Food For Thought/Thought For Food No. 24: R.I.P. Genericon

So, this will be a melancholic one.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t sure if I actually wanted to do this one. It’s been only a few days, but it’s common knowledge amongst all of my friends (and some acquaintances) who live in the Albany/Troy/Rensselaer area in New York State about what has happened. However, the subject of this post is incredibly personal to me. It’s about something that I loved will all of my heart, and how it is now a memory that seems to becoming more distant with each passing year, & 2022 is the year where this feeling will sadly speed up the process. So, let’s not waste anymore time, and let’s get to the matter at hand.

As many in part of Upstate New York may know, the convention known as Genericon was finally & tragically put to rest as of a few days ago on the 24th of April, 2022. It has been hosted at the Rensselaer Polytech Institute (R.P.I.) since 1984/85, although it wouldn't take place for a number of years. I had known of Genericon in my later years at HVCC, with my first visions of it in 2008. Funny enough, it wouldn’t be until January of 2009 when I went to Genericon XXII (22 for those who don’t know Roman numerals), and my mind was immediately blown away. When I stepped foot among the crowd of cosplayers & otaku, the following words popped into my head:

“I’m Home.”

From that time on, some of the best memories were made. From accidentally dousing someone in red Ramune in 2011, to hosting my first ever 18+ panel in 2017 (My first panel ever was in 2014), some of the best moments in my life were cemented firmly in my mind. From that fateful con in 2009 & onward, I have encountered some of my now dearest friends, and most beloved of acquaintances. For one weekend early in the year, all of the horrors of the world would melt away, and instead good vibes & healthy energy would come back in for a time. From 2009 to 2019, Genericon was my weeby home away from home....but sadly this was not meant to be forever.

From 2016 (If I recall correctly) to the moment that I first began typing this, R.P.I. would be under the leadership of Ms Jackson, and has her time there would go on, would gain the moniker of “Comrade Jackson”. From the moment she assumed her position of power, she seemed to make sure that many of the students & various faculty members that would not think her stuff doesn’t stink would have a miserable time while she was there. Student Union was no longer powered by the students, restrictions on protests on campus grounds, and the stranglehold on how the various clubs could operate events. Genericon was particularly savaged, as in the final 2 to 3 years running it was difficult. In 2018 there was that infamous snow storm, which ultimately caused that Friday to be cancelled (Which is a story in & of itself), sending the rest of that weekend into a giant fustercluck. I think I said it then, but I give credit to the convention staff for managed to patch things together as much as they were able to.

The funny thing about that year was the lack of 18+ panels. In 2017, Genericon XXX (30) had the most panels of that kind, but there were hardly any the next year. I hosted one in 2018, so I should know about that! It was around that time where I heard word about the reasoning for this, which supposedly was due to con-goers that weren’t above 18 were getting into 18+ panels & the con staff didn’t notice. I say supposedly, because that was a statement from Ms Jackson if memory serves me correctly, and given what she was doing, it would not be surprising if it was a lie in an effort to obtain further control over the college. Cut to 2019, and if there was an 18+ panel, I never saw it in the con book. After that, we all know what happened: 2020 came and the con was going to happen, but at incredibly mutilated hours. However, the Plague came, and put a bullet in the head of any event in the United States & the world at large. Perhaps surprisingly, it also was supposed to take place in 2021, but I don’t know the details.

The Plague was most definitely a factor in Genericon shutting down permanently, as there wasn’t any money coming in, but I think anybody in the know, as well as former con-goers, had the real answer in their head: Genericon was ultimately shut down due to the actions of Ms Jackson & those that conspired with her. In her mind, if it wasn’t under her complete control, it was a threat to her position of power, and it must be taken out. Genericon was the seemingly last free-spirited thing about R.P.I. by the end of the 2010s, and thus it seems was her final target. Thankfully she is not going to be in power for much longer, as by the 1st of July in 2022, she’s gone. All I will say to Ms Jackson is a simple question......

“Was It Worth It?”

And that’s all I have to say about this subject. I have been thankful for being able to be a part of this convention’s history for the decade I went. I have been thankful for all of the friends & acquaintances I’ve ever encounter on the former-hallowed grounds of Rensselaer Polytech Institute, and I have been thankful for all of the memories made since 2009. I still have all of the convention booklets, and all I have to do is look through them to remember the good times. With that said, I’m beginning to brew up ideas for what’s to come in May, and not long after that.....a very special surprise. See you soon!



