Kirjasto 10

Something I really like about Helsinki is the huge number of libraries. They are spread all over town and it doesn´t cost you anything to become a member - null, nolla, zero!

My fave library is Kirjasto 10 in the city center. It focuses on everything related to music, so of course all kinds of music books, sheet music and magazines but also LPs (!), CDs and DVDs can be borrowed. Due to the Finnish liking for extreme music their supply is more than interesting for me. Coolest thing about kirjasto 10 is that it provides instruments, soundproof rooms and all equipment to rehearse or even record! It´s not that I would be dependend on that offer but - man! - I´m impressed that as a member you could simply reserve some time and rock out if you wanted to!

It´s very convenient to browse HelMet, the web library, where you can search the stock of all libraries and as soon as you get your membership card (immediately when signing up), you can reserve whatever is desired right on the net. It´s even possible to request for your item(s) of choice to be delivered to your nearest library. In my case that´s Kallion Kirjasto and I just picked up a book there that I had been waiting quite some time for:

A beauty, innit? You should see it from the inside!

Since I got my membership I have devoured the biographies "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" and "The Bloody Reign of Slayer" by Joel McIver as well as MegaDave´s autobiography "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir" and "Motörhead: In The Studio" by Jake Brown. Oh, and one of the greatest graphic novels of all time, "Watchmen" by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins.

I have to admit that I got a bit bored with reading biographies after a while because most of them suffer from the same flaw: If the author is not able to provide anything interesting after the formative time of a band, all you get is the natural studio-tour-studio-tour rut.

This can´t possibly be the case with my new reading material:

I am scared shitless.

I´ve been wanting to read this for a long time now. Tom Gabriel "Warrior" Fischer is quite a character and mastermind behind two of the most influential bands in extreme music(k): Hellhammer and Celtic Frost. Fischer is eloquent and to the point so this promises to be an interesting read. Plus, with Hellhammer only existing for two years and Celtic Frost being covered only in their beginning, there is no room for any routine. Hell yeah!
Have to start reading now...

Make sure to check out:

Kirjasto 10
HelMet (Both pages also in English)

SONG FOR TODAY:

Celtic Frost - Circle of the Tyrants