#reviews — Public Fediverse posts

It warms the heart to see that the allure of early At the Gates remains strong among the younger metal generation. England’s Xenith, a quartet made up of 20-somethings,1 cite early At the Gates and Opeth as inspirations for their debut album, To No Avail. While the Opeth inspiration isn’t nearly so obvious, clearly these guys have love for the thrashy melodeath that At the Gates play. It’s easy to see why young, hungry, passionate metal musicians would love them. Their relentless melodicism, playful riffs, and in-your-face vocals sound liberating for those who want to write catchy music with an edge rather than commercially-produced radio rock. With one EP under their belts in early 2025, Xenith quickly set to work expanding their repertoire with To No Avail, in the hopes they haven’t yet reached the zenith of their career.

There’s no doubting the At the Gates inspiration, as Xenith play a tenaciously melodic form of death metal that races forth with spunk and zip. Opener “Take Me Back Where I Belong” starts off with the sort of instrumental strumming that introduces In Flames’s “Moonshield” and Metallica’s “Fight Fire with Fire” and then dives into the exciting riffs and plucky energy played in those long-ago classics. Follow-up “Alone” carries the At the Gates mantle, starting off aggressively and serving as a much more tightly written and catchy composition. Vocalist Billy Hourigan has much in common with Bloodletter’s vocalist, Peter Carparelli—the punky shout of someone carrying a chip on his shoulder. It’s a confident, winning performance that brings a distinct personality to Xenith’s sound. Their songwriting culminates in the apex tune, “Arteries,” a mighty demonstration of their melodic riffcrafting, progressive tendencies, and creative instrumentals. The song packs a wallop and is alone worth the price of admission.

While I struggle to hear the Opeth influence, Xenith has a surprisingly progressive streak stemming from their tendency to go in instrumentally playful directions. This is evident on the opener, where they perhaps stick to the instrumental intro a touch too long, and even return to it later on. Xenith fill lengthy portions of many of their tracks with instrumental-only segments, showing off some fancy fretwork as well as solos on the likes of “Incite the Tragedy.” Even the closing minutes of “Arteries” go into instrumental mode, opting for some moody and creative drumming and tremolos before concluding on the highs of its melodic riffs. It’s clear these guys are bursting with ideas, and they’re able to successfully build them within songs without sacrificing coherence. In fact, it creates more rewarding repeat spins as you catch more nuances with each listen.

A few tunes step outside the melodeath box with mixed results. The most successful is “The Weight to Pretend,” which includes a distortion and lightness on the guitars that has an almost poppy, shoegaze character. It still has plenty of melody, but a distinctly different, almost happier vibe that makes for an interesting change of pace. The follow-up and finale, “Out of Contempt,” keeps some of this shoegaze character, yet what it plays is just not as interesting. Sure, there are some good riffs in the fold, but it just carries on too long at six minutes. The one track that doesn’t work is the bruising, awkward “Bludgeoned.” It nearly kills the record’s momentum following the fantastic “Alone” and lacks the hooks Xenith has in droves elsewhere. While 47 minutes is a decent length for what these guys do, trimming this song plus at least some of the last would give To No Avail a massive boost in energy and cohesion.

Those small issues aside, Xenith have proven a very fun and worthy addition to the melodeath canon. To No Avail is a very promising debut that hopefully foretells good things for these youths. These songs demonstrate impressive musicianship and songwriting as well as a willingness to do some things outside of the box. With a little more consistency combined with their knack for experimentation, the next album these guys record could be something great.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: August 28th, 2026

What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 152

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching.

Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Focus on Kevin McHale – It has been more than thirty years since Kevin McHale retired from the NBA. McHale was one of the premier power forwards of the NBA in 1980s and even though he won the Sixth Man Award and three NBA championships with Celtics (he formed the nucleus with Larry Bird and Robert Parish), he has been overlooked in discussions about the most notable power forwards of the league. McHale was also declared as one of the greatest NBA players ever. That said, now is a good time to revisit NBA history with focus on McHale and what he achieved.

https://youtu.be/FAEf73XOaYc?si=kgnxJghtEyKhQpqk

#2 NiGHTS into Dreams…revisited – Way back in 1996, Sega released NiGHTS into Dreams… which was a very ambitious Sega Saturn video game made by the same key creators behind the popular Sonic games on Sega Genesis. Back in the old days, Sega was in a bind as it faced tough competition from Nintendo and Sony. That said, the company really had to make an exclusive game that is of very high quality, fun-filled gameplay and ambitious creative designs. That said, I encourage you all to watch the retrospective video about NiGHTS into Dreams… below.

