Steff Metal

You might notice a little change on the sidebar. On the request of a few readers from the survey (which you totally need to fill out if you haven’t already. I’ve had so many ideas from reading all your answers) I’ve created a Steff Metal Facebook Fan Page, and you can become a fan and read new posts as they go live, as well as look at photos I put up and participate in Facebook-only discussions and giveaways! That’s Grymm! So become a fan and tell your friends :)

Ah, anime, is there anything you can't teach us?

This post deals with the second half of a question I recieved last week, about dealing with being a metalhead at high school. I wanted to deal with the topic of school uniforms seperately, so we could have some fun without belittling the first part of this reader’s question, which is something quite near to many of our hearts.

As a teenager at high school, this reader wanted to know how to look “metal” while still obeying the school’s uniform policy.

We metalheads do love to look the part and I’m the first to admit I devote more time than perhaps necessary to sourcing the perfect metal fashion and accessories. It’s fun, it fosters community spirit, expresses my deep, unending love for all things metal, and supports other independent, subculture designers, so it is all good.

Except if you’re at high school, and your school has a uniform or a dress standard that forbids Slayer shirts and pentagram necklaces. What’s a teenaged metalhead to do?

You can’t do anything about the uniform. Well, you can write angry letters to the school board about the lack of ability to express yourself and the high cost of uniforms for low-income families and the anachronism of uniforms in the modern world, and you might get somewhere, but chances are, the school wants a uniform, and with a uniform it shall stay.

And yes, I was a student who wrote letters to the board about the anachronism of uniforms in the modern world, and I believe I did indeed use the word “anachronism” and possibly the word “post-modernism” and it got me nowhere, although the principal did enjoy my letter.

You could flout the rules totally and show up in your favorite band shirt and leathers – but you might get expelled, which is totally metal but might make it difficult for you to get a job.

You have to think of uniform policies as less of a set of “rules” and more of a challenge in lateral thinking.  The teachers enforce these rules in order to get you to think of ingenius ways of flouting them without getting caught. It’s a mental challenge to you, and also an exciting game for them: teacher’s collect confiscated items like trophies – and the more interesting the items, the more “teacher scene” points they get from their colleagues. These are cultural rituals important to every teenager’s experience of high school, and should be regarded with spiritual devotion.

Who's gonna confiscate her accessories?

Despite my own high school’s strict policy regarding accessories, every student wore their own “bling”. We kept it understated, so we couldn’t get pulled up for it, but a statement we did make. The Christians wore crucifixes, the Hip-Hoppers wore hundreds of rings on their fingers, the popular girls wore necklaces from their boyfriends, the cute girls decided to forgo the generic blue and gold school scarf for soft, fluffy pink ones. My BFF Shane wore a monkey t-shirt under his white shirt and a bead necklace, my other friend Amy wore a pentagram necklace which caused her no end of grief, another friend wore a spiked dog collar under her shirt. Everyone had more piercings than the alotted 1 per earlobe.

And sure, this stuff got confiscated regularly. But you could always get it back, after the teachers had bragged about their catch and earnt their scene points, of course. Plus, you’re rebelling against the system, which is all kinds of metal.

If you have to wear a necktie, find one in your school colour with a screenprinted design. I love the steampunk and skull designs from Rok Gear. You probably won’t get away with wearing this tie for long, but you never know.

Steampunk Skull necktie, $25, from Rok Gear

Hats! You need a hat to keep the sun off, right? Some schools issue those horrid baseball caps with the school logo, but who’s going to notice if you wear something different, eh? I am a particular fan of anything procured from an army surplas store (although maybe stay away from the pith helmets. A little conspicuous).

Necklaces can be worn by guys and gals. I find anything on a leather thong looks great tucked under the collar of a white shirt – Thor’s hammers, occult symbols, even Wacken dog tags. Try to keep jewellery to only one statement piece: if you’re wearing a metal necklace, put plain studs in your ears. If you have a spike through your nose, don’t wear any other jewellery. You don’t want to overdo it!

