zackflag

Thinking that all metal will be banned because a handful of Taake gigs got cancelled is reaching pretty far.

And besides, that dumbass from Taake brought that all on himself when he went on stage with a swastika painted on his chest. Like, if you're gonna go full provocative edge lord mode than you kinda have to eat the meal that comes with it. Obviously people aren't gonna want to have anything to do with some chud who thinks the Third Reich was cool, that ain't "cancel culture", that right there is actions having consequences. You don't get to pull the victim card because people react accordingly to literal neo-nazi insignia. 

Ulthar - Anthronomicon (2023)

I'm trying my best to get into this one but it's making me realize just how far I've fallen out of love with the "new-school OSDM" style. If this came out in 2014-2018 I would've gushed all over it but it's a bit "too little, too late" for me now.

Hellripper - Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags (2023)

I'm digging this. Good Album.... but I ain't shelling out fucking 17 bucks for a digital album. Price gouging asshole labels/artists on bandcamp are basically the only thing keeping me from ditching my Spotify subscription.

Häxanu - Totenpass (2023)

Very nice!

Sanguisugabogg - Homicidal Ecstasy (2023)

I was ready to shit all over this album but I can't.... cuz it's surprisingly good. The best thing these guys have done by a pretty wide margin.

Trespasser - 'Αποκάλυψισ (2023)

Trespasser - Αποκάλυψισ (Black Metal, Sweden)

https://trespasserxvi.bandcamp.com/album/--2

Killer Swedish BM not dissimilar to Marduk or Funeral Mist (but far better IMO). Out today.

Necromantia - Scarlet Evil Witching Black 

Varathron - Walpurgisnacht

Classic Greek BM night!

Spectral Lore - Sentinel 

Funeral Mist - Devilry 

Antaeus - Condemnation 

Profane Order - One Nightmare Unto Another (2023)

I'm pretty confident there won't be a better war metal album released this year.

Aara - Triade III: Nyx (Black Metal, Switzerland)

Yet another new album from Aara. Geez, five albums in five years and not even a full year since the last one, crazy. Releases Mar 31.

Bathory - Twilight of The Gods

Schammasch - Hearts of No Light

Ellende are probably the only post-black band that I really enjoy. Their newest album from last year is fantastic.

Arnaut Pavle - Transylvanian Glare (2023)

Not bad. Fun album. Unsure if purchase worthy.

Some young twerp on reddit called me a "boomer" for buying music on bandcamp, lol. We seem to be officially at the point where paying for music in any format, even digital, is old man nonsense. Disheartening, but I guess I knew this was coming. 

Høstsol - Länge Leve Döden (2023)

Pretty good.

Very cool list, Hungus. And a lot of which missed out on. Looking forward to exploring these choice cuts.

Holy shit that new Lamp of Murmuur track is aping Immortal haaaaard! The clean arpeggiated part is basically plagiarism, lol. I dig it though, sounds better than anything Immortal has done in..... 24 years?

Thy Darkened Shade - Liber Lvcifer II: Mahapralaya (2023)

Hoe-Lee-Fuh-King shit is this ever good. First stand out, great album of 2023.

Thanks Mark. I actually recently bought my first ever pair of 32" waist jeans as a late x-mas present to myself haha. It does feel good.

I was on the thicker side for the vast majority of my life. Cursed with a slow metabolism I think. Me and my brother are pretty much identical in size/height (5'11") and that dude always had the bigger appetite yet he had a marvel movie body and I had man boobs, lol. I've always been pretty active too, skateboarding, playing hockey, mountain biking etc. Still had a dad bod no matter what I did.

The game changer for me was when I got covid last March and lost my sense of taste and smell for like 5-6 weeks. So since all food, healthy or junky, nutritious or delicious, tasted like nothing I figured "fuck it, might as well eat nothing but salads and see what happens". I basically just ate salad, vegetable soup and fish for about a month. Lost 20-ish pounds or so (225 down to just over 200). Once my taste came back I noticed I found myself still craving vegetables and chicken breast over bagels and pizza so I've been able to keep at it since, with occasional indulgences of course. I'm now below 180 pounds for the first time since I was like 17 lol.

I personally prefer BAN when they're not doing the whole "nightmare fuel elevator music" thing, but they're still one of my favourite bands and glad to see others enjoying the latest one.

NP: Hades - Again Shall Be

Unpopular opinion: Hades out-Bathory'd Bathory on their first two albums.

On 1/3/2023 at 10:29 AM, FatherAlabaster said:

Thy Darkened Shade is putting out "Liber Lvcifer II: Mahaprayala" on January 10th. I got a BC email saying they had released it a couple days ago but I guess they jumped the gun - nothing there when I went to the page. Anyway, something to look forward to.

I would have to guess it's because it's being released on WTC, which got booted off of bandcamp.