Found this little ditty by the creative genius behind The Ocean (Note: the band, not a large body of water) on why he wrote an album such as Precambrian and how he would like people to listen to it.
Enjoy



THE OCEAN's Robin Staps comments:

"Please try to absorb this album in it's entirety - artwork, lyrics, music is one, and each song only unfurls its full meaning in the context of all other songs and art on the album. Precambrian is our stance against myspace-induced volatileness and transience, against the postmodern notion of music as unseizable data, against a perception of music in terms of how much space it takes up on your hard-drive... it is an album for people who still believe in the idea that an album can be more, and should be more, than the sum of its tracks."

Preach it Brother!

An interview with the awesome Arik Roper (http://www.arikroper.com ) about his work with High on Fire and why the visual and audio art forms will never truely be serparated - despite how hard itunes may try to take over the world. Enjoy:

Interview: Arik Roper
by Michael Alan Goldberg

MG-So who's responsible for the nightmarish underworld beasts and landscapes found on High on Fire album covers and posters (and even their brand of hot sauce) — compelling imagery in the classic metal tradition that perfectly accompanies the Bay Area band's staggering wallop and doomy lyrical aesthetic? That'd be visual artist Arik Roper, who's teamed with HoF's Matt Pike and Des Kensel for years, and whose work has also been seen in Arthur, Revolver, and Guitar World, among many other places.
How did you first link up with High on Fire — were you a fan of their music, or were they a fan of your artwork, or both?


AR-I guess it actually started way back when I met Matt, years ago during the Sleep days. We got reconnected when High on Fire came about and somehow it just fell into place. He and I had a mutual respect for each other's craft. I was definitely into the
music regardless of my connection to it.

MG-Do you listen to a new High on Fire album a number of times to get a sense of what kind of art you want to create, or do you go into it with a fairly good idea of the imagery and feeling you want to convey?

AR-I prefer to listen to the music first, which is normally how it's been done in the past. I'll listen to the rough mix or whatever is available to form an idea. But in the case of Death is this Communion, I wasn't able to get any audio during that stage, so I worked from lyrics to get some imagery. Matt writes lyrics that evoke scenes, so that helped. I try to capture their vibe the best i can — they have a feel and a tone which is practically visual on its own.

MG-How involved is the band as far as the artwork goes — do you present them with ideas and consult with them along the way, or do you just give them a final piece of work?

AR-They don't usually have a very specific idea, so they leave it up to me. I came up with about three or four ideas based on what I knew about them and the music, and from there we focused on the one we liked the most. I try to get ideas from Des and Matt, but usually they just tell me to think of something since they're consumed with recording process. I delved into some Lovecraftian ideas which i got from the lyrics. I wanted to make something mysterious.

MG-What appeals to you most about High on Fire's music, and the band as people?

AR-I think one of the reasons I work well with them is because there's some natural chemistry involved. The music and lyrics are generally about themes I'm interested in anyway. It was the same with Sleep, the familiarity of where that music comes from has always been very strong to me. The mythology, the occult/religious symbolism — they're all elements that I often work with on my own as well.
High on Fire has a rawness and sincerity that's unmistakable, and it shows, it crosses boundaries. Matt and I have similar interests, I've always found him to be kindred, as if we're cut from the same cloth. He's got a unique presence. Of course I admire his drive and talent also. Des and I normally deal with the business of the art together. He's a real solid guy and drums like a martial artist, it blows me away.

MG-The artwork seems like such a vital part of the High on Fire presentation...in recent years, obviously, album art has gotten the shaft now that so many people just download albums and don't have an actual piece of art to hold in their hands. Is that frustrating at all when you set out to work on an album cover or poster? Do you think certain genres or bands like High on Fire are immune to that issue, just because the visual part of it is pretty important to the overall aesthetic?

AR-Yeah, the visual side of music packaging has

http://duggmirror.com/comedy/100_Gre...

Too many to copy and paste them all from the above link, here's a couple of favorites:

"Just recently my son Bobby came out to me. I had been worried for awhile. His teachers said most of his grades were slipping and he seemed depressed and withdrawn.

Bobby said he'd been hiding it for awhile because he was afraid I would reject him. I sat him down and told him that I loved him and that God loved him, but that his salvation was in danger if he did not resist his unnatural tempations. I told him how being gay would mean he would live a shorter life, and that if he couldnt change his orientation he could be celibate like most the ex-gays are. He started crying saying something along the lines of "I knew you wouldnt understand! You're just like everyone else!" before running to his room and slamming the door.

What did I do wrong? I dont want to lose my son, but I fear I already have. I talked it over with his therapist, who had the ludicrous idea that homosexuality was unchangable and that trying to repress could lead to lots of psychological damage (I've dropped him and will try to be finding another therapist with more moral beliefs). I wouldnt be surprised if he's the one who's feeding my son all the homosexual propaganda about how its 'ok' to be gay. That, or how homosexuality has engulfed the media, making it seem 'cool' and 'hip' and how they were just another oppressed minority. You didnt have to worry about seeing two men making out on tv at my age! I dont want to sound like a fanatic, but Im worried what other effects will come out of this increasingly secular, immoral society obsessed with filth.

Am I too late? Or is it possible to save my son


[Note: the boy eventually took his own life.]"

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"There are a lot of things I have concluded to be wrong, without studying them in-depth. Evolution is one of them. The fact that I don't know that much about it does not bother me in the least."

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"You got it backwards.

Creationism is based upon science, reason and tons of evidence.

Evolution is based on the blind acceptance of superstitions and fairy tales."

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"I can sum it all up in three words: Evolution is a lie"

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"I often debate with evolutionists because I believe that they are narrow mindedly and dogmatically accepting evolution without questioning it. I don't really care how God did what He did. I know He did it. "

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"You are banned. You are not a Christian for Christians don't accuse brothers and sisters in Christ of being non-Christian."

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"A woman wants to abort a rape child? She should have thought of that before she walked down that dark alley without a male prescence, not to mention she should have thought before putting on revealing attire.

[Yes. It should (be legal). Otherwise you're screwing over the women who don't deserve their fate.]

Are you calling them victims now? Should've stayed in the house where it's safe."

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"A missionary I knew watched a bullet hea