it's time you rethink what drama is, or at least reconsider the reasons on why you're an active poster on this site. I speak in realistic terms, and try to retain a voice of reason at times.
Yuh. Someone PLEASE beat them up. "so we had to change our image to match... Because, of course, that's just as important, if not more so, than the music."
post by AMOROK666 at May 18,2011 1:47am edited May 18,2011 1:50am
I refuse to read this whole thread. Iwrestledabearonce is now bm. It's completely fucking ridiculous. If celine dion started a death metal band, or if john stamos started a thrash metal band, it would equally bullshit to me. I will continue to pretend this doesn't exist just like I pretend dimmu borgir doesn't exist.
i guess you guys didn't read all of the link then. right after the paragraph about turning BM, they then go and talk about their new album and how it's very similar to the last one etc.
not like they won't still suck old hobo's ballbags or anything....
post by spaldino at May 18,2011 5:24am
these guys are totally trying to troll. too bad Cephalic Carnage did it before them... and before that Impaled Northern Moonforest... way to be like... 6+ years late to the party, faggots.
i guess you guys didn't read all of the link then. right after the paragraph about turning BM, they then go and talk about their new album and how it's very similar to the last one etc.
not like they won't still suck old hobo's ballbags or anything....
YOU'RE RIGHT!! I DIDN'T read the whole story, i read just the blurb that was quoted in the original post... and that was enough for me. Why would i spend the time clicking a link that discusses Iwrestled...'s style change? Fuck this band.
they are fucking awful. they get publicity because they have some cumdumpster for a vocalist. this is a total troll and they will remain to be fucking awful. they arent brutal or good. please cast them into the sun.
post by eddnli at May 18,2011 8:48am
Black metallers need to realize they're not special and not a part of anything "greater." I accuse the thousands of nameless faces that felt as if they were a part of some movement or brotherhood. Guess what? You weren’t. You only felt that way because of the obscurity. “Your” genera was whored from the beginning. FACT! There is no difference between what’s going on now, than from its conception.
At least the originals were innovative. This band won’t be.
black metallers are worse than punks for fucks sake. you people don't own anything
if anything, i agree but am being an opinionated douche about it because the direction metal is going in angers me. never going to let it go, as pessimism is where it's at when it comes to a watered down shit genre of music.
There will be real stuff so long as people who care about it still make it. The garbage will pass and new garbage will be born. Put yourself outside it.
be a crotchety old man / whiney bitch about it or gtfo niggas.
If someone really likes metal, they should care about conserving it and preserving its values. I know most will disagree with this, but oh well.
I do. Never heard what this band sounds like nor do I care. I listen to what I like, ands it's usually the classics. That being said, nothings going to stop me from caring about how metal is dying. I've been LOLing about black metal for years.
post by aril‘s personal fluffer at May 18,2011 10:11am
theres a difference between being an elitist and being annoyed that a metalcore band goes from a joke of a genre(metalcore) to a not-so-much of a joke of a genre(black metal).
I do. Never heard what this band sounds like nor do I care. I listen to what I like, ands it's usually the classics. That being said, nothings going to stop me from caring about how metal is dying. I've been LOLing about black metal for years.
"If someone really likes metal, they should care about conserving it and preserving its values."
theres a difference between being an elitist and being annoyed that a metalcore band goes from a joke of a genre(metalcore) to a not-so-much of a joke of a genre(black metal).
haha i forgot this thread was about that. I just don't like the black metal elitist subculture so i'm being a dick. I think this is gay as much as aril.
jim, you're too much. metal has been mocked from the 60's and metalheads in the 80's were complaining about the "direction it's going in" and guess what, there are still amazing bands making great albums. it's following the natural evolution of music. look at great blues musicians, their music was taken and sold off as something else, and 100 years later, there are still great blues musicians making great recordings.
one rule of art is the more patrons it has, the less value it has. most metal is recycled garbage, it's not immune to art evolution. look at any genre of music and it's all saturated with bullshit because the cost of entry into music is so goddamn low these days.
specifically to black metal, i'm with slag and eddie. a long time ago in a galaxy far far away it was created, but it still followed law of musical evolution and stole from someone else. the sound is defining and immortal but the ideas will morph and change.
jim i totally agree if someone likes metal they should conserve it. i do that. you can't control what other people do with it and it's a waste of life to care about it.
well, this band wins troll of the month award for this publicity stunt. i will continue to listen to good bands and not give a fuck!
Any form of elitism is dumb. Some of my typings may br borderline elitism, and for that I apologize.
Again, trying to be the voice of reason that everyone likes to hate.
post by ark at May 18,2011 10:26am
you're 100% right about how hip hop's evolution parallels black metal's evolution. it's almost too similar.
post by ark at May 18,2011 10:28am
nah jim it's a good discussion even though it's a total repost.
elitism is only wrong when you don't think you are "different" but instead think you are "better".
I agree with what you said, but must add that there are simply too many bands now. Yes, filter em out, and yes there are still amazing bands. But it's not like it was in the 80s. Or 90s for that matter. Alx Casket nailed it earlier when he mentioned file sharing. Both good and bad.
I know for a fact that most modern BM fans wouldn't have discovered it it werent for downloading.
I agree with what you said, but must add that there are simply too many bands now. Yes, filter em out, and yes there are still amazing bands. But it's not like it was in the 80s. Or 90s for that matter. Alx Casket nailed it earlier when he mentioned file sharing. Both good and bad.
