What is Best in Life

Hello dear readers, it’s MAILBAG MONDAY again!  On this special day I will search through my mountain of reader mail and answer the five most pressing questions!

What’s that you say?  Do I really get that much mail?  Well, I’ll admit…the contact section of this website doesn’t get used that often, but, one of the perks of wordpress stats is that I can see the google search terms that people use to find my site.  And I’m going to go ahead and pretend that these search terms will count as reader mail, since they are often entered in the form of a question.  So as you read these, remember that each “question” was something that someone actually typed into google that brought up my site as a hit which they then clicked on thus letting wordpress stats report to me the search they used to find my site.  I could make up the questions myself, but it turns out the actual google searches are far better than anything I could come up with!

This time I answer the questions:

• Sad keanu paperfolder?
• 5 digit codes cryptography?
• Ren fest boobs?
• Things i learned watching roadhouse?
• My favorite black metal list?
  

So, without further ado, it is time to dig into the old Mailbag to see what kind of things have been on my reader’s minds in the last month! (more…)

I always have to stop myself when I say I like “all kinds of music”.  Because, honestly, that just isn’t true, there is really only one kind of music I like.  No, not [just] Black Metal, I’m talking about music in a minor key.  I mean, I’m a pretty happy guy, but there is something about sad, sad songs that just does it for me.  I don’t dislike Vivaldi’s “Spring” and “Fall”, but I far prefer “Summer” and “Winter” (guess which seasons he writes in a minor key).  “Satisfaction” is a fine song, but I’d rather listen to “Paint it Black” any day…you get the idea.  Basically, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that sting [of soul crushing sorrow and sadness].

This month on Minor Key Monday I’ll act like one of those guys who thinks he discovered Johnny Cash: (more…)

Welcome back to Mid-Month Metal Masterpiece, where I discuss a different classic Thrash, Death, Black or just plain “Heavy” metal album on the 15th of each month. Of course, I’m an old school fellow, so don’t expect to see a lot of stuff post-1996 or so. Each installment will be accompanied by several short sound clips illustrating important sections of the album. Anyway, it was either this or a new Daily Metal Reviews section. Consider yourselves lucky I chose the path of moderation.

This month I’ll discuss Gorgoroth’s 1997 album Under the Sign of Hell.  It’s one of the few black metal albums that can be accurately described as “kick-ass”. (more…)

I always have to stop myself when I say I like “all kinds of music”.  Because, honestly, that just isn’t true, there is really only one kind of music I like.  No, not [just] Black Metal, I’m talking about music in a minor key.  I mean, I’m a pretty happy guy, but there is something about sad, sad songs that just does it for me.  I don’t dislike Vivaldi’s “Spring” and “Fall”, but I far prefer “Summer” and “Winter” (guess which seasons he writes in a minor key).  “Satisfaction” is a fine song, but I’d rather listen to “Paint it Black” any day…you get the idea.  Basically, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that sting [of soul crushing sorrow and sadness].

This month on Minor Key Monday I fess up to my secret love of goth music.  Why you ask?  Maybe I just felt the need to share…or maybe there is another reason coming at the end of this month…: (more…)

Welcome back to Mid-Month Metal Masterpiece, where I discuss a different classic Thrash, Death, Black or just plain “Heavy” metal album on the 15th of each month. Of course, I’m an old school fellow, so don’t expect to see a lot of stuff post-1996 or so. Each installment will be accompanied by several short sound clips illustrating important sections of the album. Anyway, it was either this or a new Daily Metal Reviews section. Consider yourselves lucky I chose the path of moderation.

This month I’ll discuss Venom’s 1982 album Black Metal.  It’s not black metal, it’s not thrash, it’s just a pure metal classic. (more…)

Hello dear readers, it’s MAILBAG MONDAY again!  On this special day I will search through my mountain of reader mail and answer the five most pressing questions!

What’s that you say?  Do I really get that much mail?  Well, I’ll admit…the contact sectionof this website doesn’t get used that often, but, one of the perks of wordpress stats is that I can see the google search terms that people use to find my site.  And I’m going to go ahead and pretend that these search terms will count as reader mail, since they are often entered in the form of a question.  So as you read these, remember that each “question” was something that someone actually typed into google that brought up my site as a hit which they then clicked on thus letting wordpress stats report to me the search they used to find my site.  I could make up the questions myself, but it turns out the actual google searches are far better than anything I could come up with!

This time I answer the questions:

• Bathroom gothic humor?
• Normal names of black metalers?
• Cheating ok feminism?
• Food fight at the ok corral?
• Teddy roosevelt hulk photoshop?

So, without further ado, it is time to dig into the old Mailbag to see what kind of things have been on my reader’s minds in the last month! (more…)

Welcome back to Mid-Month Metal Masterpiece, where I discuss a different classic Thrash, Death, Black or just plain “Heavy” metal album on the 15th of each month. Of course, I’m an old school fellow, so don’t expect to see a lot of stuff post-1996 or so. Each installment will be accompanied by several short sound clips illustrating important sections of the album. Anyway, it was either this or a new Daily Metal Reviews section. Consider yourselves lucky I chose the path of moderation.

