Hungarino

Yeah I enjoy that Azath a lot. As for the books, my humble advice is to try to give yourself permission to not understand wtf is going on in the grand scheme because the number of characters and references is just far too many. The author just plops you right down in a fully formed universe with the meta-plot in full swing. It takes a few books before some semblance of structure starts to reveal itself, but all along there are new characters and sub-plots introduced with no context. Somehow all of that does not take away from the incredible world building. Anyway, a lot of people lose patience. There are some pretty helpful guides and forums online, but I personally recommend using them sparingly at first. Once you start putting the pieces together yourself and you remember stuff that didn't make sense at first, but then 2 or 3 books later it does, its incredibly rewarding. But don't be afraid to just go along for the ride at first. Again, just my opinion! Good luck! Would love to hear what you think after book 1.

Oh boy brother Cabbage now you are talking. I am in the middle of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series and it is beyond epic. The most challenging fiction I have read but so rewarding. If anyone is info fantasy, and is sadistic in tackling volume and complexity this is one to check out. And it is super metal, with everything from undead hordes to cannibals to monsters to barbarians to sorcerers and dragons. I don't care I will nerd the f out on these books. They are hard-core violent, savagely real-politic, hilarious at times, but also pretty enlightened with philosophical insights into religion, relationships, the human condition in general. And the demi-god condition. There's a bunch of gods and demi-gods and immortals. The shit spans like 300K years or something ridiculous. Ok I'll shut up, just stoked it got a reference here! NP: Maze of Terror - Ready to Kill These guys slay your face off. New one coming out in September \M/ This is awesome. When you are done posting would it be possible to post the whole thing as a list?

Roots = garbage D666 hasn't put anything very good since parts of Wildfire, and that's being pretty generous. That's my only beef with them. If you are getting your social or political opinions from piss drunk Aussies in bullet belts, or anyone in corpse paint, or anyone in entertainment in general for that matter, then, yeah. Maybe don't do that. NP: TRoB - The Thule Grimoires

Odz Manouk - Bosoragazan (Բոսորագազան) This is great. I think Surge posted a few pages ago.

Haaaha well maybe that explains the abortions. Pretty good DM from Brazil. A little brutal, a little chaotic. Good variety too in the songs.

Been playing this one a lot. NYP The Mother of Abortions | Nightmare Slaughter (bandcamp.com)

Its definitely got a good discog to get lost in. Bunch of absolute bangers in there. Might be how I discovered Rudra. NP: Mayhemic - The Darkest Age

Now we must have this. But it must end with them both giving up immortality to remain best friends. I love satan, but I am not a monster.

The old school ENERGETIC KRUSHER - Path to Oblivion

The beat down I deserve. Two promo tracks of unrelenting thrashy DM from Mexico. Of Madness And Evil Whispers | THE PIT | Personal Records (bandcamp.com)

Goats help me I kind of like this post-black folk from Italy. I need a gauntlet smack and to be thrown back into the dungeon. Wastelands | Morwinyon (bandcamp.com)

Doubtful. US used to have public hangings, and many more executions, and those were consistently times with much higher crime and murders. Now we have exponentially fewer private executions that take forever, coincidentally our murder rates are way below what they once were. There is no good evidence that capitol punishment is a good deterrent. There is actually some evidence that murder rates go down when capitol punishment is abolished. This brought crime down not because of a deterrent effect, but because criminals received much longer sentences and were off the streets. In fact it is increasingly obvious that recent sentencing reform including decriminalizing non-violent property crime in certain cities, though considered more socially just, is most likely to blame for crime spiking in the US. Which is utterly absurd and contemptuous of the civil contract in a democratic society, imo. But agreed on our bigger failures being our unwillingness to address inequality. The US has always vacillated between something closer to a meritocracy and a plutocracy, with the latter usually holding most of the cards.

Guys have been around since 1999 but new to me. Love the riffage but this is the complete package for my taste in faster paced, polished (and Polish) black metal. Can do without the very subtle synths but otherwise this one bangs. https://abusedmajesty.bandcamp.com/album/proxima-inferni

You do not want to go black metal butthole to mouth

Beyond Mortal Dreams - Abomination of the Flames

I am going to put this on and immediately regret it update: its not terrible at all, actually

Its rare to find a label compilation album that is filled with evil goat bangers, so a big ty to the sick bastard who curated this one. Also, its NYP! Funeral Chants I. | Necroeucharist | Necroeucharist Productions (bandcamp.com)

DJIWO - SVVANANTAKA Melodic raw black metal from Indonesia. A NYP gem!

13th Moon - Abhorrence of Light

Ok, now there has to be an Absu tribute band with this name! But also like the world we inhabit, exponentially flashier, connected, technologically advanced, convenient, entertaining. The Wrestling shows of today are technological marvels, with laser light shows, world class sound systems, pyrotechnics and video production. Make-up and costumes are in general way beyond what they used to be. The story lines are all still pretty much the same. Its great for just turning the brain off and going along for the ride. It is spectacle entertainment, about as good as we can make it, without any real consequences. Guilt free entertainment, juvenile and open for everyone to enjoy without judgement. I think it is healthy to allow myself the freedom to enjoy the spectacle and get invested in meaningless story lines rather than wallow in the existential doom that is currently hanging over the world in the form of pending WWIII, US political catastrophe, and everyone's favorite the climate crisis. At some point you have to be able to say fuck it and enjoy the marvels of modernity, even with the knowledge that we are likely spiraling into the abyss. Enjoy it while it lasts, I guess? I am sure there are multiple university theses that draw analogies between wrestling and modern society, and I am sure they received good marks.

Cultum Interitum - Sorgspell Ripping Polish black metal. Great stuff

New one from Thanatomass that I just keep coming back to. Hades | Thanatomass | Nomad Snakepit (bandcamp.com)

Randomly just saw this, late to the convo as usual these days, but I must say that is super awesome about your cousin. And for the record Rhea Ripley aka Mami is definitely badass. Her faction Judgment Day is the closest thing to a metal themed faction these days, albeit very weak kind of symphonic melodeath, but one of them and current Money in the Bank holder Damien Priest is a long-time metal fan. The worse the world gets the more I like wrestling, but if you don't get it or buy in, like most things, it probably appears pointless and ridiculous.

New completely unnecessary purchase. Band is pretty good, but the shirt speaks to me. All that is missing is a pentagram

Vile Ritual - Caverns of Occultic Hatred