Metal wristbands

At my high school it was a mark of honour among certain groups to wear the wristbands from a New Zealand Christian music festival for months or years after the festival took place. Having never been to said festival, I can’t comment on whether it warrented such elite treatment (it could have been awesome. I don’t know). But if you’ve been to any metal fastivals, consider keeping the wristbands on year round as a sign of your kvltness.

The other oft-forgotten totem of individuality at high school is the school bag. I’ve never heard of a school placing rules on the colour and style of school bags allowed, so metal yours up with spikes and studs and band patches. Throw it in the dirt so it looks all old and scungy. If you don’t want a backpack, opt for a messenger bag or army-surplas store utility belt instead.

Carry your essentials in pencil cases made from army ration tins, PVC and spikes, coffin-shaped purses, Viking-style leather pouches and remnants of old metal shirts.

Hair – wear it down, wear it long. Keep a hairtie around your wrist in case you’re told to tie it back, but pull it out again later. You can’t practise

Go all-out on mufti days. Seriously, go crazy. You have nothing to loose, save your dignity, and you’re a metalhead, so you don’t give a fuck about that.

Remember that above all, metal is an attitude, not a fashion trend. If you are metal, you will look metal, no matter what you wear.

Horns up! \m/
Steff Metal

Following on from my two previous fashion-by-subgenre articles: Power Metal Fashion and Black Metal Fashion, I give you … fashion advice for Death Metallers.

Death Metal. Probably one of the most heavily-underrated musical genres of all time. Due no doubt to the gutteral, growling vocals, complex songs structures, multiple tempo changes, shaggy hairstyles, and album covers featuring demembered bodies. Apparently, not everyone thinks dismembered bodies are cool. Or songs like “Meathook Sodomy.” I know, right? Go figure some people.

Death metal originated in the bay area with bands like Possessed and Death, and Florida’s Morbid Angel, Deicide and Obituary. 1987 saw the release of Death’s Scream Bloody Gore, considered by most to be the first “tr00″ death metal album.

Although a strictly underground style, it became one of the most distinctive metal sounds to emerge from the US, enduring long after glam metal died it’s ugly, obnoxious death.

Death metal carries the flag for having the most prolific range of sub-sub- and sub-sub-sub-genres: there’s technical death metal, gore metal, melodic death metal, gothenburg death metal, blackened death, progressive death metal, death/doom, goregrind, deathgrind, deathcore, symphonic death metal, viking death metal, folkdeath, brutal death metal, brutal gore metal, brutal technical death metal, brutal melodic technical death metal with viking influences … you can see where I’m going with this …

Clothing

As with all other genres, the staple of an death metal wardrobe is a decent collection of death metal t-shirts.

For some reason, unbeknownst to me, death metallers are particularly fond of long-sleeved metal shirts, and care for these highly prized possessions as they do their first born children. I’ve often wondered if this predisposition towards long sleeves has anything to do with death metallers spending more time standing around outside the club, smoking, than inside watching the band.

Exhibit A: Steff in Cannibal Corpse long-sleeve

Exhibit B: My charming husband (who loathes having his photo taken, hence his rude gesture) in a long-sleeve (Can you tell we go to the same gigs?)

Death metallers like to proudly display the scars of their moshpit misadventures – so ripped, torn, patched, faded, and gourged clothing is a must. If someone asks you how your clothes got destroyed, you must launch into a story of an epic battle for the barrier of a Morbid Angel gig, or a dramatic retelling of the time Glen Benton kicked you in the head.

Death Metallers love everything horrible, gory and sick. They’re fans of cheesy B-grade horror films and those Japanese cartoons where everyone gets raped by tentacles (I’m serious, it’s like a whole film sub-genre). So if you can’t source any death metal tees, horror movie memorabilia makes a good second choice.

Other wardrobe staples include blue jeans and cargo pants in various stages of disrepair, and a decent pair of steel-capped boots.

