The Search for the Perfect Headphones: Sony MDR-XB700

Finally, I broke down and spent $80 on a pair of headphones, the Sony MDR-XB700 50mm Diaphragm Driver Extra Bass Headphones.

These are the only ones I've gotten which truly go all the way around the ears. And, despite being physically larger than the others, they are the lightest ones I've gotten, and by far the most comfortable. It's like clouds on my ears. I can wear them all day.

They have the best sound, too--even the really, really low notes come through.

On top of all that, the cord is the perfect length. I plug it into my iPod, put it in my pocket, and there is almost no slack. I suspect it would be perfect for anyone from 5'2" to 6'4", give or take.

They don't isolate sound quite as well as the Auvio headphones, but they do an adequate job.

There are a few downsides. They are a bit bulky, so they don't fit around my neck when I'm not using them. And unlike the other headphones, there is some noise when the cord rubs on my shirt, especially if I'm wearing a high collar. It's not even close to as bad as with the earbuds, though, and is alleviated by wrapping something around the cords to keep them closer together (I use a piece of scotch tape).

The Verdict: All in all, though, I am extremely pleased with them, and I plan to keep them. I give them 4 out of 5 stars.

There are two other, smaller and cheaper models in the series (MDR-XB500 and MDR-XB300), which I suspect have progressively less bass and overall sound quality, and are probably less comfortable, but probably have less cord noise. They also have two earbud models in the series (MDR-XB40EX and MDR-XB20EX), but I fail to see how those products are similar to these. However, if I ever plan to spend $30 or $40 on earbuds, they will be the first ones I'll look at.

This concludes my search for the perfect headphones, at least until these break, or I need new earbuds, or I get $300 to spend on the Bose QuietComfort 15. Or, maybe $150 for the QuietComfort 2 would be adequate.

Watain: Lawless Darkness (2010) Review

The overwhelming majority of metal bands will never, ever record a classic album. A handful of them will record one classic, and only one, due to having the right people in the right room at the right time, when the stars are aligned or whatever. Even fewer bands can record two classic albums in their careers. These are the groups we call geniuses. Bands like Amorphis (Elegy/Skyforger) and Candlemass (Epicus Doomicus Metallicus/Candlemass) fall into this category.

Out of that tiny fraction of a fraction, a smaller group still can do it twice (or more) in a row. These are the gods among musicians--Black Sabbath, Metallica, Opeth, Mastodon. You can now add Watain to that list.

After 2007's universally-praised Sworn To the Dark, who would have thought they could actually get any better than they already were? With Lawless Darkness, they've done just that. Sweden's black metal masters have simultaneously dug into their roots and evolved, creating a thrashier, rawer album than before while still managing to be more melodic and more epic.

Their incredible songwriting skills are evident. The dual weapons of all-out assault and melodic subtlety have never been in more capable hands, resulting in tracks both immediate and memorable. Not only that, but it's consistent, and feels like a true album.

The album is significantly longer than its predecessor (by about 15 minutes), but they manage to keep it interesting with tempo changes, interesting rhythms, and great leads and solos. Those with shorter attention spans may think it drags a little bit somewhere between the end of the instrumental title track and the beginning of the incredible closer "Waters of Ain", so there will ever be a dispute about which album is the better (Ride vs. Puppets, anyone?), but classic they both are.

It makes you wonder where such brilliance comes from. Watain would have you believe it's inspiration from the devil himself, enhanced through secret rituals and living in the gore of dead animals. But like many great artists in all media, being really screwed up in the head is probably the source. Van Gogh and Dali, Handel and Tchaikovsky, Hemingway and Dickens: All share the common threads of brilliance and mental illness. Perhaps impetigo mixed with schizophrenia is the key for Watain.

In any case, it's brilliant, and the production is excellent too. Case in point:



The Verdict: Watain has joined the ranks of the very few who consistently create classic records. Lawless Darkness is even better than Sworn to the Dark. Do I even need to spell out the 5 out of 5 star score for you?

Nachtmystium: Addicts: Black Meddle, Part II (2010) Review

Nachtmystium's highly-anticipated followup to 2008's Assassins: Black Meddle, Part I came out yesterday. Addicts: Black Meddle, Part II clearly shows that Nachtmystium is staying true to their concept, though not, perhaps, the concept you expected.

