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1000 results for “grey_ghost”
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I am re-running the (albeit laughably named) National Electronic Sectional Appendix (NESA) Section D route clearance tables extract
I now also remember why I run it so infrequently. It scrapes text from PDF files and dumps them into TSV and XLSx and it's a bin-fire from top to bottom
Part of the problem is that it is some of the ugliest code I have ever written. Grey scale breaks the PDF text field identification? Use GhostScript to hack the PDF file
1/n
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I am re-running the (albeit laughably named) National Electronic Sectional Appendix (NESA) Section D route clearance tables extract
I now also remember why I run it so infrequently. It scrapes text from PDF files and dumps them into TSV and XLSx and it's a bin-fire from top to bottom
Part of the problem is that it is some of the ugliest code I have ever written. Grey scale breaks the PDF text field identification? Use GhostScript to hack the PDF file
1/n
-
I am re-running the (albeit laughably named) National Electronic Sectional Appendix (NESA) Section D route clearance tables extract
I now also remember why I run it so infrequently. It scrapes text from PDF files and dumps them into TSV and XLSx and it's a bin-fire from top to bottom
Part of the problem is that it is some of the ugliest code I have ever written. Grey scale breaks the PDF text field identification? Use GhostScript to hack the PDF file
1/n
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2 of my favorite possible Jon Snow foreshadowing going hand in hand.
In #AGoT, in Dany VIII, "She glimpsed the shadow of a great wolf, and another like a man wreathed in flames." I think could be a vision. Ghost has been consistently referred to as great wolf or great white wolf.
2. The TL in #ADwD & where Jon's story is headed. "A grey girl on a dying horse. Daggers in the dark. A promised prince, born in smoke and salt [...]"
Jon in a pyre for his rebirth as the ptwp? #ASoIaF
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2 of my favorite possible Jon Snow foreshadowing going hand in hand.
In #AGoT, in Dany VIII, "She glimpsed the shadow of a great wolf, and another like a man wreathed in flames." I think could be a vision. Ghost has been consistently referred to as great wolf or great white wolf.
2. The TL in #ADwD & where Jon's story is headed. "A grey girl on a dying horse. Daggers in the dark. A promised prince, born in smoke and salt [...]"
Jon in a pyre for his rebirth as the ptwp? #ASoIaF
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2 of my favorite possible Jon Snow foreshadowing going hand in hand.
In #AGoT, in Dany VIII, "She glimpsed the shadow of a great wolf, and another like a man wreathed in flames." I think could be a vision. Ghost has been consistently referred to as great wolf or great white wolf.
2. The TL in #ADwD & where Jon's story is headed. "A grey girl on a dying horse. Daggers in the dark. A promised prince, born in smoke and salt [...]"
Jon in a pyre for his rebirth as the ptwp? #ASoIaF
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2 of my favorite possible Jon Snow foreshadowing going hand in hand.
In #AGoT, in Dany VIII, "She glimpsed the shadow of a great wolf, and another like a man wreathed in flames." I think could be a vision. Ghost has been consistently referred to as great wolf or great white wolf.
2. The TL in #ADwD & where Jon's story is headed. "A grey girl on a dying horse. Daggers in the dark. A promised prince, born in smoke and salt [...]"
Jon in a pyre for his rebirth as the ptwp? #ASoIaF
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interação
alguns dos meus gostos :BongoCatHearts:#exo #nct127 #wayv #ive #monstax #seventeen #woodz #astro #aespa #shinee #vixx #nuest
#newjeans #cix #taeyeon #leehi #katie #dpr #jooyoung #dean #zhaixiaowen #zhuzhengting #xiaozhan #wangyibobandas: metallica, motionless in white, depeche mode, bring me the horizon, my chemical romance, sisters of mercy, the gazette, buck-tick, dir en grey, ghost, arch enemy, fresno
novels: #svsss, #mdzs, #tgcf, #fgep, #2ha (lendo)
o que temos em comum?
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Thawing April 2026, Ink & Life & Space Dragons
We’re in the tail end of winter according to the birds, though there’s still chunks of snow in the shade and every time we think it might be warm for good we get a little bonus freezing rain. Still, it’s nice to feel the change of the seasons even when it feels like only a tentative moment of warmth.
Three sheets of stickers: cute dragons, large botanicals and weather icons, an ivory covered MD notebook, three ink swatches (Diamine Tundra [grey], Diamine Mint Twist [green with blue shimmer], and Pennoia Selyempezgo [peach]) and fountain pens (Kaweco Liliput, Pelikan Pura, Pilot E95S).
Stickers
- Cute dragon-y creatures by Heather Sketcheroos
- Botanica pop-art by Maggie Chiang
- Weather related icons by Neko Mori Arts
Inks & Fountain Pens
- Diamine Tundra (grey) – in my Pilot E95S <M> (although I had the pens arranged differently before I filled them)
- Diamine Mint Twist (green with blue shimmer) – in my Pelikan Pura <B>
- Pennoia Selyempezgo (peach) – in my Kaweco Liliput <BB>
The pennoia ink was a random sample from a fountain pen order a while ago, the other two are both last year’s inkvent.
New Notebook Month!
After many months, I’m bidding farewell to my Leuchtterm notebook, which I started back in October with the plan that it would see me through the move. It saw me through 6 incredibly stressful months with medical emergencies on top of the expected move, but we’ve made it out the other side and that’s worth celebrating!
Green Leuchtterm softcover notebook with a bee sticker from The Latest Kate that reads “It’s enough to bee here just as you are”
I liked the Leuchtterm notebook better than expected — it was nice not having to write my own page numbers, and it packs a decent amount of pages into a small size. I did eventually get used to the ghosting but I didn’t love it. Still, it’s a relief to go back to something smaller so my journalling setup is considerably lighter.
The new notebook is an MD Paper grid notebook. Cheap and 40-some pages instead of 120-some. I usually prefer dot over grid but I wanted to try this because the lines looked light enough that it would be pleasant, and so far it’s working nicely and they don’t feel in the way. I don’t think I’ve shown a monthly spread in a while so here it is in the new notebook:
April 2026 spread in my journal, showing tracking for my yearly creative goals, fountain pens, a calendar, and a set of todo list spaces.
My monthly spreads have gotten fairly utilitarian since most of my smaller tracking and notes go on the monthly calendar now that I have space for that. I still find doing a monthly tracking of the creative goals is useful, and I’m so-so on the todo lists: I use this page so I don’t forget things that I should do this week but don’t have to be done today. Sometimes everything goes on the day’s todo list and gets done within a day or two so this page isn’t needed. But other times it’s the only way important-but-non-urgent tasks get done, so it’s staying for now.
I don’t keep a separate commonplace book of quotes and instead just write down quotes in my journal. Here’s the one from the book I finished this morning:
A quote which reads,
“The galazy is big & we are small,” I said. “It makes sense to help each other, when we can.”
– Space Dragons: Cosmic Survivors by Veo CorvaI love Veo Corva’s Space Dragons series. Book two feels especially in the moment, since a lot of it is about trying to figure out what the right thing is that you should be doing, and then doing it even if you’re scared or angry or not ready or don’t know how to make it happen. And as is a common theme across these books, it’s about finding your people. But also it’s about a society where space ships are pulled by dragons and if that’s not enough of a pitch I don’t know what else to tell you. Plus there’s crochet in this one! https://veocorva.xyz/books/ for more.
And speaking of crafts and space travel, here’s how my latest knitting is going:
Time of the Doctor Scarf, a Doctor Who themed scarf with Gallifreyan style circle-text. It has been knit in ivory and dark teal yarn, and there is a a bright orange/yellow batik project bag and a pom pom sitting beside it.
I’m getting close to the end of chart 3 out of 10. This is going to be a gift for John but I’m not sure it’s even going to be ready in time for *next* winter at this rate! It’s one that nees a fair bit of attention so it’s a bit much if I want to read, but it’s been okay for work meetings when I don’t have to participate much (we have a lot of talks on how to use new internal tools).
Notes from March
Ink Swatches from March 2026 (described below)
Three of these inks were new last month so here’s some notes:
- Inkebana Cowslip (Yellow) – This was quite usable in good light but not my favourite when it got dim. I’ll try playing around with it in art but I’m not sure I’ll use it for journalling again. I only have a sample anyhow. I’d forgotten how finicky my Pilot Metropolitan CM nib can be about angles, but I got used to it again pretty quickly.
- Endless Alchemy Golden Sunburst (orange with gold shimmer) – I liked this a lot more than expected for an ink I really bought to be a fidget. Super pretty while it’s drying. Like most (but not all) of my shimmers it takes a fair bit of pen turning if you want to keep the shimmer consistent, but it’s a nice enough colour even with less shimmer so it doesn’t bother me as much as it might.
- Diamine Marie Rose (peachy brown) – A new one from Inkvent 2025. I was kind of meh on the idea of writing with a colour inspired by chip sauce, but I actually really liked this one to my own surprise. Behaved perfectly.
- Diamine Apple Glory (intense spring green) – This I’ve had for a while. It’s nice but honestly was a bit too intense a green in this mostly warmish palette which was a pity. Was nice to pull out the eco with the stub nib for this, though.
I might have a post up soon about some pens I inherited from my grandfather that I’m trying out, but I think that it’ll be its own thing!
#FountainPens #InkSwatch #knitting #Life -
We’re fond of Rangiwahia in northern Manawatū: this small farming community has a great park-over property (POP) with excellent amenities & local info. Rangiwahia Hut Track in the Ruahine Forest Park was on our list but missed last visit, due to bad weather. It begins at Renfrew Rd end (drive through a couple of stock gates) & climbs 4.2km/ 2h to Rangiwahia Hut, offering clear views to Mount Ruapehu—almost 80km distant—even from the lower end (📷1). About 1.5km in, the hillside is predominantly endemic Pseudowintera colorata | mountain horopito | NZ pepper tree, a “pioneer plant” recognisable by red/ purple staining of leaf edges caused by anthocyanin pigments; polygodial is the chemical responsible for its peppery taste & behind Māori medicinal uses (antibacterial, antifungal & anti-inflammatory). Libocedrus bidwillii | pāhautea | mountain cedar, with reddish “flaky pastry” bark, is a threatened endemic readily observed here (📷2); as a resinous hardwood, its grey trunks (known as “snags” or “mountain ghosts”) remain standing for some time after death—also well seen on the track. We encountered several other endemics trackside, incld. the broad-leaved Cordyline indivisa | mountain cabbage tree (📷3); Celmisia spectabilis | cotton daisy; & Euphrasia cuneata | North Island eyebright. Situated above the tree line & set at the edge of a tussock landscape, the present DOC hut at 1327m elevation on the Whanahuia Range (an outlying ridge of the greywacke Ruahine Range) replaces a shepherd’s hut linked to a ski slope established here in the 1930s (📷4). Out & back incld. lunch at the hut took us 4.5h.
🇳🇿#newZealand #nz #manawatu 🚀#travel 🚐 #camperVan #nomad #roadTrip #vanLife 🥾#hiking
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CW: Bondage, Femdom, Magic, Tentacles, Lewd Read
Curse Of a Deviant (Part 2)
Bound by and with things that can only be seen in the mirror, I was at a loss for what to do next. Those creepy ghostly hands were doing as they pleased while I was helpless all by myself. And then I heard her.
"WELL, WELL, WHAT DO WE HAVE IN HERE?"
The voice felt divinely calm and roguish. I knew for certain it wasn't the voice of someone who was there to help. The ghostly hands stopped what they were doing and moved away from me, giving me a bit of relief from the torment for the moment. I realised it must be the deity of the palace they warned everyone about.
Suddenly I heard footsteps approaching me. I looked around me, but there wasn't anyone. I looked back at the mirror and saw something strange. Something was happening in the mirror. It was all glowing with blue light, and there wasn't my reflection any more. Instead I saw a silhouette of someone who was slim, had long hair and was slowly walking towards me inside of the mirror. The silhouette was very short but was gradually getting taller and taller as it kept walking. At last the silhouette came close enough that its height reached the frame. Within seconds the mirror turned eerie black, and the silhouette wasn't visible anymore. Then a hand wearing a white glove emerges from the mirror glass and grabs the left frame of the mirror, followed by another one grabbing the right frame, both creating ripples in the mirror glass. Then a foot wearing a blue crystal glass heel emerged and stepped onto the floor, followed by someone bending over to come out while looking downwards. It was a woman, no, the goddess! She stood straight in front of me and then looked straight into my eyes with her blue crystalline eyes and smiled. The goddess was wearing blue attire. She looked stunning. Words came out of her mouth in a divinely calm and slightly delighted voice.
"IT'S BEEN YEARS SINCE THE LAST TIME ANYONE HAS SET THEIR FOOT ON THIS GROUND AND EVEN WALKED RIGHT INTO MY TRAP."
I felt a mysterious aura coming from her that was making hair on my body stand. There were some glowing cyan blue particles around her, making her look more angelic. She continued.
"I'M THE GODDESS OF DARKNESS AND THE LORD OF THIS PALACE. MAN OF CHILD, YOU HAVE ENTERED MY PLACE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. I'M ASSUMING YOU ARE PREPARED TO FACE THE CONSEQUENCES."
There was a harsh tone in her voice. Indeed, I entered into place goddesses without her permission, so of course she was enraged by it...or was she? Because even though she spoke words of exasperation, her face wasn't that of rage. It was something different. Her eyes were telling me that she was anticipating this and that she was pleased that this finally happened.
"WELL THEN GET READY AS I SHALL DECIDE YOUR PUNISHMENT. YOU WILL FEEL THE CURSE OF THE GODDESS OF DARKNESS," she said.
The words made my bound and helpless body twitch in fear.
"BUT..."
The goddess said, making a gesture with her hand. Suddenly I felt both my arms behind me. It was probably two ghostly hands, but I couldn't see them. I felt my armbinder was taken off, giving me a sense of release. Well, that was temporary. Soon after that I felt long-sleeved leather mittens forced onto both of my arms and then felt both of my hands clasped together above my head. Then I was forced to sit on the ground. Both of my legs were tied in a frog tie with leather restraints. I could see all the restraints, but I couldn't see the hands. The goddess then snapped her finger, and in a flash my clothes evaporated, leaving me only in my underwear, and I felt very embarrassed.
"... I WOULD LIKE TO OBSERVE MY PRISONER A LITTLE BEFORE THAT," she said as she walked towards me and then around me. My gag was taken off, giving my mouth relief as I let out a deep sigh. I was drooling a lot from the gag even after it was taken off. She walked, circling around me, and eyed my body, including every part of it.
"YOU LOOK PRETTY." She said in a delighted and yet mischievous voice as she touched my tummy, sliding her fingers down. Her words made me blush. I felt her sliding finger ticklish on my tummy. She then proceeded to touch and even fondle my back, neck, breasts, thighs, butt, and crotch area. My face was red the whole time. I didn't try to resist. Well, it's not like I could resist anyway. But even then I did not make any effort to move away from her or her touches. Her hands felt so warm and soft on my skin. It was almost angelic. Her touches were inappropriate yet pleasing. The sensations felt from her touches were oddly intoxicating and drowsiness inducing. I almost dozed off before she stopped. I wish she didn't (what am I thinking?!). She walked back towards the mirror.