https://youtu.be/18kh1M-2Dw8?si=a9M6DG4HW-9O0pfM

#3 Ashleigh Burton reacts to The Animatrix – When it comes to entertainment in the year of 2003, The Matrix entertainment franchise really left its mark with the two hyped sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions but also with the video game Enter The Matrix and the animated anthology The Animatrix. Released between the two live-action movies, The Animatrix featured several animated short stories of the Matrix universe done by different creators and each had different styles of art and visual concepts. The Animatrix also was designed to expand and explain the lore that delighted the fans while helping newcomers get oriented efficiently. As of this writing, there are several YouTube reaction videos about The Animatrix and the one that entertained me the most was that of Ashleigh Burton. Go watch her reaction video below.

https://youtu.be/V-PupQe57ic?si=5adM7TKKyGjCZ-In

#4 Japan opposes Islamic immigration – Let us be very clear here. Massive Islamic immigration is causing a lot of trouble in countries that accepted it. In Japan there is an obvious rise of criminal acts, public nuisance and other forms of problems caused by Islamist foreigners there. There were already rape acts committed by Pakistani men, a dumping of garbage committed by a man from Turkey and more. It is also obvious that the Muslim foreigners in Japan have no respect for Japanese culture, rules and social norms. As such, the Japanese opposition against the Islamist foreigners is real and only growing. Watch and learn from the video below.

https://youtu.be/–c72np5F6c?si=AIZ7rsKN7iTBwAgD

#5 You, Me and the Movies react to Alligator (1980) – As a very young boy, I saw the 1980 film Alligator on a rented Betamax tape. I saw it alone during my first viewing, and later got a few friends to watch it with me on my second viewing. Alligator was one of those monster movies (AKA creature features) inspired by Steven Spielberg’s Jaws as several movie producers hoped to cash-in on the 1975 film’s popularity and the box office trends of the time. Alligator has its own charm and entertainment value, and you can discover more by watching the reaction video of You, Me and the Movies below.

https://youtu.be/uvPXSuJS4AI?si=ZMmUuJW2esd8P5It

#6 Woke WNBA Slammed by NBA Legends – When the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) first launched in 1997, there was excitement and hope for the development of women competing in professional basketball. Today, the WNBA remains an enduring financial failure as it never came close to the NBA in terms of mainstream importance. Worse, the WNBA has turned woke and it is very accepting towards biological males who identified themselves as women. The transgender and social justice diseases are deep in the minds of the people leading the WNBA which led to the growing madness. Recently, the WNBA’s hypocrisy has been exposed and already there were NBA legends who expressed their opinions against the screwed-up league. Watch and learn from the video below.

https://youtu.be/1a35uWCuoKo?si=1lVlDH14fkhsoiRH

#7 Premium Corn Craze in Japan – Have you ever tasted corn imported from Japan? The Japanese love corn and the harvesting of corn in their country is a significant industry on its own. As such, it is not surprising that the selling of corn sourced directly from local farmers is highly pursued by locals. Japan also has several varieties of corn ensuring consumers with different tastes have something to enjoy. Watch and learn from the video below.

https://youtu.be/CnvQ3ZlM5J8?si=t5UGbVhQ-eIG9Z2L

#8 1980s Cartoons Revisited – The way my life turned out, the 1980s will always be the most memorable decade of cartoon series (note: anime is exempted, including those that got translated for the West). The 1980s is the very decade that has significant cartoon titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Transformers, and so much more. The said decade also has its share of other animated series that failed to attract a massive audience and ended up being obscured and forgotten. To enjoy the nostalgia of 1980s cartoons, watch the videos below.

https://youtu.be/P0hoTVF1zeQ?si=x53iA_UJoEvjwtX8

https://youtu.be/vHsbZDneAX4?si=TjYYF-sETHtkKgKf

https://youtu.be/fiyl5EEzfeY?si=5MOwqRLF6CBA3rWN

https://youtu.be/nlfMjyXiAnw?si=_Jzdr9m1lxZt8FD8

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Julia and Jane have been married to their boring husbands for five years. When they each receive word that a former lover will be in town, the excitement begins. "The acting and directing are terrific, the set is stunning and the costumes thrill," raves Gene Kahane. Photos by Grizzly De Haro. https://alamedapost.com/features/arts/fallen-angels-is-full-of-gossip-giggles-and-glitter/

#alameda #AltarenaPlayhouse #reviews #theater

Big Bad IV Review: In CRIME HUNTER 2: BULLETS OF BETRAYAL, The Hunter Becomes The Hunted In Shundo Okawa’s Explosive V-Cinema Sequel https://filmcombatsyndicate.com/crime-hunter-2-bullets-of-betrayal-big-bad-film-fest-2026-movie-review/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #FestivalsAndEvents #RetroReviews #Reviews