Women in death metal tend to project an image of tomboy tough – denim and leather, tank tops and cargo pants and chains.

Since a lot of death and gore metal employs themes of dismemberment, hospital operations gone wrong (one of my fave grindcore / death metal acts Carcass do this so well), clothing inspired by nurse’s attire seems to be a favorite for the ladies.

Military chic, death-metal style

Death is never more present than in times of war, so it’s not surprising military dress appeals to death metallers. For guys, that’s camo pants and cargo pockets, and for ladies, that’s military dresses and skirts.

Hair

Death metallers love their hair. It’s the most important part of their attire. Without long hair, how can you windmill? How can you cover your pimply face on stage? How can you lacerate the baby-deaths until they bleed?

Hair is matted to the face, covered in sweat and dripping with gore. Dreadlocks look appropriate too, and they’re great for flicking people in the face in the mosh pit (I had dreadlocks once, so I know this is standard practise).

Accessories

Following on from the military theme, no death metaller would be complete without their bullet belt. That’s right, a belt made from a strip of bullets and bullet links. You can buy bullet belts online, or make your own. Obviously they should be real bullets. Bonus points if they’re live bullets. Extra bonus points if their not live bullets but one of the bullets was dug out of somebody.

a very attractive-looking death-metal type

I’ve seen some death metallers wearing a leather cuff. Unlike mallgoths, who wear their spikes and studs all the way from their wrists to their elbows, a death metaller chooses ONE, well-made, not-covered-with-bling cuff. Any more and you’re going to look like a try-hard, and you don’t want to know what happens to try-hards in the pit …

Style Icons

Angela Gossow (Arch Enemy)

Glen Benton - Deicide

Kittie - getting more death-y with every album

Deadlock - german melodic death metal

Cannibal Corpse

Severed Heaven

Matriarch

Shopping

November Fire: an incredible collection of classic horror film shirts (and by classic, I mean old-school and b-grade). These shirts are hand-screened on heavy black cotton. Noice.

Queen of Darkness: This is a German site, but it’s worth a look. A lot of their stuff is a bit OTT with the chains and buckles and things, but I brought a few pieces (including a military mini-dress) from Wacken and LOVED what I found.

Kitty Vamp Designs: repurposed death metal t-shirts, made into wicked women’s clothing.

Lip Service: Normally these guys are a bit too “mallgoth” but their latest collections are actually quite br00tal. The rule with these kind of labels is all in how you style them!

Kinky Angel: more military / nursey stuff for girls.

Batwings and Battleaxes: I love the cuffs these guys make – understated, but unmistakingly metal.

For all you inked lads and ladies, I’ve got Michelle of Wicked Whimsy over to talk to y’all about one of her favorite topics – tattoos.

Tattoos: They’re everyone’s favorite permanent accessory. But you want to keep them looking good all the time, right? Here’s a few tips to make that easier:

As far as dressing to accentuate your ink, there’s a few easy tips. Have tattoos on your legs? Wear skirts (or a Utilikilt!). On your back? Try key-hole cut outs or v-neck backs. Sorry guys, you’re probably out of luck here! It might require some creative dressing in the cooler months, but it’s still possible to show ‘em off – try wearing a tank top or t-shirt with long armwarmers to let arm tattoos shine, or just lots of sheer layers. Probably not practical for chillier climes, but for those of us lucky enough to be in places where it’s only cold for a month or two, it works great.

In summer, it’s a lot easier to show them off, but there’s still a few things you can keep in mind. Try wearing complimentary colors near your tattoos. Example: if you’ve got a piece that has a lot of red in it, try wearing something green toned – maybe not bright green, as that might be a bit eye-stinging, but a nice teal would make the red pop. Or, as an alternative, you could scatter touches of red throughout your outfit – a belt, gloves/wristwarmers, bracelets, etc. Either of these will help bring your tattoo(s) out even more.