You may have expected them to do more of the psychedelic black metal that made them famous. But if so, maybe you didn't notice the spelling of "meddle". Instead, they have pushed their sound into industrial black metal. I've seen several sources make comparisons to Killing Joke, and I think that's as close as you can come to explaining the industrial side. The black metal part is not as aggressive as on their past work, either. It's more on the Primordial end of the spectrum, though the ultra-harsh vocals are still here. In four words, I would call it industrial gothic black metal, but that's a bit of a mouthful.

They start the album with an intro and the most straight-forward black metal on the album, "High on Hate". Then the surprises start: black metal mixed with old time rock and roll (is that a tambourine on "Nightfall"?) and a sort of gothic/synth-pop track ("No Funeral"). The remainder of the album is the Killing Joke-inspired work, with highlights including "Addicts" and "Blood Trance Fusion".



The Verdict: I didn't see this coming, and that's one of the best things about Nachtmystium. At the same time, it's lacking the aggression of their earlier work. I like the more gothic-sounding approach, but I would have appreciated it if they had done more high-speed hate to give more variety to the album in tempo and tone. It has the potential to be extremely divisive, likely alienating as many fans as it earns. Still, it's a very solid release, and I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Nevermore: The Obsidian Conspiracy (2010) Review

Three highly-anticipated metal albums come out in the U.S. today. Let's see if I can review all three of them in three days.

Nevermore's The Obsidian Conspiracy is my own personal most-anticipated new album of the year. It came out today in the U.S. after being out for more than a week internationally.

As with any Nevermore album, the stars of the show are the amazing riffs of Jeff Loomis and the great vocal work of Warrel Dane.

Even at 41, Dane's distinct, emotional, 5+ octave voice is still strong, and he's still fully able to blend snarling, singing, and screaming in a way unmatched by anyone else.

You're not going to find them exploring much new territory, though there is some (see "The Blue Marble and the New Soul"). The focus seems to be a lot stronger on the vocals. Though the guitar is still Loomis's signature technical thrash and raunchy tone, it's slowed down a little to make room for Dane to explore his range. The band really shines best when they manage to fully showcase both talents, like on "She Comes in Colors" or the amazing title track.

The album isn't quite as aggressive as the Nevermore we're used to, but it's not soft either. Instead, it's darker and more emotional, likely due to the increased vocal focus. However, a problem Nevermore sometimes has is repeating the same thing once or twice too often (because Dane delivers the same lines in the same style each time), making some of the songs seem to drag on a bit; the problem is more prevalent on this one than on previous releases.

"Without Morals" is a perfect example of the overall tone of the album:



The Verdict: It may be less aggressive, but it's no less angry. It's a more dangerous kind of angry than ever before, not releasing the anger but ruminating, waiting to boil over. And boil over it does, in the end, so as an album it flows extremely well. It has all the elements which make Nevermore one of the greatest and most consistent metal bands of all time, including memorable songwriting. On the other hand, Loomis is far under-utilized on the album, and a few tracks seem to drag on a bit. Perhaps I'm being hard on them because I expected so much better, but I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Electric Wizard: Dopethrone (2000) Review

U.K. metal magazine Terrorizer named Electric Wizard's Dopethrone the greatest album of the last decade, and U.S. mag Decibel also gave it a very respectable position. I had a very hard time imagining that a stoner doom album could be that great. I had 1997's Come My Fanatics . . . and, while it was good, it wouldn't even cross my mind that they could make the best album of the decade.

So, I decided to check it out. As usual with stoner doom, it is as heavy as possible, and moves at a snail's pace. It has a crunchy kind of feel overlaid with occasional 70's style lead guitar embellishments. It steamrolls everything in its path, slowly but inevitably.

There is one interlude on the album, so it really has only 7 tracks. The shorter three (clocking in under 7 minutes) move a little faster, and serve to mix things up a little bit. They're not the reason we listen to the group, though.

The longer tracks--the 9 minute "Funeralopolis", 15 minute "Weird Tales", and the 11 minute cuts "I, the Witchfinder" and title track--are what really shine, giving the band time to really explore the excellent riffs they've created and move the songs into different territory. The weakest among these is "Weird Tales", largely because it has several minutes of BS noise at the end.