We just found out Grab has a Women Only Ride option: Here’s what you girls need to know #apps #ehailingmalaysia #grab #grabcar #grabmalaysia #grabwomenonlyrides #opinions #reviews #womenonlyridesbeta

https://soyacincau.com/2026/08/25/grab-women-only-rides-option/

For a band you’ve most likely not heard of before, Shabti sports a remarkably intriguing pedigree (at least for my tastes). You see, Shabti is comprised of members from Falls of Rauros, Obsidian Tongue, Fires in the Distance, and even live Panopticon performers. These aforementioned names will likely ignite the interest of fellow atmo-black lovers as they did to me. Instead, annihilate those puny expectations, for Shabti is actually an amalgamation of proggy, techy, blackened death, much to my surprise. Surprise, but not chagrin – the pre-release single “Rise of the Shabti” got me sufficiently excited, and I trust the weathered musicians of Shabti to deliver something great on the enigmatically titled Haze, Cacophony, and White Light.

Shabti wastes no time playing their hand, coming out the gates of “Ambrosia and Lambs Blood” sprinting at full speed. It’s immediately clear that Haze, Cacophony, and White Light leans eagerly into its prog aspects, often reminding me of Neuraxis in a way I genuinely struggle to justify. Riffs barrel on by, connected by endless, labyrinthine little guitar and drum fills. Shabti likes to teeter their music right on the edge of weird, with slippery compositions and a flirtatious attitude towards dissonance, though I’d say it never quite takes the full plunge. Furthermore, the album just sounds excellent; the performances are snappy all across the board, and the sound mixing is crisp and clear. I particularly enjoy the sound of the guitars; they have a swinging weight heard especially well in the riffs of “Rise of the Shabti.” By all measures, the sonic ingredients of a good album are here.

Sadly, it never quite comes together into a memorable, exciting album. The song structure is loose in a way that there’s never really a satisfying build or climax, and few riffs ever stand out in my memory for longer than a song’s duration. Outside of the noteworthy, pleasant gallop in the latter half of “Blood for a Blessing,” if you threw me anywhere between the opening “Ambrosia and Lambs Blood” and “Haze, Cacophony, and White Light,” I don’t think I could identify which song it was. The funny thing is that very little stands out as actually bad; it’s just that nothing ever quite coalesces. In a vacuum, I can appreciate the guitar work in “Ambrosia and Lambs Blood,” and I appreciate the harmonic play that closes the title track, but there ever remains little identifiable direction or momentum. Well, in that regard it’s worth mentioning the nearly 10-minute “A Weary Creation”; it’s notably more structured and loops back into its earlier ideas, but there’s not enough strong material to justify the runtime, and the song approaches being unpleasant.

Still, there are some exceptions. The penultimate “Sojourner” is pretty solid, with some stronger melodic focus, and the closer “Rise of the Shabti” is easily the album’s best. It employs refreshingly chunky riff-work without sacrificing the structural weirdness, and is always the song I’m most excited for. I’ll remind you that “Rise of the Shabti” is what got me so excited for the album in the first place, and I do wish Shabti leaned just a little more in that direction for their next album. The strong final stretch ensures the album never ends on a truly sour note, and to the album’s credit, Haze, Cacophony, and White Light clocks in at just around a clean 40 minutes.

Haze, Cacophony, and White Light is complex, undeniably so. But even as the winding path the album takes became clear across my usual slew of endless replays, the album refused to click. It’s eccentric enough to avoid actual boredom, but too aimless to inspire excitement. It’s clear that there’s a ton of solid ideas behind Shabti that work well enough in a vacuum, but just never quite seem to congeal together in the right way. Nevertheless, Shabti are no hacks, and if my words have made you curious, then I do encourage you to check it out at least.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps
Label: Contemn Light
Websites: facebook | bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: August 21st, 2026

Optoma GT2400HDR Review: Ace Projector for Golf Simulation

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/review/optoma-gt2400hdr/

Com2uS Holdings’ ‘Lone Chef’ to Attend Gamescom 2026, the World’s Largest Gaming Exhibition https://www.diningandcooking.com/chefs/3885/ #Chef #Discussions #Entertainments #Esports #Guides #interview #LeagueOfLegends #Lol #Mobile #news #Overwatch #PC #Previews #PS4 #Reviews #Strategies #Trailers #Videos #Walkthroughs #XboxOne

This is an SF cloning story, Jurassic Park for the Founding Fathers, with all the creepiness that implies. #books #reviews #bookstodon #sciencefiction #history

https://www.redheadedfemme.com/2026/08/review-foundling-fathers.html

NŌHRI: Japanese-Peruvian Handroll Bar in Chinatown https://www.diningandcooking.com/restaurants/15200/ #Culinary #dining #DiningReview #Food&Drink #Food&DrinkTrends #JapaneseRestaurant #JapaneseRestaurants #reviews

