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Classical Antiquity in Heavy Metal Music 

Bloomsbury Academic

Examining the connection between modern phenomena and antique times, Bloomsbury Academic’s book series offers in-depth insights on the origin of what we while our time away with during these Coptic times. 

In this case, a whole instalment is dedicated to marrying the study of heavy metal music with the classics, a focus which for aficionados of the genre, i.e. true metalheads, should be more obvious than for the scholars that would form the target audience for the elaborations.

Now, I have read a fair share of academic treatises on “extreme” music and while there is sometimes an interesting thought to be found, more often than not justifications are weaved in as if excuses are mandatory given the seriousness that is dedicated to a seemingly mundane and unacademic subject matter. 

Refreshingly, this is not the case here and instead time is invested in creating common ground through the introductory chapter to then venture on to succinctly elaborate on the authors’ understanding of both the classics of antiquity and the protagonists of heavy metal.

Things get particularly interesting when geo-historical aspects are zeroed in on as well as gender norms and concepts of identity, which is when one feels like revisiting some albums to discover new aspects by tackling the music and lyrical emissions from a new angle, e.g. the oeuvre of Nile and a range of Scandinavian bands.

Needless to say, both antiquity and heavy metal are wide fields and only aspects can be examined thoroughly. While this could mean that selections are overly subjective, it is testament to the academics at the helm of the operation that the examples they pick allow for their deductions to be universally applicable to other contexts.

It goes without saying that the examinations do pay less attention to what the respective bands are trying to convey at face value level, as going beneath is where things get interesting. 

A well-researched, academic yet engaging and thoughtful volume, which comes with a recommended playlist for students lucky enough to have a professor to teach this subject as part of Roman and Greek History university level courses.

The Formative Years - The Cure

There are many bands and / or musical styles that people consider their “guilty pleasure”, a notion I do not subscribe to as you either like something or you do not. Why feel guilty about it?

The Cure is one of the bands that has been a steady companion ever since a friend made me a tape comprised of the “Pornography” and “Disintegration” albums, which I played until the tape broke as The Cure conveyed something I had never heard in other bands before.  

It was definitely not punk, not quite new wave and “gothic” was not really a thing back then and yet to emerge, at least I was not aware of it as a movement.

The Cure’s sonic emissions were dark, gloomy, elegiac and tormented in the most beautiful and poetic way possible, yet had a lightness and driving pop sensibility to it. 

The fact that I had a massive crush on the lady who compiled the tape only added to the allure, as did the fact that she was three years older and out of my league. Perfect situation to have The Cure serenade your teenage Weltschmerz.

Delving deeper into the back catalogue of Robert Smith and his worthy constituents, I learned that the band had been around since 1978 and that Robert Smith had been involved in Siouxsie and the Banshees, which in my stoic and purist punk days added another layer of credibility – especially when “Friday I’m in love” finally catapulted the band into commercially successful mainstream territory.

I first got to see them incarnate in a live environment in the mid-90ies and it proved to be an otherworldly experience based not only on how the band presented itself with their appearance, i.e. big towering hair and smeared lipstick, but also the audience, its willingness to contribute and the overall atmosphere the evening conjured. 

Over the next three decades I should see the band with various lineups on four continents and even more countries, with not a single one of the shows resulting in a forgettable experience and most spanning over three hours in length, with highlights including their performance as part of Sydney’s Vivid Festival, where they performed their first three albums in their entireties within the confines of the Opera House as well as their fortieth anniversary concert in London in 2018.

Once I dug myself through The Cure’s back catalogue, with each new release constituting an event I was looking forward to, not unlike the two albums the release of which seem to be looming on the horizon.

A timeless band that most people might see inextricably linked to gothic rock, yet in my eyes remains beautifully unique, cinematic and uncategorisable.

The Formative Years – Turbonegro

I have yet to come across a respectable authority with credentials in the realm of rock that would be able to bring something remotely negative forward regarding the musical legacy of Turbonegro.

While the band is still going today, my infatuation with them started in the early 1990s and I still hold their 1989 to 1998 period in high esteem, as it was the evolution of a unique band who created its own lane by channeling the cream of the crop of what punk, hard rock and glam had to offer, and infused it with deliberate oddball themes and a tongue-in cheek approach, the effects of which were only amplified by their often undetected subtlety and considerate humour.

It must have been in 1993 that I first came across Turbonegro through a friend in the US who sent their Hot Cars and Spent Contraceptives album as part of a trade. I instantly liked how they effortlessly channelled punk rock sensitivities with old school metal, backed by a thick layer of sarcasm.

I appreciated their second album Never is Forever for going being a deliberate departure from the low-fi and garage rock direction alternative music was dominated by in the mid-90s.

Refining their aesthetics, looks and trademarks of what Turbonegro should become known for in decades to come, I first saw them the first time live in 1995. I was blown away by how they redefined intensity and confrontative nature of live performances and the audience, no matter how much they liked the sound, were visibly confused as to how to interpret their schtick and choreography. It felt dangerous, irritating and fascinating.