Since you’re going to be showing off your tattoos, you want to make sure you keep them looking fabulous. The most basic of these is something that (I hope!) you’re already doing: wear sunscreen! It doesn’t have to be greasy or stinky – spray on is my personal favorite, and I’ve had good luck with Neutrogena brand sunscreen. Remember to re-apply often.

Some of us (i.e. me) are super paranoid and like to have a second line of defense. A parasol is a great choice – they can be anywhere from retro-pin-up to super steampunky. They can be picked up on the cheap, too – check thrift stores, flea markets, or eBay. Aside from a little extra shade, it can add the perfect finishing touch to your ensemble too!

There’s some of my tried & true methods. What’s your favorite way to show off your ink?

It’s my birthday on the 25 of Feb. I will be 25, which is neither too old nor too young.

I am having a poor week this week, one of those “spagetti on toast for dinner again” weeks. Being poor stresses me out.

So to cheer myself up I’ve been pretend online shopping for all the things I would buy if I weren’t so poor. Sometimes the art of finding those perfect items – the ones that scream “Steff!” – beats the act of actually buying them.

Do you wanna see the treasures I found?

Diesalpunk Spat Corset - $89, from Velvet Mechanism

Velvet Mechanism Corset

You can really see my 2010 Style Inspiration theme – Soundtrack to the End of the World – in my clothing choices at the moment. I can’t get over how amazingly post-apocalyptic this looks. It is made from authentic WWII soldier’s spats. She’s even used the straps from the spats to make fake suspender loops. She has a couple left in stock, but one of them is mine. MINE!

black and maroon gothic tribal skirt, $160, from Dark Fusion Boutique

Black and Burgandy Skirt

This is designed by Dark Fusion boutique for belly dancers. I’ve been admiring the style of Tribal Fusion belly dancers for awhile – they look dark and gothic, yet have those elements of whimsy, fun and feminimity. It’s not all PVC and spikes. And I love this skirt. Oh Lordi how I love the ruffles and the textures and the lace and the fact it’s red and black and the uneven hemline and did I mention I love it SO MUCH?

Severity corset, $125, Angry Girl Gear

Angry Girl Gear Corset

I love the industrial “I am made of Iron” look of this.

Ancient Arcania Steampunk Ring, $10, by Taeliac

Ancient Arcania Steampunk Ring

This ring looks so chunky (I love chunky jewelry, because being blind it kind of shows up more) and just looks all archaic and ancient.

vintage glass spice jars

Spice Jars

I have all these little bags and packets of spices scattered over my cupboard. I would love some cute vintage glass bottles to store them in.

Urrrrrgh!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

I really want to read this. I think it looks grand.

Behemoth tour NZ in April

Tickets to Behemoth

Urgh, I still haven’t got ours yet. I missed these guys last time they came and CDH says it was one of the best shows he’s ever been too. I’m NOT missing it again.

See, now I feel better. Because I know I will eventually scrounge enough moneys for the Behemoth tickets, and I will probably continue admiring the clothings from afar. I’m handing in a decent-sized freelance project in a couple of weeks, so I might have a little splurge moneys from that.

What are you admiring from afar this week?

Steff

This year I am:

a dark artist, a heavy metal aviator, a soldier of the apocalypse, a valkyrie, she grows herbs for nefarious purposes, speaking German with a rasp.

Exotic, postmodern hedonist, egyptian gypsy with nefertiti’s smile, coffee shop poltergeist, androgenous chic. The girl who starts every sentence with “When I was in Syria …”, a carefully planned wrecking-ball, all legs and long fingers and hair flying, a red Sultana in glamour and rivets, a Norwegian ice queen, a mythology of life and death, Freya of the mosh pit, a natural goddess of words, beloved of monsters, a person who makes a difference, a Paradise Lost romance, gymm and frostbitten luxe, the soundtrack to the end of the world.

A celebration of contradiction, the harbringer of hysteria, the eternal elf of sausage rolls, wilted roses and decaying furniture, the girl who can never clean her desk, neo-everything, edgy feminine with a hint of Pure Fucking Armageddon.

