Re-introduce yourself (right on)

Today is my 30th birthday, so I thought this would be a good time to post something of a statement of intent for this blog, which I didn't do when I started it in June. Here goes:

Hello. My name is SoulReaper. That's not my Christian name, obviously... I chose it for my blogging name because it was already my Blabbermouth handle. It's the name of the last full-length song on the last Dissection album, "Storm of the Light's Bane", which is among my personal top ten of all time. I chose this name because it's a beautiful song, not because I approve of the Satanic gibberings or infamous actions of band leader Jon Nödtveidt. In fact, since I was a huge fan of his music before the horrific details of his private life become public, Dissection remains my greatest personal conflict in separating someone's art from their personal character.

The name of this blog, "Entartete Kunst," means "degenerate art" in German. It most directly refers to an initiative within the Nazi movement to debase any art which clashed with the Third Reich's ideals. Basically, works of a modern, abstract, non-classicist nature were deemed dangerous to the atavistic culture the Nazis were trying to inject into Germany, especially works by any non-Aryan (read: Jewish) artists. I selected this name for my blog for two reasons. First, I think it's a powerful example of what can happen when a society allows a temporarily dominant mindset to dictate what is and isn't good for the whole of that society. Second, the sorts of art in which I find the greatest meaning and interest are often those ignorantly derided by those in power - "liberals" and "conservatives" alike - as somehow degenerate, or harmful to the greater good.

My interests are not extremely confined, but I tend to prefer horror movies and heavy metal, transgressive venues of artistic expression typically scorned as the domain of emotionally turbulent teenage boys who wear too much black. Yes, I was one of those, and to some extent still am. But like any nerd worth his fan club card, I consider myself a bit of a historian and aesthete of each, frequently searching for both arcane, overlooked classics and current, forward-thinking creations. To a person who takes such "degenerate art" seriously, the imagery, concepts and tactics of even the most banal horror movies and heavy metal can be insightful or enjoyable, while any corruption of those core emotional values in the name of commerce is viewed with outright hostility. In my eyes, our society's worst influences come from sickeningly insincere board room products such as "Jeepers Creepers 2" or Limp Bizkit.

Above all, this blog is intended as a personal platform, as many others are. It is my forum for praising, bitching, informing or otherwise sharing what's been happening inside my head with anyone who cares to know. I don't think random people will come a-surfin' to it very often, and thus it is always intended for those friends and family who would ask, "Boy, I wonder what SoulReaper's up to?" I am assuming that if you've read this far, you're one of those. Thank you! I hope you enjoy reading my spew. You can always expect honesty here, even if it's of the uncomfortable kind. I undertand that it's possible that I'll say something that offends you on a personal level, and should that happen, you should feel free to take it up with me.

The other purpose of this blog is as a makeshift archive of reviews I've written. As you might be able to see, I have revamped all the old posts so that you may now read all of the reviews - the link will take you to the comments, where I've posted uncensored "writer's cut" versions of my opinionated drivel. I will do this from now on, starting with this piece on "Catch Without Arms" by Dredg.

Please visit as often as you like. I like to read your comments.