Author Archives: Seth Werkheiser

Ignorance is Not Bliss #

Skull Toaster is a project of discovery and learning, and not really a vehicle of opinion or editorial. That said, I am a human, and feel I must link up, ‘It Is Safer in the Dark: What the Treatment of Meggan Lambesis Tells Us About Violence, Victim-Blaming, and Silence,’ written by Natalie Zina Walschots.

I cannot stop thinking about Meggan Lambesis. As much as I cannot fathom the horror she is going through, I can just barely see the edges of it. I shudder at every awful comment levelled at her, because I see what I have avoided by sheer virtue of refusing to speak out. Meggan did not have the luxury of choosing silence; the crimes against her were made public without her consent and were beyond her control. Not speaking twists me, hurts me every day. But as long as the world continues to respond to powerful men harming the women in their lives the way they have responded to Meggan Lambesis, it is safer for me in the dark.

I saw a number of responses to this today, and most miss the point: Meggan Lambesis is the target of hatred here. And the writer, someone I consider an online friend, has been harassed and tormented. She’s been terrorized in the past.

As a human, how can I ignore this?

When I recently got into the car of a female friend and the first thing she says is, “I want you to know there’s a gun under your seat. I just bought it because I have a stalker,” I can’t ignore that.

I can’t ignore people attacking my friends and missing the point of being systematically terrorized.

I can’t ignore that my female friends must take extra precautions walking home at night, or not drink too much or dress “slutty,” lest she be assaulted and “asking for for it.”

This post ain’t gonna change the world, but if it can get just one person motivated to think about these things (as I have in recent years), then I’m happy with that.

Answer With Flair #

When I’m writing my weekly metal trivia, I pretend I’m Alex Trebeck, reading the questions in front of a studio audience of nerdy headbangers. I try to imagine contestents answering questions, too, and being this is “heavy metal Jeopardy,” I envision, “Slayer!” Shouts of, “Megadeth!” A slap of the podium while yelling, “Mike Patton!”

Keep this in mind when answering metal trivia throughout the day. I keep an eye on Twitter all day and night for when you answer, and stuff like this above makes me smile!

Spread Good Music #


For every Tweet and blog post about trivial metal matters a band who needs the press loses. We all lose. A link, a retweet, a click on the TMZ-flavored bullshit perpetuates the celeb-style culture machine, as if we should all replace our metal magazines and websites (what’s left of them) with PEOPLE Magazine and extra large frappacinos from Starbucks.

So give Arterial Mist a chance, and think twice about your next mouse click. Every click is a vote, every pageview a show of support.

5BANDS: Recreant, Ragana, Huata, Stay Here, Hell Comes Home #

This collection of 5BANDS has taken longer than normal, mostly because I’ve been traveling. From New York City to Philadelphia to Columbus, OH to Atlanta, GA and to Nashville, TN, where I write this now. And that’s been in the past three weeks. Sleeping on couches and floors, looking for strong coffee and reliable wifi, and enduring long Greyhound bus rides. Please enjoy, and be a doll and tip.

Saw this band in Columbus, OH. Grind metal with violin, amazing bass lines, no hi-hat. LOVED ‘EM. MORE →

Inaccurate Questions! #

In the video for Wrong Answer, game show contestants (played by Municipal Waste) give the wrong answer and end up dead.

Carolyn Kopprasch from Buffer wrote recently ‘Today, I gave the wrong answer to a customer,’ which inspired this post (Buffer is a rad service that lets you space our your Tweets throughout the day – check ‘em out).

You see, over the past few weeks I haven’t given wrong answers, but inaccurate questions. Twice I’ve been told by my @skulltoaster followers of slip-ups; Matt Pike did not sing in Sleep (though he does in High on Fire), and Mastodon did not win a Grammy Award (they were nominated). Duh. MORE →

Howl, ‘With a Blade’ – Song Stream #

Heck of a track.

Chi Cheng Will Live On #

In the summer of 1996, I was at the Vans Warped Tour, at La Salle Park in Buffalo, NY. I was 20 years old. I don’t remember much from 17 years ago, but I remember seeing the Deftones. ‘Adrenaline’ came out late 1995, and my friends and I ate it up.

I was standing up front, pressed against a metal railing as they played earlier in the day. The memory that stands out is looking up at Chino Moreno as he was screaming from atop a monitor, with the glare of the sun shining from behind. It was like a shot from a music video directed just at me. It was magic. MORE →

5BANDS: Wormed, Usnea, AMBER, The Psyke Project, Talbot #

I won’t rush this little 5BANDS feature, as I don’t think any band should rush their song writing, recording, or live performance. This stuff needs to breath and grow, develop from the rising sun. Click play; if you like it, go support ‘em. If not, click to the next band.

Unrelenting metal from Spain. MORE →

Answer in Photographs #

What NY thrash band was formed by ex-Anthrax bassist Danny Lilker in 1984?

This is my all-time favorite, when my @skulltoaster friends answer questions with photos of physical albums!

Listening to W.A.S.P. #

If any bit of metal trivia that gets published each day leads to someone listening to some classic metal, then Skull Toaster is a success.