You probably know Brett Netson from his work with Built To Spill and Caustic Resin. Now he’s back with the excellent Scavenger Cult EP, credited to Brett Netson & Snakes. Netson will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week.
Netson: Mournful Congregation was a band that got me excited about playing guitar again at a time when I was disgusted with the “rock band” method. I had been paying more attention to Adult Swim cartoons and listening to the same Sandy Denny and Deep Purple records for a few years at that point. A friend made me a comp. And since then, it’s mostly been bands from “underground” or independent-label metal that have kept me interested in music. The un-ironic, direct attitude is hard to find elsewhere. The new Yob record is on the platter right now, and I’m probably gonna listen again today. Wolvserpent, UFOMAMMUT, Ashborer, Neurosis, Corrections House, Leviathan, BOTSC, Nate Hall & Poison Snake, etc., is the only new music that I crave. A large share of the great new records being on Neurot Records. There are some good new “indie” rock bands: Parquet Courts, Protomartyr, Total Control, etc., but most other things from that scene give me a cold feeling, like the first day of school. Like they are dead from the neck down. (Thee Oh Sees, Crosss, Survival Knife and Jesse Sykes being transcendent exceptions to all these rules.) I’m just so tired of clever irony and self-awareness. It’s exhausting anymore. All these great new “metal” records are all heart. Or balls at least. From what I’ve gathered, there is a deeper underground element in this scene as well, that just doesn’t care if you know about them. Especially if you’re just trying to impress or freak out your friends. Or, if you can’t handle croaking or screeching, screaming vocals, then good. They don’t want you there anyway. I like that. “Scenes” generally irritate me, but a fair amount of this stuff sounds real to me. I won’t try to do the job of bringing forth obscure gems and all that; mostly I just want to say thank you in public. Thank you for making dangerous and artful music. (Caution: You may run into NS white-power elements making somewhat decent black metal; you do not have to support them, as they may not be too well liked by the rest of the metal scene either.)
Video after the jump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ836LhrT40
