Andrew Lodwick on The Shameless

Jim LotFP · March 17th, 2007, 07:14 AM

"My only prior exposure to LOTFP was through its website, which I had been directed to via the Aversion Online blahg, and consisted of a long but incomplete perusal of Dave Burns' "False Metal" essay, which I found interesting and delightfully contentious, though I would say that metal essays are potentially the type of thing whereby I like the idea more than the actual realization of the idea (like, say, Godflesh). Little attention was subsequently paid to LOTFP until the words "free issue" appeared, and well…here we are.

My first impression of 'The Shameless' was not favourable. I fucking hate the cover: a crude rendering of crucified major (metal) label executives that just does nothing for me – it is simplistic and lazy in a way that the rest of the issue is fortunately not. And I think it ultimately does a disservice to the overall feel of the issue, which I read as a celebration of independence and DIY, rather than a denigration of "the man". However I will concede that it functions well as sort of visual sound bite, and I'm sure those who buy the T-shirt will be the envy of someone other than myself.

Moving beyond the cover, I was pleased to find a simple, cleanly laid-out (if very dense) interior, consisting of 2 editorial pieces, a flurry of reviews and a lengthy interview. The only interior graphics are band logos, which suits the simplicity of the black and white reproduction and helps to break-up the blocks of small text. The initial editorial by Raggi serves nicely as an introduction to both the issue's central theme, as well as its predominant attitude: personal, passionate and pigheaded. The focus on "The Shameless", as Raggi describes them, ties things together as a whole, despite being comprised of many smaller pieces (which I personally prefer to long-form writing, as it results in something that is more inviting to pick-up when I don't have much time to devote to it). A consistent or recurring theme like this gives purpose to the proceedings, and lends an aura of thoughtfulness and cohesion that adds to the integrity of it all. Burns' piece on the unequal attention paid to demos/low-key releases by the metal media is, um… interesting and delightfully contentious. The reviews are where the real meat is for me, though. Ranging from clear and concise, to long and riddled with digressions, they are uniformly well-written and sincere. Whether the band in question is being praised or eviscerated, each of the 3 writers displays unique but complementary styles that exhibit a smooth flow and tasteful vocabulary.

At the end of the day, the criticisms I'm tempted to level against 'The Shameless' are largely negated by the simple fact that I really enjoyed reading it. And, more importantly, it pushed me to check out some stuff I may have otherwise let slip by me (or never heard of at all, for that matter). Count me appreciative."

March 17th, 2007, 07:14 AM	#1 (permalink)
Jim LotFP The Keeper of Metal Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 5,682	Andrew Lodwick on The Shameless "My only prior exposure to LOTFP was through its website, which I had been directed to via the Aversion Online blahg, and consisted of a long but incomplete perusal of Dave Burns' "False Metal" essay, which I found interesting and delightfully contentious, though I would say that metal essays are potentially the type of thing whereby I like the idea more than the actual realization of the idea (like, say, Godflesh). Little attention was subsequently paid to LOTFP until the words "free issue" appeared, and well…here we are. My first impression of 'The Shameless' was not favourable. I fucking hate the cover: a crude rendering of crucified major (metal) label executives that just does nothing for me – it is simplistic and lazy in a way that the rest of the issue is fortunately not. And I think it ultimately does a disservice to the overall feel of the issue, which I read as a celebration of independence and DIY, rather than a denigration of "the man". However I will concede that it functions well as sort of visual sound bite, and I'm sure those who buy the T-shirt will be the envy of someone other than myself. Moving beyond the cover, I was pleased to find a simple, cleanly laid-out (if very dense) interior, consisting of 2 editorial pieces, a flurry of reviews and a lengthy interview. The only interior graphics are band logos, which suits the simplicity of the black and white reproduction and helps to break-up the blocks of small text. The initial editorial by Raggi serves nicely as an introduction to both the issue's central theme, as well as its predominant attitude: personal, passionate and pigheaded. The focus on "The Shameless", as Raggi describes them, ties things together as a whole, despite being comprised of many smaller pieces (which I personally prefer to long-form writing, as it results in something that is more inviting to pick-up when I don't have much time to devote to it). A consistent or recurring theme like this gives purpose to the proceedings, and lends an aura of thoughtfulness and cohesion that adds to the integrity of it all. Burns' piece on the unequal attention paid to demos/low-key releases by the metal media is, um… interesting and delightfully contentious. The reviews are where the real meat is for me, though. Ranging from clear and concise, to long and riddled with digressions, they are uniformly well-written and sincere. Whether the band in question is being praised or eviscerated, each of the 3 writers displays unique but complementary styles that exhibit a smooth flow and tasteful vocabulary. At the end of the day, the criticisms I'm tempted to level against 'The Shameless' are largely negated by the simple fact that I really enjoyed reading it. And, more importantly, it pushed me to check out some stuff I may have otherwise let slip by me (or never heard of at all, for that matter). Count me appreciative." __________________ LotFP: RPG Blog LotFP Metal Zine