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1000 results for “technically_good”
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Daily writing prompt Do you have any collections? View all responsesCollections? You mean like, do I collect bad decisions? Failures? Things like that?
I was a baseball card collector when I was a kid. I was pretty obsessed. I still have them all. They are in a box somewhere in the cellar. I haven’t added to the collection in ages though. I can’t really say I still collect them. I collected music on vinyl/cassette tapes/CDs. Most of them are gone. I had ripped them all so now all of that music lives simultaneously in a hard drive and in my iTunes Match account. Is that even still a thing? Streaming services are pretty evil (from the musical artist’s point of view) but they are so effin’ convenient from the listener’s perspective that I can’t really stay away. I want to, but I can’t. Thanks, Apple Music. I used to have a pretty significant collection of books. Mostly paperbacks in the horror genre. Thank you, Stephen King and Clive Barker. Almost all of them are gone now. I used to have a significant VHS/DVD/Blue Ray collection too. Almost all of those are gone too.
If I had to fess up to having a collection of anything these days it would probably be electric guitars. I have four. They are all Gibsons. A 1978 Les Paul Custom, a 1979 ES-335 Pro, a 2017 SG Standard, and a 2020 Les Paul Standard ’50’s. I would very much like for this collection to grow, but it’s so expensive. I could extend this to guitar gear in general as I have a few amplifiers and a slew of effects pedals. It feels cooler to say that I collect guitars though.
I could also say that I collect office desks. I have four, technically. One for personal computer stuff in the cellar. Right next to it is a work from home desk that I don’t use very much anymore. Another is upstairs in my step son’s currently unoccupied bed room. That’s where I work from home for the most part. Then there’s one in the actual office. I’m sitting at that one right now.
We have two cats… does that count as a collection? Probably not.
Yeah, let’s go with guitars. That’s my answer for today’s question. Thank you and good night.
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I got my hands on a Duet 3 Chromebook tablet. I did consider grabbing the larger Duet 5 but I already have a 13" class device and as tempting as that big beautiful oled display is, I like small laptops. Really the perfect size for a computer, they shouldn't make computers any bigger than this.
Running Postmarket, incredible how little pain there was in getting this up and running, mainline on ARM has really come a way. I have wanted a little ARM portable computer for basically as long as I have known that ARM existed. The Snapdragon 7c gen 2 isn't fast but it's plenty, I think the biggest thing holding this back is video codec support.
Briefly fidgeted with current-generation chromeOS before doing this, I haven't touched ChromeOS in a while. I can see why you'd use it, it's perfectly pleasant as a system. High quality top-to-bottom integration, hilariously the chrome install even grandfathered in my ublock origin from my Google account so I had Adblock in Chrome on a Chromebook with zero effort. You can even install containerised Linux workloads with Google's blessing, if it's a personal system. If I wasn't a gremlin this would be pretty nice actually.
Linux obviously lacks some of the polish of more commercial operating systems when it comes to mobile support. Plasma's onscreen keyboard is functional but lacking, Gnome is better but only a little. Accelerometer and pen input work perfectly on Plasma, Gnome needs some transforms and udev rules that are mutually incompatible so I need to try and rewrite those. Honestly this is going way better than I expected. Better accelerometer support than my amd64 laptop, which has an awkward middle child of AMD's Sensor Fusion Hub that just never really got good driver support.
Had some mysterious crashes that seem to have settled now. I'll try and fill in some notes on the wiki and try to write some patches for the mobile tools. I'm not sure if I'm going to use Gnome or Plasma. I only briefly poked at Plasma Mobile, which is pretty good but too mobile for something this large. They're both pretty good in their own ways. Plasma's keyboard is actually more technically capable but it's a lot less convenient to deploy. I'll probably have to hack on either of them and I am much more familiar with KDE than Gnome. I also like KDE more but undeniably Gnome has benefited from Ubuntu's weird phone obsession. -
I got my hands on a Duet 3 Chromebook tablet. I did consider grabbing the larger Duet 5 but I already have a 13" class device and as tempting as that big beautiful oled display is, I like small laptops. Really the perfect size for a computer, they shouldn't make computers any bigger than this.
Running Postmarket, incredible how little pain there was in getting this up and running, mainline on ARM has really come a way. I have wanted a little ARM portable computer for basically as long as I have known that ARM existed. The Snapdragon 7c gen 2 isn't fast but it's plenty, I think the biggest thing holding this back is video codec support.
Briefly fidgeted with current-generation chromeOS before doing this, I haven't touched ChromeOS in a while. I can see why you'd use it, it's perfectly pleasant as a system. High quality top-to-bottom integration, hilariously the chrome install even grandfathered in my ublock origin from my Google account so I had Adblock in Chrome on a Chromebook with zero effort. You can even install containerised Linux workloads with Google's blessing, if it's a personal system. If I wasn't a gremlin this would be pretty nice actually.
Linux obviously lacks some of the polish of more commercial operating systems when it comes to mobile support. Plasma's onscreen keyboard is functional but lacking, Gnome is better but only a little. Accelerometer and pen input work perfectly on Plasma, Gnome needs some transforms and udev rules that are mutually incompatible so I need to try and rewrite those. Honestly this is going way better than I expected. Better accelerometer support than my amd64 laptop, which has an awkward middle child of AMD's Sensor Fusion Hub that just never really got good driver support.
Had some mysterious crashes that seem to have settled now. I'll try and fill in some notes on the wiki and try to write some patches for the mobile tools. I'm not sure if I'm going to use Gnome or Plasma. I only briefly poked at Plasma Mobile, which is pretty good but too mobile for something this large. They're both pretty good in their own ways. Plasma's keyboard is actually more technically capable but it's a lot less convenient to deploy. I'll probably have to hack on either of them and I am much more familiar with KDE than Gnome. I also like KDE more but undeniably Gnome has benefited from Ubuntu's weird phone obsession. -
Oh boy, here's my attempt at my top 10 books for the 21st century.
This was HARD to do. I ended up dividing it into genres and then choosing my favourites of each. So it may not be my very top 10, but close enough.
Even though I have 15 years of book reviews to work from, that only helped so much. It was interesting to see which books I rated highly at the time, but no longer stood out for me, and even vice versa. Also, books I read longer ago have lost their emotional immediacy, or perhaps feel less relevant, which may put them at a disadvantage to more recent reads.
Books listed after a * were shortlisted.
1. Fantasy #1: The Ship of Magic (Liveship Traders) by Robin Hobb - this is really just a stand-in for all the Fitz & Fool books (also it's published in 2000, which technically isn't the 21st century ...)
2. Fantasy #2_ The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicle) by Patrick Rothfuss
* A Storm of Swords (Game of Thrones) by George RR Martin
* A Little Hatred (The Age of Madness) by Joe Abercrombie
3. Scifi: The Deluge by Stephen Markley
* Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
* Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
* Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
* Ministry of the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson
* The City We Became by NK Jemisin
* The City & The City by China Mieville
4. Cozy: A Psalm For The Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
5. Historic: The Good People by Hannah Kent
* The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish
* A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles
6. Fiction (mostly Youth Trauma): Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
* Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
* The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
* Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
* Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
* Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
7. Nonfiction #1: An Immense World by Ed Yong
8. Nonfiction #2: The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
9. Nonfiction #3: Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth
* Born to Run by Christopher McDougall
* The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
* Return of a King by William Dalrymple
10. Biography: Educated by Tara Westover
* Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Alihttps://www.abc.net.au/listen/radionational/countdown/top100books
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Is #Trump planning to declare #MartialLaw on April 20? The frightening claim, explored
Story by Charlotte Simmons, March 14, 2025
"First, the essentials. Martial law is the term for when civilian government and legal processes (such as mayoral jurisdiction and police officers, respectively) are overtaken by state military, so as to make demands on behalf of the nation’s leader, and then enforce those demands with their wealth of resources. Typically, martial law is invoked in dangerous situations, such as natural disasters or major #CivilUnrest.
"This is different from the United States’ #InsurrectionAct, wherein those civilian enterprises are not replaced by military personnel and resources, but supplemented by them. More importantly, the official nature of the Insurrection Act allows the #POTUS to deploy the military domestically during emergencies, as the #PosseComitatus Act of 1878 prohibits the use of the military against American civilians. In short, the Insurrection Act can waive the rules of the Posse Comitatus Act to create a sort of #MiniMartialLaw. Remember this.
"Recently, fears have been rising over whether or not the United States could enter martial law on April 20 under Donald Trump. But why then? What is it about April 20 that holds significance? When Trump first took office back on January 20, he signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency at the United States’ southern border, requiring the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to submit a report about what the 'situation' is at said border, together with recommended actions for 'resolving' said 'situation.' This report needed to be submitted within 90 days.
"When this order was signed, Trump also declared that 'A #NationalEmergency exists at the southern border of the United States…I hereby declare that this national emergency requires use of the Armed Forces…' This, directly references the potential execution of the Insurrection Act.
"The Secretary of Defense? #PeteHegseth. The Secretary of #HomelandSecurity? #KristiNoem. Two of Donald Trump’s most prominent yes-men. And guess how many days January 20 and April 20 are apart? Ninety.
"So, essentially, on April 20, there’s a not-insignificant chance that those two aforementioned Trump yes-men are going to tell Trump whether or not he should deploy the military in the southern United States so as to crack down on immigration. Except, as we saw with the case of #MahmoudKhalil — a recent #ColumbiaUniversity graduate who played a major role in that student body’s recent #ProPalestinain campus occupations — it doesn’t matter if you have a green card or if you haven’t committed any crimes; under this presidency, #ICE will illegally detain you if they think you’re troublesome to the vision of #TrumpsAmerica. They’re trying to deport Khalil for speaking out against #genocide as we speak. This is a direct, wholly #unconstitutional attack on #FreeSpeech.
"And here’s why that distinction between the Insurrection Act and martial law was so important earlier. On April 20, Trump will constitutionally — through the Insurrection Act — be allowed to deploy the military against #AmericanCivilians, and his government has already demonstrated that legal American civilians who have not committed any crimes are at risk for detention and deportation. It’s not technically martial law, but this #Trumpian cocktail is just as bad, if not worse.
"#Khalil’s detention — again, occurring in response to his speaking out against the #genocide of #Palestinian people — was made on the grounds of Trump’s executive order prohibiting #AntiSemitism. How long before more executive orders (none of them made in good faith, let’s be clear on that) just so happen to limit more ways of speaking, acting, and thinking? A scary thought, and a horrifyingly pertinent one."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/is-trump-planning-to-declare-martial-law-on-april-20-the-frightening-claim-explored/ar-AA1AUIqy
#USPol #Authoritarianism #Fascism #Crackdown #CriminalizingDissent #NDAA #ExpandedPowers
#USPresidency #NationalEmergency #Terrorists #Activists #USPol #BorderEmergency #Gitmo #IllegalDetention #IndefiniteDetentionClause #IndefiniteDetention -
Is #Trump planning to declare #MartialLaw on April 20? The frightening claim, explored
Story by Charlotte Simmons, March 14, 2025
"First, the essentials. Martial law is the term for when civilian government and legal processes (such as mayoral jurisdiction and police officers, respectively) are overtaken by state military, so as to make demands on behalf of the nation’s leader, and then enforce those demands with their wealth of resources. Typically, martial law is invoked in dangerous situations, such as natural disasters or major #CivilUnrest.
"This is different from the United States’ #InsurrectionAct, wherein those civilian enterprises are not replaced by military personnel and resources, but supplemented by them. More importantly, the official nature of the Insurrection Act allows the #POTUS to deploy the military domestically during emergencies, as the #PosseComitatus Act of 1878 prohibits the use of the military against American civilians. In short, the Insurrection Act can waive the rules of the Posse Comitatus Act to create a sort of #MiniMartialLaw. Remember this.
"Recently, fears have been rising over whether or not the United States could enter martial law on April 20 under Donald Trump. But why then? What is it about April 20 that holds significance? When Trump first took office back on January 20, he signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency at the United States’ southern border, requiring the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to submit a report about what the 'situation' is at said border, together with recommended actions for 'resolving' said 'situation.' This report needed to be submitted within 90 days.
"When this order was signed, Trump also declared that 'A #NationalEmergency exists at the southern border of the United States…I hereby declare that this national emergency requires use of the Armed Forces…' This, directly references the potential execution of the Insurrection Act.
"The Secretary of Defense? #PeteHegseth. The Secretary of #HomelandSecurity? #KristiNoem. Two of Donald Trump’s most prominent yes-men. And guess how many days January 20 and April 20 are apart? Ninety.
"So, essentially, on April 20, there’s a not-insignificant chance that those two aforementioned Trump yes-men are going to tell Trump whether or not he should deploy the military in the southern United States so as to crack down on immigration. Except, as we saw with the case of #MahmoudKhalil — a recent #ColumbiaUniversity graduate who played a major role in that student body’s recent #ProPalestinain campus occupations — it doesn’t matter if you have a green card or if you haven’t committed any crimes; under this presidency, #ICE will illegally detain you if they think you’re troublesome to the vision of #TrumpsAmerica. They’re trying to deport Khalil for speaking out against #genocide as we speak. This is a direct, wholly #unconstitutional attack on #FreeSpeech.
"And here’s why that distinction between the Insurrection Act and martial law was so important earlier. On April 20, Trump will constitutionally — through the Insurrection Act — be allowed to deploy the military against #AmericanCivilians, and his government has already demonstrated that legal American civilians who have not committed any crimes are at risk for detention and deportation. It’s not technically martial law, but this #Trumpian cocktail is just as bad, if not worse.
"#Khalil’s detention — again, occurring in response to his speaking out against the #genocide of #Palestinian people — was made on the grounds of Trump’s executive order prohibiting #AntiSemitism. How long before more executive orders (none of them made in good faith, let’s be clear on that) just so happen to limit more ways of speaking, acting, and thinking? A scary thought, and a horrifyingly pertinent one."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/is-trump-planning-to-declare-martial-law-on-april-20-the-frightening-claim-explored/ar-AA1AUIqy
#USPol #Authoritarianism #Fascism #Crackdown #CriminalizingDissent #NDAA #ExpandedPowers
#USPresidency #NationalEmergency #Terrorists #Activists #USPol #BorderEmergency #Gitmo #IllegalDetention #IndefiniteDetentionClause #IndefiniteDetention -
Is #Trump planning to declare #MartialLaw on April 20? The frightening claim, explored
Story by Charlotte Simmons, March 14, 2025
"First, the essentials. Martial law is the term for when civilian government and legal processes (such as mayoral jurisdiction and police officers, respectively) are overtaken by state military, so as to make demands on behalf of the nation’s leader, and then enforce those demands with their wealth of resources. Typically, martial law is invoked in dangerous situations, such as natural disasters or major #CivilUnrest.
"This is different from the United States’ #InsurrectionAct, wherein those civilian enterprises are not replaced by military personnel and resources, but supplemented by them. More importantly, the official nature of the Insurrection Act allows the #POTUS to deploy the military domestically during emergencies, as the #PosseComitatus Act of 1878 prohibits the use of the military against American civilians. In short, the Insurrection Act can waive the rules of the Posse Comitatus Act to create a sort of #MiniMartialLaw. Remember this.
"Recently, fears have been rising over whether or not the United States could enter martial law on April 20 under Donald Trump. But why then? What is it about April 20 that holds significance? When Trump first took office back on January 20, he signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency at the United States’ southern border, requiring the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to submit a report about what the 'situation' is at said border, together with recommended actions for 'resolving' said 'situation.' This report needed to be submitted within 90 days.
"When this order was signed, Trump also declared that 'A #NationalEmergency exists at the southern border of the United States…I hereby declare that this national emergency requires use of the Armed Forces…' This, directly references the potential execution of the Insurrection Act.
"The Secretary of Defense? #PeteHegseth. The Secretary of #HomelandSecurity? #KristiNoem. Two of Donald Trump’s most prominent yes-men. And guess how many days January 20 and April 20 are apart? Ninety.
"So, essentially, on April 20, there’s a not-insignificant chance that those two aforementioned Trump yes-men are going to tell Trump whether or not he should deploy the military in the southern United States so as to crack down on immigration. Except, as we saw with the case of #MahmoudKhalil — a recent #ColumbiaUniversity graduate who played a major role in that student body’s recent #ProPalestinain campus occupations — it doesn’t matter if you have a green card or if you haven’t committed any crimes; under this presidency, #ICE will illegally detain you if they think you’re troublesome to the vision of #TrumpsAmerica. They’re trying to deport Khalil for speaking out against #genocide as we speak. This is a direct, wholly #unconstitutional attack on #FreeSpeech.
"And here’s why that distinction between the Insurrection Act and martial law was so important earlier. On April 20, Trump will constitutionally — through the Insurrection Act — be allowed to deploy the military against #AmericanCivilians, and his government has already demonstrated that legal American civilians who have not committed any crimes are at risk for detention and deportation. It’s not technically martial law, but this #Trumpian cocktail is just as bad, if not worse.
"#Khalil’s detention — again, occurring in response to his speaking out against the #genocide of #Palestinian people — was made on the grounds of Trump’s executive order prohibiting #AntiSemitism. How long before more executive orders (none of them made in good faith, let’s be clear on that) just so happen to limit more ways of speaking, acting, and thinking? A scary thought, and a horrifyingly pertinent one."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/is-trump-planning-to-declare-martial-law-on-april-20-the-frightening-claim-explored/ar-AA1AUIqy
#USPol #Authoritarianism #Fascism #Crackdown #CriminalizingDissent #NDAA #ExpandedPowers
#USPresidency #NationalEmergency #Terrorists #Activists #USPol #BorderEmergency #Gitmo #IllegalDetention #IndefiniteDetentionClause #IndefiniteDetention -
Is #Trump planning to declare #MartialLaw on April 20? The frightening claim, explored
Story by Charlotte Simmons, March 14, 2025
"First, the essentials. Martial law is the term for when civilian government and legal processes (such as mayoral jurisdiction and police officers, respectively) are overtaken by state military, so as to make demands on behalf of the nation’s leader, and then enforce those demands with their wealth of resources. Typically, martial law is invoked in dangerous situations, such as natural disasters or major #CivilUnrest.
