Ian Robinson

[haVoc 0]

Hey everybody, what’s up. Sorry it’s been so long since I wrote anything but I’ve been busy trying to figure out the rest of my life and you know how much time that can eat up.

 

I’ve come up with my 20 best albums of 2004 list and it’s also the last thing about music I’ll ever write again. Between watching the metal scene spoil from the inside and seeing bands selling their souls to get 15 minutes on Headbangers Ball I’ve just given up on it altogether.

 

Extreme music once stood for the anger, despair and bitterness people felt towards a world that didn’t understand them—now it stands for Juliya, stupid hand gestures and cliques.

 

At first I could deal with the new ignorance in metal, the betty boop costumes, the redneck jocko-jackass posturing—but once people started using what happened to Dimebag Darrell as a device to get back into the public eye by weighing in on that tragedy when nobody asked them, I just gave up. The people who knew Darrell know who they are and the people who didn’t and still ran their mouths should be ashamed. I didn’t know the man very well, met him a few times, but I did my best to keep my mouth shut about it because it wasn’t my place. I also loved how Phil wrote that big statement about how devastated he was (even though he just did an interview that called for Darrell to beaten severely) and how we wouldn’t see him for a long time because he was so upset about this (way to make it all about yourself Phil) and the best part were these fans who actually came out chastising a family and friends who’d lost somebody they loved because their hero Phil wasn’t allowed at the funeral.

 

I also got the sharp end of the how-quickly-they-forget sword from bands I killed myself to help when I was on MTV who suddenly forgot I existed once I wasn’t on the channel. You add this all to the fact that for every 50 albums that come out, maybe 5 are worthwhile and you start to become bitter and broken hearted about it all, until you finally just give up altogether.

 

I know there’s a lot of you out there with your Limp Bizkit T-shirts on or your corpse paint that hate me and, well, fuck you, and congrats, cause I’m done with it.

 

20 Best Heavy Records Of 2004:

 

Mastodon: Leviathan

Neurosis: Eye Of Every Storm

Japanische Kampfhorspiele: Hardcore Aus Des Ersten Welt

Isis: Panopticon

Rwake: If You Walk Before You Crawl, You Crawl Before You Die

Backstabbers Inc: Kamikaze Missions

Converge: You Fail Me

Unearth: The Oncoming Storm

Mare: Mare

These Arms Are Snakes: Oxneers Or The Lion Sleeps When It’s Antelopes Go Home

Jesu: Heartache

Grails: Redlight

Pig Destroyer: Terrifyer

Today Is The Day: Kiss The Pig

Motorhead: Inferno

Old Man Gloom: Christmas

Premonitions Of War: Left In Kowloon

Decapitated: The Negation

Killswitch Engage: The End Of Heartache

Cattle Decapitation: Humanure

 

In 2005 I’m expecting big things from Cursed’s new album (the new 7” is fucking crushing) as well as the new band featuring Milligram’s Jonah Jenkins. Black Helicopter are due to have some new stuff out and hopefully things will creep out of the woodwork that will surprise me. Anyway, thanks to those who’ve been supportive of me over the last few years, it meant a lot to me.

 

Take care,

Iann

 

Metal Sludge would like to thank Iann Robinson for his "Thirsty and Miserable" column over the last year and for his various other contributions and support during the last few years. Fuck, he even used to wear a Metal Sludge shirt on the air when he worked at MTV2. He's been a welcome addition to our Sludge Family, and we wish him only the best in life as he takes his place alongside Jesse Camp, Adam Curry, and other former VJs that no one talks about anymore. Thanks, Iann!

 

Metal Sludge

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

Once again I completely agree with him. About the Dimebag situation...can't really say much for his top 20 list.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

The top two are awesome, the bottom two are shite, and the new DEP is a glaring omission.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Do metal people take These Arms Are Snakes seriously? I saw them live, once, unfortunately; they were totally emocore or whatever.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Never heard 'em.

[Placebo Effect 0]

Not really sure why people are shitting on the new Killswtich. Sure, they "sold out," but the album, at least to me, is tremendous.

 

Considering Ian was bitching on MTV a few years back about the lack of Headbangers Ball, it's appropriate for him to be hating it now.

