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1000 results for “underlap”
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“Neither asked nor given…”
Written by Alan Sharp, & directed by Michael Caton-Jones, ROB ROY (1995) is an underappreciated gem of Scottish film. It also contains what is widely regarded as one of the best swordfights in #cinema history
3/5
https://fictionmachine.com/2020/09/15/neither-asked-nor-given-rob-roy-1995/
#Scottish #literature #history #historicalfiction #romanticism #cinema #film #swords #LiamNeeson #JohnHurt #TimRoth
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“Neither asked nor given…”
Written by Alan Sharp, & directed by Michael Caton-Jones, ROB ROY (1995) is an underappreciated gem of Scottish film. It also contains what is widely regarded as one of the best swordfights in #cinema history
3/5
https://fictionmachine.com/2020/09/15/neither-asked-nor-given-rob-roy-1995/
#Scottish #literature #history #historicalfiction #romanticism #cinema #film #swords #LiamNeeson #JohnHurt #TimRoth
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In a chaotic world, taking a moment to meditate on “The Way Forward,” can help with grounding and centering your soul.
Underappreciated patterns and even chores can even be calming inside when it feels like there's so much chaos everywhere else.
https://www.chrisboese.photo/morning-walks-with-bernadette
#art #photography #landscape #nature #forest #light #woods #serene #journey #inspiration #mastoart #mastodonart #bernadettelongo #boesegalleries
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When you can’t pay for things the currency of payment is psychic…
by @beet_keeperContributing back to the commons in digital preservation hasn’t been for everyone.
We know the famous XKCD that touches on the underappreciated work of maintainers in obscurity. When you, or your institutions, or services are using free and open source software, or other information and data in the commons, and you’re not contributing back, you’re perpetuating this, and what’s more, there’s a virtuous cycle that we’re missing out on.
I read something the other day and it felt like a red flag.
#community #contributing #CreativeCommons #digipres #digitalLiteracy #DigitalPreservation #dpip #empathy #empathyInTechnology #OpenData #OpenSource #professionalMaturity -
I'm in the endgame of #DreadDelusion now after 30 hours, and I am simultaneously still amazed at how fantastic so much of this game is but also just want it to be over now.
The Underlands have wonderful art design, but the gameplay side of the level design makes me think of late game Final Fantasy dungeons that are just long but have nothing in them.
At least here, there is no downside to simply running past all enemies.(Might even be possible to complete the game without fighting.)
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I'm in the endgame of #DreadDelusion now after 30 hours, and I am simultaneously still amazed at how fantastic so much of this game is but also just want it to be over now.
The Underlands have wonderful art design, but the gameplay side of the level design makes me think of late game Final Fantasy dungeons that are just long but have nothing in them.
At least here, there is no downside to simply running past all enemies.(Might even be possible to complete the game without fighting.)
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I'm in the endgame of #DreadDelusion now after 30 hours, and I am simultaneously still amazed at how fantastic so much of this game is but also just want it to be over now.
The Underlands have wonderful art design, but the gameplay side of the level design makes me think of late game Final Fantasy dungeons that are just long but have nothing in them.
At least here, there is no downside to simply running past all enemies.(Might even be possible to complete the game without fighting.)
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I'm in the endgame of #DreadDelusion now after 30 hours, and I am simultaneously still amazed at how fantastic so much of this game is but also just want it to be over now.
The Underlands have wonderful art design, but the gameplay side of the level design makes me think of late game Final Fantasy dungeons that are just long but have nothing in them.
At least here, there is no downside to simply running past all enemies.(Might even be possible to complete the game without fighting.)
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As public food safety oversight weakens, risk doesn’t disappear—it shifts downstream to consumers. One underappreciated role of controlled environments isn’t yield, but safety by design: reducing contamination vectors by removing exposure, not just inspecting after the fact.
More detail if useful:
https://open.substack.com/pub/neaptide/p/safe-to-eat-why-cea-might-be-the?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web -
Happy Thorsday!