I really have only two very, very minor complaints. The vocals are a fairly generic, unskilled affair, but this is helped by the use of distortion. The other complaint is that "Dopethrone" contains about ten minutes of silence followed by an unnecessary hidden sound clip.



The Verdict: While I wouldn't have put it at the top of the list, I can't fault Terrorizer for doing so, especially since they're British (the band and the magazine). It's as close to perfect as any stoner doom album ever has been, and is heavier than anything else out there. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Watain: Sworn To the Dark (2007) Review

Terrorizer picked Watain's Sworn To the Dark as the third best of the decade. Thus, it got my attention. Because they have a new one coming out shortly, I decided now would be a good time to review it.

The long and short of it is it was an excellent pick for one of the best of the decade. The album is highly consistent, yet very interesting. The tracks range from the epic ("Satan's Hunger" or "The Light That Burns the Sun") to the full-on assault ("Storm of the Antichrist" or "Underneath the Cenotaph"), and two interesting interludes fill out the album.

Now, this elusive blend of variety and consistency only gets you so far without making the music engaging. The sound is a fairly standard Swedish black metal sound, so there's nothing new there. What makes it great is the songwriting. Most noticeable is that the songs are instantly memorable, but less obvious (by nature) is the clever subtlety employed. Metal is not generally known for being subtle, but that's what you'll find beneath the layers of evil. It begs you to pay close attention, and rewards you for it, with the variety of tempos and track lengths mixing things up and keeping it compelling for the full 57+ minutes.



The Verdict: This album is clearly an instant classic. If you want to know the current state of black metal, this is definitive. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Search for the Perfect Headphones: Skullcandy Hesh

Another set of headphones I tried was the $50 Hesh model, by Skullcandy.

Seeing them in the store, I was almost certain that the price tag was based on the nifty skull design rather than the quality of the product. So, I hesitated at first. I went on their web site, and found out they make dozens of different designs, including original designs, pro sports team designs, and band designs--not the least of which is their Metallica headphone design.

I also read reviews of the product because of my trepidation. These reviews generally fell into 2 categories: 1, "I liked them until they broke," and 2, "These are the sickest headphones. I wish I could afford them." I thought I could safely ignore the reviews by the people who haven't tried them. But the people who had said they were nice, but made out of inferior plastic, seemed to be pleased with them.

I thought I could try them out, and just be careful not to break them. So, I got a pair. I took them back later the same day.

They have many distinctions among the headphones I tried: They are the least comfortable (and immediately made my ears hot), they don't have very good sound, and despite being circum-aural they do nothing to block environmental noise. They also feel really cheap, and I don't think anyone could use these on a regular basis without breaking them within a couple months.

The Verdict: The only positive things I can say about them are that they look neat (if you're not embarrassed by it) and the cord is a good length so you don't have to coil it up and stick it in your pocket. These aren't good enough to earn them a star, so I give it 0 out of 5 stars.

Orcivus: Est Deus in Nobis (2010) Review

I discovered Orcivus's Est Deus in Nobis by way of a review in the March issue of Terrorizer (my first ever metal magazine). After listening to a song on Youtube, I decided to pick it up.

As you might expect, they sound a lot like fellow Swedish black metallers Watain.

Each track has both faster, more traditional black metal sections, as well as slower-paced atmospheric sections. The riffs are well-written and interesting, and the track order was wisely done, starting off strong, getting better in the middle, and winding down toward the end. The strongest tracks are "Towards Ether", "Storming Blasphemy", and "Sword of Demise" (tracks 4, 5, and 6).

There are a few problems with Est Deus in Nobis. First, the guitar solos aren't particularly great. The songs also don't have as many subtleties as you would find in Watain material. Finally, every song follows the same pattern, and none of them really stands out as anything special. There isn't a weak track on the album, but nothing is going to blow you away either. The album would have been a lot better if they had fixed one of these issues.



The Verdict: The riffs are well-written, and the tempo changes manage to make individual tracks interesting. All of the tracks are good, but none of them are great. With all of the interesting things going on in the world of black metal these days, nothing makes it stand out, despite its overall quality. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

How the West was really won

My Metal History, Part 1: The Beginning

For a long time I've wanted to do a series of posts on my personal history with metal, how I got into it, and how I've expanded my horizons in that realm. But I've never gotten around to it, until now, inspired by Metallattorney's series on his metal history.

