Smile empty soul

It's that time of the year again, heck I get reminded to it everytime I go to work for the past few months. Christmas tunes and all kinds of decorations that fit this period just perfectly; ranging from obvious Christmas tree, candles, lights to the less obvious straw pointy shoes and decoratives for adorning Christmas (pre-made) pieces. The consumerism comes at you in ways that makes you vomit if you stay in it long enough to capture you. There is too much, too many of everything and they're all trying to get on the best side of the deep-end of your pocket.

What's in store for me? I suppose I'll just wrap up the last week of school just fine and act my way through this period like I did many years before. Although I can't seem to escape that feeling of awkwardness. This period has a certain dull edge to it, where the cold weather happens to play a huge part of it. They usually say Christmas time is the period where most people commit suicide, because this is the period where the loneliness cuts deepest. Now it's not that I'm a lonely guy, but I can relate to that feeling of discomfort where everything seems to be so disconnected. Perhaps it's the almost obsessive crusade for comfort and happiness as it is reflected in the things we buy and the plans we make with friends & family. I reckon it's also the period where idealistic people want to remind us of the real reason behind Christmas and that it's not merely the end of the amazing shopping months. Referring us to biblical stories written which in turn get abused to make peace, discrimination, racism and everything else that's bad in the world a heavy weight topic once more. You could almost set your clock to the events that unfold in chronological order every year again. And I for one can't really decide what's more discouraging: the consumarism, the loneliness or the idealistic side of Christmas.

For the others among us, we can't really change anything other then to hope it passes like it does every year. Get back to the normal life we were leading before we entered this haze that's stronger than any drug available. I just wish this period would bring us more in high spirits as it always promises us, alas that only happens at the exact time it stops one year full.

A music delirium

It's a good period for a musical journey to new frontiers, as I am now left with not one, not two, but four new bands that will most likely remain in my dynamic music database. As always there is a perfect balance between the kind of music that's aggressively painstaking loud, hard and grim as opposed to a more joyous, lyrically addictive style of playing. The bands I'm talking about are respectively: alexisonfire, The fall of Troy, Acceptance and PANIC! at the disco. Serve yourself and there might be one of those four that clings to your musical flavor as well. If not, no harm done I can't dictate all the good music that comes at me to the rest of the world. I do want to reserve the right to laugh at your bad taste though.

The first two bands fall under the aggressive label I depicted and especially The fall of Troy is so much insanity packed in one album which could best be described as Dream theater meets MCR on acid, minus the vampiric theme. Best part of it all is that they come to Holland in December, which is a real treat for a new fan like me. Alexisonfire is a good band, not because I just said so. Although talking with a God complex alone should justify such a sentence. It's a good band, because it grows on you, I didn't much like them at first when listening to it. But my friend told me had the same at first, so I persisted and now this gem has grown to it's full potential and I like it a lot. Mainly, because I haven't come accross such a band yet.

The two bands left are the more lyrically addictive style of playing. Acceptance is what you could call the aftermath of Anberlin. Which was handed to me by the same guy, so that kinda makes sense. Although I do think Anberlin is superior my musical world isn't about restrictiveness and any addition to it is more than welcome. Although it shouldn't be seen as a cheap rip-off, but merely a referral. The last one I'm left with came along my path a long time ago, don't know how and when but somehow I did not decide to download it. Thanks to last.fm it's reminder I got my second chance and this time went along with it. A sound which should very much remind you of Fall out Boy; it has witty lyrics which unsurprisingly are much to my liking. Besides, screaming and grunting can only get me so far. The synergy of these two partially made up genres by me, copyright breach will be dealt with bitches, are really what gets me going.

I reckon I've filled you in more than enough and by the time you seriously have listened to the links I added to each band it could very well be Christmas or a happy new year.