"YOU SURE WOULD MAKE A WONDERFUL PLAY TOY, HEHE," she said with a mischievous-sounding giggle as she walked away.
I didn't know what she actually meant, but thinking about it made my face bright red with embarrassment along with fear. She made a hand gesture, and a harness tube gag was put tightly onto my mouth along with a tight leather strap harness on my torso.
"NOT HERE," she said as she snapped her finger.
The image in the image changed to something different. Grey smoke could be seen in the mirror. The goddess walked into the mirror as if it were an open door, and she appeared to stand on something down below inside the mirror. Only her upper body can be seen. She made a hand gesture, and a glowing cyan pentagram pattern appeared over it. The cyan light particles started swirling around here.
"YOUR PUNISHMENT SHALL BE DECIDED UPON SOMEWHERE ELSE."
She spoke in a calm voice, smiling with an expression of calm authority.
Suddenly glowing, blue, semi-transparent, mystical tentacles emerged from the mirror, creating ripples on the glass. They sped straight at me and wrapped around different parts of my body, including my arms, legs, chest and neck. They then pulled me close towards her and the mirror with great force and speed. I momentarily choked on the tentacle tightly tied around my neck. The tentacles felt icy cold and wet on my body. They were wriggling around my body, including my breasts, tummy and thigh, and pressing against them.
"WE ARE UP FOR A NICE TRIP; MEANWHILE, YOU CAN TAKE A SWEET NAP," she said as she put a blindfold on me herself.
I then felt myself slowly pulled into the mirror by the tentacles. I should be resisting it. I should be trying hard to not get pulled into it no matter what. But I didn't. Why didn't I? I don't know. Perhaps I wanted to know where this was going or was even looking forward to it. I wanted to know what was going to happen to me. I want to have more experiences like this with her.
The goddess spoke chilling words with a divinely calm and content voice, ending it with devilish laughter.
"COME, MY PRETTY PRISONER, TO THE UNDERWORLD. THERE ARE SO MANY MORE THINGS AWAITING YOU THERE~"
https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/132603788
#kinkposting #bondage #femdom #magic #tentacles -
CW: Bondage, Femdom, Magic, Tentacles, Lewd Read
Curse Of a Deviant (Part 2)
Bound by and with things that can only be seen in the mirror, I was at a loss for what to do next. Those creepy ghostly hands were doing as they pleased while I was helpless all by myself. And then I heard her.
"WELL, WELL, WHAT DO WE HAVE IN HERE?"
The voice felt divinely calm and roguish. I knew for certain it wasn't the voice of someone who was there to help. The ghostly hands stopped what they were doing and moved away from me, giving me a bit of relief from the torment for the moment. I realised it must be the deity of the palace they warned everyone about.
Suddenly I heard footsteps approaching me. I looked around me, but there wasn't anyone. I looked back at the mirror and saw something strange. Something was happening in the mirror. It was all glowing with blue light, and there wasn't my reflection any more. Instead I saw a silhouette of someone who was slim, had long hair and was slowly walking towards me inside of the mirror. The silhouette was very short but was gradually getting taller and taller as it kept walking. At last the silhouette came close enough that its height reached the frame. Within seconds the mirror turned eerie black, and the silhouette wasn't visible anymore. Then a hand wearing a white glove emerges from the mirror glass and grabs the left frame of the mirror, followed by another one grabbing the right frame, both creating ripples in the mirror glass. Then a foot wearing a blue crystal glass heel emerged and stepped onto the floor, followed by someone bending over to come out while looking downwards. It was a woman, no, the goddess! She stood straight in front of me and then looked straight into my eyes with her blue crystalline eyes and smiled. The goddess was wearing blue attire. She looked stunning. Words came out of her mouth in a divinely calm and slightly delighted voice.
"IT'S BEEN YEARS SINCE THE LAST TIME ANYONE HAS SET THEIR FOOT ON THIS GROUND AND EVEN WALKED RIGHT INTO MY TRAP."
I felt a mysterious aura coming from her that was making hair on my body stand. There were some glowing cyan blue particles around her, making her look more angelic. She continued.
"I'M THE GODDESS OF DARKNESS AND THE LORD OF THIS PALACE. MAN OF CHILD, YOU HAVE ENTERED MY PLACE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. I'M ASSUMING YOU ARE PREPARED TO FACE THE CONSEQUENCES."
There was a harsh tone in her voice. Indeed, I entered into place goddesses without her permission, so of course she was enraged by it...or was she? Because even though she spoke words of exasperation, her face wasn't that of rage. It was something different. Her eyes were telling me that she was anticipating this and that she was pleased that this finally happened.
"WELL THEN GET READY AS I SHALL DECIDE YOUR PUNISHMENT. YOU WILL FEEL THE CURSE OF THE GODDESS OF DARKNESS," she said.
The words made my bound and helpless body twitch in fear.
"BUT..."
The goddess said, making a gesture with her hand. Suddenly I felt both my arms behind me. It was probably two ghostly hands, but I couldn't see them. I felt my armbinder was taken off, giving me a sense of release. Well, that was temporary. Soon after that I felt long-sleeved leather mittens forced onto both of my arms and then felt both of my hands clasped together above my head. Then I was forced to sit on the ground. Both of my legs were tied in a frog tie with leather restraints. I could see all the restraints, but I couldn't see the hands. The goddess then snapped her finger, and in a flash my clothes evaporated, leaving me only in my underwear, and I felt very embarrassed.
"... I WOULD LIKE TO OBSERVE MY PRISONER A LITTLE BEFORE THAT," she said as she walked towards me and then around me. My gag was taken off, giving my mouth relief as I let out a deep sigh. I was drooling a lot from the gag even after it was taken off. She walked, circling around me, and eyed my body, including every part of it.
"YOU LOOK PRETTY." She said in a delighted and yet mischievous voice as she touched my tummy, sliding her fingers down. Her words made me blush. I felt her sliding finger ticklish on my tummy. She then proceeded to touch and even fondle my back, neck, breasts, thighs, butt, and crotch area. My face was red the whole time. I didn't try to resist. Well, it's not like I could resist anyway. But even then I did not make any effort to move away from her or her touches. Her hands felt so warm and soft on my skin. It was almost angelic. Her touches were inappropriate yet pleasing. The sensations felt from her touches were oddly intoxicating and drowsiness inducing. I almost dozed off before she stopped. I wish she didn't (what am I thinking?!). She walked back towards the mirror.
"YOU SURE WOULD MAKE A WONDERFUL PLAY TOY, HEHE," she said with a mischievous-sounding giggle as she walked away.
I didn't know what she actually meant, but thinking about it made my face bright red with embarrassment along with fear. She made a hand gesture, and a harness tube gag was put tightly onto my mouth along with a tight leather strap harness on my torso.
"NOT HERE," she said as she snapped her finger.
The image in the image changed to something different. Grey smoke could be seen in the mirror. The goddess walked into the mirror as if it were an open door, and she appeared to stand on something down below inside the mirror. Only her upper body can be seen. She made a hand gesture, and a glowing cyan pentagram pattern appeared over it. The cyan light particles started swirling around here.
"YOUR PUNISHMENT SHALL BE DECIDED UPON SOMEWHERE ELSE."
She spoke in a calm voice, smiling with an expression of calm authority.
Suddenly glowing, blue, semi-transparent, mystical tentacles emerged from the mirror, creating ripples on the glass. They sped straight at me and wrapped around different parts of my body, including my arms, legs, chest and neck. They then pulled me close towards her and the mirror with great force and speed. I momentarily choked on the tentacle tightly tied around my neck. The tentacles felt icy cold and wet on my body. They were wriggling around my body, including my breasts, tummy and thigh, and pressing against them.
"WE ARE UP FOR A NICE TRIP; MEANWHILE, YOU CAN TAKE A SWEET NAP," she said as she put a blindfold on me herself.
I then felt myself slowly pulled into the mirror by the tentacles. I should be resisting it. I should be trying hard to not get pulled into it no matter what. But I didn't. Why didn't I? I don't know. Perhaps I wanted to know where this was going or was even looking forward to it. I wanted to know what was going to happen to me. I want to have more experiences like this with her.
The goddess spoke chilling words with a divinely calm and content voice, ending it with devilish laughter.
"COME, MY PRETTY PRISONER, TO THE UNDERWORLD. THERE ARE SO MANY MORE THINGS AWAITING YOU THERE~"
https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/132603788
#kinkposting #bondage #femdom #magic #tentacles -
The crisis in scientific publishing: from AI fraud to epistemic injustice
There is a crisis in scientific publishing. Science is haunted. In early 2024, one major publisher retracted hundreds of scientific papers. Most were not the work of hurried researchers, but of ghosts: digital phantoms generated by artificial intelligence. Featuring nonsensical diagrams and fabricated data, they had sailed through the gates of peer review.
This spectre of AI-driven fraud is not only a new technological threat. It is also a symptom of a pre-existing disease. For years, organized networks have profited from inserting fake papers into the scholarly record. It seems that scientific publishing’s peer review process, intended to seek truth, cannot even tell the real from the fake.
These failures are not just academic embarrassments. In fields like global health, where knowledge means the difference between life and death, we can no longer afford to ignore them. Indeed, the crisis in scientific journals is not, at its heart, a crisis in publishing. It is a crisis of knowledge—of what we value, who we trust, and how we come to know. That makes it a crisis of education.
Crisis in scientific publishing: The knowledge we ignore
Consider what Toby Green has called the “dark side of the moon.” He is referring to the vast body of knowledge produced by established experts in international organizations. Volumes of high-quality reports and analyses come from organizations large and small. They contain immense expertise. Often, not only do they qualify as science. They may be more likely to shape policy and practice than most academic outputs. Yet this “grey literature” is rarely incorporated into the scholarly record. This is why Green is actively implementing projects to find, collect, and index such materials.
If the formal knowledge of some of the world’s leading experts is being left in the dark, what hope is there for the practical wisdom of a frontline nurse?
In the rigid hierarchy of evidence that governs global health, a randomized controlled trial sits at the pinnacle. At the very bottom, dismissed as mere “anecdotes,” lies the lived experience of practitioners. A nurse in a rural clinic who discovers a better way to dress a wound in a humid environment has generated life-saving knowledge that could be useful elsewhere. A community health worker who develops a sophisticated method for building trust with vaccine-hesitant parents has solved a problem in context. Yet, in our current culture, their insights are not data. Their experience is not evidence.
To dismiss such knowledge is an act of willful ignorance. Science, at its best, is a process of disciplined curiosity. Its fundamental purpose is to reduce ignorance and expand our understanding of the world. To willfully ignore entire categories of human experience and expertise is therefore a betrayal of the scientific ethos itself. It is an active choice to remain in the dark.
Crisis in scientific publishing: the architecture of exclusion
This devaluation of practical knowledge is not an accident. It is a feature of a system designed to exclude. The modern ideal of science began with a radically open mission. As the scholar John Willinsky has meticulously documented in his history of Western European science, the creation of scientific journals in the 17th century was intended to create a public commons of knowledge, accelerating progress for the benefit of humanity. The principle was one of access. How was this mission corrupted?
The architecture of modern science was built on a colonial foundation. Its violence was not only physical but also scientific and intellectual. Frantz Fanon, the Martinican psychiatrist who became a theorist of decolonization in the crucible of Algeria’s war of independence, described colonization’s deepest work as the effort to “empty the mind of the colonized.” This is a systematic process of convincing people that our own histories, cultures, and ways of knowing are worthless.
Generations later, the Māori scholar Linda Tuhiwai Smith detailed how this was put into practice. She showed that Western research methodologies themselves were often not neutral tools of discovery but instruments of empire. The acts of observing, classifying, extracting, and analyzing were used to control populations and invalidate their knowledge systems, replacing them with a single, supposedly universal, European model of truth.
This worldview pretends to be a neutral, “view from nowhere,” a concept also critiqued powerfully by the white American feminist philosopher Donna Haraway. She argued that all knowledge is situated—shaped by the position and perspective of the knower. You see the landscape differently from the mountain top than you do from the valley. A complete map requires both perspectives.
Echoing this, her philosophical and geographical sister Sandra Harding argued that by excluding the perspectives of marginalized people, dominant science becomes “weakly objective.” It is blind to its own biases and assumptions.
Crisis in scientific publishing: Fear of knowledge
A common and deeply felt fear among scientists is that embracing diverse forms of knowledge will lead to a dangerous relativism, where objective truth dissolves and “anything goes.”
Harding’s work shows this fear to be misplaced. She argues that the “view from nowhere” provides not a stronger, but a more brittle and fragile grasp of the truth. A truly “strong objectivity,” she contended, is achieved by intentionally seeking out multiple, situated perspectives. This does not mean that all views are equally valid. It means that by examining a problem from many standpoints, we can triangulate a more robust and reliable understanding of reality. We can identify the biases and blind spots inherent in any single view, including our own.
This process is the antidote to the willful ignorance mentioned earlier. It strengthens our grasp of objective truth by making it more complete and more honest.
Can change be paved by good intentions?
Today, the need for a change in research culture is widely acknowledged. The world’s largest research funders publish reports calling for more diversity and inclusion. Yet we observe paralysis rather than progress. The individuals who sit on the decision-making committees of such institutions will almost certainly not fund a project with a primary investigator whose work is not validated by the existing system of prestigious but exclusive journals. Elite global scholars leading the vital movement to “decolonize global health” first established their legitimacy by adhering to conventional norms, then began using the master’s tools to have their critiques of the system heard. Such contradictions illustrate how deeply the exclusionary norms are embedded.
Since top-down change is caught in such contradictions, a meaningful path forward may be to change the culture of science from the ground up. The core challenge is to correct for epistemic injustice: the wrong done to someone in their capacity as a knower. This injustice takes several insidious forms.
The most obvious is testimonial injustice. Imagine the scene. A senior male doctor from a famous university presents a finding and is met with nods of assent. His words carry the weight of evidence. A young female nurse from a rural clinic presents the exact same finding based on her direct experience. Her knowledge is dismissed as a “story” or an “anecdote.” She is not heard because of who she is. Her credibility is unjustly discounted.
Even deeper is hermeneutical injustice. This is the wrong of not even having the shared language to make your experience understood by the dominant culture. The community health worker who builds trust with hesitant parents may have a brilliant system, but if they cannot articulate it in the formal jargon of “implementation science,” their knowledge remains invisible. They are wronged not because they are disbelieved. They are wronged because the system lacks the concepts to even recognize their wisdom as knowledge in the first place.
Projects like Toby Green’s grey literature repository or initiatives like Rogue Scholar, pioneered by Martin Fenner, that assign a permanent Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to science that was not previously in the scholarly record, are practical interventions. But this not a technological problem. It is an educational one. Changing a culture that perpetuates these injustices is the primary work. Within this larger project, new tools can serve as tactics of resistance. As such, they can be used to support acts of epistemic defiance, for example by creating a formal, citable record of knowledge that exists outside the traditional gates. Yet they remain tools, not the solution.
The science of knowing
You cannot fix a broken culture by patching its systems. You must change its DNA. The crisis haunting science is not ultimately about publishing, fraud, or peer review. It is a crisis of education—not of schooling, but of how we come to know. If physics is the science of matter, education is the science of all sciences. It provides the architecture of assumptions and values that shapes how every other field discovers and validates truth.
