always a critic

I've managed to get a few more bits and pieces written and online recently so if you want my take on the Rotting Christ anniversary DVD and CD combo, the latest Drudkh album, or my interview with The Gathering, swing by Hellbound.ca.

... And just in case you were wondering, The Entrance Band were pretty damn good. Hellbound's got the scoop on that too (but not by me).

voivodian art (what to get me for xmas)

Many many years ago (in a galaxy far far away?) I got to sit in the back of a tour bus with Piggy (Denis D'Amour) and Away (Michel Langevin) of Voïvod, discussing heavy music, nano particles, and other delightful topics. I left with a handful of tickets to the band's show in Toronto the next night and a few photocopied sheets filled with Away's drawings.

I didn't make it to the show and none of these items are still in my possession, and I nearly cry at the thought of these losses. But it's some consolation that Away's artwork is now available in a much more vivid polished form - in a long-awaited book from Spider Publishing and Martin Popoff called Worlds Away (see Difficult Music for an excellent commentary and review).

So if you were wondering what to get me for Christmas...

metal events for the scholarly-inclined

For world travelling metal fans and scholars, this fall could be a busy time, with events taking place in Germany, Austria, and the US. None of this is in my budget or schedule, but perhaps some of you other folks have the money, interest and time.

The international congress "Heavy Metal and Gender" will take place at
the University of Music Cologne, 8 to 10 October 2009, with 'celeb' guests Robert Walser, Deena Weinstein, Doro Pesch, Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy), Sabina Classen joining a slew of academic presenters.

A month later, things move south a bit with Heavy Fundamentalisms: Music, Metal and Politics (part 2) in Salzburg, Austria, 10 to 12 November 2009.

And to put you in the Christmas spirit... Hideous Gnosis †: Black Metal Theory Symposium (Metal. Theory. Mutual Blackening.) December 12, 2009 in Brooklyn, NY. Expect papers, art, and ideas.

sf + heavy music and other delightful oddities

Sometimes (fairly often actually) my work world and my 'fun' world intersect. That was the case just over a week ago, when I attended Anticipation - the 67th WorldCon (World Science Fiction Convention) in Montreal.

Neil Gaiman was the rock star of the event, ushered and escorted into film presentations, readings, signings and other activities (usually a few minutes late). At a lower degree of fame the lines between guests and fans blurred with various authors showing up on panels and walking around amidst the unwashed hordes (this description became literal on very few occasions). I checked out sessions on the study of sf (and presented - this was the work part), the philosophy of science, science blogging, DIY tech and Michael Jackson's "Thriller"... I attended readings (including Robert Sawyer's) watched a film (Coraline), wandered through the art show, and had a discussion about theories of space and time... I also came home with a lot more books, after telling myself I wouldn't buy a single one. (sigh)

One of the events I was least expecting and most pleased to discover was Melissa Auf der Maur's presentation of her new short film, Out of Our Minds. I was so intrigued and impressed that I collaborated on a review of the evening for Hellbound.ca. In a strange quirk of choice and probability, Auf der Maur's backing band for the film soundtrack - The Entrance Band - is performing in Hamilton this Wednesday (with Nebula at the Casbah, Aug 19, 9pm).

Cory Doctorow also caught my interest through a couple of activities he was involved with. I'd heard of him, and discovered his blog, boingboing.net in recent months, but that was about the extent of it. He had Neil Gaiman reading a short story as part of a short story project that's also an experiment in new distribution and marketing models for 21st century media (he's a supporter of the "free ebook"). Doctorow's website and blog are well-stocked with info and opinions and, I'm sure, explanations of the project.

Would I go to WorldCon again? Maybe. It's an international convention, so it's unlikely to be this close to home any time soon, and though you get a lot of value for your money, it's not a cheap event to attend. Still, I don't regret the investment.