TRAPPO's Mail Bag #26!
After an unplanned hiatus last week, we've finally returned with a brand-new episode for your listening pleasure! This week, we've queued up the illustrious twenty-sixth instalment of everybody's favorite show, TRAPPO's Mail Bag! This time around, we're discussing the sad state of American comic books, how it feels to be exactly like Jack "King" Kirby, one of your hosts begins to discover their self-confidence, the Impossible Cutlass Supreme rears its ugly head, some slime manifests, The Riddler strikes, demons are summoned, reader playlists are shared, and a whole bunch of other ridiculous stuff occurs.
You can listen to the madcap frivolity below, or find us on Apple, Google, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify, The other Spotify (the one for podcasters), and Amazon, so choose your own adventure and let's spend a little time together, swapping stories on the front porch and sipping mint juleps or whatever.
Join the conversation! What conversation? This conversation! The one that's going on right now! You've just listened to the episode, so let's keep this convo train rolling along with a couple comments. Just scroll down a bit and type some words in the comment field below. Tell us what's on your mind. What did you think of this latest episode? Do you have any cool stuff to suggest? We want to hear from you. And if you're feeling more verbose, dispatch those fascinating thoughts in a hand-crafted email! Just send it to trapposhow@gmail.com and see what happens! We'll be your friends for life!
TRAPPO is also all over that social media thing, if you're interested. Just follow us on Instagram, BlueSky and Threads for the complete TRAPPO experience. We're not quite sure what that entails, but if you follow us on social media we can find out together. That could be exciting. Or it could be intensely boring. Either way, TRAPPO will be there. Especially on Threads. That's where all the love seems to be on social media these days, at least as far as we're concerned. So follow us there. Threads. Follow us on Threads. Instagram is a black hole of ads and more ads, and BlueSky is just a cool kids club that TRAPPO doesn't understand at all, but Threads is just fine. So follow TRAPPO on Threads.
Thanks for listening!
Congratulations on solving my first riddle, do-gooders, but don’t get cocky! That was merely an opening salvo, a little warmup to get your gears turning! Here’s a quick mind-buster that will grind those gears to a rapid halt! Riddle me this!
ReplyDeleteI bind like chains,
but have no weight,
My grip is fierce,
but never fight.
A single touch,
a quick, cold kiss,
And shattered hearts
become one bliss.
What am I?
Answer my fiendish query with alacrity and your beloved podcast may yet come out on top! But if you fail to answer correctly, then I’m afraid Trap Town will burn!
And if you’re feeling stuck, here’s a hint: if you can’t figure this one out, you should be committed! There’s always room for two more at Arkham, TRAPS!
Until we meet again!
When are going to review some Danzig? You talk about the man a lot, but are you afraid to actually tackle his music?
ReplyDeleteThe anonymous one is right. It's time to tackle Uncle Glenn. I don't care how you do it, but it needs to be done. I'm putting my foot down, and I'm a size 13, so you know I'm serious. Let's have a Danzig party, TRAPS! The people have spoken. Two people have spoken. That's more than one. And I'm not just people. I'm Bimmy.
Deleteyou guys have been talking about black metal stuff recently on your podcast here, so i decide it's time to share a black metal recommedation. you ask for people to share stuff, so here's some stuff i'm sharing. you should listen to it, because it's good. it's a record called "sacrifice" from a duo called "olhava. i think they're from russia, and i know russia isn't terribly popular these days (for good reason), but don't hold that against the band. i don't think any of that ukraine business is their fault. this album (sacrifice) is their second album, or maybe it's their sixth, or maybe it's their first, and it's big and bold and maybe more blackgaze than black metal, but it's awesome. the theme of the album is a kind of cosmic transcendence, and the music tries to convey that within 87 minutes (yeah, it's not a quick listen) of gorgeous, heavy noise. listen to olhava for me, strang. that's not my real name, of course, because i don't think anybody is actually named strang, but i didn't want to be anonymous and strang is better than remaining entirely unknown. set it all on fire, children, and be reborn.
