So last night, my boyfriend affectionately referred to me as a “fireplug.” Another term for fire hydrant, it’s used to refer to a particular athletic body often found in wrestlers: short, stocky, stubby-limbed, but strong as hell and with a wicked low centre of gravity.
I’m rather fond of the term.
Album Reviews
For About Heavy Metal, I recently reviewed Dead Rising, the debut from Church of Void. “While their sound has unquestionable depth and richness, it is not matched by the quality of the songwriting.”
For Exclaim!, I reviewed the sixth and self-titled record from Norway’s Grammy-winning noise rock band Årabrot. “Årabrot is a bestial, sludgy, metallic noise rock monster.”
For my latest Sound Advice column on Torontoist, I featured the debut by EONS (the new collaboration between Bruce Peninsula’s Matt Cully and Misha Bower), entitled Arctic Radio. “Like the first tentative green tendrils put out by an early spring vine, Arctic Radio‘s outward appearance belies its stubborn resilience—an emotional tensile strength that tightens its grip on the listener at unexpected moments.”
Interviews
In the most recent issue of Exclaim, there is a feature interview/review of mine that examines Watain‘s new record The Wild Hunt and also features a snippet of a conversation between bassist and vocalist Erik Danielsson and me. The full interview is now up on Exclaim, and includes Danielsson discussing his identity a a theistic Satanist and the physical toll Watain‘s performances can take upon him. He was incredibly charming and polite; speaking to him was like having a pleasant chat with Dracula.
I also spoke with Brant Bjork of Vista Chino, the new name for the group once referred to as Kyuss Lives! Bjork spoke candidly about the lawsuit he faced from former Kyuss members Josh Homme and Scott Reeder, and how Vista Chino ultimately rose from the ashes of that former project.
Puppy News
Harley found a soccer ball at the park today.
