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   Angry Metal Guy @[email protected] · 2025-08-13 · 11:50 UTC

   AMG Goes Ranking – Panopticon By Thus Spoke

   Whether they “invented” it or not, Panopticon’s blend of bluegrass and black metal is distinctive in a way few superficially similar acts can match. From the very start, there was something special, and while the sound grew more refined, its core never changed—there was always an immense sense of drama, emotional intensity, and an unpretentious, honest heart that you could feel whether progenitor Austin Lunn was shrieking in fury or crooning softly.

   Panopticon sits apart not only from other USBM acts, but from black metal acts in general. In many senses, the project functions as a kind of antithesis or a subversion of several unfortunate black metal stereotypes. Whereas the “trve” image of the genre is one of aggression and hatred, often to the point of edginess, Panopticon embodies something a lot closer to love, inverting the trope of isolation and darkness into an overwhelming message of solidarity. The rebelliousness embodied by a particularly black metal fondness for (real or affected) devil-worship manifests instead through authentic and peaceful anarchist philosophy. “Nature worship” is delivered through environmentalism rather than religiosity. Though a solo act, there is little, if any, lyrical space devoted to navel-gazing, with the emphasis again being on common human experience, and the natural world we all share. The consistent prominence of samples provides yet another window into the spirit that lies behind every record, as they show glimpses of political fear-mongering and the dehumanization of “undesirable” groups, giving a voice to the fight for workers’ rights, environmental protection, righteous anger, and yet also, hope for the future.

   And so, of all the words I associate with Panopticon, “empathy” is near the top. It’s probably the reason that I can’t get through most of these albums without crying. That incredibly human aspect to the music also makes the impact of individual albums very personal, having spoken to my fellow rankers and read their submissions, this is quite evident. Even where we align, our reasons often don’t.

   Before we begin, I want to shout out Mystikus Hugebeard in particular. Were it not for him and his orb of infinite wisdom suggesting it in the first place, I would not have dragged myself out of a quiet hiatus and pulled together this piece at all. I feel privileged to be able to write this introduction, given my relative lack of seniority compared to Panopticon’s resident official reviewer, El Cuervo. I guess this shows you where keenness (and a good suggestion) can get you. I hope you’re all ready for a long and lascivious tongue-bathing of one of black metal’s most stoically and understatedly iconic artists.

   The Rankings

   Thus Spoke

   #10. On the Subject of Mortality (2010) – Every Panopticon album has a ‘moment’ for me where I am bowled over by the heady combination of jaw-dropping musical composition and emotional intensity, i.e, a bit that makes me cry. Except for this one. I do love some of these songs in isolation (“Living Eulogy,” “To Make an Idol of Our Fear and Call it God”), but overall, there’s an intangible absence of force, a twist of a knife or sigh of despair, or heart-stopping climax, that relegates Mortality to its unfortunate position. Perhaps the lukewarm vibes are a result of Mortality’s status as a kind of compilation of past tracks initially released in splits and singles, and there’s a subconscious lack (whether on my part or Panopticon’s) of driving central purpose and weight. I hate to put any Panopticon record at the bottom of anything, but something has to be here.

   #9. Collapse (2009) – While still a very cool album, Collapse leaves me oddly cold. The trajectory falters a little as it sways between the debut’s vehement rawness, a floatier, more post-black sound, and passages of Appalachian folk which would come to define later Panopticon. Sometimes, they all converge brilliantly (“The Death of Baldr and the Coming War,” “Merkstave,” “Beginning of the End”), and even when the separation is more stark (“Aptrgangr,” “Idavoll,”) the music doesn’t lack coherence, just refinement. Collapse mixes in the new with the old in a way that both evolves Panopticon’s sound and keeps things consistently unique. Its grip is, nonetheless, uneven, with highlights in “The Death…,” “Merkstave,” and “The Beginning of the End” punctuated by lesser movements. As a symptom of a developing style, this is forgivable, especially given where things went.

   #8. Autumn Eternal (2015) – Look, I’m sorry; I know this is a fan favorite. I’ve just never seen what so many seem to see in Autumn Eternal when they count it among Panopticon’s best. Yes, it’s beautiful (“Pale Ghosts”) and can be epic, but so are all Panopticon albums, and relative to its sisters, Autumn Eternal’s swooping gestures and delicate caresses feel like a dilution of Panopticon traits, with much less magic than on many other outings. There’s comparatively little fire in the blazing black metal of the charges, and the melodies are simply less interesting (“Oaks Ablaze” and “A Superior Lament”). Even when the execution is—as is to be expected—superb (“Autumn Eternal,” “Pale Ghosts”), I am never as enamored as I am when I listen to other preferred Panopticon moments. This is also the record where I enjoy the folkier touches the least (except for Collapse). And though it’s far from Panopticon’s longest, Autumn Eternal almost drags.

   #7. Social Disservices (2011) – Panopticon records have a habit of hitting pretty hard, but Social Disservices hits hard in a very particular way. In addition to its musical strikingness as the smoothest blend yet of atmospheric black metal, it’s also conceptually striking in the form of a brutal gut-punch at the moment you first notice what’s going on. You don’t even need to read the lyrics to experience this epiphany, just the track list. “Resident” becomes “Client,” who becomes “Subject,” and finally “Patient,” adumbrating the insidious progression of control and objectification of the individual by systems of power. As if its biting words and magnificently moving melodies (“Client,” “Patient”) weren’t enough, the distressing samples of screaming babies (“Client”) and overlapping voices of anger and despair (“Subject”) leave absolutely no escape. This effect is so powerful that it proves slightly harmful for this record’s ranking, as there is little to no peace or calm from the onslaught until “Patient”‘s closing act. But every time I do return, I remember it’s a brilliant atmo-black record, and curse my forgetfulness.

   #6. Panopticon (2008). Woe to those who dismiss the debut. Powerfully intense in itself, it further blows my mind by how much of the later Panopticon is audible in it. Already so dynamic, and so emotionally and politically-charged, with Lunn’s anti-authoritarian anarchist philosophy (“Flag Burner, Torch Bearer,” “…Speaking…,” “Emma’s Song”) on full display.1 A passionate series of epic-length, sample-splicing blackened storms, prefiguring Panopticon idiosyncrasies to come. Fluent, dynamic drumming that eschews the monotone blastbeat and gives away Lunn’s beginnings as a drummer; dramatic, triumphant rhythmic riffing;2 the touch of atmosphere in resonant chords and weeping tremolos. Already, the emotional core reaches beyond the fury of the angriest moments (“I, Hedonist,” “Emma’s Song”), with “…Speaking…” delivering potent poignancy in stirring, melancholic atmoblack that builds to a fever of pathos. Yes, it needs a trim, and it’s a little rough around the edges, but as the birth of Panopticon, things could hardly have gone better.

   #5. The Rime of Memory (2023) – Given the unadulterated praise I heaped upon The Rime of Memory, you’d be forgiven for assuming that this would have ended up higher. But the ridiculous calibre of this band’s discography means that from here on, all albums are at least Excellent, and this one’s being here is more a case of others’ strengths. It’s Panopticon at their most consistently beautiful in the engrossing part folk, part gaze, part blistering black metal way that no subgenre peer can match (“Cedar Skeletons,” “The Blue Against the White”). It’s a paragon of marathon-length black metal songwriting, where the immersion just doesn’t break and the musical and emotional builds and releases are earned, and affecting on a huge scale (“Winter’s Ghost,” “Cedar Skeletons,” “Enduring the Snow Drought”). Like its predecessor …And Again Into the Light, the more prominent use of cello and violin works to further pull on the heartstrings by augmenting melodies with weeping, drawling warmth and sadness. This is how you do atmoblack; or at least, this is how Panopticon is doing it currently, and it’s absolutely wonderful.

   #4. Roads to the North (2014) – I consider Roads to the North to be Panopticon’s most Panopticon-sounding album of all. Unlike Autumn Eternal, which analogously distills the core musical aura and is divided into more numerous, shorter songs, Roads to the North pulls no punches in any dimension, never sacrificing the authenticity of bluegrass or the consuming force of black metal. The seamless, and emotionally stirring flow of distinct but univocal movements—especially the “Long Road” trilogy and its gorgeous final part—is nothing short of masterful. And the riffs here are fantastic (“The Echoes of a Disharmonic Evensong,” “In Silence,” “Chase the Grain”); not only vivacious and memorable but so effortlessly matching the spirit of the folk that tells the story of the record in tandem both separately, measuredly, perfectly (“Norwegian Nights”), and with clever, stirring integration (“Where Mountains Pierce the Sky,” “The Sigh of Summer”). There is precious little barring Roads to the North’s entry into my top 3; maybe with more time, it’ll end up there.

   #3. Kentucky (2012). When I first heard Kentucky, I didn’t love it. This was probably a knee-jerk reaction to the tin whistle and the uptempo country vibe of the bluegrass tracks. But the characteristically stirring black metal, dramatically rent with thundering drums, gentler folk (“Black Waters,” “Kentucky”), and testimony, always took me. Soon the tin whistle’s dissonance gained a striking thrill, and the rousing, commiserating calls of “Come All Ye Coal Miners” and “Which Side are You On” claimed their rightful position as vital chapters in the tale: the moving story of the Kentucky coal mining industry that ravaged the mountains and ruined lives through abuse and corruption. Heartening, bittersweet hope (“Black Soot and Red Blood”) with uplifting scales and inexorable, battering lows. Huge drama befitting the Appalachian mountains themselves (“Killing the Giants as they Sleep”) with cascading guitar lines, and infinite atmospheres surrounding the stunned sorrow of returning to a devastated landscape. I am unfailingly moved, and can understand why this is #1 for so many, even though it isn’t mine.3

   #2. The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness (2018) – Scars’ dualistic nature—so often bearing the brunt of criticism as listeners disown either part—is central to its brilliance. With Part 1 centring on the relationship between mankind and nature, Part 2 zooms in closer on the people; the macro and the micro-relations central to the creation and deepening of the Scars. The former epitomizes its focus with wilder black metal that could be favorably compared to Mare Cognitum at times, complete with some of Panopticon’s best riffs (“Blåtimen,” “Sheep in Wolves’ Clothing”) and most dramatically beautiful melodies (“Snow-Burdened Branches”).4 The hinted mournfulness is felt more keenly in Part 2, whose acoustic stylings lay bare the disenfranchisement and loneliness latent under the snow. Panopticon’s best bluegrass lies here, and particularly over the last few weeks I’ve frequently found myself singing most of this album to myself (“The Moss Beneath the Snow,” “Four Walls of Bone,” “A Cross Abandoned.”) A younger, more ignorant me would have scorned my genuine love for the ‘country’-ness of this. Maturing is recognizing that the love for this spectacular double album is justified.

   #1. …And Again into the Light (2020). This is not just Panopticon’s best album, but one of my favorite albums of all time. The deeply personal nature is underscored by the unpublished lyrics, and the spellbinding blend of force and delicacy here is perfected. The bluegrass is supernaturally peaceful (“…And Again into the Light,” “Her Golden Laughter Echoes”), passing into black metal with the most grace of any Panopticon example. And when it melts into gaze, in “The Embers at Dawn,” it’s so softly sad it breaks my heart. The intertwining of dizzying violins amidst the tumbling percussion in an avalanche of emotion, only an emphatic crash away from syrupy atmosphere (“Dead Loons,” “Rope Burn Exist”), is a natural and simple perfection of Panopticon’s characteristically ardent style. The heaviness which peaks in devastating “Moth Eaten Soul” is matched in goosebump-inducing ability only by “The Embers At Dawn” and the triumphant close of “Know Hope.” Every track is a monolith, yet they blend into one another so seamlessly, through exquisitely-pitched pauses of ringing chords and bird calls, that I’m practically holding my breath in awe the entire time. And if the incredible music weren’t enough in its own right, the album’s thesis of hope and light for those who feel alone, overwhelmed, and in the dark strengthens it beyond an indubitably iconic status. It’s a masterpiece that even Panopticon may struggle ever to surpass.

   El Cuervo

   Consigned to History

   #10 Panopticon – Had the Panopticon debut arrived a decade earlier, it might have been heralded as something more than it is. Though a clattering, chaotic slice of Norwegian-style black metal, its lengthy compositions and shreddy production give it an edge that many 90s bands didn’t have. But Panopticon features almost none of the qualities that would go on to define the band. This type of music will always have an old-school charm, but in the context of Austin Lunn’s entire discography, it’s an unremarkable introduction given how much his sound would change. If you desperately desire to hear more black metal, it’ll do that job but less well than many of its influences. It’s hard to conceive this record as anything other than a formative learning experience, and it’s far from essential.

   #9 Collapse – Lunn’s music frequently boils with righteous, politically-charged indignation, but Collapse is his angriest work. He channels his fury through scything leads and powerful roars, not stepping off the black metal pedal for the first ten minutes of “The Death of Baldr and the Coming War.” But the abrupt side-step into twee bluegrass for the subsequent ten minutes of the record represented a tide-change in black metal, transitioning Lunn from a quasi-Norwegian into someone distinctly more American. The songwriting and melodies here are far from Panopticon’s artistic peak. Both the black metal and folksy passages are fairly rote and lack real cohesion, as one starts and the other ends without proper transitions. But it’s hard to imagine that the band would have hit the heights that it has without the progression audible on Collapse.

   Assured Steps

   #8 …on the Subject of Mortality – Though Panopticon is best known for its fusion of black metal with bluegrass (blackgrass?), there are also post-rock influences in the pot. These first appear on …on the Subject of Mortality, which marks the beginning of progression away from simple black metal towards subtler black metal. The engaging layers of guitars and bold melodic lines characterize this record compared with its predecessors, even if Lunn’s vocals were still in their rougher, blacker era. And though his prior work had the fire and fury you would expect of a young black metal artist, …on the Subject of Mortality features the dramatic flair that he now evidently enjoys. This partly flows from the music that’s more dynamic – switching from blackened blasting to bold shredding to shimmering walls to lilting interludes – but also an emotive shift from pure anger to a broader spectrum. …on the Subject of Mortality was a confident step towards musical maturity.

   #7 The Rime of Memory – The Rime of Memory is basically a good record. Panopticon hasn’t made a record that’s any less than good for a long time. Despite my contemporaneous 3.5 score, it was the first that I wasn’t extremely enthusiastic about since discovering the band. While a number of Panopticon records are overlong, this one suffers the worst for it. I struggle to digest it in one sitting, which defeats the purpose of the art form. And while The Rime of Memory consumes you with its heavy atmosphere and measured pace, it lacks those gilding highlights to bring you to the surface of its deep ocean. The other long albums like …and Again into the Light and Roads to the North boast awesome individual moments that elevate the whole experience, whereas The Rime of Memory holds you below. Others tell me this is the perfect ‘switch-off’ album, but I like music best when it demands my attention. This doesn’t say quite enough to me.

   #6 …and Again into the Light – …and Again into the Light is distinguished most by its sense of creative comfort. By 2021, in the discography, hearing a new Panopticon record is like sliding back into a pair of old slippers. You know what you’re getting, and it’s still better than most others, but it’s not the novel experience of bygone years. Its second key characteristic is its choppiness, boasting some career highlights but contrasted by filler. The eponymous opener is arguably the best in Lunn’s oeuvre, swelling from a folksy acoustic melody into a grand arrangement with sobbing strings. And “The Embers at Dawn” is mesmerizingly gorgeous, possibly the best song he’s ever written. But the core of the record around “A Snowless Winter” does little to stand apart from the strong bookends. The highs comfortably outweigh the lows, but …and Again into the Light doesn’t reach the pantheon of true greatness.

   Faltering Genius

   #5 Social Disservices – After …on the Subject of Mortality, which feels closer to the post-Kentucky Panopticon, Social Disservices returns to the bleak feel of Collapse. The unsettling speed, roaring vocals, and atonal strings land this record closer to ‘depressive suicidal black metal’ than anything else in the Panopticon discography (try “Resident” for a striking, nasty opening). And even where the music does strip back into quieter passages, it’s textured with upsetting samples; electronic ambience and noise rock combine into some of the most disturbing work in Lunn’s discography (“Subject” conjures deeply uncomfortable feelings). Social Disservices is distinctly monolithic, even within a discography of potent music. Where most of Lunn’s music is marked by melodic or thematic distinctiveness, this album is surprisingly one-note. Its oppressiveness makes for a harder listen than other records on this list, but it’s perfect for scratching that dreadful itch.

   #4 The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness – This was the greatest surprise for me on this list. After the exemplary run from Kentucky to Autumn Eternal, I welcomed Scars with stratospheric expectations. But the stark partition between black metal and bluegrass, plainer compositions, and sheer length left me disappointed. Returning to the album years later yields something much better than I initially recognized. Make no mistake: it’s still far too long and repetitive. But if you enter with the expectation of a slower pace and simpler arrangements, then there are far worse ways to spend 118 minutes in darkness and introspection. Certainly, it does this job better than The Rime of Memory. I especially love the softer folk arrangements on Part II; without the flabbiness of Part I, Part II would reach higher on this list. I’m no country fan – given that I’m not American, less still rural – but Scars lures me into its sparse but beautiful world with simple melodies and plaintive singing.

   The Sweet Spot

   #3 Roads to the North – Perhaps due to my own discovery of Panopticon with this record, my perception is that this is the record that broke Panopticon into the international metal market. It’s easy to hear why: the expansive, blackened compositions and off-beat bluegrass pull fans from different places, while the fusion of these core components was more sophisticated and harmonious than on any record prior. Even if I ultimately prefer this album’s predecessor, it was Roads to the North that found Lunn finally finding true harmony between his black metal and bluegrass influences. I also love the sense of progression here. Just as Lunn himself underwent a journey described by the album’s lyrics, it first coaxes and later drags its listener through detailed arrangements that meander through a long but clearly demarcated journey. Roads to the North was the natural culmination of all that was Panopticon until 2014.

   #2 Autumn Eternal – If Kentucky marked the starting point of Lunn’s changing circumstances, and Roads to the North marked a period of uncertainty and personal challenges, then Autumn Eternal marked a guarded acceptance of his new life. There’s a moody mournfulness, but it doesn’t sound resentful; there’s a sense of a man achieving comfort. Accordingly, it’s the most melodic, pretty, and immediate of his releases. It prioritizes bold melodies and hopefulness above his prior records, which are frequently distinguished by their anguish and rage. By Panopticon’s own powerful standards, it’s almost easy and enjoyable. This in itself distinguishes Autumn Eternal. But don’t be deceived by the melodies and slickness. There remain fringes of danger that bleed through the heavier tracks, rooted in the dark Minnesotan wilderness. For the casual metal listener, Autumn Eternal is likely the best Panopticon launchpad.