A new philosophy of education is needed, one that includes these three principles:
- It must recognize that the most durable knowledge comes from praxis—the cycle of acting in the world and reflecting on the consequences.
- It must be built on collaborative intelligence, understanding that the most difficult problems can only be solved by weaving together many perspectives.
- It must pursue strong objectivity, not by erasing human perspective, but by intentionally seeking it out to create a more complete and honest picture of reality.
To change science, we must change how scientists are taught to see the world. We must educate for humility, for critical self-awareness, and for the ability to listen. This is the work of creating a science that is not haunted by its failures but is directly contributes to a more just and truthful account of our world.
References
- Boghossian, P., 2007. Fear of knowledge: Against relativism and constructivism. Clarendon Press.
- Couch, L., 2021. Wellcome Diversity, equity and inclusion strategy [WWW Document]. Wellcome. URL https://wellcome.org/what-we-do/diversity-and-inclusion/strategy (accessed 11.8.22).
- Fanon, F. (1963). The wretched of the earth. Grove Press.
- Fenner, M., 2023. The Rogue Scholar: An Archive for Scholarly blogs. Upstream. https://doi.org/10.54900/bj4g7p2-2f0fn9b
- Gitau, E., Khisa, A., Vicente-Crespo, M., Sengor, D., Otoigo, L., Ndong, C., Simiyu, A., 2023. African Research Culture – Opinion Research. African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya. https://aphrc.org/project/african-research-culture-opinion-research/
- Green, T., 2022. Wait! What? There’s stuff missing from the scholarly record? Med Writ 31, 44–48. https://doi.org/10.56012/ajel9043
- Haraway, D. (1988). Situated knowledges: The science question in feminism and the privilege of partial perspective. Feminist Studies, 14(3), 575–599. https://doi.org/10.2307/3178066
- Harding, S. (1991). Whose science? Whose knowledge? Thinking from women’s lives. Cornell University Press.
- Smith, L. T. (2012). Decolonizing methodologies: Research and indigenous peoples (2nd ed.). Zed Books.
- The Social Investment Consultancy, The Better Org, Cole, N., Cole, L., 2022. Evaluation of Wellcome Anti-Racism Programme Final Evaluation Report – Public. Wellcome, London. https://cms.wellcome.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/Evaluation-of-Wellcome-Anti-Racism-Programme-Final-Evaluation-Report-2022.pdf
- Wellcome Trust, 2020. What researchers think about the culture they work in. Wellcome, London. https://wellcome.org/reports/what-researchers-think-about-research-culture
- Willinsky, J., 2006. The access principle: The case for open access to research and scholarship. MIT press Cambridge, MA.
Image: The Geneva Learning Foundation Collection © 2025
#AIFraud #DEI #diversityAndInclusion #DonnaHaraway #epistemicInjustice #epistemology #hermeneuticalInjustice #LindaTuhiwaiSmith #philosophyOfScience #RogueScholar #SandraHarding #scientificPublishing #strongObjectivity #testimonialInjustice #TobyGreen -
[This guest post was written by mega-contributor platenworm about number 624 on The List; the album was submitted by buffyleigh.]
One of the milestones from the golden age of reggae. Dark lyrical matters on a ultra heavy bass background. With a deep deep production from Errol Thompson & Jack Ruby, this album has it all.
It came out in 1975 and on the bass we hear the recently passed away Aston “Family Man” Barrett alongside the also gone but not forgotten Robbie Shakespeare. But the man of the hour is of course Winston Rodney a.k.a. Burning Spear with his soulful voice. And lyrical wise, his uncompromising conscious Rastafarian views and the suffering due to the African diaspora by slavery. Deep Soul Blues music from Jamaica……..
And don’t forget to play the dub version “Garvey’s Ghost” right after this Roots Rock Reggae Masterpiece.
- Songwhip: Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey
- Songwhip: Burning Spear – Garvey’s Ghost
- Discogs: Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey
- Wikipedia: Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey
[Alt text for accompanying image: The album cover of “Marcus Garvey” by Burning Spear. The band name is printed at an angle in red font in the top-right corner, and the album name is along the bottom edge in grey font, with chainlinks printed on each side. The artwork is in black and negative of two people holding spears, with a round photo of Marcus Garvey in the bottom left corner.]
https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/02/23/burning-spear-marcus-garvey-1975-jamaica/
#1001OtherAlbums #1970s #AstonBarrett #BurningSpear #Jamaica #MarcusGarvey #reggae #RobbieShakespeare #WinstonRodney
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[This guest post was written by mega-contributor platenworm about number 624 on The List; the album was submitted by buffyleigh.]
One of the milestones from the golden age of reggae. Dark lyrical matters on a ultra heavy bass background. With a deep deep production from Errol Thompson & Jack Ruby, this album has it all.
It came out in 1975 and on the bass we hear the recently passed away Aston “Family Man” Barrett alongside the also gone but not forgotten Robbie Shakespeare. But the man of the hour is of course Winston Rodney a.k.a. Burning Spear with his soulful voice. And lyrical wise, his uncompromising conscious Rastafarian views and the suffering due to the African diaspora by slavery. Deep Soul Blues music from Jamaica……..
And don’t forget to play the dub version “Garvey’s Ghost” right after this Roots Rock Reggae Masterpiece.
- Songwhip: Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey
- Songwhip: Burning Spear – Garvey’s Ghost
- Discogs: Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey
- Wikipedia: Burning Spear – Marcus Garvey
[Alt text for accompanying image: The album cover of “Marcus Garvey” by Burning Spear. The band name is printed at an angle in red font in the top-right corner, and the album name is along the bottom edge in grey font, with chainlinks printed on each side. The artwork is in black and negative of two people holding spears, with a round photo of Marcus Garvey in the bottom left corner.]
https://1001otheralbums.com/2024/02/23/burning-spear-marcus-garvey-1975-jamaica/
#1001OtherAlbums #1970s #AstonBarrett #BurningSpear #Jamaica #MarcusGarvey #reggae #RobbieShakespeare #WinstonRodney
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By Dear Hollow
Few albums reveled in existential despair like Sun of Nothing’s The Guilt of Feeling Alive. While punishing in ways that recall Neurosis or Blindead, it settled heavily into tension and despondence beneath the devastation. It always hinted at something without fully grasping it, fluid and powerful heft contrasting with an overwhelming bleakness. Despite its black metal influence, Sun of Nothing did not offer a bleakness like DSBM’s passing glance at a winter landscape, but represented the grey of its troubling cover art: the day-in and day-out of a cold, tired, and worn city, shrouded in smog. For its first album in fourteen years, the Greek quartet has offered something that stands shoulder to shoulder.
Maze is stacked with expectation, and it delivers. Sun of Nothing could have stayed in The Guilt’s lane and played it safe, but they amp up the punishment, hone the dichotomy, and paint a bleaker and more desperate picture than its predecessor could have imagined. Thick sludge riffs are the most noticeable, weighty affairs that recall post-metal’s more vicious moments in Cranial or LLNN, with dissonant leads that don’t necessarily dwell in eeriness and darkness as much as gloom and despondence. Contrasting this droning palette is a black metal-inclined vocal attack whose soul in torment feels like a cry to break through tar-thick monotony. A rusty edge of noisy post-punk graces Maze with a palpable clanking and mammoth repetition that drives the nail deeper, while the songwriting of everything “post-” graces the tired proceedings with a repetitive and nihilistic krautrock approach. Sun of Nothing takes their signature sound deeper with an emphasis on mood and atmosphere. It’s a desperate and hopeless wandering through the human maze, a crooked path we all walk.
The foundation upon which Sun of Nothing builds its songcraft is a simple one, rooted in post-metal. Tension is established with slightly disconcerting minor riffs and a smoky, sludgy distortion, with dissonant plucking and melodic counterbalances. Centerpiece “Ghost Maze” and closer “Buried Endeavors” are great examples of this, Isis-esque rhythms and patient growth balanced by these chords and an uncanny valley approach to melodic transitions. Elsewhere, tracks “Liars in Wait” and “Voidhanger” embrace the vicious side with roiling percussion and blackened tremolo that is funneled through this palette and warped into something disconcerting and gloomy. This is guided by vocalist Ilias Apostolakis’ almost disjointed vocal approach, usually relying on a distant shriek or drawling roar.
The fluid and miasmic movement in the thick string attack of Maze sets the swampy setting, and Sun of Nothing’s variations feel like a soul attempting to break free of this labyrinth. Apostolakis’ vocals take center stage in staggering repetition in “Liars in Wait” and “After the Fall,” his sermonic roars reaching their breaking point in brutality and viciousness across the gloomy and droning guitars, feeling nearly uncomfortable in the nihilistic dichotomy. The chuggy riffs of “Voidhanger” and their nihilistic leads feel like a steel-toed boot kicking open a cheap apartment door, while the closing melodies feel like Sun of Nothing’s only moment of crystalline sadness rather than despondence. “Ghost Maze” offers more blackened influence in rattling blastbeats and simmering tension, as its blackened approach seems to simply add to the gloom rather than attempt to punch through it – a gloom that is capitalized upon in closer “Buried Endeavors” for a sound whose droning is emotional as well as instrumental.
Sun of Nothing’s sound may not be the most unique in its blend of sludgy post-metal, black metal, and noise rock, as acts like Hail Spirit Noir and Praise the Plague bend the definition of “post-black” to include more of the post-metal heft in this way. Maze’s breed of intensity is not always easy to cut through, as every movement points to its emphasis is on despondence and atmosphere, and memorable movements can be often an afterthought; simply put, Maze will not be for everyone. However, the Greek quartet’s ability to warp brutality and meditation to uniquely paint a picture of bleakness stands apart from their counterparts. But for those willing to revel in existential gloom, Sun of Nothing will offer a haze like few others.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Venerate Industries
Websites: sunofnothing.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Sun0fNothing
Releases Worldwide: February 16th, 2024#2024 #35 #BlackMetal #Blindead #Cranial #Feb24 #GreekMetal #HailSpiritNoir #Industrial #Isis #LLNN #Maze #Neurosis #NoiseRock #PostBlackMetal #PostMetal #postPunk #PraiseThePlague #Review #Reviews #SludgeMetal #SunOfNothing #VenerateIndustries
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By Dear Hollow
Few albums reveled in existential despair like Sun of Nothing’s The Guilt of Feeling Alive. While punishing in ways that recall Neurosis or Blindead, it settled heavily into tension and despondence beneath the devastation. It always hinted at something without fully grasping it, fluid and powerful heft contrasting with an overwhelming bleakness. Despite its black metal influence, Sun of Nothing did not offer a bleakness like DSBM’s passing glance at a winter landscape, but represented the grey of its troubling cover art: the day-in and day-out of a cold, tired, and worn city, shrouded in smog. For its first album in fourteen years, the Greek quartet has offered something that stands shoulder to shoulder.
Maze is stacked with expectation, and it delivers. Sun of Nothing could have stayed in The Guilt’s lane and played it safe, but they amp up the punishment, hone the dichotomy, and paint a bleaker and more desperate picture than its predecessor could have imagined. Thick sludge riffs are the most noticeable, weighty affairs that recall post-metal’s more vicious moments in Cranial or LLNN, with dissonant leads that don’t necessarily dwell in eeriness and darkness as much as gloom and despondence. Contrasting this droning palette is a black metal-inclined vocal attack whose soul in torment feels like a cry to break through tar-thick monotony. A rusty edge of noisy post-punk graces Maze with a palpable clanking and mammoth repetition that drives the nail deeper, while the songwriting of everything “post-” graces the tired proceedings with a repetitive and nihilistic krautrock approach. Sun of Nothing takes their signature sound deeper with an emphasis on mood and atmosphere. It’s a desperate and hopeless wandering through the human maze, a crooked path we all walk.
The foundation upon which Sun of Nothing builds its songcraft is a simple one, rooted in post-metal. Tension is established with slightly disconcerting minor riffs and a smoky, sludgy distortion, with dissonant plucking and melodic counterbalances. Centerpiece “Ghost Maze” and closer “Buried Endeavors” are great examples of this, Isis-esque rhythms and patient growth balanced by these chords and an uncanny valley approach to melodic transitions. Elsewhere, tracks “Liars in Wait” and “Voidhanger” embrace the vicious side with roiling percussion and blackened tremolo that is funneled through this palette and warped into something disconcerting and gloomy. This is guided by vocalist Ilias Apostolakis’ almost disjointed vocal approach, usually relying on a distant shriek or drawling roar.
The fluid and miasmic movement in the thick string attack of Maze sets the swampy setting, and Sun of Nothing’s variations feel like a soul attempting to break free of this labyrinth. Apostolakis’ vocals take center stage in staggering repetition in “Liars in Wait” and “After the Fall,” his sermonic roars reaching their breaking point in brutality and viciousness across the gloomy and droning guitars, feeling nearly uncomfortable in the nihilistic dichotomy. The chuggy riffs of “Voidhanger” and their nihilistic leads feel like a steel-toed boot kicking open a cheap apartment door, while the closing melodies feel like Sun of Nothing’s only moment of crystalline sadness rather than despondence. “Ghost Maze” offers more blackened influence in rattling blastbeats and simmering tension, as its blackened approach seems to simply add to the gloom rather than attempt to punch through it – a gloom that is capitalized upon in closer “Buried Endeavors” for a sound whose droning is emotional as well as instrumental.
Sun of Nothing’s sound may not be the most unique in its blend of sludgy post-metal, black metal, and noise rock, as acts like Hail Spirit Noir and Praise the Plague bend the definition of “post-black” to include more of the post-metal heft in this way. Maze’s breed of intensity is not always easy to cut through, as every movement points to its emphasis is on despondence and atmosphere, and memorable movements can be often an afterthought; simply put, Maze will not be for everyone. However, the Greek quartet’s ability to warp brutality and meditation to uniquely paint a picture of bleakness stands apart from their counterparts. But for those willing to revel in existential gloom, Sun of Nothing will offer a haze like few others.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Venerate Industries
Websites: sunofnothing.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Sun0fNothing
Releases Worldwide: February 16th, 2024#2024 #35 #BlackMetal #Blindead #Cranial #Feb24 #GreekMetal #HailSpiritNoir #Industrial #Isis #LLNN #Maze #Neurosis #NoiseRock #PostBlackMetal #PostMetal #postPunk #PraiseThePlague #Review #Reviews #SludgeMetal #SunOfNothing #VenerateIndustries
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Part 7
As they emerged, Emily leaned close to Gwenand whispered "We need to talk privately later."
"Right."The cart and the soldiers came to a stop. Suddenly the suit of armour collapsed, startling the horse it had been riding. There were a few tense minutes before the horse was under control again.
It did not escape Gwen's attention that Emil's armour was distinctly worse for wear afterwards.
She saw that Emily had reformed next to her brother, who had one arm around her ghostly form. On the other side of her brother was cousin Emil, who looked absolutely livid. Probably doubly so because there was no one he could actually direct his displeasure at. After all what could he do? Challenge a ghost to a duel?And then, last of all was her father. The Baron of Bannock Castle. Who also looked like he was going to explode. Time to take steps.
