Posts tagged with Crust bands
August 5, 2009 | New Music | 
by Gerry Mak |
Crust bands have always taken from and given to other subgenres of extreme music — after all, Discharge was largely responsible for inspiring the grindcore bands that begat death metal. Until now though, most bands with a crusty feel to them never really appealed to me because they often were still too rooted in hardcore for my tastes. Thou from Baton Rouge, however, are the first crust band to offer epic, evocative riffs, carefully considered arrangements, and ear-shredding vocals that sound more demonic than merely angry. Drawing from black metal, doom, and heavy psych, the five-piece make a unique and crushing sound very much inspired by the swampy, sweaty, tragedy-stricken part of the world they come from while being very light-handed with their politics.
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I’ve just discovered the work of Arien Valizadeh and I’m very impressed. His Iranian-American background (he studied under a master Farsi Calligrapher) has shaped his artistic vision, which maintains the classical presence of Persian figurative painting. If that’s all too much, then explore his use of print and pattern and the dramatic color schemes he employs.
I used to love the cartoon M.A.S.K, but I had completely forgotten about it until I saw this Lego replica of Rhino, the truck that the leader of M.A.S.K, Matt Trakker, drives. Alex Schranz, aka Orion Pax, deserves a pat on the back.
Ten Masked Men are a British parody band that does death metal covers of famous pop songs by Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera, Madonna, and many others. One of my favorites is their cover of Justin Timberlake’s ‘Cry Me a River’. It’s epic.
The graduate exhibition of third year graphic design students at Sydney’s Design Centre is called 342 Seconds and relates to the estimated time required to view the show. The exhibition takes place on December 3 and looks to be well worth checking out, if these works by Jenny Lee [above] and Sean Batchelor [below] are anything to go by. You can check into their blog and stay up to date with events leading up to the opening. Read more
Based in the Netherlands, Rajacenna draws the most brilliantly hyper-realistic pencil portraits of celebrities we’ve seen. What’s even more impressive is that she’s completely self-taught. Damn! Now, where the hell is my pencil sharpener? Read more
I usually steer clear of anything smelling of disco-breaks: the thought just bores me. But with Padded Cell’s new release, Night Must Fall, I see a bit of a U-turn on the horizon. There’s something really interesting going on here: it’s a cocktail of 80′s swank laced with woozy narcotic undertones and flecked with snappy drum loops: weird, undeniably dark and ominous, but nonetheless pretty damn satisfying. Read more
If Ziggy Stardust had made jewelry instead of music, he would have made stuff like my friend Juliet Rutigliano does. Read more
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Communication prosthesis by Sascha Nordmeyer
This ‘communication prosthesis’ by designer Sascha Nordmeyer is hilarious and awesome. I want to wear one to a job interview.
Christoph Niemann illustrates a nightmare flight
New York Times illustrator Christoph Niemann has created a brilliant visual diary outlining the peril and pitfalls that beset the everyday passenger based on his recent experience flying from New York to his home town of Berlin. Read more
Here are a couple awesome pieces by Matt Leines that were recently on display in the Doubting Thomases exhibit at Nudashank gallery in Baltimore. Gives me ideas for Halloween. Read more
Baltimore Mural by Josh Van Horne
My friend Josh Van Horne, a local Baltimore artist, did this amazing mural in our neighborhood that depicts the history of this warehouse-laden area.
Pencils made from recycled newspaper
The problem with awesome things like these pencils made out of recycled newspaper is that you almost don’t want to use them.
On this Virgin Mary HaloTech watch, the dial is a modern version of the nineteenth century art form of lithophanes, carved porcelain sheets that, when lit, deliver astoundingly detailed images. When the pusher is activated, the dial springs to life in 3D. The watch features a light-up dial, LED light, and afterglo effect. Read more
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