The Reptile House EP

[Big Si]

Utah saints remix of "Silver machine".

Hawkwind's Silver Machine? Remixed by Utah Saints?

I'd love to hear that!

[H. Blackrose]

Okay, so some dimwit just accused me of being "pretentious" for saying that the Fields of the Nephilim are pretentious? Since their lyrical imagery only impresses those who are ignorant of where the imagery comes from (leftover Crowley and Peter Carroll, for the most part), then I thought my point was proved. In contrast, everyone knows Von knocks off Eliot like he was going out of fashion, but since the punters are "in on the joke" - or at least Von hopes they are - it works.

Even funnier, that some jackass wanted to pick a fight with me over what Von's politics are. The Virgin.net interview is still available on the website if anyone wants to argue.

[Mokarran]

Quite so. Von writes honestly - if obliquely – about his worldview, though his liberal/left leanings are more prelavent in interviews than in the songs.

Accusing a person/persons of pretension can be a nasty business. A degree of posturing is essential to any music with attitude, and damned be the man who shouts 'hold' too much. Perhaps charitably, I prefer to believe that the Nephalim provide a degree of charnal house entertainment, a la Screaming Jay Hawkins.

Then again, if the Neph's singer is seriously aligning himself and his band with the more extreme figures of Assyrian myth, that is screamingly, hilariously pretentious. They're from Stevenage, for f**k's sake!

[Big Si]

Quite so. Von writes honestly - if obliquely – about his worldview, though his liberal/left leanings are more prelavent in interviews than in the songs.

Accusing a person/persons of pretension can be a nasty business. A degree of posturing is essential to any music with attitude, and damned be the man who shouts 'hold' too much. Perhaps charitably, I prefer to believe that the Nephalim provide a degree of charnal house entertainment, a la Screaming Jay Hawkins.

Then again, if the Neph's singer is seriously aligning himself and his band with the more extreme figures of Assyrian myth, that is screamingly, hilariously pretentious. They're from Stevenage, for f**k's sake!

But he's from Brixton and his family's religious background was rather unorthodox, if you catch my drift

[Mokarran]

Not C of E then? Shocking!

[mh]

I think "rather unorthodox" is a bit of an understatement here.

[markfiend]

It's not as though a mixture of Carroll and Crowley is altogether unheard of, even for people who have never heard of The Nephilim. On the contrary, the Thelemite tradition and Chaos Magick (from what I've read) seem quite intertwined around the OTO and IOT.

Edit to add: From what I've read about McCoy, it seems (to me) that his lyrical influences are not merely a pose to impress the credulous, rather the Nephilim's live performances were a genuine attempt on his part to perform magickal workings in the "sacred space" engendered by the energy of the crowd.

There's pretentious for you! Your milage may vary

[Mokarran]

My understanding that Crowley is today regarded as something of a joke by the cognoscenti, but in general I think you've got a fair point, Mark. I may even pop along to the next gig, but I'll be expecting manifestations at the very least.

[mh]

Edit to add: From what I've read about McCoy, it seems (to me) that his lyrical influences are not merely a pose to impress the credulous, rather the Nephilim's live performances were a genuine attempt on his part to perform magickal workings in the "sacred space" engendered by the energy of the crowd.

Yup, that ties in with what I've read too.

But there is no pretence here, this is actually genuinely what the man believes.

[James Blast]

It's all getting a bit Throbbing Gristle/GPO here, innit?