The Lurking Place of E. Rochelle Potter
Soul Feasting
We know it's necessary to feed our bodies in order to continue living, and so we comply with that basic law of nature. With all the negativity in the world and the monotonous in and out of our daily lives, it's all too easy to forget that our higher selves require nourishment as well. While the various forms in which this nourishment may be derived are purely subjective to the individual, there is one I believe we can universally agree on:
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Music = Soul Sustenance
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Since the dawn of humankind, cultures across the globe have harnessed the power of musical expression. One would be hard-pressed to encounter someone who doesn't enjoy some form of music. The range of styles and emotions evoked is as varied as those who produce them and our
personal tastes are, of course, our own. While I enjoy an array of musical genres, my preference is heavy metal.
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Yep. You read that right.
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There's an unfair bias circulating that deems metal as "just noise," and those who listen to it as violent, devil-worshipping heathens. This, my friends, is a staggering misconception! The insane guitar riffs and energetic pulse of rapid drumfire, not to mention the sheer raw talent required to execute such performance is unique to the metal world. Don't get me wrong. That isn't saying other musicians and their respective genres lack talent; far from it. But metal is special.
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My Halloween treat this year came in the form of concert tickets from my boyfriend to see my favorite band Gojira headline on their Fortitude tour. He purchased the tickets months ago when they first went on sale and we'd been anticipating this night ever since. We both love this band and didn't want to be just your average part of the crowd. This idea sparked when he found a shiny hat shaped like a blue whale. One of Gojira's songs is "Flying Whales" so it made perfect sense.
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For many reasons, "Where Dragons Dwell" holds a lot of significance to me. Because of this I decided I wanted to go dressed as a dragon. I started researching costume pieces and ended up finding things my boyfriend liked as well. So we both went dressed as dragons, he red and black, myself blue and purple. We also brought a large French flag to fly since Gojira is from France.
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The crowd was pumped up by Alien Weaponry and Knocked Loose before Gojira took the stage to give a full-throttle performance. I sort of held an expectation that most of the songs they played would be from their latest album but I was pleased that their lineup included songs from the entire spectrum of their albums. While they didn't end up playing "Where Dragons Dwell" they did play "Flying Whales."
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Their latest album came on the wings of Gojira's fundraising campaign to raise money for the purpose of aiding indigenous tribes of the Amazon facing deforestation, land loss and forced labor. Impressively, the auction they held quadrupled their financial goal! The tracks on Fortitude reflect the plight of these peoples and have a very tribal vibe to them. I think those who believe the stereotypes perpetuating the stigma surrounding metal music would be shocked to learn that heavy metal musicians are humanitarians. So much for the devil-worshipping heathen theory.
If you still don't believe my proclamation of, "not just noise," I challenge you to take a look at Gojira's lyrics. Pick whichever title speaks to you. But don't just read the words. Play the song and read them while you listen. Feel the power of their music. It's a profound experience!
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