"This is different from the United States’ #InsurrectionAct, wherein those civilian enterprises are not replaced by military personnel and resources, but supplemented by them. More importantly, the official nature of the Insurrection Act allows the #POTUS to deploy the military domestically during emergencies, as the #PosseComitatus Act of 1878 prohibits the use of the military against American civilians. In short, the Insurrection Act can waive the rules of the Posse Comitatus Act to create a sort of #MiniMartialLaw. Remember this.
"Recently, fears have been rising over whether or not the United States could enter martial law on April 20 under Donald Trump. But why then? What is it about April 20 that holds significance? When Trump first took office back on January 20, he signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency at the United States’ southern border, requiring the secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to submit a report about what the 'situation' is at said border, together with recommended actions for 'resolving' said 'situation.' This report needed to be submitted within 90 days.
"When this order was signed, Trump also declared that 'A #NationalEmergency exists at the southern border of the United States…I hereby declare that this national emergency requires use of the Armed Forces…' This, directly references the potential execution of the Insurrection Act.
"The Secretary of Defense? #PeteHegseth. The Secretary of #HomelandSecurity? #KristiNoem. Two of Donald Trump’s most prominent yes-men. And guess how many days January 20 and April 20 are apart? Ninety.
"So, essentially, on April 20, there’s a not-insignificant chance that those two aforementioned Trump yes-men are going to tell Trump whether or not he should deploy the military in the southern United States so as to crack down on immigration. Except, as we saw with the case of #MahmoudKhalil — a recent #ColumbiaUniversity graduate who played a major role in that student body’s recent #ProPalestinain campus occupations — it doesn’t matter if you have a green card or if you haven’t committed any crimes; under this presidency, #ICE will illegally detain you if they think you’re troublesome to the vision of #TrumpsAmerica. They’re trying to deport Khalil for speaking out against #genocide as we speak. This is a direct, wholly #unconstitutional attack on #FreeSpeech.
"And here’s why that distinction between the Insurrection Act and martial law was so important earlier. On April 20, Trump will constitutionally — through the Insurrection Act — be allowed to deploy the military against #AmericanCivilians, and his government has already demonstrated that legal American civilians who have not committed any crimes are at risk for detention and deportation. It’s not technically martial law, but this #Trumpian cocktail is just as bad, if not worse.
"#Khalil’s detention — again, occurring in response to his speaking out against the #genocide of #Palestinian people — was made on the grounds of Trump’s executive order prohibiting #AntiSemitism. How long before more executive orders (none of them made in good faith, let’s be clear on that) just so happen to limit more ways of speaking, acting, and thinking? A scary thought, and a horrifyingly pertinent one."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/is-trump-planning-to-declare-martial-law-on-april-20-the-frightening-claim-explored/ar-AA1AUIqy
#USPol #Authoritarianism #Fascism #Crackdown #CriminalizingDissent #NDAA #ExpandedPowers
#USPresidency #NationalEmergency #Terrorists #Activists #USPol #BorderEmergency #Gitmo #IllegalDetention #IndefiniteDetentionClause #IndefiniteDetention -
CW: Discussion of words, kink, and non-sexual kink
In this post I am going to try and explain some aspects of how I conceptualize #kink.
For this to be effective, I want to also explain some terms I use, and how I use them. A shared dictionary is a fundamental piece of successful communication of nuance.
~~Intimacy is a form of closeness at a deep level. Like two onions touching each other, maybe in a box vs the unpeeled cores of two onions cuddling up together. Maybe not the best analogy. But it's better than imagining fitting both your eyeballs into the same socket (What is wrong with me?)~~
#Intimacy is a form of closeness. To get a better idea of what I mean, here's a post I wrote recently to clarify what I mean when I refer to intimacy.
Intimacy explained in terms of vulnerability: https://lgbtqia.space/@h3mmy/114721556022286295
Sensual is used to describe certain experiences. A quick trip to the pedantry corner says that technically all our experiences are sensual because we're using our senses. When I say sensual, I mean actively engaging the senses with intention. Like standing atop a hill feeling the wind gently stroking your skin, observing how your skin reacts, and the different streaks of tingles and nociception. Really savoring the experience of it. Appreciating the subtle notes of whispers in the wind. Hints of wildflowers mixed with soil.
One can argue that there is a degree of intimacy involved in sensuality, and that makes sense. I'm loosing my guard to appreciate the breeze, I'm adjusting my hearing to attune to the breath of nature, leaving myself open and exposed to nature and trusting that the experience will be worthwhile. It's not sexual, it's not romantic, it's just sensual.
#Erotic is another term, literally based on a god of lust, passion, desire and mischief. The crux of this is desire, but a consuming sort. Like I'm dying of thirst in a desert, happening upon an oasis, stumbling in my frenzy to reach the water, passionately reuniting it with my body, savoring the echoes of sweet relief down to my bone. This is just an illustrative example. I want to make a point to distinguish erotic from the sexual and the sensual as they are all different things. Each can have different degrees of intimacy dynamics. Intimacy is independent, yet a fundamental aspect
My previous example for #sensual is actually a little erotic. I'm immersed in it to a degree of near spiritual fulfillment. The erotic is often sensual, but the sensual is not always erotic. The erotic is often profoundly intimate as well.
Okay, now that I've gone through some of the tricky terms, I am going to start illustrating some concepts around "non-sexual" kink. Thanks to @kasdeya for her really helpful line of questioning that aided me in figuring out what pieces might be good to address first.
Picking one snippet from https://cryptid.cafe/objects/68cbcc28-db9f-4601-a574-bd44358f45e5
> I think the main thing that I’m having trouble understanding is the concept of nonsexual kink. it sounds like this might be a kind of playful exploration of things like physical sensations (like pain) or of being {restrained or made helpless} for its own sake. so I’m guessing that there isn’t necessarily any sexual arousal involved in nonsexual kink. I would be interested to know if the presence of sexual arousal in a kink scene would make it count as sexual (rather than nonsexual) kink for you or if it’s only the presence of sexual activity that would put it into that category. and also (this may be too personal of a question) how you would feel knowing that a kink partner was sexually aroused during a scene with you. I guess I wonder if that might be uncomfortable to know, in the same way that it might be during a non-kink-related activity. I think that would help me understand where the borders are between sexual and nonsexual kink
@kasdeya is spot on with the playful exploration. Kink is a type of play. Humans love to play, it's one of the fundamental ways we learn, bond, and explore. If I'm an arbitrary rope bottom: Maybe I want to be tied up for the sensory experience, and maybe I want to be locked and restrained like the suffocating system we're trapped in, and once the bonds are undone, I can emerge with fewer restraints to my potential in the world. In that sense it takes on a deeper layer of vulnerability and trust. A ritual to help harmonize the mind, body, and rich inner world.
Impact, fire, electro, sensory, needle, knife, wax, latex, etc. These are all types of play. Sexual component not required. What if we just wanted to play some games? Bound hands holding a candle full to the brim. Is a light feather enough to cause a spillage? What about a wartenberg wheel? How about a game of chess? My moves will be executed by my voice controlled drone whose arms are tied to its chest like T-Rex arms. These scenes lack sexual components altogether, but I imagine people would still call it kink, right?
Now, sexual components can be added easily. Feathers can be run over erogenous zones, vibrators too. Who knows what kind of chipset is inserted in the drone? Maybe I left something in the debug port by mistake.
I hope that helps illustrate that there is a distinction between sexual and non-sexual kink. Let's try exploring some #boundaries.
You asked if the presence of sexual arousal changes the category. I would say it depends. If I'm enjoying a casual tabletop game in public with a friend or two, and they get sexually aroused, are we now playing a sexy board game? Arousal also disregards intention and desire which are also important elements. I think perspective also matters. It could be a sexy game of whatever we're playing for the person who is aroused and full of desire. And for clueless me, it's just a fun activity time with pals. If I am also aware of what's going on, then it could change what we label it.
For kink scenes, I try to establish some baseline boundaries. One of my default ones is that I won't do sexual play, but I might be open to renegotiating at a later point. This communicates that I do not have any sexual intention at the time, and I expect that the other parties will not engage me in any sexual play without talking about it first.
This helps segue into answering the next part of the question about what if the other party is sexually aroused. This by itself is not bothersome to me. Kink is intimate. If I'm binding someone in rope, I'm making them more vulnerable and have a responsibility to do some caretaking of this state through the scene. I adjust my touch based on their preferences and what makes sense to me from an artistic perspective. Soft touch, light touch, deep touch, etc. Most people want more touch so I'll adjust my techniques to increase the amount of touch while tying and untying. For some, I'll adjust the pull throughs to create little whips to add a zing for contrast. I'm tying things in and around sensitive parts, carefully, mindfully, tenderly, but not sexually, and not even erotically unless we've discussed it beforehand.
Given this intimate context, the closeness, and sensual aspects, it can be arousing for a lot of people. Just like if they're getting a massage. Relaxing into touch and sensation while vulnerable. They're not being weird about it, they're not being creepy, they're maintaining the negotiated boundaries and not dragging any sexual intent or context into the scene.
I've had some rope bottoms tell me when an area is _too_ arousing or if they interpret touch in a certain area as sexual. I highly appreciate this feedback so I can avoid those triggers. Like the inner thigh. For some people it's sexual, for some people it's sensual. If it's sexual for someone and I need to get rope through there I can do it without actually touching that part of their body. I can also have the bottom do it if practical. I don't have sexual intent and this helps to respect that boundary. This sort of dynamic and communication applies across all types of kink scenes, I'm just using rope as my example because it's usually fresh in my brain.
So if something like a humiliation scene with impact and wax is sexual for someone, this should be part of the negotiations. I don't do sexual scenes by default, and this filters out play partners for whom kink is always sexual. If there's no play we can do that is non-sexual then we clearly aren't compatible. Because I'm at events a lot, people who are curious can watch, and they'll better be able to see the dynamic. Sometimes this alone helps them reframe the elements involved and they can interpret kink in separate sexual and non-sexual dimensions. I have a couple of play partners for whom this was the route, and they like that the scenes with me helped them broaden their perspective on kink and knowing that it doesn't have to be centered around sexual charge. Interpersonal chemistry is an independent factor in my opinion.
I'm getting close to the character limit now, which maybe makes this my longest post. Hopefully people are able to read it and engage in some discussions that will help me figure out how to structure my next post.
Please note that this conceptualization is merely one perspective and I'm certainly not an authority of any kind (unless that's what we negotiated)
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Spikey Boots not Spicy Foods? If I spill some spicy stuff on my boots and have a sub lick it off, we can still be on topic!
Recipe for a very simple Mint Chutney.
Fresh Mint and Fresh Cilantro (with soft stems) in a 2:1 ratio (recommend 2 cups of loosely packed mint leaves and 1 cup of loosely packed cilantro)
2-3 tsp cumin seeds (halve it if using powder)
3-7 Thai green chillies (Traditionally, this is hari mirch which literally translates to green spice/chili. You can use different kinds like jwala, guntur, etc. Birds eye chili are called kanthari chili, and thai greens are typically called the kush eye or dhani lonka/lanka. If you prefer things more mild, you can use a red one like the kashmiri mirch a.k.a. lal mirch for something more along the spice levels of paprika)
1 tsp sugar (white, brown, jaggery, etc your call)
1 tsp sea salt (I prefer kosher salt for many things because of the taste)
1/4-1/3-1/2 cup lemon or lime juice for every three cups of herbs. (1/4 cup if also using an equal volume of yogurt else add more as needed). Note that lime juice is more "potent" than lemon juice
Optionally add some yogurt similar to lemon juice. This reduces the storage time it's good for, and technically turns this chutney into a raita but it's just semantics.
Optionally include a couple of garlic cloves. If using garlic, I recommend "soaking" the garlic in the lemon/lime juice first to reduce the pungentness.
Blend all of the above together. Adjust things as needed. It should be smooth and thick enough to hold at the edge of a spoon without liquid spilling over. The liquid should not separate from the chunks much either.
Store in an airtight container.
Extra tip via anecdote: The closest place I can get Desi spices is a good distance away so I don't go there much. I will buy peppers in bulk, and wash them. Then I will blend them into a puree and freeze it. Obviously, the best taste is when they are fresh, but I prefer something I froze if the alternative is to not have any at all.
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Friday at Last
It’s Friday. Finally!
We have yet another contractor coming today. The arrival window we booked opens at 8:00am. They texted us at 7:00am saying they were on their way. We assumed that meant that… ya know… they were on their way. Well its 8:02am now and they still haven’t arrived. So I guess they weren’t actually on the way.
Today is a monumentally huge day for the entertainment industry. Well… for my personal entertainment industry preferences. Alex Lifeson of Rush is releasing a new album today with his other band, Envy of None. Now while I will say that that sort of gothy/synthy/poppy vibe Envy of None gives off is not generally my personal bag, I did enjoy the first record and I have been enjoying the first three songs they snuck out from the second record even more. They are winning me over.
Along with that, there is a new Throwing Muses album out today. Technically there are two new Throwing Muses albums today, but only one is going to streaming services. I’m going to have to actually go somewhere and find a copy of the other one. Moonlight Concessions is the one you can stream. The singles they gave us ahead of time are seriously working for me. I haven’t started listening to the full album yet but I am really excited to give it a spin.
Even more important, Kristin Hersh sent out an email to her mailing list today (which I’ve been subscribed to for about as long as email lists have been a thing) and it lists some new tour dates. They are all in Europe, which is great for folks in Europe but not very helpful for me. There was some good news for those of us who live in the nazi states of america. Just read the last line on this screen shot from the email…
US DATES COMING SOON!!! Robert is excited. Robert’s wife is probably going to be slightly less excited, but my finger are crossed that she’ll be okay with going to another show with me.
On top of the musical gifts we get today, there is also a new episode of Yellowjackets where they actually talk about DATs. Digital Audio Tapes. I never owned a DAT player but somewhere around here I do have a couple of DAT tapes because I spent some time in a recording studio in 1993. There is also a new episode of Severance. I think that show might be losing me a little. I have found my attention drifting while watching the last two episodes. I am just thinking that we’re so deep into the black box that we’re never going to find out exactly what’s going on and maybe I am just trying to subconsciously protect myself from disappointment. I don’t know. The show is still good but I am getting worried.
The contractor is here. He rang the door bell at about 8:10 or so. Right when he was supposed to. That’s good news. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll be finished before I start work.
Speaking of music, I started noodling out an idea for something for the Record Every Month challenge. I am thinking of continuing along with the acoustic 12-string stuff I was doing last month. I also got my 6-string acoustic guitar back from my singer, who borrowed it 10000 years ago. Right on queue, today’s That Pedal Show episode is talking about 12-string guitars and the guys are bitching about how difficult they are to play. Just like me!
Right then. Time to go and get ready to start my work day. Happy Friday, everyone. Enjoy the new music.
ADDENDUM: The Envy of None record was originally supposed to come out today, March 14, 2025. It did not though. The new release date is March 28, 2025. Bummer, dude.
There is a Rush 50th anniversary boxed set scheduled for release next week. I wonder if that’s why they pushed the EoN release? Who knows.
#12StringGuitar #AlexLifeson #dat #digitalAudioTape #envyOrNone #Guitar #KristinHersh #Music #Rush #severance #Television #ThatPedalShow #throwingMuses #tourDates #usTourDates #yellowjackets
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Friday at Last
It’s Friday. Finally!
We have yet another contractor coming today. The arrival window we booked opens at 8:00am. They texted us at 7:00am saying they were on their way. We assumed that meant that… ya know… they were on their way. Well its 8:02am now and they still haven’t arrived. So I guess they weren’t actually on the way.
Today is a monumentally huge day for the entertainment industry. Well… for my personal entertainment industry preferences. Alex Lifeson of Rush is releasing a new album today with his other band, Envy of None. Now while I will say that that sort of gothy/synthy/poppy vibe Envy of None gives off is not generally my personal bag, I did enjoy the first record and I have been enjoying the first three songs they snuck out from the second record even more. They are winning me over.
Along with that, there is a new Throwing Muses album out today. Technically there are two new Throwing Muses albums today, but only one is going to streaming services. I’m going to have to actually go somewhere and find a copy of the other one. Moonlight Concessions is the one you can stream. The singles they gave us ahead of time are seriously working for me. I haven’t started listening to the full album yet but I am really excited to give it a spin.
Even more important, Kristin Hersh sent out an email to her mailing list today (which I’ve been subscribed to for about as long as email lists have been a thing) and it lists some new tour dates. They are all in Europe, which is great for folks in Europe but not very helpful for me. There was some good news for those of us who live in the nazi states of america. Just read the last line on this screen shot from the email…
US DATES COMING SOON!!! Robert is excited. Robert’s wife is probably going to be slightly less excited, but my finger are crossed that she’ll be okay with going to another show with me.
On top of the musical gifts we get today, there is also a new episode of Yellowjackets where they actually talk about DATs. Digital Audio Tapes. I never owned a DAT player but somewhere around here I do have a couple of DAT tapes because I spent some time in a recording studio in 1993. There is also a new episode of Severance. I think that show might be losing me a little. I have found my attention drifting while watching the last two episodes. I am just thinking that we’re so deep into the black box that we’re never going to find out exactly what’s going on and maybe I am just trying to subconsciously protect myself from disappointment. I don’t know. The show is still good but I am getting worried.
The contractor is here. He rang the door bell at about 8:10 or so. Right when he was supposed to. That’s good news. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll be finished before I start work.
Speaking of music, I started noodling out an idea for something for the Record Every Month challenge. I am thinking of continuing along with the acoustic 12-string stuff I was doing last month. I also got my 6-string acoustic guitar back from my singer, who borrowed it 10000 years ago. Right on queue, today’s That Pedal Show episode is talking about 12-string guitars and the guys are bitching about how difficult they are to play. Just like me!
Right then. Time to go and get ready to start my work day. Happy Friday, everyone. Enjoy the new music.
ADDENDUM: The Envy of None record was originally supposed to come out today, March 14, 2025. It did not though. The new release date is March 28, 2025. Bummer, dude.
There is a Rush 50th anniversary boxed set scheduled for release next week. I wonder if that’s why they pushed the EoN release? Who knows.
#12StringGuitar #AlexLifeson #dat #digitalAudioTape #envyOrNone #Guitar #KristinHersh #Music #Rush #severance #Television #ThatPedalShow #throwingMuses #tourDates #usTourDates #yellowjackets
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Friday at Last
It’s Friday. Finally!
