This dude writes a story in the NYT on how death metal kept him sane while he was unemployed and depressed and gets blasted in the comments for mentioning bands like Anthrax and Pantera who are, as you surely know, not remotely death metal. Neither is Slayer or Metallica or probably all the other metal bands the average music listener can name. But that’s OK. It’s not actually an article about death metal, per se – it’s about music as a palliative. I’m OK with that too but I don’t think it’s really what makes (some) metal great. If it’s really good its for the same reasons that Miles Davis is good or Frank Zappa is good. Maybe metal is more one-dimensional than say, Stravinsky. Maybe, but not by necessity.

Still there is something about the madness and mayhem of extreme metal that makes it appealing to the angst-ridden and world weary. You know – teenagers. John Darnielle totally gets that part:

The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton

That Hail Satan! sends chills up my spine. Really.