ReplyDeleteIn 2020 AKHLYS released Melinoë, a true black metal masterpiece. It's densely layered and unrelenting and cruelly seductive. You guys want to listen to some black metal that will make your skeleton want to tear itself free from its cage of flesh? Listen to Melinoë. STRANG needs to listen to it, too. Anybody who reads this should listen to Melinoë. It's that good.
DeleteHave you heard of Nihtsin? It's really sprawling, raw black metal from Germany. There's a LP out called Voidwanderers and you can get it free on Band Camp right now. I've been listening to it on and off for a few weeks and it's got killer atmosphere. It's been out for a few years, but I think you guys should check it out. I'll listen to Melinoe and Olhava soon. I haven't heard of either of those bands before, but I'll give them a chence.
DeleteI dig Voidwanderers a lot. It's ambitious and BIG, with a heavy, heavy atmosphere that I can't get enough of. That's a great pick, Beef Boy. I haven't heard Olhava yet, but I own Melinoë on vinyl. It's one of my essentials. It's a sonic nightmare that exults in its sinister atmosphere, elevating the nightmare and embracing its horrific nature, becoming something beautiful.
DeleteUnfortunately Naas Alcameth, the architect of Akhlys, has been a controversial figure in the Black Metal world, to say the least. Incredibly talented, but a bit troubling. If anybody wants to get into Akhlys, go into it with your eyes open. Do your research. Decide for yourself whether or not you're comfortable venerating the music of an artist who may hold some uncomfortable beliefs. I first heard Melinoë before I knew anything about Naas, and although I don't listen to anything else the artist has a hand in anymore because his thoughts on the "cult of cancel culture" alone are enough of a red flag, I just can't separate myself from Melinoë. Naas is an edgelord who has said some shitty things and refuses to denounce some of the NSBM artists he has previously associated with. If anybody wants to check out Melinoë, just be aware of the artist who created it.
And this is coming from a real fan of the album.
I completely forgot that I meant to recommend a Black Metal act that isn't problematic. They're a Dutch outfit called Asagraum, and they're "trve kvlt" in the best way. I know a lot of people have adopted the phrase as an epithet, but I embrace it completely. Any act that celebrates neo-paganism and/or a brand of theistic satanism without being bigoted fascists is peachy fucking keen in my book. And Asagraum is peachy fvcking keen.
DeleteThey're ostensibly a pair of hardcore women based in the Netherlands who are making some of the bleakest ritualistic Black Metal out there, and have been doing so since 2017. Their three full-length albums are Potestas Magicum Diaboli, Dawn of Infinite Fire and Veil of Death, Ruptured, and I think Dawn might be their best, but it's all strong it will send chills down your spine... before the demons summoned by the music you're listening to drag you screaming into the inferno. But it will be worth it, I promise! Dawn of Infinite Fire is awash in Satanic glory, glittering like a million sinister eyes in the endless void, and it might make you a believer.
Ave Asagraum!
I guess I'll probably pass on checking out Melinoë if there's any real question regarding the guy who makes the music. Thanks for letting me know. And I'm definitely checking out Asagraum now, since that sounds awesome. I'm also putting Nihtsin on my list, BEEF BOY. Free on Bandcamp is too tempting to turn down, especially in this economy. Thanks for the recommendations folks!
DeleteAre we getting back on the Black Metal kick? Is that what's happening here? Maybe the Ghouls need to start recruiting again. I've checked out Olhava's "Sacrifice" STRANG, and it is good. Did you know it's actually a sequel to their 2020 album "Ladoga"? The two albums actually form one three hour-long cycle of birth, death, resurrection and transcendence. It's a masterful achievement. If you haven't listened to "Ladoga", then you should probably do yourself a big favor and take care of that. You'll love it.