   #1 Kentucky – Among Panopticon’s many depictions of working-class strife, it’s Kentucky’s raw, emotional discharge that leaves the strongest mark on me. Although grounded in the eponymous state’s history, perhaps this is because abuse of coal mining communities was commonplace where I’m from, too. It conjures an energy that’s unmatched in the discography. There were many American black metal bands doing the Scandinavian thing before 2012, but none sounded so grounded in America; it sounds like corn and moonshine and rural humility. And though Lunn’s songwriting may have progressed to smoother territory on subsequent releases, Kentucky finds that sweet spot between raw black metal and subtler songcraft that would later grow. The leap from Social Disservices to Kentucky is staggering, considering the mere seven months between the two releases. Although there are plenty of strong albums in Panopticon’s career, it’s Kentucky that feels like lightning in a bottle and one of the best black metal albums ever.

   Mystikus Hugebeard

   When discussing the sort of black metal that speaks to me, I’ve oft likened it to a blanket. A dense, tactile wall of sounds and emotion so thick that I imagine myself sinking into and wrapping myself in its embrace. In this regard, Panopticon is practically tailor-made to draw my gaze. I am helpless against that which Panopticon offers: spacious, blackened vistas of naturalist imagery painted across lengthy songs, the integration of folk music (in this case Americana, which, like the saxophone, should be a part of far more metal bands), and riffs with such genuine emotional weight behind them. Like any purveyor of black metal, I’ve been spinning Kentucky for years, with the rest of Panopticon’s discography periodically approaching from the periphery. I was eager to participate in this ranking to celebrate the release of Panopticon’s upcoming release, so that I might entrap you readers into listening to me prattle on about one of my favorite artists. And now, it’s rankin’ time!

   #10: …on the Subject of Mortality (2010). While it may be at the bottom of the list, this is not a disaster of an album by any means, but it is an unmemorable one. …on the Subject of Mortality was the most experimental album of Panopticon’s early years, and sets the stage for various elements to be explored with more depth in later releases. The tone and atmosphere are all over the place, and the sampling/voice recordings are unlike anything else in the discography. This sense of experimentation would bear great fruit in the next few albums, but …on the Subject of Mortality is in this weird middle ground where the final result feels so flat. Songs feel like little more than 7-10 minutes of a vibe, as the riffs lack sufficient meat or heft. I do like the tone of “To Make an Idol of our Fear and Call it God,” but tracks like “Living Eulogy” and “Watching You” make little impression despite dozens of re-listens. Honestly, the sampled sections made the strongest impact on me, like the sounds of whips and cries in “A Message to the Missionary” or the bombastic orchestral opening to “Living in the Valley of the Shadow of Death.” I will say that it’s not so terrible as to be avoided altogether, but if you’re sufficiently familiar and fond of Panopticon’s other works, then temper your expectations.

   #9: Panopticon (2008). In the broad spectrum of Panopticon’s discography, this self-titled debut holds up well enough but is plainly overshadowed by all the growth Panopticon has enjoyed over the years. I admire Panopticon’s diversity, ranging from early versions of the post-black heard in current Panopticon (“Speaking”) to standard black metal vitriol (“Archetype”) and even pseudo-Viking-metal (“The Lay of Grimnir”). It gives the earnest impression of an artist throwing some spaghetti at the wall, with enough songwriting chops to make some of it stick. For the debut of a one-man black metal act, Panopticon’s production is also blessedly solid. But it just lacks the more complex sound and interesting songwriting that Panopticon has refined over time, feeling overwrought by the end as the deluge of long songs lack a strong focus to justify the space. Panopticon is enjoyable enough, to be sure, and it’s fun to see where things began and pick up on nuggets of ideas that would later be expanded upon, but none of the songs truly compel me to return to Panopticon.

   #8: Roads to the North (2014). I feel like I’m obliged to like this album more given its place as the second of a trilogy between Kentucky and Autumn Eternal (neither of which are present on this end of the list), but that relationship and inevitable comparison do the album absolutely zero favors. Roads to the North is an undeniably pretty album, being graced with crisp production and having been released after Panopticon really nailed their soundscape in Kentucky, and by virtue alone it is a pleasant journey to take. “The Long Road Pt. 3 (The Sigh of Summer)” in particular is a shimmering haze of post-y noodling that is a delightful space to inhabit. But on the whole, not unlike …on the Subject of Mortality, Roads to the North just feels forgettable, ephemeral. Its evocation of its naturalist themes feels less impactful than the stellar albums on either side of it, and besides a riff here or a folksy jaunt there, not enough material within Roads to the North compels much emotion or demands my attention. Nothing truly offends, and scant little dazzles. But it is nevertheless a beautiful-sounding album.

   #7: The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness, Pt. 1 & 2 (2018). This was easily the most difficult album to rank. I absolutely adore this album on a conceptual level, as it features some of the band’s most aggressively environmental theming that ought to pair beautifully with the Panopticon soundscape. In particular, a B-Side of primarily Americana/folk music should be a slam dunk after what we’ve heard Panopticon do before, but overall, there’s a sense of wasted potential. There is a lot to enjoy throughout the two-hour Scars of Man. While the heavier A-Side isn’t the most memorable of Panopticon’s work, there are some decent moments in “Blåtimen” and “Sheep in Wolves Clothing,” and the closer “Snow Burdened Branches” genuinely might be my favorite Panopticon song. The B-Side does start strong with the beautiful, post-heavy “The Moss Beneath the Snow” and the folksy “The Wandering Ghost,” but ultimately the B-Side lacks variety and suffers from poor pacing as a result. It is very pretty Americana, as always, but it begins to feel dry and meandering by the time it ends. As a whole, Scars of Man has enough strong points (and one of Panopticon’s best songs) to not place lower, but there are a few too many cracks scattered across the surface to keep it in these lower rungs of the ranking.

   #6: Collapse (2009). And now we’ve hit the first album in the ranking where I can say that I just like it with practically zero qualifiers. Panopticon’s sophomore album is less dynamic and far blunter than what came directly before and after it, but it finds a singular and engaging focus on sustained aggression across its few, lengthy tracks. The use of sampling and voice recordings is also tastefully done, jamming most of it in the beginning of “The Death of Baldr and the Coming War,” with a cacophony of politically charged adverts about the Bush administration leading right into some filthy black metal. Indeed, Collapse is a particularly nasty cut of black metal within Panopticon’s discography, not quite yet striking the balance between light and dark tangible in latter-Panopticon. Funnily enough Collapse is also the first time we hear some good ol’ Americana, which is always welcome! The raw, nastier emotional tone of Collapse would be explored with a little more richness in Social Disservices two years later, but I really like the blunt nature of Collapse and its oppressive, absolute sonic discord. Even with only four long tracks that don’t cover all that much ground, Collapse does a hell of a lot with what it has, making for an impactful and enjoyable album.

   #5: …and Again into the Light (2021). I’ve poked and prodded at this list ad nauseum, and now that I’m gazing at it from a bird’s-eye view, it genuinely blows my mind that this album ranks only at #5. …and Again into the Light is an absolute beast of an album. While not as suffocatingly dense as Social Disservices or Rime of Memory, in my mind I tend to classify …and Again as Panopticon’s heaviest album. This is Panopticon at their most vulnerable and exposed, as the music evokes a consistent and desperate outcry of feeling. The brutal beatdown of “Moth Eaten Soul” or the visceral climax of “Know Hope” conjure such moving heaviness that lingers across the whole album, which is made all the more powerful in its contrast with the long passages of a somber, folksy atmosphere. This heaviness in conjunction with such sweet sorrow make “Dead Loons” and “The Embers at Dawn” some of Panopticon’s best. …and Again into the Light is maturely and honestly written, a perfect window into the heart of what is so special about the music of Panopticon. The only reason it doesn’t rank higher is because the following albums appeal more to my own specific and inscrutable tastes. That an album like this is at #5 is a testament to how goddamn good Panopticon is, frankly.

   #4: Social Disservices (2011). My first listen to Social Disservices was a confused one, because it stands out with its distinct theming. It’s no less emotionally intense than your usual Panopticon, but the tone paints a picture that is more urban than naturalist. Less the wintry chill and more the rough indifference of brutalist concrete, like the industrial sounding drums over buzzing guitars in “Subject.” It drips with malice, eschewing melancholy for dissonant violence in the harsh screeches of infants in “Client.” Yes, my first listen was confused, but every subsequent listen has sunk the hooks in deeper. It’s an uncompromising aural assault of heavy riffs that wouldn’t be (almost) matched until …and Again into the Light, rounded out with the usual undercurrents of beauty. Social Disservices is well-written in a way that makes the most out of this uncharacteristically sadistic atmosphere, offering barely enough room to breathe amidst the tide of brutal riffs. It’s an extremely intense and absorbing album that is unquestionably Panopticon, but a Panopticon quite unlike anything before, and mostly since.

   #3: Kentucky (2012). This is basically the Panopticon record. Everything about the Panopticon sound crystallized in Kentucky, from its strong environmental theming conveyed through ancient voice recordings, the lively yet somber Americana work-songs bookending the heavy tracks, and beautiful but crushing post-black metal. Like many people, I imagine, this was my gateway to Panopticon, and it’s a wonderful album. The tragic narrative undercurrent of the injustices suffered by American coal miners is one of the most cohesive and effective narratives Panopticon has crafted. “Bodies Under the Falls” and “Black Soot and Red Blood” are dynamic epics, weaving black metal beautifully with the Americana passages, both within the tracks themselves and without. Kentucky is all just so painstakingly constructed with every element effortlessly balanced against each other. To this day, when I get a craving for Americana or bluegrass, I throw on “Come All Ye Coal Miners.” It’s at number three for me just because I’ve always felt the pacing dips a smidge through the decision to end Kentucky on the concurrent slow tracks “Black Waters” and “Kentucky,” but it’s a non-issue in the grand scheme. Kentucky is iconic, and always will be.

   #2: Rime of Memory (2023). I purchased this album directly before my first trip to Austria, in December 2023. As my fiancé and I drove through the Austrian Alps from Salzburg to Zell Am See, we listened to Rime of Memory as night descended. The snowy mountainsides were streaked with shades of blackened blue as “Winter’s Ghost” traversed its steel-string crescendo, encroached upon by the jagged shadows of the pines as the guitars shift to blistering aggression; put simply, it was a fucking transcendent listening experience, and it’s given me the kind of perspective of an album that never quite leaves. Rime of Memory strikes a similarly dense emotional and sonic maximalism that I associate with Social Disservices, with the more robust folksy atmosphere of latter-Panopticon enriching the sound. Rime of Memory is a visceral and nigh-constant blizzard of noise, creating a rich and tactile atmoblack experience supported by some of the strongest material I’ve heard from Panopticon. The somber, languid acoustics that open “Winter’s Ghost,” the raking violins erupting from “Cedar Skeletons,” the crooning lead guitar melody of “Enduring the Snow Drought;” these moments, and more, of aching beauty stand like beacons of blue against the white, alighting the music with feeling. One might argue that Kentucky is the more important album, but this is the one I reach for more eagerly.

   #1: Autumn Eternal (2015). This was not an easy choice to make, since Panopticon’s albums are all quite different from one another. They all occupy unique spaces, scratching a different itch with varying levels of efficacy. After agonizing over it, I realized that the unique elements that comprise Autumn Eternal just feel the most, well, right. Some of the sound’s harsher edges have been smoothed out without losing that black metal bite, creating a moving album that feels kinder, more forgiving than it’s counterparts. As a result, a stronger emphasis on melody shines through from the very first moments of “Into the North Woods.” Across Autumn Eternal, this warm melodicism becomes intoxicating, pairing like a fine wine with the album’s diverse array of songs. The riff-heavy “Oaks Ablaze,” the gorgeous escalation of “The Winds Farewell,” even the harsher “Pale Ghosts” and “Sleep to the Sound of Waves Crashing;” no matter the mood, the music radiates warmth and takes on an almost moss-like texture. As alluded to earlier, this is the end of a trilogy, but even without that context, Autumn Eternal wields finality with elegance in the sublime “The Winds Farewell.” It speaks to a powerful album that is both emotionally challenging and accessible. Autumn Eternal is the perfect blend of warm tremolos and windy acoustics, of hopeful melodies and sorrow-tinged atmosphere; it is the apotheosis of Panopticon’s songwriting in conjunction with its themes and soundscape. In other words, to my ears, this is the best version of Panopticon.

   AMG Official Ranking

   Possible points: 30

   #10. On the Subject of Mortality (2010) -5 points

   #9. Panopticon (2008) – 8 points

   #8. Collapse (2009) -9 points

   #7. Social Disservices (2011) – 17 points

   #6. Roads to the North (2014) -18 points

   #5. The Rime of Memory (2023) -19 points

   #4. The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness (2018) – 20 points

   #3. …And Again into the Light (2020) – 21 points

   #2: Autumn Eternal (2015) – 22 points

   #1. Kentucky (2012) – 26 points

    

   The Angry Metal Discord Speaks (and for some reason we listen)

   #10. The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness (2018)

   #9. Panopticon (2008)

   #8. Social Disservices (2011)

   #7. On the Subject of Mortality (2010)

   #6. Collapse (2009)

   #5.Roads to the North (2014)

   #4.The Rime of Memory (2023)

   #3. …And Again into the Light (2020)

   #2. Kentucky (2012)

   #1. Autumn Eternal (2015)

    

   Check out the below for our favourite Panopticon cuts*; as if Panopticon music can really be enjoyed fully in isolated snippets…

    

   * I really really wanted to add “…Speaking…” from Panopticon to this playlist, but the album isn’t on any streaming platform. So I’m putting it here:

   Panopticon by Panopticon

   #2025 #AmericanMetal #AMGGoesRanking #AMGRankings #AtmosphericBlackMetal #Aug25 #BlackMetal #Folk #MareCognitum #Panopticon #USBM

   #americanmetal #amggoesranking #amgrankings #atmosphericblackmetal #aug25 #blackmetal
2. 

   Angry Metal Guy @[email protected] · 2024-12-29 · 18:01 UTC

   Saunders and Felagund’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024

   By Dr. A.N. Grier

   Saunders

   Rather than delve into the not-so-good parts of a rollercoaster 2024, which had its share of rough circumstances, I’m using this rare soapbox moment to focus on the positives of another action-packed year of metal. Celebrating ten years of writing at Angry Metal Guy was an achievement that crept up. All these years later I remain beyond stoked and privileged to still be contributing in a small way as the blog has snowballed into the juggernaut it is today.

   Unfortunately, I haven’t quite fulfilled my writing productivity goals in 2024. However, even when motivation slips, it still gives me great satisfaction to have a platform to share my thoughts and opinions on the music I love. I cannot match the writing chops or word smithery of our most esteemed scribes. However, honing my craft within my own abilities and drawing inspiration from the excellence of my fellow writers continues to motivate me and hopefully steer listeners toward some great music.

   While it may not compete with some of the top-shelf individual years over the past decade, 2024 featured a lot of top-shelf stuff across a multitude of genres sprawled over the heavy spectrum. As per usual, the plethora of releases was overwhelming and again I stumble into the end-of-year chaos with a hefty list of stuff I need to check out or spend more time with. Nevertheless, from the numerous albums, I spent quality time with throughout the year, I eventually arrived at the releases that mattered the most to me, with many gems to no doubt uncover in the end-of-year wash-up. This is probably one of the more eclectic lists I’ve cultivated during my time here. Not sure exactly why that was the case, but a year of fluctuating, uneasy shifts on personal and professional fronts perhaps contributed to the more diverse listening rotation.

   To wrap up, a heartfelt thank you to our beloved readership for making this all worthwhile and to all my colleagues/writing buddies and general crew of awesome people comprising the ever-expanding blog. Also shout-out to my list buddy Felagund, here’s hoping our combined powers partially align or otherwise complement and provide some listening inspiration. Lastly, a special heads-up to Angry Metal Guy, Steel Druhm, and the rest of the AMG editors and brains trust for whipping us all into order and doing the behind-the-scenes heavy lifting to keep this great thing chugging along. Cheers.

   #ish: Anciients // Beyond the Reach of the Sun – Personal dramas, line-up shuffles, and an extended stint away from the studio failed to hamper the triumphant return of Canada’s progressive-stoner-sludge heavyweights Anciients. Beyond the Reach of the Sun marks a strong return that expands the band’s songwriting vision through a standout collection of ambitious, heavily prog-leaning cuts. Loaded with dazzling guitar work and gripping songwriting, Beyond the Reach of the Sun finds the band recalibrating and hitting their songwriting straps without compromising the genre-splicing traits and character they formed across their first couple of albums. It is not a perfect album by any means, with some niggling elements rearing their head, mostly via the way of some bloat, sequencing issues, and a flat production job. But with songs of the outstanding quality of “Despoiled,” “Is it Your God,” and “The Torch” leading the way, the album’s issues fail to extinguish my overall enthusiasm.

   #10. Madder Mortem // Old Eyes New Heart – I came to veteran Norwegian progressive metal outfit Madder Mortem late in the game, just as they appeared to be hitting modern-era career peaks via Red in Tooth and Claw, and most recent album, 2018’s Marrow. Six long years in the wilderness and Madder Mortem return without missing a beat, continuing to pump out expressive, powerfully composed jams of their trademark mix of Goth-tinged progressive/alt metal. Although I enjoyed the album from the outset, if anything it has grown in stature since its early year release. The album’s subtleties and bevy of emotion-charged hooks bury deeper into the brain upon repeat doses. The tough period the band endured prior to the unleashing of Old Eyes New Heart is reflected in the album’s raw, potent swell of emotions and overall depth. This is further reflected in the diverse nature of the colorful songwriting, swinging from bluesy, melancholic restraint (“Cold Hard Rain”), pop-infected prog (‘Here and Now”) to urgent, dramatic, and infectious rock powerhouses (“The Head That Wears the Crown,” “Towers”).