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If you would like to read what will now be my final review of the convention, then click on the link below:

Convention Review - Genericon 2019

Album Review: E Nomine's Das Testament

Happy Easter fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

It’s been a long time since I covered something that wasn’t in the metallic hemisphere. However, it’s the day of the resurrection of Jesus (For those that believe at least), and that means taking a look at some religious themed music to celebrate the occasion. This time around, I wanted to show all of you a group that’s rather odd. Really odd. A group that takes Techno/Electronica, Gothic, Industrial, and Gregorian Chanting & religious imagery, then puts that into a blender to wiz it up, and baked into one of the strangest cakes you’ve ever seen. Despite the strangeness of this combination, it somehow works incredibly well, and then you realize that this could have only come from Europe. So, grab your nearest Easter basket, pray to the heavens above (Again, if you believe), and enjoy my review of E Nomine’s first release, Das Testament. Let’s begin!

Background
Taken from Wikipedia:

“E Nomine was founded by German producers Christian Weller ("Chris Tentum") and Friedrich Graner ("Sir Fritz") in 1999 after the huge success of the song "Vater Unser" (Our Father), which was included on their first album released that same year (Das Testament) and their most famous work as well. The project combines electronic sounds with recitations by guest voice actors, operatic chants and choirs, all performed by the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the same from the also German musical project Lesiëm.”

I do want to say one other thing: E Nomine is incredibly obscure. Outside of their native Europe, they are regulated to cult status in other areas of the world. Here in the United States, they are most definitely an example of a “Cult” musical group. Outside of comments on the American branch of Youtube, you’d be hard-pressed to find an E Nomine fan in the United States (Not that it’s impossible. More like it’s rare.).   

Basic Description
Strange....but in a good way.

In one corner, you got the Techno/Electronica, Gothic, and Industrial. Then in the other corner, you have the Gregorian Chanting & religious imagery. Both sides work well on their own, but when they combine into one musical force......somehow......someway.....it works. You got the standard beats & rhythms of late 90s Techno/Electronica, the metallic nature of Industrial, the atmosphere of Gothic, and the singing style of Gregorian alongside the religious imagery. Again, this should not work, but it does. In a strange way, I’m sort of reminded of John Larken, a.k.a. Scatman John. He was Techno, but mixed in his past of being a Jazz/Scat artist (Not that kind you sick monkeys), and in the process created something that should not have worked but miraculously did.

Best Track
Though I love practically everything on this album, I gotta admit that the self-titled track may be my main favorite. There is a preview before the song starts, which creates the atmosphere of a church with a rainstorm, and some thunder can be heard once in a while. Afterwards, it enters the song proper, and right away you know it’s late 90s Techno/Electronic. It’s not too fast, but it’s not too slow either, and there’s a nice groove to it. The Gregorian Chanting is used precisely when it’s needed, and when there isn’t any of that, there’s speaking-like singing in German (This is done throughout the whole album, alongside Latin). It’s oddly kind of hard to describe, as this entire song sounds like something that should fail, but miraculously works. Click on the link below, and hear what I mean!

E Nomine

Worst Track
It’s kind of hard to think of something bad about Das Testament. Perhaps the main issue is that Techno & Electronica were never the biggest styles here in the United States, but were hugely popular over in Europe. The whole album feels distinctly European, and I have a suspicion that it would only catch on among niche fans of that style outside of that part of the world. Further complicating things is that finding their records digitally is a surprising challenge. There’s certainly a link or two out there, but you’d be amazed at how many of them come across as rather skeevy (Except For Spotify). Fortunately, finding this record in a physical manner is a little easier. The version of the album I reviewed was the Digitally Remastered edition from 2002, which has almost double the amount of music when compared to the original 1999 release. There’s only 21 copies, but they’re spread out roughly between new & used, and the pricing isn’t terrible either.

(Just put “E Nomine Das Testament” in the Amazon search bar, and you’ll find it)

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this, then click on the link below:

Das Testament

Overall Impression & Rating
Das Testament upon first listening is such a weird experience. Two sides of music, that you think wouldn’t work together, end up being surprisingly excellent partners. This style of music is definitely not for everybody (Especially if you don’t like the religious imagery), and it may be a little difficult to find physically, but E Nomine show that they can be unique in a medium that’s already kind of unique in the first place. If you can set aside some time, I suggest that you give Das Testament a listen. You certain won’t forget it!

Das Testament gets a 8.5 out of 10.

And that was my look at the curious case of E Nomine’s first album, Das Testament. Again, this is an odd album, but one that sounds great, and it does leave somewhat of a lasting impression when you’re done. I’ll review the band’s other two albums in the future, but in the meantime I hope you have a nice rest of the day. See you soon!

5 Songs That Blew Me Away (Part 1)

Happy Birthday to me everybody!