Today in Music History

https://musicwayatx.com/2026/08/24/today-in-music-history-18/

Me and Atomic Aggressor go back a ways. I remember back in college, I somehow ended up in possession of their 2008 compilation Rise of the Ancient Ones, a raw and savage collection of songs that essentially comprised what was then the entire discography of this cult Chilean death metal band. Sadly, featured works like their apparently infamous 1989 demo Bloody Ceremonial proved too barbaric and unpolished for someone just starting to explore the extreme metal underground, and I ended up shelving the CD until well after I sprouted my first gray hair. As such, I spent most of their set at the 2016 Hells Headbash taking a nap on a barstool, and I entirely missed that Hells Headbangers put out the band’s long-awaited full-length debut, Sights of Suffering, in 2014. When I finally discovered Suffering a few years after its release, I realized just how much I’d been missing out. That record was an absolute banger of a death metal album that combined an olde-school ethos with a potent production job and an air of archaic, Lovecraftian mystery. After 2019’s solid Invoking the Primal Chaos EP, this Chilean death troupe are now finally back with their second album, The Occult Forces.

As one might expect from a band over four decades into their career, little has changed stylistically from Atomic Aggressor’s past works. While the group’s “nuclear warfare” moniker suggests something that’s war metal adjacent, in actuality the band play the type of ancient, thrash-infused death metal that treads the same dank corridors as Sadistic Intent and their Peruvian peers in Mortem. Songs barrel forward on crunchy and galloping riffs that often morph into sinister and shadowy tremolos before bursting into bouts of wild and surprisingly adept solos. All the while, vocalist and bassist Alejandro Díaz delivers a demonic and raspy growl that hasn’t lost a bit of intensity over the years. This is clearly a group that was forged in the fires of the 80s and maintains those influences proudly, with the blood of early Morbid Angel oozing from every orifice of these eight songs. “Forms from the Occult,” in particular, combines slithering and belligerent chords in a way that sounds like a lost cut from Blessed Are the Sick. Likewise, some riffs in “Evil from Beneath” sound like they were conjured from the same black ritual that gave us “Damnation” from Altars of Madness.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the band excel on The Occult Forces not by pushing the envelope, but by nailing the execution of their chosen sound. From Alejandro’s vocals to the relentless riffs of founding guitarist Enrique Zúñiga and fellow axe-slingerJulio Bórquez, the group sound downright invigorated throughout these 43 minutes. This is particularly apparent on the opener, “Souls Degradation,” which careens forward with spunkier and jumpier riffs than I ever recall hearing from the band. Other songs further differentiate themselves from the past. The aforementioned “Evil from Beneath” features some surprisingly melodic ideas that faintly recall old At the Gates, while “Dwellers of the Unknown” combines hostile riffs with a recurring, cinematic motif and a brief, ghastly midsection of particularly raspy vocals. Through it all, the production once again remains clear and powerful without sacrificing any of the band’s otherworldly mystique.

The biggest quibble here is that, at times, Atomic Aggressor seem a little too comfortable. The band never get particularly fast or slow and instead charge forth at a similar tempo throughout, even though a doomy segment here and there would have gone a long way. Likewise, many of these songs feel somewhat labyrinthine in construction and are thus fun to explore but don’t always immediately embed their hooks into your flesh. Fortunately, aside from the redundant-sounding (and strangely-titled) “Divided to Conceived,” every song crafts its own wicked identity, and each track is absolutely littered with manic guitar leads. This is no more true than on the closer, “Tormenting Voices,” which strikes with especially aggressive riffing and a series of dueling solos that close the album in grand fashion.

Given the band’s age and slow release rate, I’m not sure if we’ll ever see another record from Atomic Aggressor. While that’d be a huge bummer, The Occult Forces would certainly be a worthy swansong. This is a record that proudly wears the cracked leather jacket of the oldest of old school death metal, an album that steadfastly waves the banner of South American extreme metal while offering exactly the sort of thrashing, no-frills death metal that this world needs far more of.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Websites: atomicaggressor.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/atomicaggressor
Releases Worldwide: August 28th, 2026

Big Bad IV: In MATCH MONDE, An Amiably Entertaining Japanese Brawler https://filmcombatsyndicate.com/match-monde-big-bad-film-fest-2026-movie-review/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #FestivalsAndEvents #Reviews #bigbadfilmfest2026

‘Small Things’ Review: Zvonimir Jurić’s Island-Set Chamber Drama Unfolds a Quietly Devastating Family Reunion
#Variety #Reviews #JurajLerotic #SarajevoFilmFestival #SmallThings #ZvonimirJuric

https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/small-things-review-1236841495/