We have yet another contractor coming today. The arrival window we booked opens at 8:00am. They texted us at 7:00am saying they were on their way. We assumed that meant that… ya know… they were on their way. Well its 8:02am now and they still haven’t arrived. So I guess they weren’t actually on the way.
Today is a monumentally huge day for the entertainment industry. Well… for my personal entertainment industry preferences. Alex Lifeson of Rush is releasing a new album today with his other band, Envy of None. Now while I will say that that sort of gothy/synthy/poppy vibe Envy of None gives off is not generally my personal bag, I did enjoy the first record and I have been enjoying the first three songs they snuck out from the second record even more. They are winning me over.
Along with that, there is a new Throwing Muses album out today. Technically there are two new Throwing Muses albums today, but only one is going to streaming services. I’m going to have to actually go somewhere and find a copy of the other one. Moonlight Concessions is the one you can stream. The singles they gave us ahead of time are seriously working for me. I haven’t started listening to the full album yet but I am really excited to give it a spin.
Even more important, Kristin Hersh sent out an email to her mailing list today (which I’ve been subscribed to for about as long as email lists have been a thing) and it lists some new tour dates. They are all in Europe, which is great for folks in Europe but not very helpful for me. There was some good news for those of us who live in the nazi states of america. Just read the last line on this screen shot from the email…
US DATES COMING SOON!!! Robert is excited. Robert’s wife is probably going to be slightly less excited, but my finger are crossed that she’ll be okay with going to another show with me.
On top of the musical gifts we get today, there is also a new episode of Yellowjackets where they actually talk about DATs. Digital Audio Tapes. I never owned a DAT player but somewhere around here I do have a couple of DAT tapes because I spent some time in a recording studio in 1993. There is also a new episode of Severance. I think that show might be losing me a little. I have found my attention drifting while watching the last two episodes. I am just thinking that we’re so deep into the black box that we’re never going to find out exactly what’s going on and maybe I am just trying to subconsciously protect myself from disappointment. I don’t know. The show is still good but I am getting worried.
The contractor is here. He rang the door bell at about 8:10 or so. Right when he was supposed to. That’s good news. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll be finished before I start work.
Speaking of music, I started noodling out an idea for something for the Record Every Month challenge. I am thinking of continuing along with the acoustic 12-string stuff I was doing last month. I also got my 6-string acoustic guitar back from my singer, who borrowed it 10000 years ago. Right on queue, today’s That Pedal Show episode is talking about 12-string guitars and the guys are bitching about how difficult they are to play. Just like me!
Right then. Time to go and get ready to start my work day. Happy Friday, everyone. Enjoy the new music.
#12StringGuitar #AlexLifeson #dat #digitalAudioTape #envyOrNone #Guitar #KristinHersh #Music #Rush #severance #Television #ThatPedalShow #throwingMuses #tourDates #usTourDates #yellowjackets
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Friday at Last
It’s Friday. Finally!
We have yet another contractor coming today. The arrival window we booked opens at 8:00am. They texted us at 7:00am saying they were on their way. We assumed that meant that… ya know… they were on their way. Well its 8:02am now and they still haven’t arrived. So I guess they weren’t actually on the way.
Today is a monumentally huge day for the entertainment industry. Well… for my personal entertainment industry preferences. Alex Lifeson of Rush is releasing a new album today with his other band, Envy of None. Now while I will say that that sort of gothy/synthy/poppy vibe Envy of None gives off is not generally my personal bag, I did enjoy the first record and I have been enjoying the first three songs they snuck out from the second record even more. They are winning me over.
Along with that, there is a new Throwing Muses album out today. Technically there are two new Throwing Muses albums today, but only one is going to streaming services. I’m going to have to actually go somewhere and find a copy of the other one. Moonlight Concessions is the one you can stream. The singles they gave us ahead of time are seriously working for me. I haven’t started listening to the full album yet but I am really excited to give it a spin.
Even more important, Kristin Hersh sent out an email to her mailing list today (which I’ve been subscribed to for about as long as email lists have been a thing) and it lists some new tour dates. They are all in Europe, which is great for folks in Europe but not very helpful for me. There was some good news for those of us who live in the nazi states of america. Just read the last line on this screen shot from the email…
US DATES COMING SOON!!! Robert is excited. Robert’s wife is probably going to be slightly less excited, but my finger are crossed that she’ll be okay with going to another show with me.
On top of the musical gifts we get today, there is also a new episode of Yellowjackets where they actually talk about DATs. Digital Audio Tapes. I never owned a DAT player but somewhere around here I do have a couple of DAT tapes because I spent some time in a recording studio in 1993. There is also a new episode of Severance. I think that show might be losing me a little. I have found my attention drifting while watching the last two episodes. I am just thinking that we’re so deep into the black box that we’re never going to find out exactly what’s going on and maybe I am just trying to subconsciously protect myself from disappointment. I don’t know. The show is still good but I am getting worried.
The contractor is here. He rang the door bell at about 8:10 or so. Right when he was supposed to. That’s good news. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’ll be finished before I start work.
Speaking of music, I started noodling out an idea for something for the Record Every Month challenge. I am thinking of continuing along with the acoustic 12-string stuff I was doing last month. I also got my 6-string acoustic guitar back from my singer, who borrowed it 10000 years ago. Right on queue, today’s That Pedal Show episode is talking about 12-string guitars and the guys are bitching about how difficult they are to play. Just like me!
Right then. Time to go and get ready to start my work day. Happy Friday, everyone. Enjoy the new music.
ADDENDUM: The Envy of None record was originally supposed to come out today, March 14, 2025. It did not though. The new release date is March 28, 2025. Bummer, dude.
There is a Rush 50th anniversary boxed set scheduled for release next week. I wonder if that’s why they pushed the EoN release? Who knows.
#12StringGuitar #AlexLifeson #dat #digitalAudioTape #envyOrNone #Guitar #KristinHersh #Music #Rush #severance #Television #ThatPedalShow #throwingMuses #tourDates #usTourDates #yellowjackets
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Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024
By Dr. A.N. Grier
If I were to rate the year of our Lord 2024, I’d give it a solid 4.5/5.0. No, I joke. FUCK 2024. Good riddance, fuck off, goodfuckingbye. This year, the layoffs continued (even affected some of our writers here), the prices skyrocketed, the World Series was bullshit, and landfills across the States are twice their capacity thanks to useless election fliers. This year has resulted in practically zero time to work on AMG efforts, write reviews, or listen to music as I continue to try to keep my job. Yay. Cheers to you, 2024—you sack of horse shit. Let’s go, 2025, you sassy bitch who suggests great things to come but probably won’t deliver. If only you could promise me more time doing the things I love—listening to metal, writing about it, and pretending to edit the other writers’ reviews while completely hammered. If so, I’d kiss you as the ball drops, take you to the back alley during the after-party, and promise not to poison your coffee the next morning.
But we aren’t there yet. We are still stuck in the past, looking over a mediocre year of metal, regurgitating the same shit we already wrote for each album on our lists. That way, you all can praise, argue, and whine about each choice and its placement. Thankfully, my lists rarely overlap with anyone else’s and no one actually gives a fuck, so my sleep patterns remain the same. Having passed the ten-year mark at this amazing madland, my tastes remain the same, and no one will be surprised that most of the selections here are the items I alone reviewed. That changes occasionally but with no time to think about music this year, you’ll be treated to odd takes and albums that only scored a 3.0. Oh no!1
Thank you to the AMG staff for their lackluster productivity and overrating tendencies. To Dolph, Kenny, and Sharky for introducing new segments and keeping legacy ones alive. And to Cuervo and GardensTale for the additional year-end contributions they deliver. I also have to give a huge shoutout to the top bosses—AMG and Steel Daddy—for all they do2. I guess I should also thank all of you for your continued support. I guess. May this list find you well as we are thrust into 2025 and the potential nightmares that it’ll bring. Cheers.
#ish. I Am the Intimidator // I Am the Intimidator – What? You fucking knew this was coming. When Steel told me to review an album about NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt, I couldn’t not do it. I mean, this one-off, self-titled record from a one-off band was a perfect opportunity to unleash my rage. And then… wait, what the fuck? It’s actually kinda good? In a weird year where I reviewed two racing-related albums, I Am the Intimidator sports3 six wild tracks that combine Dio and Iron Maiden with Ministry. What the fuck? And, somehow, the lyrics would be fucking hilarious if they weren’t so passionate. OK, the lyrics of the surprisingly delicious and crushing “Gasoline” are fucking hilarious, and a regular, all-caps attack in the AMG channels. After all the chaos and wild influences that make up this tight, six-track album, the passion for “The Intimidator” is true, even if it’s weird. But, I can’t stop listening to this album any more than I can stop drinking beer.
#10. Dust Bolt // Sound & Fury – Like so many other Grier lists, there’s always an album that becomes the most frequented in my shit-filled ears. Yup, I know, you all fucking hate it, and I couldn’t care less. For the band (and style), Sound & Fury is a brave effort that I find addictive, fun, and hilarious trolling material when Steel talks shit. Is it thrash? No, but that didn’t stop me from proclaiming Load as Metallica’s best album. Shifting away from the overused thrash concept and mediocre record releases, Dust Bolt chose the unconventional route of cleaner vocals, smoother production, and catchier choruses to remove themselves from their past outings (and, some would argue, from thrash and metal in general). For you naysayers, there are plenty of headbangable moments on Sound & Fury, so you don’t have to feel like a poser singing these new songs in your mom’s shower.
#9. Midnight // Hellish Expectations – Perhaps one of the most prolific metal bands out there, what can I say about Midnight that I haven’t said already? Oh yeah, they’re badass and if you don’t like them, you’re shit. Also, fuck you. Like previous releases, Midnight continues to speed through riffs that bring to mind classic outfits like Darkthrone, Motörhead, Venom, and Celtic Frost at a relentless speed. While other Midnight records are better, Hellish Expectations joins its compatriots in a discog that can do no wrong. Unless, of course, you don’t like this band’s style. In that case, read above regarding that “fuck you” thing. What makes Hellish Expectations great in this frustrating year is that it caps at twenty-five wonderful minutes—which is the same amount of time it takes to shit out your morning coffee. So, this is a chance to correct your poserness. If you like this band, you already know Hellish Expectations is a fun ride that’ll keep your spikes sharp and your leather pants shit free.
#8. Bombus // Your Blood – Like another band on my list, this Swedish heavy metal, hard rock band has seen a lot of ups and downs in their career. And, for some reason, their co-founding vocalist and guitarist walked. But that didn’t stop Bombus. Not only did they find someone to fill those two slots, but they also added another guitarist to round it out to three. With these new additions, the skill displayed on Your Blood is superior to anything the band has ever done. There’re solos, harmonizing leads, and riffs up the fucking wazoo. I’m uncertain if it’s due to this new skillset or an increase in motivation with five years between albums, but Bombus held nothing back for Your Blood. While there are plenty of the bangers you would expect from a band of this caliber, like the addictive “Take You Down,” there are also other interesting inclusions that I should hate, yet love. For example, the weird, Spaghetti Western qualities of “Your Blood,” the Nick Cave-meets-The White Stripes musings of “The One,” and the bizarreness that is “Carmina.” With Your Blood, the band has found their groove and passion again, delivering their best album yet.
#7. Vanessa Funke // Void – This year brought a surprising new addition to my favorite bands of all time. In this case, it was the newest release from the multi-instrumentalist, Vanessa Funke. With a small but stellar catalog, Ms. Funke continuously dabbles in new influences and song approaches with each album and Void is no different. Coming off last year’s acoustic masterpiece Vanessa Funke rewinds to her debut record, Solitude, alternating between rasps and cleans, acoustic and distorted guitars, and her perfectly molded combination of folk, melodeath, and atmospheric black metal. The textures created by the vocals, guitars, keys, and piano take Void down into some incredible depths, engulfing its listeners in blankets that can be both soft and stabby. Albums like this are rare for me these days, so when they do completely submerse me to the point that I can’t think of anything else, there’s no doubt it’ll make it on my year-end list.
#6. Crystal Viper // The Silver Key – Maybe not everyone’s favorite Polish act,4 Crystal Viper’s founding vocalist and guitarist, Marta Gabriel, has been knocking around her blend of heavy and power metal for nearly two decades. But, it’s been a rocky road of great, mediocre, and rage-inducing records. Where Crimen Expecta shines like a bright star in the sky, Tales of Fire and Ice is a dumpster fire that topped my most disappointing album of 2019. When I approached this year’s The Silver Key, I was expecting another mid album (or worse) but was immediately engrossed—maybe even more than Crimen Expecta. Though many of you dislike the vocals, Gabriel is in top form. But, her vocal performance is only one aspect of the Crystal Viper sound. Her guitar work is some of the best of her career, lending new ideas to the song structures and album flow. While plenty of bands are—and are not better—than Crystal Viper, The Silver Key is undeniably one of the best albums of their career.
#5. Sidewinder // Talons – Most likely one of the only overlaps I’ll have with the cunts that work here,5 Sidewinder’s newest release, Talons, threw me for a loop. Not expecting anything from a band I’ve never heard about, Talons immediately got my noggin’ bobbin’ in the most pleasing way. I can’t pinpoint exactly why I like this style of heavy, bounding stoner metal, but every time I hear it, it clicks. And nothing is better than diving right into a record where one of the band’s best pieces is the opener. “Guardians” is a quintessential Sidewinder piece that personifies the band and everything they stand for. But that’s only the beginning, as the guitars cruise down the road and the bass rumbles through the gravel. Clocking in at a mere thirty-four minutes, this eight-track beauty never reaches beyond its means, ensuring the songs are straight and tight, allowing Jem’s powerful vocals to direct the varying moods. While the band resides in the lush and beautiful landscapes of New Zealand,6 if a sound could represent the harsh desert lands of my home, this would be it.
#4. Aborted // Vault of Horrors – As many know, death metal is not my cup o’ tea. Once upon a time, death metal was my life, but that ship sailed when my favorites grew old and repetitive, and what you all call death metal these days bores me to tears. But the one band that continues to make me salivate is Aborted.7 And, boy, did this year’s Vault of Horrors deliver. With tracks like “Dreadbringer,” “The Golgothan,” and “Malevolent Haze,” this new release offers some incredible depth and relentless brutality. Aborted has always delivered good-to-great albums but after nearly thirty years, how can these lads continue to improve and produce such quality releases? Vault of Horrors is a great record and arguably one of the band’s best. It’s been several months since this beauty was released, so if it passed by you, rectify your posersivity.
#3. The Vision Bleak // Weird Tales – I don’t know what it is about The Vision Bleak but they fucking hit me and hit me hard. On the surface, their style is quite simple, but it’s the layers, stories, mood, and damning vocal performances that draw me in like I’m viewing a Vincent Price horror marathon. Combining their Type O Negative vocal characteristics with atmospheric moods that can be depressive at one point and ethereal at another, The Vision Bleak took a massive leap by releasing Weird Tales as (technically) a one-song album. Eight years since their incredible The Unknown, Weird Tales doesn’t skip a beat, maintaining the duo’s title as one of the greatest bands in gothic metal. With magnificent builds, eerie transitions, mind-bending fluidity, and heart-wrenching passages, the haunting nature of Weird Tales leaves you contemplating your existence in a world controlled by the fate instilled in it by the late, great H.P. Lovecraft.
#2. Kingcrow // Hopium – For fucking months, our progressive cunt, Dolphin Whisper, tried desperately to steal Kingcrow’s Hopium from me—somehow thinking he’s better than me when it comes to describing the lushness of Kingcrow. The fuck. Even though Kingcrow hasn’t released an album in six years, there’s no way some flipper fucker would take this from me. Sure, I’m not a huge fan of progressive metal, but at least I know what’s good progressive metal instead of lazily making love to everything with the tag of “prog.” Anyway, Hopium continues to deliver gorgeous tapestries painted with soothing vocals, synthy atmospheres, and impressive performances for all involved. Though I consider Eidos their best, Hopium is not far behind. While tapping into common influences like Dream Theater and Spock’s Beard, this Italian outfit is very much on a level all its own. If you like prog, you’ll find Hopium—with such wildly varying tracks like “Vicous Circle,” “Parallel Lines,” and “White Rabit’s Hole”—to be the most diverse prog record of the year.
#1. Borknagar // Fall – Goddammit, I love Borknagar. Few bands have such high album scores for a career that spans thirty years and a dozen albums—especially with a constant rotation of players and vocalists. Though, how can you be pissed off about having any of the great vocalists Borknagar has employed throughout the years? Since the beginning, the band has continuously introduced more melody and keys in their music, but Fall is special compared to the output in the last twenty years. Though this new album hasn’t hung up that hat by any means, Øystein G. Brun, Lars A. Nedland, and crew dug through the ashes of the past to bring some of those old-school black metal moments back into the mix. From the blackened assault of “Summits” and the Dimmu Borgir-esque vibes of “Northward,” the band continues to shock and surprise, avoiding a repetition from a previous album. So, dive into the best album o’ the year in all its glory.8
Honorable Mentions
- Portrait // The Host – While I didn’t like the production of Portrait’s The Host, I’m still a slut for King Diamond and Meryful Fate-adjacent metal. Especially when it comes to Portrait, who continues to be less like a copycat and more like a pioneer of the style.
- Attic // Return of the Witchfinder – More King Diamond-core! Easily one of the best examples of the sound, Attic continues to keep me coming back with each release. As their predecessor, Return of the Witchfinder brings a new story, more twists, and those pleasing falsettos that trigger my “O” face.
- Sarke // Endo Feight – Sarke (the artist) and crew have had one hell of a busy couple of years. This year, in particular, sees not only a new Sarke release but also a new Khold record (see below). Endo Feight is a wonderful addition to the band’s catalog and, by god, it’s wonderful to see the man himself back behind the kit.
- Khold // Du dømmes til død – See? I told you it would be here. While 2022’s Svartsyn was better record than Du dømmes til død (and a fantastic comeback), Du dømmes til død still has those elements that make the band so unique and fun to listen to.
- Blood Red Throne // Nonagon – Three years ago, Blood Red Throne released not only one of their best albums but 2021’s best death metal record. Unsurprisingly, it’s difficult to follow something like Imperial Congregation without some hiccups. That said, Nonagon is still a brutal piece of work worthy of mentioning.