Thor LOVES rolling around on these thin cardboard sheets we put down to protect the plywood underlayment.
(Yes we are still not finished replacing our kitchen floor).
#AllCatsAreBeautiful #Thorsday #ThorToots #CatsOfMastodon #CatsOfFediverse #CatsOfPixelfed #Cats #Cat #Caturday #RagdollCats
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you might want to have an early look at my new website design. so far there‘s no new content yet but the underlaying backend has switched from the yellow cms https://datenstrom.se/yellow/ to the grav cms https://getgrav.org/. the new design is a little bit fancier than i would like it to be but here we go…
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“Neither asked nor given…”
Written by Alan Sharp, & directed by Michael Caton-Jones, ROB ROY (1995) is an underappreciated gem of Scottish film. It also contains what is widely regarded as one of the best swordfights in cinema history
4/5
https://fictionmachine.com/2020/09/15/neither-asked-nor-given-rob-roy-1995/
#Scottish #literature #cinema #film #AlanSharp #Screenwriting #sword #fencing
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Nog läge för en gammal bekanting, en #AllNighter för att bryta nattugglandet som 17 dagars ledighet villat in mig på.
Bör underlätta vrida dygnsrytmen tillbaka till jobber börjar på måndag 08:00 igen 🤪
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Over the past two decades, the Roberts Court has pioneered and perfected the practice: #Sanewashing
—defined as “attempting to minimize or downplay a person or idea’s radicality to make it more palatable to the general public”
—It has become a prominent, if entirely underappreciated, feature of the Roberts Court.Relying on judicial sanewashing, the Roberts Court has ERODED:
#due #process protections,
political #accountability,
and civil rights,
while simultaneously #consolidating #power for itself, corporations, gun owners, Christian conservatives, and state officials who owe their political influence to heavily gerrymandered districts.All this has been accomplished while the Roberts Court has sought to present itself as a neutral, nonpartisan institution, free from corporate interests and policy preferences and guided solely by constitutional and democratic principles.
As the Roberts Court has transformed into a #conservative policymaking body, it has maintained that it is merely fulfilling its constitutional mandate.
The judicially sanewashed opinions of the Roberts Court haven’t been limited solely to sanewashing the law;
-- Often, they also involve extensive sanewashing of the facts too.
For example, in tandem with whitewashing the anti-racist purpose of the Reconstruction Amendments in Shelby County v. Holder,
the Roberts Court also recast former Confederate states subject to the #Voting #Rights #Act, or VRA, as aggrieved and mistreated, and in need of legal protection by the Court.According to the sanewashed facts in Shelby County, the VRA was no longer necessary because racially discriminatory voting practices were “rare”
and the remaining sections of the statute would be sufficient to protect minority voting rights.
In the decade since the Court offered those tepid reassurances,
states formerly subject to the VRA’s preclearance requirements have passed an avalanche of discriminatory #voter #suppression laws
as the Roberts Court has simultaneously sought to further weaken the law.
🆘 The Court is now prepared to strike down the remaining vestiges of the statute it promised would remain in place to ensure voting rights remained protected.Similarly, when sanewashing the First Amendment to recognize new speech rights by corporations to engage in unlimited political spending in #Citizens #United,
the Roberts Court tried to assure a skeptical public that dismantling decades of campaign finance regulations would strengthen the integrity of elections and allow voters to hold officials accountable.
🔥Fifteen years later, the ruling has unleashed a torrent of unregulated corporate spending in American politics,
enabling #superPACs to raise limitless funds from corporations
and undisclosed donors to exercise an outsized influence on election results.