   #9. Opeth // The Last Will and Testament – As a longtime Opeth fanboy, it is a cool feeling to be genuinely enthused about a new LP, nearly three decades since their underrated Orchid debut. All the pre-release buzz centered on the return of Åkerfeldt’s famed death growls. While certainly a cool and unexpected touch, the fourteenth album The Last Will and Testament is not merely a nostalgic throwback to the band’s glory days. Instead, Opeth fuses those quirky, vintage prog tools from their modern-era material and fuses them into an intricate concept album that is a significant step up from the past couple of uneven efforts and easily their best work since at least 2014’s Pale Communion. Dazzling musicianship, jazzy licks, and inventively crafted, yet notably more focused and concise writing marked an album that features better production and tighter, punchier songs than the band has written in a while. It is also Opeth’s heaviest, most riff-centric release in many moons. Despite the trademark melancholic moods and darker shades, it also sounds as if the band is having real fun, reinforced by the abundance of bouncy, infectious riffs, shreddy solos, and boisterous grooves littering the album. Likely would have earned higher honors with time, as I still feel there is much more to discover.

   #8. Oceans of Slumber // Where Gods Fear to Speak – Previously enjoyed the idea of Texan progressive metal powerhouse Oceans of Slumber, more than the execution and finished product. In particular, 2016’s Winter has grown in stature over the years. Yet for much of their career, it has felt like a case of incredible talent and potential not fully realized. That changed on Where Gods Fear to Speak, arguably the band’s most complete, consistent, and hook-laden release. When I felt the prog itch throughout 2024, Where Gods Fear to Speak was often the go-to. An album of lush, moody, drama-filled compositions, deftly contrasting soaring melodies, and skyscraping hooks with muscular riffage and heftier bouts of aggression, the writing is tighter and more compelling than previous efforts. Cammie Beverly’s scene-stealing vocals may take center stage, but this is very much a complete effort, where the rich soundscapes, brooding atmospheres, and technical musicianship shine brightly. Loaded with killer jams, including stirring highlights, “Don’t Come Back from Hell Empty Handed,” “Wish,” and “Poem of Ecstasy,” Where Gods Fear to Speak finally finds Oceans of Slumber firing on all cylinders.

   #7. Pyrrhon // Exhaust – In theory, Pyrrhon should be one of my favorite bands. I used to eat up all manner of skronky, dissonant, and abrasive extreme metal. Perhaps my thirst for the weirder, experimental forms of death metal and dissonance has softened over the years. However, while largely enjoying Pyrrhon’s career up to this point, Exhaust feels like the album I have been waiting for the band to deliver. Exhaust dropped unexpectedly and that element of surprise flowed through another oddball, deranged platter of wildly inventive, chaotic, yet oddly accessible (in Pyrrhon terms) extreme metal. From cautious, challenging early listens, I found myself increasingly compelled to revisit Exhaust on a regular basis, marveling at its flexible, fractured songwriting, nimble musicianship, and raw hardcore punk edge infiltrating the dissonant, experimental death metal at the core of the Pyrrhon experience. Gritty production, perfectly unhinged vocal performance from Doug Moore, and occasional burst of groove and shred of accessibility punctuating the chaos (“First as Tragedy, Then as Farce,” “Strange Pains,” “Stress Fractures”) lend the album a refreshingly addictive edge to counterbalance its abrasive, challenging angles.

   #6. Replicant // Infinite Mortality – New Jersey’s Replicant previously exhibited their brawny, yet brainy mix of gnarled dissonance, technicality, and knuckle-dragging street grooves to powerful effect. However, third album Infinite Mortality levelled the playing field as the band upped their game to elite levels of controlled chaos, while the writing remained challenging yet strangely accessible and memorable. In spirit, the ugly mix of harshness, discordance, and headbangable blockbuster grooves reminds me of the great Ion Dissonance. Meanwhile, the contrasting blend of unorthodox melody, jagged dissonance, and stuttering, complex song structures come together with cohesion and blunt force, punctuated by the occasional warped solo. Like a harsh, harrowing soundtrack to a bleak dystopian future, Infinite Mortality is a mean, chunky, technical, and deliciously primal slab of advanced disso-tech-death excellence.

   #5. Noxis // Violence Inherent in the System – Notably death metal in 2024 was dominated by brutal, dissonant varieties, designed to scramble brains and challenge minds while battering the listener into submission. Refreshingly, unheralded surprise packet Noxis unloaded a killer debut LP to savor. Drawing from an array of old-school influences and ’90s touchstones without ever aping one particular band or style, Noxis unleashed a nostalgic yet unique death metal platter. Managing to at once sound raw and unclean, technical and brutal, thrashy and proggy, sharp and refined, Noxis blaze their way craftily through memorable, riff-infested wastelands with unbridled aggression, speed, and finesse, rubber-stamped by some exceptional bass work. Remnants of the classic Floridian scene mingle with powerful influences, including early Cryptopsy, later-era Death, Atheist, and Cannibal Corpse, resulting in a finished product that sounds fresh and vital, while containing an endearing, workmanlike old-school charm. It works a treat, and the top-notch and frequently inventive writing reveals impressive depth and character that rewards repeat listens.

   #4. Dissimulator // Lower Form Resistance – There are some serviceable, enjoyable thrash-aligned albums in 2024, but one stood head and shoulders above the competition. Comprised of a grizzled bunch of underground Canadian musicians hellbent on fusing advanced technical thrash assaults with sick old-school death-thrash, a fuckton of killer riffs, quirky vocoder action, and razor-sharp hooks, Lower Form Resistance has consistently provided an adrenaline-filled shot of thrash when needing that specific fix. Dissimulator rewires thrash in intricate and intriguing ways, giving me the same giddy rush as past experiences with the likes of Capharnaum, Vhol, and Revocation. Excited to hear what these dudes conjure up next. In the meantime, Lower Form Resistance will continue to keep my thrash cogs oiled through potent bangers like “Warped,” “Automoil & Robotoil,” and “Hyperline Underflow.”

   #3. Huntsmen // The Dry Land – After somehow sleeping on 2018 debut American Scrap and subsequently their apparent sophomore slumping second album, I finally righted my wrongs by delving into the strange and wildly unique woodlands of Chicago metal troupe Huntsmen and their phenomenal third LP, The Dry Land. A raw, rustic, and emotionally striking explosion of genre-bending excellence, where blackened sludge, doom, post, prog, folk, and Americana influences coalesce into an intoxicating and frequently thrilling musical formula, rich in detail and emotion. The skilled genre mashing is cohesive and genuine, loaded with surprises, structural twists, dramatic ebbs and flows, deep burrowing hooks, and contrasting vocal trade-offs to seal the deal on a remarkable album. Despite only a small handful of songs comprising the album (six in total), Huntsmen make every moment count, from blazing longer numbers with stunning contrasts and peaks (“This, Our Gospel,” “In Time, All things”) to plaintive folk dusted rock (“Lean Times”), through to the stunningly moving, compact power of “Rain.” Huntsmen occupy a unique space in the metalverse.

   #2. Borknagar // Fall – I have a slightly odd history with Norwegian legends Borknagar. I recall being taken by their excellent 2012 album Urd, yet oddly enough I didn’t extend my listening beyond that isolated release. Things changed with 2019’s True North, a typically solid offering that inspired my explorations of portions of their vast and consistently engaging catalog. The twelfth album Fall marks their first album since True North and again features an outstanding line-up of talents, including founding mastermind Øystein Brun, multi-talented keyboardist/clean vocalist Lars Nedland, and ace up their sleeve bass/vocal powerhouse ICS Vortex. Fall smacks of a veteran band not merely content to coast on their laurels but rather carve freshly creative trajectories for their now signature blend of epic prog, triumphant Viking, and icy black metal to thrive. An extra shot of old-school blackened aggression and fuller production boosted an album of consistently high quality. Fall became a true all-occasions album in 2024; often uplifting me when I felt down or giving me a punchy charge when the need arose. Wall-to-wall prime cuts feature, headlined by the storming “Summits,” moody earworm, “The Wild Lingers”, and the striking, epic shimmer of “Moon.” Stalwarts still operating at the top of their game.

   #1. Counting Hours // The Wishing Tomb – Not since Fvneral Fvkk’s remarkable Carnal Confessions debut has a doom album struck as hard as the second platter of sadboi misery perpetrated by Finland’s excellent Counting Hours. While doom and its death-doom companion may not always dominate my listening habits, when an album does hit that sweet spot, it usually leaves a profound impact. Few forms of metal generate the emotional resonance of quality doom and Counting Hours tears at the heartstrings through a riveting collection of gorgeously played and executed death-doom ditties, spearheaded by former members of the hugely underrated Rapture. Ilpo Paasela backs up the stellar musicianship, superb guitar work, and tight, addictive songwriting with a stunning mix of emotively raw, stately cleans and rugged death growls. The whole package packs an emotional wallop, yet its soulful edge and hopelessly addictive hooks and sing-along moments prevent a drop too deeply into depressive waters, as such earwormy gems as “Timeless Ones,” “All That Blooms (Needs to Die),” and “Starlit / Lifeless” attest. The Wishing Tomb is an epic album to lose yourself in.

   Honorable Mentions:

   • Blood Incantation // Absolute Elsewhere – Did I overrate Absolute Elsewhere? Possibly. Is it overhyped? Absolutely. Yet Blood Incantation remains a brave, adventurous band and Absolute Elsewhere represents a welcome return to form from these gifted, star-gazing space cadets. A flawed but effective fusing of their death metal roots with an increased focus on ’70s-inspired progressive rock and trippy psych flourishes.
   • 200 Stab Wounds // Manual Manic Procedures – I barely took notice of Cleveland’s 200 Stab Wounds debut LP, but sophomore album Manual Manic Procedures provided one of the real surprise packets in 2024. It very nearly cracked the main list sheerly through heavy rotation. A meaty, adrenaline-charged shot of muscular death into the veins.
   • Ripped to Shreds // Sanshi – Another reliably awesome slab of old-school death from Andrew Lee and co. Increasingly shreddy, extravagant solo work and a grindier edge powered one of their best albums yet.
   • Nails // Every Bridge Burning – Nails is back and that is a great thing. New line-up, the same mode of short, sharp, blast-your-skin-off aggression, head-caving grooves, and hate-filled energy.
   • Unhallowed Deliverance // Of Spectre and Strife – A pleasant surprise and one of the best debut albums in 2024. German tech-slam-brutal death juggernaut Unhallowed Deliverance knocked it out of the park with limited subtlety but a heap of talent, creativity, and songwriting smarts.
   • Wormed // Omegon – With Ulcerate’s latest release not quite hitting me on the intense level of others, and having run out of time to properly digest and rank the obvious high-quality new Defeated Sanity, Wormed’s long-awaited return gave me my fix of calculated brutality via futuristic, slammy, technical brutal death executed in typically warped, mind-blowing fashion.
   • Khirki // Κυκεώνας – Following up an impressive, well-received debut LP is no easy feat. Kenstrosity steered many of us from the AMG community onto Greek band Khirki’s Κτηνωδία debut in 2021, so I eagerly anticipated Khirki’s return for the second go around. The resulting album met expectations through a fiery, passionate, and eclectic mix of metal, rock, and traditional Greek folk.
   • Sergeant Thunderhoof // The Ghost of Badon Hill – A late-year list shaker, underappreciated UK psych-prog-stoner outfit Sergeant Thunderhoof unleased a more restrained, psych-enhanced, and introspective album, showing signs of being a genuine grower since its November release, despite not quite hitting the irresistible highs of 2022’s This Sceptred Veil.

   Disappointments o’ the Year:

   • Several highly anticipated albums did not quite land the killer blows I was hoping for. Respectable to very good albums, but I expected better from Vola (admittedly a grower), Caligula’s Horse, Ihsahn, and especially Zeal and Ardor.

   Non-Metal Picks:

   • St Vincent, SIR, Michael Kiwanuka, Allie X, MGMT

   Song ‘o the Year:

   • Counting Hours – “Timeless Ones”

   There were any number of standouts and potential Song o’ the Year candidates that could have nabbed top honors, including several counterparts from Counting Hours’ spectacular sophomore album. In the end, I settled on the (proper) album opener of my album of the year, as the tune that really hooked me initially from an album that captivated my soul. A rich, emotive piece of dark, melodic death-doom with superlative guitar melodies and a chorus for the ages. Honorable mention to Huntsmen’s “Rain.”

   Felgund

   I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of living in interesting times. But as that wizened sage, Gandalf so wisely reminds us: “So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

   So what have I been doing with the time that has been given? A fair amount, as it turns out. 2024 has certainly been a tumultuous year for our small family. On the one hand, the business that I launched in 2023 has been chugging along for well over a year and a half now, and I think I’m far enough along in the process that I feel (at least somewhat) comfortable calling it a success. The baby that we brought home from the hospital is now, inexplicably, a whip-smart 7-year-old. My wife’s career continues to blossom as she continues to moonlight as my business manager. Things are good.

   And yet 2024 also proved to be harder than I’d ever imagined. My dad died back in April, an experience that remains both devastating and surreal. He’d had multiple sclerosis for well over a decade, and as I’m sure many of you know, MS is a grasping, grinding petty little disease. But for as much as it stole, it proved incapable of taking away who my father was; it couldn’t quite make off with what made him him. He was my best friend before his diagnosis, and he remained my best friend up until that impossible evening in a hospital room in early April. Truth be told, he’s still my best friend, only now he’s free to walk wherever I see fit to imagine him.

   Despite my best efforts, I realized pretty quickly you can’t capture a life in a few paragraphs. I couldn’t do it in his eulogy, and I certainly won’t attempt to do so on a heavy metal blog. But I will share this:

   My dad was a carpenter by trade and an artist by choice; he was a fisherman and a cook; he was a handyman, a builder, a designer, and a writer; he taught himself how to play guitar, and he’s perhaps the singular reason why I’m writing for this website today. Because while he wasn’t a fan of metal himself, he instilled in me not only a love for music, but an interest in the process; in the people who create it, the minds that shape it, and the passion that births it.

   He played in countless bands in his youth, and I can think of no better way to honor his memory than by sharing some of his music with you all. With Steel’s blessing, I’m embedding a two-song demo (“A Place in Time” and “Street Legal”) ripped from a cassette my old man recorded in the late 80s, so apologies in advance for the questionable quality. He composed both the music and lyrics, played guitar and bass, and sang on both tracks, which were devised when he was perhaps at his Rush fanboy peak. It’s been a delight and a balm hearing his voice again, captured as it was in a moment when he was young, vibrant, and doing what he loved.

   So here we are. Despite (or perhaps because of) this, I managed to consume a fair amount of metal this year. And while I was far less productive as a writer than I’d hoped and I wasn’t able to listen to as much as I originally planned, I discovered a plethora of new music here on AMG that soothed what Neil Peart once referred to as his “baby soul.” And surprisingly, I found much of that solace in the discordant, the dissonant, and the off-kilter, as the list below probably reflects. But more importantly, I found compassion, support, and understanding amongst the writing staff here. And while they may not know it, I will be forever thankful for the folks who showed me such boundless kindness during a year that felt decidedly unkind. Thank you, my friends.

   Now let’s get to to it. Here are my top ten(ish) albums of 2024.

   #(ish). Beaten to Death // Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis – It almost feels like cheating to place an 18-minute album in my Top 10(ish), but here we are. 2024 proved to be a year where my interest in grind and grind-adjacent acts expanded, and this “ish” is the result. While I wasn’t aware of Beaten to Death prior to this release, I was quickly swept away by Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis’ ability to bludgeon its idiosyncratic way into my brain and coil there like the most glorious of infections. Beaten to Death has delivered a concise helping of grinding goodness, with crispy prog edges and a schmear of off-kilter humor. Back catalog, here I come!

   #10. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum // Of the Last Human Being – Gardenstale’s gushing review of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum’s fourth album Of the Last Human Being was a tough endorsement to ignore, as was an invocation of Diablo Swing Orchestra. So I threw caution to the wind and leaped headlong into this experimental maelstrom. And I’m so happy I did. Don’t let the runtime dissuade you; Of the Last Human Being doesn’t feel nearly as long as it is, and over that relatively brief timespan, you’re provided with a front-row seat to the aural equivalent of perhaps the most fun kind of performance art. Hard-edged riffs, off-kilter instrumentation, ominous theatrics interlaced with beautiful, sparse melodies, and all capped off by the deranged croons of chief carnival barker Nils Frykdahl. If I’d spent more time with this record it may have placed higher, but as it is, I’m happy it’s making an appearance at the number 10 spot.

   #9. Sur Austru // Datura Strǎhiarelor – Despite Twelve underrating this album, I suppose I should commend him for introducing me to Sur Austru in the first place. This Romanian outfit’s third full-length Datura Strǎhiarelor is a potent blend of rumbling, blackened fury, and melodic folk metal, with plenty of flute work, orchestration, choral elements, and plaintive keys thrown in. And, while the gruff, chanting growls might rub some listeners the wrong way, it was this aspect more than any other that first grabbed my attention, and proceeded to keep it. And while I haven’t a clue what the vocalists are shouting at me, the tone and placement in the mix feels just right, especially for this brand of folk-infused black metal. Such is the strength of Sur Austru that this album began as my “ish” before eventually working its way to ninth. Mightly bold of them.

   #8. Necrowretch // Swords of Dajjal – Some of the entries on this list were either late discoveries or took some time before they got their dirty little hooks in me. Necrowretch’s Swords of Dajjal was not one of them. As soon as I spun it back in February, it was love at first listen. Swords of Dajjal focuses on the greater deceiver in Islamic mythology, and explores that tradition through the use of ferocious blackened death metal (with perhaps a dollop or two of thrash thrown in). Although, as Carcharodon rightly pointed out in his review, the “blackened” part is doing most of the heavy lifting here. And that’s not a bad thing, as Necrowretch is more than adept at crafting memorable hooks and an engaging atmosphere without sacrificing heft or freneticism. Swords of Dajjal is an unmitigated success, and my only real gripe is that Necrowretch dropped a new platter so early in the year that it may go overlooked on too many end-of-year lists.

   #7. The Vision Bleak // Weird Tales – Grier and I may not see eye to eye on music, but what can I say? The man knows his way around gothic metal. So when he awarded a 4.0 to Weird Tales back in April, what was I to do? If you said wait several months before bothering to press play, you’re correct. But folks, I may have been late to the party, but it’s a rager nonetheless. The Vision Bleak has produced an emotive, memorable, downright heart-wrenching concept album; one that is both lush and harsh, both achingly melodic and morosely heavy. Weird Tales isn’t my usual cup of tea, but The Vision Bleak has rejected my assertion by doing what many similar acts appear incapable of doing: cohesively balancing “gothic” and “metal” without lessening the impact of either. A well-earned addition, indeed.

