The Miscellaneous Goings On Of Tom - Where The Bloody Hell Have You Been?
It's Been A Significant Period Of Time Since I Wrote One Of These...
Yes, a question I have been asking myself the last month or so is where have I been? Well, as the Vanaheimr/Fjordhammer update states, I've been in the throws of an uninspired and unmotivated spell. Alas, that however is no more! I have rediscovered my fervour and since announcing the release of Vanaheimr's third EP, The Ghosts Of Our Past, I have been planning and plotting for EP IV. With the blog also going from strength to strength again with shares from bands and a PR company the blog is picking up again and I'm very happy that I am reaching a new audience. I didn't think when I started this blog it would get to where it is now, but I think my drive to bring the world music in any guise and my love of writing wouldn't have let me stop, once I started seeing my definition of success start to bloom. While the darkness has closed in my imagination is firing on all cylinders once again and I am absolutely loving it! (Even if I do have a head cold brewing, bastard things).
What I'm Listening To At This Very Moment
Getting my Viking on ready for the new season of the TV show coming out on the 4th December. Although I've been wrapped up in Victorian Gothic fiction as of late, I'll always love and be inspired by this period of history. Like all things Dark Ages and Medieval its a very interesting time of discovery and spirituality. When Christianity became the dominant European religion and the Americas were discovered 500 years before Christopher Columbus. I think with all things you love its good to take a break from them as well so you don't lose your passion for them. I've stayed away from my Norse learning adventures for the best part of 6 months, so as I gradually come back to it a it, I believe that I'll feel a more intense love for it all over again. I love that musical groups are reworking this heritage into musical art forms, living history is always a concept that I'll get behind as I think that's when we really learn about where we have come from. This music can be tense and action packed or dark and solemn to truly reflect the cold, dark and challenging environment that those early Nordic people lived in. I'll always encourage people to listen to this kind of thing as you never know how it may effect you or what you'll find in it.
What I've Been Jamming To This Week
Considering I saw them live for the third time on Sunday, it's mainly been Opeth's latest release In Cauda Venenum (Swedish version of course). I think it's quite a unique album, it flows so much better in Swedish than it does in English in my opinion. I also love knowing where the band got the samples from as well, an old Swedish kids programme from the 1970s called Skrotnisse och Hans Vänner (you can watch the whole series on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFlXx_sR_9Y&t=397s), it was strange watching some of it and hearing the sampled sections and not hearing a riff after it. This is easily one of their best albums to date.
The Bombardment Of Christmas
Hallowe'en has literally just finished and I'm already being bombarded with Christmas adverts and music on the TV. Don't get me wrong I love the spirit of Christmas but putting up "German" Christmas markets (Once you've been to one in Germany, the UK equivalents lose all their appeal, trust me I know) with decorations and trees up in high street stores this early kind of takes the enjoyment out of Christmas a little bit. I think most people would agree with me that this capitalism takeover of Christmas is a bit of a joke, because when it gets to December I know that people want the festive season to be over because we've been bombarded with it for so long in the month and a half leading up to it. I won't rant but it is my one pet hate about this time of year, and because my Birthday is in December and it should be a national holiday (I joke of course). End of the day though, I'm looking forward to blasting this bad boy and instant classic once we hit December;
Music Gear
I've never really been a Fender fan but I will always make one exception, the Jaguar will always win my heart over because of its uniqueness within the Fender brand. Something about it will always appeal for me and having had the opportunity to try out a few I've definitely put it on my "Guitars To Buy When I Have Money" list along with a myriad of others which of course include Solar and Aristides.
What I'm Listening To At This Very Moment
Getting my Viking on ready for the new season of the TV show coming out on the 4th December. Although I've been wrapped up in Victorian Gothic fiction as of late, I'll always love and be inspired by this period of history. Like all things Dark Ages and Medieval its a very interesting time of discovery and spirituality. When Christianity became the dominant European religion and the Americas were discovered 500 years before Christopher Columbus. I think with all things you love its good to take a break from them as well so you don't lose your passion for them. I've stayed away from my Norse learning adventures for the best part of 6 months, so as I gradually come back to it a it, I believe that I'll feel a more intense love for it all over again. I love that musical groups are reworking this heritage into musical art forms, living history is always a concept that I'll get behind as I think that's when we really learn about where we have come from. This music can be tense and action packed or dark and solemn to truly reflect the cold, dark and challenging environment that those early Nordic people lived in. I'll always encourage people to listen to this kind of thing as you never know how it may effect you or what you'll find in it.
What I've Been Jamming To This Week
Considering I saw them live for the third time on Sunday, it's mainly been Opeth's latest release In Cauda Venenum (Swedish version of course). I think it's quite a unique album, it flows so much better in Swedish than it does in English in my opinion. I also love knowing where the band got the samples from as well, an old Swedish kids programme from the 1970s called Skrotnisse och Hans Vänner (you can watch the whole series on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFlXx_sR_9Y&t=397s), it was strange watching some of it and hearing the sampled sections and not hearing a riff after it. This is easily one of their best albums to date.
The Bombardment Of Christmas
Hallowe'en has literally just finished and I'm already being bombarded with Christmas adverts and music on the TV. Don't get me wrong I love the spirit of Christmas but putting up "German" Christmas markets (Once you've been to one in Germany, the UK equivalents lose all their appeal, trust me I know) with decorations and trees up in high street stores this early kind of takes the enjoyment out of Christmas a little bit. I think most people would agree with me that this capitalism takeover of Christmas is a bit of a joke, because when it gets to December I know that people want the festive season to be over because we've been bombarded with it for so long in the month and a half leading up to it. I won't rant but it is my one pet hate about this time of year, and because my Birthday is in December and it should be a national holiday (I joke of course). End of the day though, I'm looking forward to blasting this bad boy and instant classic once we hit December;
Music Gear
I've never really been a Fender fan but I will always make one exception, the Jaguar will always win my heart over because of its uniqueness within the Fender brand. Something about it will always appeal for me and having had the opportunity to try out a few I've definitely put it on my "Guitars To Buy When I Have Money" list along with a myriad of others which of course include Solar and Aristides.
As a fan of blues music I feel that this guitar along with my Watkins Rapier would give me the sound and tone I'd be looking for when I write my blues riffs. If you want some more information on the Fender Jaguar you can check out this awesome article on MusicRadar; https://www.musicradar.com/news/classic-gear-fender-jaguar
Wrapping It Up (Christmas Pun Intended)
To conclude, everything seems to be back on track, its ok to have these momentary lapses of interest and motivation because walking away can some time re-fire the inner fervour within and you feel madly passionate all over again! That's one thing I've learned as sometimes it feels like my various interests clash and as a perfectionist I want to give my all to everything I set my mind on but as Bilbo says you end up "feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread". This rings so true as you tend to end up giving little to what you actually want to do so you ultimately feel rubbish when you don't get the results you want. This constant learning is good, and I encourage everyone to do it.
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