The Miscellaneous Goings On Of Tom - August: The Bogey Month

 

Time Is At A Premium It Seems...

Well, long time no see, aye? 

The blog has been very quiet in recent weeks and for that I sincerely apologise. In the UK it is the school holidays and as a hospitality industry worker that means that my time is swallowed up with long, tiresome hours feeding stressed out parents and their kids. Even so, I have been busy writing for the various other publications I'm involved in and I am so stoked to have been able to share them with you! My interview with Danny from Phoxjaw is now available for your consumption by purchasing a copy of RAMzine Issue #30 and this also contains my first ever editorial about the rise in vinyl sales. Alongside this, my first big Noizze feature is now published! I sat down and fully immersed myself in TesseracT's cinematic PORTALS experience as well as having my questions answered by Amos which was surreal as a long time fan of the band.  The job hunt has also been in full swing as I have a furious determination to break the shackles of the hospitality industry once and for all. I have had a few interviews but I am as of yet unsuccessful, but that won't stop me as with it comes the exciting prospect of relocating to somewhere new. As much as my heart lies in the West Country, or from my Anglo-Saxon history perspective Wessex, sometimes it's good to leave and see something different. In between all this constant thinking and processing, I've struggled to find time for myself, hence why the Fjordhammer Weekly Listening List won't return until September to allow myself this time for some very much needed R&R. So, all in all it's been a pretty hectic period for me, and whilst I'm more annoyed that my diet and fitness has gone downhill, I have loved all the new music coming out form the UK. Across all metal and rock genres the scene is thriving! It is incredible to see and with the success of this year's Bloodstock despite everything makes me feel like things are getting back to normal. However there is still some deep rooted anxiety there, despite being double jabbed I still wear a mask and keep my distance, so in a way it is alarming to see how quickly people ditched masks. Anyway, I don't want to dwell on that. Another aspect of life that has been difficult for me recently is connecting with nature, I know going for a walk is taking time for yourself but I've just not felt in tune with my ethereal and spiritual side as modernity continuously interrupts the natural flow. As the climate crisis was hammered even deeper into my thoughts by the recent IPCC report, I really want to strive to rekindle my connection with it this winter. What I don't understand is why I feel this connection more in Autumn/Winter but as much as I have loved the sun to an extent, I am welcoming the colder seasons with open arms. It is definitely where I feel my most inspired and hopefully I can start work on some new music. Anyway, as you can see, it has been very hectic recently, but this September I hope to get back into a routine with Fjordhammer. It has upset me that I haven't been ablate give it the time it deserves lately but you have to take time for yourself and let yourself have time to switch off. 

What I'm listening To At This Very Moment

The new Wolves In The Throne Room album is beautiful, and I hope I will be able to review it soon. Packing everything that we love about black metal into one fascinating and intriguing album. Everyone should definitely be checking this album out!

What I've Been Jamming To This Week

Despite my emotional dilemmas with certain areas of the genre, i.e. bands I used to enjoy turning out to be shitbags, I have been getting back into black metal. While doom and psych may take over my summer months (and it has been a long summer) you can't deny the raw aggressive viciousness and epicness of black metal. One album that has particularly caught my eye is Seth's La Morsure Du Christ. With what seems to be a burning Notre Dame on the cover, the symphonic/industrial nature of the album definitely grabs you. The French band definitely have a 'romance sombre' for the apocalypse and they deliver that with fury and hellfire. 

Thank You For Your Understanding 

Whilst I am annoyed that my hand has been forced into leaving Fjordhammer for a bit, I want to thank you all for your understanding and continued support for the blog. Historically August has always been a bit of a bogey month, with last year's ridiculous 'Eat Out To Help Out' campaign utterly ruining me mentally and physically. Whilst I love my writing I want to be able to give you the best of it, unfortunately I have not been able to but come September I aim to get Fjordhammer back to full strength for you all! For now though, I'll do what I can. Big love as always and keep rockin'! 🤘💙