[Only The Strong Survive 0]

I don't know what Ian expects from metal culture. Anything that can become corporate, will become corporate. And with the Dimebag situation, anything that can be used for personal gain (be it face time or money or notoreity), will be used. It's the expected practice.

[King Kamala 0]

Do metal people take These Arms Are Snakes seriously? I saw them live, once, unfortunately; they were totally emocore or whatever.

It was Ian Robinson's top 20 albums of the year, overall. But that happened to be the only non-metal album on there.

[Eclipse 0]

I agree fully with him.

 

Hell, you can apply that to music as a whole now. Too many people selling out, too many people trying TO HARD to be mainstream. Twenty years from now, I know I am remembering this generation of music as a CRAPPY one. I still say 1990-2000 was the last time music in general was good.

[Nevermortal 0]

Ian Robinson is a whiny piece of garbage.

[King Kamala 0]

Ian Robinson is a whiny piece of garbage.

Ditto, he's always seemed to be incredibly elitist. Like he's saying, "The only good music is the music I listen to and everything else sucks!" and he's always bitching about selling out. Hello? Working for MTV, despite the fact you absolutely hate 99.99999999999999% of the bands on there isn't selling out? Although I do agree with his assesment of Juilya, I fucking hate that chick.

[RHR 0]

I agree fully with him.

 

Hell, you can apply that to music as a whole now. Too many people selling out, too many people trying TO HARD to be mainstream. Twenty years from now, I know I am remembering this generation of music as a CRAPPY one. I still say 1990-2000 was the last time music in general was good.

ummm....WHAT???

 

1999? 2000? I'm sorry. The music from those years was HORRIBLE. The last time music in general was decent would be back from 90-93...rock, r&b, rap, hip hop, country, jazz, blues, etc....hard to not find some decent albums from those years....hell....here's five...

 

NEVERMIND--cutting edge punk

LO-END THEORY---hip hop with brains

IN PIECES---a country pop album that's an easy listen

COOLEYHIGHHARMONY---pop r&b with talent

TEN---classic americana rock

 

and you can go on and on....what the hell came out in 1999? Millenium? Baby...one more time? some limp bizcut crap?

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

Nirvana wasn't cutting edge nor punk. Why do you drink MTV's koolaid?

[RHR 0]

First off, what is your definition of "punk" and/or "cutting edge"?

 

This is a band that stomped through in an era when it was called "college rock" aka "nerd" and/or "older fat sister/brother" rock" (my punctuation is horrible today).

 

Granted, they weren't alone...but, the mantle of leading the rock revolution of 89-93 fell squarely onto Kurt and Eddie.....the spokesman of a generation BS....this was expected of two guys that if they weren't rock stars would have been shooting pool with me at the pub in seattle last night....

 

Nirvana's sound was so beautifully imperfect that it could have only been done on purpose...that is where the cutting edge came from...and punk? Well...punk is sometimes a fashion thing, an attitude thing, but never really a musical thing...hell...the Sonics are the most ignored "punk" band of all time....but...who calls em punk?

 

Nirvana sure as hell fits the mold better than anything from 99-00 IMHO.

 

As far as MTV, I never watched it then (no cable), and don't watch it now (no cable)...but...I know what it is...and I really don't think that it has anything to do with music. Music is a live show that kicks your ass, and when you get the recording, you are taken back to that show. Not some budgeted clip with acting in it.

 

 

Although, I have seen the In Bloom video a few times...and...I really like it.

[Red Baron 0]

I'll say this.

 

Nirvana never helped improve music.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Nobody arguing in this thread knows what they're talking about, which makes even more sense when you consider that you're arguing over something that Iann Robinson wrote.

[Corey_Lazarus 0]

Sorry that we can't all like pussy music, Paragon. Some of us happen to embrace the testosterone in our system.

 

As for Nirvana...fuck Nirvana. The only "revolution" they lead was one that brought a bunch of pussy-ass suburban kids into the world of heroin and hating their parents for no fucking reason whatsoever, all while complaining about not having money when they're too lazy to get a fucking job, and whenever they DO have money they blow it on weed or McDonald's. Fuck kids.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Sorry that we can't all like pussy music, Paragon. Some of us happen to embrace the testosterone in our system.

This is the best thing I've read all day. What does that even mean, especially in reference to this thread?

