http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:MetalPhil&section=today deviantART RSS for by:MetalPhil en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:24:07 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/18657080/ http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/18657080/ Wed, 04 Jun 2008 06:20:57 PDT
So, come July I'm moving in with my girlfriend officially in our new apartment! That's pretty exciting but scary. As an American in Sweden I'm having a bitch of a time with the fact that I can't even work until I get my status worked out--and I'm broke as shit. This is actually a really major problem that I'm having and I'm not really sure how to work it out. I'm hoping that maybe I might be able to use my linguistic nature to help me. There are some international schools and stuff like that where I might be able to get a job. But I'm really worried about this summer.

I've been on a bit of an artistic hold since I finished my record. I'm going to get the thing released via a very small label from California called Black Goat Records; I'm actually pretty excited about that. However, it's not much of a label and I hope that this will be a bit of a groundwork for bigger material in the future. I think I'm going to head in a very different direction with the second record, musically. Do something a little more influenced by Balkan and Middle-Eastern music. It should be really interesting; I'm excited.

School makes me want to fucking cry and it really sucks ass. But things are great with the new girlfriend and I'm staying in Sweden for the upcoming time period, as it seems. Things are a little crazy, stressful and hectic, but we love each other and we're so happy we don't even realize how miserable we are..

Yeah, so anyway, if anyone needs any webdesign or something; I'll do it for a nominal price.

]]> ~MetalPhil http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/17768221/ http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/17768221/ Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:31:55 PDT
Anyway, so I'm writing now and I hope someone reads this or I'm just going to feel ridiculously useless. I've actually been working my ass off lately on new music and concepts. I haven't been writing like I wanted to, but the fiction bug has died with the end of a wonderful consistent discussion relationship with my bestest of best friends, Josh. With him gone, I just can't seem to pull myself back into the fiction mood. I've also, of course, got a girlfriend around and a ton of work to do.. so what little creativity I can muster all manages to get filtered into music these days.

That all, of course, leads me to discuss this Æthereal project that I'm posting music from. Sure, it's death metal and a lot of people aren't into death metal but.. well, I'd say give it a listen anyway. I like it a lot and that's saying something as I'm my hardest critic (aside from my girlfriend who can be really mean about my music.. haha). I've been enjoying writing for it and if I ever get signed with anything it's going to be Æthereal. I'd rather it was a real band but I don't know if that'll ever happen (though I dearly hope it will). But some of my best writing (at least musically) has gone into this project so I'd love to get some feedback on it.

Anyway, you metal kids should all take a look at my stuff and tell me what you think. I'm going to head to bed as my totally hot ass girlfriend is waiting for me and the candle is burning low.

Good night, loves.
/Phil

]]> ~MetalPhil http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/17314327/ http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/17314327/ Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:46:11 PDT did however, do something recently that I like pretty well. It's a poem and song. If you want to take a listen check it out here: [link] and you can listen to it here: [link] you will hopefully like it. I think it's interesting (and it's not that heavy, frankly).



]]> ~MetalPhil http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/16201390/ http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/16201390/ Tue, 01 Jan 2008 07:13:40 PST
So, I guess I am feeling obliged to write a journal about what I think is going to be my "New Year's Resolution," though it's really not one because I hate those things. It's more of a statement of intention. I intend, this year, to write a lot. I don't expect or intend to be published, I don't expect or intend to write anything stellar or artistic--I do intend, however, to practice. I love to write. It is sometimes very difficult and while certain individuals have it easier than others, it is precisely because I'm a competent writer with very little practice other than reading that makes me feel like it would be a waste of 'talent' (shall we say) to NOT do this.

I don't think that I will ever be a rockstar writer, or heck, even a published author. But Vonnegut once told a group at the University of Wisconsin to "go home, write your best work, labor at it, and when you're finished.. throw it away, because you've already succeeded." Internal motivation is the name of the game, here. If I can't write music, I'll write stories.. they're practically one in the same already.

