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swangtup6 · 2 months

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Demo Review: Fenriz - A Funeral of Light (1996)

Ok so there's like no info on this band online that I've found, I have a policy of not reviewing NSBM (for the record) and the Polish scene (where this band comes from) is a minefield of sketchy politics but as far as I know they're clean. If im wrong abt this lmk n ill look further into it. all ik is that this demo goes hard as fuck

The first thing I want to talk about is the production, actually. This is DEFINITELY raw black metal. Everything sounds muffled, like it was recorded under water, you can barely hear the snare drum, you can't hear the cymbals at all, and the vocals are completely drowned out by everything else. All in all, it's lovely. I think the minimalistic sound makes for pretty perfect kvlt black metal, and this band is a huge inspiration for my own project, actually.

Next up has to be the guitar work. The guitar playing on this demo is phenomenal, with plenty of menacing riffs, eerie melodies, etc etc. I think the production serves the guitar particularly well as it gives it a kinda otherworldly feeling (like on Burzum's first demo) and the minimalistic songwriting let's the guitars stand out as the driving force behind this demo.

The drums are the only other instrument audible, so we're gonna talk about them next because we have to. The drumming is great, whoever drummed on this (metal archives says all of the instruments were played by one person named Thorn) can play with the best of them in this genre. The drumming is written well too, with plenty of blasts and a healthy dose of slower bits. It all feels natural and fluid, and only being able to hear the kick and the lower freqs of the snare drums is honestly a pretty cool effect. It's like the drum production on Transylvanian Hunger turned up to 11, with only the pieces of the kit absolutely necessary to get the rhythms audible.

The vocals are also fantastic. Thorn utilizes a somewhat-pained sounding high rasp that sounds totally sick and manages to cut through the thick guitar pretty easily. It almost sounds like the vocals are sitting on top of the instruments but in a cool way not a shitty production way.

Overall, this is one of my favorite black metal demos ever. I'm not going to give it as high of a rating as I think it deserves because I have to stick to my principles on how I rate these things or I'll rate everything 10/10, but it's easily like a 9/10 in my heart. I wouldn't recommend this to a newcomer to the genre, I don't think it's an essential listen even for experienced black metal fans, but it has a special place in my heart for being ridiculously raw, well played, well written, and all around dope as hell.

7/10

standout track: The Blaze Mountain

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#youtube #music #music review #metal review #metal music #dungeon synth #black metal

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bloodyelectricreviews · 7 days

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Defeated Sanity - The Sanguinary Impetus

This is my first foray into this band’s work. Defeated Sanity apparently has a reputation for being a weird mix of jazz/brutal death metal/avant garde and it’s somehow working for me. I find myself actually enjoying the departure of the BDM formula here. Most of the time Brutal Death Metal doesn’t quite get there, for me. It’s typically the monotone burpy vocals (Burpcore, as I like to call it) and, if I’m honest, the drone of chugging guitars and constant blast beats that just feels same-y to me. Conceptually, this album has everything you’d look for in a release of this nature but it often subverts expectations in ways that keep my interest. Switching around time signatures and adding improvisation has always been sonically interesting to me but it’s pretty rare that I come back to bands like this.

That being said, I actually really enjoyed my time with this album and it’ll definitely stay as an addition to the rotation. This album came out almost four years ago, I find myself kinda excited for a new album or EP. Here’s hoping we hear some new music soon!

#metal review #metal #metalhead #death metal #defeated sanity #music #Spotify

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idiotcoward · 9 months

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Nile - Annihilation of the Wicked

Nile’s Annihilation of the Wicked is a pretty good listen! Definitely some of the more melodic end of technical death metal, complex riffs, time signatures coupled with some genuinely amazing drumming. I’m not so sure how I feel about the Egyptian theming considering like these are a bunch of white dudes from the south but for the most part it doesn’t feel to fetishizing more of a musical thematic influence. What do y’all think?

Definitely a solid listen tho! Well worth it.

#now listening #album recs #metal #death metal #brutal death metal #music recs #music #techdeath #technical death metal #tech death #technical brutal death metal #Nile #metal music #metal review #classic album

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lilacdelilah · 7 months

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I am finnally starting to write a demo for my first album review!!

For a lil bit of context i am atm making a silly website for me to spread my horrible takes on music:)

I am writing my first review on Antlers' albums "A gaze into the Abyss" and "Beneath Below Behold" (only albums they made).

#atmospheric black metal #heavy metal #metal review #website #Spotify

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doomanddead · 2 months

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February Picks

We’ve reached the end of February, darklings, and with the passing of another birthday I’m another step closer to the grave. Here’s what cropped up this month (besides that one snow-white pube…)

— FEBRUARY FUNERAL DOOM —

The album that whispered sweet nothings in my ear this month was Pleroma Mortem Est by Monovoth. I’ve covered this Argentinian drone doom project before, but Monovoth continues to set the bar higher with every release. If you’re looking for a soundtrack to our collective plod toward nothingness, then this is it.