⭐️Between 2010 and 2024, political spending by super PACs grew from $62.6 million to $4.1 billion.Americans are so disgusted with #darkmoney in politics that an overwhelming majority supports a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.ERO
https://newrepublic.com/article/204788/supreme-court-judicial-sanewashing-roberts
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Upptäck hur du kan använda en lokal företagsöversikt för att hitta bolag och söka tjänster. En tydlig översikt underlättar ditt sökande och sparar tid. Klicka för mer information. #lokalforetagsovr #hitta #tjanster
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On Sunday, the local fish store recommended me a yoyo loach for snail control without any qualifications or follow up questions. 🤦 I just watched it breach my sand cap and expose the underlayer of garden soil. I dunno how to address this with holiday travel coming up.
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On Sunday, the local fish store recommended me a yoyo loach for snail control without any qualifications or follow up questions. 🤦 I just watched it breach my sand cap and expose the underlayer of garden soil. I dunno how to address this with holiday travel coming up.
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On Sunday, the local fish store recommended me a yoyo loach for snail control without any qualifications or follow up questions. 🤦 I just watched it breach my sand cap and expose the underlayer of garden soil. I dunno how to address this with holiday travel coming up.
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On Sunday, the local fish store recommended me a yoyo loach for snail control without any qualifications or follow up questions. 🤦 I just watched it breach my sand cap and expose the underlayer of garden soil. I dunno how to address this with holiday travel coming up.
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@drahsturgis Thanks to #EddieMuller and #NoirAlley, I’m going to have to add another #December-related #film to my recommendation list above: #CashOnDemand, a tense, gripping film with legends #PeterCushing and #AndreMorrell. An undeservedly underappreciated gem from #Hammer in 1961.
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‘Oh. What. Fun.’ Review: Michelle Pfeiffer Spreads Holiday Jeers in an Uninspired Ode to Underappreciated Moms
#Variety #Reviews #MichaelShowalter #MichellePfeiffer #OhWhatFunhttps://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/oh-what-fun-review-1236601462/
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‘Oh. What. Fun.’ Review: Michelle Pfeiffer in Michael Showalter’s Generic Holiday Ode to Underappreciated Moms
#MovieReviews #Movies #ChloeGraceMoretz #DenisLeary #FelicityJones #MichaelShowalter #MichellePfeiffer -
Bloodbound – Field of Swords Review
By Baguette of Bodom
Bloodbound has always been a band with a confusing identity. These Swedes lit up a storm with debut Nosferatu in 2006, an underappreciated heavy/power gem fusing the best of Iron Maiden’s gallops with the hooks of Helloween and HammerFall. The golden pipes of Urban Breed (ex-Tad Morose) were the cherry on top. However, the curse of unstable lineups would strike. Urban Breed would leave for one album, rejoin for the odd-but-good, progpower-meets-Kalmah melodeath sound of Tabula Rasa, and promptly leave again. A decade of struggles followed, ranging from watered-down HammerFall to withered Sabaton to simply tepid heavy metal. 2021’s Creatures of the Dark Realm was a surprising resurgence, drifting Bloodbound more towards saccharine Europower. This brings us to newcomer Field of Swords. Where does it fit into this unconventional discography?
Field of Swords doubles down on Bloodbound’s recent melodic adventures. The double bass drumming of ’90s power metal is immediately recognizable, following in the steps of Stratovarius and HammerFall. The guitar work, too, has rejuvenated. Gone are almost all of the Sabatonisms that marred some of the band’s lowest points; here, the Olsson brothers’ rhythmic assault is simple but effective (“As Empires Fall,” “Born to Be King”), and its attitude carries the medieval fantasy spirit of [Luca Turilli(‘s) / Lione] Rhapsody [of Fire] minus the wank. The vocals of Patrik J. Selleby fit this style like a glove, his adapted performance being one of the strongest of his tenure thus far.