She handed the reins to one of the escorting soldiers, and stood. "Hello Father! Sorry I have not written, I have been rather busy. May I introduce my spouse, Grey. Grey, this is my father, Baron Bannock, my cousin Emil, and my brother Allen." She jumped down, and offered a hand to Grey, who stepped down.
"Daughter, you will" the Baron started to shout.
"Oh, do lose the shout, Father, and the rage. You'll scare your grandchildren."
The Baron stopped, mouth open. It closed. Opened again, and closed again.
Allen took advantage of the unexpected break "I'm an uncle?" he asked excitedly.
"Yes, Allen, you are an uncle. Five times."
"Five times?"
"All born on the same day."
'How old?"
"Only a few weeks. But they are very precocious. Children, this is your uncle Allen and Aunt Emily." Five serpentine heads rose from the cart.
"They will gain their legs and wings in a year or so. And be able to take human form in another three or four" Grey supplied.
"Those snakes are my grandchildren?"
The heads turned to look at the Baron.
"Careful, Father, they cannot speak yet, but they can understand you perfectly well. Children, this is your grandfather. " -
Reading Time: 4 minutes
While playing with Nextcloud I found a serious flaw. If you add images via the command line from one directory to another, and then delete them, then their ghosts remain in the timeline. By ghosts I mean references to these files in the CMS and there is no quick way of removing them. You need to remove them individually and that’s time consuming. That’s why, when I was trying to find a solution I came across Photoprism.
Photoprism is a photo management app like Lightroom, Google Photos, iPhoto and plenty of other app. It is open source and can be installed quite easily using this Raspberry Pi Solution. With less trial and error than with Nextcloud I was able to get it up and running within an hour or so.
My first try was wwith a slow 16gb card but that took ages so I thought that I would set another card, this time with 512 gigabytes of storage going overnight. In the time it took me to heat dinner the card was ready for me to experiment with and my first impressions were good.
I tried to upload a few images from a PC, and then from the mobile phone via a web browser before playing with Photosync.The beauty of Photosync is that it will upload even when the phone is sleeping, or another app is open. I let it synchronise photos while I slept, and as I went shopping for bread for a Fondue later today. The moment it seemed to lose momentum is when I got back to the parking after shopping. That’s where I lose the mobile phone signal. As I wrote this, after fourteen or so hours of working almost non stop the files were synced between the phone and Raspberry Pi 4 2gb. They recommend using a Raspberry Pi 4gb or higher but for the sake of tests it seems okay with a lower spec machine.
Indexing
With this app you need to tell it to index photographs. This doesn’t happen automatically.
It can recognise people, create labels/keywords for images, moments, places and more. It also gives you a log of everything it’s doing, from indexing photos to adding locations, to adding keywords, to asking you to name faces that it recognises. Remember that this sits on your personal device, and does not need to ever touch the cloud, if you do not want it to.
Another feature that this app has is to detect and flag low quality and low resolution images and this can be a very good feature to have. Sometimes you get junk images from old websites or other directories. This makes it quick to get rid of them.
When Photoprism indexes photos it creates a seperate file with the new file names, creates thumbnails of various sizes and then when it completes its task, or when you stop indexing, it then merges the old index with the new index.
You have the option of a “complete rescan” which reindexes everything or you can choose to “cleanup” which deletes orphaned index entries, sidecar files and thumbnails. It’s because Nextcloud doesn’t have an intuitive way of re-indexing files that no longer exist that I was tempted to try this piece of software.
If I was to change two things with indexing then I would add a status indicator to tell me how many images remain without an index. It runs fine in the background but it would be nice to know how many images remain. I saw that someone else said that they wish indexing would run automaticall, until all images are indexed, and then again when new images are added.
EXIF Data
The app allows you to see image exif data, for example latitude and Longitude but also a title based on the location, iso, exposure, camera used, lens, f-stop, focal length, copyright, subject, description and keywords.
For key wording it uses colours, location, keywords in the local language, such as “Lac”, “rue”, state, country and more. You can add notes and click done if you change anything.
Humour
It has labelled a cat as a dog, human climbers as lizards, a sign for road works as a monument the LHC tunnels as wood.
Filtering
You can filter photos by countries, cameras, newest, month, category, colour, year and more. This makes searching for images quick and intuitive. I also like that it automatically keywords images with the most obvious tags. This allows the human being who is sorting these images to add specific tags, such as people involved, event keywords and more.
Video and Photos
With Nextcloud when you upload videos it doesn’t recognise them immediately so you get a grey box. With Photoprism you see a keyframe and you can then watch the videos within seconds so this tool can be used for photographs and video.
Downsides
Unless you pay 2 USD per month you only have one user, so you can’t have admin as just the admin, and use your own name as a user. This is sub-optimal for security but also for family sharing.
Photosync is also not free. It wants you to pay 6 CHF for the app, and encourages you to pay for Photosync Premium.
If you pay for the bonus features you will pay 6 CHF for the app, 25 CHF for lifetime Premium, and another 2 CHF per month for the right to create more users on your own system.
Google Photo is 100 CHF per year. iCloud is 120 CHF per year. Lightroom is 10 CHF per year to 55 CHF per year.
A few years ago I used Kyno by LessPain Sotware and that is 159 USD per year.
It’s cheap compared to the competition and by using it you’re supporting a European product, rather than American.
And Finally
Whilst Nextcloud is great for file sharing, time tracking, tasks, news reading and more Photoprism is great for managing photographs. It is quick and easy to install on a Pi. You find the URL, you tell Etcher to burn it to an SD card, you put the SD card into a Raspberry Pi and within minutes with a fast card, you can connect either by SSH or by web interface. Within minutes you can be using the Raspberry Pi as a photo management tool locally.
If you install tailscale and Photosync you can be backing up your mobile device images within a matter of minutes and it remembers what has been synchronised, whether you use the local IP address or the tailscail VPN one. When you’re synchronising thousands of files you want a solution that remembers what you have synched.
I was so convinced by Photoprism that I considered replacing Nextcloud with it in the 8gb Raspberry Pi, but chose not to, for now, because Nextcloud has time tracking options that I want to experiment with, for now.
https://www.main-vision.com/richard/blog/experimenting-with-the-photoprism-app/
#day406 #googlePhotos #icloud #mediaAssetManagement #photoGallery #photography #photoprism
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The Night Eternal – Fatale [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]
By Steel Druhm
Sometimes we get a promo and for whatever reason, it languishes in the sump unloved and unexplored, and later on we find out we missed a real gem and feel collective shame. Other times we just don’t get the promo at all. The latter was the issue with Fatale, the sophomore outing by German goth/heavy/occult metal act The Night Eternal. This was really a shame as it’s easily one of the best metal albums of the year and features an irresistible blend of Mercyful Fate, To Die For, Unto Others, and Ghost. Had we received it, I would have lavished a massive score upon it and spent the rest of the year singing its praises to any and all who would listen. This was not to be, but fortunately, I was able to discover it on my own and give it the attention the album deserves.
If pressed to give a fast and dirty description of what the listener is in for on Fatale, I’d point to the sadly defunct Swedish act In Solitude, as the sound and style here are very similar, and opener “In Tartarus” is a top-notch rocker that recalls them quite intensely. That “Mercyful Fate as Goth rock” sound is just so hooky and engaging, and Ricardo Baum’s vocals are perfect for the style, completely sucking you into the album’s dark mood as the music rocks your socks down to the graveyard. Baum sits at the crossroads of a youthful King Diamond, To Die For’s Jarno Perätalo, and Tomi Joutsen of Amorphis, which is a helluva good place to be. And can the man ever sell a song? “Prince of Darkness” is a first-rate metal anthem that grabs you fast and refuses to let go, and “We Praise Death” is one of the best songs of the year. This one will leave track marks on your grey matter.
There are no weak moments to be found on Fatale and the album as a whole has a great flow and a collection of high-level tracks that will make you hit replay immediately. Just as I manage to escape the thrall of one cut, the next one becomes my new obsession. Getting away from this thing is like trying to extricate yourself from some eldritch tentacle monster that got into a Gorilla Glue factory, and to say this has been on steady rotation in the House ov Steel would be a ridiculous understatement. Try to spin “Run With the Wolves” just once, I dare you. Or try to give short shrift to closer “Between the Worlds” and see how that works out for you.
It’s very easy to focus on Baum’s excellent vocals, but much credit must be given to the guitar work by Rob Richter and Henry Kaseberg. They ground their playing in Goth and trad metal and frequently dot the songs with sweet hooks and slick hooks. They bring a righteous old school charm and flair to every cut, parking the sound in the 80s while somehow making olden tricks sound like fresh dogs. It’s the songwriting that truly brings Fatale home, however. These cats know how to craft a killer tune and punch it directly into your memory centers where it promptly establishes permanent residence. This is a List Killer and it will get to you. You’ve been warned.
Tracks to Check Out: “In Tartarus,” “We Praise Death,” “Between the Worlds”
#2023 #Amorphis #Fatale #Ghost #GothicRock #HeavyMetal #IdleHands #InSolitude #MercyfulFate #TheNightEternal #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2023 #ToDieFor #UntoOthers #VanRecords
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Cafe Chill Episode 2023-48: Nerddelic Studio Works, Telefon Tel Aviv and more
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Listen on PRX: https://exchange.prx.org/pieces/506751-cafe-chill-episode-2023-48
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Café Chill is Public Radio’s weekly curated chill mix, produced by KNHC National Productions (@[email protected]) in Seattle, and heard on noncommercial radio stations across the USA.
The latest episode of Cafe Chill includes tracks from Nerddelic Studio Works, Telefon Tel Aviv and more. Hosted by Seth. Working in the background is me (Richard).
Playlist:
- VIQ–Journey
Release: Last Path
Label: VIQ - Jinsang–journey
Release: life
Label: VinDig - Pacific Coliseum–Wave Catalyst (High Tide)
Release: Ocean City
Label: Coastal Haze - Boards of Canada–Hey Saturday Sun
Release: The Campfire Headphase
Label: Warp Records - Blackboxx–Midnight Dance
Release: Seablushed – EP
Label: Slime - Yppah–Grey Eyes
Release: Grey Eyes – Single
Label: Future Archive Recordings - Nerddelic Studio Works–Snore
Release: The Sun & the Moon
Label: Nerddelic Studio Works - Marley Carroll–Water Temple
Release: Ice Cavern / Water Temple – Single
Label: Loci Records - Poldoore–Celestial (A Tribute To Nujabes)
Release: Celestial (A Tribute To Nujabes) – Single
Label: Poldoore Music - Tycho–Japan (Instrumental)
Release: Japan – Single
Label: Mom+Pop/Ninja Tune - Telefon Tel Aviv–Life Is All About Taking Things In and Putting Things Out
Release: Fahrenheit Fair Enough
Label: Ghostly International - Veiled Dawn–Intro/Origins
Release: I – EP
Label: 2713475 Records DK2 - Borealism–Slide
Release: So What’s New With You?
Label: Borealism
You can also listen at:
https://www.c895.org/show/cafe-chill/
https://cafechill.orgPhoto: “Autumn Morning Mist”. Credit: Kobuk Valley National Park/National Park Service, public domain.
Hope your day is a bit of a delight.
#20HoursAfterDawn #Ambient #Ametsub #Anenon #AphexTwin #ArmsandSleepers #BoomBip #C895 #CasinoVersusJapan #Cepia #Chill #downtempo #GoldPanda #gonima #KNHC #Komodo #Mvnners #PublicRadio #radio #Rykard #seattle
- VIQ–Journey
-
Cafe Chill Episode 2023-48: Nerddelic Studio Works, Telefon Tel Aviv and more
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Listen on PRX: https://exchange.prx.org/pieces/506751-cafe-chill-episode-2023-48
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Café Chill is Public Radio’s weekly curated chill mix, produced by KNHC National Productions (@[email protected]) in Seattle, and heard on noncommercial radio stations across the USA.
The latest episode of Cafe Chill includes tracks from Nerddelic Studio Works, Telefon Tel Aviv and more. Hosted by Seth. Working in the background is me (Richard).
Playlist:
- VIQ–Journey
Release: Last Path
Label: VIQ - Jinsang–journey
Release: life
Label: VinDig - Pacific Coliseum–Wave Catalyst (High Tide)
Release: Ocean City
Label: Coastal Haze - Boards of Canada–Hey Saturday Sun
Release: The Campfire Headphase
Label: Warp Records - Blackboxx–Midnight Dance
Release: Seablushed – EP
Label: Slime - Yppah–Grey Eyes
Release: Grey Eyes – Single
Label: Future Archive Recordings - Nerddelic Studio Works–Snore
Release: The Sun & the Moon
Label: Nerddelic Studio Works - Marley Carroll–Water Temple
Release: Ice Cavern / Water Temple – Single
Label: Loci Records - Poldoore–Celestial (A Tribute To Nujabes)
Release: Celestial (A Tribute To Nujabes) – Single
Label: Poldoore Music - Tycho–Japan (Instrumental)
Release: Japan – Single
Label: Mom+Pop/Ninja Tune - Telefon Tel Aviv–Life Is All About Taking Things In and Putting Things Out
Release: Fahrenheit Fair Enough
Label: Ghostly International - Veiled Dawn–Intro/Origins
Release: I – EP
Label: 2713475 Records DK2 - Borealism–Slide
Release: So What’s New With You?
Label: Borealism
You can also listen at:
https://www.c895.org/show/cafe-chill/
https://cafechill.orgPhoto: “Autumn Morning Mist”. Credit: Kobuk Valley National Park/National Park Service, public domain.
Hope your day is a bit of a delight.
#20HoursAfterDawn #Ambient #Ametsub #Anenon #AphexTwin #ArmsandSleepers #BoomBip #C895 #CasinoVersusJapan #Cepia #Chill #downtempo #GoldPanda #gonima #KNHC #Komodo #Mvnners #PublicRadio #radio #Rykard #seattle
- VIQ–Journey
-
Cafe Chill Episode 2023-48: Nerddelic Studio Works, Telefon Tel Aviv and more
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Listen on PRX: https://exchange.prx.org/pieces/506751-cafe-chill-episode-2023-48
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Café Chill is Public Radio’s weekly curated chill mix, produced by KNHC National Productions (@[email protected]) in Seattle, and heard on noncommercial radio stations across the USA.
The latest episode of Cafe Chill includes tracks from Nerddelic Studio Works, Telefon Tel Aviv and more. Hosted by Seth. Working in the background is me (Richard).
Playlist:
- VIQ–Journey
Release: Last Path
Label: VIQ - Jinsang–journey
Release: life
Label: VinDig - Pacific Coliseum–Wave Catalyst (High Tide)
Release: Ocean City
Label: Coastal Haze - Boards of Canada–Hey Saturday Sun
Release: The Campfire Headphase
Label: Warp Records - Blackboxx–Midnight Dance
Release: Seablushed – EP
Label: Slime - Yppah–Grey Eyes
Release: Grey Eyes – Single
Label: Future Archive Recordings - Nerddelic Studio Works–Snore
Release: The Sun & the Moon
Label: Nerddelic Studio Works - Marley Carroll–Water Temple
Release: Ice Cavern / Water Temple – Single
Label: Loci Records - Poldoore–Celestial (A Tribute To Nujabes)
Release: Celestial (A Tribute To Nujabes) – Single
Label: Poldoore Music - Tycho–Japan (Instrumental)
Release: Japan – Single
Label: Mom+Pop/Ninja Tune - Telefon Tel Aviv–Life Is All About Taking Things In and Putting Things Out
Release: Fahrenheit Fair Enough
Label: Ghostly International - Veiled Dawn–Intro/Origins
Release: I – EP
Label: 2713475 Records DK2 - Borealism–Slide
Release: So What’s New With You?