[NoCalMike 0]

I liked Nirvana for the most part, but for all the praise they got for being this and/or that, in reality all they were was a RADIO FRIENDLY version of other actual cutting edge bands out there. The Melvins come to mind, seven year bitch also. I mean if you look at the grunge era as far as what was played on the radio, it can pretty much be summed up as Nirvana/Pearl Jam/Soundgarden, and for all this bullshit rhetoric about "oh you can be a garabge band and make it" I sure as hell didn't see Nirvana helping any other bands along the way.Grunge also gave birth to perhaps the worst era in hard music ever, which was Nu-Metal. Once grunge made it big, radio stations where afraid to play any new bands where the band members could ya know, actually play their instruments well.

[Red Baron 0]

Grunge never spawned off towards Nu-Metal.

 

Between 94-97 was probably the best/worst era of music, since there was no major musician leading the influence on pop culture.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

Do metal people take These Arms Are Snakes seriously? I saw them live, once, unfortunately; they were totally emocore or whatever.

This si true, They are horrible.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Sorry that we can't all like pussy music, Paragon. Some of us happen to embrace the testosterone in our system.

This is the best thing I've read all day. What does that even mean, especially in reference to this thread?

I have no idea, my post was in no reference to metal being shitty, or indie music being the best, as his post seems to imply. The insecure ones always jump at the chance to prove their manhood, and I expect him to call me a faggot next, in order to cement his status as a tough dude. I'd explain what I meant by my original post, but anyone who matters would get it.

 

His response about Nirvana is so ridiculously stupid on many levels, but when you realize whose talking, you know it would be redundant to break it down, so you just call him a moron and move on.

 

Nirvana wasn't a Grunge band, they were a punk band that came out from a scene when all the other grunge bands were making their name. The people at a Nirvana show would be vastly different then people at a, say, Mudhoney show? They're a cool Grunge band, I mean they're Inc's favourite! I've never actually heard anything by them though. Nirvana is a punk band that sounds different from most punk bands, so naturally people call them something OTHER THEN PUNK. That sentiment is so ass-backwards that it would be pointless to go on.

[NoCalMike 0]

Nirvana wasn't a Grunge band, they were a punk band that came out from a scene when all the other grunge bands were making their name. The people at a Nirvana show would be vastly different then people at a, say, Mudhoney show? They're a cool Grunge band, I mean they're Inc's favourite! I've never actually heard anything by them though. Nirvana is a punk band that sounds different from most punk bands, so naturally people call them something OTHER THEN PUNK. That sentiment is so ass-backwards that it would be pointless to go on.

 

Oh I get it, you were JOKING.

 

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

redbaron is right; Nirvana didn't help shit in terms of popular music.

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

it helped make it worst with bands like Puddle of Mudd trying to be them

 

Isn't that the lowest you can possibily be? A second rate nirvana?

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

I recall seeing some special way back when, and most nu-metal bands seemed to cite the Black Album as their main influence.

 

Maybe they all are copying Metallica instead? I hear more Metallica in say, a Disturbed song then Nirvana. Nirvana wasn't as RAWK~! so perhaps these shitty bands really did pick off Metallica.

[Guest Fire and Knives]

I'm still waiting for that definition of 'pussy music'. It could be anything.

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

I recall seeing some special way back when, and most nu-metal bands seemed to cite the Black Album as their main influence.

 

Maybe they all are copying Metallica instead? I hear more Metallica in say, a Disturbed song then Nirvana. Nirvana wasn't as RAWK~! so perhaps these shitty bands really did pick off Metallica.

I hear more Black Sabbath in Disturbed then Metallica.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

If I ever thought you dudes were too hard on Corey, this thread convinces me otherwise.

[NoCalMike 0]

Nu-Metal is like a combo of power rock and grunge. It takes the grunge formula of simple guitar notes played throughout the entire song with no solos or anything that stands out from each other, and mixes it with a power rock sound and you have nu-metal. Puddle of Mud is a perfect example. Korn is another one. And I don't care if these guys NAME DROP Metallica. Their music sounds nothing like metallica. Plus you know they are lying anyway, because who the hell claims to be influenced by a mega band like Metallica, yet be influenced by one of their weaker CDs(artisically, not commercially of course). I think they are all just trying to get on the metal bandwagon and name dropping Metallica is one way to make idiots notice.