Clamor Resonat is particularly introspective, with a distant howl drawing ever nearer. This funerary slog has the slowest of builds, but manages to avoid predictability at every turn. When the next note finally drops it’s low and slow enough to satisfy the most discerning doomheads.

Despite its brevity, Somnia stands out with its shimmering guitar tone in the sparse atmosphere. It’s unquestionably one of the most beautiful doom arrangements I’ve heard in a while.

If Somnia is all lunar radiance, then Denique Mors is the dark side of the moon. This one’s an agonized dirge with an experimental spirit. This gritty offering toys with texture and intensity. Brutal guest vocals by Lindsay O’ Connor help usher us through the gates of hell.

If you like Dylan Carlson’s sound, but wish it was more ponderous and grim, then this shit's for you. These tracks struggle with their own mortality in a sundowning world. Join the procession, and grab this on Bandcamp before your own lights go out.

— A SWEET DRONE RELEASE —

If dark ambient soundscapes are your thing, then you’ll wave your antennae with glee to know that drone master insectarium just dropped the necrophage emerges divine. Wriggle right into this sonic cocoon as we journey through the lowest moments in life and out the other side. Owlripper Recordings is always generous with their music, so scuttle down to the bottom of the Bandcamp page to find the link for a free download code.

— SAVORY SINGLES —

Long Beach doom cats O ZORN! have been serving up post-hardcore goodness lately with a string of singles. My favorite has got to be Slow Mood. Like the monster that lives in your bedroom, this brooding earworm skulks in the corner, but its hulking frame is impossible to ignore. I swear you’re going to be humming this shit all day.

February also brought us Bow Down by Detroit’s Temple Of The Fuzz Witch. It’s some properly fucking fuzzed-out blackened doom. It’s thick as tar and absolutely vicious. I want to climb into a vat of this and bathe in it until I turn into the creature from the black metal lagoon.

Until next time, doom fans.

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jackmothperry · 8 months

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Face Melters: Electric Callboy Show Review

The German band Electric Callboy, albeit a newer moniker for them, is ridiculously well named: They have the electricity to run entire countries, and the tongue in cheek humor, the outright mockery of toxic masculinity, to keep you entertained while they relentlessly grind perfectly honed breakdowns into your soul.

They’re a band that demands space, yet still manages to thrive in smaller venues. It feels like a big show regardless of the reality of the stage, the crushing bodies, the equipment tetrising around itself. They belong in an arena; they would absolutely bring down a house of thousands upon thousands of people. Electric Callboy’s chemistry with themselves is enough to power an entire show, they do not need the audience to be right on top of them.

But with an audience on top of them? They absolutely crush it. The audience. Under their electric dance moves. Their strong vocals. The humor, the costumes, the face melting metal riffs.

Wednesday, August 30th, was a hot day in Los Angeles. The anticipation for the show had me earlier to the Belasco than I care to admit, although I did explore the area (and hide in air conditioning) a bit as to not linger and swelter too long. I was fully intending on getting barricade, as it is no longer the moshing days of my youth (last year when I got a concussion at Aftershock) and because I wanted to soak in every moment and every piece of paper shrapnel that launched itself out of the confetti cannons.

I was vaguely aware of the opening bands, and by the time I got in and skipped my way to the barricade, I knew I was going to have to allocate my energy wisely. This wound up being more challenging than I had thought, as Conquer Divide, from Michigan, was an impressive force, with strong beats and melodic singing intertwined with carnage so lovingly that it was hard to keep still. And to be honest I didn’t really try that hard to resist.

Solence, from Sweden, made it even more challenging. I knew one of their songs because it had somehow magically made its way to my work out playlist (Good Fucking Music, indeed), and I did leave my skin and writhe around for a while to that one along with…well every song they played, actually.

But I knew, I knew I had done it. I had saved enough energy to properly experience Electric Callboy. The surrounding crowd had as well, you could feel it in the air. Said crowd was largely comprised of, what seemed like, the goofy guys from frat movies, the metal heads that are actually quite sweet once you get past their battle vests and incredible tattoos, and the hot goth gf everyone wishes they had, along with a smattering of small children. There were multiple renditions of the Sponge Bob Square Pants theme betwixt sets, as well as some powerful Barbie Girl acapella and doo doo practicing for the inevitable Hypa explosion.

By the time our train attendant who graces us before every Electric Callboy performance appeared on the screen, we were sweaty, we were smelly, we were absolutely buzzing for this.

The moment the techno (Tekkno?) beat is taken over by the guitars, bass, and drums, respectively, of Daniel, Pascal, Daniel, and David, can probably be described super poetically like the wings unfurling of a great dragon here to fuck you up - it’s absolutely a beautiful resounding moment that shows you this is not your normal metal show.