Disappointments o’ the Year
- Darkthrone // It Beckons Us All……. – Like Sarke, Nocturno Culto has also been busy this year. If that’s part of the reason for the utter bore that’s It Beckons Us All……., I don’t know. But, this new record feels like Darkthrone is going through the motions. While I respect that they don’t care what the fuck any of us think, this is one of their worst albums.
- Exhorder // Defectum Omnium – After Exhorder’s incredible comeback album, Mourn the Southern Skies, I was more than a little excited for this new one. Unfortunately, like Darkthrone’s newest, Defectum Omnium is a dreadfully boring record that lacks all the passion of Exhorder’s comeback, leaving me confused and pissed the fuck off.
Songs o’ the Year
- Kingcrow – “White Rabbit’s Hole” – With an album full of great songs, there’s just something about the energy of this track that makes me so happy.
- Sidewinder – “Guardians” – This song represents some of the best stoner metal of 2024, and I can’t stop listening to it.
- Bombus – “Take You Down” – This song is just badass. I couldn’t care less what you think. Die.
#2024 #Aborted #Attic #BlogPosts #BloodRedThrone #Bombus #Borknagar #CelticFrost #CrystalViper #Darkthrone #DimmuBorgir #Dio #DrANGrierSTopTenIshOf2024 #DreamTheater #DustBolt #Exhorder #IAmTheIntimidator #IronMaiden #Khold #KingDiamond #Kingcrow #Lists #MercyfulFate #Metallica #Midnight #Ministry #Motörhead #NickCave #Portrait #Sarke #Sidewinder #SpockSBeard #TheVisionBleak #TheWhiteStripes #TypeONegative #Vader #VanessaFunke #Venom
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Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024
By Dr. A.N. Grier
If I were to rate the year of our Lord 2024, I’d give it a solid 4.5/5.0. No, I joke. FUCK 2024. Good riddance, fuck off, goodfuckingbye. This year, the layoffs continued (even affected some of our writers here), the prices skyrocketed, the World Series was bullshit, and landfills across the States are twice their capacity thanks to useless election fliers. This year has resulted in practically zero time to work on AMG efforts, write reviews, or listen to music as I continue to try to keep my job. Yay. Cheers to you, 2024—you sack of horse shit. Let’s go, 2025, you sassy bitch who suggests great things to come but probably won’t deliver. If only you could promise me more time doing the things I love—listening to metal, writing about it, and pretending to edit the other writers’ reviews while completely hammered. If so, I’d kiss you as the ball drops, take you to the back alley during the after-party, and promise not to poison your coffee the next morning.
But we aren’t there yet. We are still stuck in the past, looking over a mediocre year of metal, regurgitating the same shit we already wrote for each album on our lists. That way, you all can praise, argue, and whine about each choice and its placement. Thankfully, my lists rarely overlap with anyone else’s and no one actually gives a fuck, so my sleep patterns remain the same. Having passed the ten-year mark at this amazing madland, my tastes remain the same, and no one will be surprised that most of the selections here are the items I alone reviewed. That changes occasionally but with no time to think about music this year, you’ll be treated to odd takes and albums that only scored a 3.0. Oh no!1
Thank you to the AMG staff for their lackluster productivity and overrating tendencies. To Dolph, Kenny, and Sharky for introducing new segments and keeping legacy ones alive. And to Cuervo and GardensTale for the additional year-end contributions they deliver. I also have to give a huge shoutout to the top bosses—AMG and Steel Daddy—for all they do2. I guess I should also thank all of you for your continued support. I guess. May this list find you well as we are thrust into 2025 and the potential nightmares that it’ll bring. Cheers.
#ish. I Am the Intimidator // I Am the Intimidator – What? You fucking knew this was coming. When Steel told me to review an album about NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt, I couldn’t not do it. I mean, this one-off, self-titled record from a one-off band was a perfect opportunity to unleash my rage. And then… wait, what the fuck? It’s actually kinda good? In a weird year where I reviewed two racing-related albums, I Am the Intimidator sports3 six wild tracks that combine Dio and Iron Maiden with Ministry. What the fuck? And, somehow, the lyrics would be fucking hilarious if they weren’t so passionate. OK, the lyrics of the surprisingly delicious and crushing “Gasoline” are fucking hilarious, and a regular, all-caps attack in the AMG channels. After all the chaos and wild influences that make up this tight, six-track album, the passion for “The Intimidator” is true, even if it’s weird. But, I can’t stop listening to this album any more than I can stop drinking beer.
#10. Dust Bolt // Sound & Fury – Like so many other Grier lists, there’s always an album that becomes the most frequented in my shit-filled ears. Yup, I know, you all fucking hate it, and I couldn’t care less. For the band (and style), Sound & Fury is a brave effort that I find addictive, fun, and hilarious trolling material when Steel talks shit. Is it thrash? No, but that didn’t stop me from proclaiming Load as Metallica’s best album. Shifting away from the overused thrash concept and mediocre record releases, Dust Bolt chose the unconventional route of cleaner vocals, smoother production, and catchier choruses to remove themselves from their past outings (and, some would argue, from thrash and metal in general). For you naysayers, there are plenty of headbangable moments on Sound & Fury, so you don’t have to feel like a poser singing these new songs in your mom’s shower.
#9. Midnight // Hellish Expectations – Perhaps one of the most prolific metal bands out there, what can I say about Midnight that I haven’t said already? Oh yeah, they’re badass and if you don’t like them, you’re shit. Also, fuck you. Like previous releases, Midnight continues to speed through riffs that bring to mind classic outfits like Darkthrone, Motörhead, Venom, and Celtic Frost at a relentless speed. While other Midnight records are better, Hellish Expectations joins its compatriots in a discog that can do no wrong. Unless, of course, you don’t like this band’s style. In that case, read above regarding that “fuck you” thing. What makes Hellish Expectations great in this frustrating year is that it caps at twenty-five wonderful minutes—which is the same amount of time it takes to shit out your morning coffee. So, this is a chance to correct your poserness. If you like this band, you already know Hellish Expectations is a fun ride that’ll keep your spikes sharp and your leather pants shit free.
#8. Bombus // Your Blood – Like another band on my list, this Swedish heavy metal, hard rock band has seen a lot of ups and downs in their career. And, for some reason, their co-founding vocalist and guitarist walked. But that didn’t stop Bombus. Not only did they find someone to fill those two slots, but they also added another guitarist to round it out to three. With these new additions, the skill displayed on Your Blood is superior to anything the band has ever done. There’re solos, harmonizing leads, and riffs up the fucking wazoo. I’m uncertain if it’s due to this new skillset or an increase in motivation with five years between albums, but Bombus held nothing back for Your Blood. While there are plenty of the bangers you would expect from a band of this caliber, like the addictive “Take You Down,” there are also other interesting inclusions that I should hate, yet love. For example, the weird, Spaghetti Western qualities of “Your Blood,” the Nick Cave-meets-The White Stripes musings of “The One,” and the bizarreness that is “Carmina.” With Your Blood, the band has found their groove and passion again, delivering their best album yet.
#7. Vanessa Funke // Void – This year brought a surprising new addition to my favorite bands of all time. In this case, it was the newest release from the multi-instrumentalist, Vanessa Funke. With a small but stellar catalog, Ms. Funke continuously dabbles in new influences and song approaches with each album and Void is no different. Coming off last year’s acoustic masterpiece Vanessa Funke rewinds to her debut record, Solitude, alternating between rasps and cleans, acoustic and distorted guitars, and her perfectly molded combination of folk, melodeath, and atmospheric black metal. The textures created by the vocals, guitars, keys, and piano take Void down into some incredible depths, engulfing its listeners in blankets that can be both soft and stabby. Albums like this are rare for me these days, so when they do completely submerse me to the point that I can’t think of anything else, there’s no doubt it’ll make it on my year-end list.
#6. Crystal Viper // The Silver Key – Maybe not everyone’s favorite Polish act,4 Crystal Viper’s founding vocalist and guitarist, Marta Gabriel, has been knocking around her blend of heavy and power metal for nearly two decades. But, it’s been a rocky road of great, mediocre, and rage-inducing records. Where Crimen Expecta shines like a bright star in the sky, Tales of Fire and Ice is a dumpster fire that topped my most disappointing album of 2019. When I approached this year’s The Silver Key, I was expecting another mid album (or worse) but was immediately engrossed—maybe even more than Crimen Expecta. Though many of you dislike the vocals, Gabriel is in top form. But, her vocal performance is only one aspect of the Crystal Viper sound. Her guitar work is some of the best of her career, lending new ideas to the song structures and album flow. While plenty of bands are—and are not better—than Crystal Viper, The Silver Key is undeniably one of the best albums of their career.
#5. Sidewinder // Talons – Most likely one of the only overlaps I’ll have with the cunts that work here,5 Sidewinder’s newest release, Talons, threw me for a loop. Not expecting anything from a band I’ve never heard about, Talons immediately got my noggin’ bobbin’ in the most pleasing way. I can’t pinpoint exactly why I like this style of heavy, bounding stoner metal, but every time I hear it, it clicks. And nothing is better than diving right into a record where one of the band’s best pieces is the opener. “Guardians” is a quintessential Sidewinder piece that personifies the band and everything they stand for. But that’s only the beginning, as the guitars cruise down the road and the bass rumbles through the gravel. Clocking in at a mere thirty-four minutes, this eight-track beauty never reaches beyond its means, ensuring the songs are straight and tight, allowing Jem’s powerful vocals to direct the varying moods. While the band resides in the lush and beautiful landscapes of New Zealand,6 if a sound could represent the harsh desert lands of my home, this would be it.
#4. Aborted // Vault of Horrors – As many know, death metal is not my cup o’ tea. Once upon a time, death metal was my life, but that ship sailed when my favorites grew old and repetitive, and what you all call death metal these days bores me to tears. But the one band that continues to make me salivate is Aborted.7 And, boy, did this year’s Vault of Horrors deliver. With tracks like “Dreadbringer,” “The Golgothan,” and “Malevolent Haze,” this new release offers some incredible depth and relentless brutality. Aborted has always delivered good-to-great albums but after nearly thirty years, how can these lads continue to improve and produce such quality releases? Vault of Horrors is a great record and arguably one of the band’s best. It’s been several months since this beauty was released, so if it passed by you, rectify your posersivity.
#3. The Vision Bleak // Weird Tales – I don’t know what it is about The Vision Bleak but they fucking hit me and hit me hard. On the surface, their style is quite simple, but it’s the layers, stories, mood, and damning vocal performances that draw me in like I’m viewing a Vincent Price horror marathon. Combining their Type O Negative vocal characteristics with atmospheric moods that can be depressive at one point and ethereal at another, The Vision Bleak took a massive leap by releasing Weird Tales as (technically) a one-song album. Eight years since their incredible The Unknown, Weird Tales doesn’t skip a beat, maintaining the duo’s title as one of the greatest bands in gothic metal. With magnificent builds, eerie transitions, mind-bending fluidity, and heart-wrenching passages, the haunting nature of Weird Tales leaves you contemplating your existence in a world controlled by the fate instilled in it by the late, great H.P. Lovecraft.
#2. Kingcrow // Hopium – For fucking months, our progressive cunt, Dolphin Whisper, tried desperately to steal Kingcrow’s Hopium from me—somehow thinking he’s better than me when it comes to describing the lushness of Kingcrow. The fuck. Even though Kingcrow hasn’t released an album in six years, there’s no way some flipper fucker would take this from me. Sure, I’m not a huge fan of progressive metal, but at least I know what’s good progressive metal instead of lazily making love to everything with the tag of “prog.” Anyway, Hopium continues to deliver gorgeous tapestries painted with soothing vocals, synthy atmospheres, and impressive performances for all involved. Though I consider Eidos their best, Hopium is not far behind. While tapping into common influences like Dream Theater and Spock’s Beard, this Italian outfit is very much on a level all its own. If you like prog, you’ll find Hopium—with such wildly varying tracks like “Vicous Circle,” “Parallel Lines,” and “White Rabit’s Hole”—to be the most diverse prog record of the year.
#1. Borknagar // Fall – Goddammit, I love Borknagar. Few bands have such high album scores for a career that spans thirty years and a dozen albums—especially with a constant rotation of players and vocalists. Though, how can you be pissed off about having any of the great vocalists Borknagar has employed throughout the years? Since the beginning, the band has continuously introduced more melody and keys in their music, but Fall is special compared to the output in the last twenty years. Though this new album hasn’t hung up that hat by any means, Øystein G. Brun, Lars A. Nedland, and crew dug through the ashes of the past to bring some of those old-school black metal moments back into the mix. From the blackened assault of “Summits” and the Dimmu Borgir-esque vibes of “Northward,” the band continues to shock and surprise, avoiding a repetition from a previous album. So, dive into the best album o’ the year in all its glory.8
Honorable Mentions
- Portrait // The Host – While I didn’t like the production of Portrait’s The Host, I’m still a slut for King Diamond and Meryful Fate-adjacent metal. Especially when it comes to Portrait, who continues to be less like a copycat and more like a pioneer of the style.
- Attic // Return of the Witchfinder – More King Diamond-core! Easily one of the best examples of the sound, Attic continues to keep me coming back with each release. As their predecessor, Return of the Witchfinder brings a new story, more twists, and those pleasing falsettos that trigger my “O” face.
- Sarke // Endo Feight – Sarke (the artist) and crew have had one hell of a busy couple of years. This year, in particular, sees not only a new Sarke release but also a new Khold record (see below). Endo Feight is a wonderful addition to the band’s catalog and, by god, it’s wonderful to see the man himself back behind the kit.
- Khold // Du dømmes til død – See? I told you it would be here. While 2022’s Svartsyn was better record than Du dømmes til død (and a fantastic comeback), Du dømmes til død still has those elements that make the band so unique and fun to listen to.
- Blood Red Throne // Nonagon – Three years ago, Blood Red Throne released not only one of their best albums but 2021’s best death metal record. Unsurprisingly, it’s difficult to follow something like Imperial Congregation without some hiccups. That said, Nonagon is still a brutal piece of work worthy of mentioning.
Disappointments o’ the Year
- Darkthrone // It Beckons Us All……. – Like Sarke, Nocturno Culto has also been busy this year. If that’s part of the reason for the utter bore that’s It Beckons Us All……., I don’t know. But, this new record feels like Darkthrone is going through the motions. While I respect that they don’t care what the fuck any of us think, this is one of their worst albums.
- Exhorder // Defectum Omnium – After Exhorder’s incredible comeback album, Mourn the Southern Skies, I was more than a little excited for this new one. Unfortunately, like Darkthrone’s newest, Defectum Omnium is a dreadfully boring record that lacks all the passion of Exhorder’s comeback, leaving me confused and pissed the fuck off.
Songs o’ the Year
- Kingcrow – “White Rabbit’s Hole” – With an album full of great songs, there’s just something about the energy of this track that makes me so happy.
- Sidewinder – “Guardians” – This song represents some of the best stoner metal of 2024, and I can’t stop listening to it.
- Bombus – “Take You Down” – This song is just badass. I couldn’t care less what you think. Die.
#2024 #Aborted #Attic #BlogPosts #BloodRedThrone #Bombus #Borknagar #CelticFrost #CrystalViper #Darkthrone #DimmuBorgir #Dio #DrANGrierSTopTenIshOf2024 #DreamTheater #DustBolt #Exhorder #IAmTheIntimidator #IronMaiden #Khold #KingDiamond #Kingcrow #Lists #MercyfulFate #Metallica #Midnight #Ministry #Motörhead #NickCave #Portrait #Sarke #Sidewinder #SpockSBeard #TheVisionBleak #TheWhiteStripes #TypeONegative #Vader #VanessaFunke #Venom
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Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024
By Dr. A.N. Grier
If I were to rate the year of our Lord 2024, I’d give it a solid 4.5/5.0. No, I joke. FUCK 2024. Good riddance, fuck off, goodfuckingbye. This year, the layoffs continued (even affected some of our writers here), the prices skyrocketed, the World Series was bullshit, and landfills across the States are twice their capacity thanks to useless election fliers. This year has resulted in practically zero time to work on AMG efforts, write reviews, or listen to music as I continue to try to keep my job. Yay. Cheers to you, 2024—you sack of horse shit. Let’s go, 2025, you sassy bitch who suggests great things to come but probably won’t deliver. If only you could promise me more time doing the things I love—listening to metal, writing about it, and pretending to edit the other writers’ reviews while completely hammered. If so, I’d kiss you as the ball drops, take you to the back alley during the after-party, and promise not to poison your coffee the next morning.
But we aren’t there yet. We are still stuck in the past, looking over a mediocre year of metal, regurgitating the same shit we already wrote for each album on our lists. That way, you all can praise, argue, and whine about each choice and its placement. Thankfully, my lists rarely overlap with anyone else’s and no one actually gives a fuck, so my sleep patterns remain the same. Having passed the ten-year mark at this amazing madland, my tastes remain the same, and no one will be surprised that most of the selections here are the items I alone reviewed. That changes occasionally but with no time to think about music this year, you’ll be treated to odd takes and albums that only scored a 3.0. Oh no!1
Thank you to the AMG staff for their lackluster productivity and overrating tendencies. To Dolph, Kenny, and Sharky for introducing new segments and keeping legacy ones alive. And to Cuervo and GardensTale for the additional year-end contributions they deliver. I also have to give a huge shoutout to the top bosses—AMG and Steel Daddy—for all they do2. I guess I should also thank all of you for your continued support. I guess. May this list find you well as we are thrust into 2025 and the potential nightmares that it’ll bring. Cheers.
#ish. I Am the Intimidator // I Am the Intimidator – What? You fucking knew this was coming. When Steel told me to review an album about NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt, I couldn’t not do it. I mean, this one-off, self-titled record from a one-off band was a perfect opportunity to unleash my rage. And then… wait, what the fuck? It’s actually kinda good? In a weird year where I reviewed two racing-related albums, I Am the Intimidator sports3 six wild tracks that combine Dio and Iron Maiden with Ministry. What the fuck? And, somehow, the lyrics would be fucking hilarious if they weren’t so passionate. OK, the lyrics of the surprisingly delicious and crushing “Gasoline” are fucking hilarious, and a regular, all-caps attack in the AMG channels. After all the chaos and wild influences that make up this tight, six-track album, the passion for “The Intimidator” is true, even if it’s weird. But, I can’t stop listening to this album any more than I can stop drinking beer.