This month I’ll discuss one of Death Metal’s (relatively) overlooked masterpieces – the 1989 Carcass album Symphonies of Sickness. (more…)

I think it is fair to call Burzum the greatest Black Metal band of all time.  The one man project of Christian “Varg”/”Count Grishnakh” Vikernes, Burzum pushed a very narrow genre to its artistic peak.  With his albums Hvis Lyset Tar Oss and Filosofem, Varg crafted two of the most fully realized Black Metal masterpieces.  Unfortunately, Varg’s incarceration in 1993 led to an immediate musical silence (aside from two ambient keyboard albums that were of only moderate interest) from Black Metal’s most creative musician.

Then, soon after his parole last year, Varg released his first Black Metal album in 16 years.  The immediate post prison release (in addition to a last minute title change from “The White God” to “Belus”) led me to assume that Varg needed cash (he claims the title change was to avoid media attention that he “didn’t realize” he would get with that title…but you don’t give interviews to Guitar World if you don’t want media attention).  However, as it turned out, the album was pretty great!  At least I think so.  At least I thought so.  To get everyone’s heads around the (semi?) triumphant return of Burzum, here are two separate reviews of the new album Belus from myself and my only high school friend who knew his metal, Brian. (more…)

Hello dear readers, it’s MAILBAG MONDAY again!  On this special day I will search through my mountain of reader mail and answer the five most pressing questions!

What’s that you say?  Do I really get that much mail?  Well, I’ll admit…the contact sectionof this website doesn’t get used that often, but, one of the perks of wordpress stats is that I can see the google search terms that people use to find my site.  And I’m going to go ahead and pretend that these search terms will count as reader mail, since they are often entered in the form of a question.  So as you read these, remember that each “question” was something that someone actually typed into google that brought up my site as a hit which they then clicked on thus letting wordpress stats report to me the search they used to find my site.  I could make up the questions myself, but it turns out the actual google searches are far better than anything I could come up with!

This time I answer the questions:

• Other things you can use taco filling for?
• tolkien or tolkein?
• isley unruh and ms. oshea?
• what is middel of the earth?
• hilarious graveland?

So, without further ado, it is time to dig into the old Mailbag to see what kind of things have been on my reader’s minds in the last month! (more…)

I always have to stop myself when I say I like “all kinds of music”.  Because, honestly, that just isn’t true, there is really only one kind of music I like.  No, not [just] Black Metal, I’m talking about music in a minor key.  I mean, I’m a pretty happy guy, but there is something about sad, sad songs that just does it for me.  I don’t dislike Vivaldi’s “Spring” and “Fall”, but I far prefer “Summer” and “Winter” (guess which seasons he writes in a minor key).  “Satisfaction” is a fine song, but I’d rather listen to “Paint it Black” any day…you get the idea.  Basically, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that sting [of soul crushing sorrow and sadness].

This month on Minor Key Monday I’ll take a look at Duke Ellington’s Ko-Ko, one of the darkest jazz songs I’ve ever heard: (more…)

Welcome back to Mid-Month Metal Masterpiece, where I discuss a different classic Thrash, Death, Black or just plain “Heavy” metal album on the 15th of each month.  Of course, I’m an old school fellow, so don’t expect to see a lot of stuff post-1996 or so.  Each installment will be accompanied by several short sound clips illustrating important sections of the album.  Anyway, it was either this or a new Daily Metal Reviews section.  Consider yourselves lucky I chose the path of moderation.

This month I’ll discuss my very first Black Metal album ever (and still one of the best) – the 1992 Hordanes Land split from Emperor and Enslaved. (more…)

Hello dear readers, it’s MAILBAG MONDAY again!  On this special day I will search through my mountain of reader mail and answer the five most pressing questions!

What’s that you say?  Do I really get that much mail?  Well, I’ll admit…the contact section of this website doesn’t get used that often, but, one of the perks of wordpress stats is that I can see the google search terms that people use to find my site.  And I’m going to go ahead and pretend that these search terms will count as reader mail, since they are often entered in the form of a question.  So as you read these, remember that each “question” was something that someone actually typed into google that brought up my site as a hit which they then clicked on thus letting wordpress stats report to me the search they used to find my site.  I could make up the questions myself, but it turns out the actual google searches are far better than anything I could come up with!

This time I answer the questions:

• Lotr orc movie concept art?
• Czechoslovakia ww2 fun facts?
• “this is too silly to be black metal”
  
• Top ten metal things to do?
• Hand gesture: number two?