After that, I was a man possessed. I thrashed so hard that by the second song, one of the two singers, Kevin, who is usually screaming and pig squealing expertly, was gently asking if I was okay. He gave me a high five, and I was a kid again, my heroes in front of me probably not that much older if at all than I am.

A very nice security guard forced me to drink water (I had refused previous generous attempts because I am not actually that young and my bladder had to be absolutely silent until the end of the show) and I was probably pretty pathetic looking for that all to happen only two songs in. But did I care? No. I was there to rock. And I was going to rock with every fiber of my being.

The music is such a dopamine rush of constant movement that it makes sense to have some breaks, if not for us, then for them. The only time (outside of a few German moments, of course), I stumbled over the lyrics to a song was their version of Let It Go from Frozen. The notes hit were absolutely golden though. And we got a Backstreet Boys throw back in the mash up and thank god I was a kid in the 90s so that one I could join in on.

To go into each song and how every note absolutely wrecked me and how would take too long, but a notable one was Castrop X Spandau: the aforementioned German moments were big in this one (at home I swear ich spreche verdammt fließend), but the sound absolutely skins you alive - strips you of all sanity and makes your spine try to leave your body.

Every Time We Touch, Hypa Hypa, We Got The Movies, and Pump It are all pillars in the show that hold everything up while the others threaten to break our bodies with metal. The first mentioned is a nostalgic classic that they’ve refreshed with the Electric Callboy touch. It’s a great gateway song for the people in your life who aren’t quite ready for Hypa Hypa and would absolutely stop trusting you with the aux cord (the metaphorical one in the age of bluetooth) if you threw on Hurrikan. Sidenote, Hurrikan went so hard. I can’t even imagine what carnage happened behind me at that drop. Did I want to mosh? Desperately. Am I bruised from moshing with the barrier? A bit. A bit.

The best part of the show, in my opinion, was the aforementioned chemistry between the band members. Nico and Kevin have a bromance for the ages, to be sure, but the lesser mentioned duo is Daniel and Daniel. Daniel, the guitarist, and Daniel, the bassist, exist largely on the left side of the stage where I had chosen to be as well. And what a good choice that was. They are a comedy show all their own; there was spanking, tandem dance moves, fancy guitar tricks, and general tomfoolery to be had. I was consistently entertained by them in between the moments they melted my goddamn face off.

Pascal absolutely owned the guitar on the other side of the stage, and came to visit us to just casually remind us he is also excellent at melting faces. I saw later photographic evidence that I had missed some kissing and tomfoolery on the right side of the stage, so it’s definitely a different show depending on where your attention is held. There really isn’t enough kissing in metal.

David, the drummer, had his moment to shine outside of all the other moments he was constantly shining because that man is a beast. He absolutely crushed a solo remix of Sandstorm, owning the stage alone easily. He drips with charisma and yet doesn’t come off as a walking ego with drumsticks, even though he would get away with it if he did.

Nico and Kevin make me forget it’s unusual to see two singers (I suppose a singer and a screamer isn’t super unusual, but they’re both full fledged lead singers in my book). They both represent that core humor so well, with their natural disarming charm and yet both utterly wreak havoc at the same time.

The whole band is a mash up of gentleness and edge, of humor and of darkness. It’s such a comforting chaos that I turn to them time and time again when I need to cheer up, work out, or violently shriek. This concert cemented to me that they’re my favorite band, and I think America, selling out every tour date they have, agrees with me.

The show ended strong, they gave us their moves and their fake bowl cuts, and we all were left vibrating with a great sense that we had just witnessed something otherworldly.

Thanks for absolutely crushing us, guys.

#electriccallboy #germany #german metal #metal review #los angeles #concert review #hypa hypa #solence #conquer divide #review #jmpreviews

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bitcoin-lottery · 2 years

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Alhambra Coin Centre Review:

You might have heard of the Alhambra Coin Center, but did you know it also sells rare coins? If you do, then this article will help you decide if it is worth visiting. After all, a reliable coin center isn’t a scam, right? You can buy coins from Alhambra Coin Center without worrying about scamming or overcharging you. The center accepts MasterCard, Visa, and American Express.

Alhambra Coin Center is a Trusted Name in The Numismatic and Collectible Coin Market

The Alhambra Coin Center has a website with a convenient shopping cart so that customers can buy products with just a few clicks. Customers are encouraged to pay with personal or business checks, but cashier’s checks and money orders are not accepted. The website is user-friendly and looks great, but the About page is still incomplete, and the Antique page is empty. The Alhambra Coin Center website is also staffed by professionals with a wealth of knowledge and expertise.

Founded in 1975, Alhambra Coin Center is a Los Angeles-based company with a wealth of experience in numismatics and collectible coins. Founders Jay and Malcolm Varner are members of the Professional Numismatics Guild, and Alhambra Coin Center is one of the largest mint stores in California. Alhambra Coin Center also serves as a jobber to other mint companies and numismatics.