#10. Dust Bolt // Sound & Fury – Like so many other Grier lists, there’s always an album that becomes the most frequented in my shit-filled ears. Yup, I know, you all fucking hate it, and I couldn’t care less. For the band (and style), Sound & Fury is a brave effort that I find addictive, fun, and hilarious trolling material when Steel talks shit. Is it thrash? No, but that didn’t stop me from proclaiming Load as Metallica’s best album. Shifting away from the overused thrash concept and mediocre record releases, Dust Bolt chose the unconventional route of cleaner vocals, smoother production, and catchier choruses to remove themselves from their past outings (and, some would argue, from thrash and metal in general). For you naysayers, there are plenty of headbangable moments on Sound & Fury, so you don’t have to feel like a poser singing these new songs in your mom’s shower.
#9. Midnight // Hellish Expectations – Perhaps one of the most prolific metal bands out there, what can I say about Midnight that I haven’t said already? Oh yeah, they’re badass and if you don’t like them, you’re shit. Also, fuck you. Like previous releases, Midnight continues to speed through riffs that bring to mind classic outfits like Darkthrone, Motörhead, Venom, and Celtic Frost at a relentless speed. While other Midnight records are better, Hellish Expectations joins its compatriots in a discog that can do no wrong. Unless, of course, you don’t like this band’s style. In that case, read above regarding that “fuck you” thing. What makes Hellish Expectations great in this frustrating year is that it caps at twenty-five wonderful minutes—which is the same amount of time it takes to shit out your morning coffee. So, this is a chance to correct your poserness. If you like this band, you already know Hellish Expectations is a fun ride that’ll keep your spikes sharp and your leather pants shit free.
#8. Bombus // Your Blood – Like another band on my list, this Swedish heavy metal, hard rock band has seen a lot of ups and downs in their career. And, for some reason, their co-founding vocalist and guitarist walked. But that didn’t stop Bombus. Not only did they find someone to fill those two slots, but they also added another guitarist to round it out to three. With these new additions, the skill displayed on Your Blood is superior to anything the band has ever done. There’re solos, harmonizing leads, and riffs up the fucking wazoo. I’m uncertain if it’s due to this new skillset or an increase in motivation with five years between albums, but Bombus held nothing back for Your Blood. While there are plenty of the bangers you would expect from a band of this caliber, like the addictive “Take You Down,” there are also other interesting inclusions that I should hate, yet love. For example, the weird, Spaghetti Western qualities of “Your Blood,” the Nick Cave-meets-The White Stripes musings of “The One,” and the bizarreness that is “Carmina.” With Your Blood, the band has found their groove and passion again, delivering their best album yet.
#7. Vanessa Funke // Void – This year brought a surprising new addition to my favorite bands of all time. In this case, it was the newest release from the multi-instrumentalist, Vanessa Funke. With a small but stellar catalog, Ms. Funke continuously dabbles in new influences and song approaches with each album and Void is no different. Coming off last year’s acoustic masterpiece Vanessa Funke rewinds to her debut record, Solitude, alternating between rasps and cleans, acoustic and distorted guitars, and her perfectly molded combination of folk, melodeath, and atmospheric black metal. The textures created by the vocals, guitars, keys, and piano take Void down into some incredible depths, engulfing its listeners in blankets that can be both soft and stabby. Albums like this are rare for me these days, so when they do completely submerse me to the point that I can’t think of anything else, there’s no doubt it’ll make it on my year-end list.
#6. Crystal Viper // The Silver Key – Maybe not everyone’s favorite Polish act,4 Crystal Viper’s founding vocalist and guitarist, Marta Gabriel, has been knocking around her blend of heavy and power metal for nearly two decades. But, it’s been a rocky road of great, mediocre, and rage-inducing records. Where Crimen Expecta shines like a bright star in the sky, Tales of Fire and Ice is a dumpster fire that topped my most disappointing album of 2019. When I approached this year’s The Silver Key, I was expecting another mid album (or worse) but was immediately engrossed—maybe even more than Crimen Expecta. Though many of you dislike the vocals, Gabriel is in top form. But, her vocal performance is only one aspect of the Crystal Viper sound. Her guitar work is some of the best of her career, lending new ideas to the song structures and album flow. While plenty of bands are—and are not better—than Crystal Viper, The Silver Key is undeniably one of the best albums of their career.
#5. Sidewinder // Talons – Most likely one of the only overlaps I’ll have with the cunts that work here,5 Sidewinder’s newest release, Talons, threw me for a loop. Not expecting anything from a band I’ve never heard about, Talons immediately got my noggin’ bobbin’ in the most pleasing way. I can’t pinpoint exactly why I like this style of heavy, bounding stoner metal, but every time I hear it, it clicks. And nothing is better than diving right into a record where one of the band’s best pieces is the opener. “Guardians” is a quintessential Sidewinder piece that personifies the band and everything they stand for. But that’s only the beginning, as the guitars cruise down the road and the bass rumbles through the gravel. Clocking in at a mere thirty-four minutes, this eight-track beauty never reaches beyond its means, ensuring the songs are straight and tight, allowing Jem’s powerful vocals to direct the varying moods. While the band resides in the lush and beautiful landscapes of New Zealand,6 if a sound could represent the harsh desert lands of my home, this would be it.
#4. Aborted // Vault of Horrors – As many know, death metal is not my cup o’ tea. Once upon a time, death metal was my life, but that ship sailed when my favorites grew old and repetitive, and what you all call death metal these days bores me to tears. But the one band that continues to make me salivate is Aborted.7 And, boy, did this year’s Vault of Horrors deliver. With tracks like “Dreadbringer,” “The Golgothan,” and “Malevolent Haze,” this new release offers some incredible depth and relentless brutality. Aborted has always delivered good-to-great albums but after nearly thirty years, how can these lads continue to improve and produce such quality releases? Vault of Horrors is a great record and arguably one of the band’s best. It’s been several months since this beauty was released, so if it passed by you, rectify your posersivity.
#3. The Vision Bleak // Weird Tales – I don’t know what it is about The Vision Bleak but they fucking hit me and hit me hard. On the surface, their style is quite simple, but it’s the layers, stories, mood, and damning vocal performances that draw me in like I’m viewing a Vincent Price horror marathon. Combining their Type O Negative vocal characteristics with atmospheric moods that can be depressive at one point and ethereal at another, The Vision Bleak took a massive leap by releasing Weird Tales as (technically) a one-song album. Eight years since their incredible The Unknown, Weird Tales doesn’t skip a beat, maintaining the duo’s title as one of the greatest bands in gothic metal. With magnificent builds, eerie transitions, mind-bending fluidity, and heart-wrenching passages, the haunting nature of Weird Tales leaves you contemplating your existence in a world controlled by the fate instilled in it by the late, great H.P. Lovecraft.
#2. Kingcrow // Hopium – For fucking months, our progressive cunt, Dolphin Whisper, tried desperately to steal Kingcrow’s Hopium from me—somehow thinking he’s better than me when it comes to describing the lushness of Kingcrow. The fuck. Even though Kingcrow hasn’t released an album in six years, there’s no way some flipper fucker would take this from me. Sure, I’m not a huge fan of progressive metal, but at least I know what’s good progressive metal instead of lazily making love to everything with the tag of “prog.” Anyway, Hopium continues to deliver gorgeous tapestries painted with soothing vocals, synthy atmospheres, and impressive performances for all involved. Though I consider Eidos their best, Hopium is not far behind. While tapping into common influences like Dream Theater and Spock’s Beard, this Italian outfit is very much on a level all its own. If you like prog, you’ll find Hopium—with such wildly varying tracks like “Vicous Circle,” “Parallel Lines,” and “White Rabit’s Hole”—to be the most diverse prog record of the year.
#1. Borknagar // Fall – Goddammit, I love Borknagar. Few bands have such high album scores for a career that spans thirty years and a dozen albums—especially with a constant rotation of players and vocalists. Though, how can you be pissed off about having any of the great vocalists Borknagar has employed throughout the years? Since the beginning, the band has continuously introduced more melody and keys in their music, but Fall is special compared to the output in the last twenty years. Though this new album hasn’t hung up that hat by any means, Øystein G. Brun, Lars A. Nedland, and crew dug through the ashes of the past to bring some of those old-school black metal moments back into the mix. From the blackened assault of “Summits” and the Dimmu Borgir-esque vibes of “Northward,” the band continues to shock and surprise, avoiding a repetition from a previous album. So, dive into the best album o’ the year in all its glory.8
Honorable Mentions
- Portrait // The Host – While I didn’t like the production of Portrait’s The Host, I’m still a slut for King Diamond and Meryful Fate-adjacent metal. Especially when it comes to Portrait, who continues to be less like a copycat and more like a pioneer of the style.
- Attic // Return of the Witchfinder – More King Diamond-core! Easily one of the best examples of the sound, Attic continues to keep me coming back with each release. As their predecessor, Return of the Witchfinder brings a new story, more twists, and those pleasing falsettos that trigger my “O” face.
- Sarke // Endo Feight – Sarke (the artist) and crew have had one hell of a busy couple of years. This year, in particular, sees not only a new Sarke release but also a new Khold record (see below). Endo Feight is a wonderful addition to the band’s catalog and, by god, it’s wonderful to see the man himself back behind the kit.
- Khold // Du dømmes til død – See? I told you it would be here. While 2022’s Svartsyn was better record than Du dømmes til død (and a fantastic comeback), Du dømmes til død still has those elements that make the band so unique and fun to listen to.
- Blood Red Throne // Nonagon – Three years ago, Blood Red Throne released not only one of their best albums but 2021’s best death metal record. Unsurprisingly, it’s difficult to follow something like Imperial Congregation without some hiccups. That said, Nonagon is still a brutal piece of work worthy of mentioning.
Disappointments o’ the Year
- Darkthrone // It Beckons Us All……. – Like Sarke, Nocturno Culto has also been busy this year. If that’s part of the reason for the utter bore that’s It Beckons Us All……., I don’t know. But, this new record feels like Darkthrone is going through the motions. While I respect that they don’t care what the fuck any of us think, this is one of their worst albums.
- Exhorder // Defectum Omnium – After Exhorder’s incredible comeback album, Mourn the Southern Skies, I was more than a little excited for this new one. Unfortunately, like Darkthrone’s newest, Defectum Omnium is a dreadfully boring record that lacks all the passion of Exhorder’s comeback, leaving me confused and pissed the fuck off.
Songs o’ the Year
- Kingcrow – “White Rabbit’s Hole” – With an album full of great songs, there’s just something about the energy of this track that makes me so happy.
- Sidewinder – “Guardians” – This song represents some of the best stoner metal of 2024, and I can’t stop listening to it.
- Bombus – “Take You Down” – This song is just badass. I couldn’t care less what you think. Die.
#2024 #Aborted #Attic #BlogPosts #BloodRedThrone #Bombus #Borknagar #CelticFrost #CrystalViper #Darkthrone #DimmuBorgir #Dio #DrANGrierSTopTenIshOf2024 #DreamTheater #DustBolt #Exhorder #IAmTheIntimidator #IronMaiden #Khold #KingDiamond #Kingcrow #Lists #MercyfulFate #Metallica #Midnight #Ministry #Motörhead #NickCave #Portrait #Sarke #Sidewinder #SpockSBeard #TheVisionBleak #TheWhiteStripes #TypeONegative #Vader #VanessaFunke #Venom
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Dr. A.N. Grier’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024
By Dr. A.N. Grier
If I were to rate the year of our Lord 2024, I’d give it a solid 4.5/5.0. No, I joke. FUCK 2024. Good riddance, fuck off, goodfuckingbye. This year, the layoffs continued (even affected some of our writers here), the prices skyrocketed, the World Series was bullshit, and landfills across the States are twice their capacity thanks to useless election fliers. This year has resulted in practically zero time to work on AMG efforts, write reviews, or listen to music as I continue to try to keep my job. Yay. Cheers to you, 2024—you sack of horse shit. Let’s go, 2025, you sassy bitch who suggests great things to come but probably won’t deliver. If only you could promise me more time doing the things I love—listening to metal, writing about it, and pretending to edit the other writers’ reviews while completely hammered. If so, I’d kiss you as the ball drops, take you to the back alley during the after-party, and promise not to poison your coffee the next morning.
But we aren’t there yet. We are still stuck in the past, looking over a mediocre year of metal, regurgitating the same shit we already wrote for each album on our lists. That way, you all can praise, argue, and whine about each choice and its placement. Thankfully, my lists rarely overlap with anyone else’s and no one actually gives a fuck, so my sleep patterns remain the same. Having passed the ten-year mark at this amazing madland, my tastes remain the same, and no one will be surprised that most of the selections here are the items I alone reviewed. That changes occasionally but with no time to think about music this year, you’ll be treated to odd takes and albums that only scored a 3.0. Oh no!1
Thank you to the AMG staff for their lackluster productivity and overrating tendencies. To Dolph, Kenny, and Sharky for introducing new segments and keeping legacy ones alive. And to Cuervo and GardensTale for the additional year-end contributions they deliver. I also have to give a huge shoutout to the top bosses—AMG and Steel Daddy—for all they do2. I guess I should also thank all of you for your continued support. I guess. May this list find you well as we are thrust into 2025 and the potential nightmares that it’ll bring. Cheers.
#ish. I Am the Intimidator // I Am the Intimidator – What? You fucking knew this was coming. When Steel told me to review an album about NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt, I couldn’t not do it. I mean, this one-off, self-titled record from a one-off band was a perfect opportunity to unleash my rage. And then… wait, what the fuck? It’s actually kinda good? In a weird year where I reviewed two racing-related albums, I Am the Intimidator sports3 six wild tracks that combine Dio and Iron Maiden with Ministry. What the fuck? And, somehow, the lyrics would be fucking hilarious if they weren’t so passionate. OK, the lyrics of the surprisingly delicious and crushing “Gasoline” are fucking hilarious, and a regular, all-caps attack in the AMG channels. After all the chaos and wild influences that make up this tight, six-track album, the passion for “The Intimidator” is true, even if it’s weird. But, I can’t stop listening to this album any more than I can stop drinking beer.
#10. Dust Bolt // Sound & Fury – Like so many other Grier lists, there’s always an album that becomes the most frequented in my shit-filled ears. Yup, I know, you all fucking hate it, and I couldn’t care less. For the band (and style), Sound & Fury is a brave effort that I find addictive, fun, and hilarious trolling material when Steel talks shit. Is it thrash? No, but that didn’t stop me from proclaiming Load as Metallica’s best album. Shifting away from the overused thrash concept and mediocre record releases, Dust Bolt chose the unconventional route of cleaner vocals, smoother production, and catchier choruses to remove themselves from their past outings (and, some would argue, from thrash and metal in general). For you naysayers, there are plenty of headbangable moments on Sound & Fury, so you don’t have to feel like a poser singing these new songs in your mom’s shower.
#9. Midnight // Hellish Expectations – Perhaps one of the most prolific metal bands out there, what can I say about Midnight that I haven’t said already? Oh yeah, they’re badass and if you don’t like them, you’re shit. Also, fuck you. Like previous releases, Midnight continues to speed through riffs that bring to mind classic outfits like Darkthrone, Motörhead, Venom, and Celtic Frost at a relentless speed. While other Midnight records are better, Hellish Expectations joins its compatriots in a discog that can do no wrong. Unless, of course, you don’t like this band’s style. In that case, read above regarding that “fuck you” thing. What makes Hellish Expectations great in this frustrating year is that it caps at twenty-five wonderful minutes—which is the same amount of time it takes to shit out your morning coffee. So, this is a chance to correct your poserness. If you like this band, you already know Hellish Expectations is a fun ride that’ll keep your spikes sharp and your leather pants shit free.
#8. Bombus // Your Blood – Like another band on my list, this Swedish heavy metal, hard rock band has seen a lot of ups and downs in their career. And, for some reason, their co-founding vocalist and guitarist walked. But that didn’t stop Bombus. Not only did they find someone to fill those two slots, but they also added another guitarist to round it out to three. With these new additions, the skill displayed on Your Blood is superior to anything the band has ever done. There’re solos, harmonizing leads, and riffs up the fucking wazoo. I’m uncertain if it’s due to this new skillset or an increase in motivation with five years between albums, but Bombus held nothing back for Your Blood. While there are plenty of the bangers you would expect from a band of this caliber, like the addictive “Take You Down,” there are also other interesting inclusions that I should hate, yet love. For example, the weird, Spaghetti Western qualities of “Your Blood,” the Nick Cave-meets-The White Stripes musings of “The One,” and the bizarreness that is “Carmina.” With Your Blood, the band has found their groove and passion again, delivering their best album yet.
#7. Vanessa Funke // Void – This year brought a surprising new addition to my favorite bands of all time. In this case, it was the newest release from the multi-instrumentalist, Vanessa Funke. With a small but stellar catalog, Ms. Funke continuously dabbles in new influences and song approaches with each album and Void is no different. Coming off last year’s acoustic masterpiece Vanessa Funke rewinds to her debut record, Solitude, alternating between rasps and cleans, acoustic and distorted guitars, and her perfectly molded combination of folk, melodeath, and atmospheric black metal. The textures created by the vocals, guitars, keys, and piano take Void down into some incredible depths, engulfing its listeners in blankets that can be both soft and stabby. Albums like this are rare for me these days, so when they do completely submerse me to the point that I can’t think of anything else, there’s no doubt it’ll make it on my year-end list.
#6. Crystal Viper // The Silver Key – Maybe not everyone’s favorite Polish act,4 Crystal Viper’s founding vocalist and guitarist, Marta Gabriel, has been knocking around her blend of heavy and power metal for nearly two decades. But, it’s been a rocky road of great, mediocre, and rage-inducing records. Where Crimen Expecta shines like a bright star in the sky, Tales of Fire and Ice is a dumpster fire that topped my most disappointing album of 2019. When I approached this year’s The Silver Key, I was expecting another mid album (or worse) but was immediately engrossed—maybe even more than Crimen Expecta. Though many of you dislike the vocals, Gabriel is in top form. But, her vocal performance is only one aspect of the Crystal Viper sound. Her guitar work is some of the best of her career, lending new ideas to the song structures and album flow. While plenty of bands are—and are not better—than Crystal Viper, The Silver Key is undeniably one of the best albums of their career.