Label: Borealism
You can also listen at:
https://www.c895.org/show/cafe-chill/
https://cafechill.orgPhoto: “Autumn Morning Mist”. Credit: Kobuk Valley National Park/National Park Service, public domain.
Hope your day is a bit of a delight.
#20HoursAfterDawn #Ambient #Ametsub #Anenon #AphexTwin #ArmsandSleepers #BoomBip #C895 #CasinoVersusJapan #Cepia #Chill #downtempo #GoldPanda #gonima #KNHC #Komodo #Mvnners #PublicRadio #radio #Rykard #seattle
- VIQ–Journey
-
Cafe Chill Episode 2023-48: Nerddelic Studio Works, Telefon Tel Aviv and more
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Listen on PRX: https://exchange.prx.org/pieces/506751-cafe-chill-episode-2023-48
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Café Chill is Public Radio’s weekly curated chill mix, produced by KNHC National Productions (@[email protected]) in Seattle, and heard on noncommercial radio stations across the USA.
The latest episode of Cafe Chill includes tracks from Nerddelic Studio Works, Telefon Tel Aviv and more. Hosted by Seth. Working in the background is me (Richard).
Playlist:
- VIQ–Journey
Release: Last Path
Label: VIQ - Jinsang–journey
Release: life
Label: VinDig - Pacific Coliseum–Wave Catalyst (High Tide)
Release: Ocean City
Label: Coastal Haze - Boards of Canada–Hey Saturday Sun
Release: The Campfire Headphase
Label: Warp Records - Blackboxx–Midnight Dance
Release: Seablushed – EP
Label: Slime - Yppah–Grey Eyes
Release: Grey Eyes – Single
Label: Future Archive Recordings - Nerddelic Studio Works–Snore
Release: The Sun & the Moon
Label: Nerddelic Studio Works - Marley Carroll–Water Temple
Release: Ice Cavern / Water Temple – Single
Label: Loci Records - Poldoore–Celestial (A Tribute To Nujabes)
Release: Celestial (A Tribute To Nujabes) – Single
Label: Poldoore Music - Tycho–Japan (Instrumental)
Release: Japan – Single
Label: Mom+Pop/Ninja Tune - Telefon Tel Aviv–Life Is All About Taking Things In and Putting Things Out
Release: Fahrenheit Fair Enough
Label: Ghostly International - Veiled Dawn–Intro/Origins
Release: I – EP
Label: 2713475 Records DK2 - Borealism–Slide
Release: So What’s New With You?
Label: Borealism
You can also listen at:
https://www.c895.org/show/cafe-chill/
https://cafechill.orgPhoto: “Autumn Morning Mist”. Credit: Kobuk Valley National Park/National Park Service, public domain.
Hope your day is a bit of a delight.
#20HoursAfterDawn #Ambient #Ametsub #Anenon #AphexTwin #ArmsandSleepers #BoomBip #C895 #CasinoVersusJapan #Cepia #Chill #downtempo #GoldPanda #gonima #KNHC #Komodo #Mvnners #PublicRadio #radio #Rykard #seattle
- VIQ–Journey
-
Following on from https://aus.social/@rdm/111151085698578176 because I could not leave it alone.
The sky went dark as a pair of wings blotted out the sun, and Gwen suddenly found herself sitting on the ground.
"Ouch!"
One of the half dragons turned back, and briefly rubbed around her before following the others. Gwen just shook her head.
The huge dark grey dragon landed and was immediately swarmed by the young. There was a deep rumbling and the serpents got off.
Gwen stood up and walked over. The huge head came down and ever so gently pushed against her, and she reached up to rub the ridge running between the golden eyes.
There was a blurring, and she found herself holding a far more human-sized figure.
"Welcome home, Grey. I see who the favourite around here is" she said with a smile.
"It has been a whole three hours" came the laughing reply, "and they are only a few weeks old."
"I know. I'm now worried about what they'll be like when they are adolescents"
"Like all teenagers, hungry, grumpy, and angsty. Remember what you were like?"
"All too well. Ugh. The poetry I murdered."
Grey looked back down the mountain. "Another one?"
"Yes."
"We are going to have to do something about your father, you know."
"I know. I just hope none of the fallout hits Allen. I know he's not technically heir, but if Father gets stubborn..."
"And I imagine Allen's lover would not be too happy with someone trying to marry him off."
"No, and being not actually alive, she could cause a lot of trouble."
"How did he end up with that ghost as a lover anyway?"
"Not my story to tell. You can ask him yourself."
'So we are going to go to the castle?"
"We have to. It is the only way we are going to get Father to leave us be."
"And the children?"
"They will have to come with us. He's going to have to get used to the grandkids."
"That is going to be interesting."
"As always dear, you have the finest talent for understatement." -
Art Link
It’s spring break for Seattle Schools. One of our first big activities yesterday was my mom’s idea: to ride the newly opened Link Line 2 all the way to Redmond, checking out all of the station art along the way. Sound Transit has an interactive map of all of the installations! Plus we’re rarely Eastside so it’s an opportunity to explore a bit.
Outbound
They took the fast ferry from Southworth and we took our usual bus, meeting on the platform at Pioneer Square Station, which oddly I don’t think I’ve ever used before! We didn’t have to wait long for a train which we took to the first new station, Judkins Park.
Timelapse along I-90There we saw Barbara Earl Thomas’s piece A Walk in the Neighborhood as we waited for the next train across the lake.
Next up was the engineering marvel of our trip, the world’s only floating rail bridge. That’s neat in and of itself! We had a grey Seattle morning so the mountain was not out.
At Mercer Island, a place I have previously only passed through on I-90, we saw Beliz Brother’s stroke and crossing suspended above the platform stairs and Julie Berger’s Ghost Ship Migrations across the street by the completely full Park & Ride.
We decided we’d stop at other stations on our way back, so we rode through all the way to the end of the line at Downtown Redmond, chatting and appreciating all of the transit-oriented development going in. My parents shared their memories of what the area was like in the late ’70s if they happened to come this way.
In Redmond I liked the big mosaic panels, including Cable Griffith’s Bitstreams and Julie Paschkis’ Bicycle Series/Traveler Series.
We stopped briefly at the open but oddly empty Redmond Town Center mall lifestyle center to use a bathroom. (I really think Sound Transit should have gone for attended station bathrooms but I guess that would cost too much.)
Inbound
We had spotted a few pieces on the outbound leg we wanted to stop back for, so up first was enemy territory at Redmond Technology. We touched Dan Webb’s Move Your Boulder (which is already gathering moss) and the very cool and fractal ceiling-mounted Journey and Connection by Kate Sweeney.
Our next stop down the line was BelRed, which features Patrick Marold’s Wandering Line subtly built into the station guardrails. Across the street on the fence was Brady Black’s colorful mixed media mural Joyful Connections, which was funded through the BelRed Arts District Community, not SoundTransit STArt. Across the street on the other side was a polished metal horn sculpture reminiscent of Chicago’s Bean. I was surprised this East Link segment along Spring Boulevard isn’t grade-separated like the rest.
We exited at Bellevue Downtown right next to city hall to go grab lunch. First we spent some time in the plaza which has a neat reflecting fountain.
After enjoying some tasty salads/bowls at the downtown Evergreens we walked a ways down the hill to the south to board at East Main. This is across from the Hilton where we went to OrcaCon in January 2020. We passed an abandoned Toys “R” Us that now houses some Bubble Planet experience.
We crossed back to Seattle, seeing a number of folks heading to the Mariners game, and exited at Pioneer Square, and briefly stopped in at Magic Mouse Toys, which I hadn’t been in since 2012. My parents headed to the new ferry terminal and we headed back to 3rd Ave to catch a bus home.
A lovely transit exploration of the region and some of the new art commissioned for the East Link stations. Highly recommended, even if you don’t have a reason to be Eastside.
#art #bellevue #infrastructure #publicTransit #redmond #seattle #trains -
Stuck in the Filter: May 2025’s Angry Misses
By Kenstrosity
Every day we toil, rain or shine, to find you the semi-finest ore of the month. Lately, though, it’s been mostly rain. Leaks abound, uniforms are soaked to the bone, the chutes are slick and slippery. We must continue, however, to provide for the masses!Unfortunately, we don’t have any resources to keep anything dry in this godforsaken place. I hope you like your Filter nuggets soggy!
Kenstrosity’s Meanest Meanies
Death Whore // Blood Washes Everything Away [May 16th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Hailing from Nancy, France, crust/death newcomers Death Whore unleashed what is surely one of the meanest records of the year so far. A debut capable of humbling some of the better releases by far more seasoned acts, Blood Washes Everything Away is a nonstop cavalcade of stank-face, bone-shattering riffs. From the onset of vicious onslaught “Inhaling the Dead,” to the stomp and swerve that is the massive “Infernal Terror Machine” and “None Are Forgotten,” to the blistering and evil “12 Worm Wounds,” Death Whore crafted 11 brutally addictive, but smart and lean cuts guaranteed to snap necks. They allow only the sharpest hooks to imbue accessibility to this killer material, but make no sacrifice to the filthy, crust-laden tones and textures determined to pummel and paste (“Noyé dans le sang,” “Motorthroat ’79,” “Savage Aesthetic Revenge”). Throw in a refreshing message criticizing late-stage capitalistic trends, worldwide misappropriation of wealth by the elite class, and the futility of hard work in the modern era for those struggling to meet their basic needs (“You Owe Me a Living”), and you’ve got a record after my heart. I can already tell that I’m going to regret not saving Blood Washes Everything Away from Filter relegation by the time this publishes, but don’t let my transgression in this matter stop you from enjoying of deep Death Whore.
Executionist // Sacrament of the Sick [May 16th, 2025 – Self-Release]
West Virginian death thrashers Executionist were not on my radar. First off, I am, historically, very picky when it comes to thrash. It slaps when it slaps and leaves me cold when it doesn’t. Lately, though, I’ve been digging the style more and more, and Executionist’s particularly meaty take on Kreator WIOLENCE has my attention thoroughly affixed. With debut LP Sacrament of the Sick, Executionist bring on the riffs, but elevate them with blackened tremolos, rabid barks, and an immense bass tone. Opener proper “Edge of Annihilation” pulls no punches, but only hints at the quality held beyond. There’s an almost At the Gates-like sense of melody here, one which works in tandem with deadly riffs and blackened char instead of as a mere surface-level decoration (“Wheels of War,” “Divided We Stand… United We Fall”). While Sacrament of the Sick relies heavily on the long form for its song structures, creating a spot of bloat, there’s usually something memorable and interesting to keep me invested in the story from beginning to end (“Thy Kingdom Come,” “Sacrament of the Sick”). With just a little tightening of the screws, Executionist could easily become the next big name in thrash. Until then, rest easy knowing Sacrament of the Sick is a worthy contender on its own merits.
Thus Spoke’s Shiny Scraps
Ghost Bath // Rose Thorn Necklace [May 9th, 2025 – Nuclear Blast]
DSBM is a genre of necessity tied to a particular mood, and it’s not a happy one. In spite—or perhaps because—of this,1 it’s one I usually enjoy. Ghost Bath’s take on this particular type of misery music has fluctuated between more black metal and more post, and I personally found it never quite stuck. Rose Thorn Necklace, however, has kept me coming back for repeated mope sessions for weeks. It’s still recognisably Ghost Bath thanks to those same echoing howls that lurch into voiceless high-pitched wails (“Well, I Tried Drowning”), and a familiarity about the bitter refrains. But synths now play a prominent role in driving melody2 both dreamy (“Grotesque Display,” “Throat Cancer”) and uncomfortably upbeat (“Vodka Butterfly”), as things swing back in the direction of post-leaning DSBM. Layered strums lace into pessimistic chord swings and scream-resonant atmoblack (title, track, “Dandelion Tea,” “Stamen and Pistil”), sometimes recalling Harakiri for the Sky. It manages to be pretty, in that characteristically depressing way, as minor melodies bleed into blackened tantrums (“Well, I Tried Drowning”) or ride on synths as harrowing screams narrate (“Throat Cancer”). The snippets of coughing (“Dandelion Tea”), sobbing (“Vodka Butterfly”), and sirens (“Throat Cancer”) are par for the course, but still very effective, and the ending duo “Needles” and the horribly—but brilliantly—named “Throat Cancer” is kind of…genuinely lovely in a really gross, demoralising sense. I’m converted.
ClarkKent’s Bestial Beats
Animalize // Verminateur [May 23, 2025 – Dying Victims Productions]
While the album cover might not inspire confidence, make no mistake, Animalize is worthy of your attention. On their sophomore album, Verminateur, these Frenchmen bring youth and energy to the old school speed and traditional metal scene. They mix up mid-tempo tunes with high-octane thrash, and even throw in a lovely piano ballad for good measure (“Priere de Remords”). On tracks like “Chevel Astral” and “Au Jugement de Soi” you can hear influences ranging from Accept to Def Leppard, while the lightning-fast “Verminateur” sounds like a blast from Judas Priest’s Painkiller. Front man Coyote brings plenty of charm, ranging from excitedly shrill to cool-headed, all while executing some well-timed “oohs” and infectious laughter here and there. Fortunately, he doesn’t carry all of the weight. Jessman and RattleGab keep the riffs spicy throughout, ensuring Animalize never phones it in, while Lynx’s drumming adds some much-needed heft. The songwriting is nice and tight, allowing the album to clock in at a tidy 36 minutes. As good as each song is, the icing on the cake is “Envahisseurs,” which will end up as a strong candidate for song of the year. It brings a killer riff and thrilling energy that’s sure to get the Statue of Liberty to drop her torch and make some devil horns.
Owlswald’s Feathered Echoes
Pandemia // Darkened Devotion [May 16th, 2025 – Hammerheart Records]
After a decade between releases, Czech death metal veterans Pandemia burst back onto the scene with their sixth full-length, Darkened Devotion. Still channeling the menacing souls of legends like Vader and Immolation, Darkened Devotion marks a significant yet successful pivot towards a more accessible sound for Pandemia. Delivering bone-crushingly heavy and succinct songs that are both memorable and easily palatable, Pandemia haven’t lost their edge—they’ve simply refined it. From “Nightmare Paradox’s” gut-punching, wicked riffing to “Catalepsy’s” gratifying, atmospheric thrash-inspired arpeggiations, every part of Darkened Devotion feels focused and tastefully executed. New drummer Jake Bayer (Cutterred Flesh) is an absolute beast, shaping Darkened Devotion’s mammoth backbone with thunderous rapid-fire double bass runs (“Blessed, Blessed Oblivion,” “Depths”), intricate tom fills (“The Pallor of Detest,” “The Wretched Dance”) and precision blasts (“Nighttime Paradox,” “A Sea to Breathe In”). Returning guitarist Alex Marek—last heard on 2005’s Riven—unleashes a barrage of infectious shredding that makes headbanging involuntary. Jaroslav “Jarda” Friedrich’s bass and Jikra Krš’s vocals complement Bayer and Marek’s authority with angry drawls and guttural, gravely growls. The album’s overall tone is immense, effortlessly engulfing listeners into its nocturnal anxieties with ease. With Darkened Devotion, Pandemia have forged a refined and brutal auditory feast that genuinely took me by surprise. Embrace the darkness.