It is Not a Scam

The Alhambra Coin Center is a reputable coin dealer that offers a large selection of rare coins, including gold and silver dollars. The establishment was founded in 1975 by Malcolm Varner, a professional numismatist with forty-five years of experience. He has secured a national reputation for his expertise in rare coins and has handled hundreds of them. He is a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild and has helped the organization for many years. He also has experience with Antiques and Estate Jewelry.

The Alhambra Coin Center is located in a suburb of Los Angeles. It began as a coin trading business but has now expanded to include antiques and jewelry. Jay and Malcolm Varner, the two brothers who own the company, have been in the numismatics business since 1968 and have a wealth of knowledge to offer. Jay is a master of rare coins and has extensive experience in antiques and jewelry.

Alhambra Coin Center has a reputation as one of the nation’s leading coin dealers. The company provides various services to coin collectors, from buying and selling jewelry to PCGS grading services. They even purchase and sell your coins from investors and can also assist you with the setup of precious metal IRAs. While you may wonder if Alhambra Coin Center is a scam, there are many advantages to doing business with them.

https://preciousmetalreview.com/

#precious metal #metal #metal review #alhambra #alhambra coin #alhambra coin centre

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ladyloveandjustice · 22 days

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Winter 2024 Anime Overview: Metallic Rouge

Metallic Rouge

Premise: There are a robot-alien-whatever race called Neans and they're really oppressed and all that, you've heard about Detroit Become Human you know how it is. Rouge is a Nean who's been tasked by her brother with killing the Immortal Nine, super powerful Neans who want to not be oppressed and are willing to kill the humans that use them as slaves. Rouge's partner is Naomi Orthman and she's pretty fun. Eventually, Rouge sort of starts to wonder if ruthlessly killing her own people who are fighting oppression might be a bad thing actually.

Man what a mess. Kind of a fascinating, ambitious mess, but it's so bad. (If you're a fan, I encourage you not to engage with this review, you have better things to do than upsetting yourself for no reason).

I was attracted to this because like, it's focused on two women with really cool character designs! And they get to fight and be cool and have a vitriolic best buds kind of partnership! Naomi is pretty charming. The show does often LOOK good, and there's some genuinely cool animation moments, I'll give it that.

However, I realized fairly quickly that the story was a hodgepodge that didn't seem to have much of a grasp on even the basics of writing, but by that point I wanted to see what stupid plot twist it'd pull next. I don't know if it was a good decision but it sure was a decision I made. It means I get to write a review where I can be mean which is always easier than trying to convey how good a show is, I guess because less pressure.

The story starts in media res in a very confusing way. It does (attempt to) explain things a bit in later eps, but you never really stop having the feeling you've just been plopped in the middle of an ongoing story. I think it's very likely, that like so many shows, this was supposed to be a 26 episode show but it was cut down to 13 because anime originals sadly don't get to be that long anymore.

I don't think a longer runtime would have made the plot less stupid and frustrating, but it probably would have made the show a little better and some events have more impact. But rather than cut some events to let the story breathe, the show insisted on cramming a ridiculous amount of plot twists into a short runtime, meaning they never had time to land and you had no reason to care about most of the characters.

The approach to the Neans was a total mess especially. Very badly written for the most part. The Neans are literally slaves. Because of the Asimov Code (literally naming it that in universe is pretty funny I'll admit) they have to do whatever humans say, and most of the humans ruthlessly abuse them, use them as shields when there's danger, often steal their life giving nectar for kicks and leave them to die horribly, the police gun them down all the time, and also a huge amount of them are in a forced labor camp on Venus where they either die from the horrible conditions, (often falling directly in lava or being irradiated or whatever) or they just work until their bodies give out. (It definitely doesn't help that two of the Neans we see killed most horribly are Black-coded.)

DESPITE ALL THIS, the story inexplicably tries to both sides it for most of the anime. Some of the Neans are actually really evil because they'll do violence to escape their oppression! That's so bad, they're just as bad as the humans, they're really mean and randomly murder their own allies! Rouge is genuinely presented with the dilemma of "you can free the Neans and maybe they'll rightfully want revenge and kill some humans and society will ~be in chaos~ or you can just let your own people continue to be enslaved and horribly killed and abused every day. And she's like "hmm I dunno. Both sides have a point. yeah I think freeing them could be bad". Incredible. (Granted it does come around a little in its conclusion when some characters randomly change their minds, but it's way too little too late)

If you couldn't tell, Rouge is a really nothing character who it's hard to sympathize with thanks to her baffling choices, except for in a couple episodes that were genuinely charming and fun and made you think "hmm maybe it would have been fun to see these characters get into some shenanigans". Naomi at least has a fun personality, and I had a little bit of crush before her character mostly went down the tubes with everyone else.

