We are forgotten
But we are not gone
Challenge resistant
And the winters make us strong! – The Ditch by Scumyard
How do art and culture reflect economic conditions? I explored this question by producing a short film about the heavy music scene that has been gaining momentum right here in St. Lawrence County, New York.
Forgotten Land focuses on a heavy metal/punk rock show at the Potsdam Public Library, featuring three local bands – Rustmother, Flood, and Scumyard. Performance clips are tied together by an interview with guitarist and Massena native Jeremy Sosville (Scumyard, Sanhedrin, ex-Black Anvil), who discusses how the landscape of a remote region inspires the music he creates.
He also explains the challenges that artists face in a resource constrained, sparsely populated area, yet this is ultimately not a story about what the community lacks, but what it has built together. Heavy metal is alive and well in the North Country.
Support the local scene by checking out Rustmother, Flood, and Scumyard.
Metalnomics 