Ranting in the dark

It's been a very very long time since I've last wanted to share some music with anyone. Sure, I exchange things with friends every once in a while, but nothing that really had such an impact. Long time since I found something that gives me the goosebumps when I listen to it. Long time since the last thing that makes me roll my eyes in the back of my head and send my mind away, on top of everything - flying, raging, dominating.

OMG, RIAA did not just see I totally said that. Worry not, my petties, I prefer the artists that dumped you.

What I am referring to is Serj Tankian's "Elect the Dead". In case you're wondering, I'll save you the wiki search - he's from System Of A Down. It's the essence of his very specific, very melodic, very influential style, that makes a lot of what SOAD are. They've been one of my favorite bands ever, and explaining why would take me a good separate piece of writing. Back to the point - Serj has managed to produce one of the most impressive albums that will find place in my music collection.

Elect the Dead is melodic, inspiring and uplifting and, as a friend of mine said, "Has just the right amount of crazy". Nothing is overdone and repelling or annoying. It is a collection of expressed emotions that will make your blood boil, your mind to weep. You'll want to bathe in the blood of your enemies and then realize what idiots we all are just because of that. Pretentious attention, dismissive apprehension.

Perhaps a way to explain what is so great about the total influence of the album is to make you go and see the video of "Empty Walls". Look at your usual resource of degraded quality entertainment - YouTube. The picture quality there is not amazing, but you'll get the idea. Just watch the kids tear each other's playful joy apart. If you didn't live in a bunker for the past few years you have to be able to recognize every scene on the children's playground. The video has been directed perfectly - at least I am very impressed.

Your empty walls...
Your empty walls...
Pretentious attention
Dismissive apprehension
Don't waste your time, on coffins today
When we decline, from the confines of our mind
Don't waste your time, on coffins today

Don't you see their bodies burning?
Desolate and full of yearning
Dying of anticipation
Choking from intoxication

It's hard to say that one song is better or worse than the others and I'm serious about it. Despite that, I'll decide to give it a try in the faint hope that I could make you pay attention to more than just the first song of the album. Just listen to Saving Us, Baby and Lie Lie Lie, especially if the reasons, which made you put an emotionally overwhelming album in your player, are sad or confusing.

But yes, emotionally overwhelming is what I'd call all of Serj's works, in SOAD and in this album. One of the most impressive songs, in terms of style and execution is "Lie Lie Lie", which mixes piano, guitar and drums with insane vocals and really really wicked lyrics.

My baby, My baby
let me go
And if you love me, you love me
Let me go,
Cause I'm your brother, your brother,
Have some pride,
And now you love me, you love me
Then die tonight

Take my hand and lets end it all,
She broke her little bones
On the boulders below,
Take my hand and lets end it all,
Broke her little bones
On the boulders below,
And while she fell I delightfully said,

Lalalalalalalala lie lie lie
Lalalalalalalala lie lie lie
Lalalalalalalala lie lie lie
Lalalalalalalala lie lie lie

It only gets better with the rest though, I wouldn't prefer one over the other. "Beethoven's Cunt" would bring you that typical mix between melodic and angry that you loved in SOAD's songs, "Feed Us" will get angrier, with little moments of confusing relaxation and "The Unthinking majority" is just ... wicked.

Well, give it a shot, why woudn't you?

I am ashamed by this week's question of the week. Actually I'm not ashamed by the question at all, I'm ashamed by the answers given in the poll. The majority of people would like to see "Movies/TV" as a new blog theme. Their own personal blog.

So the place for some of your personal information - photos, thoughts, experiences, rants, or just plain babbling - a place you share with other people, supposedly with everyone that would care to read it or see it. That place, where you'd care to put a piece of something that matters for yourself, is mainstreamed, blurred in the rush of the masses - sheep and the movie industry is your shepherd. Great. I truly admire anyone that had a different choice. And I am ashamed with the rest, ashamed for putting my own writings in a place where the user-base believes they have to be mindless slaves of the idiot box.

Don't get me wrong - I watch sitcoms and whatnot just as well as all of you. I follow Lost, Prison Break, Heroes, My Name is Earl... But there's so much fascination one could get out of them. I love Futurama, but I won't put Bender on my blog page, if I don't have a special reason.

Enjoy your mainstream, commercialized blog look. I won't read it because it has no value to offer to me. I hope others will.