Naomi and Rouge's dynamic could be pretty fun and was definitely the best thing about the show (and the only times Rouge showed any personality was with Naomi and a spoiler character), but the show insisted on speedrunning their conflicts and separating them constantly despite that dynamic supposedly being so central to the story, so.

But really, as I said, the most entertaining part of the end of the show was seeing how many ridic plot twists it could cram in, most of which had no impact because you didn't care about the characters, they didn't make much sense, and there was very little to set them up. EVIL ALIENS, EVIL FAMILIES, THIS BORING CHARACTER HAS SECRETLY BEEN PULLING THE STRINGS BECAUSE REASONS, that kind of stuff.

But I have to leave off telling y'all how one plot twist in the final episode is undone LITERALLY 30 SECONDS LATER because of something a character did off screen. also it's done two minutes before the episode ends. It's so funny I have to tell you.

SPOILERS

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Rouge pressed the button that frees all the Neans. Then a character who hadn't done much but I guess is the big bad now pops up and is like "Rouge you freeing the Neans was all part of my plan because you activating the device actually infected them with an EVIL PROGRAM AND NOW THEY WILL FIGHT FOR THE EVIL ALIENS!! Rouge was like "wha?" but then the Neans glowing red evil eyes immediately turned off and the brother was like "actually I anticipated it and hacked it offscreen they're actually free." And the villain just leaves without really reacting. Amaaaazing.

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So yes, wouldn't recommend this show unless you really like watching trainwrecks, and despite how amazing a trainwreck it is, there are stretches where it's just a slog.

(God, this review ended up longer than I thought. So much carnage and crumpled metal to describe. But now I'm officially free.)

#metallic rouge #winter 2024 anime #anime overview #my reviews #i was going to pair this with a more positive review but it's fairly long so probs needs its own post #i'll just have to pray people like a roast as much as I do and its relative negativity doesn't mean noone reads it

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scarlet-and-ultraviolet · 1 year

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Source: (credit to Luke & Chris from Sleep Token Fan Group on Facebook)

#sleep token #article #album review #metal hammer #im SO excited now!!!#aaaaaahhhh

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gofancyninjaworld · 6 months

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OPM Manga Review: Schemes and Heroes

Yup, this is the long-delayed review of updates 235 and 236, variously numbered as chapters 190-1 (Cubari) or 188-189 (Viz, Tonarinoyj). I've made several starts but somehow, never got far.

Summary: Slowly, then all at once

That's how bankruptcy is supposed to happen: the trouble sneaks up on you, and then suddenly, it's all falling apart. When it comes to the crisis of confidence that the Hero Association is facing, they've realised that they're in some bother since they're now struggling to get new recruits. However, things are about to get a lot worse.

We have Child Emperor, spurred by disgust and frustration at the Hero Association's faults and unwillingness to address those flaws, all topped with rage about discovering the pun that his hero name is, who has left the organization for the Neo Heroes. He's announced his new hero name, now known as Wild Emperor.

Zombieman has gone to consult Dr. Genus about possibly removing his limiter like Saitama has. He's concerned for Isamu's well-being and Genos's testimony is one he can't afford to ignore. The doctor has agreed to show him something interesting in the basement.

There's no question that the Hero Association is in deep trouble. We'd seen in earlier chapters that they were struggling to recruit new heroes. Now, we're beginning to see how they lose existing heroes. We see Snek given a brief to investigate a monster attack on a donor, only to learn from Isamu that the monster is long caught as it's one of the many monsters sold as exotic pets. Far from being an investigator trusted to handle a delicate cold case, Snek has been given some busy work. To say he's unimpressed is an understatement.

They still seem to imagine heroes grow on trees the way they're treating the most loyal ones.

More seriously, as Amai Mask tells the executives gathered to discuss the problem of heroes defecting, the executives have ignored Isamu's recommendations to address the shortcomings. He's got an idea other than ditching the HA: raise a hero to serve as a standard-bearer to inspire heroes to join and recommit. It's a great idea, but his choice of Saitama is going to be a hard sell from the get-go. Still, he gets the go-ahead.

We know that 'perfect' and 'Saitama' do not go together. Amai is about to find that out the hard way.

The next chapter starts at another meeting of the executives. And another shock defection. This time, it's not a hero, but Sekingar, who returns his HA-provided artificial eye and hand. He says that he's going to the Neo Heroes as their organisational details and plans for hero development are superior. He stands his ground and counters McCoy's accusation of his jumping ship to sell HA secrets to the Neo Heroes with some shade of his own, saying that he's a company man and knows no one trusts a traitor.