Bloodbound’s newfound breakneck pace and consistency are their greatest assets. The decision to go borderline sparkly on Field of Swords could have backfired, marking yet another sudden left turn in a discography full of them. Instead, it feels like a natural development from the past three albums. While the album on the surface is written like standard ’90s–’00s melodic power metal (“Field of Swords”), the execution of classic power chord choruses leading into blazing solos (“The Code of Warriors,” “Forged in Iron”) is surprisingly fiery and fun. Most importantly, Field of Swords forgoes balladry and prioritizes speed for a lion’s share of its 45-minute runtime. The record has a unified image unusual of Bloodbound. It’s not infallible—the unnecessary Sabaton sing-along stomp rears its head on the second half of “Pain and Glory”—but it is tightly-knit in a way I greatly appreciate.
As catchy as Field of Swords is, there are a few things preventing it from being a resounding success. For one, Bloodbound rely too much on one-note Battle Beastian disco synths. While Fredrik Bergh contributes plenty of pleasant backing bombast to the album as well, his main weapon of choice is sharp and high up in the mix, leading to fatigue on some otherwise strong choruses (“Defenders of Jerusalem,” “Light the Sky”). The band is still not immune to odd songwriting shifts either. In addition to the aforementioned “Pain and Glory” stumble, closing track “The Nine Crusades” features Unleash the Archers’ talented Brittney Slayes, only for her voice to drown under sappiness unfit for the record. Even so, the concoction here is potent. Cuts like “Land of the Brave” and “Light the Sky” are some of Bloodbound’s fastest and most energetic to date, and this sudden burst of frenzy is admirable of a veteran band.
For the first time in a while, Bloodbound’s sound has a true sense of direction. Field of Swords’ all-gas, no-brakes approach gives the record more urgency than they’ve had in forever, and both the songwriting and album flow greatly benefit in return. Despite some lingering issues, Field of Swords ends up being one of the better albums in the band’s catalog. Both Creatures of the Dark Realm and this album indicate the Europower-forward realignment continues to work in their favor. I can’t say I don’t still long for the days of Nosferatu, and Bloodbound could place a bit more faith in their strong guitar work and vocal lines, but whatever they’re doing is paying off once more. I can only hope this progress continues.
Rating: Good!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream o’ Piss
Label: Napalm Records | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025#lucaTurillisLioneRhapsodyOfFire #2025 #30 #battleBeast #bloodbound #fieldOfSwords #hammerfall #helloween #ironMaiden #kalmah #napalmRecords #nov25 #powerMetal #review #reviews #sabaton #stratovarius #swedishMetal #tadMorose #unleashTheArchers
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Bloodbound – Field of Swords Review
By Baguette of Bodom
Bloodbound has always been a band with a confusing identity. These Swedes lit up a storm with debut Nosferatu in 2006, an underappreciated heavy/power gem fusing the best of Iron Maiden’s gallops with the hooks of Helloween and HammerFall. The golden pipes of Urban Breed (ex-Tad Morose) were the cherry on top. However, the curse of unstable lineups would strike. Urban Breed would leave for one album, rejoin for the odd-but-good, progpower-meets-Kalmah melodeath sound of Tabula Rasa, and promptly leave again. A decade of struggles followed, ranging from watered-down HammerFall to withered Sabaton to simply tepid heavy metal. 2021’s Creatures of the Dark Realm was a surprising resurgence, drifting Bloodbound more towards saccharine Europower. This brings us to newcomer Field of Swords. Where does it fit into this unconventional discography?
Field of Swords doubles down on Bloodbound’s recent melodic adventures. The double bass drumming of ’90s power metal is immediately recognizable, following in the steps of Stratovarius and HammerFall. The guitar work, too, has rejuvenated. Gone are almost all of the Sabatonisms that marred some of the band’s lowest points; here, the Olsson brothers’ rhythmic assault is simple but effective (“As Empires Fall,” “Born to Be King”), and its attitude carries the medieval fantasy spirit of [Luca Turilli(‘s) / Lione] Rhapsody [of Fire] minus the wank. The vocals of Patrik J. Selleby fit this style like a glove, his adapted performance being one of the strongest of his tenure thus far.
