navybsn

Yup NP: Welkin - Emblems of Valour - pretty good stuff. 武勇 / Emblems of Valour | Welkin (bandcamp.com) Vesthangarth - Ominous Path of Spectral Knowledge Ominous Path of Spectral Knowledge | Vesthangarth (bandcamp.com)

3 currently. Ours, the one we bought for our daughter, and the one my wife inherited from her parents. Getting ready to sell the last one though. Insurance and upkeep is murder in Floridaland these days.

I actually do in the garage. 1962 Sylvania console tv combo record player. Belonged to my grandmother. Made from solid oak. Weighs a ton and is absolutely bomb proof. Will easily survive the apocalypse. Planning to restore it one day when I find the time. Well restomod anyway. Still have a rotary phone at one of our houses too, although we disconnected service 2 years ago. Way easier to use for my wife's elderly parents who could never get the hang of cell phones. Great backups when a hurricane comes and knocked down all the cell towers too. I miss the landline days sometimes. Shit was simpler then and the expectation to be available 24/7 365 didn't exist.

I'll put the Butthole Surfers output above any band using said V in their name/album name all day long. Blaspherian - Infernal Warriors of Death

But then it wouldn't let all the CVLT kids know that it's the good shit. It's a filtering tool. Butthole Surfers - Hairway to Steven

Cirith Ungol - Servants of Chaos

John Prine - Paradise

I've enjoyed UADA every time I've seen them live. They're a tight band and most of it works reasonably well in the right setting, but on the last few albums I'm getting nothing. I've really no problem with hipsters and tourists either. To each his own. They don't bother me much as I make my own evaluations/decisions. They do however contribute gaseous emissions to said artists to huff and inflate their sense of importance if you will and thereby degrade the music. Bands are always better when they're young and hungry (and on heroin). Once they start getting exaggerated adulation, the output begins to decline. Celebrated mediocrity only hastens the phenomenon. Certainly not saying bands shouldn't be celebrated, but the path is littered with examples of those who got a little too high on their own supply. Spectre (Aus) - Lonesome Gambler - FFO Hallas. Late 70s - early 80s prog tinged trad metal. 4 song EP. Vocals aren't the best, but it all works together fairly well. Lonesome Gambler | Spectre | Dying Victims Productions (bandcamp.com) Sceptre - Vision Master - riffy tunes with a decided old school production quality. Not crazy about the vocals, but the guitar heroics are reasonably decent. SCEPTRE | Vision Master (bandcamp.com)

They're lousy with hipsters and scene tourists is all I can think. I'm totally cool with music that I just don't particularly like but can still appreciate, just not with uninspired for the sake of selling an album. Even cool with the genre not being about the message or adopted for new ones. The songs though are just so flat with absolutely no emotion behind them. They evoke nothing in the listener, not even the momentary air guitar tweedle COADS had every few songs. I mean give me something man. And to be fair, I can say the same on the DM side of bands like Squishabugg, Frozen Soul, and the rest of the hardcore kids turned knuckle dragging neanderthal.

Okay, couple more non-metal. Yes - Roundabout - I'm a bass player. Not much anymore these days but it's in my genes. I've never been shy at expressing my undying love of all things Geddy Lee, but even I think he would agree that never before or again has a bass player laid down anything that can touch Chris Squire on this track. Just absolute master class. Mastering this line is like defeating the final demon boss in the ninth ring oh hell. Not to mention that keyboard line at 5:45 affectionately known as "the moment the congregation in the black church goes wild". Just filthy. And yeah this is the version with Geddy on bass because I couldn't resist. According to the man himself, the only band he has ever waited in line for tickets to see. Heart - Alone - is there a more perfect rock power ballad? Is there any woman or man for that matter that can hold a candle to Ann Wilson in the vocal department? The answer to both questions is no. When the chorus kicks in (both times) it's just so powerful. The expression of emotion with the clarity and power of the gods. Punches me right in the gut every time how many decades later. A bit superlative perhaps but only by a touch. And good Lord was Nancy a smoke show.