This year I’m wearing:

red and purple and blue and orange and green and brown and black, military jackets and utility pockets, long, multi-layered skirts, esoteric symbols, ravens, multiple belts, gears and mechanisms, ancient materials – leathers, feathers, silks, linens and lace.

Totem animals, scandinavian street style, skinny pants, stompy boots with orange laces, ancient greek epithets, hammers and axes, industrial suspender belts, mismatched socks, vines and overgrown vegetation, steampunk doom metal.

This year I’m going:

on adventures to deserted beaches and abandoned buildings, on great train journeys with my love, into the mosh pit, on salvage trips to second-hand shops and army surplas stores, to dinner and dancing, into my imagination, to create my own dark fairy stories, foraging for berries, sailing on my viking ship, horseriding into Mordor,

This year I’m listening:

to heavy fucking metal.

What’s your Style Inspiration for 2010? I’m not just talking about fashion, I want to know what you’re planning for your life.

Steff

Further to my previous post on Black Metal Fashion, I found this 2008 shoot done by Antonella Arismendi for D magazine, aptly titled “Black Metal Barbies”, and I thought you might enjoy it.

Photos via Art Brut(e).

How did you like THAT? I think it’s freakin nekro. I’d love to do a black metal photo shoot one day, with full-on corpsepaint and all. I think I’ve totally got the bone structure for it :P.

Horns up! \m/
Steff Metal

In the second of my heavy metal fashion reports, I talk about the grymmest of the grymm, the kreigest cats of all: Black Metal Fashion.

Born in the early 90s of a disgust at the emerging death metal scene in Europe, and a general disgust at middle-class, conservative Christian Norway, black metal emerged as a rasp of defiance. The first wave bands like Bathory and Celtic Frost cemented the music style, while the second wave – the infamous Black Circle bands like Mayhem, Burzum and Dark Funeral – created the black metal mythos. Crimes were committed, churches were burnt, band members were murdered and their brains turned into milkshakes. Misanthropic music was written, and it all sort of died down a bit after Varg Vikernes was ushered off to jail.

Black Metal exists today as the most underground and difficult-to-get-into sub-genre of metal. The screeching vocals, demoniac blast beats and lo-budget, static-infused production make it probably the most difficult music in the world to appreciate – it’s almost anti-music, a black fuzz of angst and anger, hatred and loathing. Most black metal albums are senseless noise, but sometimes, it’s magic. Dark magic, evil magic, but beautiful nonetheless.

And black metal, like every sub-genre of metal, has it’s own fashion. At any festival, you can pick the black metallers out by their surly expressions and t-shirts featuring unreadable names of bands you’ve never heard of. They’re the dudes with runic tattoos poring through the $2 vinyl boxes, looking for those obscure records of misanthropic gold. They’re the last of the Great Hunt, the demons of the night, the metalheads of your nightmares.

Clothing

The kreigest black metallers know that, like the music they so love, tr00 black metal attire must come from Scandenavia. So when you shop for black metal attire, you should look first to the underground boutiques of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. However, when buying from these sources, be wary, the kvlt kreig tr00 scandenavian look does not come cheap!

The first fashion item for any discerning black metaller is a pair of tight jeans in the darkest, grymmest hue of black. Acne, Cheap Monday and Anti-Sweden jeans make black jeans specifically tailored for the black metaller’s waifish, undernourished physique. And they’re all from Norway or Sweden, for additional scene points.

Next, you’ll probably want a t-shirt. Like most metalheads, the best black metal t-shirts are band t-shirts, the more unpronouncable the name and more unreadable the logo, the better.

If you can’t find a band tee suitably indecipherable, your next best buy is a standard satan shirt. You can find these at Infidel Concepts (warning, Australian company, NOT Norwegian), Satan Shop or Turbowolf. I wrote a post last year about shopping for satanic shirts, which also has some great shops to try.

Also, tees with runic designs and pagan symbols work well, too. Steer away from cheery, pot-bellied Vikings, however.

