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None taken. For the record, it was MacabreEternal who had lost some one or seemed about to. I was just piggybacking of Navy's comments about 'getting to choose' not to endure the pangs of the later years. I personally am not one to stand on ceremony either, but these things come with their own load of complications from a lot of different sources, and for a lot of people sort of build funeral preparations into their grieving process. The absolute worst I think is when you have family members who don't like each other and may choose to bring their personal feelings for one another into the funeral arrangements. It becomes an absolute nightmare very quickly. I've seen enough of it to know. My dad for some reason seems petrified that my siblings and I will fight over some foolish thing he wants to leave us, and I have to reassure him from time to time that a.) after all these years we're just not the type of people to do that, and b.) Even though I value what my parents intend to leave me, I would sooner see it all go elsewhere than destroy my relationship with my siblings. I am simply not wired to behave in any other manner. But I absolutely understand not wanting to attend or become heavily involved in the ritual side of things, and, like you, my grief process is private and conducted in solitude. I do get a little frustrated on occasion when I might tell this to somebody and I see the alarm bells going off in their head. If I say I'm fine or I will be fine it would be really nice if people took that as my word. I just have to keep in mind that the intention is correct, even if the result can be bothersome.

I don't mind Gojira. The sound they use just became far too prevalent far too quickly. Like a lot of things, that stuff is best in small doses. Whispers fall flat more often than not, for me. Actually, prior to my pituitary gland settling down into a more even temperament I used to rail and rave about whole albums being ruined by spoken passages. It's a cliche like the waifish whispery narrator carrying the exposition of a sci-fi or fantasy film (Think David Lynch's Dune). It's really hard to get right and not sound comical. The one major exception I grant on this is Mayhem's Grand Declaration of War album which I've always felt was really underrated. It just doesn't quite work without the spoken passages in a weird but forceful Scandinavian accent. If anything ruins that album it's the electronica track, but the less said about that the better. NP: LVME - Of Sinful Nature. ▶︎ Of Sinful Nature | LVME (bandcamp.com) This is outright Deathspell Omega worship plain as day. I like good Deathspell to varying degrees, and don't really have the patience for bad Deathspell (my God that last album was some low effort junk). If Deathspell were to release this today I'd file it under the 'good' category, so I guess that's something. It's tough to judge worship albums like this when they're capable, just know what you're getting.

Because they suck. Too accessible, too proggy, too slick, no bullet belts, not nearly evil or crappy enough, everything that's wrong with mainstream metal. I beg your pardon. Well crappy is the goal now innit? Dearth - To Crown All Befoulment, Oakland CA 2020

Recognize no authority (1986) - detente South of heaven (1988) - slayer

Dopelord - Children of the Haze (2017)

NP - ODETOSUN - Gods forgotten Orbit

Enforced - "War Remains" Havok - "V" Just a fantastic album. The closing track, "Don't Do It", is one of my favorite thrash songs ever recorded. Angelus Apatrida - "Aftermath"

As usual I'm the odd man out. I've never been able to understand any of this stuff. "Services" for people who have died, or the idea of friends and family needing a chance to say goodbye. I don't do funerals if I can possibly help it, I don't need to say goodbye. I went to my wife's service simply because I had flown all the way to NZ with the toddler in tow wanting to say our goodbyes while she was still alive in hospice, but we missed her demise by 25 hours. She had actually expired while I was packing our suitcase getting ready to leave for the airport, but nobody told me. We were stuck down there staying with her family members 9,000 miles from home and there didn't seem to be any tactful way to opt out so I went along with it. Fortunately my wife and her family and of course I are all staunch atheists so there was no clergy and they didn't play up the whole nonsensical god and heaven thing. They kept her pine box with the floral print closed and several people just got up and spoke some remembrances of happier times when she'd been alive. But still I don't see the point, I prefer to remember the dead on my own in private without the gathering. It's not even a dignity thing, I guess it's really the social gatherings I avoid at all costs, especially when they involve some kind of traditional ceremonies. Didn't go to my mom's service and I won't go to weddings or birthday parties or anything like that either, just don't care about traditions or birthdays or holidays. I attended my own weddings obviously, and my daughter's because she asked me to give her away, but that's about it. My people know not to invite me to stuff. I've told everyone in my inner circle when I die just chuck my body in the dumpster as you would with last night's table scraps and that old pair of shoes whose soles are coming apart. Because I'll be dead and I won't know or care. I don't mind if other people feel these kinds of ceremonies and things are necessary, that's fine for them to each their own, just leave me out of it. But you have my sincere condolences Cabbie, sorry for the rant, no disrespect intended.

SVARTSYN - In Death

Vampirska - Torturous Omens of Blood and Candlewax (2020)

Animosity (1985) - corrosion of conformity Power and pain (1986) - whiplash Widespread bloodshed love runs red (1987) - no mercy Killing technology (1987) - voivod The years of decay (1989) - overkill

The albums I listened to on my train journey this morning: Nuclear Assault - Survive Nuclear Assault - Handle with Care Pestilence - Consuming Impulse Tankard - Chemical Invasion Undead Prophecies - Sempiternal Void

Took a day off work today after spending some of the weekend keeping vigil at my 97 year old grandmother's (eventual) death bed side. Cold but sunny day here so perfect day for a long walk. I don't want to live to be 97, surely such a big number deserves some option to go out on your own terms, not get eaten away by cancer and die high on morphine whilst soiling yourself.