Bloodbound’s newfound breakneck pace and consistency are their greatest assets. The decision to go borderline sparkly on Field of Swords could have backfired, marking yet another sudden left turn in a discography full of them. Instead, it feels like a natural development from the past three albums. While the album on the surface is written like standard ’90s–’00s melodic power metal (“Field of Swords”), the execution of classic power chord choruses leading into blazing solos (“The Code of Warriors,” “Forged in Iron”) is surprisingly fiery and fun. Most importantly, Field of Swords forgoes balladry and prioritizes speed for a lion’s share of its 45-minute runtime. The record has a unified image unusual of Bloodbound. It’s not infallible—the unnecessary Sabaton sing-along stomp rears its head on the second half of “Pain and Glory”—but it is tightly-knit in a way I greatly appreciate.
As catchy as Field of Swords is, there are a few things preventing it from being a resounding success. For one, Bloodbound rely too much on one-note Battle Beastian disco synths. While Fredrik Bergh contributes plenty of pleasant backing bombast to the album as well, his main weapon of choice is sharp and high up in the mix, leading to fatigue on some otherwise strong choruses (“Defenders of Jerusalem,” “Light the Sky”). The band is still not immune to odd songwriting shifts either. In addition to the aforementioned “Pain and Glory” stumble, closing track “The Nine Crusades” features Unleash the Archers’ talented Brittney Slayes, only for her voice to drown under sappiness unfit for the record. Even so, the concoction here is potent. Cuts like “Land of the Brave” and “Light the Sky” are some of Bloodbound’s fastest and most energetic to date, and this sudden burst of frenzy is admirable of a veteran band.
For the first time in a while, Bloodbound’s sound has a true sense of direction. Field of Swords’ all-gas, no-brakes approach gives the record more urgency than they’ve had in forever, and both the songwriting and album flow greatly benefit in return. Despite some lingering issues, Field of Swords ends up being one of the better albums in the band’s catalog. Both Creatures of the Dark Realm and this album indicate the Europower-forward realignment continues to work in their favor. I can’t say I don’t still long for the days of Nosferatu, and Bloodbound could place a bit more faith in their strong guitar work and vocal lines, but whatever they’re doing is paying off once more. I can only hope this progress continues.
Rating: Good!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream o’ Piss
Label: Napalm Records | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025#lucaTurillisLioneRhapsodyOfFire #2025 #30 #battleBeast #bloodbound #fieldOfSwords #hammerfall #helloween #ironMaiden #kalmah #napalmRecords #nov25 #powerMetal #review #reviews #sabaton #stratovarius #swedishMetal #tadMorose #unleashTheArchers
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Bloodbound – Field of Swords Review
By Baguette of Bodom
Bloodbound has always been a band with a confusing identity. These Swedes lit up a storm with debut Nosferatu in 2006, an underappreciated heavy/power gem fusing the best of Iron Maiden’s gallops with the hooks of Helloween and HammerFall. The golden pipes of Urban Breed (ex-Tad Morose) were the cherry on top. However, the curse of unstable lineups would strike. Urban Breed would leave for one album, rejoin for the odd-but-good, progpower-meets-Kalmah melodeath sound of Tabula Rasa, and promptly leave again. A decade of struggles followed, ranging from watered-down HammerFall to withered Sabaton to simply tepid heavy metal. 2021’s Creatures of the Dark Realm was a surprising resurgence, drifting Bloodbound more towards saccharine Europower. This brings us to newcomer Field of Swords. Where does it fit into this unconventional discography?
Field of Swords doubles down on Bloodbound’s recent melodic adventures. The double bass drumming of ’90s power metal is immediately recognizable, following in the steps of Stratovarius and HammerFall. The guitar work, too, has rejuvenated. Gone are almost all of the Sabatonisms that marred some of the band’s lowest points; here, the Olsson brothers’ rhythmic assault is simple but effective (“As Empires Fall,” “Born to Be King”), and its attitude carries the medieval fantasy spirit of [Luca Turilli(‘s) / Lione] Rhapsody [of Fire] minus the wank. The vocals of Patrik J. Selleby fit this style like a glove, his adapted performance being one of the strongest of his tenure thus far.