Early in life, I never really cared about music. We had really awful pop radio stations where I grew up, plus far more country stations than anyone could ever need. My dad was a classic rock fan in high school, so I do remember listening to some of that and liking it somewhat. He is particularly fond of Bachman-Turner Overdrive. I also remember that from time to time we would put on his "Cat Scratch Fever" (I think it was vinyl, but may have been 8-track) and go nuts playing with the dog . . . it had something to do with the whole cat vs. dog thing. But my dad isn't really big on music, and never has been. At the time, I wasn't either.

So, while other kids at school would talk about music, I just felt like an outsider, because I didn't get what the big deal was. I remember once in 4th grade some kids were arguing about who sang some particular song. They couldn't settle it, and they said, "Hey, Kelly's smart, let's ask him and he'll settle it." I didn't know and didn't care. I'm embarrassed to say I did buy into the whole MC Hammer thing, getting Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em, but that was very short-lived. Why is that embarrassing to me, when nothing a person does at that age should really embarrass them as an adult?

In junior high, I would listen to the Dr. Demento radio show. It played comedy songs, and comedy was something I understood. I would sit by my little radio / cassette player and wait for a song which I thought I would like, and record Dr. Demento compilations of my own off the radio. I would then listen to them from time to time, usually on my Walkman, and especially while mowing the lawn.

One thing I noticed, though, was that I seemed to like the heavier, guitar-oriented songs. I remember really liking Weird Al's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and a parody of "Iron Man" called "I Am Santa Claus."

I didn't think anything of it, and still didn't consider myself a music fan. But one day in 8th grade, everything changed forever.

The year was 1995. I was staying at my best friend's house for the night. Our usual ritual was to play video games until 1 or 2 in the morning (usually Final Fantasy VI, formerly known in the US as Final Fantasy III, on the SNES) and then to stay up talking until 3 or 4. This night, something different was added to the mix. He had a cassette of his dad's he wanted me to hear, but he didn't think we were supposed to be listening to it. He put it in the player, and it immediately opened my eyes forever.

Before the first song was over, I told him that I had decided to start saving my $5/week allowance to get my first CD player (at the time it cost me $80, I think). I made good on that promise, with the help of some Christmas money, and within a couple months I bought the CD player and my first CD, the same album which changed my life forever. That album was Metallica, the "Black Album," the song which changed my life forever was "Enter Sandman."

Soon after that, my friend and I were both buying metal, mostly the same albums. We both got White Zombie's Astro Creep: 2000 (which I still have to this day) and AC/DC's The Razor's Edge (which I no longer have, not being a fan of them anymore). Unluckily for him, he had the "clean" (i.e. bastardized Wal-Mart) version of the Zombie album. Luckily for me, I did not. I clearly remember buying the Zombie album. We were on a shopping trip to either Sioux City, Iowa, or Yankton, South Dakota, and I always bought something for myself when we went on those trips. Previously, I had always wandered to the toy section, but that day at K-Mart I wandered to electronics and found my first Zombie. I'm fairly certain it was the second CD I ever owned.

I would literally sit in my room and do nothing but listen to these albums. I kind of miss those days, because it seems there isn't enough time in the day anymore to just listen to music without having to do something else, too.

That summer before high school, Metallica released Load, an album many long-time metal fans would instantly despise. I had no preconceptions of what metal should be, and I was in no way plugged into the metal music press. All I knew was that I walked into the store and saw a huge display of the new Metallica album. I got it right away.

Soon after, we took our last-ever family vacation. My parents knew it would be the last one because I was going to go to high school soon and would be too busy to go with them, so they made it a big one. We were going to Yellowstone, a 15 hour drive. Because of this, I got a Discman. I believe Load was the only album I brought with me, but even if it wasn't, I don't think I took it out of the Discman. I can't tell you how many AA batteries I went through, or how many times I listened to it on that trip--at least 20, probably closer to 30 or more. I deeply loved every single song on that album, and still love most of it to this day.

This was the most formative period in my personal history with metal music, and Metallica was by far the most influential part of it, though White Zombie also played a big part. I still don't think I considered myself a metalhead yet. In high school, that would change.