Streaming Sleepers: In GAME OF DEATH: THE SIX DOORS TO HELL, Timo Rose’s Dystopian, Blunt Force Action Horror Nod Unamuses https://filmcombatsyndicate.com/game-of-death-the-six-doors-to-hell-movie-review/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #Reviews #StreamingSleepers #davidruessel

Birdfy Nest Duo Review: My Own Private Nature Documentary

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/review/birdfy-nest-duo/

There is genius that insists upon itself, and then there is genius that does a striptease. Hold these opposing poles in mind as you consider Night of the Jick Beast, the album of improvised goblin metal by Rushadicus. Here are eighteen tracks of experimental cello, composed on the evening of March 9, 2026 and recorded between the hours of six and eight pm. For instruments, we have a cello, two (2) kazoos, a viola, a guitar, and some flutes. The vocals spew forth in the nonsense goblin language of Sneth. Some tracks come in at a minute or less (opener “Portal to Eelsgard,” “Brokbath”). Others, like album centerpiece “Three Headed Jick Beast,” are nearly six minutes. So what is going on here–does Night of the Jick Beast blow your doors off with its brilliance right away, or is it the sort of thing that takes years or even generations to flower?

We may need to broaden our conception of genius. I listened closely to Night of the Jick Beast, and neither of the above definitions seems to apply. This leaves open the possibility that there is a third, as yet unconsidered, framework for appreciating the work of Rushadicus. Sole member Rushad Eggleston works within a tradition of provocation. His songs recall the open mic antics of anti-comedians like Neil Hamburger or The Purple Organ. This is music as an endurance test, with rules and standards that are private to the creator. The cello-and-kazoo attack of “Gargoyles Converge at the Pentaglyph” yields to the flute digressions of “Two Headed Fifing Faun.” It all feels like you’re being punished to no good end, but that is just the quitter in you. How do you get your eyes wide open enough to see the elephant that is Night of the Jick Beast?

Drugs and alcohol might be the answer. The energy unleashed by mind-altering substances fuels the creation and appreciation of art. This is the school of thought that asks us to prize the sweat equity of the artist, to treasure the endless sheet of paper that fed Jack Kerouac’s typewriter while he wrote On the Road as if that paper were the novel itself.1 Unfortunately, even this definition of genius fails to unlock the charms of Night of the Jick Beast. There’s kinetic force to spare in tracks like “Gravity vs Goblinity” and “Septupulary Imp Romp,” but it’s the kind you cross the street to avoid. Sometimes mania is just a halfway point between the meth pipe and the morgue.

I’m almost out of ideas for how to get at this thing, but I’m not out of paragraphs yet. I must go on. I can’t go on. I’ll go on–oh, hey, wait a minute! Let’s take a cue from existentialism and say all action is meaningless. So why not spend a decade honing a style called Sneth Metal or Blark Metal, one that relies on a rapid ricochet bowing technique called “the bounce?” It’s as good as doing anything else! The meaning might lie in summoning the will to act at all. This suggests that we use our now-enlightened ears to take another listen to “Spires of Gnistromé.” Here Rushadicus conjures up a black metal atmosphere by skillful use of the bounce. Could this track be the key to appreciating Night of the Jick Beast… ?

I failed to get to “yes.” And while the end of the review approaches, the struggle to esteem Night of the Jick Beast is just beginning. Until the truth comes along, I have no choice but to score this record with the ears and brain that came factory installed. Rushadicus seems like a good-hearted guy, and I am impressed with the isometric strength it takes for him to hold a horse pose while playing the cello and a kazoo at the same time. The actual music, however, is an irritating imposition on your time. To listen to Night of the Jick Beast is to submit yourself to a grueling gauntlet that rivals the 12 Labors of Hercules. That’s just a temporary assessment, though. If you happen by these crossroads again, I’ll be right here where you left me.

Rating: 0.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Release
Websites: rushadicus.bandcamp.com|rushadicus.com
Releases Worldwide: August 24, 2026

I don't know if "Revisit" is a #YouTube genre, but the "Only Desi" channel has revisits of #Bollywood #movies with supremely funny roasts. You do need decent familiarity with that movie industry, and India in general, to get full mileage.