]]> ~MetalPhil http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/16069376/ http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/16069376/ Mon, 24 Dec 2007 03:52:35 PST
Three Things You Want To Do Before You Die:
1.) Tour -- preferably with Iron Maiden
2.) Get my PhD
3.) Get hitched

Three Names You Go By:
1.) Phil
2.) ...Phil
3.) Metal Phil

Three Screen Names You Have Had:
1.) MetalPhil
2.) CommieGuru
3.) NovembersDirge

Three Physical Things You Like About Yourself:
1.) My hair
2.) My brain (it's a physical thing)
3.) Y'know..

Three Parts Of Your Heritage:
1.) Danish - Jensen.. friggin' Vikings
2.) English/Irish - Not quite sure.. probably English planted in Ireland due to protestantism.
3.) "Bohemian," which is what my grandma calls it. Now known as Czech.

Three Things That Scare You:
1.) Demon possession
2.) The American right
3.) Dying alone

Three Of Your Everyday Essentials:
1.) Internet
2.) Food
3.) Sleep

Three Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1.) V Neck
2.) Jeans
3.) Green button up shirt

Three Of Your Favorite Bands/Musical Artists:
1.) Opeth
2.) Iron Maiden
3.) Nobuo Uematsu

Three Of Your Favorite Songs:
1.) Isolation Years or Beneath the Mire [Opeth]
2.) The Prophecy [Iron Maiden]
3.) In The White [Katatonia]

Three Things You Want In A Relationship:
1.) Deep emotional connection
2.) Beautiful conversation
3.) Hot sex

Two Truths And A Lie (in no particular order):
1.) Change is always around the corner.
2.) I've never had what I'm looking for.
3.) There is no motivation to be had.

Three Physical Things About The Opposite Sex That Appeal To You:
1.) Short
2.) Dark hair
3.) Bubble butts

Three Of Your Favorite Hobbies:
1.) Guitar/Song Writing
2.) Svenska!
3.) General nerdiness

Three Things You Want To Do Really Badly Right Now:
1.) Play guitar.. oh god.
2.) Get a day to myself.
3.) Hang out with a hot Slovakian girl.

Three Careers You're Considering/You've Considered:
1.) Media Watchdog Blogger
2.) Sociology PhD
3.) Professional Musician or the music industry

Three Places You Want To Go On Vacation:
1.) Finland
2.) England
3.) Berlin

Three Names You Like:
1.) Eva
2.) Judith
3.) Björn

Three Ways That You Are Stereotypically A Girl:
1.) I like emotional conversations
2.) I have long hair
3.) Most of my friends are female

Three Ways That You Are Stereotypically A Boy:
1.) I'm lazy
2.) I listen to metal
3.) I hate cleaning

Your top 3 favorite actors and actresses:
1.) Scarlett Johansson
2.) Gary Oldman
3.) Johnny Depp

Your top 3 favorite fictional characters, (from Comics, Books, T.V. shows, ETC.)
1.) Simkin from The Darksword Trilogy
2.) Gandalf the Grey from The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings
3.) Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore from Harry Potter

Tagging others...




]]> ~MetalPhil http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/16038754/ http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/16038754/ Sat, 22 Dec 2007 04:10:18 PST
So it's been a while since I produced anything. Partly because it's not easy to produce quickly when you're as busy as I've been and partly 'cause I don't have anything to write right now. Anyway, I'm not viciously popular anyway and my number one fan (*Forsaken2544) is gone. That's actually really sad. Josh and I have been friends since we were in middle school and I've really enjoyed having him around to talk to so often over the last couple years. It's going to be really stinky to not have him around bugging me to edit his shit.

Anyway, this is a promise that you'll have the Iago "chapter II" edit up in no time and that I'll be writing some more.