   #6. Stenched // Purulence Gushing from the Coffin – While Rots-giving may have been tarnished by a less-than-stellar release from Rotpit back in November, I’ve moved on since then, and am now proudly celebrating Stenched-mas. The Manly n’ Mighty Steel reviewed this one-man grimy death outfit last month, and even though I was still smarting from my failed attempt to poach Purulence Gushing from the Coffin for myself, I can’t in good conscience deny how hard this globular mass of funerary muck rips. From the first track to the last, you’ll be rocking a near-permanent stank face, and you can’t blame that solely on the fungal miasma wafting from your speakers. The truth is, Stenched has delivered a masterclass in riff-heavy, moss-encrusted death metal; the kind that’s perfect to drag your knuckles to. Purulence Gushing from the Coffin is the exact kind of no-frills, all-guts death metal I needed in 2024, and that’s why it’s sitting pretty at 6.

   #5. Aklash // Reincarnation – How are we already at the Top Five? And what better way to kick off this most treasured of positions than with the melodic black metal stylings of Aklash on their fourth album Reincarnation? Aklash received a solid write-up in June’s Stuck in the Filter by our very own Kenstrosity, and their most recent outing has continued to climb higher and higher on my list the more I’ve spun it. Part black metal, part progressive metal, part trad metal (epic choruses included), Reincarnation packs a wallop in just a short 37 minutes. overflowing with varied instrumentation and keen lyrical chops, grandiose in scope and medieval in tone, yet more personal than it has any right to be, Aklash is firing on all cylinders here, and, as such, is perfectly suited for anyone’s top 5.

   #4. Devenial Verdict // Blessing of Despair – And, just like that, more death metal rears its ugly head. I’m still surprised at how high up Devenial Verdict’s sophomore album landed on my list, primarily because their 2022 debut Ash Blind failed to connect. But Blessing of Despair seems to have arrived just in time for my increasing flirtation with the cruel mistress that is dissodeath. As such, I found myself utterly taken with Devenial Verdict’s latest, overflowing as it is with equally heavy doses of discordant ferocity and mournful melodicism. And while Blessing of Despair is an undeniably heavy record, it makes sure to leave plenty of room for quieter moments, where slower sections and sparse instrumentation have room to bloom and breathe. This approach not only results in a wonderfully balanced album but ensures the bludgeoning that’s sure to follow is all the more impactful. Consider me reformed.

   #3. Aborted // Vault of Horrors – I’m fairly certain that any death metal fan worth their salt is legally required to include the latest Aborted release on their end-of-year list. Over 25 years and 12 albums into their carnal career, these death metal titans need no introduction. Blood-drenched, gore-soaked, and happily grindy, Aborted are in a league all their own, and it shows on Vault of Horrors. The music remains tight and explosive, building a menacing atmosphere that pervades only the stickiest of grindhouse theaters. Besides, with songs dedicated to classics like Return of the Living Dead, Hellraiser, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, how could I do anything other than include this gem of an album in my top 3? I for one welcome our horror-themed overlords.

   #2. Noxis // Violence Inherent in the System – What began as a random pick from the promo sump by one Kenstrosity quickly rose to become a favorite of the death metal maniacs (those with good taste, anyway) on the AMG staff. Now, more importantly, it’s nabbed the second-highest honor on my year-end list. Noxis’ first full-length album Violence Inherent in the System sounds like the product of a much more experienced band. The songwriting is top-notch, the performances are big and bold without being overwrought, and the sticky riffs stay wedged in your mind long after the album ends. And yet for all of its bombast, Noxis is still able to infuse their debut with oodles of atmosphere, not to mention a level of balance between death metal orthodoxy and fresh bells and whistles (and horns) that would make even Thanos grimace in jealousy. Special attention must also be paid to Joe Lowrie’s snare tone and Dave Kirsch’s godlike bass performance.

   #1. Pyrrhon // Exhaust – I suppose I was always destined to end up here, I just didn’t know it right away. Pyrrhon’s fifth full-length Exhaust didn’t initially grab me the way some of my other entries did. However, on repeat spins, I found myself falling deeper and deeper into its frenetic, dissonant embrace, discovering both nuances and subtleties amidst the proggy cacophony. On an album that thoroughly explores the universal theme of exhaustion, be it physical, mental, social, or economic, Pyrrhon’s brand of noise-tinged death metal feels like the ideal tool with which to scrawl their livid manifesto. But what truly sets Exhaust apart is its unrelenting groove, stoked by Pyrrhon’s inventive capacity to not only feature but to uplift its unique brand of melodicism amidst the unrelenting maelstrom. It’s hard to overstate just how critical this aspect is to Exhaust’s success, especially since it would have been so easy to excise. But Exhaust’s manic ferocity, which swerves jerks, hops, and heaves, is all the better for it. And while its charms were initially lost on me, I found it easier and easier to finally succumb to its tremulous tendrils. Any record with that kind of staying power (not to mention a theme so applicable to my own experiences this past year) has more than earned my top spot for 2024.

   Honorable Mentions:

   • Defeated Sanity // Chronicles of Lunacy – Defeated Sanity is a brutal tech death stalwart at this point, and now seven albums in, Chronicles of Lunacy only further cements that status. Chronicles of Lunacy provides the listener with track after aggressively intricate track exploring lunacy in its many forms, but the real treat here is Lille Gruber’s masterful performance on the drums.
   • Full of Hell // Coagulated Bliss – while I don’t think I’ve become a complete grind convert, albums like Full of Hell’s Coagulated Bliss and Beaten to Death’s Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis certainly set me on the path to one day become a proud proselytizer. You can’t deny Coagulated Bliss’ infectious groove and whirlwind pace, although I agree with the Dolphin’s rating adjustment.
   • Undeath // More Insane – no, it’s not as good as It’s Time…to Rise from the Grave, and there’s no reason to pretend that it is. Nor does it need to be. While More Insane may not reach the lofty heights of its predecessor, it still showcases an Undeath doing what it does best, while also hinting at an undeniable ability to evolve into an even sharper, more fetid OSDM beast.
   • 200 Stab Wounds // Manual Manic Procedures – while I wasn’t entirely kind in my review of 200 Stab Wounds’ debut, Mark Z suggested I take their follow-up Manual Manic Procedures for a spin, and I’m glad I did. It’s clear they’ve grown as artists, and their sophomore effort reflects that heightened maturity. Keep stabbing on, your crazy diamonds!
   • Mamaleek // Vida Blue – I’m confident this album captures what it would sound like if Tom Waits listened to too much Ashenspire before leaving for the recording studio. Long, difficult, and bold, I found myself returning again and again to Vida Blue no matter how challenging I found the experience. While this album didn’t make my top 10, I’m convinced a future Mamaleek release will.

   Song o’ the Year:

   • Noxis – ”Skullcrushing Defilement”

   This song goes hard. Exceptionally hard. In truth, there are any number of tunes from Violence Inherent in the System that fit the “Song o’ the Year” bill, but I had to give the edge to “Skullcrushing Defilement.” Not only does it begin with an absolutely searing bass solo, but it sets the stage for the four-string onslaught that’s to come. There’s a noticeable Cannibal Corpse influence that I can’t help but love here, alongside heaping doses of maniacal melodicism, turbocharged technicality, and an earworm chorus to boot. Abandon all cervical spines, ye who enter here.

   #200StabWounds #2024 #Aborted #Aklash #AllieX #Anciients #Archspire #Atheist #BeatenToDeath #BlogPosts #BloodIncantation #Borknagar #CaligulaSHorse #CannibalCorpse #Capharnaum #CountingHours #Crytopsy #Death #DefeatedSanity #DevenialVerdict #DiabloSwingOrchestra #Dissimulator #Dissonance #FullOfHell #FvneralFvkk #Huntsmen #Ihsahn #Khirki #Lists #MadderMortem #Mamaleek #MGMT #MichaelKiwanuka #Nails #Necrowretch #Noxis #OceansOfSlumber #Opeth #Pyrrhon #Rapture #Replicant #Revocation #RippedToShreds #Rotpit #SaundersAndFelagundSTopTenIshOf2024 #SergeantThunderfoot #SIR #SleepytimeGorillaMuseum #StVincent #Stenched #SurAustru #TheVisionBleak #TomWaits #Ulcerate #Undeath #UnhallowedDeliverance #Vhöl #Wormed #ZealAndArdor

   #200stabwounds #aborted #aklash #alliex #anciients #archspire
3. 

   HikerCarl @[email protected] · 2024-11-23 · 14:58 UTC

   The Salt Creek Pupfish: Death Valley’s Rare and Resilient Fish

   Deep in Death Valley National Park, a special fish lives. The Salt Creek Pupfish (Cyprinodon salinus ssp. salinus) is small and silvery-blue. They are called “pupfish” because of their playful nature.

   These fish live in Salt Creek, a harsh place. Yet, they have learned to survive and even do well there.

   Key Takeaways

   • The Salt Creek Pupfish is a rare and critically endangered species found only in Death Valley National Park.
   • These inch-long fish have adapted to the harsh, saline environment of Salt Creek, a fast-flowing creek with abundant pupfish and persistent horseflies.
   • The pupfish’s fragile habitat is threatened by potential disturbances, making conservation efforts crucial for their survival.
   • Visitors can observe the playful behavior of the pupfish, but must be mindful of the need to protect their sensitive ecosystem.
   • Ongoing research and monitoring are essential to ensure the long-term viability of the Salt Creek Pupfish population.

   Introduction to the Salt Creek Pupfish

   The desert pupfish, also known as the Salt Creek pupfish, is a unique fish found in Death Valley, California. These tiny, hardy creatures live in the salty, shallow waters of Salt Creek. This habitat is harsh for most fish.

   What Makes This Fish Unique?

   The desert pupfish rarely grows over three inches. Yet, they are incredibly resilient. They can survive in water over 110 degrees Fahrenheit and tolerate very salty water.

   These fish can produce up to three generations a year. Females lay 50 to over 800 eggs at a time. This helps their population grow in their tough environment.

   Habitat and Distribution

   The desert pupfish lives only in Salt Creek within Death Valley National Park. This creek is their only home. It has shallow, fast waters and high salt levels.

   Efforts to introduce them to other places have had mixed results. The effects of moving them are still being studied. This shows how vital it is to protect their Salt Creek home.

   Despite their small size and limited home, the desert pupfish are key to Death Valley’s ecosystem. Saving them is crucial for the desert’s biodiversity. Understanding their challenges helps us protect this fragile desert.

   The Environment of Death Valley

   Death Valley National Park is in the Mojave Desert. It’s known for its harsh environment. It’s the hottest, driest, and lowest place in North America. The Salt Creek pupfish lives here, showing how life can survive in extreme conditions.

   Climate Challenges

   The climate in Death Valley is extreme. Summer temperatures can hit over 120°F. Winter nights can be below freezing. It only rains about 1.9 inches a year.

   This dry place gets a lot of sun and loses water fast. It’s hard for any living thing to survive here.

   Unique Ecosystems

   Despite the tough conditions, Death Valley has many unique ecosystems. The Salt Creek is a rare oasis. It’s fed by underground springs and supports a delicate web of life.

   The Salt Creek pupfish can live in very salty water. They can handle salt levels much higher than seawater.

   Key Ecosystem FeaturesCharacteristicsWater SourcesSalt Creek is fed by underground springs, providing a reliable source of water in the arid desert.Salinity LevelsThe salinity in Salt Creek can be as high as 35 parts per thousand, several times the salinity of seawater.Temperature FluctuationsWater temperatures in Salt Creek can range from near freezing to as high as 104°F (40°C).BiodiversityDespite the extreme conditions, Salt Creek supports a diverse array of plant and animal life, including the endemic Salt Creek pupfish.

   The Salt Creek ecosystem is amazing. It has water and supports life in extreme conditions. The Salt Creek pupfish is a symbol of Death Valley’s resilience.

   The Salt Creek Habitat

   In the heart of Death Valley National Park, a special desert oasis exists. It’s called the Salt Creek ecosystem. This place is home to the Salt Creek pupfish, a rare fish found only here. It shows how life can thrive in the toughest conditions.

   Water Sources and Quality

   The Salt Creek gets its water from underground. This makes it a rare oasis in one of the driest places on Earth. The water is salty and warm, showing how the pupfish has adapted to survive.

   Flora and Fauna Interactions

   Plants like creosote bushes and algae are key to the Salt Creek’s ecosystem. They feed the pupfish and other creatures. Even in harsh conditions, the Salt Creek is home to many animals, like big Hogna wolf spiders.

   Habitat CharacteristicDescriptionWater SourcesFed by underground water sources, creating a rare desert oasisWater QualityHighly saline and warm temperaturesVegetationSparse, including creosote bushes and algaeFaunaDiverse, including large Hogna wolf spiders

   The Salt Creek ecosystem shows how life can survive in extreme conditions. This oasis is vital for the Salt Creek pupfish. It fascinates scientists and nature lovers alike.

   Identification Tips for the Salt Creek Pupfish

   The Salt Creek Pupfish (Cyprinodon salinus) is a small, tough fish. It lives in Death Valley’s Salt Creek. It has special traits that make it stand out from other pupfish.

   Size and Coloration

   The Salt Creek Pupfish is about 35 millimeters (1.4 inches) long. It has a bright, silvery-blue color. This color helps it blend in with the creek’s salty water.

   During breeding, the male pupfish gets an even brighter, lemon-yellow tail. This tail looks great against their blue body.

   Distinguishing Features

   • Flat, pike-like head
   • Small, goldfish-like body
   • Ability to tolerate extremely high water temperatures and salinity levels
   • Adaptations that allow them to thrive in the ever-changing Salt Creek environment

   The Salt Creek Pupfish’s unique looks and survival skills are amazing. Knowing how to identify them helps us appreciate their incredible ability to survive in Death Valley for thousands of years.

   Conservation Status of the Pupfish

   The Salt Creek Pupfish is a rare fish in Death Valley. It’s listed as critically endangered. Threats like habitat loss, climate change, and invasive species threaten its survival. Yet, efforts are being made to save this unique fish and its desert home.

   Threats to Their Survival

   The Salt Creek Pupfish faces many dangers. Habitat loss from human activities like groundwater pumping is a big risk. Climate change, with its changing weather, also harms the pupfish’s home. Plus, non-native species could upset the pupfish’s habitat balance.

   Recovery Efforts

   • Habitat protection: Work is being done to protect Salt Creek, the pupfish’s home, in Death Valley National Park.
   • Population monitoring: Scientists keep an eye on the pupfish numbers, which change with the seasons and water levels.
   • Research and breeding programs: Scientists study the pupfish to learn more about it. They also look into breeding programs to increase its numbers.
   • Community engagement: Programs aim to teach people about the pupfish’s importance and why it needs to be saved.

   The loss of the Salt Creek Interpretive Trail shows the need for careful management. Finding a balance between protecting the pupfish and allowing visitors is a big challenge.

   “The Salt Creek Pupfish is a testament to the resilience of life in the harshest of environments. Its survival is a reminder of the importance of preserving our fragile ecosystems, and the vital role that every species plays in the delicate balance of nature.”

   The Role of Pupfish in the Ecosystem

   The Salt Creek pupfish is key to Death Valley’s desert ecosystem. It helps keep the balance of life in this harsh place. This fish is one of the few that can live in such extreme conditions.

   Importance of Biodiversity

   Even the smallest creatures, like the Salt Creek pupfish, have a big impact. There are about 30 pupfish species in the Southwest. They have adapted quickly to survive in the desert.

   Their presence shows how vital it is to keep biodiversity. It helps keep the ecosystem healthy.

   Interactions with Other Species

   • The Salt Creek pupfish eats algae, which is important for the food chain. It helps other creatures by turning algae into food.
   • This fish can live in water that’s three times saltier than the ocean. It can also survive in water as shallow as half an inch. This helps it avoid predators that can’t handle these conditions.
   • The pupfish breeds in the spring, when food is plentiful and other species are around. This helps it fit into the desert’s complex ecosystem.

   The Salt Creek pupfish plays a unique role in the desert. It helps the ecosystem stay strong and diverse. Its survival shows how adaptable life can be and why we must protect even the smallest creatures.

   Personal Experiences with Salt Creek Pupfish

   My first time seeing the Salt Creek Pupfish was at Death Valley National Park. I walked the Salt Creek Interpretive Trail, eager to see these fish. The trail showed me the park’s beauty.

   Walking on the boardwalk, I saw many pupfish in Salt Creek. Their bright colors and fun movements caught my eye. I was amazed by how well they lived in such harsh conditions.

   My First Encounter

   Seeing the Salt Creek Pupfish for the first time was incredible. These small fish moved easily through the creek’s narrow paths. They seemed to ignore the hot weather and salty water.

   Watching them play was a joy. I was amazed by how well they adapted to their environment.

   Memorable Moments at the Habitat

   My visit included many special moments. I saw male pupfish fighting to protect their territory. I also saw them eating algae from the creek’s edges.

   Their home, with extreme temperatures and salt, was fascinating. Seeing them thrive in such a tough place was amazing. It showed me the incredible variety of life on Earth.

   “Witnessing the Salt Creek Pupfish in their natural habitat was a truly humbling and awe-inspiring experience. These fish have adapted to survive in conditions that would be lethal for most other species, and their resilience is a testament to the wonders of nature.”

   Visiting Death Valley National Park

   Death Valley National Park is in California’s desert heart. It’s a place where nature lovers and adventure seekers find joy. The Salt Creek Pupfish, a rare and hardy species, calls this place home.

   Best Times to Visit

   The coolest months, from late fall to early spring, are the best for visiting. This is when the Salt Creek Pupfish are most active. They use the milder weather to mate and eat algae and plants in the creek.

   Where to See the Pupfish

   • The Salt Creek Interpretive Trail is the best spot to see the Salt Creek Pupfish. It’s a flat, paved boardwalk loop.
   • The trail is 15 minutes west of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center. It’s easy to get to by car.
   • Though storms have damaged the boardwalk and facilities, the creek is still open. You can walk or bike there to see the fish.

   Visiting the Salt Creek Interpretive Trail is a special experience. The boardwalk protects the environment. There are benches where you can watch the Salt Creek Pupfish up close.

   “Watching the Salt Creek Pupfish during their mating season in the spring is an unforgettable experience. These tiny, resilient creatures have adapted to thrive in one of the harshest environments on Earth, and their survival is a testament to the wonders of nature.”

   Seeing the Salt Creek Pupfish is a unique and rewarding experience. Whether you’re a seasoned nature lover or new to Death Valley National Park, it’s worth it. With planning and a sense of adventure, you can explore their world and appreciate nature’s beauty and strength.