I know for a fact that most modern BM fans wouldn't have discovered it it werent for downloading.
meh, if they weren't downloading they'd be cassette trading. thing with posers is that they aren't able to tell whats good or not outside classics.
@ark: How is elitism ever right? In Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," the message she's positing is that everyone is different, and that makes us all the same.
You guys can label me as an elitist if you want. Frankly, I don't give a fuck. I'm a realist and a metalhead.
nobody has called you anything.
post by OHMYGOD at May 18,2011 10:37am
OTHER PEOPLE LIKE BLACK METAL'S SOUND HOLY SHIT. NOT ALLOWED. You guys are still all the lame ass dudes that didn't get laid in high school. Keep playing Ralph's and O'Briens.
OTHER PEOPLE LIKE BLACK METAL'S SOUND HOLY SHIT. NOT ALLOWED. You guys are still all the lame ass dudes that didn't get laid in high school. Keep playing Ralph's and O'Briens.
I've been called an elitist many times on this board. I'm no better anyone else on this board. There were a few of us back in the day that would say anyone that got into BM post 2000 is a poser faggot but it's not like that anymore.
I generally accept all "newer" black metal heads with open arms and try to steer them in the right direction. Hence, me voicing and opinion all too often. Granted I'm still young and haven't been listening to metal forever, but I've been around the block with black metal. As far as file sharing goes, i used to be an admin for a direct connect black metal hub. I'm not against it, but it has it's drawbacks.
it's not the same sonically, but the elitism needs to go.
Its not really the elitism thats annoying, its the pure unholy fucking sense of entitlement that comes with it.
Yeah, that's definitely part of elitism. thanks though *smooch*
post by eddnlie at May 18,2011 10:46am
i disagree.
post by ark at May 18,2011 10:48am
oh please. we're all elitist in some way when we hate on bad music. i hate bad music, including les legions noires. say one thing on the internet and get interpreted 1000 ways.
oh i KNOW i am. When i said it had to go, i meant the type of elitism that looks down on people who got into the music later than them.. As opposed to me looking down WAAF-CORE listeners... which is reasonable elitism. I realize the distinction isn't important, i'm just bored and want to contribute.
As for looking down on WAAFers, I think the difference comes down to exposure, just like pre-file sharing and music globalization days when a given population only knew of regional pop songs. The radio listeners go with the less committed method of music listening, which involves advertising agencies refining a demographic, and letting radio stations make the decisions of what they are allowed to listen to.
As for looking down on WAAFers, I think the difference comes down to exposure, just like pre-file sharing and music globalization days when a given population only knew of regional pop songs. The radio listeners go with the less committed method of music listening, which involves advertising agencies refining a demographic, and letting radio stations make the decisions of what they are allowed to listen to.
No. lack of exposure doesn't give anyone an excuse to eat shit. These people just become led zeppelin fans, and fans of other good but way over played stuff.
Being a pessimist asshole about a newly formed poser black metal band and voicing my opinion on the matter is "drama" ? Lest we forget that whenever you defend yourself and your religious beliefs, you are invoking drama upon yourself - more than anyone else that posts here. I'd think it's time you rethink what drama is, or at least reconsider the reasons on why you're an active poster on this site. I speak in realistic terms, and try to retain a voice of reason at times.
You singled ME out so no, I'm not invoking drama on myself. I hardly ever talk about anything religious on this board.
Being a pessimist asshole about a newly formed poser black metal band and voicing my opinion on the matter is "drama" ? Lest we forget that whenever you defend yourself and your religious beliefs, you are invoking drama upon yourself - more than anyone else that posts here. I'd think it's time you rethink what drama is, or at least reconsider the reasons on why you're an active poster on this site. I speak in realistic terms, and try to retain a voice of reason at times.
You singled ME out so no, I'm not invoking drama on myself. I hardly ever talk about anything religious on this board.
post by DestroyYouAlot at May 18,2011 1:15pm edited May 18,2011 1:17pm
because they were instrumental in opening up vast new white-belted vistas of gullible listeners, to whom all music and image and no content is preferable, and now this looks like a good move to these trend-hopping dorks. they're probably right; it'll probably be huge.
aril like always, is dead wrong. you are a whiney little bitch who needs to get a life. you probably know next to nothing about black metal as it is. who fucking cares how long someone has been listening to it. Who fucking cares if the band doesnt look 'black metal' enough. you are an idiot and it amazes me no one calls you out, fucking bitch
also, that'll show me to read these threads when I'm too busy doing moderately useful things to actually read the article; lame trollband is lametroll.
aril like always, is dead wrong. you are a whiney little bitch who needs to get a life. you probably know next to nothing about black metal as it is. who fucking cares how long someone has been listening to it. Who fucking cares if the band doesnt look 'black metal' enough. you are an idiot and it amazes me no one calls you out, fucking bitch
Gayest thing ever written? Haven't heard the new Iwrestledabearonece yet but I still say yes.
aril like always, is dead wrong. you are a whiney little bitch who needs to get a life. you probably know next to nothing about black metal as it is. who fucking cares how long someone has been listening to it. Who fucking cares if the band doesnt look 'black metal' enough. you are an idiot and it amazes me no one calls you out, fucking bitch
i agree that it doesn't matter how long someone's been listening to it, or what they look like... but I don't agree that Aril doesn't know what he's talking about.
Hi, I saw your ravishingly grim book case on craigslist and I'm wondering if the flame of its availability still burns. I think it would make a nice contrast in the necrotic paleness of my living room and really give the book case a feeling of total isolation.
Your friend in Satan,
NAEZXEMRMBAELRUGU'GUELGUELUZURATH