Killjoy’s Dreamy Delights
Asthénie // Iridescence [May 5th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Iridescence is literally a colorful piece of music. Named after the naturally occurring phenomenon of an object appearing to change colors, Asthénie assigned a different color to each of these five songs. The guitars are the main focus here—whether with a glimmer (“Mélèze”) or a shimmer (“Indigo”), they brilliantly showcase the prettier side of post metal. Hardcore-tinged screams boldly accentuate the guitars’ vibrant hues, providing heft and urgency. Somewhat ironically, “Gris” (meaning grey) takes up the most time at 11 minutes and is the most developed contrast between the calm and furious. At only 35 minutes in total, Iridescence passes like a beautiful breeze with little fluff or filler. While by no means necessary, some clean vocals could potentially add even more color to a future release. Though this is not the first instance this year of a post-black record patterned after various wavelengths in the visible light spectrum, Iridescence is resplendent in its own right.
Au Clair de Lune // In the Wake of Dusk [May 16th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Moonlight and bodies of water share an intrinsic artistic bond. There’s something deeply enchanting about a celestial, ghostly source of illumination amidst a dark, murky setting. Leonard Sinaguglia’s blackgaze project Au Clair de Lune aurally combines these two aesthetics via dreamy, floaty guitars and synths akin to Autumn Nostalgie and, of course, Alcest’s Écailles de Lune. At times, the melodies are smooth and glassy like the surface of a lake (“Echoing Silhouettes,” “Neon Dusk”). Other times, they’re upbeat and catchy as a rip current (“Anaemoia,” “Distant Glow”). The principal vocal style is a mild rasp, more for flavor than heaviness, though Falyriae adds her airy singing voice on occasion. Although the track order and overall pacing usually find a good balance between the atmospheric parts and the punchy parts, the longer track lengths make In the Wake of Dusk feel a bit fluffy in places. But even so, Au Clair de Lune provides a satisfying and transportative experience to an unearthly realm.
Dolphin Whisperer’s Dusky Deposition
Slumbering Sun // Starmony [May 9th, 2025 – Self Release]
Music is the closest thing we have to magic in this world. When a great song or a great album graces your ears, it’s a clean sweep to any combo the head, heart, and gyrating body. Such was the case with Lone Star Doomsters Slumbering Sun and their debut release The Ever-Living Fire back in 2023. With a fragile heart in one hand and a fat riff in the other, their take on the kind of sadboi doom you’d hear in bands like Warning or early Pallbearer struck me deep. On Starmony, much of the same elements return: growling bass underpinning stadium-sized riffs, Ozzy-like vocals that bustle with a modern emotion and charisma, and a posty playfulness that allows long-form compositions to swell and soar. The only trouble is that it takes a couple songs for Starmony to settle into that same form of riffed-out hypnosis, with the one-two intro of “Together Forever” and “Keep It a Secret” sounding like the middle drive of a live set rather than the start of an introspective journey. But with the violin-assisted weeping catharsis of “Midsommar Night’s Dream” and “Wanderlust,” the waltzing melody of “Danse Macabre,” and the Thin Lizzy-styled dueling leads of “The Tower,” Slumbering Sun again finds a monstrous groove in hopeful and hammering songcraft. And, of course, if you get a chance to catch this act live like I did, just a few days before The Dolphlet emerged, you’ll fall extra prey to the kinds of doomy incantations that Slumbering Sun conjures with their mystic-minded compositions. In fat riffs we trust, and in sorrowful hearts we linger.
Tyme’s Tragic Tones
Enterré Vivant // 悪罪 (Akuzaï) [May 26th, 2025 – Antiq]
Comprised of French multi-instrumentalist Erroiak and vocalist Sakrifiss—whose 25-year residency in Japan heavily influences the music—depressive black metallers Enterré Vivant’s3 third album, Akuzaï, blew me away. My DSBM bar was set long ago by Shining‘s unfuckwithable V: Halmstad, and yet Akuzaï has come along to give it a run for its money. Centered around 10 Buddhist sins, Akuzaï relates the experiences of Japanese civilians and victims during the Second World War. From the emotionally charged cover photo depicting a mother breastfeeding her newborn shortly after the bombing of Nagasaki,4 to the haunting interludes and shimmering, melancholic melodies within, Akuzaï melds traditional, tremolo-picked guitars and icy vocals ala Summoning and Emperor (“Sesshô,” “Shin’i”) with Moonsorrow-esque keys, Japanese-influenced flutes and violins, along with ghostly moaning howls to create its depressive atmospheres. Transitioning from the twisted croaks of interlude “Waraguchi,” album highlight “Jain” begins with mournful pianos and a pensive, tremolo-picked lead before crashing forth in waves of crushingly cascading chords and Sakrifiss’ tortured screams, its eight and a half minutes awash in black metal sadness. By the time the wails of a suffering child floated in around the seven-and-a-half-minute mark, my arms had broken out in goosebumps, and my heart was fucking broken. Offering yet another lens through which to view the torturous horrors of war, Akuzaï is harrowing, relentless, and not to be missed.
#2025 #Accept #Alcest #AmericanMetal #Animalize #Asthénie #AtTheGates #AtmosphericBlackMetal #AuClaireDeLune #AutumnNostalgie #Blackgaze #BloodWashesEverythingAway #Crust #CutterredFlesh #CzechMetal #DarkenedDevotion #DeathMetal #DeathWhore #DefLeppard #DoomMetal #DSBM #DyingVictimsProductions #Emperor #EnterréVivant #Executionist #Falyriae #FrenchMetal #GhostBath #HammerheartRecords #HarakiriForTheSky #Hardcore #HeavyMetal #Immolation #InTheWakeOfDusk #Iridescence #ItalianMetal #JudasPriest #Kreator #May25 #MelodicBlackMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #Moonsorrow #NuclearBlast #Pallbearer #Pandemia #PostBlackMetal #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #RoseThornNecklace #SacramentOfTheSick #SelfRelease #Shining #SlumberingSun #Starmony #StuckInTheFilter #StuckInTheFilter2025 #Summoning #ThinLizzy #ThrashMetal #Vader #Verminateur #Warning #悪罪Akuzaï_
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Stuck in the Filter: May 2025’s Angry Misses
By Kenstrosity
Every day we toil, rain or shine, to find you the semi-finest ore of the month. Lately, though, it’s been mostly rain. Leaks abound, uniforms are soaked to the bone, the chutes are slick and slippery. We must continue, however, to provide for the masses!Unfortunately, we don’t have any resources to keep anything dry in this godforsaken place. I hope you like your Filter nuggets soggy!
Kenstrosity’s Meanest Meanies
Death Whore // Blood Washes Everything Away [May 16th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Hailing from Nancy, France, crust/death newcomers Death Whore unleashed what is surely one of the meanest records of the year so far. A debut capable of humbling some of the better releases by far more seasoned acts, Blood Washes Everything Away is a nonstop cavalcade of stank-face, bone-shattering riffs. From the onset of vicious onslaught “Inhaling the Dead,” to the stomp and swerve that is the massive “Infernal Terror Machine” and “None Are Forgotten,” to the blistering and evil “12 Worm Wounds,” Death Whore crafted 11 brutally addictive, but smart and lean cuts guaranteed to snap necks. They allow only the sharpest hooks to imbue accessibility to this killer material, but make no sacrifice to the filthy, crust-laden tones and textures determined to pummel and paste (“Noyé dans le sang,” “Motorthroat ’79,” “Savage Aesthetic Revenge”). Throw in a refreshing message criticizing late-stage capitalistic trends, worldwide misappropriation of wealth by the elite class, and the futility of hard work in the modern era for those struggling to meet their basic needs (“You Owe Me a Living”), and you’ve got a record after my heart. I can already tell that I’m going to regret not saving Blood Washes Everything Away from Filter relegation by the time this publishes, but don’t let my transgression in this matter stop you from enjoying of deep Death Whore.
Executionist // Sacrament of the Sick [May 16th, 2025 – Self-Release]
West Virginian death thrashers Executionist were not on my radar. First off, I am, historically, very picky when it comes to thrash. It slaps when it slaps and leaves me cold when it doesn’t. Lately, though, I’ve been digging the style more and more, and Executionist’s particularly meaty take on Kreator WIOLENCE has my attention thoroughly affixed. With debut LP Sacrament of the Sick, Executionist bring on the riffs, but elevate them with blackened tremolos, rabid barks, and an immense bass tone. Opener proper “Edge of Annihilation” pulls no punches, but only hints at the quality held beyond. There’s an almost At the Gates-like sense of melody here, one which works in tandem with deadly riffs and blackened char instead of as a mere surface-level decoration (“Wheels of War,” “Divided We Stand… United We Fall”). While Sacrament of the Sick relies heavily on the long form for its song structures, creating a spot of bloat, there’s usually something memorable and interesting to keep me invested in the story from beginning to end (“Thy Kingdom Come,” “Sacrament of the Sick”). With just a little tightening of the screws, Executionist could easily become the next big name in thrash. Until then, rest easy knowing Sacrament of the Sick is a worthy contender on its own merits.
Thus Spoke’s Shiny Scraps
Ghost Bath // Rose Thorn Necklace [May 9th, 2025 – Nuclear Blast]
DSBM is a genre of necessity tied to a particular mood, and it’s not a happy one. In spite—or perhaps because—of this,1 it’s one I usually enjoy. Ghost Bath’s take on this particular type of misery music has fluctuated between more black metal and more post, and I personally found it never quite stuck. Rose Thorn Necklace, however, has kept me coming back for repeated mope sessions for weeks. It’s still recognisably Ghost Bath thanks to those same echoing howls that lurch into voiceless high-pitched wails (“Well, I Tried Drowning”), and a familiarity about the bitter refrains. But synths now play a prominent role in driving melody2 both dreamy (“Grotesque Display,” “Throat Cancer”) and uncomfortably upbeat (“Vodka Butterfly”), as things swing back in the direction of post-leaning DSBM. Layered strums lace into pessimistic chord swings and scream-resonant atmoblack (title, track, “Dandelion Tea,” “Stamen and Pistil”), sometimes recalling Harakiri for the Sky. It manages to be pretty, in that characteristically depressing way, as minor melodies bleed into blackened tantrums (“Well, I Tried Drowning”) or ride on synths as harrowing screams narrate (“Throat Cancer”). The snippets of coughing (“Dandelion Tea”), sobbing (“Vodka Butterfly”), and sirens (“Throat Cancer”) are par for the course, but still very effective, and the ending duo “Needles” and the horribly—but brilliantly—named “Throat Cancer” is kind of…genuinely lovely in a really gross, demoralising sense. I’m converted.
ClarkKent’s Bestial Beats
Animalize // Verminateur [May 23, 2025 – Dying Victims Productions]
While the album cover might not inspire confidence, make no mistake, Animalize is worthy of your attention. On their sophomore album, Verminateur, these Frenchmen bring youth and energy to the old school speed and traditional metal scene. They mix up mid-tempo tunes with high-octane thrash, and even throw in a lovely piano ballad for good measure (“Priere de Remords”). On tracks like “Chevel Astral” and “Au Jugement de Soi” you can hear influences ranging from Accept to Def Leppard, while the lightning-fast “Verminateur” sounds like a blast from Judas Priest’s Painkiller. Front man Coyote brings plenty of charm, ranging from excitedly shrill to cool-headed, all while executing some well-timed “oohs” and infectious laughter here and there. Fortunately, he doesn’t carry all of the weight. Jessman and RattleGab keep the riffs spicy throughout, ensuring Animalize never phones it in, while Lynx’s drumming adds some much-needed heft. The songwriting is nice and tight, allowing the album to clock in at a tidy 36 minutes. As good as each song is, the icing on the cake is “Envahisseurs,” which will end up as a strong candidate for song of the year. It brings a killer riff and thrilling energy that’s sure to get the Statue of Liberty to drop her torch and make some devil horns.
Owlswald’s Feathered Echoes
Pandemia // Darkened Devotion [May 16th, 2025 – Hammerheart Records]
After a decade between releases, Czech death metal veterans Pandemia burst back onto the scene with their sixth full-length, Darkened Devotion. Still channeling the menacing souls of legends like Vader and Immolation, Darkened Devotion marks a significant yet successful pivot towards a more accessible sound for Pandemia. Delivering bone-crushingly heavy and succinct songs that are both memorable and easily palatable, Pandemia haven’t lost their edge—they’ve simply refined it. From “Nightmare Paradox’s” gut-punching, wicked riffing to “Catalepsy’s” gratifying, atmospheric thrash-inspired arpeggiations, every part of Darkened Devotion feels focused and tastefully executed. New drummer Jake Bayer (Cutterred Flesh) is an absolute beast, shaping Darkened Devotion’s mammoth backbone with thunderous rapid-fire double bass runs (“Blessed, Blessed Oblivion,” “Depths”), intricate tom fills (“The Pallor of Detest,” “The Wretched Dance”) and precision blasts (“Nighttime Paradox,” “A Sea to Breathe In”). Returning guitarist Alex Marek—last heard on 2005’s Riven—unleashes a barrage of infectious shredding that makes headbanging involuntary. Jaroslav “Jarda” Friedrich’s bass and Jikra Krš’s vocals complement Bayer and Marek’s authority with angry drawls and guttural, gravely growls. The album’s overall tone is immense, effortlessly engulfing listeners into its nocturnal anxieties with ease. With Darkened Devotion, Pandemia have forged a refined and brutal auditory feast that genuinely took me by surprise. Embrace the darkness.
Killjoy’s Dreamy Delights
Asthénie // Iridescence [May 5th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Iridescence is literally a colorful piece of music. Named after the naturally occurring phenomenon of an object appearing to change colors, Asthénie assigned a different color to each of these five songs. The guitars are the main focus here—whether with a glimmer (“Mélèze”) or a shimmer (“Indigo”), they brilliantly showcase the prettier side of post metal. Hardcore-tinged screams boldly accentuate the guitars’ vibrant hues, providing heft and urgency. Somewhat ironically, “Gris” (meaning grey) takes up the most time at 11 minutes and is the most developed contrast between the calm and furious. At only 35 minutes in total, Iridescence passes like a beautiful breeze with little fluff or filler. While by no means necessary, some clean vocals could potentially add even more color to a future release. Though this is not the first instance this year of a post-black record patterned after various wavelengths in the visible light spectrum, Iridescence is resplendent in its own right.
Au Clair de Lune // In the Wake of Dusk [May 16th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Moonlight and bodies of water share an intrinsic artistic bond. There’s something deeply enchanting about a celestial, ghostly source of illumination amidst a dark, murky setting. Leonard Sinaguglia’s blackgaze project Au Clair de Lune aurally combines these two aesthetics via dreamy, floaty guitars and synths akin to Autumn Nostalgie and, of course, Alcest’s Écailles de Lune. At times, the melodies are smooth and glassy like the surface of a lake (“Echoing Silhouettes,” “Neon Dusk”). Other times, they’re upbeat and catchy as a rip current (“Anaemoia,” “Distant Glow”). The principal vocal style is a mild rasp, more for flavor than heaviness, though Falyriae adds her airy singing voice on occasion. Although the track order and overall pacing usually find a good balance between the atmospheric parts and the punchy parts, the longer track lengths make In the Wake of Dusk feel a bit fluffy in places. But even so, Au Clair de Lune provides a satisfying and transportative experience to an unearthly realm.
