navybsn

So far this morning: Lord Buffalo - mistaked these guys for King Buffalo. Not bad but not particularly impressive. Undeath - meh. Pretty standard unoriginal death metal. Crematory Stench - caveman, knuckle dragging death metal. Good shit.

Bought too much shit as usual this weekend. Pretty standard for a fest I guess. Mayhem tour shirt and Daemon hoodie mgla Exercises short sleeve Wolves in the Throne Room Primordial Arcana long sleeve Psycho fest shirt I think that's it but might be a drunk purchase or 2 hiding in my suitcase I'll discover when I get home.

Last day plans. Been a decent fest so far. I've met several band members around the venue which isn't unusual except for the high profile/quality has been a bit better than other shows. Ihsahn, Hellhammer, Necrobutcher, Ross Dolan, and Bill Steer who's a funny dude. Of course the crown jewel today is Mercyful Fate, but plenty of other decent bands to check out. Really looking forward to ASG and The Dwarves. Should be a good day. Lord Buffalo Crematory Stench Violencia Undeath Katatonia Paradise Lost Rotting Christ High on Fire The Dwarves ASG Mercyful Fate

DAEVA - Through Sheer Will and Black Magic - black thrash from Philly. Produced by Rizk. Saw these guys at MDF a few years ago and they put on a killer set. Out on 20 Buck Spin next month.

Yeah, no chance I go to work the day after coming home from a fest. Believe it or not, it's really not that hot out here. Maybe my Florida perspective, but it's been decent. Besides, they keep it ice cold inside the casino. ST was legit good times. Always fun for a trip down memory lane. Even busted out 'I Shot Reagan' and 'Subliminaly'. Went and caught a few songs by Boris afterwards. It was painfully loud even with ear pro. So that's a wrap for today.

So, today hasn't gone exactly to plan, but that's ok. Wasn't much I was super excited about. I did catch a few more bands, but this will be the short night for the fest as I plan to pull an all nighter tomorrow to catch Rotting Christ at 2am before heading to the airport at 5 to fly home. Bombers - I mean it's as close to seeing Motorhead as you are going to ever get. Abbath sounds exactly like Lemmy. Good set. Played all the hits. No Mas - never heard of these guys before. Not bad. Getting ready for ST. Probably call it a night after. Might check out Elder if my feet aren't completely torched.

Indoors except for the pool deck and the main stage which is in a huge tent. Actually missed Mizmor without intending to. Honestly, 7 Jamesons in, can't tell you exactly why, but festival timing and catching sets always gets a little tricky. Especially when 3 other dudes are involved. 200 Stab Wounds - surprised but these guys are decent. Blood Incantation - 5th time I've seen them in a couple years. Always good.

So first report out: Indian - meh. Not my thing. I understand these guys were the hot ticket at one point. Frozen Soul - not bad. Lead singer is a bit of a douche, but reasonably decent Bolt Thrower worship.

So plan of attack today: less Jameson, more ibuprofen. Or maybe more Jameson and more ibuprofen. Haven't decided yet. One day in and already in feet conservation mode. Anywho, up today: Mizmor Blood Incantation 200 Stab Wounds Frozen Soul Liturgy Bombers At the Gates Suicidal Tendencies Gatecreeper Elder Probably a dozen others as I wander around with my whiskey.

Carcass was great as expected. Played something from each album. Mayhem was also great. Emperor was fucking fantastic although they had a fill in for Samoth due to visa issues. Something from every album and the EP. Pleasant surprise as it was a much different set than the last 2 times I saw them.

So far today: Devil Master - not bad. Kinda sloppy. Sound was meh. mgla - fucking great set. Sound was good and it was nonstop awesome for an hour plus. Wolves in the Throne Room - not as slick as mgla, but damn good. Played a lot of old stuff. Next up: Carcass, Mayhem, and Emperor

I'd give him just one Pepsi. No more, No less. I probably define crossover in a weird way. To me, they're punk/hardcore bands playing thrash. Music to skate to back in the day. ST, Sacred Reich, MDC, DRI, Nuclear Assault, Biohazard all fit there in my mind, but I agree that the line gets blurry quick as most of them had moments where they were full bore thrash. So it really becomes arbitrary where you put them. ST is headlining this weekend's gig along with Fate and Emperor. I wouldn't put them in the same tier, but I'm glad they are getting the recognition that they are these days. I mean it's basically just Mikey these days, but he's got a decent lineup of guys with him. Last I saw them, I enjoyed the set but felt bad for him. Age is catching up. Had a hard time singing a lot of the lyrics. He's a genuinely good dude though. Spent the whole day around the fest hanging out with the crowd even though most of the dumbass kids there were more interested in Rob Zombie and Shinedown had no clue who he was. I'll probably catch a few songs of their set before calling it a night. I don't get the popularity of Vio-lence. They have good turnout at fests. Never did anything for me.

Never considered ST a legit thrash band. They're cross-over which I put in a different category. A punk band playing thrash inspired metal. I love the old stuff. Mikey was great until he became a cariacture. That Artillery album is good. That's the only one I can get down with his voice. Sabbat is decent but never blew me away. The thing is that's not the original singer either. They went out and found somebody equally horrible as the first guy. I've never made it 2 songs deep in any of their sets I've been unfortunate enough to see, and I've even sat through Killian more than once.

