Existentiell

[Eoin McLove]

I've been buried in the second issue of Cathal Rodgers's zine/book since picking it up last Wednesday.  I loved the first one and this one is equally thought provoking.  Its focus is on the meaning behind metal for those of us who find our lives centred on it, how our relationship with it matures as we age and why he believes it is,  or should be seen as being,  as important and essential as any of the arts,  including philosophy and psychology.  It covers so much ground with insight,  wisdom and wit and it urges the reader to remember why they were drawn to this music in the first place and how it should operate as a tool to approach a deeper way of living.  Or that's what I'm getting out of it.  A lot of it is complex in terms of the ideas raised and it questions the material culture that has,  as he sees it, lessened the art's essence,  or more accurately,  how we have allowed the materialistic to become the focus, lessening our own real engagement with the possible transcendental qualities the music can inspire. I think it has the potential to make the reader revolutionise their relationship with metal music,  as well as potentially inspiring us to use it to engage with the world around us in a more focused way. Powerful stuff. 

Edit. He also suggests that the level of discussion around metal has also become superficial which I think is true enough.  It's easy to slip into cliches when discussing something that to us is essential to our lives.  We have stopped (maybe never even begun) trying to discuss the profound reality of our personal responses to metal music and its culture.

[O Drighes]

I had no clue this material existed, so picking up a copy as soon as possible. Judging by your description it sounds very interesting.

I have a pile of books and zines yet to be read but this seems to be an interesting and relatable subject.

[Eoin McLove]

It's unreal.  Completely different to your typical zine.  In fact,  the first issue was so inspiring it inspired me to stop doing a zine myself and to stop writing reviews.  There's enough noise and bullshit being pumped out in the name of journalism and I realised my own puny attempts were only adding to the noise.  Maybe that's what we should take from this.  Less is more. Quality over quantity. Deeper connection over prolific surface skimming.

[Cryptic Stench]

I completed it over the weekend myself. It's light years ahead of the first volume too, very enjoyable in it's own right but this one is more cohesive, the flow is better and there's a much more varied range of characters interviewed. Just for clarity, with the first one I tended to pick an interview when the mood struck me over a period of several months but this one I did cover to cover in just under a week, will definitely go back and reread it.

He also suggests that the level of discussion around metal has also become superficial

Absolutely. Discussion around metal is now limited to likes dislikes, and arbitrary and flippant clicks confirming attendance to events.I think to be fair those that have remained here on this board want more from their discussions and genuinely try to instigate them .

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

I've only read the introduction of this newest anthology so far, and it certainly seems like it goes beyond the first in certain ways. What an absolutely astounding undertaking though, and from our very own shores! Can't wait to get through the rest of the content, discovering new music and new perspectives on the way, and simply enjoying the knowledge that others out there unabashedly live heavy metal expression and consumption as this kind of fully embodied psychospiritual experience.

[Eoin McLove]

Probably the most interesting element,  or at least one of the most interesting elements,  is how much Cathal is willing to reveal of his own inspirations and intentions.  Some of the questions are two pages long,  so it becomes more of a discussion than the typical interview format allows.  That said,  I've really enjoyed the answers given by some of the interviewees as well.  The diversity of outlooks keeps each interview fresh and original.

[Trev]

Absolutely. Discussion around metal is now limited to likes dislikes, and arbitrary and flippant clicks confirming attendance to events.I think to be fair those that have remained here on this board want more from their discussions and genuinely try to instigate them .

I think that's unfortunately true for the majority of news, critique, discussion etc these days. Anything with a bit of substance or depth to it is getting harder to find

[Grim Reality]

I missed this first time around and ordered the first issue the other week after reading about it on nwn (which itself was a total fluke as I log in there very occasionally). Anyway, this is absolutely and totally up my street. I'm loving it while being a little surprised and disconcerted that it is being produced in more or less the same geographical area I am living and working in.  Round here you kinda feel like the only weirdo into this sort of thing.

As I age and our ways of listening to and exploring music change Ive definitely felt a sort of 'drift' or disconnection from why I listen to metal in the first place. I've far from grown out of it, but I've lost the essence or the magic is confined to a small few bands and I'm eager to (re)discover the meaning behind it all. Existentiell appears to be a great place to start.

[Pariah Child]

Hoping my tome lands tomorrow!

[Cailleach]

Is this by  the same man who was in Dreamsfear and who used to work in the Sound Cellar?

[Eoin McLove]

Yep.

[livingabortion]

What's the name of it? Thanks.

[Eoin McLove]

Cathal's Big Colourdy Book of Big Words and Music 4 Beginners.

[livingabortion]

  Brilliant. Does he sell it by port too? 

[Rodge]

Existentiell ≠ Boundaries and Paradigms



After over 2 years of work I can now offer a new anthology of interviews in Existentiell form.
402 pages of musings on consciousness, imagination, metaphor, mysticism, mythology, psyche, soul and symbolism;
and how any or all of these things might be applied to modern culture in general and Heavy Metal in particular...

Turns out that mailing a 400 page book is quite spicy!!

€27 shipped to Ireland
€29 Shipped to EU
€34 Shipped to Rest of the World
Shipping Now...

Interviews with:

Chaos Echœs
Chimere Noire
Culted
Edasi
El-Ahrairah
Hail Conjurer
Hornwood Fell
Paul Thomas Kearns
Antti Klemi
Lingua Fungi
Jim Matheos
Mekigah
Mourning Dawn
Of Spire & Throne
Peter O'Leary
Opium Warlords
Pray U Prey
Ruho
Striborg
ThrOes
Tyranny
Unearthly Trance   
Venusian Death Cell
Wyrding

http://cathalrodgers.blogspot.com/2019/04/existentiell-boundaries-and-paradigms.html

rodgerscathal [at] yahoo [dot] com