As a devotee of black metal moreso than any other current genre on the board, I can say that it is flooded by too much mediocrity and has more bands/projects floating by on reputation than substance. It's still hip to be into bm and I think that contributes. There's tons of great bands out there and the occasional implementation of genre tropes in a pleasing way, but not much that gets me excited to go slaughter a few Christians or burn a historic church. Those post-2010 acts with discographies more than 2-3 deep are exceedingly rare. Same could be said for all genres, I probably just noticed it more in bm. Haven't really had anything "light ye fires of hell" this year although I haven't had the time to do any real deep expeditions into the wilderness that guys like GG and Surge frequent as in years past. DM is easier and doesn't require much thought as I'm just looking to headbang. Same for trad metal.

Greg Graffin - Cold as Clay

Grower as in tolerable for the occasional spin. I liked COADS, but it was weaker than Devoid of Light. They're a decent band, and I love the twin guitar leads. Not bad live. I think the trajectory of their material is pretty clear at this point. Maybe they should go prog or pull a Tribulation and change directions all together.

Only halfway through Woe and it's not doing anything for me. The UADA is bland as well. Lots of good riffs and twin guitar work but put together in a way that goes no where really. Djinn was a grower, and although still nothing to write home about, was better than this effort. Both a touch pretentious as if they've all been trapped in a room smelling their own farts for a good while.

If there was ever a quotable quote for a tag line...this is it. Hey hey hey, let's not get carried away now. We shalt only blaspheme against the gods of organized religion and sports teams. Leave the metal Gods out of it 🤫 Feeling a little vintage today: Ratt - Invasion of Your Privacy Sepultura - BTR Queensryche - Rage for Order Slayer - Show No Mercy Now on to new: NP: C.O.F.F.I.N. - Australia Stops UADA - Crepuscule Natura Woe - Legacies of Frailty

Eh maybe. I could have sworn I saw him mention Louisiana somewhere, but it's been pretty crazy this week and I could be mixed up. Wouldn't be the first time. The Baneful Choir got some hate on a couple of other boards and even made a "most disappointing" list that year. Never any at MFi, and while it's not my favorite of theirs, it's a solid addition to the catalog. Woven Black Arteries

Reminds me. If you happen to be heading to the Spirit Possession/Bell Witch gig at Santos on 11/2, I'll be there. If you are, maybe we can hook up and hit the banging Lebanese joint across the street before and I'll buy you a beer. Woven Black Arteries is the best thing from them imo, but there's no bad choices. The Baneful Choir got a considerable hate when it came out. I think it's pretty decent.

I agree. There's a difference between purchasing something in ignorance and making an active choice to support. Many of us are old enough to have purchased plenty of stuff that had we known more at the time, we would have made a different choice. There just wasn't the information available in the 80's-00's that there is today. I'm not going to go back and purge my collection for purity sake at this point. I pull something out once every few years that I haven't listened to in a while for a trip down memory lane. I usually come to the conclusion that I don't really care for the majority of it anymore. That includes plenty of stuff of non-questionable origin btw. But I keep it because I did once see something in the music and may again one day. If I had to reduce the size of my collection, however, this would be the first stuff to go. Most wouldn't be a purchase today and certainly none of ill repute. My general argument was that even purchasing something out of ignorance likely doesn't generate enough income for any of these pukes to make a real difference, and I don't believe listening to a few Absurd albums will make you a devout supremacist anymore than Dissection or Mercyful Fate will turn someone into a devout satanist. Those are active choices made by the individual. Merch to me is a whole different thing. Purchasing and wearing merch is moving to the "representing the band/ideology" stage. Essentially broadcasting to the world that you approve of said band and their message. You're no longer just enjoying a nasty riff. That's where I draw the line. I'm fairly selective of the merch I buy anyway, so there's no way I actively choose to spend my money on a sweatshirt with "Black Metal Skinheads" in 60 pt font. Of course, I wouldn't have 30 years ago either.

Don't you know it. Imma sucker for bad chicks. And @Dead1, not just part of the patriarchy, but bringing it to a female dominated profession.

I'm more of a lead off song guy. The first song will make or break an album for me, so you better come with the heat if you want my attention. Goes for side 2 leads if we're going back to the analog era. By the closer, I'm already sold or passed. Not to say there aren't great closing songs, but I usually don't get that far if the rest of the album hasn't grabbed me first.

