Merry Christmas to me ^.^

To commemorate this year's holiday season I decided to be selfish enough and get me gifts instead of cherishing my loved ones (or at least that's what I tell myself, to justify my lack of economical fluidity during this gift-giving season). Beside, isn't the world supposed to end in exactly two years from today? No point in being egoistic with one's self... right?   

Inspired on that mentality, I gave myself a pre-Christmas gift today, which was completely unplanned for, but has kept me smiling all night long ^.^

I got meself a copy of Cradle of Filth's Cruelty and the Beast, S.P's Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (which I think was the equivalent of Muse in 1995) and the latest edition of Decibel, which has a crap-load of interesting bands I had completely forgotten about. Now THAT'S a gift!  

Merry XMAS Dre <3

-Stay Metal-

MM Dre - dnklschwrz, 2010 

Cradle of Filth makes a come back, really?

Definitely exam time is the best time to blog about more interesting things, such as music and new album releases.

Oh boy, where to start!? Oh yes, the almighty Cradle of Filth... ^.^

Personal perspective:

Since the release of Midian (2000) I have been skeptical about their new musical direction. Damnation and a Day (2004) had a few interesting songs but not enough to make a tremendous impact (no point of comparison between their earlier albums, of course). Then, there was Nymphetamine... which is when I really started to question whether or not to give up on their music completely, as they seemed to be focusing on selling albums rather than making real music. The only track I would save from that album would be Nymphetamine (Overdose); the rest are really fillings and a way to justify the release of an album. After that there was HOPE, or at least that's what I thought at first, with the release of Thornography, but once again I was not completely sold on it. I enjoy listening to songs such as Dirge Inferno, The Byronic Man, The Foetus of a New Day kicking and for a while Temptation, but at this point I wonder if my acceptance for those songs has to do with my loyalty to the band vs. whether or not I really like those songs. Regardless, I have kind of gotten used to listen to them.

As I was hoping that some weird ass miracle would take place and they would come to their senses eventually, before releasing a new album, Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder came out when I was least expecting it. I listened to it once, twice, three, four.... and who knows how many times, really, and I could not find it attractive! Aside from the theme behind it (and the whole Gilles de Rais story narrated by the spectacular voice of Doug Bradley), there was NOTHING appealing about it, not even the artwork... To tell you the truth I was hoping for great raw-ass-demented COF but once again they had let me down. Out of loyalty, and aside the fact that I was interviewing Mr. Dani Filth himself on January 20th 2009, I went to the show ready to rock on but to my disappointment (and to illustrate the discontentment of the crowd) I was the only one screaming for an encore (very sad indeed). That night Satyricon stole the show completely and even though my beloved COF (yes, I am still loyal to them) was the main act, at least 40% of the audience was gone before they were done their set. I think you got the picture.

Anyway, back to discography and possible HOPE. I just found out that the band had released their ninth studio album titled Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa about a month ago. I have been kind of too busy to keep track of new music, so I got very excited when I found out about it! Before listening to some of the main tracks, I stumbled upon a few interesting reviews where the album seems to be that very-expected comeback. This build up even more expectations and right now I am glad I chose the right track to begin with: Lilith Immaculate Comments: Truly refreshing, indeed! That makes me think that not everything has been lost. I have been listening to the other tracks of the album and they are very decent. I am very VERY content at the moment with my recent discovery, HOWEVER there is one thing that already bothered me (well, actually two things): "Forgive me Father (I have Sinned) and ITS TACKY VIDEO! Yes, we know you guys are doing incredibly but honestly, could you not have come up with something more creative? High Definition does not automatically make it better. I would much rather you used the same quality of The Ghost in the Fog, which looks a lot more macabre and authentic (for lack of a better term).

As usual, I am willing to give Cradle a second chance (or this may actually be the fifth or sixth chance I give them) to get their act together and to stop messing around with ways to make their music more appealing to a general audience. I will be at the Sound Academy on February 26th 2011, hoping to see the COF that made me fall in love with songs such as From Cradle to Enslave, The Forest Whispers my Name, To Eve the art of Witchcraft, A Gothic Romance, Malice Through the Looking Glass, Haunted Shores, Cruelty Brought Three Orchids, Her Ghost in the Fog, Creatures that Kissed the Cold Mirrors among many other great classics. The same Cradle of Filth that made me say WOW to Hollowed be Thy Name, which got me into countless arguments with many Iron Maiden fans about which one is better (I will always think that COF outdid that cover!).

Quoting an old saying: "Amanecera y veremos..."

Dre - dnklschwrz -2010

Tal Ronnen Veganizes Toronto

Celebrity Chef captivates our city with his Conscious way of eating.