Today’s post is a legit off-the-cuff idea that popped into my head earlier today, and I might turn it into a series I make if there’s enough interest. I figured it’s rather appropriate to get this out on my birthday, as I’m now 35 years old, and in all of my life on Earth at this post I’ve listened to a lot of music. Metal or otherwise, I’ve listened to a ton of songs, and many of them blew my mind into another zone. Some of these songs are old, while others are pretty recent. As a random bit of fun, I figured it would be interesting to show you all some of these tracks in question. So, without further delay, here are 5 songs that blew me away......part 1!

1) Cannabis Corpse - Dawn Of Weed Possession (Song)
It seems silly to begin this list with Death Metal, much less Stoner Death Metal, but I’m being genuinely honest here. Despite being surrounded by Pot Smoke when on stage a lot of the time, Cannabis Corpse are surprisingly competent when it comes to the instrumentation & singing. Not only that, but the band have a healthy dose of humor in each & every song on an album, and Dawn Of Weed Possession is no exception. A tribute to the often overlooked Maniac Cop movie series, the story that the track sets up is just goofy. I think this song blew me away because it’s the ultimate example of never judging a book by it’s cover, and speaking of which......

2) Everfrost - Actraiser (Song)
It’s been a while since I talked about these guys! No, I’m not ashamed of talking about Everfrost again!

Honestly, I don’t think I should talk about this one too much, as I’ve covered this a bunch of times since 2019. To sum it up: I didn’t think that Anime/Manga could combine with Power Metal, but that thought was slapped out of my head from the first few notes of this track. Sure, Everfrost are Power Metal, but the essence of what weebs love are sewn into each and every tune on their records, and as such puts the band in a unique niche. Nothing else to say really!

3) Led Zeppelin - All Of My Love (Song)
To this very day, Zeppelin’s final album, In Through The Out Door, remains the lone release from the band that I enjoy. I still consider it the release that sounds like Led Zeppelin the least, but even then there’s still a track or two that sounds like their old selves somewhat, and All Of My Love fits that description. Like another track on this list, the instrumentation is played rather simplistically, and Robert Plant never gets into the high range (Save for one part at the end). What makes All Of My Love such a mindblower is the sheer emotional weight behind everything. For anyone not in the know, Robert Plant’s son Kerac died 2 years prior to the release of In Through The Out Door, and this song is a tribute to his deceased child. It may not sound like a tribute at first, but if you dig beneath the surface, you will realize that fact. A mindblower for sure!

4) Queen - Mother Love (Song)
Last November marked 30 years since one of the most iconic singers passed away. Last November marked 30 years since Freddy Mercury left this earth for the heavens above, and one of the most iconic Rock/Metal bands ceased to be. However, just because Queen as a whole would no longer be, that didn’t mean there wasn’t anything missing from the tank. Despite missing their classic frontman, the band managed to crank out one final piece of music in the form of Made In Heaven. A patchwork album made mostly of table scraps (Leftover songs from prior records & Freddie's solo career), it none-the-less still had 3 original songs on it, and Mother Love is the best of them. Taking a more slower pace, the instrumentation & keyboard plays rather softly & simply, and Freddy’s voice never gets loud & epic.....save for one final blast of energy near the middle of the song. One final sequence of the most flamboyant human being in music.....giving one last performance of a lifetime. As I’ve stated before, I’m not a full-blown Queen fan, but it’s songs like this that earn my eternal respect.

5) Rammstein - Zeit (Song)
I find it a little strange to end this inaugural list with a song that’s pretty recent, but it’s one that I find necessary to share. In a way, what’s there to say about one of the most iconic Industrial Metal bands the world has ever known? For over 25 years, Rammstein have released some of the most iconic records in the style, not to mention some of the most bombastic live shows that have ever been performed. In 2019 they release their first album in about a decade, and as I’ve said before, it was like meeting a friend I haven’t seen in 10 years....and now I’ve met them again back in March.

I actually find it interesting that Rammstein would begin revealing their new album with this song. Deutschland from 2019 was look into the history of the band’s home country, but Zeit? Zeit is the ultimate analysis of Life, Death, and Time. It’s incredibly insightful, massively emotional, and life affirming as well. If you look up any of the reaction videos to the music video, you will see the viewer’s minds just blow completely away. Hell, there’s at least one or two of them where by the end the viewer is crying. Given that I’m 3 and a half decades old, Zeit resonates with me in a way that the band’s prior music (Even from their return 3 years ago) never did. If you haven’t yet, please give the video a watch if you have the time to spare. You’ll see what I mean.

So these were 5 songs that blew me away. Again, if enough of you like this, then I might considering making another list like this in the future. Well, I’m not sure what else I got planned for April, but stay tuned in the meantime!