Recommend 10/10.

https://youtu.be/eC8_T3ZYfBI

#entertainment #reviews #comedy

Foo Fighters and Gustavo Dudamel Blow Up the Hollywood Bowl as Conductor Blows Out the Candle on His Time With the LA Phil: Concert Review
#Variety #ConcertReviews #News #Reviews #DaveGrohl #FooFighters #GustavoDudamel #HollywoodBowl #LaPhil #LAPhilharmonic

https://variety.com/2026/music/concert-reviews/foo-fighters-hollywood-bowl-gustavo-dudamel-concert-review-1236841090/

ReStory review: A casual day at the shop
The nostalgia gadget business is booming
https://www.sidequesting.com/2026/08/restory-review-a-casual-day-at-the-shop/
#Reviews #indie #Japan #ReStory #Review #steam #Tokyo

‘Boorman and the Devil’ Review: The Making of John Boorman’s 1977 Disaster ‘Exorcist II: The Heretic’ Becomes a Documentary So Unbelievable It’s Funny
#Variety #Reviews #BoormanandtheDevil #ExorcistIITheHeretic #JohnBoorman

https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/boorman-and-the-devil-review-exorcist-ii-the-heretic-1236841140/

#Watching MOTHER MARY

The most polarizing of the 30 Anne Hathaway releases this year...from the director of...Pete's Dragon.

https://letterboxd.com/noeljpenaflor/film/mother-mary-2026/

#Movies #movie #cinema #cinemastodon #Film #films #filmmastodon #reviews #filmreviews #moviereviews #letterboxd #letterboxdfriday

Imprinted Image: Is Marvel’s “Midnight” Line Making Plans Before It Turns Into a Pumpkin?

Comics Link Roundup August 23

As I was assembling this newsletter, a news item crossed my feed. Marvel is already in discussions for more “Midnight” series beyond the initial three, even before they launch. For those of you that don’t know, Midnight is a new Marvel publishing initiative seemingly designed to capture some of the hype around DC’s Absolute universe. Midnight takes some of the core Marvel characters and reimagines them in a more horror context (The X-Men are half vampires and half vampire hunters, Spider-Man is a body horror experiment gone wrong, and the Fantastic Four are…seemingly also a body horror experiment gone wrong.) Initially planned for each to debut a month apart, Marvel then changed their plans to have all three debut on October 7 at midnight, just in time for Halloween. Not only that, but there would be no other Marvel comics published that day.

Marvel seems to need this to work. For the first time in decades, Marvel is consistenly underselling DC. Although their new Editor in Chief Stephen Wacker most likely inherited this plan from the previous admin, I have to assume he was involved in some of these new changes, like the Midnght release date and the new variant cover program Marvel is launching alongside the universe. Hickman is bringing back data pages for Midnight. While I’m sure the primary Marvel universe is still hoping for success following their summer Armageddon event, Midnight is their moonshot to building off of the now-ended Ultimate 2niverse and reclaiming their momentum as a publisher.

Here’s the problem: I don’t know if the midnight books are going to be any good. Don’t get me wrong; I am excited for Jonathan Hickman to write more X-Men comics, even in an alternate universe. I am but mortal. I think Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s Spider-Man’s take could be interesting, like SPIDER-MAN 2099 but less cyberpunk and more THE FLY. Benjamin Percy’s Fantastic Four…sure, maybe that take could be interesting too. But there are a number of things that have me unsure of just how this will play out.

The first comes from a comparison to Absolute. One of the defining traits of the Absolute Universe, and one of the reasons for its success in my opinion, is the use of top-tier artists. Absolute has many killer writers, to be sure. But when you think of ABSOLUTE BATMAN, you think of Nick Dragotta’s ridiculous proportions and manga-influenced panelings. Similarly, ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN wouldn’t be the same without Hayden Sherman’s intricate panelings and ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER needs Javier Rodriguez’s trippy pop art to work the way it does. These were all exciting choices that both built anticipation before release and delivered on their promise.

I’m not saying that the artists announced for Midnight are not good at their jobs. I’m simply saying that I’ve never really heard of them. They aren’t artists just about to tip into superstardom, other than maybe Kev Walker. Compare even to the Ultimate 2niverse that had Marco Chechetto and Peach Momoko on art duties and you can see what I mean.

Secondarily, I think the “horror” tint has the potential to silo Midnight. Instead of doing what Absolute did, re-examining what made various characters interesting and rebuilding them from the ground up, Midnight feels distinctly alt-universe. This feels more akin to SPIDER-MAN NOIR than Absolute or either of the prior Ultimate lines. It feels like something that has a built-in expiration date of 2 years and not something that can take over the industry.

All that to say, this is a lot of caterwauling before any of the issues come out. I will be checking out all three when they come out, thought I don’t think I’ll be hitting up any midnight releases. I have a normal job to be awake for. Marvel can quell all of my doubts by putting out quality comics. Here’s hoping that’s what they do.

Anyways.

Welcome to Imprinted Image, my comics newsletter. If this is your first time, welcome! This is the best way to keep up with my comics blog. After links to my most recent writing, I’ll provide a roundup of comics industry links. This can be news, media, criticism, or anything that I personally found interesting.