The release of Ass Cobra followed in 1996, an album that along with Apocalypse Dudes added a spicy melange of proto-punk, L.A. glam and 70ies rock’n roll feel to the mix. Ass Cobra remains my favourite Turbenegro album to this day as it relentlessly showcases their humour, intelligence, playfulness with a patina of roughness and ferocity before they perfectioned their formula both in terms of sound and theatrical impact. 

An adrenaline-fueled tour de force and an unequivocal masterpiece.

We cover a lot at Scene Point Blank. It's part of the job, but first and foremost we're music fans. While we talk a lot of new releases in the news/reviews/interviews, music is timeless and we need a way to share it.

Plus, I just love a good mixtape and want to share stuff.

While Aaron typically covers Search/Play/Repeat and does a great job with specific themes, I wanted to use this option to share some stuff I've covered or heard through my work with SPB.

It focuses heavily on my own gruff pop-punk leanings, but not entirely as I mix in hardcore and singer-songwriter and more.

Here are ten songs to enjoy. And to selfishly beat the promotion drum, you should read what SPB has to say about these artists too. 

Thanks for reading.

Thus Let Us Drink Beer – 7th Day Brewing and Shedshaker

The story of 7th Day Brewing is one that could not be more DIY in nature as it all goes back to founder Mike Beresford Jones trying his hand in homebrewing in a bid to create the kind of brews he could not find anywhere, the fruits of which resonated quite well with his peers. 

After a period of experimentation, six years ago they collectively opened a brewery with taproom under the banner of 7th Day Brewing, with the nucleus of its DNA being a dedication to create a third place informed by a love for quality beer, surfing and a communal approach manifested in their credo “Drink Good Do Good”.

While 7th Day Brewing’s core offerings, i.e. their Pilsner, proved to be popular, they refined their approach to broaden their portfolio with a range of styles and flavours with the common denominator being sessionablity and approachability. 

My first exposure to 7th Day’s range was via their big flavoured, juicy mango-infused Hazy IPA. 

Based on the triumvirate comprised of a simcoe, mosaic and citra hops, mango is added in early on in the process and as a result, overly sweet overtones are fermented out, with a subdued and more refined sweetness remaining to set the stage for the hoppy nuances to shine. With a moderate ABV, this is as good as sessionable Hazy IPAs come.

7th Day’s regular IPA is an interesting one as its red hue had me think that it must be much more malty than it proved to be, as the fruity character of the hops dominates, flanked by fruitiness centred around the orange and passionfruity end of the spectrum. 

Clocking in at 6.4% ABV, it packs a bit of a punch as well and proves to be a solid companion to a dram of Laphroaig Quarter Cask.

While I am usually not the biggest Pale Ale aficionado, 7th Day Brewing’s Smoked Manuka variant takes things to the next level as the smoke rests deliciously on the malty and complex backbone of the core American Pale Ale, which is set in scene via citrus and well-calibrated acidic orange flavours.

Given what I have had the chance to taste so far, I cannot wait for 7th Day to channel their alchemy in the creation of a DIPA – if they are then going to create a smoked variant, I will be in trouble.

What I love about the brewing scene on terra australis is that every time one feels remotely  in the proximity of having scoped out the landscape and identified favourites for each style, one discovers a new brewery that blows things out of the water. 

Case in point:  Shedshaker Brewing, founded six years ago and evolved from Castlemaine Brewing after a bit of a name dispute, it helped to re-establish the town of Castlemaine on the firmament of brewing towns. 
With one of the founders being the drummer of Australian rock stalwarts Hunter & Collectors, I was intrigued to see how they would channel their alchemy in the creation of crafted liquid emissions.

With a solid and varied core range comprised of traditional styles, my first go-to was Shedshaker’s Knucklehead Rye IPA

The thinly veiled reference to the Three Stooges is essentially a tour de force when it comes to marrying malt and hop notes, which sees the best of Australian and American varieties joining forces. 

I like the fact that the malty backbone serves as a solid foundation on which the bold piney nuances can shine, accentuated by tropical and fruity flavours, culminating in a crescendo of blood orangey highlights, counterpointed and rounded out by the delicately spicy pepper the rye contributes to the mix and a nicely calibrated bitterness. With an ABV of 6.2%, an immensely sessionable IPA.

Next is an interesting one as it is not only an homage to the brews of the old world, i.e.  the heavier end of the spectrum of what makes the traditional Irish Red the malty, toasty roasted toffee and caramelly ride it is, with the piney, citrussy and fruity character derived from the marriage of the melange of Mosaic, Chinook and Jarrylo hops, with the latter one and its spicy qualities not having knowns to me previously – say hello to Shedshaker’s aromatic Celtic Red Ale.

It says a lot about a brewery if they accomplish styles that are usually not exactly my go to. 

In this case it is the combination of espresso and lager, which individually I love but have yet to come across a brewed combination I’d go back to.

However, Shedshaker’s Espresso Lager comes close as their melange of ethically sourced Tiger Mountain Arabica coffee and a tried and tested Teutonic Schwarzbier approach works well, not merely because of the expected chocolatey and malty notes but because of the accentuating spicy top off courtesy of American hops. 

The fact that – as the name would suggest – it has a clear appearance somehow also contributes to its appeal and adds a refreshing quality that makes it desirable even during the warmer months of the year.