violachic

So this is the special All-Night-Insomnia-I-Have-To-Be-Up-For-Church-Choir-In-Three-Hours Edition of Winter Stircrazy DefCon 1 YouTubing. Just in case you were wondering what excuse I was going to give.

Anyway.

A few days ago I posted this video of the Progressive Metal band, Apocalyptica

and I haven't been able to stop watching it. I'm absolutely and completely and totally fascinated.

I'd never heard of "progressive metal" before. I've never been a huge metal fan, to begin with. I mean, I don't hate it, and I certainly don't think its crap or anything. I just haven't gravitated towards it. Although to be honest, "Enter Sandman" has always kind of given me the creeps.

Turns out, what I needed to be hooked in, was cellos.

I remember noting from the get-go on this video that I was absolutely floored by the amazing technique these guys have, so I was not surprised to find that they are all graduates of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland.

The other thing that impressed me about them is that they are using acoustic instruments with pick-ups, not elecric instruments. You can't get that kind of sound out of electric instruments. I can't see their bows closely enough to tell what they're using, ~~but it must be a carbon fiber bow, like the Coda Bows, or something similar- a regular wooden bow would never hold up under what they do~~ I'm totally wrong. According to Wikipedia articles about each member, they use amazing, old instruments and bows. Man, if I tried to play like that I'd snap by bow in two in about twelve seconds. Color me even more impressed!

Anyway. I really could listen to them forever. I love watching them.

In fact, I love watching them so much, here's another video*:

*don't worry, kids, spring is coming!