Bloodbound’s newfound breakneck pace and consistency are their greatest assets. The decision to go borderline sparkly on Field of Swords could have backfired, marking yet another sudden left turn in a discography full of them. Instead, it feels like a natural development from the past three albums. While the album on the surface is written like standard ’90s–’00s melodic power metal (“Field of Swords”), the execution of classic power chord choruses leading into blazing solos (“The Code of Warriors,” “Forged in Iron”) is surprisingly fiery and fun. Most importantly, Field of Swords forgoes balladry and prioritizes speed for a lion’s share of its 45-minute runtime. The record has a unified image unusual of Bloodbound. It’s not infallible—the unnecessary Sabaton sing-along stomp rears its head on the second half of “Pain and Glory”—but it is tightly-knit in a way I greatly appreciate.
As catchy as Field of Swords is, there are a few things preventing it from being a resounding success. For one, Bloodbound rely too much on one-note Battle Beastian disco synths. While Fredrik Bergh contributes plenty of pleasant backing bombast to the album as well, his main weapon of choice is sharp and high up in the mix, leading to fatigue on some otherwise strong choruses (“Defenders of Jerusalem,” “Light the Sky”). The band is still not immune to odd songwriting shifts either. In addition to the aforementioned “Pain and Glory” stumble, closing track “The Nine Crusades” features Unleash the Archers’ talented Brittney Slayes, only for her voice to drown under sappiness unfit for the record. Even so, the concoction here is potent. Cuts like “Land of the Brave” and “Light the Sky” are some of Bloodbound’s fastest and most energetic to date, and this sudden burst of frenzy is admirable of a veteran band.
For the first time in a while, Bloodbound’s sound has a true sense of direction. Field of Swords’ all-gas, no-brakes approach gives the record more urgency than they’ve had in forever, and both the songwriting and album flow greatly benefit in return. Despite some lingering issues, Field of Swords ends up being one of the better albums in the band’s catalog. Both Creatures of the Dark Realm and this album indicate the Europower-forward realignment continues to work in their favor. I can’t say I don’t still long for the days of Nosferatu, and Bloodbound could place a bit more faith in their strong guitar work and vocal lines, but whatever they’re doing is paying off once more. I can only hope this progress continues.
Rating: Good!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream o’ Piss
Label: Napalm Records | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025#lucaTurillisLioneRhapsodyOfFire #2025 #30 #battleBeast #bloodbound #fieldOfSwords #hammerfall #helloween #ironMaiden #kalmah #napalmRecords #nov25 #powerMetal #review #reviews #sabaton #stratovarius #swedishMetal #tadMorose #unleashTheArchers
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Bloodbound – Field of Swords Review
By Baguette of Bodom
Bloodbound has always been a band with a confusing identity. These Swedes lit up a storm with debut Nosferatu in 2006, an underappreciated heavy/power gem fusing the best of Iron Maiden’s gallops with the hooks of Helloween and HammerFall. The golden pipes of Urban Breed (ex-Tad Morose) were the cherry on top. However, the curse of unstable lineups would strike. Urban Breed would leave for one album, rejoin for the odd-but-good, progpower-meets-Kalmah melodeath sound of Tabula Rasa, and promptly leave again. A decade of struggles followed, ranging from watered-down HammerFall to withered Sabaton to simply tepid heavy metal. 2021’s Creatures of the Dark Realm was a surprising resurgence, drifting Bloodbound more towards saccharine Europower. This brings us to newcomer Field of Swords. Where does it fit into this unconventional discography?
