Musical Resolutions

I know we're halfway through January now, but I'm interested to know if any Academy members have made New Year's resolutions regarding their musical habits?

For myself, I've decided to stop impulse buying second-rate black metal from Bandcamp (often before I've even listened to it) and instead to concentrate on trying to fill some holes in my physical collection with classier albums I haven't got round to buying yet. So far this year I've limited myself to Esoteric's The Maniacal Veil and Paragon of Dissonance on CD and the new Blood Incantation on vinyl. So far,so good...

I've decided to spend half of my music time listening to the remaining noteworthy extreme metal releases of the 80's that I'm yet to rate. The other half will be spent ensuring that I've rated all of the classics as well as checking out the better releases from some of the more obscure metal subgenres.

I'm also going to try to use Spotify wherever possible instead of utilizing other less respectable methods for securing music online if you know what I mean.

Two words: clan challenges!!

Past few years I have tried to keep on top of new releases each year and write reviews for another website and at one point my own blog.  The net result has been me just listening to things for the sake of it (because they have just been released).  The resolution therefore is stop force-feeding myself music and learn to enjoy it again.  2019 was a year (the first in a while) when I started to tire of metal a bit and branch out into other genres and part of this was due to my excessive habits.  Started a new job in January and personal time is now very limited so my opportunity to maintain any reviewing will be limited but already just working through the clan challenges and rediscovering old records that I grew up with has brought me much happiness.

I know where you're coming from MacabreEternal. My 2019 list on RYM has over 400 albums on it (that I've listened to, 700 in total) and these types of lists can take on a life of their own, becoming a chore more than an enjoyment as you force yourself obsessively to listen to more and more, the majority being terribly mediocre, in the search for the odd gem, ultimately turning you into a jaded cynic rather than someone fully engaged and enjoying listening to metal for it's own sake. The Clan Challenges have been brilliant at reminding me what I love about metal and where I should direct my energies and what I should let go, so thanks to Ben and Daniel for that!

Going back to this old thread, I just thought of a New Year's resolution for 2022 and that is to level up my metalcore zone farther than before. First of all, assembling the Revolution playlists has caused incredible results for me; you all get to hear more of my metalcore palette with songs from bands I already listen to, along with songs from bands I've barely or never listened to before thereby conjuring new discoveries. I'm determined to find and listen to more of the bands whose songs I've randomly chosen strike me with perfection, and it's a quest that might take a few months (would be faster but there are tight limits such as outside-world plans) but it shall be done. Of course, I would also be catching up with upcoming releases from longtime habitants of my metalcore arsenal. Can bands like All That Remains and We Came as Romans really do their next albums justice despite each having a fallen founding member? Will the next albums by Bleeding Through and Motionless in White maintain their dark metalcore name? And will ex-metalcore bands Bring Me the Horizon and Underoath pleasantly surprise us by going back to their earlier heavier sound in their next releases (the only new single from the upcoming Underoath album Voyeurist I've heard so far is "Cycle" with Ghostemane, and that one sounds heavy and promising)? I have no idea, but I pray for the best of luck for those bands to maintain their triumph. And don't worry, my passion for my other clans will still be around, so no changes too drastic for my taste. So yeah, my tasks for the new year: More monthly playlists, more featured releases, more bands, and more new albums, all for The Revolution. 2022 shall be my year for metalcore!!

I am veering towards becoming more completist right now.  I recently got hooked on Paysage d'Hiver (again) and have started to piece together their discography on vinyl with the debut and sophomore releases arriving this past month.  I just find it more interesting to get the physical media in my hands and then I can sit looking through the artwork, sleeve and liner notes whilst I listen.  My focus is on physical copies of band's discographies that I really enjoy.  Some are easier than others (Nekromantheon only have three full-lengths and an EP, for example) and I have already got the complete Immortal albums in my possession, but I do want to focus on the music I want to listen to.

Loving my ability to contribute to the playlists and be active in putting together the Pit playlist but already feeling the drain of keeping up with new releases generally.  Overall, it is a thankless task that I have already trimmed back on but plan on doing so more going into 2022 in favour of keeping growing my physical music collection.  There's still a ton of stuff from the past for me to find and sling into rotation on the features and playlists here and the modern/new stuff will most certainly get a place on The Pit playlist still, just not much of the latter will be retained in the library at this end unless it is truly exceptional.

I'm committing to checking out more modern releases than I have been in recent years. I've been stuck in the 80s / 90s for quite some time, and while I still love that era of metal, there's so much great stuff still coming out that I rarely give more than a passing listen. Running the North playlist has already forced me to check out recent music, and I've discovered some cool stuff in just two months.

Let's see if I can follow through on this commitment.