Hope all y'all are having a happy Jul and all that. I'm in the Netherlands with my sister and her family so it's pretty freakin' cool. My parents will be flying over for New Years and it'll be the first time that I've had Christmas with my sister since.. shit.. I don't even remember probably since I was 15. So 10 years or so. It'll be great.

Yeah.. so.. god Jul, gott nytt år and all that jazz.
/Phil

]]> ~MetalPhil http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/15594428/ http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/15594428/ Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:52:00 PST
OK, so..: I have ideas for a story. I have a plot arc, I have a few ideas for scenes in between and a general direction.. I have NO clue how to connect the dots. How do I approach this? What's the best way to actually pull that off?

]]> ~MetalPhil http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/15548009/ http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/15548009/ Sat, 17 Nov 2007 12:27:55 PST
I joined deviantART because my friend *Forsaken2544 has been on here for goddamn ever and has been bugging me and sending me stupid pictures I can't look at because of the bleeding content filter. I'm not much of a writer, really. I mean, I've always thought it would be "neat" to be a writer, but there is a very pragmatic side to me that (when I go there) says "... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ok, that's a rough paraphrasing, but you get the idea.

The thing is that I don't think I'm a bad writer, per se, it's more that I'm a bad "plotter." I don't have the 'creative drive' to come up with plot-lines that really entrance the mind. When I *do* finally come up with a good plot-line (plot line? plotline?) I usually am not sure how to execute it. Also, I think that fantasy writing is hit or miss, really. In fact, often times I think that fantasy fiction is the bottom of the barrel when it comes to writing. Until recently, when I read George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire (speaking of which, according to [link] A Dance with Dragons comes out on April 7th, but Mr. Martin hasn't announced anything on his website yet), I had pretty much written off the entire genre as being made up of talentless hacks who couldn't write a novel for an adult if their life depended on it.

But lately between Josh and Shaun and myself we've been building a little writing group and I find that really fun and unique. It makes me really want to write for the first time in years. I want to piece things together, if for no other reason.. well.. the challenge of it. But at the same time, while I enjoy writing, I don't write for me.. I write for other people. I want to be read which brings us back to the scathing, pragmatic voice in the back of my head.

So how does one DO that? And how does one become a writing scab in Hollywood? Those are the operative questions, today.

]]> ~MetalPhil http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/15530375/ http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/15530375/ Fri, 16 Nov 2007 07:15:03 PST It's like they expect you to have a fucking plot or something...

So, the worst part about writing is writers block. It's not only frustrating, but it's a little disheartening. It's like this.. you have an idea of where you want to go but that open gap between here and there is fillable by nothing in your head.

So I write stupid journals and I chat in Swedish and I think about all the ways that I can go forward with this story but the next logical step is still missing. I don't know that I can write this non-chronologically, either.

So it appears that the quite noble and intelligent *Forsaken2544 and I shall go in together on a combo piece about Iago and Torea. I don't want to say too much, but let's just say the proto-dialogue that we talked about made me laugh pretty hard. It should be good. Sort of like a fantasy version of the odd couple.

So far 4 people have looked at my profile! I'm goddamn popular.

This thing isn't letting me insert my sig..

]]> ~MetalPhil http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/15512878/ http://MetalPhil.deviantart.com/journal/15512878/ Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:08:30 PST !)

So, I guess I'm making the step into deviantART even though I'm not terribly deviant or anything. I'm going to try to update this stuff fairly regularly but who knows how frequently I'll be writing. I hope to be doing some serious writing because I've been enjoying doing it lately quite a bit.

Anyway, I've got two stories up already. First is a very old story from a shared world with my very good friend *Forsaken2544. In fact, he and I write in the same world when we write fantasy stuff and will definitely team write in the future.

The second story I started for NaNoWriMo but I just haven't had the time. Anyway, I'd like real critiques and.. well.. compliments are fun, too!

----------------
Now playing: Three - Bleeding Me Home
via FoxyTunes

]]> ~MetalPhil