DeleteIf you haven't already, I'd like to recommend to you and Mr. Beef a brand new album called "A Worm Through Time" from the artist THE OLDEST HOUSE. This album (some call it an EP but it's too long for me) is actually based on a recent video game called "Control", and in fact the artist's name, THE OLDEST HOUSE, is taken directly from the game, which concerns a clandestine agency called the Federal Bureau of Control and their efforts to protect our world from nefarious elements that corrupt and warp reality. You don't need to know any of that to enjoy the album, which takes you on a disturbing journey through a universe that's unraveling and being reformed all around you, your senses overwhelmed and your sanity crumbling as you bear witness to things no mortal mind was ever meant to endure. It's some great black-ish metal doom-sludge horror. I love it, and I've never played "Control", so give it a chance, friends.
Hot recs, ahoy! This is the kind of dope shit that gets me to crawl out of the comforting muck of oblivion and find myself back in the realm of temporal lucidity, typing a series of strange symbols into some arcane device in order to communicate with the other bags of flesh and electricity that still call themselves "human beings". I'm mainlining the music I haven't yet heard and find myself resonating quite strongly with most of it thus far. STRANG has a kindred soul, I can tell. Olhava is an invitation to infinity, and I have punched my ticket.
DeleteHave any of the newbies listened to the glorious Revenant Marquis as of yet? A series of exquisite gifts delivered unto us from 2018 until 2023 with All The Pleasures Of Heaven, the culmination of this cycle of pure horror majesty and perhaps the most beautiful and captivating of them all. It's the kind of raw Black Metal that sounds like it was recorded in the putrid cellar of a very old and very haunted house, cursed field recordings of damnation and terror left behind by the furious and lamentable spirits trapped within those crumbling walls. Open the doorway to the void and step through with the sinister Revenant Marquis as your ghoulishly grinning guide. You can thank me later.
And if you TRAPS want to get serious and summon some fucking demons, you know you can always let me know. I'm usually down to clown with the dark forces.
I’m checking out Revenant Marquis right now and it’s got some brutal atmosphere. I can’t believe I’ve never found this before and I’m shocked at how cheaply I’ve been able to purchase all of this artist’s music. It really is like music made by a poltergeist. Asagraum is on a different wavelength. I feel like those scary ladies are actually trying to conjure evil with their music. Either way I’m into this.
DeleteOne of my favorites is Abyssum. They’re from Guatemala and they’re fucking monsters. My fave release is 2009’s Poizon Of God. “The Sacred Abyss (of Thelemic Mysteries) is the centerpiece of the record for me. It’s Lovecraftian madness.
Nihtsin is phenomenal for a start, BEEF BOY. Voidwanderers is badass. And you're so right about Abyssum. Poizon Of God is an all-timer for me. I've been banging this drum since 2009 so it's nice to have a little validation from a complete stranger on the internet. "Be Thou Damned Forever" is blood-pumping chase music. The literal fucking devil is coming after you the moment that track starts and I love the sense of hopelessness it creates.
DeleteRevenant Marquis and Asagraum are on my list now, Paisly Jaguar and Max Power, although I have to be honest because I've never heard the phrase "trve kvlt" before. Is that really used to describe BM acts who are literally devil worshipers, or is it more of a committed poseur thing? I'm going to have to research this on my own, I think. I've never given much thought to actual mysticism or dark spiritual practices regarding BM before. It always just seemed like costumes and attitude to me. I just don't know much about the whole neo pagan scene. It's kind of an interesting subject, though.
This is kind of cool just chatting about BM. I don't get to do it very often since I tend to stay away from forums like reddit and the like.
And what's with the "ghoul" stuff? I'm missing something.
"trve kvlt" is usually used as a joke. A lot of hardcore BM acts tend to take themselves very seriously and they try to build a mysterious aura around themselves. The "modern pagan" stuff is a big part of that. "trve kvlt" has been adopted by people in the community as shorthand for "look at this self-important shithead", and I can agree with a lot of it. There are plenty of artists out there who are way too high on their own supply and love how seriously their fans take their antics. "trve kvlt" gives those pricks a big middle finger. That's cool. But I've taken to using the phrase as a term of endearment for BM-related artists who really commit to the ritualistic aspects of BM fandom without any knowing winks at their audience. There's a fine line between "wow this is really cool and disturbing" and "give me a fucking break with this nonsense wankery", and that line is different with everybody. Being a blasphemous "modern pagan" myself, I tend to gravitate toward acts that are on a similar wavelength. I can totally understand it if somebody isn't into that stuff, though. I have friends who can't stand some of the artists I'm into because they just think it's all "a bunch of poseur bullshit", and I get it. I don't get mad. We can still have a good time and rib each other without getting personal.