So, without further ado, it is time to dig into the old Mailbag to see what kind of things have been on my reader’s minds in the last month! (more…)

I always have to stop myself when I say I like “all kinds of music”.  Because, honestly, that just isn’t true, there is really only one kind of music I like.  No, not [just] Black Metal, I’m talking about music in a minor key.  I mean, I’m a pretty happy guy, but there is something about sad, sad songs that just does it for me.  I don’t dislike Vivaldi’s “Spring” and “Fall”, but I far prefer “Summer” and “Winter” (guess which seasons he writes in a minor key).  “Satisfaction” is a fine song, but I’d rather listen to “Paint it Black” any day…you get the idea.  Basically, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t go that sting [of soul crushing sorrow and sadness].

This month on Minor Key Monday I’ll discuss why sometimes getting genocided can make for some pretty sad music: (more…)

Welcome back to Mid-Month Metal Masterpiece, where I discuss a different classic Thrash, Death, Black or just plain “Heavy” metal album on the 15th of each month.  Of course, I’m an old school fellow, so don’t expect to see a lot of stuff post-1996 or so.  Each installment will be accompanied by several short sound clips illustrating important sections of the album.  Anyway, it was either this or a new Daily Metal Reviews section.  Consider yourselves lucky I chose the path of moderation.

This month I’ll discuss Slayer’s often overlooked 1985 masterpiece, Hell Awaits. (more…)

Hello dear readers, it’s MAILBAG MONDAY again!  On this special day I will search through my mountain of reader mail and answer the five most pressing questions!

What’s that you say?  Do I really get that much mail?  Well, I’ll admit…the contact section of this website doesn’t get used that often, but, one of the perks of wordpress stats is that I can see the google search terms that people use to find my site.  And I’m going to go ahead and pretend that these search terms will count as reader mail, since they are often entered in the form of a question.  So as you read these, remember that each “question” was something that someone actually typed into google that brought up my site as a hit which they then clicked on thus letting wordpress stats report to me the search they used to find my site.  I could make up the questions myself, but it turns out the actual google searches are far better than anything I could come up with!

This time I answer the questions:

• Major explosion?
• [a bunch of gross searches]
• Gehenna d&d?
• Rapid rise yeast in pancake mix joke?
• Advice for first date nerds?

So, without further ado, it is time to dig into the old Mailbag to see what kind of things have been on my reader’s minds in the last month! (more…)

A month with 5 Mondays is like a year with 13 moons or a man with 6 fingers upon his right hand…it means trouble.  Well, not really, but I figured I’d use that as an excuse to talk my favorite “troubling” musical interval, the diminished fifth (AKA, Diabolus in Musica, Devil’s Tritone, Satan’s chord or Lord Naughtypant’s Harmony). (more…)

Here we are with yet another new www.isleyunruh.com feature!  This time I will be discussing a different classic Thrash, Death, Black or just plain “Heavy” metal album on the 15th of each month.  Of course, I’m an old school fellow, so don’t expect to see a lot of stuff post-1996 or so.  Each installment will be accompanied by several short sound clips illustrating important sections of the album.  Anyway, it was either this or a new Daily Metal Reviews section.  Consider yourselves lucky I chose the path of moderation.

This month we discuss one of the all time great Death Metal releases: Morbid Angel’s third album, Covenant, released in 1993. (more…)

I always have to stop myself when I say I like “all kinds of music”.  Because, honestly, that just isn’t true, there is really only one kind of music I like.  No, not [just] Black Metal, I’m talking about music in a minor key.  I mean, I’m a pretty happy guy, but there is something about sad, sad songs that just does it for me.  I don’t dislike Vivaldi’s “Spring” and “Fall”, but I far prefer “Summer” and “Winter” (guess which seasons he writes in a minor key).  “Satisfaction” is a fine song, but I’d rather listen to “Paint it Black” any day…you get the idea.  Basically, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t go that sting [of soul crushing sorrow and sadness].

This month on Minor Key Monday I’ll discuss why Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater is a perfect example of the old saying: ”if it’s Baroque it don’t need fixin’!” (Ok…sorry about that, no more puns for the rest of the post, I promise!): (more…)

I always have to stop myself when I say I like “all kinds of music”.  Because, honestly, that just isn’t true, there is really only one kind of music I like.  No, not [just] Black Metal, I’m talking about music in a minor key.  I mean, I’m a pretty happy guy, but there is something about sad, sad songs that just does it for me.  I don’t dislike Vivaldi’s “Spring” and “Fall”, but I far prefer “Summer” and “Winter” (guess which seasons he writes in a minor key).  “Satisfaction” is a fine song, but I’d rather listen to “Paint it Black” any day…you get the idea.  Basically, it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t go that sting [of soul crushing sorrow and sadness].

This month on minor key monday I’ll take a look at one of my all time favorite eurotrash songs, Kraftwerk’s Radioactivity: (more…)

Welcome back to Internet Meme Monday!  What is a meme you say?  Well, as I understand it, a meme is similar to a gene, except instead of passing on genetic information it passes on cultural ideas.  A meme can take many forms, from a catch phrase to a hand gesture, but the type of memes I’ll be looking at every second Monday of the month are “internet memes”.

On the agenda this month?  Kittens! Inspired by…Kittens! (more…)