   How to Be a Responsible Visitor

   Exploring Death Valley National Park is amazing, but we must protect its ecosystems. The Salt Creek Pupfish, a unique species, is very sensitive to humans. By following simple rules, we can help keep this place beautiful for everyone.

   Respecting Wildlife

   The Salt Creek Pupfish and other wildlife need our care. Don’t disturb the water or step into the creek. It can harm their home. Watch them from the boardwalks and trails, keeping a safe distance.

   Leave No Trace Principles

   • Stay on marked paths and trails to minimize your impact on the environment.
   • Pack out all your trash and waste, leaving no trace of your visit.
   • Refrain from altering the natural landscape in any way, as even small actions can have a significant impact on the delicate ecosystems.

   Following responsible tourism and conservation ethics helps protect the Salt Creek Pupfish and Death Valley’s wonders. Your careful actions today can help preserve this natural treasure for future generations.

   Educational Programs and Research Opportunities

   The Salt Creek Pupfish has caught the eye of many. Researchers, conservationists, and nature lovers are all interested. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Death Valley National Park are leading the way in pupfish research and conservation programs.

   Institutions Involved in Conservation

   Death Valley National Park is a key place for scientific studies on the Salt Creek Pupfish. In 2016, the park hosted a BioBlitz event. It was open to the public, with activities like bird watching and tours of the aquatic ecosystem.

   The park’s education program has reached over 2,300 students in the 2018-2019 school year. They offered classroom programs and field trips. The Death Valley R.O.C.K.S. program has brought thousands of students to the park for learning.

   Future of the Salt Creek Pupfish

   The future of the Salt Creek pupfish is both worrisome and hopeful. This fish has shown incredible strength in surviving Death Valley’s extreme conditions. Yet, threats like habitat loss and climate change still threaten its survival.

   Ongoing Research and Monitoring

   Scientists and conservation groups are working hard to study the Salt Creek pupfish. They aim to learn more about its genetics, behavior, and needs. This knowledge will help in planning better habitat restoration and conservation efforts.

   It’s also crucial to keep a close eye on the pupfish and its home. This way, experts can spot any dangers early. This careful watch is key to saving the Salt Creek pupfish.

   Hope for Conservation Success

   Despite the hurdles, there’s hope for the Salt Creek pupfish. Its ability to adapt and the hard work of scientists and conservationists offer a glimmer of hope. With focused conservation efforts, this fish can thrive for many years.

   New projects might include fixing trails to protect the habitat while still allowing visitors. This balance can help preserve the Salt Creek pupfish and its delicate environment.

   “The Salt Creek pupfish is a testament to the resilience of life, thriving in one of the harshest environments on Earth. With continued research, conservation, and public stewardship, this remarkable species can continue to inspire and captivate us for years to come.”

   Conclusion: Why the Salt Creek Pupfish Matters

   The Salt Creek Pupfish shows us the strength and value of protecting our ecosystems. These fish have special ways to live in the harsh desert. They remind us of the amazing adaptability of life and the balance in our habitats.

   The Significance of Protecting Our Ecosystems

   The Salt Creek Pupfish is more than just a fish. It’s a key to keeping Death Valley’s ecosystem healthy. As a keystone species, it helps many other living things and the environment. Saving the pupfish’s home also protects the desert wetlands and many other species.

   My Call to Action for Conservation

   My time with the Salt Creek Pupfish has inspired me to fight for endangered species. I want everyone to join me in this fight. We can help by supporting conservation groups, learning more, or just being more careful with nature. Together, we can keep the Salt Creek Pupfish and other species safe, preserving our ecosystems’ beauty and balance.

   FAQ

   What makes the Salt Creek Pupfish unique?

   The Salt Creek Pupfish is a rare fish found in Death Valley National Park. They are known for their playful behavior, like puppies. Their ability to live in extreme conditions is also remarkable.

   Where can the Salt Creek Pupfish be found?

   You can find the Salt Creek Pupfish only in Salt Creek, Death Valley National Park. Their habitat is very specific, making them critically endangered.

   What are the key features of the Salt Creek ecosystem?

   Salt Creek is a desert oasis with underground water. It has high salinity, warm temperatures, and sparse vegetation. This environment supports the pupfish and other species.

   How can the Salt Creek Pupfish be identified?

   The Salt Creek Pupfish is about 35mm long and has a bright, silvery-blue color. They have a flat head and a small body. Males are more colorful and larger than females.

   What is the conservation status of the Salt Creek Pupfish?

   The Salt Creek Pupfish is critically endangered. Threats include habitat loss, climate change, and invasive species. Efforts are underway to protect their habitat and study breeding programs.

   How do the Salt Creek Pupfish contribute to the ecosystem?

   The Salt Creek Pupfish are vital to Death Valley’s ecosystem. They help maintain biodiversity by feeding on algae and avoiding predators. This balance is crucial in the harsh desert environment.

   When is the best time to visit and observe the Salt Creek Pupfish?

   Visit Death Valley from late fall to early spring to see the Salt Creek Pupfish. The creek is at the end of a 2.5-mile sandy road near Stovepipe Wells. Be prepared for a challenging journey.

   How can visitors responsibly enjoy the Salt Creek Pupfish habitat?

   Respect the Salt Creek habitat when visiting. Avoid disturbing the water and follow Leave No Trace principles. Remember, even a small mistake can harm the ecosystem.

   How can people get involved in Salt Creek Pupfish conservation efforts?

   Organizations like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Death Valley National Park work on pupfish conservation. You can volunteer, participate in citizen science, or support organizations through donations and advocacy.

   Source Links

   • https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/91553-post-flood-pupfish-at-death-valley-accessibility-and-my-notes-on-the-salt-creek-population – accessibility, and my notes on the salt creek population · iNaturalist
   • https://www.xanterra.com/stories/exploring-the-wildlife-of-our-national-parks/ – Exploring the Wildlife of Our National Parks – Xanterra Travel Collection®
   • https://blog.nature.org/2018/02/13/how-an-alaskan-earthquake-caused-fish-to-spawn-in-death-valley/ – How an Alaskan Earthquake Caused Fish to Spawn in Death Valley
   • https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?speciesID=661 – Salt Creek Pupfish (Cyprinodon salinus) – Species Profile
   • https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/fish/desert_pupfish/natural_history.html – Natural history
   • https://www.nps.gov/places/salt-creek.htm – Salt Creek (U.S. National Park Service)
   • https://calfish.ucdavis.edu/species/?uid=86&ds=241 – California Fish Species
   • https://theethogram.com/2024/01/23/creature-feature-death-valley-pupfish/ – Creature Feature: Death Valley Pupfish
   • https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/news/salt-creek-boardwalk-public-comment-period.htm – Salt Creek Boardwalk public comment period – Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
   • https://wildlife.ca.gov/Regions/6/Desert-Fishes/Desert-Pupfish – Desert Pupfish (Cyprinodon macularis)
   • https://dvnha.org/saltcreek/ – Salt Creek Boardwalk Before the Flood Damage – Death Valley Natural History Association
   • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Valley_pupfish – Death Valley pupfish
   • https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=104371 – PDF
   • https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/animals-we-protect/pupfish/ – Pupfish
   • https://fishbio.com/hot-and-salty/ – Hot and salty – the Salt Creek pupfish
   • https://www.jeriandpenguin.com/rv-travel/death-valley-part-2-pupfish – Rare Pupfish and Old Keane Wonder Mine in Death Valley
   • https://turnerfamilyexpedition12.wordpress.com/tag/salt-creek/ – Salt Creek – Expeditions
   • https://www.flyingdawnmarie.com/new-blog/death-valley-salt-creek – Salt Creek & Pupfish (Death Valley National Park) — Flying Dawn Marie | Travel blog, guides & itineraries for adventurous travellers
   • https://vanmarmot.org/2021/11/13/salt-creek-death-valley-national-park-13-nov-2021/ – Visiting Salt Creek & Dunes 13-Nov-2021
   • http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2012/3/15/salt-creek-interpretive-trail-death-valley-national-park.html – Salt Creek Interpretive Trail — The Last Adventurer
   • https://dvnha.org/info-trip-planning/devils-hole/ – Devils Hole – Death Valley Natural History Association
   • https://www.backroadswest.com/blog/salt-creek-trail/ – Salt Creek Trail Death Valley | BackRoadsWest Trips Blog
   • https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/news/bioblitz.htm – BioBlitz at Salt Creek – Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
   • https://dvnha.org/wp-content/uploads/64.3-for-web.pdf – Telescope
   • https://ag.purdue.edu/news/2024/05/purdue-led-fishing-expedition-nets-new-pupfish-family-member-in-new-mexico.html – Purdue-led fishing expedition nets new pupfish family member in New Mexico
   • https://blog.nature.org/2014/04/30/pupfish-mojave-desert-ash-meadows-endemic-fish/ – Pupfish: Conserving a Mojave Desert Survivor
   • https://www.amargosaconservancy.org/fishes-of-the-amargosa-basin/ – Fishes of the Amargosa Basin – Amargosa Conservancy
   • https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-phenotypic-plasticity-of-death-valleys-pupfish – The Phenotypic Plasticity of Death Valley’s Pupfish
   • http://www.nativefishlab.net/library/textpdf/17966.pdf – PDF
   • https://www.nps.gov/deva/general-management-plan.htm – General Management Plan – Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
   • https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/nature/springs.htm – Springs and Seeps – Death Valley National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

   #biodiversity #conservationEfforts #conservationPrograms #criticallyEndangeredSpecies #cyprinodonSalinus #DeathValleyNationalPark #desertEcosystem #desertOasis #desertPupfish #extremeConditions #HabitatProtection #pupfishConservation #pupfishResearch #saltCreekEcosystem #SaltCreekPupfish #scientificStudies

   #biodiversity #conservationefforts #conservationprograms #criticallyendangeredspecies #cyprinodonsalinus #deathvalleynationalpark
4. 

   Dendrobatus Azureus @[email protected] · 2026-02-07 · 04:56 UTC

   Spare these few minutes to read this long long toot about Large Language Models

   I've been working with POSIX Operating Systems for many many decades. Seek my other posts for more information check my GitHub page where some of the stories have been entered.

   A lot has been written and screamed about vibe coding. I'm going to give you a short and concise rundown.

   Individual X cannot even write a hello world program in the BASIC programming language. This individual has played with a Large Language Model and knows that such a system can write that BASIC program for him.

   He fires up the model and asks for a Hello World program in Commodore 64 BASIC

   The model response with

   10 PRINT "fa wakkà"
   20 GOTO 10

   Individual X cannot analyze the code. He doesn't know that the second line will loop the program to the first and thus will create an infinite loop on his C64 emulator. Individual X has never worked on a physical bare metal C64. He doesn't know how to stop the code

   The large language model created the second line because many hits in his database have a Hello World program for the C64 written in exactly this manner. The large language model is like a parrot which talks. The model doesn't understand what it says the model has no notion of understanding just like the parrot.

   Individual executes the code and cannot stop it because he doesn't know that control break exists for that on the C64

   Thus his C64 is in an infinite loop and he doesn't know what to do.

   Now I will go to that same large language model. I not only know how to solder the Program Logic Array 906114 on the C64 with a mandatory heat sink I also know how to write code in assembly and I know many ROM subroutines of the C64 by heart including

   JSR $FFD2

   A sub routine which prints a character on your video VIC chip.

   When I see that the model puts line 20 I immediately delete that line because it's unnecessary.

   Now extrapolate this on a full program, with 20000 lines of code, complete with libraries and API created by a large language model when the task is given by a vibe coder.

   Since individual X cannot even analyze Commodore 64 basic code of a Hello World program, consisting of two lines where the second line is unnecessary, the person has no chance in hell to analyze the above given program

   There are people walking around on this planet, who think that they will be able to write software, with a large language model, as their boss and think that that software will be usable in the field

   When the 20,000 line program breaks, the API is totally unusable and the task for that program crashes the whole server on the bare metal, censored will hit the fan

   I urge everyone who uses large language models for any subject, that they should be an absolute master of the subject, where they use the model as a low level assistant

   Thank you for reading

   #LLM #programming #damage #Slop #AI #illusion #skill #logic #coding #vibe #vibecoding #homosapiens #species #global #technology #Terra

   🦋💙❤️💋#Lobi 💙💕🌹💐💙🦋

   #llm #programming #damage #slop #ai #illusion
5. 

   mykdeen @[email protected] · 2024-04-30 · 19:41 UTC

   In light of a failed hard drive on my refurbished #proliant (one of four drives in the array), I'm doing a deep backup of media files and databases before doing my first hot-swap.

   When I first started this digital madness c. 2010, it was a few directories I manually created on a 500GB portable drive. Today's backup of 90,000+ files is going to a spare 4TB external drive.

   #homelab

   #proliant #homelab
6. 

   mykdeen @[email protected] · 2024-04-30 · 19:41 UTC

   In light of a failed hard drive on my refurbished #proliant (one of four drives in the array), I'm doing a deep backup of media files and databases before doing my first hot-swap.

   When I first started this digital madness c. 2010, it was a few directories I manually created on a 500GB portable drive. Today's backup of 90,000+ files is going to a spare 4TB external drive.

   #homelab

   #proliant #homelab
7. 

   mykdeen @[email protected] · 2024-04-30 · 19:41 UTC

   In light of a failed hard drive on my refurbished #proliant (one of four drives in the array), I'm doing a deep backup of media files and databases before doing my first hot-swap.

   When I first started this digital madness c. 2010, it was a few directories I manually created on a 500GB portable drive. Today's backup of 90,000+ files is going to a spare 4TB external drive.

   #homelab

   #proliant #homelab
8. 

   mykdeen @[email protected] · 2024-04-30 · 19:41 UTC

   In light of a failed hard drive on my refurbished #proliant (one of four drives in the array), I'm doing a deep backup of media files and databases before doing my first hot-swap.

   When I first started this digital madness c. 2010, it was a few directories I manually created on a 500GB portable drive. Today's backup of 90,000+ files is going to a spare 4TB external drive.

   #homelab

   #homelab #proliant
9. 

   mykdeen @[email protected] · 2024-04-30 · 19:41 UTC

   In light of a failed hard drive on my refurbished #proliant (one of four drives in the array), I'm doing a deep backup of media files and databases before doing my first hot-swap.

   When I first started this digital madness c. 2010, it was a few directories I manually created on a 500GB portable drive. Today's backup of 90,000+ files is going to a spare 4TB external drive.

   #homelab

   #proliant #homelab
10. 

    Olivia A-C @[email protected] · 2023-02-22 · 06:31 UTC

    Okay, tell me why this is a horrible idea

    I have 6x4TB HDDs, and 1x144GiB SSD

    I want to take the following config:
    - 5 HDDs form a #raid6 #LVM array
    - 1 HDD is used either as a hot spare or normal disk (with a USB drive as hot spare)
    - 1 SSD used as an LVM #cache

    The bare drives will all be encrypted, so LVM on #LUKS. I will then put in 256 GiB swap, and the rest to #btrfs

    On top of that I install #CoreOS

    #AskSysadmin

    #raid6 #lvm #cache #luks #btrfs #coreos
11. 

    N-gated Hacker News @[email protected] · 2026-03-20 · 21:07 UTC

    🎉🌈 Behold, the NumKong 2000—a mind-boggling parade of mixed precision #kernels, designed to make your head spin faster than a washing machine on hyperdrive! 🤯🌀 With a dazzling array of Float6 to #Float118 across 7 languages, it's the Swiss Army knife of numerics—but only if you have 48 spare minutes and a PhD in deciphering technobabble. 📚🔍
    https://ashvardanian.com/posts/numkong/ #NumKong2000 #MixedPrecision #TechInnovation #Numerics #HackerNews #ngated

    #kernels #float118 #numkong2000 #mixedprecision #techinnovation #numerics
12. 

    Bryan :tng_badge: @[email protected] · 2025-12-13 · 11:32 UTC

    The #litestream issue I made generated a number of responses, and there was an option that changed from not required to required. (I'll spare you the explanation here since it's all in the above issue.) 😵‍💫
    
    Anyway, in this journey, I also out of desperation asked #ChatGPT, and of course, it gave me nonsense to try. It even had me change the syntax of YAML from a single replica statement to an array of replicas with one entry. I later read that this was old ways of doing things in the 0.3.x series. So now I'll need to go back and fix before the old way is completely deprecated. 😑
    
    I was so irritated I told ChatGPT the actual solution and then it tried to pretend that it was giving me the solution? 😡
    
    ChatGPT also for some reason decided to use an AWS region (us-east-1) instead of Digital Ocean Spaces region(sfo3).

    #litestream #chatgpt
13. 

    Seán Fenian @[email protected] · 2025-08-26 · 19:13 UTC

    #Gaming commentary: Horizon—Forbidden West (1/2)
    
    So for the past week or two I've been working my way through #Horizon: #ForbiddenWest in my spare time.
    
    It certainly does follow on in all the important ways from Zero Dawn. Aloy remains a strong, clever, smart, likable female protagonist. Silens remains a complete and utter asshole (possibly even a bigger asshole than Ted Faro, and that's a high bar to pass). Several of the tribal leaderships are still stupidly self-interested. (Nothing new there.) There's new settings, new machines, some clever machine designs.
    
    Unfortunately, most of what's new about the actual gameplay is that they totally changed many of the key mappings from Zero Dawn, provide no mechanism for setting them back to what they were, and liberally litter the game with a bewildering array of complex new combat mechanisms with almost-identical invocations and dubious value, complexity for the sake of complexity, and SO MANY DAMN WEAPONS, and at least half of the new weapon "innovations" are stupid. I think I'm carrying something like thirty weapons. Talk about immersion-breaking.
    
    And then there's the special tools. The various things that are gated behind different kinds of obstacles that require a special tool to breach, seemingly solely in order to make you figure out where to get the Sooper Sekrit Speshul Tool.
    
    The worst of these is the vine cutter.
    
    JESUS FUCKING CHRIST it's a PERFECTLY ORDINARY LOOKING VINE, you have edged weapons, you have high explosives, you have incendiaries, you have super-acids, you have freaking plasma weapons, what more can it possibly take to get past a damn VINE? Does it contain Ringworld shadow-square wire or something?
    
    It's artificial fake difficulty, and even worse than that, it's stupid artificial fake difficulty. That's not challenging, it's just annoying.
    
    I obtained the Firegleam igniter because it's a main storyline item, and the rebreather which is also main storyline, but is it worth the trouble of going back for all the blow-up walls and deep dives I had to bypass because I didn't have them?
    