If you had asked me five years ago about attending a workshop focused on vegetarianism, I would have thought twice about it before even considering it. Now a days it would be a hard thing to refuse because, in all honesty, after all the talks regarding animal rights, genetically modified food, mad cow disease and even global warming, not being a vegetarian in the XXI century seems a rather inefficient way of living. There are really no excuses and yet we find ourselves falling into one or more of the following categories:

• We need animal protein to function (false)

• Vegetarian meals are boring (false)

• There is no variety within a vegetarian meal, not to mention veganism (false)

• I cannot live without meat because there is nothing that will replace it (false)

I am guilty of being in all of the above, so I had nothing to lose by going to see what Tal Ronnen had to say. I went with an open mind, not knowing what to expect.

Before the event started, they gave each of the members of the audience one of Chef Ronnen’s recipes (courtesy of Chef Douglas McNish, head of Toronto’s Raw Aura organic and raw food restaurant): Celery root soup with Granny Smith Apples and chive oil. That was absolutely DELICIOUS! I found out later on that this is Oprah’s favourite soup and now I can see why. The soup was very rich (without being extravagant) and the apples gave it a nice contrast. The dish was a full experience: appearance, variety of flavours, texture and colour. After this treat, he got my full attention.

Chef Ronnen explained the importance of being a vegetarian in the XXI century and how conscious eating can have a tremendous positive impact, not only on each individual but also on a larger scale. Armed with facts, Chef Ronnen illustrated how a carnivore consumes over four times the resources a vegetarian does and over eight times those the vegans use. By resources, he meant water, animal treatment, maintenance, soil cultivation, processing factories and many other things that go hand to hand with the production of meat. In other words, if we all suddenly became vegetarians, there would be enough resources available to significantly diminish world hunger; not to mention that we would be making a great contribution towards decreasing global warming. In other words, being a vegetarian makes sense! End of the story.

To a carnivore like yours truly, it would be very hard to simply give up meat all of a sudden. This is where everything gets more interesting… There are tasty alternatives that will make the transition VERY smooth! Chef Ronnen himself has been working to promote a product branded under the name of Gardein, which features a complete line of delicious meat-free products made from a variety of alternative protein sources such as organic ancient grain flour (kamut®, amaranth, millet, quinoa). According to Chef Ronnen, the secret success behind this new line is that unlike previous vegetarian lines, which are made out of processed soy and taste like rubber, Gardein’s products take on the flavour of the spices you prepare them with. This product has been featured in shows such as Hell’s Kitchen and Oprah and is now being used in over 30 restaurants in the United States. Gardein’s line is perfect for the conscious eater who doesn’t quite have the heart to give up meat but still wants to give vegetarianism a try.

If you are still sceptical about finding a variety of options within the vegetable world, you should most definitely check out Tal Ronnen’s book The Conscious Cook, which not only will provide you with endless combinations to make every meal an unforgettable experience, but it will also introduce you to the world of Vegetarian and Vegan options which are both tasty and healthy. As Chef Ronnen tries to recreate some of which used to be his favourite dishes as he was growing up (not vegetarian, by the way), he offers new approaches by substituting the meat products for other interesting ingredients making them solely vegetarian, without forgetting the importance of texture and flavour. The Conscious Cook is the first full-colour vegan book to make it into the list of the New York Times’ Best Sellers. Before this book was released, vegetarianism was not taken very seriously. Chef Ronnen has created a cooking revolution, which he hopes will be adopted by the conscious eaters from all corners of the world.

Right after hearing his message, I seriously thought of becoming a vegetarian. Even though I am still pondering about it, who knows, maybe I will join the thousands of people that have given up meat for good, or maybe I am not yet ready to take such a serious step. The only thing I can say for sure is that in the meantime I will be searching for the complete line of Gardein products and try to teach my palate that vegetables can also be fun .

_______________________

Stay tuned to the reviews done by Yours Truly on YummyLocal

Dre - dnklschwrz, 2010

Back?

A little piece of writing that I wrote back in 2006.

Beautiful words from the heart, who knows what was going through my head at the time.

Enjoy

Dre.

And I gave you sun,

So that you could shine endlessly

And without shame.

And I gave you darkness,

So that you could rejoice upon the grief

Within Yourself.

And I gave you solitude,

So that you would appreciate

The warmness of your body.

And I gave you wings,

Not to fly,

But to protect your soft features

From the rain.

Then I gave you space,

So that you could own the world

For a day.

Then I gave you cold,

So that you could enjoy the snow

Melting on your skin.

And after giving you all you've ever wanted,

I gave you freedom,

So that you could choose your destiny,

And then...

You came back to me.

DrE - dnklschwrz / 06

This Time Imperfect

The longer this agony goes on, the more pathetic I feel...

I can't even rest properly now, since my dreams have been invaded by the presence of the being whose love I can no longer dream of possessing.

Everything is driving me insane; no rest, no love, no news make me feel like an absolute lunatic. I am not fond of looking at my blog and only seeing that all I have to say is how heartbroken I am and how lonely I feel without you...