Considering 85% of the workforce I employ are female, I'd probably have better luck with the Vomitor shirts.

Nothing wrong with Blasphemy music wise. Foundational war/bestial black metal that inspired tons of good bands that followed. From a personal standpoint, I don't endorse their beliefs anymore than I endorse overt satanists, anarchists, or any of the other ideologies ascribed by many of the bands we all listen to. I look at it as the shock value means they chose to offend the establishment and attract attention from the outcast. The green Mohawk if you will. An open affront to proper societal values. Are they devout national socialists or stupid kids that took shit to far and stuck with the gag too long? Don't know, don't think I'd ever find out. But I won't part with my copy of Gods of War or Fallen Angel of Doom because some Internet detective with a platform says so. Even if they were reciting the entire text of Mein Kampf in the songs, I doubt anyone could really tell, and I don't pay any attention to lyrics myself. Don't research bands either. The music bangs or it doesn't. That's my only criteria. Ymmv. The great thing about metal, and music in general, is that we get to set our own criteria of what is good and what we value. I like bands like Rush and The Cure that 95% of the board absolutely hate. No shame either way. If I see someone really enthusiastic about a particular album, I'll give it a shot. I know most of the guys well enough to know what to expect, but I make my own decisions about what I spend my money on and put in rotation. Maybe it's filthy black metal or polished prog wankery. Don't worry about what others think about a particular band that you like. Doesn't really matter in the grand scheme. But know the audience you're talking to and maybe don't bring up certain topics around those with highly charged opinions that may or may not be rooted in fact. I don't discuss politics with my wife for that very reason. She bases her position on Tiktok news and the like with no other research. So there's no point unless I want to fight. Metal is no different. Everyone has an opinion and you know the old saying about that. Few if any of us really know these people and what they think. Never will. Where it gets troublesome is when you start adopting the same pov as the ideologies represented by the band(s). You'll see the argument that just purchasing or streaming something from a specific band is supporting their ideology. I don't agree. This is all extremely low volume low demand stuff that even big bands make little to any money from. So how can you really be supporting a movement of ill repute? 99.9% of the world doesn't even know most of the subgenres and bands we metalheads obsess over even exist. And even if no one buys it, horribly offensive stuff will still be made and said. So the argument doesn't hold up with me. We give politicians with much more dangerous views much bigger platforms to spew their garbage which causes considerably more damage to the populace while we all just go about our lives. Listening to something you enjoy with the mind that there are some things or ideas embedded that may not be kosher and being conscious about keeping them from influencing your own beliefs is a key tenant to listening to anything these days with the access to music we have. Same as objectively watching the news and drawing your own conclusions. As long as you are able to do that, I don't see where bands like Blasphemy, Burzum, Goatmoon, Grand Belials Key, or Graveland pose any threat to you. Most of them suck anyway. And if I hadn't started with Blasphemy back in the mid 90s, I probably wouldn't think much of them had they come out in the past few years. But to write them out of the development of heavy metal because they have distasteful or even disgusting personal beliefs would be a disservice.

Thanks dude!

Well, got the word today that I got a significant promotion. Moving up to the Deputy Nurse Exec for my healthcare system. I'm not sure what they've done putting a dirty hesher in a position like that, but they're about to find out. Huge step up in responsibility and worst of all, I will now have to wear a suit or sport coat to work every day. Where's our resident fashionista @markm when I need him? Not sure about a step up in pay just yet, but I'm going to need something to stock the closet with something other than Archgoat and Vomitor shirts...

Is there a specific version you recommend? There is one on Tidal from a Romanian Opera outfit, so I'll check that one out on the way home today. Songs keep coming to mind so I'll keep adding: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here - don't care who you are, you've lost someone in your life. I have lost several dear to me over the years. No song I can think of speaks to that feeling after losing someone special more than this one. U2 - Running to Stand Still - so yeah U2 is a shit band these days, but their early albums were pretty solid. This song off of The Joshua Tree is my favorite. I had a girl in my life when this came out who I was mad about, had a brief fling with, and figured out she was a beautiful disaster and would never be the one. Any time I hear this it makes me think of what could have been. Van Halen - Panama - if you hear this and don't bust out the air guitar, check your pulse.