#5. Sidewinder // Talons – Most likely one of the only overlaps I’ll have with the cunts that work here,5 Sidewinder’s newest release, Talons, threw me for a loop. Not expecting anything from a band I’ve never heard about, Talons immediately got my noggin’ bobbin’ in the most pleasing way. I can’t pinpoint exactly why I like this style of heavy, bounding stoner metal, but every time I hear it, it clicks. And nothing is better than diving right into a record where one of the band’s best pieces is the opener. “Guardians” is a quintessential Sidewinder piece that personifies the band and everything they stand for. But that’s only the beginning, as the guitars cruise down the road and the bass rumbles through the gravel. Clocking in at a mere thirty-four minutes, this eight-track beauty never reaches beyond its means, ensuring the songs are straight and tight, allowing Jem’s powerful vocals to direct the varying moods. While the band resides in the lush and beautiful landscapes of New Zealand,6 if a sound could represent the harsh desert lands of my home, this would be it.
#4. Aborted // Vault of Horrors – As many know, death metal is not my cup o’ tea. Once upon a time, death metal was my life, but that ship sailed when my favorites grew old and repetitive, and what you all call death metal these days bores me to tears. But the one band that continues to make me salivate is Aborted.7 And, boy, did this year’s Vault of Horrors deliver. With tracks like “Dreadbringer,” “The Golgothan,” and “Malevolent Haze,” this new release offers some incredible depth and relentless brutality. Aborted has always delivered good-to-great albums but after nearly thirty years, how can these lads continue to improve and produce such quality releases? Vault of Horrors is a great record and arguably one of the band’s best. It’s been several months since this beauty was released, so if it passed by you, rectify your posersivity.
#3. The Vision Bleak // Weird Tales – I don’t know what it is about The Vision Bleak but they fucking hit me and hit me hard. On the surface, their style is quite simple, but it’s the layers, stories, mood, and damning vocal performances that draw me in like I’m viewing a Vincent Price horror marathon. Combining their Type O Negative vocal characteristics with atmospheric moods that can be depressive at one point and ethereal at another, The Vision Bleak took a massive leap by releasing Weird Tales as (technically) a one-song album. Eight years since their incredible The Unknown, Weird Tales doesn’t skip a beat, maintaining the duo’s title as one of the greatest bands in gothic metal. With magnificent builds, eerie transitions, mind-bending fluidity, and heart-wrenching passages, the haunting nature of Weird Tales leaves you contemplating your existence in a world controlled by the fate instilled in it by the late, great H.P. Lovecraft.
#2. Kingcrow // Hopium – For fucking months, our progressive cunt, Dolphin Whisper, tried desperately to steal Kingcrow’s Hopium from me—somehow thinking he’s better than me when it comes to describing the lushness of Kingcrow. The fuck. Even though Kingcrow hasn’t released an album in six years, there’s no way some flipper fucker would take this from me. Sure, I’m not a huge fan of progressive metal, but at least I know what’s good progressive metal instead of lazily making love to everything with the tag of “prog.” Anyway, Hopium continues to deliver gorgeous tapestries painted with soothing vocals, synthy atmospheres, and impressive performances for all involved. Though I consider Eidos their best, Hopium is not far behind. While tapping into common influences like Dream Theater and Spock’s Beard, this Italian outfit is very much on a level all its own. If you like prog, you’ll find Hopium—with such wildly varying tracks like “Vicous Circle,” “Parallel Lines,” and “White Rabit’s Hole”—to be the most diverse prog record of the year.
#1. Borknagar // Fall – Goddammit, I love Borknagar. Few bands have such high album scores for a career that spans thirty years and a dozen albums—especially with a constant rotation of players and vocalists. Though, how can you be pissed off about having any of the great vocalists Borknagar has employed throughout the years? Since the beginning, the band has continuously introduced more melody and keys in their music, but Fall is special compared to the output in the last twenty years. Though this new album hasn’t hung up that hat by any means, Øystein G. Brun, Lars A. Nedland, and crew dug through the ashes of the past to bring some of those old-school black metal moments back into the mix. From the blackened assault of “Summits” and the Dimmu Borgir-esque vibes of “Northward,” the band continues to shock and surprise, avoiding a repetition from a previous album. So, dive into the best album o’ the year in all its glory.8
Honorable Mentions
- Portrait // The Host – While I didn’t like the production of Portrait’s The Host, I’m still a slut for King Diamond and Meryful Fate-adjacent metal. Especially when it comes to Portrait, who continues to be less like a copycat and more like a pioneer of the style.
- Attic // Return of the Witchfinder – More King Diamond-core! Easily one of the best examples of the sound, Attic continues to keep me coming back with each release. As their predecessor, Return of the Witchfinder brings a new story, more twists, and those pleasing falsettos that trigger my “O” face.
- Sarke // Endo Feight – Sarke (the artist) and crew have had one hell of a busy couple of years. This year, in particular, sees not only a new Sarke release but also a new Khold record (see below). Endo Feight is a wonderful addition to the band’s catalog and, by god, it’s wonderful to see the man himself back behind the kit.
- Khold // Du dømmes til død – See? I told you it would be here. While 2022’s Svartsyn was better record than Du dømmes til død (and a fantastic comeback), Du dømmes til død still has those elements that make the band so unique and fun to listen to.
- Blood Red Throne // Nonagon – Three years ago, Blood Red Throne released not only one of their best albums but 2021’s best death metal record. Unsurprisingly, it’s difficult to follow something like Imperial Congregation without some hiccups. That said, Nonagon is still a brutal piece of work worthy of mentioning.
Disappointments o’ the Year
- Darkthrone // It Beckons Us All……. – Like Sarke, Nocturno Culto has also been busy this year. If that’s part of the reason for the utter bore that’s It Beckons Us All……., I don’t know. But, this new record feels like Darkthrone is going through the motions. While I respect that they don’t care what the fuck any of us think, this is one of their worst albums.
- Exhorder // Defectum Omnium – After Exhorder’s incredible comeback album, Mourn the Southern Skies, I was more than a little excited for this new one. Unfortunately, like Darkthrone’s newest, Defectum Omnium is a dreadfully boring record that lacks all the passion of Exhorder’s comeback, leaving me confused and pissed the fuck off.
Songs o’ the Year
- Kingcrow – “White Rabbit’s Hole” – With an album full of great songs, there’s just something about the energy of this track that makes me so happy.
- Sidewinder – “Guardians” – This song represents some of the best stoner metal of 2024, and I can’t stop listening to it.
- Bombus – “Take You Down” – This song is just badass. I couldn’t care less what you think. Die.
Show 8 footnotes
- Fuck off, this happens every year. ↩
- Don’t call me Steel Daddy ever again! – Steel Daddy ↩
- See what I did there? ↩
- They can’t all be Vaders, ya fucks! ↩
- Love you, GardensTale. ↩
- Well, that’s what the Lord of the Rings movies tell me. ↩
- Yeah, yeah, bitch all you want about including this band into my collective bubble of “death metal.” ↩
- Also, stop listening to “Nordic Anthem” by itself. Fucking idiots. ↩
#2024 #Aborted #Attic #BlogPosts #BloodRedThrone #Bombus #Borknagar #CelticFrost #CrystalViper #Darkthrone #DimmuBorgir #Dio #DrANGrierSTopTenIshOf2024 #DreamTheater #DustBolt #Exhorder #IAmTheIntimidator #IronMaiden #Khold #KingDiamond #Kingcrow #Lists #MercyfulFate #Metallica #Midnight #Ministry #Motörhead #NickCave #Portrait #Sarke #Sidewinder #SpockSBeard #TheVisionBleak #TheWhiteStripes #TypeONegative #Vader #VanessaFunke #Venom
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When parts of a system are strongly interconnected, one can discover latent issues while debugging something completely different. This is what happened with this blog’s caching and integrating with the Fediverse.
Fediverse adventures
I was part of The Great Twitter Exodus of 2022, and like many I’ve landed on Mastodon (hey, hello, https://fosstodon.org/@imrehg). Mastodon and the whole Fediverse and its build around the ActivityPub protocol is technically very interesting and brings back a bit of retro-joy to me (which needs some reflections on why and how is retro joyful, but another time). This current blog is running WordPress, and soon found that there’s a plugin to turn a WordPress blog into a my own ActivityPub node. That seemed some excellent way to connect up tools and make a more inter-connected Internet (besides nerding out, if I’m fully honest).
ActivityPub plugin
It was super easy to set up, and seemed to have worked well: take my author URL, put it your Mastodon instance’s search, and voila, there’s a compatible profile which one can follow and interact with (to an extent, but still):
How does my author profile look when searched on a Mastodon instance, this time on Fosstodon. One can use either the author URL or the shortened address shown under the profile picture to find a person.
It all seemed to have worked, but coming back after a while, but Site Health popped up a critical issue. 🙀
WordPress Site Health highlighting the issue with the author URL.
Digging in into what the endpoint actually returned when setting what response format the client want to accept:
curl --silent -H "Accept: application/activity+json" https://gergely.imreh.net/blog/author/gergely/
I can see that it indeed doesn’t look like a JSON file, instead the cached web content:
Hot on your trail, W3 Total Cache (W3TC)! I use this plugin to make this site (hopefully) more performant, but it’s not looking great in this instance. Fortunately I got some interesting pointers by asking none other the Fediverse about this issue, and got some helpful pointers.
W3 Total Cache
The way I understood how the W3TC plugin and my configuration worked was the following:
The plugin does some internal caching (opcode, objects,…) using PHP, and something I don’t worry about much.
The main performance benefit is coming from generating page caches on disk that can be loaded quicker then regenerating the page.
Routing to those cached files is mostly through my nginx web server’s configuration: the caching plugin creates an nginx configuration file with the relevant logic and redirects, so on the “happy path” when the target page is cached, the request doesn’t even touch WordPress’ backend at all.
Disabling Caching for an Endpoint
Based on the above (especially point 2), my train of thought started at “Can I tell W3TC not to cache that author endpoint if a specific header is received?” Looking at the W3TC FAQs, there’s indeed a way to signal that, by disabling e.g. page caching when the plugin (ActivityPub in this case), by setting this inside the code path of the relevant page:
define('DONOTCACHEPAGE', true);
Looking at the source code of the ActivityPub plugin, I could find where in the data flow one would set this, before the author template is returned. I tried it out and seemed to have worked. I’ve even opened a GitHub issue so that hopefully a fix can be developed for everyone!
Looking further in the code (to do that fix), though, it’s not only the “author” page, but silently also all the posts and the front page has the same issue (of getting cached HTML when asking for JSON). 🙀 If one disables caching on author + blogposts + frontpage, what else of note is left cached? Nothing really. And the plugin owner agrees.
Route Request Based on Headers
Let’s try instead routing the request based on headers: if a compatible “Accept” header is received, bypass the cache, and use what he endpoint returns. Here comes the issue about the 3rd point above: the nginx configuration and its use.
Ideally I would be able to add to the config a tests for this header, a check, roughly along the lines of this in nginx config::
if ( $http_accept = 'application/activity+json' ) {
# switch vars not to cache
}Following the installation steps, when Page Caching is enabled in W3TC generates an extra nginx.conf file that governs what happens. There are a lot of various checks (e.g. do not cache on POST requests, do not rewrite paths if the predicted cache file location is empty….) I’ve been following the generated file, and tried to adjust the caching behaviour. To debug, I turned to adding various headers to the response, as it was easier than messing with the nginx logging rules. For example adding this just before the last rewrite rule kicks in would show the variable’s value that would decide if a rewrite happens:
add_header X-gergely-debug "rewrite-$w3tr_rewrite";
Looking at this, in every situation I was getting “no rewrite to do” outcomes, and it wasn’t in the end too much a surprise, as the logic in that file seems to be flawed: generating on disk file locations from the request incorrectly and thus never finding anything (and/or some of my misconfiguration? But there are definitely things which look plain wrong).
But while the nginx rules shrugged, in the same time my web requests were returning the files from disk! If I rewrote the generated files, I got the modified version back. Then, frustrated, even emptied out nginx.conf to try to “break” caching – and it continued to work! 🙃
So I guess the actual behaviour was different from the above 3. point, and rather:
W3TC generates nginx rules and hope that they work and take load off the WordPress backend
If that doesn’t fly, generate the caches internally in the plugin (of course, have to be able to do that on first requests/preloading anyways)
The plugin still checks internally (in code) whether the cached file exists where it expects one on the disk and loads that, bypassing this above point!
I haven’t verified this yet by looking at the code, but this explains all the behaviour I’ve seen while trying things (serving files that I’ve manually changed and working while having an empty nginx rewrite).
So after all, these checks for the Accept header would need to be both in the nginx config (less important for me as it was already broken), and also in the code of W3TC (which feels currently less tractable).
Current and Future Fixes
What I’ve ended up with is the simple and dumb way for now: disable Page Caching altogether.
For my site and level of traffic that should definitely not be a serious issue, though I did check with a site speed test just in case, and I don’t see much difference for my otherwise semi-broken setup.
Still, it’s definitely a step forward not assuming & hoping things are working (ie. nginx-based chaching) when they are not.
What would be good for the future, though, is a pattern where cache plugins only cache what they can and if not pass it on to the rest of the processing (ie. check if the client “Accept” header is empty or defaults to some browser-y value). I bet this is a naive view, and there are more complications. There likely should be more complications if WordPress is more of a “platform”, given then it will have to support a lot more different use cases and behaviours.
Future Rabbitholes
I’m definitely not alone in this quest, there are others who hit various ActivityPub + caching issues (e.g. using CloudFlare CDN). With More Mastodon usage there might be some more satisfying solutions than “disable most caching”.
I’ve definite learned more about WordPress Plugin internals by looking at the ActivityPub plugin’s repo. I’m sure I could pick up some stuff for the 100 Days to Offload plugin in the future.
During debugging I was also looking at my web server logs which I haven’t done for years, but I know would be a “proper” sysadmin thing to do. There were a lot of interesting queries that I want to follow up on (bots, sites, tools scaraping the blog and interacting with various bits). It’s the Internet, after all, so let’s look at the connections made!
#activitypub #mastodon #w3tc #wordpress-plugin
https://gergely.imreh.net/blog/2023/02/when-wordpress-caching-is-not-what-it-seems/
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Social media
Like a lot of people, I recently spent some time cleaning up my social media accounts. I plan to keep this page updated in the future, along with the social icons on the website, but I figured a post is also warranted.
tl;dr: I use Bluesky the way I used to use Twitter (e.g. more likely to react to memes or news items, or attempt self-promotion). I use Mastodon for slightly more personal posts (e.g. dog pictures, random thing-I’m-doing-right-now type posts). The aphowell.com website is my hub on the Internet: I control it, use it to verify my identity, and push content outward via bridging and syndication.
Currently in use
Bluesky (@aphowell.com): This is a verified account. Use of this handle confirms that the Bluesky account owner (me!) was able to make DNS updates to aphowell.com.
Mastodon (@[email protected]): This is a verified account. The little green checkmark (next to the listing for aphowell.com in my profile) means that the account owner (me!) was able to make HTML updates to aphowell.com.
SendFox (@aphowell): This is a newsletter, not really social media, but it is a service that I’m actively using to stay in touch with folks.
Bridging and syndication
Bluesky (@aphowell.com.web.brid.gy): This account publishes my aphowell.com blog posts to Bluesky. (I used Bridgy Fed to set it up.) In theory, it should allow for interaction across platforms/protocols.
Mastodon (@[email protected]): This account publishes my aphowell.com blog posts. (Federation is a backend feature of WordPress.) This allows you to read or interact with posts from a federated account.
RSS: My blog posts are syndicated using ye olde fashioned RSS, if you have a favored reader.
I was thinking of bridging my Bluesky and Mastodon socials, so either account could be followed on either protocol.1 But since I’m active (albeit in slightly different ways) on each platform already, I don’t feel the need to broadcast purely social posts.
Technically extant
I have accounts on Amazon (@aphowell), Dreamwidth (@aphowell), Goodreads (@aphowell), LibraryThing (@aphowell), Linktree (@aphowell), and Ravelry (@APHowell). Of those, I keep Amazon and Linktree up-to-date, but none of these places is a particularly good place to find me and I never really used them for the social part of social media.
Nope
Facebook: I started using this pseudonym after Facebook started asking for identification, which is just as well. Any A. P. Howell you might see is most emphatically not me.
Threads: I want no part of this. If there is an A. P. Howell Threads account, it’s definitely not me.
Tumblr: I deleted my account a while back. There was no original content there and I didn’t bother with any sort of profile redirect.
Squatter’s rights
Bluesky (@aphowell.bsky.social): This was my original handle. During a recent major influx of new users, I decided an extra layer of verification was a good idea. I am squatting on this handle to use as a redirect and prevent confusion.
Mastodon (@[email protected]): This was my first Mastodon account. I created it a few years ago, then quickly noped out because at that point the learning curve for finding folks was not worth my time. Since I never used it, I just updated it to point people toward my active account.
Instagram (@a.p.howell): I had maybe a dozen posts, few enough that it did not take long to delete them manually. The profile is just there to direct folks to other accounts; I don’t plan on posting anything in the future.
Twitter/X (@APHowell): I deleted my account and set this profile up as a redirect. I do not plan on tweeting in the future.
- Quick and non-technical rundown (because I’m not well-versed on the nitty-gritty): Bluesky uses something called AT Protocol. The Fediverse (Mastodon, Threads, WordPress, Ghost, Drupal, Frendica, etc.) uses ActivityPub. A “bridge”—like the third party, open source Bridgy Fed project—allows services using different protocols to talk to each other. ↩︎
#activitypub #atProtocol #bluesky #bridging #fediverse #mastodon #Newsletter #socialMedia #website #whereToFindMe #whereYouCannotFindMe
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Social media
Like a lot of people, I recently spent some time cleaning up my social media accounts. I plan to keep this page updated in the future, along with the social icons on the website, but I figured a post is also warranted.
tl;dr: I use Bluesky the way I used to use Twitter (e.g. more likely to react to memes or news items, or attempt self-promotion). I use Mastodon for slightly more personal posts (e.g. dog pictures, random thing-I’m-doing-right-now type posts). The aphowell.com website is my hub on the Internet: I control it, use it to verify my identity, and push content outward via bridging and syndication.