Saw them last year and may check out their set this weekend. Glad I got to see them but I think they are making the right choice. Set was tight, but they were never a huge draw and they are getting up there. Probably not worth the time and money to go on the road anymore at their age.

I'm definitely a fan of those bands. I grew up with them as they were breaking. My point was they're all shitty singers, but those bands wouldn't be the same without those voices at the front. You can't hear Dave or Tom without instantly knowing the band even if it's a song you are unfamiliar with. IMO, they make the band. You can always replace a guitarist or drummer, but you have a much harder time replacing a lead singer (see Anthrax for instance). They were never the focus of those bands as GG said, but I argue they wouldn't be the same without them. Personally, I love old Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer. They all jumped the shark around 1990 though. What attracted people to those bands was the riffs and aggression. Gotta remember that before these guys there really wasn't much available to the wider world heavier than Maiden or Priest. Sure Bathory, Celtic Frost, Fate, but they weren't easily digestible for most in the early days if people even knew about them. No internet to spread the word and no major distribution or promotion in retail shops. That started to change (at least in my area) around the time these bands started releasing their best stuff. Probably different in the major urban centers, but I can say as someone who isn't from one of those that shit like this was unknown in podunk. We latched onto that stuff like a pitbull. Like the first time you hear the music of your people. So some of their continuing success is nostalgia even from people who no longer listen to metal. Some is generational because our kids heard it from us and liked it. Some is just metal/cultural because they're bands you are supposed to like a la Motorhead and Sabbath. Have to agree on Chuck Billy. Lukewarm on Blitz. Killian is fucking unlistenable as is the guy from Toxik. Zetro doesn't bother me but I could care less about Exodus in the first place. I would add that none of the big German bands had decent singers either. Neither did any of the second wave of thrash acts like Coroner, Sadus, et al. I won't kick a thrash band to the curb because the singer sucks, but if they don't bring the heat on the riffs, they go straight out.

My daughter, who is now 24 and married, went through a lot of the same things you're mentioning more recently than I did. Of course, I had all of the same anxieties, we all did, but I use her as she is more generationally similar to you than I am. She used to watch a lot of old movies and idolized many of those classic stars along with her all-time favorite David Bowie. They were so cool. How can I be that cool dad? I'm worried that people won't like me, will make fun of me... Simply put, those people didn't give a shit what anyone else thought of them. That's what most adults figure out at some point in their lives, that it doesn't matter. Thinking along those lines is just a source of anxiety, and it is a great relief when you can just let that go.

Mondo Drag - The Occultation of Light

You will, just not likely through a computer or phone screen. Like Surge said above, just get out there and interact with the world. Touch grass as he mentioned. Surprising things happen when you put yourself out there. You find most people feel the same way you do.

I've found over the years that it's good to have a few close friends with varied interests and a wider circle of acquaintances that you interact with for various interests. I'm lucky to have good friends that are into metal, but I only get to see them rarely (maybe 2-3 times a year). Others I may have certain things I engage with them on like an activity (golf or fishing buddies) or an interest (work). I like these people, but I'm not really interested in knowing the ins and outs of their lives. Honestly, the "metal" friends I am much closer too simply because they are some of the most open, accepting people I've ever met. Social media came along when I was almost 30. I have accounts, but don't engage except on rare occasions and only very briefly. I don't see much useful value in it other than a time waster other than a way to find out about upcoming shows/events. I never actively seek to make friends and could be perfectly fine without anyone to share with outside of my wife, but it just happens organically over time. I'm almost 50, so lots of people move through your life in that time. I can't even remember half the people I hung out with 25-30 years ago. Probably won't remember half of the people now in 25 years. Such is life. People/things come and go. As I always used to tell my daughter as a kid "just be yourself and happy with that". It's the only way to be satisfied in life. And congrats @schwermetallschatz666

Because I'm now in the mood... Uriah Heep - Very 'Eavy, Very 'Umble Uriah Heep - Sweet Freedom

Agreed on the vocals, but I can get past it. Their cover art is done by Malleus. I have a print of his in my office. The other albums aren't quite as good as this imo, but still pretty good. While certainly not reflected here, most of his stuff has a very art nouveau feel. https://www.malleusdelic.com/home/

Yeah I kinda wish they would bust into a little 'Uruah Heep' heavy prog. Sounds like they have the chops. I also figured you might like the Casket Cassette. My comment was somewaht tongue-in-cheek. I've seen it described as Joy Division meets Morrissey. Not sure I agree with that description, but I do like it nonetheless.

Some non-metal I've been enjoying this morning. Feeling the effects of sleep deprivation work demands. Need some chill music to get over the hump. Birth - Born - prog rock from San Diego. Legit 70's prog if you enjoy that kinda stuff. I dig this album, and I'm picky about the prog I dabble in. Casket Cassette - s/t - post-punk/darkwave/synth from LA. For fans of stuff like Drab Majesty. Most of you would hate this. Casket Cassette | Casket Cassette (bandcamp.com) ASG - Win Us Over - stoner/heavy rock from North Carolina. Posted this plenty of times before, but I love these guys. Will get to see them the 3rd time this weekend. Their album art is some of my favorite. Win Us Over | ASG (bandcamp.com)

Sedimentum - Suppuration Morphogénésiaque Hell Fire - Reckoning

I could listen to Peter Hook play bass all day. One of the smoothest and catchiest dudes to ever pick up a 4-string. Can't wait.....Sunday! Lamp of Murmur - Plenilunar Requiems Enslaved - Ruun