    ...No. It isn't. Fundamentally NONE of them contain anything worth going back for. And fuck only knows where or when I get the vine cutter. Or whatever mystery tool opens the metal flowers that in H:ZD you just had to walk up to and collect. And to hell with all the hovering drones that you have to somehow jump onto, which don't do a thing anyway except change the decor of one room in your base (when you get it).
    
    The developers couldn't even be bothered to make the metal flowers show up on the map as something other than "blocked paths". They managed to take a previously working feature and phone it in.
    
    (1/2, contd. in comment)

    #gaming #horizon #forbiddenwest
14. 

    Craig Constantine @[email protected] · 2025-07-11 · 05:00 UTC

    It’s the messiness

    It turned out in retrospect that the messy diversity of the forest had been the source of its resilience. When stresses such as storms, disease, drought, fragile soil, or severe cold struck, a diverse forest with its full array of different species of trees, birds, insects, and animals was far better able to survive and recover. A windstorm that toppled large, old trees would typically spare smaller ones. An insect attack that threatened oaks might leave lindens and hornbeams unaffected. The rigidity and uniformity of the system meant that failures were not small and contained but systemic.

    ~ Tiago Forte, from Productive Disorder: The Hidden Power of Chaos, Noise, and Randomness

    slip:4ufobo11.

    I’m simply stuck, staring at: “The rigidity […] of the system meant that failures were […] systemic.” I’m filing this under Stuff I Wished I’d Learned 30 Years Ago. I often say that I use systems and structure as a way to multiply my efforts. And that’s true. But I’ve learned that the real reason is that I’m afraid. The big why behind my hyper-organization, maximally-complex systems, and endless aligning of figurative ducks is my desperately trying to control the world around me. With realization comes… the recognition that I have a lot more work to learn to not do.

    ɕ

    #7ForSunday #AgeOfAir #GettingLessDone #TiagoForte

    #ageofair #gettinglessdone #tiagoforte #7forsunday
15. 

    Simple DIY Electronic Music Projects @[email protected] · 2025-08-29 · 13:42 UTC

    Arduino and AY-3-8910 – Part 5

    My next bit of messing around with Arduno and AY-3-8910 takes my AY-3-8910 Experimenter PCB Design and adds some simple MIDI reception to create a 12-channel AY-3-8910 tone module.

    • Part 1 – Getting started and looking at playing YM files.
    • Part 2 – Adding basic MIDI control.
    • Part 3 – Basic experiments with direct digital synthesis.
    • Part 4 – Using the AY-3-8910 as a 4-bit DAC for Mozzi.
    • Part 5 – Driving four AY-3-8910s using my AY-3-8910 Experimenter PCB.

    https://makertube.net/w/hLo4HLYcQkcGvf8N9XzgCS

    Warning! I strongly recommend using old or second hand equipment for your experiments.  I am not responsible for any damage to expensive instruments!

    These are the key tutorials for the main concepts used in this project:

    • Arduino and AY-3-8910
    • AY-3-8910 Experimenter PCB Build Guide

    If you are new to Arduino, see the Getting Started pages.

    Parts list

    • Arduino Nano.
    • 4x AY-3-8910 chips.
    • Built AY-3-8910 Experimenter PCB

    The Code

    This is taking a combination of the following previous projects:

    • AY-3-8910 Experimenter PCB Build Guide – the sample code to drive the Quad AY-3-8910 board.
    • Arduino Tones – A New, New Hope – driving 12 channels of Arduino tones.

    I had the option of assigning unique MIDI channels to each of the 12 channels of the quad AY-3-8910s, but instead opted for a system that listens on all MIDI channels but assigns incoming notes to the next free channel.

    If there are no spare channels, the notes are ignored.

    I’ve included an option to respond to velocity, by translating a MIDI velocity value (0 to 127) into a AY-3-8910 amplitude level (0 to 15). But for now, I’m using it with a fixed velocity.

    In order to map a polyphonic note index onto a chip and channel, I use the following:

    void ayNoteOn (int chan, int pitch, int vel) {
      int ay = chan / 3;
      int ch = chan % 3;
      aySetFreq (ay, ch, pitch, vel);
    }

    The aySetFreq() function takes a MIDI nonte number and turns it into a course an fine frequency value for programming into the AY-3-8910.

    void aySetFreq (int ay, int ch, int note, int vel) {
      int vol = vel >> 3;
      uint16_t freq = 0;
      if (note != 0) {
        freq = pgm_read_word(&Notes[note-NOTE_START]);
      }
    
      switch (ch) {
        case 0:
          ayFastWrite (ay, AY38910Regs::A_TONE_C, freq >> 8);
          ayFastWrite (ay, AY38910Regs::A_TONE_F, freq & 0x0FF);
          ayFastWrite (ay, AY38910Regs::A_AMP, vol);
          break;
      }
    }

    Additional case statements are provided for channels 1 (B) and 2 (C). The Notes array is the list of frequencies calculated for a 1MHz clock using the equation provided in the data sheet:

    • Freq (tone) = Freq (clock) / (16 TP)

    Where TP is the 12-bit value placed in the course and fine frequency registers. So turning this around and plugging in the frequencies for MIDI notes, we can figure out the 12-bit values required to be programmed into the registers.

    In the end, I cheated and used the table already provided here: https://github.com/Andy4495/AY3891x/blob/main/src/AY3891x_sounds.h

    This covers all notes from C0 (MIDI 12) to B8 (MIDI 119).

    I should also note that I’ve now removed all of the original AY3891x library and am using my own fast-access routines now tailored for supporting four devices.

    As I’m using port IO though, this does mean there is a fair bit of hardcoded assumptions about Arduino PORT usage and GPIO pins.

    Find it on GitHub here.

    Closing Thoughts

    The video shows my, now, go-to test of anything linked to Arduinos and tones – a 12-channel arrangement of the end titles of Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope.

    As the code will select the next free channel for incoming notes, sometimes consecutive notes sound slightly different due, presumably, to differences in the output channels of the devices. Something to look at, at some point.

    It would also be useful to have a “multi-track” version where each channel is an independent MIDI channel in its own right, but for now, using OMNI and “next free channel” is fine.

    I have to say, when the theme really gets going with those vintage 8-bit tone sounds, I could be sitting back in that 80s Star Wars vector graphics video arcade machine… (although apparently that used several Atari POKEY chips, not AY-3-891x- shame. I wonder if you can get hold of those too…)

    “The force will be with you. Always.”

    Kevin

    #arduinoNano #ay38910 #midi #tone

    #arduinonano #ay38910 #midi #tone
16. 

    Angry Metal Guy @[email protected] · 2024-06-05 · 11:14 UTC

    Hellbutcher – Hellbutcher Review

    By GardensTale

    In the 90’s, Nifelheim was a significant player in the burgeoning Swedish black metal scene, keeping a torch lit for the old school thrash-led sound. The band was founded by two brothers, who employed the stage names Tyrant and Hellbutcher, with the latter taking vocal and frontman duty. Though Nifelheim’s on apparently permanent hiatus, Hellbutcher hasn’t been so idle, recently lending his talents to Friends of Hell and cruising around with Dead Kosmonaut a few years ago. But it’s clear the man is tired of messing around. His new band is eponymous, the logo looks like a logical continuation of Nifelheim’s, and the clown car of highly talented and respected musicians could be called a supergroup if it weren’t so laser-focused on the frontman. Necrophiliac of Mordant on guitars, Eld of Gaahl’s Wyrd, Aeternus and others on bass, long time Unleashed member and Dead Kosmonaut buddy Fredrik Folkare on guitars, and none other than Martin Axenrot1 (Bloodbath, Opeth, Witchery and others) behind the kit. But supergroups have a way of disappointing; does Hellbutcher avoid the curse by not calling itself one?

    And how! Hellbutcher and friends have crafted an absolute spitfire of an album, a black-thrash masterclass that puts a brick on the gas pedal of the Devil’s personal hellfire-powered chariot. Once the heroic intro of “The Sword of Wrath” finishes, a cavalcade of sharp riffs bursts forth like an unleashed pack of wolves with rocket boosters strapped to their backs, and they remain hungry and fuelled for the entire runtime of Hellbutcher. Hellbutcher leads the charge, of course, and his raw, raspy scream strikes the perfect balance between evil and demented yet coherent and intelligible. The Axe does what the Axe does best; beating an incredibly diverse array of playstyles out of his kit, with dynamics and precision to spare, whether it’s straight blasting or flitting from rolls to gallops to triplets. The superb bass gets far more room than your average black metal band is willing to offer, and the guitar duo weaves an ongoing tapestry of kickass riffs.

    Two things stand out from Hellbutcher. One, the band is clearly having an absolute blast. The sense of fun is infectious, from the theatrical camp of the vocals to the out of control riff-fests. “Perdition” changes its pacing with alarming irregularity and “Hordes of the Horned God” sounds like Maiden possessed by demons, both exemplifying the ‘fuck it, let’s ball’ attitude. And two, this line-up sounds tighter than most bands with a half-dozen albums under their belt. All the musicians here being long-time professionals, a number of whom have played together before, is of course a big boon. But as any sports fan who’s seen a team of all-stars falter on the field knows, synergy can be a fickle bitch.

    The electrifying wild energy of the front half doesn’t quite make it into the back, however. It loses a bit of the unpredictability, especially on “Death’s Rider” and “Possessed by the Devil’s Flames.” The latter even re-uses the chorus structure of the superior “Perdition,” furthering the nagging ‘yes, it’s great, but.’ Don’t get me wrong; even the back half sounds vastly superior to most black thrash acts today. “Satan’s Power” is a rollercoaster that draws from across the entire metal spectrum, and despite the predictability, I love the black ‘n roll rhythms of “Death’s Rider.” The production is spot-on as well, sporting a warm yet vicious master and excellent mix.

    Hellbutcher’s Hellbutcher has created a gobsmacking debut with Hellbutcher. Melodic, dynamic, snappy, lean and mean, this is what classic black thrash is supposed to sound like. It’s a rambunctious ride of gleeful, campy evil that seems to prioritize fun above all else, yet is every bit as tight as a high-strung tech death album. If you feel disappointed at the score below, know that this was right up to the edge of the big four-oh, held back only by a slight watering down in the second half, and I might still regret it later. Either way, I certainly cannot wait for what Hellbutcher and his pals get up to for Hellbutcher 2: The Butchering.

    Rating: 3.5/5.0
    DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
    Label: Metal Blade Records
    Websites: hellbutcherband.bandcamp.com | hellbutcher.com | facebook.com/hellbutcherband
    Releases Worldwide: May 31st, 2024

    #2024 #35 #Aeternus #BlackMetal #Bloodbath #DeadKosmonaut #FriendsOfHell #GaahlsWYRD #Hellbutcher #IronMaiden #May24 #MetalBladeRecords #Mordant #Nifelheim #Opeth #Review #Reviews #SwedishMetal #ThrashMetal #Unleashed #Witchery

    #aeternus #blackmetal #bloodbath #deadkosmonaut #friendsofhell #gaahlswyrd
17. 

    Angry Metal Guy @[email protected] · 2024-06-05 · 11:14 UTC

    Hellbutcher – Hellbutcher Review

    By GardensTale

    In the 90’s, Nifelheim was a significant player in the burgeoning Swedish black metal scene, keeping a torch lit for the old school thrash-led sound. The band was founded by two brothers, who employed the stage names Tyrant and Hellbutcher, with the latter taking vocal and frontman duty. Though Nifelheim’s on apparently permanent hiatus, Hellbutcher hasn’t been so idle, recently lending his talents to Friends of Hell and cruising around with Dead Kosmonaut a few years ago. But it’s clear the man is tired of messing around. His new band is eponymous, the logo looks like a logical continuation of Nifelheim’s, and the clown car of highly talented and respected musicians could be called a supergroup if it weren’t so laser-focused on the frontman. Necrophiliac of Mordant on guitars, Eld of Gaahl’s Wyrd, Aeternus and others on bass, long time Unleashed member and Dead Kosmonaut buddy Fredrik Folkare on guitars, and none other than Martin Axenrot1 (Bloodbath, Opeth, Witchery and others) behind the kit. But supergroups have a way of disappointing; does Hellbutcher avoid the curse by not calling itself one?

    And how! Hellbutcher and friends have crafted an absolute spitfire of an album, a black-thrash masterclass that puts a brick on the gas pedal of the Devil’s personal hellfire-powered chariot. Once the heroic intro of “The Sword of Wrath” finishes, a cavalcade of sharp riffs bursts forth like an unleashed pack of wolves with rocket boosters strapped to their backs, and they remain hungry and fuelled for the entire runtime of Hellbutcher. Hellbutcher leads the charge, of course, and his raw, raspy scream strikes the perfect balance between evil and demented yet coherent and intelligible. The Axe does what the Axe does best; beating an incredibly diverse array of playstyles out of his kit, with dynamics and precision to spare, whether it’s straight blasting or flitting from rolls to gallops to triplets. The superb bass gets far more room than your average black metal band is willing to offer, and the guitar duo weaves an ongoing tapestry of kickass riffs.

    Two things stand out from Hellbutcher. One, the band is clearly having an absolute blast. The sense of fun is infectious, from the theatrical camp of the vocals to the out of control riff-fests. “Perdition” changes its pacing with alarming irregularity and “Hordes of the Horned God” sounds like Maiden possessed by demons, both exemplifying the ‘fuck it, let’s ball’ attitude. And two, this line-up sounds tighter than most bands with a half-dozen albums under their belt. All the musicians here being long-time professionals, a number of whom have played together before, is of course a big boon. But as any sports fan who’s seen a team of all-stars falter on the field knows, synergy can be a fickle bitch.

    The electrifying wild energy of the front half doesn’t quite make it into the back, however. It loses a bit of the unpredictability, especially on “Death’s Rider” and “Possessed by the Devil’s Flames.” The latter even re-uses the chorus structure of the superior “Perdition,” furthering the nagging ‘yes, it’s great, but.’ Don’t get me wrong; even the back half sounds vastly superior to most black thrash acts today. “Satan’s Power” is a rollercoaster that draws from across the entire metal spectrum, and despite the predictability, I love the black ‘n roll rhythms of “Death’s Rider.” The production is spot-on as well, sporting a warm yet vicious master and excellent mix.

    Hellbutcher’s Hellbutcher has created a gobsmacking debut with Hellbutcher. Melodic, dynamic, snappy, lean and mean, this is what classic black thrash is supposed to sound like. It’s a rambunctious ride of gleeful, campy evil that seems to prioritize fun above all else, yet is every bit as tight as a high-strung tech death album. If you feel disappointed at the score below, know that this was right up to the edge of the big four-oh, held back only by a slight watering down in the second half, and I might still regret it later. Either way, I certainly cannot wait for what Hellbutcher and his pals get up to for Hellbutcher 2: The Butchering.

    Rating: 3.5/5.0
    DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
    Label: Metal Blade Records
    Websites: hellbutcherband.bandcamp.com | hellbutcher.com | facebook.com/hellbutcherband
    Releases Worldwide: May 31st, 2024

    #2024 #35 #Aeternus #BlackMetal #Bloodbath #DeadKosmonaut #FriendsOfHell #GaahlsWYRD #Hellbutcher #IronMaiden #May24 #MetalBladeRecords #Mordant #Nifelheim #Opeth #Review #Reviews #SwedishMetal #ThrashMetal #Unleashed #Witchery

    #witchery #unleashed #thrashmetal #swedishmetal #reviews #review
18. 

    Kevin's Blog @[email protected] · 2026-02-16 · 22:16 UTC

    256 LED SMD “Practice” Board

    I can’t resist a ridiculously cheap LED matrix (as might be apparent by now), so when this popped up in the usual enticing “deals” section of a popular overseas electronics store, I must admit I was weak 🙂

    It is described as some combination of the following:

    • Electronic LED Display Kit 64LED/256LED Red LED Dot Matrix Display Kit SMD Components Soldering Practice Board DIY Kit
    • DIY Electronic Kit SMD LED Advertising Screen 256 Display Units Soldering Project Practice Suite Component Welding Training

    And variations thereof.

    It is typically available for around £3-4 for the 256 LED version and £2-3 for the 64 LED version. One thing I thought was quite interesting is that the LEDs go right to two edges of the PCB so that does make me wonder if a couple of these could be tiled together.

    It also includes a breakout header hinting at the possibility of customisation.

    https://makertube.net/w/dRN6hyoHKTXez2PwyKs1A4

    The Circuit Design

    There is a bit of information online, but not as much as I’d like. Essentially it is a microcontroller, some 595 shift registers, driver transistors, LEDs and a few ancillary components in what would probably be a fairly standard arrangement. There is a low-res schematic I’ve found:

    The bill of materials names the 8-pin microcontroller as a DX156, but I can find no information about it online. Interestingly though, all six pins that are used in the circuit are broken out to a header, so if the microcontroller is left off the board, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be possible to drive the shift registers directly via the header.

    The full BOM is as follows:

    • 1x 220uF Electrolytic capacitor (listed as 220-1000uF in the BOM, shown as 220uF in the schematic)
    • 6x 0603 100nf (104) capacitors
    • 16x 0603 5K6 resistors (1K is shown in the schematic, 2K7 is listed in the official BOM!)
    • 16x 8550 transistors (PNP apparently)
    • 256x 0805 red LED
    • 4x 74HC595 shift registers (SOP-16)
    • 1x DX156 microcontroller (SOP-8)

    There is a comment in the description of the kit about changing the display:

    ” If you want to change the display content, you can connect the control signal from interface JP1 without soldering the included microcontroller, and any content can be displayed. (You can refer to the relevant information of our store’s 16 * 16 dual color dot matrix, which is consistent with the interface of the microcontroller. This interface needs to be provided by oneself and is not included in the kit.)”

    But I’ve not found who the “our” is in “our store” or which kit/module is being referred to, so I’ll come back to that in a bit. Again this confirms that for now, I’ll leave the MCU off until I’ve decided what to do.

    Other things I note from the schematic:

    • Naturally the four 595s are chained together. I can just about make out the chain.
    • The last 595 OUT is connected to J4 so further chaining should be possible.
    • Other jumpers include J1, J2 for POWER and GND; J3, J5, J6 appear to be connected to the matrix.
    • As already mentioned, all used microcontroller pins are broken out to the 6-way header.

    An LED will be on when the Hn signal is LOW and Rn signal is LOW. This is because Hn going LOW will allow the PNP transistor to conduct, thus making In HIGH. when In is HIGH and Rn is LOW the LED will light up.

