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Wow.  It has been a few days past forever since the last post.  I have been excessively busy and had precious little time to write.  But, in the meantime, I have been to quite a few shows (where I have seen some great bands), seen a number of films, bought a few records and started reading a number of comic titles. Now that I have more time to write, I'd like to share. However, in order to have more frequent posts, I've asked for some contributions from those closest to me.  While the posts might not appear on a regular basis, you will be seeing more of them - reviews, interviews anecdotes.

Thanks for checking in,
Bleachmouth

Celtic Frost "Monotheist"

"Os Abysmi vel Daath"
from MONOTHEIST

"Progeny"
from MONOTHEIST (2008)

I don't think that at this point it is even arguable whether or not Switzerland's Celtic Frost (they were-along with Venom, Bathory, Sarcofago and a million others I'm probably forgetting) were responsible for inspiring what became known as "Black Metal".  And, in spite of the band's foray into hair metal territory with the awful Cold Lake (1988) and their clumsy attempt to right the ship with Vanity/Nemesis (1990), Frost's early material was so strong that the never entirely lost their credibility or it's influence.  Morbid Tales, To Mega Therion and Into the Pandemonium are classic albums that (like Bathory) combine proto-black metal with strong classical influences and Discharge/D-Beat drumming. 

Unlike Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth etc., Celtic Frost paid particular attention to atmosphere and mood.  Most critics weren't

"Into the Crypt of Rays"
from MORBID TALES (1984) 

sure what to make of this approach and often used terms like "Avant-Garde Metal" (as well as "Black Metal") to describe their sound, which was a bit lazy and tiresome, if not entirely inaccurate.  But ultimately, Metal is Metal and another sub-genre isn't necessary even if a band like Celtic Frost pushed the envelope.

After losing their way, on the aforementioned Cold Lake Celtic Frost eventually came to their senses.  But, it took a break-up that occurred in 1993 and a reunion in 2000.  It is unfortunate that it took them until 2006 to release Monotheist and even more unfortunate that they disbanded a second time in 2008, because it is every bit as good as their earliest material.

Monotheist is as relentlessly cold and bleak sounding as it is heavy. The brute force of Frost is

"Circle of the Tyrants"
from TO MEGA THERION (1985)

only thinly veiled by their classical leanings, epic arrangements and gothic overtones.  It often sounds mechanical in the way an old, rusted, rarely used piece of industrial machinery might sound if fired up again after years of neglect. The songs churn and sway in a mid paced grinding fashion, picking up speed occasionally, but rarely to velocity of their earlier work.  

Monotheist sounds bitter in the same way NYC's monstrous, crust/doom unit Winter's Eternal Frost album was, but only during the moments when is sounds as if the grinding slows to a pounding tempo - it isn't "Doom Metal", but flirts with that "genre" quite a bit.

If I had to take issue with any part of Monotheist I would say that the guitar tone  on this album is far too crisp for my taste and there are times when the triggered double-kick is too prominent in some of the songs. But, those are minor complaints.

"Caress Into Oblivion"
 from INTO THE PANDEMONIUM (1987

While I cannot say that Monotheist is my favorite Celtic Frost album, I can say that it is a great record and every bit as heavy as well as imaginative as anything that they have ever produced.  Monotheist serves as a reminder that Celtic Frost is every bit as influential as their '80's thrash-metal era peers and they will be missed.

"A Dying God" (Celtic Frost documentary)

The Illustrated Man (1969; starring Rod Steiger and Claire Bloom. Dir. Jack Smight)

One cannot live on music alone.  Right?

Maybe.  Maybe not.

In either case, I love films almost as much as I love music and books.  I must admit I'm not nearly the "snob" that I am when it comes to the two aforementioned mediums. But, I don't think that it would be out of the question if I was told that I am a bit snooty when it comes to film.  I don't know all of the ins and outs about making films and in some circles my tastes might be a bit pedestrian.  I am far from an overly critical art-house turd.  However, it is fair to say that I loathe most, if not all, "Summer Blockbuster" action films, most modern comedies and don't even get me started on the state of modern horror films.

Look...In my opinion, three of the greatest films of all time are "Convoy", "Roadhouse" as well as "The Beastmaster" and I say this without the slightest ounce of sarcasm or hipster-dipshit approved irony.

That said, I try to be somewhat adventurous when selecting a film to watch.  As with the music I enjoy, I tend to prefer older films, so most of the films you'll find here will be just that...older.  But, it is safe to say a review of a newer one will slip in from time to time.  However,unlike the music reviews that will appear in this blog, I will be equally inclined to post about films I disliked as well as the ones that I enjoyed.

Which brings me to The Illustrated Man - released in 1969, starring Rod Steiger and Claire Bloom.

Being a fan of Ray Bradbury's work, I really, really wanted to like this film, but found it too problematic to be able to recommend this film without reservation.

The film is an anthology of sorts with a wraparound based on the Ray Bradbury book of the same name.  The plot involves a man hitchhiking across country to find work and has the misfortune of running into the titular character, played by Rod Steiger.  Steiger is seeking a house occupied by a woman named Felicia (played by Claire Bloom) who he had a brief affair with and covered him in tattoos.

Each tattoo tells a story related to Steiger, the woman and the young hitchhiker.  All three of the stories (the book contained eighteen) deal with the nature of mankind and its relationship with technology as well as a multitude of other existential questions.  

The film  has a hallucinatory quality that starts off interesting but soon becomes tiresome as none of these images do anything to move the plot forward.  Thus, leaving the aforementioned queries unanswered or at the very least provide any substantive perspective.  Most importantly the film never bothers to answer how any of the principles are connected or provide any clues as to what the tattoos might represent in relation to the story.  Rather, the whole films looks as if it were hastily assembled set pieces cobbled together during a hash smoking bender.

But,perhaps the most glaring flaw is with the performance Rod Steiger gives as the title character.  He insists on being intense in every single scene and delivers nearly all of his dialogue as if he is about to go into a "roid rage" at any moment.

The Illustrated Man is only interesting to view in the context of the time period in which it was made.  Science fiction films of the 1960's were few an far between.  There was 2001: A Space Odyssey, which provided philosophical insight, and Planet of the Apes as well as Fahrenheit 451, both containing poignant social commentary.  The Illustrated Man in it's self-important psychedelic haze seeks to have both, but contains neither.