Please don’t forget about the resources tab on this website. It’s a collection of reading guides, tutorials, and free legal resources like public domain image archives. I want this to be as useful as possible, so if you have any additions please send them my way.

I made a comic! It’s a two-page mini-zine, and you can read it for free here. But! If you would like a cool print version mailed you, there are two ways you can do that. Either support me on Patreon to get this and any future physical media I do, or buy it on Ko-fi for as low as $ 1.

I also have a behind the scenes video previewing the physical mini-comic, as well as some behind-the-scenes information on my inspiration.

https://youtu.be/C1938iMGzOc

Divining Comics is sponsored by readers like you

I have a Patreon! For as little as $3 a month, you can keep the lights on at this blog and get your name at the bottom of every article. At higher tiers, you can vote in monthly Patreon polls and more! Anything you can offer means the world to me, and I cherish all my supporters.

Comics Challenge YouTube

I designed and am participating in a comics challenge this year, alongside some friends in the My Marvelous Year community. I have picked 52 comics from 52 categories, shown below. I’d love for you to participate and comment along as you are reading! Note that on this list, categories that match with episodes from the Extra Issues podcast.

I decided to create a YouTube documenting my reading journey!

This last week, I read THE INCAL by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius for a wide-ranging conversation with my pal Josh about science fiction, magic, and the next phase of human consciousness.

https://youtu.be/tQVJBQXm3AU?si=Sk8D-ryuRaOT1pUw

I’ve also been doing little shorts where I poorly read a scene I liked from these comics. I guess shortform video gets juiced in the algorithm because they have been blowing up. You can check out the playlist of them here.

It would mean the world to me if, in addition to watching this video, you subscribed to my channel and gave the video a like. No one knows exactly how the black box of social media algorithms work, but I do know that if you interact with the video in different ways, YouTube might show it to more people who would be interested. The other easy way you can help is by sharing this video with a comic fan in your life!

Link Roundup

News:

HarperCollins, making manga moves
One of the “Big Five” publishers, HarperCollins has purchased the French manga publisher KAZÉ and will transition it to being an imprint that publishes manga, manwha, manhua, and more in the European and US markets. Will manga ever hit a ceiling in the US markets? Not yet, it seems.

Have you heard of “Lettrism” before?
The Comics Journal has a cool writeup of an installation at the Center for Book Arts in Manhattan called “Rewriting the World: Isidore Isou and the Lettrist Book.” Lettrism was an avant-garde French poetic movement that used something akin to what we would today call comics to create a “hypergraphic” novel. I love looking at comics that aren’t comics.

Diamond Bankruptcy Saga Update
There are two pieces of news with the fallout of Diamond declaring bankruptcy almost two years ago now. First, over 1300 creditors are receiving mailouts explaining how they can reclaim some of the consigned inventory that the new owners of Diamond tried to sell. Second, Diamond and Alliance, who sued Diamond over alleged fraud during their attempted purchase, agreed to extend the timeline for their suit because of the lengthy discovery process. The bureaucracy of the law moves slowly.

Crowdfunding
The Comics Beat has a roundup of crowdfunded comics projects you may want to back.

Other News Roundups:

Comics Beat’s biweekly Digest: 8/18. 8/21.
The Comics Journal’s This Week’s Links: 8/21.

Writing:

SKTCHD posted a conversation with critic Oliver Sava on the comic GIGS by Mark Mosedale and Si Smith.

My favorite video and podcasts:

Podcasts:

OFF PANEL had on Terry Moore to discuss his past work on STRANGERS IN PARADISE being omnibized and his future kickstarter called PANDORA’S BOX.

LET’S TALK COMICS had on Darcy Van Poelgeest and Ian Bertram to discuss their upcoming comic THE KARMAN BLADE, as well as Che Greyson to talk EXQUISITE CORPSES: THE FOX MASK KILLER.

MY MARVELOUS YEAR posted 2015 pt. 1: Angela, Ants, & Squirrel Girl. Their sister podcast, EXTRA ISSUES, posted their episode on THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SCROOGE MCDUCK to the public feed and part 2 of their HELLBOY series behind the 6-month patreon delay paywall.

Youtubes:

COMICTROPES posted a fascinating video on the theft of Marvel original art from Kirby, Ditko, and their peers. Seriously, pieces that together would be worth collective millions and perhaps tens of millions today just so happened to go “missing” from the Marvel archives before later being sold.

SKTCHD posted the August installment of his Chip Chat series, where he talks with Chip Zdarsky once a month every month of 2026.

On his second channel, MATTTTTTTT published a look at an old Iron Man / Doctor Doom crossover comic and a review of ULTIMATE MANGA TECHNIQUES, a book by Kazuhiko Torishima, the editor of DRAGON BALL and one-time Editor in Chief of Shonen Jump Magazine.