    Building the Kit

    The approach to take for building should be relatively obvious. It will just take a fair bit of patience! One initial consideration – do I test each LED prior to soldering, or just go for it and rework anything that might not work…

    Everything apart from the 100nF capacitors and resistors has a polarity to watch out for.

    I’ve decided to fix the non-LED components first, thinking that I can then test each row of LEDs as I fix them to ensure they all work before moving on. So I built it in the following order:

    • Transistors
    • Resistors
    • Shift registers
    • Ceramic capacitors
    • Header

    I’ll save the electrolytic until last, as it is presumably just for stability of the power supply, which can be external for now. And I think I’ll leave the MCU off for the time being too. I might use a SOP-8 to DIP breakout to allow me to use it to drive the board via the header.

    Note: after starting on the LEDs, with hindsight, soldering on the header was a mistake. It allows me to test the board, but it means the board no longer sits perfectly flat on the desk whilst working on it. Something to consider for any similar activity in the future.

    Determining the polarity of the LEDs is slightly challenging, but there is an arrow on the back, and if one looks carefully a dot on the front, that both indicate the cathode (line). When assembled in the orientation shown below, the dot is on the right-hand side (excuse my dodgy soldering – this is meant to be a soldering practice kit after all).

    After one row I took a break to get some code running (see below). Then added three more rows and am now taking a longer break! Its slow, but steady progress 🙂

    Initial Testing

    The initial plan, once built and shown to be working, was to reprogram the microcontroller, but seeing as there is next to nothing published online about the DX156, it would be a lot easier to replace it with a SOP-8 footprint microcontroller that I already know how to use.

    Unfortunately the pinout of the footprint doesn’t quite match with something like an ATtiny85… it’s close, so I don’t know yet if that would be an option.

    Anyway, I’ve left off the provided microcontroller and for initial testing am driving the board via the 6-way header.

    I anticipated just using the provided microcontroller on a SOP-8 to DIP-8 breakout but couldn’t find one to hand (I’ve definitely got one somewhere), but that will have to come later, as I now have one on order.

    Instead, after soldering on one row of LEDs, I jumped into hooking it up to an Arduino which meant I had to figure out how to drive it myself.

    Programming

    The 74HC595 has the following pinout

    The basic use in a circuit requires the following:

    74HC595 pinFunctionHeader pinPCB or ArduinoVCCVCCVCC+5VSER (or DS)Serial / data inIND11/OEEnableOEGNDRCLKLatch (Storage register clock)STBD8SRCLKSerial clockCLKD10/SRCLR (or /MR)Clear / master re-clearN/C+5VQH’Data outN/CNext 595 in the chainGNDGNDGNDGNDQA-QHIndividual outputsN/CThe LEDs

    Given how everything is connected according to the schematic, the decoding works as follows:

    • There are four 8-bit shift registers, giving a total of 32 bits to drive the 16 ROWS and 16 COLUMNS.
    • Confusingly, the ROWS are labelled H1-H16, which become I1-I16 after the transistors; and the COLUMNS are labelled R1-R16.
    • QA to QH are bits 0 through 7 for each shift register, so are H1/I1/R1 to H8/I8/R8 or H9/I9/R9 to H16/I16/R16.
    • Bits are streamed to the shift registers most significant bit first.
    • For an LED to light up, the Hx and Rx must both be LOW.

    This all means that a 32-bit value encodes the ROW/COLUMN information as follows:

          Bit: 31...24  23...16  15...08  07...00
      Row/Col: C16..C9  C8...C1  R16..R9  R9...R1
    Schematic: R16..R9  R8...R1  H16..H9  H8...H1

    The algorithm to push data out to the shift registers is thus as follows:

    void shiftWrite32 (uint32_t data) {
      digitalWrite(SHIFT_LATCH, LOW);
      digitalWrite(SHIFT_CLOCK, LOW);
      digitalWrite(SHIFT_DATA, LOW);
    
      // Shift data MSB first
      for (int i=31; i>=0; i--) {
        digitalWrite(SHIFT_CLOCK, LOW);
        if ((data & (1UL<<i)) == 0) {
          digitalWrite(SHIFT_DATA, LOW);
        } else {
          digitalWrite(SHIFT_DATA, HIGH);
        }
        digitalWrite(SHIFT_CLOCK, HIGH);
        digitalWrite(SHIFT_DATA, LOW);
      }
    
      digitalWrite(SHIFT_CLOCK, LOW);
      digitalWrite(SHIFT_LATCH, HIGH);
    }

    Note the use of “1UL”. Without the “UL” this does not appear to get extended to a full 32-bit value. This gave me quite a bit of grief, until I hooked up an oscilloscope to CLK and DATA and could only see half the data getting written out!

    At some point this would be worth re-implementing using PORT IO, but the use of digitalWrite will do for now.

    This means I can cycle through each column of LEDs with the following code:

      uint32_t dataval;
      for (int i=0; i<16; i++) {
        dataval = (~(1UL<<i))<<16UL;
        shiftWrite32(dataval);
        delay(50);
      }

    This will continually set one of the top 16 bits LOW in turn, whilst keeping all lower 16-bits LOW, thus illuminating each column in sequence. This will light up all completed rows as I’m doing nothing to select the row yet.

    Note again the use of “UL” to force 32-bit arithmetic.

    Here is a more complete version that now includes selecting the row too.

      uint32_t dataval;
      for (int r=0; r<16; r++) {
        for (int i=0; i<16; i++) {
          dataval =  (~(1UL<<i)) << 16UL;   // Column
          dataval |= (~(1UL<<r) & 0xFFFF);  // Row
          shiftWrite32(dataval);
          delay(50);
        }
      }

    In both cases the default “off” state is a bit high (so 0xFFFF for each of the 16-bit chunks). To select a row and column, the corresponding bit has to be set to 0, hence using ~(1<<bit) which is NOT (bit).

    Scanning the Display

    The above is all fine for some simple tests, but really I need a simple way to scan the display independently of any running code and for that, the best way is to use a timer interrupt to trigger the updating of the display.

    #include <TimerOne.h>
    
    uint16_t disp[16];
    void shiftUpdate() {
      uint32_t dataval;
    
      for (int r=0; r<16; r++) {
        dataval =  (~((unsigned long)disp[r])) << 16UL; // Column
        dataval |= (~(1UL<<r) & 0xFFFF);                // Row
        shiftWrite32(dataval);
      }
      shiftWrite32(-1);
    }
    
    void setup() {
      pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT);
      pinMode(SHIFT_LATCH, OUTPUT);
      pinMode(SHIFT_DATA, OUTPUT);
      pinMode(SHIFT_CLOCK, OUTPUT);
      shiftWrite32(-1);
    
      Timer1.initialize(20000);
      Timer1.attachInterrupt(shiftUpdate);
    }
    
    void loop (void) {
     // update each row of the display using disp[row]
    }

    This uses the same shiftWrite32() function, but now it is called for all rows every 20 ms using the TimerOne library.

    The use of shiftWrite32(-1) is a simple way of clearing the display as it will set all bits HIGH. I have to do this at the end of the shiftUpdate() function to clear the display after the last row update, otherwise the last row will remain lit until the next shiftUpdate scan. This makes the last row appear brighter than all the rest as it is on for slightly longer.

    I’ve used 20,000 in the call to Timer1.Initialize() as 20mS appears to give a good balance between a flicker free scan of the display whilst allowing some spare CPU time to actually run the loop. I’m still using the relatively slow digitalWrite() function calls in the shiftWrite32() function, so this is one area for obvious performance improvements if I need to do something better.

    There is no buffering between writing to the disp[] “screen” array and actually updating the display, so it would be quite possible to get a screen update partway through calculating a new display. If this becomes an issue then it would be possible, memory permitting, to use a double-buffering arrangement and ensure the screen buffer that is written to the display is never the one being written to by the main loop, but I’ve not bothered about that right now.

    Conclusion

    After realising that reprogramming the original MCU wouldn’t be an easy thing to do, I did wonder about the utility of this board, but actually driving it from an Arduino turned out to be relatively straight forward.

    In the end, my total SMD parts count was:

    • SMD parts soldered: 256 + 16 + 16 + 6 + 4 + 1 = 299 (I think)
    • SMD parts lost = 1 (one LED pinged off into the great unknown)
    • SMD LEDs tested as FAIL after soldering = 6 (thankfully there were plenty spare!)
    • SMD parts unused = 1 (the original microcontroller)
    • Hours spent squinting at small components = 4 or 5 (approx, in shifts)
    • Completed and working 256 LED matrix board = 1

    I’d say that was a success for me.

    Kevin

    #arduino #gameOfLife #ledMatrix

    #arduino #gameoflife #ledmatrix
19. 

    Soatok @[email protected] · 2020-08-27 · 11:57 UTC

    If you’re ever tasked with implementing a cryptography feature–whether a high-level protocol or a low-level primitive–you will have to take special care to ensure you’re not leaking secret information through side-channels.

    The descriptions of algorithms you learn in a classroom or textbook are not sufficient for real-world use. (Yes, that means your toy RSA implementation based on GMP from your computer science 101 class isn’t production-ready. Don’t deploy it.)

    But what are these elusive side-channels exactly, and how do you prevent them? And in cases where you cannot prevent them, how can you mitigate the risk to your users?

    Art by Swizz.

    Contents

    • Cryptographic Side-Channels
      • Timing Leaks
      • Power Usage
      • Electromagnetic Emissions
    • Side-Channel Prevention and Mitigation
      • Prevention vs. Mitigation
      • What is Constant-Time?
      • Malicious Environments and Algorithmic Constant-Time
      • Mitigation with Blinding Techniques
    • Design Patterns for Algorithmic Constant-Time Code
      • Constant-Time String Comparison
      • Alternative: “Double HMAC” String Comparison
      • Constant-Time Conditional Select
      • Constant-Time String Inequality Comparison
      • Constant-Time Integer Multiplication
      • Constant-Time Integer Division
      • Constant-Time Modular Inversion
      • Constant-Time Null-Byte Trimming
    • Further Reading and Online Resources
    • Errata

    Cryptographic Side-Channels

    The concept of a side-channel isn’t inherently cryptographic, as Taylor Hornby demonstrates, but a side-channel can be a game over vulnerability in a system meant to maintain confidentiality (even if only for its cryptography keys).

    Cryptographic side-channels allow an attacker to learn secret data from your cryptography system. To accomplish this, the attacker doesn’t necessarily study the system’s output (i.e. ciphertext); instead, they observe some other measurement, such as how much time or power was spent performing an operation, or what kind of electromagnetic radiation was emitted.

    Important: While being resistant to side-channels is a prerequisite for implementations to be secure, it isn’t in and of itself sufficient for security. The underlying design of the primitives, constructions, and high-level protocols needs to be secure first, and that requires a clear and specific threat model for what you’re building.

    Constant-time ECDSA doesn’t help you if you reuse k-values like it’s going out of style, but variable-time ECDSA still leaks your secret key to anyone who cares to probe your response times. Secure cryptography is very demanding.

    Art by Riley.

    Timing Leaks

    Timing side-channels leak secrets through how much time it takes for an operation to complete.

    There are many different flavors of timing leakage, including:

    • Fast-failing comparison functions (memcmp() in C)
    • Cache-timing vulnerabilities (e.g. software AES)
    • Memory access patterns
    • Conditional branches controlled by secrets

    The bad news about timing leaks is that they’re almost always visible to an attacker over the network (including over the Internet (PDF)).

    The good news is that most of them can be prevented or mitigated in software.

    Art by Kyume.

    Power Usage

    Different algorithms or processor operations may require different amounts of power.

    For example, squaring a large number may take less power than multiplying two different large numbers. This observation has led to the development of power analysis attacks against RSA.

    Power analysis is especially relevant for embedded systems and smart cards, which are easier to extract a meaningful signal from than your desktop computer.

    Some information leakage through power usage can be prevented through careful engineering (for example: BearSSL, which uses Montgomery multiplication instead of square-and-multiply).

    But that’s not always an option, so generally these risks are mitigated.

    My reaction when I first learned of power leaks: WATT (Art by Swizz)

    Electromagnetic Emissions

    Your computer is a reliable source of electromagnetic emissions (such as radio waves). Some of these emissions may reveal information about your cryptographic secrets, especially to an attacker with physical proximity to your device.

    The good news is that research into EM emission side-channels isn’t as mature as side-channels through timing leaks or power usage. The bad news is that mitigations for breakthroughs will generally require hardware (e.g. electromagnetic shielding).

    Aren’t computers terrifying? (Art by Swizz)

    Side-Channel Prevention and Mitigation

    Now that we’ve established a rough sense of some of the types of side-channels that are possible, we can begin to identify what causes them and aspire to prevent the leaks from happening–and where we can’t, to mitigate the risk to a reasonable level.

    Note: To be clear, I didn’t cover all of the types of side-channels.

    Prevention vs. Mitigation

    Preventing a side-channel means eliminating the conditions that allow the information leak to occur in the first place. For timing leaks, this means making all algorithms constant-time.

    There are entire classes of side-channel leaks that aren’t possible or practical to mitigate in software. When you encounter one, the best you can hope to do is mitigate the risk.

    Ideally, you want to make the attack more expensive to pull off than the reward an attacker will gain from it.

    What is Constant-Time?

    Toto, I don’t think we’re in Tanelorn Kansas anymore.

    When an implementation is said to be constant-time, what we mean is that the execution time of the code is not a function of its secret inputs.

    Vulnerable AES uses table look-ups to implement the S-Box. Constant-time AES is either implemented in hardware, or is bitsliced.

    Malicious Environments and Algorithmic Constant-Time

    One of the greatest challenges with writing constant-time code is distinguishing between algorithmic constant-time and provably constant-time. The main difference between the two is that you cannot trust your compiler (especially a JIT compiler), which may attempt to optimize your code in a way that reintroduces the side-channel you aspired to remove.

    A sufficiently advanced compiler optimization is indistinguishable from an adversary.

    John Regehr, possibly with apologies to Arthur C. Clarke

    For compiled languages, this is a tractable but expensive problem to solve: You simply have to formally verify everything from the source code to the compiler to the silicon chips that the code will be deployed on, and then audit your supply chain to prevent malicious tampering from going undetected.

    For interpreted languages (e.g. PHP and JavaScript), this formal verification strategy isn’t really an option, unless you want to formally verify the runtime that interprets scripts and prove that the operations remain constant-time on top of all the other layers of distrust.

    Is this level of paranoia really worth the effort?

    For our cases, anyway! (Art by Khia.)

    For that reason, we’re going to assume that algorithmic constant-time is adequate for the duration of this blog post.

    If your threat model prevents you from accepting this assumption, feel free to put in the extra effort yourself and tell me how it goes. After all, as a furry who writes blog posts in my spare time for fun, I don’t exactly have the budget for massive research projects in formal verification.

    Mitigation with Blinding Techniques

    The best mitigation for some side-channels is called blinding: Obfuscating the inputs with some random data, then deobfuscating the outputs with the same random data, such that your keys are not revealed.

    Two well-known examples include RSA decryption and Elliptic Curve Diffie-Hellman. I’ll focus on the latter, since it’s not as widely covered in the literature (although several cryptographers I’ve talked with were somehow knowledgeable about it; I suspect gatekeeping is involved).

    Blinded ECDH Key Exchange

    In typical ECDH implementations, you will convert a point on a Weierstrass curve to a Jacobian coordinate system .

    The exact conversion formula is (, ). The conversion almost makes intuitive sense.

    Where does come from though?

    Art by circuitslime

    It turns out, the choice for is totally arbitrary. Libraries typically set it equal to 1 (for best performance), but you can also set it to a random number. (You cannot set it to 0, however, for obvious reasons.)

    Choosing a random number means the calculations performed over Jacobian coordinates will be obscured by a randomly chosen factor (and thus, if is only used once per scalar multiplication, the bitwise signal the attackers rely on will be lost).

    Blinding techniques are cool. (Art by Khia.)

    I think it’s really cool how one small tweak to the runtime of an algorithm can make it significantly harder to attack.

    Design Patterns for Algorithmic Constant-Time Code

    Mitigation techniques are cool, but preventing side-channels is a better value-add for most software.

    To that end, let’s look at some design patterns for constant-time software. Some of these are relatively common; others, not so much.

    Art by Scout Pawfoot.

    If you prefer TypeScript / JavaScirpt, check out Soatok’s constant-time-js library on Github / NPM.

    Constant-Time String Comparison

    Rather than using string comparison (== in most programming languages, memcmp() in C), you want to compare cryptographic secrets and/or calculated integrity checks with a secure compare algorithm, which looks like this:

    1. Initialize a variable (let’s call it D) to zero.
    2. For each byte of the two strings:
       1. Calculate (lefti XOR righti)
       2. Bitwise OR the current value of D with the result of the XOR, store the output in D
    3. When the loop has concluded, D will be equal to 0 if and only if the two strings are equal.

    In code form, it looks like this:

    <?phpfunction ct_compare(string $left, string $right): bool{    $d = 0;    $length = mb_strlen($left, '8bit');    if (mb_strlen($right, '8bit') !== $length) {        return false; // Lengths differ    }    for ($i = 0; $i < $length; ++$i) {        $leftCharCode = unpack('C', $left[$i])[1];        $rightCharCode = unpack('C', $right[$i])[1];        $d |= ($leftCharCode ^ $rightCharCode);    }    return $d === 0;}

    In this example, I’m using PHP’s unpack() function to avoid cache-timing leaks with ord() and chr(). Of course, you can simply use hash_equals() instead of writing it yourself (PHP 5.6.0+).

    Alternative: “Double HMAC” String Comparison

    If the previous algorithm won’t work (i.e. because you’re concerned your JIT compiler will optimize it away), there is a popular alternative to consider. It’s called “Double HMAC” because it was traditionally used with Encrypt-Then-HMAC schemes.

    The algorithm looks like this:

    1. Generate a random 256-bit key, K. (This can be cached between invocations, but it should be unpredictable.)
    2. Calculate HMAC-SHA256(K, left).
    3. Calculate HMAC-SHA256(K, right).
    4. Return true if the outputs of step 2 and 3 are equal.

    This is provably secure, so long as HMAC-SHA256 is a secure pseudo-random function and the key K is unknown to the attacker.

    In code form, the Double HMAC compare function looks like this:

    <?phpfunction hmac_compare(string $left, string $right): bool{    static $k = null;    if (!$k) $k = random_bytes(32);    return (        hash_hmac('sha256', $left, $k)            ===        hash_hmac('sha256', $right, $k)    );}

    Constant-Time Conditional Select

    I like to imagine a conversation between a cryptography engineer and a Zen Buddhist, that unfolds like so:

    • CE: “I want to eliminate branching side-channels from my code.”
    • ZB: “Then do not have branches in your code.”