All starts to make sense once Sekingar picks up his new equipment and establishes comms with Wild Emperor. This is all part of a plan to infiltrate the Neo Heroes, find out what they're up to, and assess whether it poses a threat to heroes. Sekingar exits the lift to go out to the pick-up helicopter, only to find Metal Bat waiting for him. Metal Bat will be joining him as his body guard, after having been asked to do so by Sicchi as a favour. Since Sekingar is someone who has earned Metal Bat's respect -- not to mention going into danger like a hero -- he's only too happy to do so. The pair make their way to the Neo Hero chopper.

The earned trust and respect between those two is wonderful to see.

Changing topic, there's another not-quite-a-hero guy we've yet to hear about. Garou. We start out with a glimpse of what the Bang dojo dynamics must have been like. Toxic! He's back, and he's starting right where he's left off, terrorising Charanko. Bang quickly puts an end to it with a knock to his head and puts him to wiping the floor. Working his way up from the bottom of the pecking order is the only way to be accepted anew, Bang insists. Soon, it's time for Garou to head out to his court-ordered part-time job. Even as he grumbles about having too much to do, there's an eagerness and lightness to Garou as he heads off to earn money. The dojo sees him off.

Charanko settles down to relax at last, only to be shocked to see King come pay a visit. Inside, King tries to explain his current predicament to Bang, telling the old man about the near-miss he had with Atomic Samurai the day before. Unfortunately, between the old man's hardness of hearing, King's roaring heart beat, and how much King is muttering, Bang can't hear it. Finally, desperately, King shouts, 'Please make me stronger.' And that is where we end the chapter.

Shall we have some meta then?

META

Self-Efficacy

I love it when characters help themselves. There was a time that I nearly quit watching One-Punch Man: it was in episode 9, when despite everyone's efforts, the Deep Sea King had not been checked, and then Saitama dispatched it with one punch. I felt acutely depressed rather than elated or relieved: what was the point of a series where only one character's actions mattered? Thankfully, I gave it one more episode and the other S-Class heroes started getting introduced, with Tatsumaki showing that she was far from chopped liver. Good. The manga has more space, and it has given characters the opportunity to try more ways of understanding and trying to solve their predicaments, and I. LOVE. IT.

Carefully weighing up the threats and any opportunities this new thing poses rather than simply reacting.

I've Got My Eye On You

Sorry, I'm allowed one Dad Joke a day and today's your turn for me to set it upon you. The sight of the two one-eyed men casting sidelong glances at each other, sizing each other up, and each daring the other to come clean was splendid. McCoy has put himself in a great position to do harm to the Hero Association. He's the vice chief of operations and has made himself seem indispensable in these frightening times. He may be up to evil dealings -- and in chapter 188 we've seen that he's actively set up Amai Mask to fail and is colluding with the Neo Heroes, but he's nowhere near as untouchable as he thinks he is. It's good to see Sekingar and Isamu working together to thoroughly understand what McCoy is really up to and what the Neo Heroes' true intentions are, rather than simply jumping on the first evidence of wrongdoing and losing their leads. I'll come back to this in a sec.

However, McCoy knows that Wild Emperor is onto him, and what with having suggested the Neo Heroes to Sekingar in the first place, is sure to be wary about Sekingar's true intentions. This isn't going to be an easy mission for either of them. I have no doubt in the strength of Metal Bat's arm, but man, he's a little too open for a mission, isn't he?

They know each has dirt on the other. Who will crack first?

A Hero Is As A Hero Does

What I love about the cover of 189 is that it features people who act heroically whether or not it's in a capacity traditionally known as 'hero'. This pair of chapters has really been bringing that out. Sekingar's frustrated heroism is finding an outlet in looking out for heroes, even at risk to himself. Sicchi may not want to be a hero, but his unwavering concern for the well-being of humanity and willingness to find ways to use his position to help those who can make a difference shine here. He's a good boss. King and Saitama over in the distance need no explaining. And as for Garou, even as he's not willing to admit it yet, he's a hero through and through.

Speaking of Garou...

The Years Come Off, What New Experiences Will Grow?

It really disconcerted a lot of fans to see Garou be the slightly immature teenager he actually is rather than the young man he's been posturing as. Despite how he's being knocked around, there's a lightness to Garou which just goes to show how heavy the burden he'd placed on himself as Fixer of the World was. I've ranted before about Bang's style of dojo management -- the idea of being able to punch down definitely came from him.

Apples don't fall far from trees, after all.

It's not just Garou who has gotten a second chance to do better, but Bang as well. Between Garou and the former disciples who have started coming back, there are a lot of people looking to see if he'll do right by them this time. I hope he's up to it.

King? Eh, I'll leave his tale of woe to the next review!

Small Note

How did you know that? Why are you telling me this? These are questions that ONE takes the time to scrupulously ask: knowledge doesn't come to one just because one is smart. It has to have a source, and that source has to have a reason for sharing it with you. It's really nice to see that Phoenixman's knowledge of the Hero Association's backroom dealings comes from having been a previous captive.

