Sunday Sesh: Seasons In The Abyss (Summer)
Has it been a year already? Wow! That went so quickly/slowly/steadily at exactly 1 second per second. Time for the final installment of our longest running Sunday Sesh series.
Our series began last September, where we endeavoured to discover whether the changing seasons had an effect on our collective listening habits. While there are a few among us who proclaim that they listen to the same sub-genres and bands all year-round, it seems the greater majority of us noticed a tendency to gravitate towards certain styles at certain times of the year. While Winter was dominated by black metal (and rightly so), Spring and Autumn offered a greater diversity of responses. This week, we’re going to be discussing our favourite Summer jams. You know, that time of year when you get heatstroke from being clad neck to toe in black and the corpse paint melts off your face before you even leave the kvlt salon (I assume that’s where the cool kids go to get that professional look).
Hey! We can’t all afford pools.
For me, Summer seems to be the time to listen to some old classics, more death/thrashy stuff, and other genres outside of metal, in particular hip-hop. Summer down here coincides with the xmas and New Year’s public holidays and most people (except me) are on holidays, whether it be from school, uni, or work. Which basically equates to a shitload of long nights having BBQ’s, swimming at the beach, in people’s pools, or in any body of water you can find. So as you might expect, the music choices generally shift towards the more upbeat end of the spectrum. Not many people are fuckin’ with say funeral doom, or other oppressive sounding genres at get-togethers and piss-ups. Like any fruit-bowl worth its weight in uhhh… wicker, Southern Summers are full of vivid colours and a healthy diversity.
During the scorching hot days at work I’ve also noticed that I’m drawn to bands that utilise exotic Egyptian sounds and middle-eastern instruments. Bands such as Acherontas, Scarab, Zaum, Nile, Akhenaten, and perhaps most notably, Melechesh, get a solid work out. Karl Sanders’ solo albums have also provided me with a sort of musical oasis during those sweltering days. Their meditative sonic waves shimmer in unison with the rising heat haze that engulfs the mainland of this perpetually parched continent. Psychedelic-laced sounds also seem to pervade my playlists during the hotter months. Providing the dose I require has typically been left up to artists such as Jupiter, Yuri Gagarin, and for the last two summers Lotus Thief‘s transcendent debut Rervm has been a staple feature; its ethereal majesty acting in tandem with the heat, subsequently melting my mind into an iridescent pool of neuron soup. This coming Southern Summer is shaping up to follow in a similar fashion, as only a couple of weeks ago the San Franciscans released the first track titled “The Book Of The Dead” from their upcoming album Gramarye.
So which genres/bands get you through the Summer heat? Maybe staying tech helps you stay cool? Do you shut the curtains, turn your air-conditioner down to single digits and pretend it’s Winter so you can blast black metal? Let’s hear it in the comments below!
Previous Seasons In The Abyss editions:
