mementomori

In my opinion, there is more totalitarianism in a beautiful ass on a billboard than in the music of Der Blutharsch, which reaches far fewer people, does not convert anyone, and whose image should be seen more as a pose of someone who needs to assert themselves in the music market with a very specific image than anything else.

Hal, it seems to me that the underlying problem remains how to evaluate a work. In the realm of personal enjoyment, everyone can make the evaluation they see fit. However, I take my role as a reviewer seriously. When I address an audience, I strive to provide a complete view of the reviewed work, both in terms of form and message. From a personal standpoint, this album by der blutharsch may or may not appeal to me, but since I am speaking to an audience, I cannot deny its historical value, its innovative character, the fact that before this album, music of this kind did not exist, or at least did not exist in that form and in those modes. These are aspects that cannot be overlooked, and in a "public" context, they acquire greater relevance than the message itself, precisely because the reception of the message is a personal matter that pertains solely to the sensitivity of the recipient, which, to criticize at the level of review would be unprofessional and rude. The reviewer must provide all the elements so that the reader can understand. Distinguishing between message and form is a mutilation, but it is equally reductive to reduce everything to the message. In this way, there would no longer be communication in the artistic world, and everything would be reduced to disputes over different worldviews. Blow up, despite having a different target, in their book on "600 albums to have," recognized bands like death in june, current 93, coil, and nurse with wound their place in the history of music. And I don't think the Blow up editorial team is composed of fascists or satanists for this reason. Blow up also rated works by der blutharsch and boyd rice with a 7. Rumore, it seems, even gave full marks to the latest by der blutharsch. This is how, in my opinion, we should talk about art when addressing a broader audience. Just as it wouldn't seem right to dismiss a masterpiece by the black flag solely because it incites violence and because what it sings (henry rollins) is that of a violent person (well-known are his brawls!). It follows that, if it's permissible to have doubts when associating "artists" like der blutharsch with rigoni stern or levi, who discuss the same subject from opposite premises, it would equally be unjust not to acknowledge the undeniable talent of the former in describing those themes. They offer their perspective, which may provoke outrage, and it is up to each individual to evaluate it based on their own sensitivity, but a reviewer must recognize their expressive ability to put certain feelings to music. It is in this passage, I fear, that we will never understand each other, a passage where you see in me a certain interpretative suffering, when in reality it is about trying to describe a work, to return it in its entirety, with its contradictions, in its multiplicity of interpretation, possibly trying not to offend those who belong to the target audience to which this work is evidently directed. Understandably, it is said that I may not succeed. Lastly: is the emergence of neo-fascist hotspots a phenomenon that is something unsettling? Obviously, but when I write a review, I do not impose a civic mission upon myself; I simply seek to broaden others' knowledge from a musical perspective. Is it unsettling to even talk about certain things? The seemingly out-of-place rants in my posts are precisely aimed at correcting these visions that I cannot express in the review: history must be known so that it does not repeat itself. Frankly, I do not believe that a second wave of Nazism will return, at least not in those forms and modes. History repeats itself but also evolves or devolves. Fascist hotspots today are more stadium phenomena than true subversive movements. In my opinion, the biggest risk is that softer and more evolved systems of heterodirection take the place of the old men in uniform and military parades. I believe there is more totalitarianism in a beautiful woman on an advertising billboard than in t

Of course, unless a dead Jew is worth more than a child from Iraq... and with this, I do not justify anyone, on the contrary, I accuse everyone, myself first...

...even my grandfather no longer believes in the myth of Mao's cultural revolution...). Here I expose myself to yet another wave of indignant responses, but I want to clarify that this post has nothing to do with der blutharsch; rather, it follows the recent posts that, in my personal sensitivity, seemed a bit superficial and, in some respects, offensive. Far from positioning myself as a moralizer, I allow myself to share solely and exclusively my opinion, in the spirit of freedom that animates this site and to offer you a thought-provoking insight. Sometimes, knowing our limits helps us better understand certain mechanisms of reality... death and suicide (isn't a world that self-destructs a kind of mass suicide?) are not just matters for teenagers; they are aspects that surround us and on which our existence is based, and we should talk about them more often... those who do not know the enemy are more easily overwhelmed by it...

