Red And Anarchist Black Metal (RABM): Two Very Different Approaches - Part Two

Panopticon 

Masterminded by talented multi-instrumentalist Austin Lunn, Panopticon break the stereotype of the one man black metal band. With one man black metal bands, most people would think of a kid in his late teens or early twenties making a raw, lo-fi black metal record on his computer in his bedroom. Panopticon are anything but that. Austin is a talented drummer, known for his abrasive and unorthodox style, although he knows when hold back when need be. As well as that, he plays the rest of the instruments, which go beyond your what you would typically expect. Most notably, Austin is very good at playing blue grass on the banjo, which was an integral part of two of his records - Collapse and Kentucky (which surprisingly works very well). 

Panopticon is known for experimenting with their sound. They have released four albums so far - five if you count ...On The Subject Of Mortality, which was originally released in two parts as part of splits. Each of their albums sound different. Their first was a very raw mix of crust and black metal. Their second was a very dark and aggressive mix of bluegrass and black metal. The aforementioned ...On The Subject Of Mortality was post-rock and ambient mixed with black metal. Social Disservices was filled with bleak, devastating soundscapes. Kentucky was also a mix of of bluegrass and black metal, but deviated greatly from the sound of Collapse. The bluegrass in Collapse was a lot darker and often slower. The black metal in Kentucky was not as brutal and featured much more melody. The second split with Wheels Within Wheels even dabbled in shoegaze.

Sound is not the only factor in which Panopticon records deviate from each other. The stories behind them are all different. Collapse is basically speculative fiction, which portrays life after the collapse of the government. Social Disservices deals largely with America's (lack of) social safety net. ...On The Subject Of Mortality's title speaks for itself. Kentucky is an homage to the state in which Austin resides, largely focusing on its history of coal miners and the eco-pollitcal issue of mountain top removal. 

Panopticon has an approach that differs greatly from fellow RABM band Iskra's essay-esque lyrical style. Austin's lyrics are never preachy and his words aren't about getting you to have the exact same view of him on a variety of socio-political issues. The lyrics of Panopticon are much more abstract and poetic. This is a much better approach than having lyrics that read like a poli-sci essay, which many people find preachy and even sometimes condescending (some political bands do have a holier-than-thou attitude when it comes to political issues). No, Panopticon's lyrics don't shove anything down your throat. They do, however, make you think:
Predator and prey.
The wolf grinds its steel teeth.
In a false twilight, the night came so long ago: When children where domesticated and caged in white rooms.
A helpless herd to wringing hands.

His back dented with high-heels, cleaved into the meat of his shoulders.
Breast-fed toxic waste, the umbilical noose.
Born into death, neglected battered and wasting away.

Panopticon is a one of a kind band. RABM doesn't really begin to cover it, besides that tag seems to describe more about lyrics and the way the band presents themselves rather than actual music content. It can basically mean any black metal band that centres around their leftwing ideologies. Panopticon play a variety of different styles, and do not always stick to black metal. Black metal and bluegrass is a very odd combination. The two being integrated in a way that is amazing is nothing short of a miracle. This band is at the forefront of RABM and one of the main things keeping it from becoming redundant. 

Red And Anarchist Black Metal (RABM): Two Very Different Approaches - Part One

Iskra

For those unfamiliar with red And anarchist black metal (hereafter referred to as RABM), it is basically a leftist answer to national socialist black metal (NSBM). NSBM is an extreme right movement, which attracts many neo-nazis and preaches fascism and often racism. Black metal is not inherently political and draws in people from both sides of the political spectrum. RABM is, to oversimplify a bit, left wingblack metal. Often with a strong overlap with the crust punk scene, RABM is often very far to the left.

Iskra is probably the most prominent example of the overlap with crust punk. While they import some of the grime from crust punk, purely sonically speaking, Iskra is a relatively orthodox black metal band. They play fast and unrelenting, and many of their songs sound very similar to each other. They are good at what they do, but they aren't very interested in playing with a left field sound. To be quite honest, when I buy an Iskra vinyl, I am buying it just as much for the packaging as I am for the music, maybe even more so. Their art is always interesting, and will remind some of the packaging of really well done crust punk (while certainly not the same, Dystopia comes to mind). For example, their side of the booklet with the Against Empire split is astounding. Featuring explanations, an essay and lyrics, it goes above and beyond, especially when factoring in the varied and politically charged artwork. Their aesthetic is very powerful and feels dangerous, something that a heavy political band always should.

Their lyrics are very left wing and radical. While they definitely make some valid points that need addressing, they sometimes drift into over the top, and even conspiracy theory territory. "Deep Intergration" off The Terrorist Act EP is a good example. In the essay outlying the thesis behind the lyrics, which are very essay-esque themselves, they allege that Canada is going through a process in which it will slowly be amalgamated into the U.S.A. Not as a complete state, but as an American controlled territory of sorts. They say that students in Canadian schools will be taught that they are North American and not Canadian and everything that embodies the Canadian identity will be eroded. An allegation of this grand a magnitude surely needs concrete evidence to back it up, which is not sufficiently provided. Other Iskra songs also have lyrics that allege things that they have no hard proof of or a hyperbolic version of reality. 

Iskra's lyrics often read like a poli-sci essay. There is no imagery or poetic leanings. It takes an issue and addresses Iskra's opinions on it and why they feel you should be angry. Many people have taken this in a bad way. On internet forums, many users complain that they find their lyrics to be overly preachy and basically demanding that the listener think like Iskra. One song in particular that people took issue with is "Acceptance Not Tolerance." The lyrics to this song is actually one of the bands least essay-like. What people took issue with is that they felt the band was trying to dictate how to act (and mind you, the vast majority of these people where pro gay rights) as well as preaching that everyone should think like them.