navybsn

Misery Index - Complete Control - this is decent. I've always enjoyed these guys when I've seen them live, but can't remember the last album I heard.

I tried dude, I tried. Made it all the way through yesterday at work and it felt like the last mile in a marathon. Just a slog. My good buddy and traveling partner loves this band. Maybe I'll have to give it a go. Found a decent one from last year I overlooked: Labyrinth Entrance - Deplore the Vanity I'm going to try a good bit more, but I think I have my top 35 fairly dialed in. Not ordered, but what will appear on the list. I bought a metric fucktonne of music this year (or so it seems) although very little (maybe 20%) from 2022.

Silent Thunder - Thousand Hammers - nope Revenant Marquis - Milk Teeth - nope again Spiral Staircase - Visions Shifting Form - better, but meh. I think I have enough lo-fi bedroom black metal in my life at this point

Checking out some stuff from random best of lists while the fam does Xmas movie marathon. I'd rather eat day old cat puke. I'll sit in here and drink pinot and listen to metal. Nechochwen - Kanawha Black - uhh, no thanks. No aggression, not nearly enough Satan. Blut Aus Nord - Lovecraftian Echoes - better

The Minutemen - Double Nickel on a Dime The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace Gang of Four - Entertainment! Mission of Burma - Vs. Husker Du - New Day Rising

No worse than most of the decent blog lists I've seen so far. Won't look anything like mine, but not terrible.

The Cult - Under the Midnight Sun King's X - Three Sides of One

Rigorous Institution - Cainsmarsh

G.I.S.M. - Military Affairs Neurotic

Nasty Swedish d-beat from Henke of DAWN? Yes please. This fucking rules. Parasit - En Falsk Utopi Like the first Witchcraft album? Then dig this. Doomy occult rock from Norway. Kryptograf - The Eldorado Spell

@Dead1, I grew up much like your wife, with fuckall. As an adult, I did very much the same. Buy all the things I never had. I still fight the urge at times, but I'm much better than I used to be at living within my means. Could be age realizing material things just don't really provide the rewards you imagine they will. Helps that most stuff these days is either wildly overpriced or junk quality (or both). I spent quite a bit on the kid when she was small to ensure she didn't feel like I did way back. She never really appreciated it and I'm not sure she could have, but it made me feel better. I finally quit when I realized that it's only satisfying when the person receiving the gift appreciates it as much as the person gifting enjoys the giving. We've been conditioned to believe giving equals love and the more giving equals more love. It's corporations warping our brains. Decades of it and doomed to only get worse.

Maybe. I think a few of us posted endorsements. Iirc, Surge put it on the new release thread. I was really impressed with them at MDF in 18(?), but after a few years of waiting for a follow up to the debut EP, I kinda stopped watching for anything new. I do like this one quite a bit. Not sure if it will end up in my top 10, but I haven't thought that far ahead yet.

Television - Marquee Moon The Fall - Grotesque Siouxsie and the Banshees - Juju Wire - Chairs Missing Talking Heads - Remain in Light Suicide - Suicide

I think I've spent $100 total. Just not feeling it this year. I get the girls cheapie pajama sets every year. Got the SIL a D&D book. That's it. They're on the payroll all year, so that's more than enough. I'll cook a good meal and be free with the booze. And they will be grateful, or else.

Executioner's Mask - Despair Anthems Lamp of Murmur - Plenilunar Requiem

Not to mention the increased risk of food borne infection, physical transmission via touching surfaces every nasty fucker has dragged their dick handlers over, and the sheer volume of people you are packed in with. Absolute breeding ground for norovirus.

It's even supposed to be in the teens in my neck of the woods with wind-chill approaching 0. We're not prepared for that kinda cold here. Gonna be fun. I'm not worried, but can't help but think of the poor, elderly, and otherwise disadvantaged that populate most of the south. Many won't survive, several more will see their homes lost to fire in an attempt to get warm. Happens every year in the richest fucking country the world has ever seen. Merry fucking Christmas indeed.

I can handle about 30-35 bands at a fest max. I'd still pay more for 70K just for the luxury of sitting down, having a clean place to shit/shower, and a mostly quiet place to sleep. 30-35 works out to 7-10/day which is more than I can process enjoyably. And that's about the limit my feet can take too. Besides, there's not 179 bands I want to see, much less slog it out in the French countryside to watch.

It's been this way for centuries, capitalism just put a boot on the accelerator. There is no possible governing system that humans won't corrupt. It's human nature. Even at the smallest group, nepotism and favoritism manifests. For all of the ideals of progressives or utopiaists, it's just not in the cards for us. We've a better chance of Metallica putting out another classic thrash album than doing half of what would make the world an actual better place. Best thing I ever did was unplug the news permanently. I may watch the local for the weather forecast on occasion, but nothing more. My peace of mind is so much better off.

I would do 70K again if my gang was going. I would not go solo. It's expensive. Logistics are challenging, but no more so than any standard fest I attend. Most of the bands are of no interest to me. The lineup the year I went was excellent, but the whole thing has become such a joke. As for straight cruises, I've done one. And I hated it. My wife loves them and has done several with her mom. I think they're a waste of money. Floating time-share designed to bilk you out of as much money as possible while getting you to schedule your next cruise. Everyone shitfaced by breakfast. Overpriced add-ons that suck. Mediocre food and nothing to do while underway. Fuck that. Give me a week of solitude camping in the mountains with no people around.

On to more weird shit. I haven't come close to putting together my EOTY list yet, but I guarantee that CoO will top the list. Just need to figure out which of the 3 will take the cake. Circle of Ouroborus - Thurisa (2022) CoO - Autala (2022) CoO - Aavikon varjo (2022) CoO - Kotiinpaluu (2016) CoO - Alttarimyllyt (2015)

I did 70K a few years ago. It was a blast. The fest/cruise itself is fantastic. The planning/announcements/booking/everything leading up to the fest is an absolute shitshow. We ran into storms on the way back (wind/rain/20ft seas). That was fun...

Yeah, silly for sure. I'll check out some more of their discography. Germans are a certainly weird bunch. Maybe it's too much bratwurst in the diet. I passed on a mint first press of Joe's Garage this weekend that the guy wanted $125 for. He had We're only in it for the Money for the same price. As great as those 2 albums are, they're not worth $250.

Deine Lakaien - Dark Star & 2nd Star - definitely weird @FatherAlabaster, but I dig it. Thanks for the rec! The Sound - From the Lion's Mouth - one of my favorite lesser-known albums from the early 80's. The Cure - The Head on the Door Depeche Mode - The Singles (Greatist Hits comp) Kælan Mikla - Mánadans

On the playlist for today it goes.