DeleteI hope that helped clear things up for you STRANG.
GHOULS fuck to Black Metal in graveyards. It's that simple. We engage in obscene sexual acts in cemeteries while listening to sacrilegious music because it enhances the experience. If you see (GHOUL) after a poster's name, they've either fucked to Black Metal in a graveyard, or they've masturbated to Black Metal in a graveyard. Self-love still counts. There are several of us out there, and we all keep in touch. sharing recipes and sitcom recommendations, among other things.
DeleteAre you a GHOUL, STRANG? Would you like to be a GHOUL, STRANG?
I've got a good feeling about you, STRANG.
I'm TRVE KVLT, by the way. It's not a label. It's a lifestyle.
DeleteThat's what a ghoul is? Thanks for letting me know, Max Power. That's definitely doable for me. You're kind of fascinating to me.
DeletePaisley Jaguar, I'm so glad you took my query seriously. I didn't expect to hear any explanation from you, so I'm pleasantly surprised. I'm not exactly plugged into Black Metal culture. I just like what I like, so I avoid communities because I don't care for drama. TRVE KVLT interests me. I'm like a babe in the woods with this stuff, so I'm willing to hear anybody' opinions.
I'm sampling "Dawn of Infinite Fire" from Asagraum right now, and it's INTENSE. I can see the point of view that these women might actually be attempting to summon unclean spirits with this music. It's entrancing. I might be in love. I wonder what will happen if I fuck to Asagraum in a graveyard. Maybe nothing. Maybe everything.
Maybe I'm determined to find out.
TRAPPO might be my new favorite podcast.
I'm glad to hear there's some interest in Nihtsin and Abyssum around here. We should've started hanging out years ago, STRANG. And can I be a ghoul, too? It might take me a little time, but I'm pretty sure I can get that done. I've got some fucked up music on my phone and a pair of noise-canceling headphones, so let me know. I'm in the same boat as you, STRANG, because I don't really deal with the "trve kvlt" stuff. No offense to either of the ghouls, because it sounds interesting enough. I've just never really thought about it before. Asagraum so far feels like a solid introduction. If anybody's looking for any more recommendations, I'd like to share "Tradition" from a Czech artist called Black Shaman. It's pretty lo-fi, mostly ambient BM with a real kick to it. The album is "name your price" on Bandcamp so there's no barrier to entry. I'd love to hear what anybody thinks about Black Shaman.
DeleteBEEF & STRANG (which sounds like some kind of cool experimental noise pop group) if you want to chat more about "other matters" click my name here and visit my profile. Feel free to send me an email and we can keep you in the loop.
DeleteTRVE KVLT isn't for everybody, so if you find out it's not your scene that's totally cool. We can still be friends. I turned Paisley and her partner onto Black Shaman over the holidays, believe it or not. Small world. It's great music for all sorts of ceremonial occasions. They're incredibly mysterious, as are a lot of the solid DIY artists on Bandcamp, which is honestly how I prefer it. I don't need to know your life story to get fucked up by your music. I just want to find some tunes that sound like they're being made by some multi-dimensional fiend trying to rend the barriers between this world and the next with their obscene taloned claws as I'm assaulted by the unceasing wails of the damned.
And there's plenty of that to go around if you know where to look. And if you're looking, I've got SUCH SIGHTS TO SHOW YOU. Just reach out and we can go on a terrifying journey into untold realms of torment and blood together. It'll be a blast.
