With a name like Var they should be black metal vikings and not adorable dudes.

I find the idea of a "concept album" chronicling some midwestern indie schlub's relationship problems on a month to month basis to be considerably less intriguing than a concept album about, say, Ziggy Stardust, the redheaded stranger, or a dystopian future where rocking out is against the law.

Before reading this I knew that Jason Heller knows a hell of a lot about metal.  After reading this I know that he is okay with employing the phrase "playing the field".  Also, he has a deep knowledge of Indie folk weiner bands.

"Black Metal Purists" burned down my grandma's church.  In the middle of a potluck luncheon.  Those guys are a bunch of a-holes if you ask me.

@avclub-cb0e59b8f769a8698b9f7154dd8809b5:disqus Yeah, I can't really see that, say,  Sigur Ros (who sound shoegazy to me most of that), Pelican (who sound like a prog-metal ambient type deal), and Tortoise (who have a pretty evident jazz influence, at least in the one or two records that I've heard) belong to the same…

I thought that Koski had left us…or is she back for the occasional late 90's nostalgia piece designed to make 30 something codgers such as myself feel our bones creak?

I'll give it a listen on the basis of the genre, the label, the "A" grade, and the fact that Heller has never steered me wrong.

Are they the Spoonman guys?  Can i do a Spoonman joke?

The part where the blogger fellow describes Bon Jovi as "Springsteen with louder drums" made ME want to throw up everywhere and shit in my pants.

I doubt this is more insulting than last year's awards season non-starter "Ewan Macgregor and other white people survive the tsunami".

From Portland. 

Nearly a decade on.  Where is Last Guardian?  You Ico guys are a bunch of lazy jerks.

@avclub-9be75ed66efe53417ae617e8aa5a1328:disqus Get that man some dockers and a polo shirt!

No, you're good.

Dammit E.T., stop falling into pits!

The best iceman is Frostillicus:  http://simpsons.wikia.com/w…

Aww man, you beat me to the "skip the first ten pages to get to the interview" joke.

Fucking Savages, National Geographic's initial foray into adult entertainment.

Well, if your replace the character who has, arguably, gone from being a Marvel third stringer to the world's favorite cinematic superhero on the back of RDJ's charisma with the universally beloved Black Panther and someone called "Wanda" you've certainly struck the recipe for box office gold.

Winona Ryder, I used to have a big crush on you but since, I dunno, Mr. Deeds or so you've just been making me sad.