Remember, black metal is not a fashion that accepts color. There is black clothing with white designs, and white clothing with black designs. That is final.

To prevent wrinkling, wash your clothing in virgin’s blood.

Accessories

To dress up your brootal outfit for a night on the town, you should start with a belt or twenty. Spiked and bullet belts make great accessories, the spikier the better. Wear them around your waist or cross them over your chest.

Spiked or rune-adorned gauntlets encircle your wrists, and a chain. Upside-down crosses, pentegrams, runes and other pagan symbols adorn the neck. A black metaller is never without his or her trusty Thor’s Hammer or pentegram necklace. My favorites come from Wulflund in the Czech Republic. These are replicas of archaeological finds. You can slo find Thors Hammers and other pagan / satanic pendants at Little Devil Designs, WodansWolf and Vermorlian Magick Shoppe.

To carry around your church-burning kit, Broake and Thumb designs offer Thor’s Hammer messanger bags.

fur and feathers give a naturalistic, Dark Ages feel to any black metal outfit. Ravens were the messengers of Odin, and the carrian harbringers of doom, so black raven feathers obviously the kreigest of them all. Pluck them from a live raven for maximum kreig factor, and string on a low necklace or sew around the edge of a black skirt.

For even krieger outfits, carry a weapon, like a sword or axe or mace. Add spikes to it. The more spikes, the more black metal scene points you earn.

Makeup

No article about black metal fashion would be complete without a discussion about Corpsepaint. To perfect a corpsepaint look, paint your whole face white and add black (or VERY OCCASIONALLY red) details, around your eyes and mouths. The style mimics the face paintings of the Norse Oskorei.

Most black metal musicians have a specific corpsepaint “look”, which seldom changes. With a little experimenting you can perfect your own black metal “look”.

See this tutorial on how to apply corpsepaint.

It will take a bit of experimenting to find the perfect white paint. Black Metal legends Behemoth recoomend Kryolan Supracolour Cream Makeup, which is professional theatre makeup. Others suggest using ordinary acrylic paints instead of makeup. Just make sure it’s non-toxic, first!

For some great examples of corpse paint, see rate my corpsepaint, which is my new favorite makes me giggle website.

Style Icons

Resources:

Black Metal Fashion Show

Ann-Sophie Back – Swedish avant-garde designer and lover of black metal.

Anti-Sweden Jeans: Made in Oslo, Norway. The tr00est, kvltest black metal jeans you ever could find. Exchange an old pair of jeans made in Sweden and get your Anti-Sweden jeans for NOK$666. Brootal.

Cheap Monkey: Swedish purveyors of fine black metal jeans.

Rakk and Ruin: jewellery and accessories for the black metal babe.

Wulflund – swords, jewelry, clothing, helmets and misc. from my fave Czech Republic historical shop. For all your Thor’s hammer and guantlet needs.

This was actually one of the most fun articles to write so far. Please let me know what you think, and if you know of any great black metal designers, shops and accessories.

Stay Grymm \m/
Steff

I’ve been hoarding a few of these fantastic fashion photographs, but I thought I’d better share them with you in one bumper post.

Corset from the Blonds, iD Magazine

If you’re not familiar with Philipe and David Blond NYC, I’d hop over to their website and oogle their collection quick smart. Seriously, you don’t want to miss their amazing mis of textures, spikes, chains, florals and corsetry. I mean … wow.

Impractical but totally kreig. That's the metal fashion way.

leather backpacks by Ora

Martin Cohn (via Rakk and Ruin)

Spiked headband - seriously awesome idea!

from the Six Six Sick Girls collection

The Six Six Sick girls have all worked in the fashion industry at one point or another. They’ve combined forces to come up with dark, distorted, disturbed, urban, and totally metal outfits for their weekly parties.

Daid Sims for Vogue US

Metal Fashion inspiration! Since so many of us are having a break over the Christmas holiday, I think it’s time to think of a few DIY projects we could create while we’re at home, chilling out and annoying our respective others. I know a spikey headband like the one above wouldn’t be too difficult to create.