I spy with my little eye, a little monster not all growed up yet

#OPM #review #long #manga #chapters 188 and 189 #Child Emperor #Zombieman #Amai Mask #Sekingar #Metal Bat #Sicchi #McCoy #The Neo Heroes are aggressively setting out their pitch #but the Hero Association has people within it who aren't sitting idle #I'm excited to see how it this cat-and-mouse game pans out #Garou isn't having the toughest time ever: sure he's been busted down to scrub but there's a lightness in him having a chance to rebuild

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swangtup6 · 29 days

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Demo Review: Dethroned - In the Sign of the Pentagram (1997)

Dethroned is a black metal band from the Saarland region of Germany. I haven't checked out most of their discography (I intend to do a deep-dive soon) but I'm a pretty big fan of this demo. I'm not ashamed to admit I found this band while exploring the side projects of Andreas Bettinger, better known as BSoD or Black Son of Death, but this band is so much more than "just another BSoD project". Now let's get into why...

The first thing that strikes me every time I listen to this album is the guitar tone. It's not very typical for the kind of black metal I tend to listen to as it's fairly warm (in my opinion) and doesn't have the balls-to-the-wall type of distortion or fuzz that one tends to hear in mid-90s basement demos. It's very soothing and pleasant to hear, and it suits the melodic guitar playing well. This isn't a particularly dark sounding release in my opinion, and the melodies tend to have a pretty euphoric and triumphant feel, though not all (some of the riffing on Resnu Retav feels kind of melancholic to me). There's also some nice clean guitar breaks that I think add quite a bit to the songs. This band is very "musical" in a way that a lot of black metal tends not to be. It's nice.

The bass is inaudible. Shocker.

Now the drumming. The drums on this were handled by everyones favorite heroin addict, BSoD. As it usually is on his projects, the drumming is fantastic. I'm honestly kind of stunned at just how good of a drummer he was at just 17 years old. The drumming is more than great and he pulls off quite a bit of blasting, as well as some other upbeat almost punk-y sounding beats that add some good movement to the songs. Non-stop blasting has its place in black metal, but the best mix it up a bit. There's also some cool slower sections that tend to go with the clean breaks.

The vocals are pretty average, they aren't particularly high pitched or super aggressive but they fit the music well and serve their purpose. There's also some decent hooks (the title track in particular tends to get stuck in my head) which compliment the melodic and catchy guitar playing pretty well.

The production is also pretty damn good, especially considering that this is a demo. It's warm and full, and doesn't have a ton of high frequencies which makes it very easy to listen to, especially considering how treble-heavy black metal usually is. Just about everything is audible, and it all fits together.

Overall, I'm a big fan of this demo. This isn't my absolute favorite band ever, but it's still fun to put on when I remember it exists, and it's always enjoyable. I really need to check out this band's other releases.

7/10

Favorite track: In the Sign of the Pentagram

youtube

#youtube #music #music review #metal music #metal review #dungeon synth #black metal #raw black metal #saarland #grausamkeit #corneus #bsod #hmh

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bloodyelectricreviews · 1 day

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Ingested - The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams

I just kinda thought this would be a run-of-the-mill Death Metal/Deathcore album. I’ve heard of the band before but not super familiar with their work. I’m happy to say, this thing is a beast. It has some really great features by Josh Middleton of Sylosis and Mark fucking Hunter of Chimaira (which is a band I haven’t thought about in ages and was excited to see). That last track is truly a work of art. The cleans are really well done and the lyrics and music hit fucking hard. Definitely going to be near the top releases of this year.

Also, shout out to the cover artist David Seidman. That cover art is gorgeous.

#Spotify #ingested #metal review #metalhead #death metal #metal #heavy metal #deathcore #new music #music

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braidedriver24 · 1 month

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i think nimona (2023) is one of the best animated films of the last years. there are new and creative ideas, a lot of worldbuilding and depth, great humor, it tackles complicated topics and portrays a queer relationship beautifully

and most importantly it's METAL!!

#nimona #my thoughts #recently watched #METAL!!#river reviews

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5-pp-man · 2 months

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another tierlist because ppl actually liked that first one;

the crème de la crop;

the first 2 eps i thought it was fine, but it didnt really captivate me as much as id hoped. but then ep 3 changed everything for me. i started to think "how could living armour work logically? everything so far has been edible, so this must be too, right?" i actually managed to think of the exact thing that this series did. that really made me realise the worldbuilding in this was something unique, and it only got better and better with each episode. its really managed to captivate me and i look forward to "delicious donderdag" every week :)

ANIME ORIGINAL LETS GOOOO absolutely bonkers show that almost slipped by me because it initially tried to fool its audience into thinking it was a regular dramatic military show. it still is but theres also a giant robot who plays by saturday morning cartoon giant robot rules. if that sounds like tonal whiplash to you, trust me, it is. and its amazing. have i mentioned how homoerotic this one is as well? yeah. originally a tier below this one, but immediately after finishing this post i watched the newest ep. i had to make an exception and edit the list because ep 9 changes everything. i havent been gobsmacked by a show this hard in a while.

