One Decade of Cog. More Information.

Come celebrate with us as COG turns 10 years old!

COG has just released their 2nd full-length album and it's available in stores nationwide (Philippines) under Tower of Doom and Galaxy Records. You can also buy a copy online at your favorite digital download stores (iTunes, Napster, Amazon, etc.)

ONE DECADE OF COG:
September 10 – Friday (not Saturday!)
Freedom Bar, Anonas, QC

featuring:
Valley of Chrome
Intolerant
Sikatuna
Barbaro

P100 gets you in with 2 free beers!

P.S. The band will be giving away some custom COG shotglasses to the first 100 guests! Take a drink with COG and get ready for a night of awesome heavy music!!! 

Children of Darkness

The taxi I rode in had a broken front door lock. I was seated in the back, ready to retire to my apartment for the day.

Near the Pioneer/Guadalupe area, a street kid opens the front door. His partner was ready at the other door, holding what I clearly saw to be an icepick.

I told the driver not to get out. I managed to close the front passenger door from my end. Luckily, Driver's door was locked, same with the passenger left rear door. I had locked my door also.

The icepick-carrying boy shot me a look that clearly communicated his hatred of anyone who had more than he did, his hatred for being given the sort of life he had. He snarled like an animal and ran into the oncoming traffic, to disappear into the night.

There can be no mercy for such a lost soul.

If you think I'm being mean, think of it this way: No matter how hard life gets, there is always a choice. and that look the child gave me was not of one who had no choice - it was of one who embraced the darkness freely.

And it isn't just happening there. I have a friend who was almost seriously injured by a knife stabbing last week...in the Katipunan area, as he was going home. The ones who ambushed him were the street children there, the very same ones who hang around the McDonald's and all the nice restaurants. They turned on people who would have helped them had they asked for it, people who would never have asked for anything back.

We can blame it on the erosion of social values, on the dismal economy or even on the inherent flaws of the capitalist system. But all that pales in comparison to that look the boy gave me.

It was feral. It wasn't just about survival, but also about revenge, vengeance, whatever you would call it. To hurt back for being hurt, but with such a pleasure to it that there is no room left for sympathy.

Now, I am home. Normally, since I live in a gated apartment community, all of us who live here open our doors to let the night air come in. Tonight, my door is locked. It's not because I am scared, but because the truth is, there are more animals out there in the streets now, and it pays to be cautious.


I used to believe in the seduction of darkness, of the innocent being trapped into a life of evil. Now I know: for some there is no trap, only the loving comfort of finally leaving the hardships of being human, and becoming well and truly evil.

The Cost of Free Music

Read up on a thread in Philmusic, where I saw some people justify downloading music. Now, I know that these days, no one is innocent - myself included. But before you find ways to justify the institutional fault or sin, at least be aware of what you do contribute to.

Kung hindi kayo bibili ng paid download or CD/album - in other words, libre/pirata lang gusto ninyo, huwag na rin kayo umangal kumbakit puro mga sa tingin ninyo ay walang kwentang banda ang sumisikat. Huwag rin kayo umangal tungkol sa nangyayari na yung mga magagaling na banda, minsan lang maglabas ng album, o naglalaho na lang na parang bula.

Huwag na rin kayo magsabi ng "sayang" sa mga magagaling na nagbabanda na nag quit dahil wala
silang pambili ng gatas para sa anak nila. At huwag na rin kayo umangal kung ang mga paborito ninyong musikero o banda, eh sa tingin niyo nag-sellout o kumuha ng trabaho na nakakabawas sa oras sa tamang pagbabanda.

Huwag rin kayo umangal kung bakit sa live niyo lang napapakinggan ang mga ibang magagaling na banda, pero hindi naman bumibisita kung nasaan kayo. Huwag na rin kayo umangal na bakit parang nawawala sa praktis ang mga ibang banda - mahal rin ang praktis time sa studio kapag gusto mo pulido talaga ang tugtugan.

Kasi, di ba, mahal ang bayaran ang music nila. Mas importante yung mga expenses niyo di ba? Eh di pwes, huwag na rin kayo umangal sa lahat ng nangyayari ngayon, kasi kahit ang musikero, kailangan rin kumain, kailangan rin mag asikaso ng pamilya, kailangan rin gumastos para gumaling pa sila sa tugtog o mag-maintain man lang ng tamang gamit. Kung kahit naghihirap na ang musikero, gusto pa rin niya mag porsige, gagawa siya ng paraan, pero sigurado, nakatanggal ito sa oras para sa music at banda lang talaga.

Huwag na kayo bumili ng CD or paid download, pero huwag rin kayo umangal-angal. Okay ba?
Hindi na po "industriya" ang pinag-uusapan, kundi ang sitwasyon na dahil nga mahilig ang tao sa libre, mas lalong nahihirapan ang maraming banda (lalo na sa indie; ano pakialam ng international major label bands sa ganito, eh nakakatugtog sila sa malaking mga stadium na limpak-limpak ang bayad sa isang ticket, minsan may major brand endorsements pa) na makapagsabi na kaya nila makabuhay ng sarili nila sa pamamagitan ng ginagawa nila at suporta ng tao sa kanila.

Wala sanang magagalit, open thread naman po ito, at opinion ko lang naman ang sinabi ko.

Translation:
If you won't pay for a CD album or downloaded music, don't complain if you think no-talent bands and performers are getting more popular. Don't complain either why the really good bands either come out with albums sparingly or simply disappear from the radar.

Don't say that it's a waste if a good musician quits because he has to keep on bringing food to his kids. Don't complain if your favorite musician or band "sells out" or gets a day job that will have an impact on their time to devote to the band.

Don't complain if there are bands you can only hear live, or if they don't visit your area as you think they should. Don't complain if some bands also fall out of musical shape due to lack of practice - practice studio time costs money too, and a lot of time is needed to sharpen skills and playing.

Buying music is expensive, right? And your expenses are definitely more important. But don't complain about all the things happening in the music scene today, because, really, musicians need to eat, take care of their families and loved ones, and they need to spend money on their music to get better, if only to maintain their equipment. If, after all this, the musician still wants to make a go of it, he or she will find a way, but you bet that way will still cut into time that could have been spent for the band and the music.

Don't buy CD's or pay for downloaded music - but don't complain, okay?

It's not just the "industry" we're talking about here, but rather that many people now want stuff for free. But this affects many bands (and we're not talking about major labels bands, but more of the indies; international major label bands have those big "stadium" or so concerts and their expensive tickets, and some even have brand endorsement deals), in that they cannot make a living from the music and the support of their fans.

I hope no one gets too angry at this - this is just an opinion, and I'm entitled to it.

Additional:
Just thinking about it a bit more: people can always argue that the changing face of music retail (re: iTunes and all) may render the point moot...I agree! But the question is...before it becomes moot, how much more "blood" will be spilled?

Cog. One Decade.

One Decade. One Night. Details coming soon.