    And that is precisely what we intend to do with a constant-time conditional select: Eliminate branches by conditionally returning between one of two strings, without an IF statement.

    Mind. Blown. (Art by Khia.)

    This isn’t as tricky as it sounds. We’re going to use XOR and two’s complement to achieve this.

    The algorithm looks like this:

    1. Convert the selection bit (TRUE/FALSE) into a mask value (-1 for TRUE, 0 for FALSE). Bitwise, -1 looks like 111111111…1111111111, while 0 looks like 00000000…00000000.
    2. Copy the right string into a buffer, call it tmp.
    3. Calculate left XOR right, call it x.
    4. Return (tmp XOR (x AND mask)).

    Once again, in code this algorithm looks like this:

    <?phpfunction ct_select(    bool $returnLeft,    string $left,    string $right): string {    $length = mb_strlen($left, '8bit');    if (mb_strlen($right, '8bit') !== $length) {        throw new Exception('ct_select() expects two strings of equal length');    }        // Mask byte    $mask = (-$returnLeft) & 0xff;    // X    $x = (string) ($left ^ $right);        // Output = Right XOR (X AND Mask)    $output = '';    for ($i = 0; $i < $length; $i++) {        $rightCharCode = unpack('C', $right[$i])[1];        $xCharCode = unpack('C', $x[$i])[1];        $output .= pack(            'C',            $rightCharCode ^ ($xCharCode & $mask)        );    }    return $output;}

    You can test this code for yourself here. The function was designed to read intuitively like a ternary operator.

    A Word of Caution on Cleverness

    In some languages, it may seem tempting to use the bitwise trickery to swap out pointers instead of returning a new buffer. But do not fall for this Siren song.

    If, instead of returning a new buffer, you just swap pointers, what you’ll end up doing is creating a timing leak through your memory access patterns. This can culminate in a timing vulnerability, but even if your data is too big to fit in a processor’s cache line (I dunno, Post-Quantum RSA keys?), there’s another risk to consider.

    Virtual memory addresses are just beautiful lies. Where your data lives on the actual hardware memory is entirely up to the kernel. You can have two blobs with contiguous virtual memory addresses that live on separate memory pages, or even separate RAM chips (if you have multiple).

    If you’re swapping pointers around, and they point to two different pieces of hardware, and one is slightly faster to read from than the other, you can introduce yet another timing attack through which pointer is being referenced by the processor.

    It’s timing leaks all the ways down! (Art by Swizz)

    If you’re swapping between X and Y before performing a calculation, where:

    • X lives on RAM chip 1, which takes 3 ns to read
    • Y lives on RAM chip 2, which takes 4 ns to read

    …then the subsequent use of the swapped pointers reveals whether you’re operating on X or Y in the timing: It will take slightly longer to read from Y than from X.

    The best way to mitigate this problem is to never design your software to have it in the first place. Don’t be clever on this one.

    Constant-Time String Inequality Comparison

    Sometimes you don’t just need to know if two strings are equal, you also need to know which one is larger than the other.

    To accomplish this in constant-time, we need to maintain two state variables:

    1. gt (initialized to 0, will be set to 1 at some point if left > right)
    2. eq (initialized to 1, will be set to 0 at some point if left != right)

    Endian-ness will dictate the direction our algorithm goes, but we’re going to perform two operations in each cycle:

    1. gt should be bitwise ORed with (eq AND ((right – left) right shifted 8 times)
    2. eq should be bitwise ANDed with ((right XOR left) – 1) right shifted 8 times

    If right and left are ever different, eq will be set to 0.

    If the first time they’re different the value for lefti is greater than the value for righti, then the subtraction will produce a negative number. Right shifting a negative number 8 places then bitwise ANDing the result with eq (which is only 1 until two bytes differ, and then 0 henceforth if they do) will result in a value for 1 with gt. Thus, if (righti – lefti) is negative, gt will be set to 1. Otherwise, it remains 0.

    At the end of this loop, return (gt + gt + eq) – 1. This will result in the following possible values:

    • left < right: -1
    • left == right: 0
    • left > right: 1

    The arithmetic based on the possible values of gt and eq should be straightforward.

    • Different (eq == 0) but not greater (gt == 0) means left < right, -1.
    • Different (eq == 0) and greater (gt == 1) means left > right, 1.
    • If eq == 1, no bytes ever differed, so left == right, 0.

    A little endian implementation is as follows:

    <?phpfunction str_compare(string $left, string $right): int{    $length = mb_strlen($left, '8bit');    if (mb_strlen($right, '8bit') !== $length) {        throw new Exception('ct_select() expects two strings of equal length');    }    $gt = 0;    $eq = 1;    $i = $length;    while ($i > 0) {        --$i;        $leftCharCode = unpack('C', $left[$i])[1];        $rightCharCode = unpack('C', $right[$i])[1];        $gt |= (($rightCharCode - $leftCharCode) >> 8) & $eq;        $eq &= (($rightCharCode ^ $leftCharCode) -1) >> 8;    }    return ($gt + $gt + $eq) - 1;}

    Demo for this function is available here.

    Constant-Time Integer Multiplication

    Multiplying two integers is one of those arithmetic operations that should be constant-time. But on many older processors, it isn’t.

    Of course there’s a microarchitecture timing leak! (Art by Khia.)

    Fortunately, there is a workaround. It involves an algorithm called Ancient Egyptian Multiplication in some places or Peasant Multiplication in others.

    Multiplying two numbers and this way looks like this:

    1. Determine the number of operations you need to perform. Generally, this is either known ahead of time or .
    2. Set to 0.
    3. Until the operation count reaches zero:
       1. If the lowest bit of is set, add to .
       2. Left shift by 1.
       3. Right shfit by 1.
    4. Return .

    The main caveat here is that you want to use bitwise operators in step 3.1 to remove the conditional branch.

    Rather than bundle example code in our blog post, please refer to the implementation in sodium_compat (a pure PHP polyfill for libsodium).

    For big number libraries, implementing Karatsuba on top of this integer multiplying function should be faster than attempting to multiply bignums this way.

    Constant-Time Integer Division

    Although some cryptography algorithms call for integer division, division isn’t usually expected to be constant-time.

    However, if you look up a division algorithm for unsigned integers with a remainder, you’ll likely encounter this algorithm, which is almost constant-time:

    if D = 0 then error(DivisionByZeroException) endQ := 0                  -- Initialize quotient and remainder to zeroR := 0                     for i := n − 1 .. 0 do  -- Where n is number of bits in N  R := R << 1           -- Left-shift R by 1 bit  R(0) := N(i)          -- Set the least-significant bit of R equal to bit i of the numerator  if R ≥ D then    R := R − D    Q(i) := 1  endend

    If we use the tricks we learned from implementing constant-time string inequality with constant-time conditional selection, we can implement this algorithm without timing leaks.

    Our constant-time version of this algorithm looks like this:

    if D = 0 then error(DivisionByZeroException) endQ := 0                  -- Initialize quotient and remainder to zeroR := 0                     for i := n − 1 .. 0 do  -- Where n is number of bits in N  R := R << 1           -- Left-shift R by 1 bit  R(0) := N(i)          -- Set the least-significant bit of R equal to bit i of the numerator  compared := ct_compare(R, D) -- Use constant-time inequality    -- if R > D  then compared ==  1, swap = 1  -- if R == D then compared ==  0, swap = 1  -- if R < D  then compared == -1, swap = 0  swap := (1 - ((compared >> 31) & 1))  -- R' = R - D  -- Q' = Q, Q[i] = 1  Rprime := R - D  Qprime := Q  Qprime(i) := 1 -- The i'th bit is set to 1  -- Replace (R with R', Q with Q') if swap == 1  R = ct_select(swap, Rprime, R)  Q = ct_select(swap, Qprime, Q)end

    It’s approximately twice as slow as the original, but it’s constant-time.

    (Art by Khia.)

    Constant-Time Modular Inversion

    Modular inversion is the calculation of for some prime . This is used in a lot of places, but especially in elliptic curve cryptography and RSA.

    Daniel J. Bernstein and Bo-Yin Yang published a paper on fast constant-time GCD and Modular Inversion in 2019. The algorithm in question is somewhat straightforward to implement (although determining whether or not that implementation is safe is left as an exercise to the rest of us).

    A simpler technique is to use Fermat’s Little Theorem: for some prime . This only works with prime fields, and is slower than a Binary GCD (which isn’t necessarily constant-time, as OpenSSL discovered).

    BearSSL provides an implementation (and accompanying documentation) for a constant-time modular inversion algorithm based on Binary GCD.

    (In the future, I may update this section of this blog post with an implementation in PHP, using the GMP extension.)

    Constant-Time Null-Byte Trimming

    Shortly after this guide first went online, security researchers published the Raccoon Attack, which used a timing leak in the number of leading 0 bytes in the pre-master secret–combined with a lattice attack to solve the hidden number problem–to break TLS-DH(E).

    To solve this, you need two components:

    1. A function that returns a slice of an array without timing leaks.
    2. A function that counts the number of significant bytes (i.e. ignores leading zero bytes, counts from the first non-zero byte).

    A timing-safe array resize function needs to do two things:

    1. Touch every byte of the input array once.
    2. Touch every byte of the output array at least once, linearly. The constant-time division algorithm is useful here (to calculate x mod n for the output array index).
    3. Conditionally select between input[x] and the existing output[x_mod_n], based on whether x >= target size.

    I’ve implemented this in my constant-time-js library:

    • resize.ts
    • trim.ts

    Further Reading and Online Resources

    If you’re at all interested in cryptographic side-channels, your hunger for knowledge probably won’t be sated by a single blog post. Here’s a collection of articles, papers, books, etc. worth reading.

    • BearSSL’s Documentation on Constant-Time Code — A must-read for anyone interested in this topic
    • Cryptographically Secure PHP Development — How to write secure cryptography in languages that cryptographers largely neglect
    • CryptoCoding — A style guide for writing secure cryptography code in C (with example code!)
    • CryptoGotchas — An overview of the common mistakes one can make when writing cryptography code (which is a much wider scope than side-channels)
    • Meltdown and Spectre — Two vulnerabilities that placed side-channels in the scope of most of infosec that isn’t interested in cryptography
    • Serious Cryptography — For anyone who lacks the background knowledge to fully understand what I’m talking about on this page

    Errata

    • 2020-08-27: The original version of this blog post incorrectly attributed Jacobian coordinate blinding to ECDSA hardening, rather than ECDH hardening. This error was brought to my attention by Thai Duong. Thanks Thai!
    • 2020-08-27: Erin correctly pointed out that omitting memory access timing was a disservice to developers, who might not be aware of the risks involved. I’ve updated the post to call this risk out specifically (especially in the conditional select code, which some developers might try to implement with pointer swapping without knowing the risks involved). Thanks Erin!

    I hope you find this guide to side-channels helpful.

    Thanks for reading!

    Follow my blog for more Defense Against the Bark Arts posts in the future.

    https://soatok.blog/2020/08/27/soatoks-guide-to-side-channel-attacks/

    #asymmetricCryptography #constantTime #cryptography #ECDH #ECDSA #ellipticCurveCryptography #RSA #SecurityGuidance #sideChannels #symmetricCryptography

    #asymmetriccryptography #constanttime #cryptography #ecdh #ecdsa #ellipticcurvecryptography
20. 

    JavaScriptBuzz @[email protected] · 2026-02-05 · 10:30 UTC

    Array(3) vs [,,,] Are NOT The Same!

    Creating arrays in JavaScript has a hidden trap! Array(3) and [,,,] look identical but behave completely differently. Mind blown!

    #javascript #javascripttricks #codingtips #programmingtutorial #arrayconstructor #javascriptquiz #codingchallenge #javascriptshorts #javascriptbugs #sparsearrays #javascriptwtf #arraycreation

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm7V87ukelA

    #arraycreation #javascriptwtf #sparsearrays #javascriptbugs #javascriptshorts #codingchallenge
21. 

    JavaScriptBuzz @[email protected] · 2026-01-11 · 10:30 UTC

    Array Holes Are NOT undefined?!

    MIND BLOWN! An empty slot in an array is NOT the same as undefined. The hole doesn't exist as a property! map() SKIPS holes but processes undefined. This invisible difference will break your code!

    #javascript #javascripttricks #arrayholes #sparsearrays #undefined #javascriptweird #javascriptquiz #codingchallenge #javascriptshorts #javascriptwtf #arraymethods #advancedjavascript

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJiOuy3o34U

    #javascript #javascripttricks #arrayholes #sparsearrays #undefined #javascriptweird
22. 

    JavaScriptBuzz @[email protected] · 2026-01-11 · 10:30 UTC

    Array Holes Are NOT undefined?!

    MIND BLOWN! An empty slot in an array is NOT the same as undefined. The hole doesn't exist as a property! map() SKIPS holes but processes undefined. This invisible difference will break your code!

    #javascript #javascripttricks #arrayholes #sparsearrays #undefined #javascriptweird #javascriptquiz #codingchallenge #javascriptshorts #javascriptwtf #arraymethods #advancedjavascript

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJiOuy3o34U

    #javascript #javascripttricks #arrayholes #sparsearrays #undefined #javascriptweird
23. 

    JavaScriptBuzz @[email protected] · 2026-01-11 · 10:30 UTC

    Array Holes Are NOT undefined?!

    MIND BLOWN! An empty slot in an array is NOT the same as undefined. The hole doesn't exist as a property! map() SKIPS holes but processes undefined. This invisible difference will break your code!

    #javascript #javascripttricks #arrayholes #sparsearrays #undefined #javascriptweird #javascriptquiz #codingchallenge #javascriptshorts #javascriptwtf #arraymethods #advancedjavascript

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJiOuy3o34U

    #javascript #javascripttricks #arrayholes #sparsearrays #undefined #javascriptweird
24. 

    JavaScriptBuzz @[email protected] · 2026-01-11 · 10:30 UTC

    Array Holes Are NOT undefined?!

    MIND BLOWN! An empty slot in an array is NOT the same as undefined. The hole doesn't exist as a property! map() SKIPS holes but processes undefined. This invisible difference will break your code!

    #javascript #javascripttricks #arrayholes #sparsearrays #undefined #javascriptweird #javascriptquiz #codingchallenge #javascriptshorts #javascriptwtf #arraymethods #advancedjavascript

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJiOuy3o34U

    #javascript #javascripttricks #arrayholes #sparsearrays #undefined #javascriptweird
25. 

    JavaScriptBuzz @[email protected] · 2026-02-05 · 10:30 UTC

    Array(3) vs [,,,] Are NOT The Same!

    Creating arrays in JavaScript has a hidden trap! Array(3) and [,,,] look identical but behave completely differently. Mind blown!

    #javascript #javascripttricks #codingtips #programmingtutorial #arrayconstructor #javascriptquiz #codingchallenge #javascriptshorts #javascriptbugs #sparsearrays #javascriptwtf #arraycreation

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm7V87ukelA

    #javascript #javascripttricks #codingtips #programmingtutorial #arrayconstructor #javascriptquiz
26. 

    JavaScriptBuzz @[email protected] · 2026-02-05 · 10:30 UTC

    Array(3) vs [,,,] Are NOT The Same!

    Creating arrays in JavaScript has a hidden trap! Array(3) and [,,,] look identical but behave completely differently. Mind blown!

    #javascript #javascripttricks #codingtips #programmingtutorial #arrayconstructor #javascriptquiz #codingchallenge #javascriptshorts #javascriptbugs #sparsearrays #javascriptwtf #arraycreation

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm7V87ukelA

    #javascript #javascripttricks #codingtips #programmingtutorial #arrayconstructor #javascriptquiz
27. 

    JavaScriptBuzz @[email protected] · 2026-02-05 · 10:30 UTC

    Array(3) vs [,,,] Are NOT The Same!

    Creating arrays in JavaScript has a hidden trap! Array(3) and [,,,] look identical but behave completely differently. Mind blown!

    #javascript #javascripttricks #codingtips #programmingtutorial #arrayconstructor #javascriptquiz #codingchallenge #javascriptshorts #javascriptbugs #sparsearrays #javascriptwtf #arraycreation

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm7V87ukelA

    #javascript #javascripttricks #codingtips #programmingtutorial #arrayconstructor #javascriptquiz
28. 

    JavaScriptBuzz @[email protected] · 2026-02-05 · 10:30 UTC

    Array(3) vs [,,,] Are NOT The Same!

    Creating arrays in JavaScript has a hidden trap! Array(3) and [,,,] look identical but behave completely differently. Mind blown!

    #javascript #javascripttricks #codingtips #programmingtutorial #arrayconstructor #javascriptquiz #codingchallenge #javascriptshorts #javascriptbugs #sparsearrays #javascriptwtf #arraycreation

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm7V87ukelA

    #javascript #javascripttricks #codingtips #programmingtutorial #arrayconstructor #javascriptquiz
29. 

    JavaScriptBuzz @[email protected] · 2026-01-11 · 10:30 UTC

    Array Holes Are NOT undefined?!

    MIND BLOWN! An empty slot in an array is NOT the same as undefined. The hole doesn't exist as a property! map() SKIPS holes but processes undefined. This invisible difference will break your code!

    #javascript #javascripttricks #arrayholes #sparsearrays #undefined #javascriptweird #javascriptquiz #codingchallenge #javascriptshorts #javascriptwtf #arraymethods #advancedjavascript

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJiOuy3o34U

    #advancedjavascript #arraymethods #javascriptwtf #javascriptshorts #codingchallenge #javascriptquiz
30. 

    Habr @[email protected] · 2024-04-30 · 08:42 UTC

    Новые коллекции в Android

    В 2018 году в androidx появился новый пакет collection, который содержал несколько специфичных структур данных, переписанных на Kotlin, таких как LongSparseArray , SimpleArrayMap и SparseArrayCompat . На тот период Kotlin только начинал набирать обороты в Android разработке и добавление новых более эффективных коллекций, полностью написанных на нём было одним из шагов по внедрению языка. С тех пор прошло более 6 лет и в январе текущего года был выпущен новый релиз с мощной заменой HashMap , о которой я расскажу чуть позже...

    https://habr.com/ru/articles/811415/

    #kotlin #android #hash #hashmap #hashtable #list #structured_data #collection #collections #algorithms

    #algorithms #collections #collection #structured_data #list #hashtable