Dolphin Whisperer’s Dusky Deposition
Slumbering Sun // Starmony [May 9th, 2025 – Self Release]
Music is the closest thing we have to magic in this world. When a great song or a great album graces your ears, it’s a clean sweep to any combo the head, heart, and gyrating body. Such was the case with Lone Star Doomsters Slumbering Sun and their debut release The Ever-Living Fire back in 2023. With a fragile heart in one hand and a fat riff in the other, their take on the kind of sadboi doom you’d hear in bands like Warning or early Pallbearer struck me deep. On Starmony, much of the same elements return: growling bass underpinning stadium-sized riffs, Ozzy-like vocals that bustle with a modern emotion and charisma, and a posty playfulness that allows long-form compositions to swell and soar. The only trouble is that it takes a couple songs for Starmony to settle into that same form of riffed-out hypnosis, with the one-two intro of “Together Forever” and “Keep It a Secret” sounding like the middle drive of a live set rather than the start of an introspective journey. But with the violin-assisted weeping catharsis of “Midsommar Night’s Dream” and “Wanderlust,” the waltzing melody of “Danse Macabre,” and the Thin Lizzy-styled dueling leads of “The Tower,” Slumbering Sun again finds a monstrous groove in hopeful and hammering songcraft. And, of course, if you get a chance to catch this act live like I did, just a few days before The Dolphlet emerged, you’ll fall extra prey to the kinds of doomy incantations that Slumbering Sun conjures with their mystic-minded compositions. In fat riffs we trust, and in sorrowful hearts we linger.
Tyme’s Tragic Tones
Enterré Vivant // 悪罪 (Akuzaï) [May 26th, 2025 – Antiq]
Comprised of French multi-instrumentalist Erroiak and vocalist Sakrifiss—whose 25-year residency in Japan heavily influences the music—depressive black metallers Enterré Vivant’s3 third album, Akuzaï, blew me away. My DSBM bar was set long ago by Shining‘s unfuckwithable V: Halmstad, and yet Akuzaï has come along to give it a run for its money. Centered around 10 Buddhist sins, Akuzaï relates the experiences of Japanese civilians and victims during the Second World War. From the emotionally charged cover photo depicting a mother breastfeeding her newborn shortly after the bombing of Nagasaki,4 to the haunting interludes and shimmering, melancholic melodies within, Akuzaï melds traditional, tremolo-picked guitars and icy vocals ala Summoning and Emperor (“Sesshô,” “Shin’i”) with Moonsorrow-esque keys, Japanese-influenced flutes and violins, along with ghostly moaning howls to create its depressive atmospheres. Transitioning from the twisted croaks of interlude “Waraguchi,” album highlight “Jain” begins with mournful pianos and a pensive, tremolo-picked lead before crashing forth in waves of crushingly cascading chords and Sakrifiss’ tortured screams, its eight and a half minutes awash in black metal sadness. By the time the wails of a suffering child floated in around the seven-and-a-half-minute mark, my arms had broken out in goosebumps, and my heart was fucking broken. Offering yet another lens through which to view the torturous horrors of war, Akuzaï is harrowing, relentless, and not to be missed.
#2025 #Accept #Alcest #AmericanMetal #Animalize #Asthénie #AtTheGates #AtmosphericBlackMetal #AuClaireDeLune #AutumnNostalgie #Blackgaze #BloodWashesEverythingAway #Crust #CutterredFlesh #CzechMetal #DarkenedDevotion #DeathMetal #DeathWhore #DefLeppard #DoomMetal #DSBM #DyingVictimsProductions #Emperor #EnterréVivant #Executionist #Falyriae #FrenchMetal #GhostBath #HammerheartRecords #HarakiriForTheSky #Hardcore #HeavyMetal #Immolation #InTheWakeOfDusk #Iridescence #ItalianMetal #JudasPriest #Kreator #May25 #MelodicBlackMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #Moonsorrow #NuclearBlast #Pallbearer #Pandemia #PostBlackMetal #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #RoseThornNecklace #SacramentOfTheSick #SelfRelease #Shining #SlumberingSun #Starmony #StuckInTheFilter #StuckInTheFilter2025 #Summoning #ThinLizzy #ThrashMetal #Vader #Verminateur #Warning #悪罪Akuzaï_
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Stuck in the Filter: May 2025’s Angry Misses
By Kenstrosity
Every day we toil, rain or shine, to find you the semi-finest ore of the month. Lately, though, it’s been mostly rain. Leaks abound, uniforms are soaked to the bone, the chutes are slick and slippery. We must continue, however, to provide for the masses!Unfortunately, we don’t have any resources to keep anything dry in this godforsaken place. I hope you like your Filter nuggets soggy!
Kenstrosity’s Meanest Meanies
Death Whore // Blood Washes Everything Away [May 16th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Hailing from Nancy, France, crust/death newcomers Death Whore unleashed what is surely one of the meanest records of the year so far. A debut capable of humbling some of the better releases by far more seasoned acts, Blood Washes Everything Away is a nonstop cavalcade of stank-face, bone-shattering riffs. From the onset of vicious onslaught “Inhaling the Dead,” to the stomp and swerve that is the massive “Infernal Terror Machine” and “None Are Forgotten,” to the blistering and evil “12 Worm Wounds,” Death Whore crafted 11 brutally addictive, but smart and lean cuts guaranteed to snap necks. They allow only the sharpest hooks to imbue accessibility to this killer material, but make no sacrifice to the filthy, crust-laden tones and textures determined to pummel and paste (“Noyé dans le sang,” “Motorthroat ’79,” “Savage Aesthetic Revenge”). Throw in a refreshing message criticizing late-stage capitalistic trends, worldwide misappropriation of wealth by the elite class, and the futility of hard work in the modern era for those struggling to meet their basic needs (“You Owe Me a Living”), and you’ve got a record after my heart. I can already tell that I’m going to regret not saving Blood Washes Everything Away from Filter relegation by the time this publishes, but don’t let my transgression in this matter stop you from enjoying of deep Death Whore.
Executionist // Sacrament of the Sick [May 16th, 2025 – Self-Release]
West Virginian death thrashers Executionist were not on my radar. First off, I am, historically, very picky when it comes to thrash. It slaps when it slaps and leaves me cold when it doesn’t. Lately, though, I’ve been digging the style more and more, and Executionist’s particularly meaty take on Kreator WIOLENCE has my attention thoroughly affixed. With debut LP Sacrament of the Sick, Executionist bring on the riffs, but elevate them with blackened tremolos, rabid barks, and an immense bass tone. Opener proper “Edge of Annihilation” pulls no punches, but only hints at the quality held beyond. There’s an almost At the Gates-like sense of melody here, one which works in tandem with deadly riffs and blackened char instead of as a mere surface-level decoration (“Wheels of War,” “Divided We Stand… United We Fall”). While Sacrament of the Sick relies heavily on the long form for its song structures, creating a spot of bloat, there’s usually something memorable and interesting to keep me invested in the story from beginning to end (“Thy Kingdom Come,” “Sacrament of the Sick”). With just a little tightening of the screws, Executionist could easily become the next big name in thrash. Until then, rest easy knowing Sacrament of the Sick is a worthy contender on its own merits.
Thus Spoke’s Shiny Scraps
Ghost Bath // Rose Thorn Necklace [May 9th, 2025 – Nuclear Blast]
DSBM is a genre of necessity tied to a particular mood, and it’s not a happy one. In spite—or perhaps because—of this,1 it’s one I usually enjoy. Ghost Bath’s take on this particular type of misery music has fluctuated between more black metal and more post, and I personally found it never quite stuck. Rose Thorn Necklace, however, has kept me coming back for repeated mope sessions for weeks. It’s still recognisably Ghost Bath thanks to those same echoing howls that lurch into voiceless high-pitched wails (“Well, I Tried Drowning”), and a familiarity about the bitter refrains. But synths now play a prominent role in driving melody2 both dreamy (“Grotesque Display,” “Throat Cancer”) and uncomfortably upbeat (“Vodka Butterfly”), as things swing back in the direction of post-leaning DSBM. Layered strums lace into pessimistic chord swings and scream-resonant atmoblack (title, track, “Dandelion Tea,” “Stamen and Pistil”), sometimes recalling Harakiri for the Sky. It manages to be pretty, in that characteristically depressing way, as minor melodies bleed into blackened tantrums (“Well, I Tried Drowning”) or ride on synths as harrowing screams narrate (“Throat Cancer”). The snippets of coughing (“Dandelion Tea”), sobbing (“Vodka Butterfly”), and sirens (“Throat Cancer”) are par for the course, but still very effective, and the ending duo “Needles” and the horribly—but brilliantly—named “Throat Cancer” is kind of…genuinely lovely in a really gross, demoralising sense. I’m converted.
ClarkKent’s Bestial Beats
Animalize // Verminateur [May 23, 2025 – Dying Victims Productions]
While the album cover might not inspire confidence, make no mistake, Animalize is worthy of your attention. On their sophomore album, Verminateur, these Frenchmen bring youth and energy to the old school speed and traditional metal scene. They mix up mid-tempo tunes with high-octane thrash, and even throw in a lovely piano ballad for good measure (“Priere de Remords”). On tracks like “Chevel Astral” and “Au Jugement de Soi” you can hear influences ranging from Accept to Def Leppard, while the lightning-fast “Verminateur” sounds like a blast from Judas Priest’s Painkiller. Front man Coyote brings plenty of charm, ranging from excitedly shrill to cool-headed, all while executing some well-timed “oohs” and infectious laughter here and there. Fortunately, he doesn’t carry all of the weight. Jessman and RattleGab keep the riffs spicy throughout, ensuring Animalize never phones it in, while Lynx’s drumming adds some much-needed heft. The songwriting is nice and tight, allowing the album to clock in at a tidy 36 minutes. As good as each song is, the icing on the cake is “Envahisseurs,” which will end up as a strong candidate for song of the year. It brings a killer riff and thrilling energy that’s sure to get the Statue of Liberty to drop her torch and make some devil horns.
Owlswald’s Feathered Echoes
Pandemia // Darkened Devotion [May 16th, 2025 – Hammerheart Records]
After a decade between releases, Czech death metal veterans Pandemia burst back onto the scene with their sixth full-length, Darkened Devotion. Still channeling the menacing souls of legends like Vader and Immolation, Darkened Devotion marks a significant yet successful pivot towards a more accessible sound for Pandemia. Delivering bone-crushingly heavy and succinct songs that are both memorable and easily palatable, Pandemia haven’t lost their edge—they’ve simply refined it. From “Nightmare Paradox’s” gut-punching, wicked riffing to “Catalepsy’s” gratifying, atmospheric thrash-inspired arpeggiations, every part of Darkened Devotion feels focused and tastefully executed. New drummer Jake Bayer (Cutterred Flesh) is an absolute beast, shaping Darkened Devotion’s mammoth backbone with thunderous rapid-fire double bass runs (“Blessed, Blessed Oblivion,” “Depths”), intricate tom fills (“The Pallor of Detest,” “The Wretched Dance”) and precision blasts (“Nighttime Paradox,” “A Sea to Breathe In”). Returning guitarist Alex Marek—last heard on 2005’s Riven—unleashes a barrage of infectious shredding that makes headbanging involuntary. Jaroslav “Jarda” Friedrich’s bass and Jikra Krš’s vocals complement Bayer and Marek’s authority with angry drawls and guttural, gravely growls. The album’s overall tone is immense, effortlessly engulfing listeners into its nocturnal anxieties with ease. With Darkened Devotion, Pandemia have forged a refined and brutal auditory feast that genuinely took me by surprise. Embrace the darkness.
Killjoy’s Dreamy Delights
Asthénie // Iridescence [May 5th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Iridescence is literally a colorful piece of music. Named after the naturally occurring phenomenon of an object appearing to change colors, Asthénie assigned a different color to each of these five songs. The guitars are the main focus here—whether with a glimmer (“Mélèze”) or a shimmer (“Indigo”), they brilliantly showcase the prettier side of post metal. Hardcore-tinged screams boldly accentuate the guitars’ vibrant hues, providing heft and urgency. Somewhat ironically, “Gris” (meaning grey) takes up the most time at 11 minutes and is the most developed contrast between the calm and furious. At only 35 minutes in total, Iridescence passes like a beautiful breeze with little fluff or filler. While by no means necessary, some clean vocals could potentially add even more color to a future release. Though this is not the first instance this year of a post-black record patterned after various wavelengths in the visible light spectrum, Iridescence is resplendent in its own right.
Au Clair de Lune // In the Wake of Dusk [May 16th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Moonlight and bodies of water share an intrinsic artistic bond. There’s something deeply enchanting about a celestial, ghostly source of illumination amidst a dark, murky setting. Leonard Sinaguglia’s blackgaze project Au Clair de Lune aurally combines these two aesthetics via dreamy, floaty guitars and synths akin to Autumn Nostalgie and, of course, Alcest’s Écailles de Lune. At times, the melodies are smooth and glassy like the surface of a lake (“Echoing Silhouettes,” “Neon Dusk”). Other times, they’re upbeat and catchy as a rip current (“Anaemoia,” “Distant Glow”). The principal vocal style is a mild rasp, more for flavor than heaviness, though Falyriae adds her airy singing voice on occasion. Although the track order and overall pacing usually find a good balance between the atmospheric parts and the punchy parts, the longer track lengths make In the Wake of Dusk feel a bit fluffy in places. But even so, Au Clair de Lune provides a satisfying and transportative experience to an unearthly realm.
Dolphin Whisperer’s Dusky Deposition
Slumbering Sun // Starmony [May 9th, 2025 – Self Release]
Music is the closest thing we have to magic in this world. When a great song or a great album graces your ears, it’s a clean sweep to any combo the head, heart, and gyrating body. Such was the case with Lone Star Doomsters Slumbering Sun and their debut release The Ever-Living Fire back in 2023. With a fragile heart in one hand and a fat riff in the other, their take on the kind of sadboi doom you’d hear in bands like Warning or early Pallbearer struck me deep. On Starmony, much of the same elements return: growling bass underpinning stadium-sized riffs, Ozzy-like vocals that bustle with a modern emotion and charisma, and a posty playfulness that allows long-form compositions to swell and soar. The only trouble is that it takes a couple songs for Starmony to settle into that same form of riffed-out hypnosis, with the one-two intro of “Together Forever” and “Keep It a Secret” sounding like the middle drive of a live set rather than the start of an introspective journey. But with the violin-assisted weeping catharsis of “Midsommar Night’s Dream” and “Wanderlust,” the waltzing melody of “Danse Macabre,” and the Thin Lizzy-styled dueling leads of “The Tower,” Slumbering Sun again finds a monstrous groove in hopeful and hammering songcraft. And, of course, if you get a chance to catch this act live like I did, just a few days before The Dolphlet emerged, you’ll fall extra prey to the kinds of doomy incantations that Slumbering Sun conjures with their mystic-minded compositions. In fat riffs we trust, and in sorrowful hearts we linger.
