"From the Depths" is exactly that, a journey from deep within the metal underground to your ears on Open Grave Radio. Bear puts his years of metal expertise to work to sculpt a weekly masterpiece of grotesque brutality to enhance your existence. Expect the best from the most extreme of black metal, death metal, black/death metal, and extreme thrash. Also be sure to pay attention to the schedule for specialty shows from From the Depths including Perpetual Winter( atmospheric black metal and extreme doom), the Mercyful Metal Onslaught (traditional metal, thrash, and very limited melodic death), and Sucking the 70's (stoner rock, traditional doom, and anything that holds that 70's vibe true to heart). Welcome to a new age of northern terror, "From the Depths" now on Open Grave Radio .
I started out as the Warlock Amon Bear doing Pure Evil on Northern Michigan University 's student run/funded radio station WUPX in Marquette, MI in the summer of 2001. Within months of starting as a disc jockey I was granted the Metal Director Position which he held from 2001-2003, Summer 2004, and Fall 2005. During my time at Radio X I came up with various show themes and was known to broadcast every Tuesday during the summers from 4 or 6 pm to at least 3 am. The shows ran during those times were (and the various ideas you will hear play out on From the Depths):
Pure Evil - This was the extreme flagship show. It was two hours of just repeatedly kicking you in the teeth. Aggressive black metal ( 1349 , Infernal War , Marduk ), death metal ( Grave , Immolation , Incantation ) black/death metal ( Summon , Forest of Impaled , Arkhon Infaustus ) and limited very extreme thrash ( Destroyer 666 , Aura Noir , Melechesh ). In the death metal department specifically there needed to be a certain level of groove. Technical death metal was a bit of a rarity because I believe that most of them cannot write a song to save their lives. There really wasn't much "brutal" death metal either. I'm just a an old school dude when it comes to death metal. This show name is now permanently retired.
The Mercyful Metal Onslaught - The name is partially taken from a spoof traditional metal "project" (I use that term very lightly) of my friends who have been involved with Domain Malevolence , Shroud of Despondency , Conceived by Fire and Apocalyptic Session. I added the "Metal" because it really added a nice flair of cheese. This is the traditional metal ( Dio , Slough Feg , Nevermore ), thrash ( Sodom , Toxic Holocaust , Abigail ), some traditional doom and limited melodic death show. Really only one semester was this show really properly done as I didn't delve into the depths of the early 80's traditional metal bands and those that are still going strong today. I hope to resurrect this at some point, and you can expect to hear it occasionally during "From the Depths." Now you can expect a much deeper experience from the Onslaught and you will probably discover some stuff you didn't know about.
Perpetual Winter - Easily my favorite moniker. When you see P.W. in front of my name that is what it stands for. I use it for other various projects (some of which are not started). The show however mirrors the thought of true Perpetual Winter. This show is all about atmosphere atmospheric black metal ( Judas Iscariot , Code , Leviathan ), dronier doom ( Boris ), funeral doom ( Worship , Shape of Despair , My Dying Bride ). This is simply sit back and chill music. Great for background or your feature. On a lot of levels this show is my every night play list.
Sucking the 70's - Now this was a really fun show and for this in its original incarnation could not work on OGR for various reasons. This was my show of 70's rock and music from any time that really embodied that 70's stonerish vibe. It included a lot of traditional doom and modern stoner rock. The fact of the matter is that a lot of these bands from the 70's had they started now would be grouped in with stoner rock. I'm a firm believer that the vast majority of 70's "metal" bands are just the prototype to what would become metal and stoner rock. Now with the lack of access to RIAA tracks the show is going to take a turn for the more obscure of the 70's and a lot of modern doom and stoner rock. This show will take a little bit of work to put together now, but it'll be a very fun and hopefully informative special now and then on From the Depths.
This is pretty much what From the Depths entails. As I said, "Pure Evil" is retired as its extremely cliché and a remnant of my youth. My flagship is now known as "From the Depths" and when and if you see other shows they will be in this format, "From the Depths: The Mercyful Metal Onslaught." From the Depths will generally be an extreme show with a lot of special editions depending on my mood. Its a variety metal show, but each show has a most basic theme. Be sure to tune into everyone on Open Grave Radio they are listed in my friends below.
If you have any comments, suggestions, requests, complaints, rants and, of course, I welcome hate mail either send it here or to fromthedepthsogr AT gmail DOT com thats also a good place to start if you want your band's music played on From The Depths. Of course, if you want the possibility for instant feedback you contact FromTheDepthsOGR on Aol Instant Messenger.
From the Depths is broadcast live from Perpetual Winter Studios at Grindstugan, Ishpeming, MI on Open Grave Radio . Special thanks to Kathleen Bengtson for putting up with my insanity and inanity.
If you want any more information on that insanity and inanity you can check out my personal page at www.myspace.com/perpetualwinterbear .