Field of Swords doubles down on Bloodbound’s recent melodic adventures. The double bass drumming of ’90s power metal is immediately recognizable, following in the steps of Stratovarius and HammerFall. The guitar work, too, has rejuvenated. Gone are almost all of the Sabatonisms that marred some of the band’s lowest points; here, the Olsson brothers’ rhythmic assault is simple but effective (“As Empires Fall,” “Born to Be King”), and its attitude carries the medieval fantasy spirit of [Luca Turilli(‘s) / Lione] Rhapsody [of Fire] minus the wank. The vocals of Patrik J. Selleby fit this style like a glove, his adapted performance being one of the strongest of his tenure thus far.
Bloodbound’s newfound breakneck pace and consistency are their greatest assets. The decision to go borderline sparkly on Field of Swords could have backfired, marking yet another sudden left turn in a discography full of them. Instead, it feels like a natural development from the past three albums. While the album on the surface is written like standard ’90s–’00s melodic power metal (“Field of Swords”), the execution of classic power chord choruses leading into blazing solos (“The Code of Warriors,” “Forged in Iron”) is surprisingly fiery and fun. Most importantly, Field of Swords forgoes balladry and prioritizes speed for a lion’s share of its 45-minute runtime. The record has a unified image unusual of Bloodbound. It’s not infallible—the unnecessary Sabaton sing-along stomp rears its head on the second half of “Pain and Glory”—but it is tightly-knit in a way I greatly appreciate.
As catchy as Field of Swords is, there are a few things preventing it from being a resounding success. For one, Bloodbound rely too much on one-note Battle Beastian disco synths. While Fredrik Bergh contributes plenty of pleasant backing bombast to the album as well, his main weapon of choice is sharp and high up in the mix, leading to fatigue on some otherwise strong choruses (“Defenders of Jerusalem,” “Light the Sky”). The band is still not immune to odd songwriting shifts either. In addition to the aforementioned “Pain and Glory” stumble, closing track “The Nine Crusades” features Unleash the Archers’ talented Brittney Slayes, only for her voice to drown under sappiness unfit for the record. Even so, the concoction here is potent. Cuts like “Land of the Brave” and “Light the Sky” are some of Bloodbound’s fastest and most energetic to date, and this sudden burst of frenzy is admirable of a veteran band.
For the first time in a while, Bloodbound’s sound has a true sense of direction. Field of Swords’ all-gas, no-brakes approach gives the record more urgency than they’ve had in forever, and both the songwriting and album flow greatly benefit in return. Despite some lingering issues, Field of Swords ends up being one of the better albums in the band’s catalog. Both Creatures of the Dark Realm and this album indicate the Europower-forward realignment continues to work in their favor. I can’t say I don’t still long for the days of Nosferatu, and Bloodbound could place a bit more faith in their strong guitar work and vocal lines, but whatever they’re doing is paying off once more. I can only hope this progress continues.
Rating: Good!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream o’ Piss
Label: Napalm Records | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025#lucaTurillisLioneRhapsodyOfFire #2025 #30 #battleBeast #bloodbound #fieldOfSwords #hammerfall #helloween #ironMaiden #kalmah #napalmRecords #nov25 #powerMetal #review #reviews #sabaton #stratovarius #swedishMetal #tadMorose #unleashTheArchers
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Bloodbound – Field of Swords Review
By Baguette of Bodom
Bloodbound has always been a band with a confusing identity. These Swedes lit up a storm with debut Nosferatu in 2006, an underappreciated heavy/power gem fusing the best of Iron Maiden’s gallops with the hooks of Helloween and HammerFall. The golden pipes of Urban Breed (ex-Tad Morose) were the cherry on top. However, the curse of unstable lineups would strike. Urban Breed would leave for one album, rejoin for the odd-but-good, progpower-meets-Kalmah melodeath sound of Tabula Rasa, and promptly leave again. A decade of struggles followed, ranging from watered-down HammerFall to withered Sabaton to simply tepid heavy metal. 2021’s Creatures of the Dark Realm was a surprising resurgence, drifting Bloodbound more towards saccharine Europower. This brings us to newcomer Field of Swords. Where does it fit into this unconventional discography?
