Everything Will Be Metal

After maintaining many months with a distinctly non-metal diet of various levels of groovenation dancery and party, an excellent event happened upon Seoul to reverse my alarming trend of throwing the hallowed 'sign of the goat' at non-metal events. The burgeoning industrial community along with a meagre, yet indignant extreme metal community blended styles for a night of metal and gothic rapture. One of the difficulties in being a foreigner is that without a functional grasp of native Hangul, many opportunities to experience cultural, musical, or otherwise events can lead to resources tapping out almost invariably. However, having attained such lofty ambitions and befriending several persons integral to the promotion and contribution to the scene, I was able to attend shows at my leisure and convenience.

The gothic and/industrial scene in Seoul is still in its infancy. However, with each successive show and production it grows stronger, offering more talent, decor and atmosphere and fostering a strong contingency of dedicated fans and enthusiasts (myself included). On the bill for this particular chapter were two bands who I have desperately wanted to see, Desperado and Oathean. Both bands know how and have the ability to rock until the socks come off. Suffice to say, this is exactly what happened. There were also two magicians at the show, about 60 or so Korean fashion afficianados, and Dj Shade from Toronto, most known for Darkrave and similar events showcased at Big Bop and Savage Garden. Having righteous bands drilling sonorous wrath and unmitigated chaos into one's brain can be eclipsed by no other thing, save for a mindnumbingly narcotic selection of pulsing industrial techno (or perhaps Thor and Cthulu slaying a thousand trolls)