Even though things seem to be greener on the other side, I can't stop feeling the way I do.

Letting go has never been so hard, and what really concerns me is the amount of time that has gone by unnoticed. I remember saying things such as: All I need is time. All I need is to meet new people... Both have happened and the only thing that THAT has caused is reinforcing how much you are worth and how irreplaceable you are.

I do not feel dependent on you, for it that was true, I would have never hesitated in ending my life just from the thought of never being able to hold you close to me again. Yet, here I am... feeling.

As the days go by, only the memories remain; then the night descends upon me and as I fall into a deep sleep, there you are... So distant, so different, so rude, so not you!

Last night we got as close as being locked up in my bathroom and dedicating the same song to each other as we fell into each other's arms. As usual, I cried. This time, not only because the thought of holding you again was so unreal but also because I could not believe that you knew the same song that represents all the beautiful things I have to say to you and how I wish you well no matter what. That was the same song you had for me and I held you close for an instant. Nothing lasts forever, and this still holds true in the case of dreams. I had to go meet for an assignment, even though I was suddenly walking on a beautiful beach....

I have always held my dreams close to me because of their realistic nature. I sense, I smell, I taste, I feel, I hurt... in them. At times they are what dictates my behaviour on certain issues. Now, they have turned against me. I feel like even my dreams are trying to destroy me. I am trying to let go but the more I dream, the more I long for you.

Mon coeur, le tien toujours, mon cher petit lapin

Musically Inclined Blogger

Guten Morgen audience,

I am particularly inspired this morning, which may account for all the wonderful music that I somehow have managed to shove into my ipod. I am getting waaaay out of my comfort zone, and yet I have not bored myself with the monotonic rhythms of Top 40.

La voila, The source of my good mode and positive thinking for the past 48 hours - Chanson #1

NEXT: Aside from the previous one, I have found a new sexy beat that makes me want to become an urban hipster (not gonna happen, but oh well... The power of music) and walk around the streets like freaking Christopher Walken in Fatboy Slim's Weapon of Choice. I will include the video with the lyrics, so that you get the idea about what you are singing. The original video is absolutely badass, so I highly recommend it. This makes me say: Je me suis tombée amoureuse de la musique en français

Chanson #2

Touchée ^.^

Enjoy!

In my time of need - II

Commonly, I would despise blogging while enduring pain, but this time it's a different kind of pain.

The one that leaves you paralyzed in time and space, while the seconds are still running, and the only thing in front of you is a bottle of vodka that was not meant to be consumed on this occasion.

Missing a razor blade and the balls to end with the pain once and for all. I keep on thinking that there is purpose above all of these pointless bearing of unnecessary suffering; coping and coping and still no change takes place.

I am not a bad person, I am definitely not evil. What have I done to offend you in such manner?

Simply because I once and for all decided to stand up for myself, to stop being the item you mop the floor with?

All these years of endless victories I have given you and still I get nothing but third-citizen treatment. Really?

I should never blog about this, particularly to an open audience of who knows who; yet, I am tired of pretending that I have no emotional reaction to an indifference I do not deserve.

Like the Dalai Lama said: "I am not the best Dalai Lama, I am not the worst Dalai Lama, but I am definitely the most popular one". I will tell you the same thing: i am not the best daughter, and I am definitely not the worst one. Popular, i am not quite sure, but yet I know that every parent would be fucking proud to have me as a daughter.

My accomplishments

My triumphs

My life

And yet, in perspective little support from your side.

A talented genius kid; potential not exploited for apparent considerate reasons about "respecting" my childhood instead of taking advantage of my natural talents.

A talented young musician, who should have been enrolled in the conservatory by personal recommendation of the Music department of my school and yet no, of course not... Couldn't afford to make such sacrifices of driving me across town. What is a musician worth anyway, right?

Self-esteem issues, of course but obviously never interested enough to know what was going on

And the list goes on, filled with all your bullshit insecurities of how you were raised and how you are afraid of the outer world and what you consider to be unknown.

Let me Live my fucking life! Stop questioning every decision I make. I feel like an absolute dumbass simply because I decide to be honest and share my life with you. The only thing I get: Second-guessing.... Really, after all I want is to build a relationship based on honesty and trust? I am the bad one!? What the fuck is this bullshit reversely-build psychology?

I am done and yet the suffering does not end.

The vodka is over and I feel like my downward spiral of self-destruction feeds on itself, in order to destroy the empire I have worked so hard to create.

I feel like I can no longer go on. I will remain on my bed for the rest of the evening in the hopes that my cough gets bad enough and I stop breathing. Maybe then you will actually understand that I am not as bad as you think and that what you accuse me of doing, of being, of representing is nothing but your fucking insecurities projected onto a reality that you have chosen to blame on me.