Currently in use
Bluesky (@aphowell.com): This is a verified account. Use of this handle confirms that the Bluesky account owner (me!) was able to make DNS updates to aphowell.com.
Mastodon (@[email protected]): This is a verified account. The little green checkmark (next to the listing for aphowell.com in my profile) means that the account owner (me!) was able to make HTML updates to aphowell.com.
SendFox (@aphowell): This is a newsletter, not really social media, but it is a service that I’m actively using to stay in touch with folks.
Bridging and syndication
Bluesky (@aphowell.com.web.brid.gy): This account publishes my aphowell.com blog posts to Bluesky. (I used Bridgy Fed to set it up.) In theory, it should allow for interaction across platforms/protocols.
Mastodon (@[email protected]): This account publishes my aphowell.com blog posts. (Federation is a backend feature of WordPress.) This allows you to read or interact with posts from a federated account.
RSS: My blog posts are syndicated using ye olde fashioned RSS, if you have a favored reader.
I was thinking of bridging my Bluesky and Mastodon socials, so either account could be followed on either protocol.1 But since I’m active (albeit in slightly different ways) on each platform already, I don’t feel the need to broadcast purely social posts.
Technically extant
I have accounts on Amazon (@aphowell), Dreamwidth (@aphowell), Goodreads (@aphowell), LibraryThing (@aphowell), Linktree (@aphowell), and Ravelry (@APHowell). Of those, I keep Amazon and Linktree up-to-date, but none of these places is a particularly good place to find me and I never really used them for the social part of social media.
Nope
Facebook: I started using this pseudonym after Facebook started asking for identification, which is just as well. Any A. P. Howell you might see is most emphatically not me.
Threads: I want no part of this. If there is an A. P. Howell Threads account, it’s definitely not me.
Tumblr: I deleted my account a while back. There was no original content there and I didn’t bother with any sort of profile redirect.
Squatter’s rights
Bluesky (@aphowell.bsky.social): This was my original handle. During a recent major influx of new users, I decided an extra layer of verification was a good idea. I am squatting on this handle to use as a redirect and prevent confusion.
Mastodon (@[email protected]): This was my first Mastodon account. I created it a few years ago, then quickly noped out because at that point the learning curve for finding folks was not worth my time. Since I never used it, I just updated it to point people toward my active account.
Instagram (@a.p.howell): I had maybe a dozen posts, few enough that it did not take long to delete them manually. The profile is just there to direct folks to other accounts; I don’t plan on posting anything in the future.
Twitter/X (@APHowell): I deleted my account and set this profile up as a redirect. I do not plan on tweeting in the future.
- Quick and non-technical rundown (because I’m not well-versed on the nitty-gritty): Bluesky uses something called AT Protocol. The Fediverse (Mastodon, Threads, WordPress, Ghost, Drupal, Frendica, etc.) uses ActivityPub. A “bridge”—like the third party, open source Bridgy Fed project—allows services using different protocols to talk to each other. ↩︎
#activitypub #atProtocol #bluesky #bridging #fediverse #mastodon #Newsletter #socialMedia #website #whereToFindMe #whereYouCannotFindMe
-
Social media
Like a lot of people, I recently spent some time cleaning up my social media accounts. I plan to keep this page updated in the future, along with the social icons on the website, but I figured a post is also warranted.
tl;dr: I use Bluesky the way I used to use Twitter (e.g. more likely to react to memes or news items, or attempt self-promotion). I use Mastodon for slightly more personal posts (e.g. dog pictures, random thing-I’m-doing-right-now type posts). The aphowell.com website is my hub on the Internet: I control it, use it to verify my identity, and push content outward via bridging and syndication.
Currently in use
Bluesky (@aphowell.com): This is a verified account. Use of this handle confirms that the Bluesky account owner (me!) was able to make DNS updates to aphowell.com.
Mastodon (@[email protected]): This is a verified account. The little green checkmark (next to the listing for aphowell.com in my profile) means that the account owner (me!) was able to make HTML updates to aphowell.com.
SendFox (@aphowell): This is a newsletter, not really social media, but it is a service that I’m actively using to stay in touch with folks.
Bridging and syndication
Bluesky (@aphowell.com.web.brid.gy): This account publishes my aphowell.com blog posts to Bluesky. (I used Bridgy Fed to set it up.) In theory, it should allow for interaction across platforms/protocols.
Mastodon (@[email protected]): This account publishes my aphowell.com blog posts. (Federation is a backend feature of WordPress.) This allows you to read or interact with posts from a federated account.
RSS: My blog posts are syndicated using ye olde fashioned RSS, if you have a favored reader.
I was thinking of bridging my Bluesky and Mastodon socials, so either account could be followed on either protocol.1 But since I’m active (albeit in slightly different ways) on each platform already, I don’t feel the need to broadcast purely social posts.
Technically extant
I have accounts on Amazon (@aphowell), Dreamwidth (@aphowell), Goodreads (@aphowell), LibraryThing (@aphowell), Linktree (@aphowell), and Ravelry (@APHowell). Of those, I keep Amazon and Linktree up-to-date, but none of these places is a particularly good place to find me and I never really used them for the social part of social media.
Nope
Facebook: I started using this pseudonym after Facebook started asking for identification, which is just as well. Any A. P. Howell you might see is most emphatically not me.
Threads: I want no part of this. If there is an A. P. Howell Threads account, it’s definitely not me.
Tumblr: I deleted my account a while back. There was no original content there and I didn’t bother with any sort of profile redirect.
Squatter’s rights
Bluesky (@aphowell.bsky.social): This was my original handle. During a recent major influx of new users, I decided an extra layer of verification was a good idea. I am squatting on this handle to use as a redirect and prevent confusion.
Mastodon (@[email protected]): This was my first Mastodon account. I created it a few years ago, then quickly noped out because at that point the learning curve for finding folks was not worth my time. Since I never used it, I just updated it to point people toward my active account.
Instagram (@a.p.howell): I had maybe a dozen posts, few enough that it did not take long to delete them manually. The profile is just there to direct folks to other accounts; I don’t plan on posting anything in the future.
Twitter/X (@APHowell): I deleted my account and set this profile up as a redirect. I do not plan on tweeting in the future.
- Quick and non-technical rundown (because I’m not well-versed on the nitty-gritty): Bluesky uses something called AT Protocol. The Fediverse (Mastodon, Threads, WordPress, Ghost, Drupal, Frendica, etc.) uses ActivityPub. A “bridge”—like the third party, open source Bridgy Fed project—allows services using different protocols to talk to each other. ↩︎
#activitypub #atProtocol #bluesky #bridging #fediverse #mastodon #Newsletter #socialMedia #website #whereToFindMe #whereYouCannotFindMe
-
Social media
Like a lot of people, I recently spent some time cleaning up my social media accounts. I plan to keep this page updated in the future, along with the social icons on the website, but I figured a post is also warranted.
tl;dr: I use Bluesky the way I used to use Twitter (e.g. more likely to react to memes or news items, or attempt self-promotion). I use Mastodon for slightly more personal posts (e.g. dog pictures, random thing-I’m-doing-right-now type posts). The aphowell.com website is my hub on the Internet: I control it, use it to verify my identity, and push content outward via bridging and syndication.
Currently in use
Bluesky (@aphowell.com): This is a verified account. Use of this handle confirms that the Bluesky account owner (me!) was able to make DNS updates to aphowell.com.
Mastodon (@[email protected]): This is a verified account. The little green checkmark (next to the listing for aphowell.com in my profile) means that the account owner (me!) was able to make HTML updates to aphowell.com.
SendFox (@aphowell): This is a newsletter, not really social media, but it is a service that I’m actively using to stay in touch with folks.
Bridging and syndication
Bluesky (@aphowell.com.web.brid.gy): This account publishes my aphowell.com blog posts to Bluesky. (I used Bridgy Fed to set it up.) In theory, it should allow for interaction across platforms/protocols.
Mastodon (@[email protected]): This account publishes my aphowell.com blog posts. (Federation is a backend feature of WordPress.) This allows you to read or interact with posts from a federated account.
RSS: My blog posts are syndicated using ye olde fashioned RSS, if you have a favored reader.
I was thinking of bridging my Bluesky and Mastodon socials, so either account could be followed on either protocol.1 But since I’m active (albeit in slightly different ways) on each platform already, I don’t feel the need to broadcast purely social posts.
Technically extant
I have accounts on Amazon (@aphowell), Dreamwidth (@aphowell), Goodreads (@aphowell), LibraryThing (@aphowell), Linktree (@aphowell), and Ravelry (@APHowell). Of those, I keep Amazon and Linktree up-to-date, but none of these places is a particularly good place to find me and I never really used them for the social part of social media.
Nope
Facebook: I started using this pseudonym after Facebook started asking for identification, which is just as well. Any A. P. Howell you might see is most emphatically not me.
Threads: I want no part of this. If there is an A. P. Howell Threads account, it’s definitely not me.
Tumblr: I deleted my account a while back. There was no original content there and I didn’t bother with any sort of profile redirect.
Squatter’s rights
Bluesky (@aphowell.bsky.social): This was my original handle. During a recent major influx of new users, I decided an extra layer of verification was a good idea. I am squatting on this handle to use as a redirect and prevent confusion.
Mastodon (@[email protected]): This was my first Mastodon account. I created it a few years ago, then quickly noped out because at that point the learning curve for finding folks was not worth my time. Since I never used it, I just updated it to point people toward my active account.
Instagram (@a.p.howell): I had maybe a dozen posts, few enough that it did not take long to delete them manually. The profile is just there to direct folks to other accounts; I don’t plan on posting anything in the future.
Twitter/X (@APHowell): I deleted my account and set this profile up as a redirect. I do not plan on tweeting in the future.
- Quick and non-technical rundown (because I’m not well-versed on the nitty-gritty): Bluesky uses something called AT Protocol. The Fediverse (Mastodon, Threads, WordPress, Ghost, Drupal, Frendica, etc.) uses ActivityPub. A “bridge”—like the third party, open source Bridgy Fed project—allows services using different protocols to talk to each other. ↩︎
#activitypub #atProtocol #bluesky #bridging #fediverse #mastodon #Newsletter #socialMedia #website #whereToFindMe #whereYouCannotFindMe
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@c_chep Haggis Tacos...
I'd say that sounds really really grotesque, but I like beef tripe and have done the whole half day prep thing just to make some awesome menudo. But that's not haggis, which I've been told by many is rather disgusting.
Notwithstading the fact that I do like tripe - if you take the hours of preparation to correctly ready it for serving up as the yummy, fatty, tender meat in menudo - but I still don't think it would be very good in a taco. Lengua is good, cabeza too, those are awesome filler meat for tacos, along with the more trad al pastor, asada, carnitas, etc.
But Haggis? Here's the problem. There's very few things in this world that are edible, that I've discovered, are nasty vomit inducing foods - Chitlin's may be one of those food stuffs, while in general, offals aren't really a turn off for me in general.
Perhaps the first time I tried chitlins I spent the night in my truck in 4 feet of snow instead of my warm toasty cabin - I just couldn't continue to throw up any longer. In fact it didn't take long before the smell of sizzling pus first overtook me, yet taking a bit of the chewey intestine didn't really taste bad at all, as I recall, before the aroma caused my own alimentary canal to erupt violently in a rapid succession of projectile vomiting.
Imagine the smell of a horrid wound, penetrating the flesh all the way to the bone, sitting in the same dressing for a week, and then you remove it - the odor knocking you over. That was chitlins for me.
Why? Well, my good childhood friend said, "Oh yum, chitterlings!" you didn't cook it right.
How so? Well, I figured it came from a pig, and it's the offals. So, like lamb-fry or chicken gizzards & hearts I figured I'd just dump some into my big iron skillet with a big ass dollup of bacon fat and fry it up!
Apparently, the recommended method is the same for chitlins as it is for tripe; you put it on a low boil for several hours. Regardless, because of he PTSD left over from that episode, even thinking about chitlins for a couple of minutes makes me queasy.
Tripe, on the other hand, well, I was taught right by my next-door neighbor when I was a little kid. She was the matriarch in a large, extended family of children, but mostly grandchildren, that she and her husband were raising, and to a small degree, me too. So menudo is part of my regular cuisine.
Haggis is stomach too though, just not beef stomach lining, right? So those offals might be akin to tripe and therefore, more likely to register on my yummy scale instead of my barf-0-matic vom-meter.
So I'm still looking forward to trying out haggis to see if I like it - but Ill be sure to try it in a traditional setting, along with it's preparation.
Fine dining opportunities are few and far between in Humboldt, California, but this is one of the finest establishments for Mexican cuisine in Eureka, California - a roach coach called, The Taco Boat. More info in the pixelfed parent link below.You can scoop anything you like into a flat and folded disc made of masa and call it a taco, I suppose - but that don't make it so. Like me buying a little jar of lumpfish roe for a couple of bucks and calling it caviar - technically, I suppose so, but we know better, don't we?
pixelfed.social/i/web/post/679…
#tallship #FoodPr0n #roach coach #taco trucks #best tacos #haggis #offal #chitlins #barf o rama
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I may be seeking a new #DomainRegistrar. Once upon a time, there was a highly clueful one named ideegeo Group, Ltd. d/b/a IWantMyName.com in Wellington, NZ, technically a retail reseller for large German registrar 1API.
Early on, their staff efficiently and quickly fixed an odd problem, where my two domains were suddenly private WHOIS against my wishes: The tech found that 1API had unilaterally toggled everyone private to quickly comply with GDPR rollout -- and intervened to revert that on my domains.
Roll forward to 2019. British multinational CentralNic Group PLC acquired ideegeo Group Ltd., and shut down the NZ operation.
Uh-oh.
About a year later, I saw that my domains were suddenly private WHOIS again, saw still nothing in the customer WebUI to adjust that, and opened another ticket, referencing the first one, speculating 1API might have done it again, and asking the same fix.
A tech from the new lot immediately closed the ticket with the explanation that the operator of the .com and .net TLDs had imposed private WHOIS on all domains, and therefore IWantMyName was powerless to help me.
I almost accepted this pile of bullhockey, but then thought to cross-check, among others, domains 1API.net and IWantMyName.com -- whose public WHOIS data immediately disproved the nonsense claim. I reopened the ticket, pointing out their claim is provably wrong, and reiterating my request.
The tech closed the ticket again with the comment that he'd repeated what the technical staff told him -- not commenting on the fact that it was provably false.
I escalated this matter to corporate staff in London, saying that gaslighting customers is uncool, that I could easily take business elsewhere, and that I'd be deciding that in a couple of days. A senior tech in London reopened the case, told me he'd fix things, did so, explained that first-level techs had relied on bad information, and observed (justly) that few customers wished to eschew private WHOIS. As resolution occurred before my deadline, I stayed.
Yesterday, after verifying that IWantMyName.com's customer WebUI still doesn't permit early renewal, I opened a new ticket saying "Please manually extend by two years each of my domains, linuxmafia.com and unixmercenary.net, please charge my credit card of record number NNNN for the US $95.26 entailed, and please do that now."
I got back a response saying:
"We currently only register and renew domains automatically for one year at a time.
We've found that longer registration periods lead to a higher chance of customers losing or forgetting their account details or missing notifications and ultimately letting their domains expire due to outdated contact information for expired credit card details.
The annual notifications serve as a reminder of sorts to keep everything up to date. Or, if something unexpected happens and the domain is no longer needed, it can be cancelled with no time/money lost.
If you have any other questions, just let us know."
I waited a day, then wrote back saying I'd seen no action on my request. The tech referred me to the above statement.
I wrote back:
"That was not even anywhere near an answer to my request.
I didn't ask about automatic renewal policy. I requested manual processing of two-year extension, now, for each of my two domains, charging the appropriate fees totalling US $95.26 to my credit card of record.
Please do that now.
I will continue to escalate this matter, if it is not addressed."
This is in "You had one job" territory, nicht wahr? Any fellow Ops people with clueful-registrar suggestions? Needing to escalate routine requests has gotten old.
For the record, for good and compelling reasons, I keep domains a long way from expiration, run a weekly cron job executing d-check (http://linuxmafia.com/pub/linux/network/) to watch WHOIS for upcoming renewal dates, and renew well in advance of need.
Likewise, I insist on public WHOIS so it can fulfil its design role of permitting contact, by anyone observing a problem or other matter needing attention, to the Administrative, Technical, and Registrant contacts as appropriate.
"You'll be doxed", someone says? Funny, that: Maybe they might use the real street address, real telephone number, real e-mail address, and "ICBM address" (latitude, longitude, and altitude of my favourite chair) on my personal Web page, instead.
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By Steel Druhm
Back in the era of the Great Plague (2021), I was exposed to the debut by long-lurking Bay Area death metal scuzzers Laceration. Demise was an entertaining old school platter of sensory destruction, borrowing from legends like Immolation and early days Death to deliver the hammer to the locked-down, infected masses. It showed high levels of technical finesse and songwriting chops and I looked forward to hearing what came next for them. What comes next is sophomore outing I Erode, and it finds Laceration even more proficient, confident, and ready to kick teeth and crack bones. Still borrowing from genre greats, they take a rough and nasty core OSDM sound and season it in the abyss with stunningly melodic and regal guitar work. That means you get a bit of beauty with a whole lotta beast, and that’s the way to the heart of an old time death fan.
After the obligatory mood-setting intro that sounds like something from a shitty horror film, Laceration come to cut on proper opener “Excised.” It’s a gleefully blasting, pummelling affair with beefy, cargo-beshorted death riffs trudging grooves in your brain as gruesome death roars and frantic drumming tenderize you. It’s got more than a little Immolation in its DNA and the careful listener will discern traces of James Murphy-era Death and bits and pieces of Morgoth as well. The slick, hyper-melodic solos are a stark relief from the caveman pounding and knuckle-dragging excesses, and that my friends is what makes for entertaining death metal! The ghastly good times keep coming on “Sadistic Enthrallment” with its Immolation-esque thrills and Malevolent Creation-ish chills. It’s fast, furious, and technically impressive, with knotty riffs twisting and bending left and right, but things never feel too techy or wonky. This tune really grabs the listener and I’ve been replaying it to the point of maniacal obsession. “Cancerality” is another winner, full of hyperactive thrashing and ear-trashing blasts and sizzling guitar heroics with loving nods to Immolation and Suffocation dotting the way like severed heads on stakes. If this one doesn’t get you outside throwing garbage cans at passing cars, your best days are behind you.