Horns up! \m/
Steff Metal

I meant to write this guide sooner, and by now, it’s probably too late, but a late Christmas present is better than an an un-metal christmas present. So I present to you – the Heavy Metal 2009 Christmas Shopping Guide!

T-rex shirt, $19.99, from SHRED Clothing

SHRED tee shirts
Awesome metal-style graphic shirts. Use the discount code “awesome” to recieve up to 27% off tee shirts (it’s like a sale advent calender – the price gets lower the closer to Christmas).

WHORE HOUSE small plate, $20 US, from Trixie Delicious

“Vandelized Vintage” crockery from Trixie Delicious
Your metal mom will love these handpainted crockery settings featuring inappropriate words. My favourites include the FREAK teacup and the WHOREHOUSE plate. Trixie is a New Zealand lass too, so reprazent!

Cannibal Corpse leggings, $65 US, from Black Sunshine

Black Sunshine
Etsy seller who creates unique clothing from discarded rock, metal and horror tees. There are a few sellers around who do this, but I really like her designs. She also takes custom orders if you’ve got a specific old shirt you want revamped.

Blood Spike Coat, $495 pounds, from Veil of Visions

Veil of Visions
Amazing steampunk clothing and accessories for the lady in your life. There are LOTS of steampunk sites and sellers around nowadays, but Veil of Visions has been operating since 2009, and their items stand out as being high quality and totally kreig. They’re also totally into metal. I’m positive Steampunk Metal will be THE next big thing of 2010.

Pistol Earrings, $5 US, from Northwic

Northwic
My friend Amy’s etsy shop, and a great place to find one-of-a-kind items like these Pistol Earrings. Amy is a die-hard metalhead and Wacken attendee, and she’s very talented!

Purple Brain in Jar, $18 US, from Your Organ Grinder

Your Organ Grinder
For the person who has everything, felted and sewn body organs!

Tickets to Wacken Open Air 2010
Nothing says “I love you” better than tickets to the greatest heavy metal festival of all time.

Metal CDs

Always a tough purchase if you don’t know someone’s taste, or what they’ve already brought. However, some great albums have come out this year, and they deserve a place on the metal gift list. I recommend:

Death / Black Metal

Wormwood, Marduk
Black Cascade, Wolves of the Throne Room
Evangelion, Behemoth
Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue with the Stars. Blut aus Nord
Those Whom the Gods Detest, Nile
Crogacht, Suidakra

Power / Folk / Gothic Metal

From Afar, Ensiferum
Design your Universe, Epica (I didn’t really like this as much as their earlier stuff, but Epica fans will love it)
Bible of the Beast, Powerwolf
Villandin, Trollfest
Black Sails at Midnight, Alestorm
Evocation I – The Arcane Dominion, Eluveitie
New Shores, Lunatica
No Sacrific, Not Victory, Hammerfall
Etermied Damnation, Wolfchant
To the Grave, Iron Fire
Ravenous, Wolf
April Rain, Delain

Misc Metal

Metal Nation, Crystal Viper
Into the Labyrinth, Saxon
World Painted Blood, Slayer
Wavering Radient, Isis
Blue Record, Baroness
Hordes of Chaos, Kreator
Massive Aggressor, Municipal Waste

SKELETON ONSIE, $8.95, from Pushin' Daisies

Pushin’ Daisies
A cheery site selling death and funeral related items, like this skeleton onsie for your newborn nephew!

Rakk and Ruin Jewellery
Kickass dark fashionable jewellery from Rakk and Ruin. If you buy 2 or more pieces before the 1st of Jan, you receive a 10% discount on the total.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
For the bookworm in your life, this gem pits Elizabeth Bennet against the forces of the undead. Natalie Portman is starring in the upcoming movie!