Field of Swords doubles down on Bloodbound’s recent melodic adventures. The double bass drumming of ’90s power metal is immediately recognizable, following in the steps of Stratovarius and HammerFall. The guitar work, too, has rejuvenated. Gone are almost all of the Sabatonisms that marred some of the band’s lowest points; here, the Olsson brothers’ rhythmic assault is simple but effective (“As Empires Fall,” “Born to Be King”), and its attitude carries the medieval fantasy spirit of [Luca Turilli(‘s) / Lione] Rhapsody [of Fire] minus the wank. The vocals of Patrik J. Selleby fit this style like a glove, his adapted performance being one of the strongest of his tenure thus far.
Bloodbound’s newfound breakneck pace and consistency are their greatest assets. The decision to go borderline sparkly on Field of Swords could have backfired, marking yet another sudden left turn in a discography full of them. Instead, it feels like a natural development from the past three albums. While the album on the surface is written like standard ’90s–’00s melodic power metal (“Field of Swords”), the execution of classic power chord choruses leading into blazing solos (“The Code of Warriors,” “Forged in Iron”) is surprisingly fiery and fun. Most importantly, Field of Swords forgoes balladry and prioritizes speed for a lion’s share of its 45-minute runtime. The record has a unified image unusual of Bloodbound. It’s not infallible—the unnecessary Sabaton sing-along stomp rears its head on the second half of “Pain and Glory”—but it is tightly-knit in a way I greatly appreciate.
As catchy as Field of Swords is, there are a few things preventing it from being a resounding success. For one, Bloodbound rely too much on one-note Battle Beastian disco synths. While Fredrik Bergh contributes plenty of pleasant backing bombast to the album as well, his main weapon of choice is sharp and high up in the mix, leading to fatigue on some otherwise strong choruses (“Defenders of Jerusalem,” “Light the Sky”). The band is still not immune to odd songwriting shifts either. In addition to the aforementioned “Pain and Glory” stumble, closing track “The Nine Crusades” features Unleash the Archers’ talented Brittney Slayes, only for her voice to drown under sappiness unfit for the record. Even so, the concoction here is potent. Cuts like “Land of the Brave” and “Light the Sky” are some of Bloodbound’s fastest and most energetic to date, and this sudden burst of frenzy is admirable of a veteran band.
For the first time in a while, Bloodbound’s sound has a true sense of direction. Field of Swords’ all-gas, no-brakes approach gives the record more urgency than they’ve had in forever, and both the songwriting and album flow greatly benefit in return. Despite some lingering issues, Field of Swords ends up being one of the better albums in the band’s catalog. Both Creatures of the Dark Realm and this album indicate the Europower-forward realignment continues to work in their favor. I can’t say I don’t still long for the days of Nosferatu, and Bloodbound could place a bit more faith in their strong guitar work and vocal lines, but whatever they’re doing is paying off once more. I can only hope this progress continues.
Rating: Good!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream o’ Piss
Label: Napalm Records | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025#lucaTurillisLioneRhapsodyOfFire #2025 #30 #battleBeast #bloodbound #fieldOfSwords #hammerfall #helloween #ironMaiden #kalmah #napalmRecords #nov25 #powerMetal #review #reviews #sabaton #stratovarius #swedishMetal #tadMorose #unleashTheArchers
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@alice Another side note: this is one of my favorite movies ever. At the very least it's the most underappreciated movie I know of. Here is a (spoilery) review of it by Addy Lovestar, a trans woman who unfortunately has not yet joined the Fediverse.
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@alice Another side note: this is one of my favorite movies ever. At the very least it's the most underappreciated movie I know of. Here is a (spoilery) review of it by Addy Lovestar, a trans woman who unfortunately has not yet joined the Fediverse.
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@alice Another side note: this is one of my favorite movies ever. At the very least it's the most underappreciated movie I know of. Here is a (spoilery) review of it by Addy Lovestar, a trans woman who unfortunately has not yet joined the Fediverse.