In order to show that I am not completely cracked, and that other individuals have indeed also combined the themes of extreme music and environmentalism, here are a few eco-orientated brutalizers.
First up: Gojira. Perhaps the greatest thing ever to come from France.
These avant-garde death metallers have never been shy about their allegiance to Terra Incognita. With song titles like 'Toxic Garbage Island,' 'Embrace the World,' or 'In the Wilderness,' the message comes across fairly clearly; even if Joe Duplantier's growls are occasionally difficult to decipher. Although by death metal standards he's fairly intelligible. Anyways, the point is that these Frenchmen have incorporated environmental activism into their incredibly heavy music. (Their music has often been lovingly compared to the sound of elephants marching). And to add to their lyrical environmentalism, Gojira has been quite involved in the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. You know, those guys who go out and ram whaling boats in hopes of disabling them. Badass stuff like that. Gojira is currently in the process of recording a new EP, the proceeds of which will go towards the Society. If I'm not mistaken, the Society may even have a boat named after Gojira. Pretty awesome right?
http://www.myspace.com/gojira
Next we have the always family-friendly Cattle Decapitation.
This San Diego squad of vegans and vegetarians have come to embrace shock tactics as a means to spread their eco-agenda. The name, as you can imagine, is decidedly facetious. Their latest album, The Harvest Floor, is a concept album of sorts. The idea is to reverse humanity's relationship with beef cattle, such that we are the ones unwittingly being lead to slaughter. It's a bit over the top, but it's certainly an interesting thought experiment. There's no mistaking that Cattle Decapitation have strong opinions on animal rights. Vocalist Travis Ryan may gurgle, burp and squeal the most inhuman sounds you've ever encountered, but the lyrics assuredly contain potent condemnations of mankind's perverse relationship to animals.
http://www.myspace.com/cattledecapitation
Finally, we have the eerie and reclusive Wolves In The Throne Room.
Mystical, nature-worshiping black metal is most often considered to be the product of gloomy Scandinavian countries. Nonetheless, these pagans bizarrely hail from the great state of Washington. I suppose wherever you find dense old-growth forests, you're bound to find clandestine gatherings of spiritual black-metallers. Wolves In The Throne Room, fittingly enough, often play shows in remote natural settings, often with little publicity. It's kind of their thing. Even more interesting, however, is the fact that members of the band purchased a farm, and are currently attempting to carve out an entirely self-sufficiently lifestyle off the grid for themselves. They may profess wacky ideals about eco-spirituality and eco-anarchism, but if they're practicing biodynamic farming and playing black metal, I'm cool with it.
www.myspace.com/wolvesinthethroneroom
So there you have it. Just a few examples of when metal and environmentalism bear a lovechild.
Like this blog itself.
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