To get your feet wet, listen to Arkanumbra, fifty minutes of screeching nightmare sounds by a Mexican Black Metal outfit called Al Rinach 333, released on Halloween of last year, appropriately enough.
If you like Arkanumbra, we'll get along swimmingly.
Email sent. This is exciting. It's like joining a cult. I just bought Arkanumbra. Drag me to Hell.
DeleteNaas Arcaneth is fine. People exaggerate a bunch of crap on the internet and rumors spread and get out of control. Cancel culture has gotten out of hand. People are too sensitive these days. There's nothing wrong with being anti-censorship. Listen to Akhlys if you want. Don't let some random jerk on the internet tell you how to think. Melinoe is amazing and you don't need to feel guilty for listening to it.
DeleteYou don't get to play that game. I've got receipts. If anything, I was underplaying the controversies surrounding Kyle Spanswick, AKA Naas Arcaneth. His ties to Operation Werewolf are more than enough to "cancel" the artist. Don't come back at me with any variation of "they're just a lifestyle group, they help people", because we all know that's bullshit. They were founded by the white supremacist "Odinist" cult Wolves of Vinland, who have been added to the Southern Poverty Law Center's list of hate groups. Spanswick also freely associates with and supports NSBM groups like Taake, who are especially repugnant.
DeleteIf you're too lazy to do your own homework, here are a few links to help open your eyes:
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/06/promoters-cancel-australia-tour-of-norwegian-metal-band-taake-accused-of-far-right-sympathies
and
https://www.bluntmag.com.au/music/why-are-fascist-nazi-and-racist-bands-still-being-booked-to-tour-australia-in-2023/
If that isn't enough, then you're already a lost cause. I'm tired of giving bigots the benefit of the doubt. Melinoë is amazing, but that's not reason enough to continue to support trash like Kyle Spanswick. Stop trying to re-frame the argument as "anti-censorship" when this is nothing of the sort. Tolerant people don't have to tolerate intolerance. Good people don't have to simply accept the bad people in their lives. We can cut them out like the cancer they are. There are plenty of BM artists out there who aren't bigots, and if finding them is too difficult a task for you, then you might be a bigot, too.
Holy shit that guy sounds toxic. I won’t be checking out Akhlys, that’s for sure. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
DeleteJag doesn't miss, BEEF. And thanks for reaching out. Welcome to the family. If anybody's still looking for some cool shit, I'd implore you to check out the work of Spirit Possession. It's grungy and energetic, maybe a bit too peppy to be considered "true" Black Metal, but who gives a shit? You'll have a ball listening to this mean stuff. They dropped their second LP, "Of A Sign...", back in March of last year. It's neat.
DeleteI have to ask: do you kids think if we keep this going, we might actually get the TRAPS to do another Black Summer? Maybe even a Black Spring? Black Metal May? That sounds good. If you TRAPS use that I want credit.
I hope nobody minds but I’d like to be a part of this ghoul party. I like a lot of the music being thrown around here, and I’d like to contribute with the work of Winter Lantern, a self-described “satanic vampire coven” from North Carolina. They release music under a number of guises, including collaborations with other similar artists who indulge in their particular brand of dungeon synth/black metal darkness. My favorites include “Elfenwinter” from Moonlight Sword and the self-titled release Hexen Lied, which might be their most polished release. I’d encourage anybody to check out their Bandcamp collection. It’s music that is near and dear to my wounded heart.
DeleteYou came so close to saying something I disagreed with when you were talking about creators working on big superhero comics projects for Marvel or DC, but in the end you clarified your opinion and I just had to agree. It would be nice if people like Rafael Grampa could just keep making their own independent work, but we have to remember why so many writers and artists got into the game in the first place. The opportunity to play around in a toy box like that is too strong, plus the pay has to be solid. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, Kid Kirby.
ReplyDeleteAm I missing something or did you guys not actually discuss the email you said you received at the beginning of the show? What happened? You're always complaining that you don't get enough emails, so did you cut that out? What's the deal? And please stop soliciting toilet pictures. That's really unbecoming.
ReplyDelete