Cthulhu Fish Car Emblem, $10, from Arkham Bazaar

Arkham Bazaar
What metalhead doesn’t secretly pray to the Eldar Gods? Well, now you can help your loved one’s proclaim their undying devotion to the world with all this awesome Cthulhu stuff. We are proud owners of a Cthulhu fish car emblem (it gets lots of honks) and the “Shoggoth on the Roof” CD. (“Woooooah, Tentacles!”). Brilliant!

So, while that’s not a comprehensive heavy metal fit guide, it might give you a few ideas for Christmas Shopping – the grymm and frostbitten way. What about you, my dear readers? How’s your “antichrist”-mas shopping going? What are you buying your metal loved ones? (but only tell if you don’t think they read this blog!)

Horns up for an epic metal Christmas! \m/
Steff

I said I had some photos from the other weekend to put up, and here they are, some ten days late. I am still struggling with my Mac. Last night I gave myself a heart attack because I thought I’d accidentally deleted an entire Gb of photographs, including all my photographs from Egypt! Turns out, I had placed the wrong (empty) memory card into the computer.

Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the Mac’s fault …

On Friday night (two Fridays ago, now) I met up with my old friend Jessocles (of the Scrotimites, and yes, that’s a private joke :)) and some other friends and we all went out for dinner at Satya’s South Indian restaurant on K’road in Auckland. I’ve been to Satya’s many times before, but never with a group this noisy or inappropriate :) We had a total blast, though.

After this I walked down to Live Bar on Hobson street for my heavy metal fix. Two of our friend’s bands – Nullifier and Heavy Artillery – were playing along with a couple of other acts. Being Friday the 13th, the bar had a “Night of Blood” where you could come in white clothing and they’d supply the fake blood. Lots of people dressed up and it was really fun. A great night was had by all and it was kick ass to catch up with more people we hadn’t seen since we returned from holiday.

Heavy Artillery metal things up

horns up \m/

Gorgeous Tarah, who won best dressed (and rightly so). Note the mysterious devil horns slung by her boyfriend Tim \m/

During the week we set up my new Mac! (Mac-gasm. It’s so pretty, and it works! Take THAT Asus laptop with four broken keys.)

CDH puzzles over my new Mac

Because he set up my Mac for me, CDH wanted to go to the model railroad shop (see, marriage is all about compromise :)) I found this awesome sticker while waiting for his to finish debating gauge lengths with the speckly kid behind the counter.

So true, CDH, so true

This weekend I had a sleepover with my friend Iris, and we ate pizza and falafal and ice cream and watched Harry Potter. My friend Ryan hosted a picnic in Northcoate cemetery, in celebration of his impending birthday. The theme? “Malice in Wonderland”, of course.

Iris with a ladle on her head \m/

Everyone enjoying the picnic feast

We had two gate-crashers: a tourist couple who were going on a quiet stroll around Northcoate. They joined us for some cake and admired everyone’s tattoos. It was awesome!

Bunny rabbits! Best costume at the cemetery picnic

I have the world's most delicious cupcake \m/

Ryan made the world’s most delicious cupcakes – double chocolate filled with caramel. Nom nom nom. I wore

black long-sleeved spider top from Australia
red jacket from H&M
black and red checked skirt (GLP) from Smoove
Purple and black polka dot knee-high socks
Multi-coloured rainbow hat from Norway (I wanted to wear my tophat, but it’s in storage)
All-purpose work boots from NZ Safety

After the cemetery party I headed into town for another friend’s birthday drinks. The bar we went to had beer TOWERS. Literally, these babies were nearly as tall as I was. Epic. It was a great night.

Also, a few shots from our Halloween BBQ from a few weeks back.

Liz, the sweet metal witch girl

Tim, working on his Dimebag halloween costume and trying not to stab himself in the testicles

success! Dimebag Darryl halloween costume, and Tim's testicles remain intact \m/

We weren't expecting trick-or-treaters, and by the looks on their poor faces, they weren't expecting us, either!

This weekend I won’t be doing as much socialising, as we are FINALLY moving into our new house! Wooo \m/

What have you been up to recently?

Horns Up! \m/
Steff