Tyme’s Tragic Tones
Enterré Vivant // 悪罪 (Akuzaï) [May 26th, 2025 – Antiq]
Comprised of French multi-instrumentalist Erroiak and vocalist Sakrifiss—whose 25-year residency in Japan heavily influences the music—depressive black metallers Enterré Vivant’s3 third album, Akuzaï, blew me away. My DSBM bar was set long ago by Shining‘s unfuckwithable V: Halmstad, and yet Akuzaï has come along to give it a run for its money. Centered around 10 Buddhist sins, Akuzaï relates the experiences of Japanese civilians and victims during the Second World War. From the emotionally charged cover photo depicting a mother breastfeeding her newborn shortly after the bombing of Nagasaki,4 to the haunting interludes and shimmering, melancholic melodies within, Akuzaï melds traditional, tremolo-picked guitars and icy vocals ala Summoning and Emperor (“Sesshô,” “Shin’i”) with Moonsorrow-esque keys, Japanese-influenced flutes and violins, along with ghostly moaning howls to create its depressive atmospheres. Transitioning from the twisted croaks of interlude “Waraguchi,” album highlight “Jain” begins with mournful pianos and a pensive, tremolo-picked lead before crashing forth in waves of crushingly cascading chords and Sakrifiss’ tortured screams, its eight and a half minutes awash in black metal sadness. By the time the wails of a suffering child floated in around the seven-and-a-half-minute mark, my arms had broken out in goosebumps, and my heart was fucking broken. Offering yet another lens through which to view the torturous horrors of war, Akuzaï is harrowing, relentless, and not to be missed.
#2025 #Accept #Alcest #AmericanMetal #Animalize #Asthénie #AtTheGates #AtmosphericBlackMetal #AuClaireDeLune #AutumnNostalgie #Blackgaze #BloodWashesEverythingAway #Crust #CutterredFlesh #CzechMetal #DarkenedDevotion #DeathMetal #DeathWhore #DefLeppard #DoomMetal #DSBM #DyingVictimsProductions #Emperor #EnterréVivant #Executionist #Falyriae #FrenchMetal #GhostBath #HammerheartRecords #HarakiriForTheSky #Hardcore #HeavyMetal #Immolation #InTheWakeOfDusk #Iridescence #ItalianMetal #JudasPriest #Kreator #May25 #MelodicBlackMetal #MelodicDeathMetal #Moonsorrow #NuclearBlast #Pallbearer #Pandemia #PostBlackMetal #PostMetal #Review #Reviews #RoseThornNecklace #SacramentOfTheSick #SelfRelease #Shining #SlumberingSun #Starmony #StuckInTheFilter #StuckInTheFilter2025 #Summoning #ThinLizzy #ThrashMetal #Vader #Verminateur #Warning #悪罪Akuzaï_
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Stuck in the Filter: May 2025’s Angry Misses
By Kenstrosity
Every day we toil, rain or shine, to find you the semi-finest ore of the month. Lately, though, it’s been mostly rain. Leaks abound, uniforms are soaked to the bone, the chutes are slick and slippery. We must continue, however, to provide for the masses!Unfortunately, we don’t have any resources to keep anything dry in this godforsaken place. I hope you like your Filter nuggets soggy!
Kenstrosity’s Meanest Meanies
Death Whore // Blood Washes Everything Away [May 16th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Hailing from Nancy, France, crust/death newcomers Death Whore unleashed what is surely one of the meanest records of the year so far. A debut capable of humbling some of the better releases by far more seasoned acts, Blood Washes Everything Away is a nonstop cavalcade of stank-face, bone-shattering riffs. From the onset of vicious onslaught “Inhaling the Dead,” to the stomp and swerve that is the massive “Infernal Terror Machine” and “None Are Forgotten,” to the blistering and evil “12 Worm Wounds,” Death Whore crafted 11 brutally addictive, but smart and lean cuts guaranteed to snap necks. They allow only the sharpest hooks to imbue accessibility to this killer material, but make no sacrifice to the filthy, crust-laden tones and textures determined to pummel and paste (“Noyé dans le sang,” “Motorthroat ’79,” “Savage Aesthetic Revenge”). Throw in a refreshing message criticizing late-stage capitalistic trends, worldwide misappropriation of wealth by the elite class, and the futility of hard work in the modern era for those struggling to meet their basic needs (“You Owe Me a Living”), and you’ve got a record after my heart. I can already tell that I’m going to regret not saving Blood Washes Everything Away from Filter relegation by the time this publishes, but don’t let my transgression in this matter stop you from enjoying of deep Death Whore.
Executionist // Sacrament of the Sick [May 16th, 2025 – Self-Release]
West Virginian death thrashers Executionist were not on my radar. First off, I am, historically, very picky when it comes to thrash. It slaps when it slaps and leaves me cold when it doesn’t. Lately, though, I’ve been digging the style more and more, and Executionist’s particularly meaty take on Kreator WIOLENCE has my attention thoroughly affixed. With debut LP Sacrament of the Sick, Executionist bring on the riffs, but elevate them with blackened tremolos, rabid barks, and an immense bass tone. Opener proper “Edge of Annihilation” pulls no punches, but only hints at the quality held beyond. There’s an almost At the Gates-like sense of melody here, one which works in tandem with deadly riffs and blackened char instead of as a mere surface-level decoration (“Wheels of War,” “Divided We Stand… United We Fall”). While Sacrament of the Sick relies heavily on the long form for its song structures, creating a spot of bloat, there’s usually something memorable and interesting to keep me invested in the story from beginning to end (“Thy Kingdom Come,” “Sacrament of the Sick”). With just a little tightening of the screws, Executionist could easily become the next big name in thrash. Until then, rest easy knowing Sacrament of the Sick is a worthy contender on its own merits.
Thus Spoke’s Shiny Scraps
Ghost Bath // Rose Thorn Necklace [May 9th, 2025 – Nuclear Blast]
DSBM is a genre of necessity tied to a particular mood, and it’s not a happy one. In spite—or perhaps because—of this,1 it’s one I usually enjoy. Ghost Bath’s take on this particular type of misery music has fluctuated between more black metal and more post, and I personally found it never quite stuck. Rose Thorn Necklace, however, has kept me coming back for repeated mope sessions for weeks. It’s still recognisably Ghost Bath thanks to those same echoing howls that lurch into voiceless high-pitched wails (“Well, I Tried Drowning”), and a familiarity about the bitter refrains. But synths now play a prominent role in driving melody2 both dreamy (“Grotesque Display,” “Throat Cancer”) and uncomfortably upbeat (“Vodka Butterfly”), as things swing back in the direction of post-leaning DSBM. Layered strums lace into pessimistic chord swings and scream-resonant atmoblack (title, track, “Dandelion Tea,” “Stamen and Pistil”), sometimes recalling Harakiri for the Sky. It manages to be pretty, in that characteristically depressing way, as minor melodies bleed into blackened tantrums (“Well, I Tried Drowning”) or ride on synths as harrowing screams narrate (“Throat Cancer”). The snippets of coughing (“Dandelion Tea”), sobbing (“Vodka Butterfly”), and sirens (“Throat Cancer”) are par for the course, but still very effective, and the ending duo “Needles” and the horribly—but brilliantly—named “Throat Cancer” is kind of…genuinely lovely in a really gross, demoralising sense. I’m converted.
ClarkKent’s Bestial Beats
Animalize // Verminateur [May 23, 2025 – Dying Victims Productions]
While the album cover might not inspire confidence, make no mistake, Animalize is worthy of your attention. On their sophomore album, Verminateur, these Frenchmen bring youth and energy to the old school speed and traditional metal scene. They mix up mid-tempo tunes with high-octane thrash, and even throw in a lovely piano ballad for good measure (“Priere de Remords”). On tracks like “Chevel Astral” and “Au Jugement de Soi” you can hear influences ranging from Accept to Def Leppard, while the lightning-fast “Verminateur” sounds like a blast from Judas Priest’s Painkiller. Front man Coyote brings plenty of charm, ranging from excitedly shrill to cool-headed, all while executing some well-timed “oohs” and infectious laughter here and there. Fortunately, he doesn’t carry all of the weight. Jessman and RattleGab keep the riffs spicy throughout, ensuring Animalize never phones it in, while Lynx’s drumming adds some much-needed heft. The songwriting is nice and tight, allowing the album to clock in at a tidy 36 minutes. As good as each song is, the icing on the cake is “Envahisseurs,” which will end up as a strong candidate for song of the year. It brings a killer riff and thrilling energy that’s sure to get the Statue of Liberty to drop her torch and make some devil horns.
Owlswald’s Feathered Echoes
Pandemia // Darkened Devotion [May 16th, 2025 – Hammerheart Records]
After a decade between releases, Czech death metal veterans Pandemia burst back onto the scene with their sixth full-length, Darkened Devotion. Still channeling the menacing souls of legends like Vader and Immolation, Darkened Devotion marks a significant yet successful pivot towards a more accessible sound for Pandemia. Delivering bone-crushingly heavy and succinct songs that are both memorable and easily palatable, Pandemia haven’t lost their edge—they’ve simply refined it. From “Nightmare Paradox’s” gut-punching, wicked riffing to “Catalepsy’s” gratifying, atmospheric thrash-inspired arpeggiations, every part of Darkened Devotion feels focused and tastefully executed. New drummer Jake Bayer (Cutterred Flesh) is an absolute beast, shaping Darkened Devotion’s mammoth backbone with thunderous rapid-fire double bass runs (“Blessed, Blessed Oblivion,” “Depths”), intricate tom fills (“The Pallor of Detest,” “The Wretched Dance”) and precision blasts (“Nighttime Paradox,” “A Sea to Breathe In”). Returning guitarist Alex Marek—last heard on 2005’s Riven—unleashes a barrage of infectious shredding that makes headbanging involuntary. Jaroslav “Jarda” Friedrich’s bass and Jikra Krš’s vocals complement Bayer and Marek’s authority with angry drawls and guttural, gravely growls. The album’s overall tone is immense, effortlessly engulfing listeners into its nocturnal anxieties with ease. With Darkened Devotion, Pandemia have forged a refined and brutal auditory feast that genuinely took me by surprise. Embrace the darkness.
Killjoy’s Dreamy Delights
Asthénie // Iridescence [May 5th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Iridescence is literally a colorful piece of music. Named after the naturally occurring phenomenon of an object appearing to change colors, Asthénie assigned a different color to each of these five songs. The guitars are the main focus here—whether with a glimmer (“Mélèze”) or a shimmer (“Indigo”), they brilliantly showcase the prettier side of post metal. Hardcore-tinged screams boldly accentuate the guitars’ vibrant hues, providing heft and urgency. Somewhat ironically, “Gris” (meaning grey) takes up the most time at 11 minutes and is the most developed contrast between the calm and furious. At only 35 minutes in total, Iridescence passes like a beautiful breeze with little fluff or filler. While by no means necessary, some clean vocals could potentially add even more color to a future release. Though this is not the first instance this year of a post-black record patterned after various wavelengths in the visible light spectrum, Iridescence is resplendent in its own right.
Au Clair de Lune // In the Wake of Dusk [May 16th, 2025 – Self-Release]
Moonlight and bodies of water share an intrinsic artistic bond. There’s something deeply enchanting about a celestial, ghostly source of illumination amidst a dark, murky setting. Leonard Sinaguglia’s blackgaze project Au Clair de Lune aurally combines these two aesthetics via dreamy, floaty guitars and synths akin to Autumn Nostalgie and, of course, Alcest’s Écailles de Lune. At times, the melodies are smooth and glassy like the surface of a lake (“Echoing Silhouettes,” “Neon Dusk”). Other times, they’re upbeat and catchy as a rip current (“Anaemoia,” “Distant Glow”). The principal vocal style is a mild rasp, more for flavor than heaviness, though Falyriae adds her airy singing voice on occasion. Although the track order and overall pacing usually find a good balance between the atmospheric parts and the punchy parts, the longer track lengths make In the Wake of Dusk feel a bit fluffy in places. But even so, Au Clair de Lune provides a satisfying and transportative experience to an unearthly realm.
Dolphin Whisperer’s Dusky Deposition
Slumbering Sun // Starmony [May 9th, 2025 – Self Release]
Music is the closest thing we have to magic in this world. When a great song or a great album graces your ears, it’s a clean sweep to any combo the head, heart, and gyrating body. Such was the case with Lone Star Doomsters Slumbering Sun and their debut release The Ever-Living Fire back in 2023. With a fragile heart in one hand and a fat riff in the other, their take on the kind of sadboi doom you’d hear in bands like Warning or early Pallbearer struck me deep. On Starmony, much of the same elements return: growling bass underpinning stadium-sized riffs, Ozzy-like vocals that bustle with a modern emotion and charisma, and a posty playfulness that allows long-form compositions to swell and soar. The only trouble is that it takes a couple songs for Starmony to settle into that same form of riffed-out hypnosis, with the one-two intro of “Together Forever” and “Keep It a Secret” sounding like the middle drive of a live set rather than the start of an introspective journey. But with the violin-assisted weeping catharsis of “Midsommar Night’s Dream” and “Wanderlust,” the waltzing melody of “Danse Macabre,” and the Thin Lizzy-styled dueling leads of “The Tower,” Slumbering Sun again finds a monstrous groove in hopeful and hammering songcraft. And, of course, if you get a chance to catch this act live like I did, just a few days before The Dolphlet emerged, you’ll fall extra prey to the kinds of doomy incantations that Slumbering Sun conjures with their mystic-minded compositions. In fat riffs we trust, and in sorrowful hearts we linger.
Tyme’s Tragic Tones
Enterré Vivant // 悪罪 (Akuzaï) [May 26th, 2025 – Antiq]
Comprised of French multi-instrumentalist Erroiak and vocalist Sakrifiss—whose 25-year residency in Japan heavily influences the music—depressive black metallers Enterré Vivant’s3 third album, Akuzaï, blew me away. My DSBM bar was set long ago by Shining‘s unfuckwithable V: Halmstad, and yet Akuzaï has come along to give it a run for its money. Centered around 10 Buddhist sins, Akuzaï relates the experiences of Japanese civilians and victims during the Second World War. From the emotionally charged cover photo depicting a mother breastfeeding her newborn shortly after the bombing of Nagasaki,4 to the haunting interludes and shimmering, melancholic melodies within, Akuzaï melds traditional, tremolo-picked guitars and icy vocals ala Summoning and Emperor (“Sesshô,” “Shin’i”) with Moonsorrow-esque keys, Japanese-influenced flutes and violins, along with ghostly moaning howls to create its depressive atmospheres. Transitioning from the twisted croaks of interlude “Waraguchi,” album highlight “Jain” begins with mournful pianos and a pensive, tremolo-picked lead before crashing forth in waves of crushingly cascading chords and Sakrifiss’ tortured screams, its eight and a half minutes awash in black metal sadness. By the time the wails of a suffering child floated in around the seven-and-a-half-minute mark, my arms had broken out in goosebumps, and my heart was fucking broken. Offering yet another lens through which to view the torturous horrors of war, Akuzaï is harrowing, relentless, and not to be missed.
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