(return of the) show(s) that execute their own premise very well;

i havent read the manga for yubisaki to renren so i cant compare, but the quality of this adaptation has been very consistent. you need a little sweet romance every once in a while :) this is one of those series where the characters really grew on me the longer it went on. im always a fan of mixing realistic struggles with romance and this one has been doing it well so far

adaptations that are ok (i read the manga for both of these);

i've been a mashle fan since before s1 aired. and the anime has some good changes and additions here and there! but its not very consistent in terms of quality, it does that shonen thing where the animation quality suddenly spikes for certain action sequences, but it also frequently had a lot of scenes where they recycle shots a lot and nothing interesting happens on the screen for a considerable amount of time. still! its a fine adaptation. and yeah the op for this. blew tf up lmao? very strange to see happen in real time

i actually rlly like the manga for this one. i read the whole thing up until vol.6 before the season started (all that was available back then) and it made me cry multiple times throughout. i was sort of missing that connection with the show, though some of the later episodes still hit. its mostly to do with the animation quality, which isnt that great unfortunately. the voice actors are knocking it out of the park though

wghere am i;

is this show good? i. uh. will you hate me if i say yes...? objectively, i know its not that good. especially in the animation department. but if you like other Umatani shows, you'll like this one. it's got the same brand of goofy reactionary humour mixed with gimmicky tacky characters and crazy stupid plot twists. ive been faithfully watching this one each week and I'm afraid i've become very invested. overscientific indeed

bro you fell off...;

i was so beyond excited for this one. i replayed the op a million times, watched each preview, rewatched multiple episodes. and then. ep 5 happened. and i started to realise. oh this show kind of sucks doesnt it? the pacing of the first ep was great, but the rest? way too fast. it became clear with ep 6 that theyre trying to do a double cour show with half the length, which is why they started hauling ass plot-wise. now. i was an arajin apologist for the longest time. but at that point i honestly started to loathe him. even when he stepped up, his praise still felt sort of unearned. and to top it all off, shindou's motivation sucked so he felt like a lousy antagonist. ep6 was better than 5, but it really made me lose my enthusiasm and hope for the series. and right as we were talking about them probably not having time for a filler ep, ep7 happened. feels like a waste of time to do an ep like that when you've still got a whole 2nd arc to go through. but who am i

it started off pretty good honestly. but then chris went to the hospital and it kind of just dwindled from there. this season does so much with characters that have not even been properly introduced like how am i supposed to care about these people if i barely know who they are. the stuff with finn and leo respectively was good though. but the lore dump? lord help me. also vijay just kind of. exists to be there in the background huh? i would not call him a main character they never give him any attention. wendy had another ep again and he didnt get shit. again. also i think finn was stupid as fuck for not listening to lala but again. who am i. i know we cant destroy high card because we need a show but. cmon man.

i am severely behind on these;

reason why im behind is because most of the eps are a bit heavy so i kept. not watching them. its starting to get rlly interesting though so i'm def gonna catch up this is one of those robo-racism shows so i have to really watch out to see where its going. dont want another marginal service situation...

sorry this is just. a little too boring for me. its charming, sure. but i think this wouldve worked better as something with an 11 min timeslot instead of 23 min. theres just a bit too mu- or well, too little for me to rlly get into this. i think reading it would be more fun for me personally

#dungeon meshi #yubisaki to renren #yuuki bakuhatsu bang bravern #30 sai made doutei dato mahoutsukai ni nareru rashii #gekkan mousou kagaku #bucchigiri?!#high card #metallic rouge #kyuujitsu no warumono san #delicious in dungeon #a sign of affection #brave bang bravern!#bang brave bang bravern #cherry magic!#delusional monthly magazine #bucchigiri #mr villain's day off #i did the review a bit later into the season this time around. so my thoughts are more in order and ive already dropped a few things #theres also 1 more category this time #also if youre curious; i ended up finishing everything from last season except for the 2 series in the couldve been better category #i finished a bunch of them way later though but shhh. im also planning on finishing the last 2 at some point. esp since ke is getting a s2 #like wtf. who couldve seen that coming.#tedpost #tedtalks #tedlists

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hardcore-gaming-101 · 25 days

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Metal Gear Solid Mobile

Even in a series as prolific as Metal Gear, it is not immune to missing or lost releases, and there are blind spots in the series that many don’t know about or haven’t heard of. Metal Gear Solid Mobile is one such game. It is a ‘lost’ game in the series, released solely on mobile platforms & not widely publicized. It’s also unique in how advanced it was for a mobile game at the time. MGS Mobile reaches toward the level of the console games, despite a smaller screen & keypad controls, and it gets might close that lofty aim.