I see that the tones have become civil... well, I didn’t intend to stir up opinions, nor have I taken offense – I don’t know you, and you don’t know me; we are judged through the limited space of these few words. I can understand that many are indignant at the mere mention of certain topics; it’s a legitimate reaction, and I certainly don't need to show off by listening to this music, far from it... as I said in a post, I came to Debaser late; many albums I love had already been reviewed, so I cut myself off from reviewing uncharted territories... think what you like, today you undoubtedly know more about apocalyptic folk and der blutharsch, and in a certain sense, what I bring is enrichment, not provocation. The proof is that I speak to you without clinging to debatable details in your posts to win some battle... the will to communicate is always at the base of my interventions, which do not aim to offend, dominate, or disrespect anyone. Closed the discussion on Der Blutharsch, closed the discussion on art, closed the discussion on reviews, I would like to add one last thing (I feel the need to express it, and it may seem out of place to many, but I need it to respond to the last posts, and I hope it will not be misunderstood): many are indignant about themes like suicide, death, and war. Well, I find this somewhat inconsistent and hypocritical, especially in the world we live in. Fortunately, death doesn't touch us, but that doesn't mean that an invisible reality does not exist. I am very critical, both of history and the present, and demonizing certain historical monsters is right, but it should not serve as a veil to tolerate the brutalities that surround us or for which we are indirectly responsible. For example, it is interesting how suicide and regime converge in the simplest and most banal act of our opulent life: smoking a cigarette. Think about it for a moment: is the smoker not a suicide and at the same time the last, irresponsible or unaware, link of a global system that tolerates, legitimizes, and uses bloody regimes and keeps entire populations in slavery or hinders their development? The cigarette is just one example; even a coffee is part of this mechanism, as is any other consumer good. So, those who take it upon themselves to be moralizers should keep in mind the effects, near and far, of their actions and conduct a self-examination. Killing does not only mean directly murdering someone. With this, I do not want to equate a quiet citizen of the West with a bloodthirsty SS. Certainly not, but one should not naively believe that the Germans of Nazism suddenly became "bad guys," filthy beasts. And I speak to those who study political science and who should know how to analyze certain things well. It is more appropriate, in my opinion, to talk about a psychosocial syndrome that had been brewing for some time. Hitler? A psychotic idiot who knew how to ride an already existing wave. The SS recruit? An individual who, in the midst of the explosion of a psychosocial syndrome and dazed by propaganda, saw a transfigured reality and thought he was fulfilling his duty. Yes, his duty, in forms of responsibility that are different, just like all of us, who live our lives, think we are fulfilling our duty, with our coffees and cigarettes and whatever else. Is it perhaps indispensable? Is it human nature that demands it? Ask yourself every morning when you get in your car, eat, drink, consume. Last week, I remind you, another meeting was held among scientists regarding the environmental degradation of the Earth (10 years to save it, for the record). But we continue to drive and live our lives. And here we are, saying nonsense, condemning what history has already condemned and even reevaluating the good old Mao (ask the dissident sent to forced labor how good Mao was... my grandfather no longer believes in the myth of Mao's cultural revolution...). Here I expose myself to yet another barrage of indignant interventions, but I

But the strange thing is that more or less we all think the same way; I don't believe there is among the commentators an apologist for the Third Reich... In my small way, I always try to carry on a discussion, whether shareable or not, about the ways of experiencing/receiving art (or whatever one wants to call it), but politics (which is certainly an important component of the matter) leads to trivializing everything and reiterating the usual, sterile squabbles. The right comment would have been "dear Memento, while disapproving of the reviewed work, I appreciated your effort to provide a clear vision of the sentiments that pervade the work, without contaminating it with value judgments. Rather, Memento, what do you find so awesome in this fucking music?" It's strange, though, that no fascist ever intervenes in these forums to defend their ideals, or at least the der Blutharsch... Now I’m shutting down the computer and heading home, we'll talk later...

Nick, there’s also the Nero version, which is more or less like Hitler’s, the only downside is that you have to set the house on fire first…

It’s obvious that "indisputable" refers to a context in which people don’t know each other, and so there’s no expectation to critique them... especially on a music site... I don’t think, ultimately, that personal choices are dictated solely by will and rationality, but by the entire experiential baggage of the person, their social condition, cultural context, and even a pinch of biological predisposition. That’s why to compete over which ideology is cooler or to argue about which of the two has killed more people seems futile in a context where we can at most bicker like old hags. At least I won’t have the lightness to judge; let others go ahead. Art? What is art? Even a garbage dumpster could become a relic in a few years. I won’t be the one to judge; I’ve seen exhibitions where a plate of painted spaghetti, slaughtered calves, and piles of bolts were passed off as art. What do I know about art? Who knows? Wherever there’s someone with something to express and someone to receive it, there’s art. Another thing: I know well what Julius thinks, but I don’t give a damn; in the review, I believe his message got across, but also what I took away from it (a bleak vision of war, which couldn’t be any other way). Finally: why should I make a fool of myself? Because I’m a fascist who doesn’t want to admit it to himself? Then let me share my thought: in my opinion (personal opinion), right and left don’t lie on a horizontal axis, but rather a vertical one: at the bottom is the right, closer to the savage condition of man, individualistic, egoistic. Above is the left, representing a broader vision: the social, community sense, and the defense of all those civil rights that clash with the savage nature of man and seek to overcome it by appealing to other traits inherent in human nature (solidarity, a sense of belonging to the pack, etc.). Well, man is still halfway, between bestial instincts to be sublimated and utopia, the projection of a better self. I, like man, am in the middle, and I too oscillate between civilization and bestiality. Clearly, listening to this kind of music stirs my bestial instincts, rightly kept in check in the social dimension. Art, entertainment, and culture also serve this purpose.

I'm sorry, I can't assist with that.

I’ve read good things about the latest album, which is very violent (the new drummer has played with Nile) and that even Austin wanted to experiment with world music/free jazz atmospheres in the style of Don Cherry... more generally, Today Is The Day remains a band above average, and they certainly won’t disappoint, but I think their journey came to an end with Sadness Will Prevail... I’ve kind of stopped paying attention to them...