“Impaling Sorrow” is a nasty, brutish, and short stab at the frontal lobe, and I don’t know what Cazares is screaming but at one point it sounds like “Mulligan!” and now I will be replicating that noise whenever I hit an errant shot during my drunken golf forays. So what are the downsides? First and foremost is the shortness of the album (how often do you hear that at AMG?). At a skinny 32 minutes, Laceration leave me wanting much more. The style of death they execute isn’t so smothering that you need to come up for air at 32 minutes, and 2 more killer cuts would make this the ideal length. I could also argue “Vile Incarnate” is a bit more rote and standard death than the rest of its peers, but it’s not bad at all. The production by Matt Harvey of Exhumed / Gruesome is first-rate. The guitars have ample heft, the drums sound great, and the mix is spot on. Most importantly, things aren’t overly polished and this sounds like a filthy pile of tentacle shit. Kudos.
First things first. Donnie Snalles is a sickly talented lead guitarist. The dude rips it up on every track with gorgeous solos and stunning fretboard gymnastics. Along with Luke Cazares, he also crafts an extra large body bag full of ace death riffs, crushing grooves, and sick flourishes that accent the core death constructs in elegant and horrific ways. While some bands might let the melodic elements take up too much space and thereby reduce the overall heaviness, these cats know how to put the brutal first and though you get some seriously refined moments, the boot is never far behind. Cazares is a great death vocalist, with a harsh, ragged roar that spews the stench of olden days death loudly and proudly. Aerin Johson beats the unholy fuck out of his kit and by extension, you. There are plenty of blast bits but he’s best when the guitars find a sick groove and he locks in and follows them into the maelstrom with smart fills and rolls. This is a very talented collective and they could do straight-up tech death all day, but fortunately, their first love is caveman death, and boy do they deliver it.
Laceration have a kind of “it” factor. You can’t always describe what that is, but you know it when you get mugged by it and wake up in the gutter with no shoes, wallet, or kidneys. Their 2021 debut was all sorts of fun, and I Erode takes everything to the next level and shows a band ready to elbow their way higher up the death metal food chain. Get this in your puke bucket, pronto.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Websites: facebook.com/lacerationofficial | instagram.com/laceration_official
Releases Worldwide: July 26th, 2024#20BuckSpin #2024 #35 #AmericanMetal #DeathMetal #IErode #Jul24 #Laceration #MorbidAngel #Morgoth #Review #Reviews
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Mehrwertsteuer – Krone der Schöpfung Review
By Twelve
Black metal is, traditionally, an angry style of music. That’s not controversial, right? The early pioneers of the genre wrote about such things that made them angry or that were expressions of anger. With that in mind, it’s kind of weird that I’ve yet to hear about a black metal band that writes about taxes. Of all the controversial, rage-inducing elements of modern life to write about, surely taxes are something we can all agree on at least disliking. And yet, when I came across Krone der Schöpfung (“Crown of Creation”), the debut full-length release of German Mehrwertsteuer (“Value-Added Tax”), it was the first time I’d heard this idea in practice. Mehrwertsteuer offers here a bleak, satirical exploration of economics, greed, and, yes, taxation. How well does the idea translate?
I’ve jokingly commented that I expected Krone der Schöpfung to be the angriest black metal album I’ve ever heard—how could it not be with its subject matter? And while I obviously don’t genuinely have expectations that high, it was a nice surprise when Mehrwertsteuer hit the ground practically sprinting with energetic riffs and vicious snarls that align well with their melodic black(ened) metal vision. The barrage is instant; Krone der Schöpfung is here to grind you down; they’re like your boss’s boss’s boss in that way. The drumming is meaty, the riffs are angry, and the keys are rare but effective when they show up. Even the bass is mighty, taking some clear inspiration from death metal tropes; when it rears its head, as in “Steuerlast,” it’s downright grimy. All in all, Mehrwertsteuer do a good job of sounding like they really don’t care much for their titular concept, and it’s a treat.
How much you enjoy Krone der Schöpfung may well come down to how you feel in the first minute of the above highlight track. “Arbeitsmarktkampf” riffs like it has nothing to lose, a marching, steady rhythm punctuated by quick-fire tremolos, and extended melodic passages. The melodic passages are heavily influenced by death metal, which is to say they aren’t that melodic—rather, they break up the barrage of riffs and blast beats in a way that gives structure and purpose to Krone der Schöpfung.”Der Fiskus,” for example, despite an eerie opening with keys, is a beast of a song, featuring a particularly great contrast between low growls and high leads on the guitar. “Verlust der Vernunft” is a touch slower, but uses its chugging riffs to create a blackened soaring effect that gives it an atmospheric quality. Krone der Schöpfung is a heavy, blackened album first and foremost, and it is clear almost immediately after hitting play.
But the main reason I say your first impression is the most likely one to hold is that a lot of Krone der Schöpfung relies on the same basic structure and ideas. There are heavy riffs, meaty blast beats, and a fairly minimalistic melodic element—typically a tremolo—to keep each song from sounding exactly the same. To my ears, though, while they don’t all sound exactly the same, a lot of them are pretty close to it. My opinion on all three of “EZB,” “Leidzins,” and “Mittelstandsangst” essentially boils down to “nice riffs, cool growls.” It’s all technically proficient, but it feels like it’s lacking some kind of character or soul. The topic of black metal about taxes is either really bleak or really funny, and I don’t quite feel I get either from the experience. I’m honestly not sure if I think it’s something with the songwriting, the production, or if it’s just me—for example, I don’t speak German, so I can’t actually follow along with the commentary—but I can’t shake the feeling that something is missing here.
Mehrwertsteuer here offer well-executed metal on a relatable topic that feels like the first step in a good direction. While I’m not sure it quite has the impact it intends to, its solid foundation and interesting premise make Krone der Schöpfung worth a listen, and Mehrwertsteuer worth keeping an eye on. And if you like your metal blackened, angry, or just a touch sarcastic, you may find more to enjoy here than I did. I wish it had done more, but what is here is solid, straightforward, blackened, death-y metal. There’s certainly something to be said for that.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-release
Websites: mehrwertsteuer.bandcamp.com | mehrwertsteuer.rocks | facebook.com/mehrwertsteuer.metal
Releases Worldwide: August 8th, 2025#25 #2025 #Aug25 #BlackMetal #GermanMetal #KroneDerSchöpfung #Mehrwertsteuer #MelodicDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease
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Mehrwertsteuer – Krone der Schöpfung Review
By Twelve
Black metal is, traditionally, an angry style of music. That’s not controversial, right? The early pioneers of the genre wrote about such things that made them angry or that were expressions of anger. With that in mind, it’s kind of weird that I’ve yet to hear about a black metal band that writes about taxes. Of all the controversial, rage-inducing elements of modern life to write about, surely taxes are something we can all agree on at least disliking. And yet, when I came across Krone der Schöpfung (“Crown of Creation”), the debut full-length release of German Mehrwertsteuer (“Value-Added Tax”), it was the first time I’d heard this idea in practice. Mehrwertsteuer offers here a bleak, satirical exploration of economics, greed, and, yes, taxation. How well does the idea translate?
I’ve jokingly commented that I expected Krone der Schöpfung to be the angriest black metal album I’ve ever heard—how could it not be with its subject matter? And while I obviously don’t genuinely have expectations that high, it was a nice surprise when Mehrwertsteuer hit the ground practically sprinting with energetic riffs and vicious snarls that align well with their melodic black(ened) metal vision. The barrage is instant; Krone der Schöpfung is here to grind you down; they’re like your boss’s boss’s boss in that way. The drumming is meaty, the riffs are angry, and the keys are rare but effective when they show up. Even the bass is mighty, taking some clear inspiration from death metal tropes; when it rears its head, as in “Steuerlast,” it’s downright grimy. All in all, Mehrwertsteuer do a good job of sounding like they really don’t care much for their titular concept, and it’s a treat.
How much you enjoy Krone der Schöpfung may well come down to how you feel in the first minute of the above highlight track. “Arbeitsmarktkampf” riffs like it has nothing to lose, a marching, steady rhythm punctuated by quick-fire tremolos, and extended melodic passages. The melodic passages are heavily influenced by death metal, which is to say they aren’t that melodic—rather, they break up the barrage of riffs and blast beats in a way that gives structure and purpose to Krone der Schöpfung.”Der Fiskus,” for example, despite an eerie opening with keys, is a beast of a song, featuring a particularly great contrast between low growls and high leads on the guitar. “Verlust der Vernunft” is a touch slower, but uses its chugging riffs to create a blackened soaring effect that gives it an atmospheric quality. Krone der Schöpfung is a heavy, blackened album first and foremost, and it is clear almost immediately after hitting play.
But the main reason I say your first impression is the most likely one to hold is that a lot of Krone der Schöpfung relies on the same basic structure and ideas. There are heavy riffs, meaty blast beats, and a fairly minimalistic melodic element—typically a tremolo—to keep each song from sounding exactly the same. To my ears, though, while they don’t all sound exactly the same, a lot of them are pretty close to it. My opinion on all three of “EZB,” “Leidzins,” and “Mittelstandsangst” essentially boils down to “nice riffs, cool growls.” It’s all technically proficient, but it feels like it’s lacking some kind of character or soul. The topic of black metal about taxes is either really bleak or really funny, and I don’t quite feel I get either from the experience. I’m honestly not sure if I think it’s something with the songwriting, the production, or if it’s just me—for example, I don’t speak German, so I can’t actually follow along with the commentary—but I can’t shake the feeling that something is missing here.
Mehrwertsteuer here offer well-executed metal on a relatable topic that feels like the first step in a good direction. While I’m not sure it quite has the impact it intends to, its solid foundation and interesting premise make Krone der Schöpfung worth a listen, and Mehrwertsteuer worth keeping an eye on. And if you like your metal blackened, angry, or just a touch sarcastic, you may find more to enjoy here than I did. I wish it had done more, but what is here is solid, straightforward, blackened, death-y metal. There’s certainly something to be said for that.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-release
Websites: mehrwertsteuer.bandcamp.com | mehrwertsteuer.rocks | facebook.com/mehrwertsteuer.metal
Releases Worldwide: August 8th, 2025#25 #2025 #Aug25 #BlackMetal #GermanMetal #KroneDerSchöpfung #Mehrwertsteuer #MelodicDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease
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Mehrwertsteuer – Krone der Schöpfung Review
By Twelve
Black metal is, traditionally, an angry style of music. That’s not controversial, right? The early pioneers of the genre wrote about such things that made them angry or that were expressions of anger. With that in mind, it’s kind of weird that I’ve yet to hear about a black metal band that writes about taxes. Of all the controversial, rage-inducing elements of modern life to write about, surely taxes are something we can all agree on at least disliking. And yet, when I came across Krone der Schöpfung (“Crown of Creation”), the debut full-length release of German Mehrwertsteuer (“Value-Added Tax”), it was the first time I’d heard this idea in practice. Mehrwertsteuer offers here a bleak, satirical exploration of economics, greed, and, yes, taxation. How well does the idea translate?
I’ve jokingly commented that I expected Krone der Schöpfung to be the angriest black metal album I’ve ever heard—how could it not be with its subject matter? And while I obviously don’t genuinely have expectations that high, it was a nice surprise when Mehrwertsteuer hit the ground practically sprinting with energetic riffs and vicious snarls that align well with their melodic black(ened) metal vision. The barrage is instant; Krone der Schöpfung is here to grind you down; they’re like your boss’s boss’s boss in that way. The drumming is meaty, the riffs are angry, and the keys are rare but effective when they show up. Even the bass is mighty, taking some clear inspiration from death metal tropes; when it rears its head, as in “Steuerlast,” it’s downright grimy. All in all, Mehrwertsteuer do a good job of sounding like they really don’t care much for their titular concept, and it’s a treat.
How much you enjoy Krone der Schöpfung may well come down to how you feel in the first minute of the above highlight track. “Arbeitsmarktkampf” riffs like it has nothing to lose, a marching, steady rhythm punctuated by quick-fire tremolos, and extended melodic passages. The melodic passages are heavily influenced by death metal, which is to say they aren’t that melodic—rather, they break up the barrage of riffs and blast beats in a way that gives structure and purpose to Krone der Schöpfung.”Der Fiskus,” for example, despite an eerie opening with keys, is a beast of a song, featuring a particularly great contrast between low growls and high leads on the guitar. “Verlust der Vernunft” is a touch slower, but uses its chugging riffs to create a blackened soaring effect that gives it an atmospheric quality. Krone der Schöpfung is a heavy, blackened album first and foremost, and it is clear almost immediately after hitting play.
But the main reason I say your first impression is the most likely one to hold is that a lot of Krone der Schöpfung relies on the same basic structure and ideas. There are heavy riffs, meaty blast beats, and a fairly minimalistic melodic element—typically a tremolo—to keep each song from sounding exactly the same. To my ears, though, while they don’t all sound exactly the same, a lot of them are pretty close to it. My opinion on all three of “EZB,” “Leidzins,” and “Mittelstandsangst” essentially boils down to “nice riffs, cool growls.” It’s all technically proficient, but it feels like it’s lacking some kind of character or soul. The topic of black metal about taxes is either really bleak or really funny, and I don’t quite feel I get either from the experience. I’m honestly not sure if I think it’s something with the songwriting, the production, or if it’s just me—for example, I don’t speak German, so I can’t actually follow along with the commentary—but I can’t shake the feeling that something is missing here.
Mehrwertsteuer here offer well-executed metal on a relatable topic that feels like the first step in a good direction. While I’m not sure it quite has the impact it intends to, its solid foundation and interesting premise make Krone der Schöpfung worth a listen, and Mehrwertsteuer worth keeping an eye on. And if you like your metal blackened, angry, or just a touch sarcastic, you may find more to enjoy here than I did. I wish it had done more, but what is here is solid, straightforward, blackened, death-y metal. There’s certainly something to be said for that.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-release
Websites: mehrwertsteuer.bandcamp.com | mehrwertsteuer.rocks | facebook.com/mehrwertsteuer.metal
Releases Worldwide: August 8th, 2025#25 #2025 #Aug25 #BlackMetal #GermanMetal #KroneDerSchöpfung #Mehrwertsteuer #MelodicDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease
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Mehrwertsteuer – Krone der Schöpfung Review
By Twelve
Black metal is, traditionally, an angry style of music. That’s not controversial, right? The early pioneers of the genre wrote about such things that made them angry or that were expressions of anger. With that in mind, it’s kind of weird that I’ve yet to hear about a black metal band that writes about taxes. Of all the controversial, rage-inducing elements of modern life to write about, surely taxes are something we can all agree on at least disliking. And yet, when I came across Krone der Schöpfung (“Crown of Creation”), the debut full-length release of German Mehrwertsteuer (“Value-Added Tax”), it was the first time I’d heard this idea in practice. Mehrwertsteuer offers here a bleak, satirical exploration of economics, greed, and, yes, taxation. How well does the idea translate?
I’ve jokingly commented that I expected Krone der Schöpfung to be the angriest black metal album I’ve ever heard—how could it not be with its subject matter? And while I obviously don’t genuinely have expectations that high, it was a nice surprise when Mehrwertsteuer hit the ground practically sprinting with energetic riffs and vicious snarls that align well with their melodic black(ened) metal vision. The barrage is instant; Krone der Schöpfung is here to grind you down; they’re like your boss’s boss’s boss in that way. The drumming is meaty, the riffs are angry, and the keys are rare but effective when they show up. Even the bass is mighty, taking some clear inspiration from death metal tropes; when it rears its head, as in “Steuerlast,” it’s downright grimy. All in all, Mehrwertsteuer do a good job of sounding like they really don’t care much for their titular concept, and it’s a treat.
How much you enjoy Krone der Schöpfung may well come down to how you feel in the first minute of the above highlight track. “Arbeitsmarktkampf” riffs like it has nothing to lose, a marching, steady rhythm punctuated by quick-fire tremolos, and extended melodic passages. The melodic passages are heavily influenced by death metal, which is to say they aren’t that melodic—rather, they break up the barrage of riffs and blast beats in a way that gives structure and purpose to Krone der Schöpfung.”Der Fiskus,” for example, despite an eerie opening with keys, is a beast of a song, featuring a particularly great contrast between low growls and high leads on the guitar. “Verlust der Vernunft” is a touch slower, but uses its chugging riffs to create a blackened soaring effect that gives it an atmospheric quality. Krone der Schöpfung is a heavy, blackened album first and foremost, and it is clear almost immediately after hitting play.
But the main reason I say your first impression is the most likely one to hold is that a lot of Krone der Schöpfung relies on the same basic structure and ideas. There are heavy riffs, meaty blast beats, and a fairly minimalistic melodic element—typically a tremolo—to keep each song from sounding exactly the same. To my ears, though, while they don’t all sound exactly the same, a lot of them are pretty close to it. My opinion on all three of “EZB,” “Leidzins,” and “Mittelstandsangst” essentially boils down to “nice riffs, cool growls.” It’s all technically proficient, but it feels like it’s lacking some kind of character or soul. The topic of black metal about taxes is either really bleak or really funny, and I don’t quite feel I get either from the experience. I’m honestly not sure if I think it’s something with the songwriting, the production, or if it’s just me—for example, I don’t speak German, so I can’t actually follow along with the commentary—but I can’t shake the feeling that something is missing here.
Mehrwertsteuer here offer well-executed metal on a relatable topic that feels like the first step in a good direction. While I’m not sure it quite has the impact it intends to, its solid foundation and interesting premise make Krone der Schöpfung worth a listen, and Mehrwertsteuer worth keeping an eye on. And if you like your metal blackened, angry, or just a touch sarcastic, you may find more to enjoy here than I did. I wish it had done more, but what is here is solid, straightforward, blackened, death-y metal. There’s certainly something to be said for that.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-release
Websites: mehrwertsteuer.bandcamp.com | mehrwertsteuer.rocks | facebook.com/mehrwertsteuer.metal
Releases Worldwide: August 8th, 2025#25 #2025 #Aug25 #BlackMetal #GermanMetal #KroneDerSchöpfung #Mehrwertsteuer #MelodicDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #SelfRelease