Welcome to THTH, Forte’s premier source of all things heavy, hard, fast and metal.
By the time you read this, the new Slipknot album will have been released and the new Tool album will only be about two weeks away. At the time of writing, the online metal community is abuzz with excitement and arguments about if these bands and/or their new albums are/ will be any good. This is prime time for metal elitists to shine and to be quite honest, I love the whole thing and I’ll tell you why.
Being a fan of heavy metal music pretty much makes you the top of the music listening food chain, and that is a fact. Those below us on the food chain claim “it’s just noise” and we snigger and sneer and pity those fools because they’re just too stupid to realise that it isn’t just noise but the most accomplished type of music out there, just presented in a way to keep those types of fools away.
So when you have a group of like-minded metalheads at the top of the food chain, some are going to want to be higher than others, some want to be the very pinnacle of the food chain and to be that you must have the most elite taste in metal. You must become the elitist. And what better way to show your elitism than commenting on all the social media metal press posts you can, and starting arguments with those less than you. Elitism works at even the lowest level of the metal community where Slipknot fans always hear: “Slipknot are fucking pop music, I can’t wait for the new Mayhem album” for example, and then Slipknot fans can’t go anywhere from there except call Disturbed fans posers or some shit, I don’t know. You’ll read “Tool have gone to shit, anything after Aenima is just elevator music” which is a fair call and Tool fans, the most rabid of them all, will fight tooth and nail to defend the band and their obsession with it and their belief they’re the most elite. But elitism comes from the obscure, “you haven’t heard of (insert obscure band name here)? They’re fuckin’ brutal man and waaay better than (insert less obscure band name here)”. But you can’t go too obscure because then if you do you’ll be alienating those you’re trying to impress with your elitism. And when all of this is on show for all to read, I really do love it.
In other news
Deadspace will release their new album The Grand Disillusionment on Friday August 15.
Tool will release their new album on Friday August 30.
Opeth will release their new album In Cauda Venenum in both English and Swedish versions on Friday September 27.
DragonForce will release their new album Extreme Power Metal on Friday September 27.
Alcest will release their new album Spiritual Instinct on Friday October 25.
Mayhem will release their new album on Friday October 25.
Bart Krysiuk’s Batushka will play the Croxton Bandroom on Saturday November 2.
Check out this edition’s of THTH’s Spotify playlist by searching for playlist: THTH721 or by searching spotify:user:TooHeavyToHug or just click here.
If you have any news about local metal bands, shows or albums, let THTH know by emailing to [email protected] or get in touch via Twitter at @TooHeavyToHug
Written by Paul Taylor
Photo by Paul Harries