• WordPress
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

Divining Comics is brought to you by generous support from the “Best Friends of Divining Comics,” Alex Seubert and Dustin Commet.

Divining Comics is also brought to you by the support of the “Friends of Divining Comics,” Comic Book Herald.

If you would like to add your name to the list of friends, best friends, or best friends forever, support this work for less than the cost of one cup of coffee a month at patreon.com/diviningcomics. You can also leave a one-time tip/buy my zines at ko-fi.com/spikestonehand. Follow me on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky and share my posts there.

REVIEW | The Lord of the Rings: War in the North – Legacy Edition

El olvidado Action RPG de 2011 regresa con mejoras visuales, novedades jugables y cooperativo. ¿Sigue siendo tan divertido como antes? Analizamos esta nueva edición.

➡️+INFO | https://vidas-infinitas.com/2026/08/23/review-the-lord-of-the-rings-war-in-the-north-legacy-edition-nintendo-switch-2/

#VidasInfinitas #Noticias #Gaming #ElSeñorDeLosAnillos #Reviews

A Look Back at X-Men 2099 #6 (1994)

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back, superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts, X-Men fans and comic book collectors! Today we revisit the Marvel Comics shared universe to examine one of the many tales of the X-Men 2099 monthly series.  

In late-1993, Marvel Comics published the Fall of the Hammer crossover storyline highlighting the major figures of Marvel 2099 and the X-Men members involved were only Skullfire, Krystalin, Bloodhawk and Meanstreak. As told in Ravage 2099 #15, the said X-Men members made it to Valhalla with Ravage. After the events of Fall of the Hammer, the four X-Men members survived and eventually started traveling all the way back West in America to rejoin the rest of the team.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at X-Men 2099 #6, published by Marvel Comics in 1994 with a story written by John Francis Moore and drawn by Ron Lim.

Early story

The story begins in Arizona when two fully armed personnel wearing suits of armor search for a monster-like mutant who tries to hide. The mutant is named Dominic and he eventually got corned by the two armored figures. As he is about to get shot, one of the armored guys got pushed by force somehow. The next moment, a gang of mutants called the Freakshow appears.

In the southern part of Nevada, Skullfire, Bloodhawk, Krystalin and Meanstreak travel in an aircraft going back to Xi’an and the rest of their teammates. As Bloodhawk jumps of after saying goodbye, Skullfire jumps off as well in a suicidal manner. He eventually grabs Bloodhawk by the ankle. Back at the aircraft, Krystalin and Meanstreak shared their respective observations about Skullfire’s sudden change of personality since the psychic vampire Luna messed with him… 

Quality

The script of this comic book was finely crafted by John Francis Moore and it is amazing how efficient he got the X-Men team back (after Skullfire, Krystalin, Meanstreak returned) on track while ensuring a good amount of depth as reflected in the dynamics between the team members as the story went on. The storytelling felt natural and really believable.

Along the way, this comic book shed light on team leader Xi’an and the threads of the past that came back to haunt to him. This instantly added a new layer of development on Xi’an which established an element of uncertainty on the future of the X-Men under him (and his personal struggles). That said, Xi’an does not have the rock-solid stability of Professor X (Charles Xavier) which will remind readers how different the X-Men of 2099 are from the classic X-Men.

The X-Men are on the search for a mutant called Hurricane who has been active on resisting the corporations’ control on the nation and has long emphasized liberty and self-control on personal living. Historically, Hurricane led a part of the Underground Railroad which carried mutants to safe haven during a time of terror and fear. That said, X-Men’s search has a heavy purpose and the challenges they faced here is gripping and intriguing to follow. I should also state that Ron Lim’s delivery of dynamic action is really good to look at.

Conclusion

X-Men 2099 #6 (1994) is both a solid follow-up to the events of the Fall of the Hammer storyline and also a fine portrayal of how the team works under Xi’an’s leadership. More notably, it pushed the narrative of the series forward and gave us readers an in-depth exploration of the isolated places of America’s southwestern region in 2099 which is a sharp contrast to that era’s New York City dominated by Alchemax. More notably, this comic book implemented renewed focus on the state of mutants who have been living in fear, danger and uncertainty in America of 2099 which connects directly with the purpose of the X-Men as a team.

Overall, X-Men 2099 #6 is recommended. (1994)

+++++

Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.

Storming out of Raleigh, North Carolina, Deceptor rebukes every vestige of modernity on debut Reign of Terror, firmly planting their flag in the glorious days of yore. According to their promotional literature, those days span between 1988 and 1992, and damned if these tunes don’t sound like they’ve been unearthed and freed from the clutches of a class of ’91 time capsule. Bolt Thrower and Sodom Reign supreme in defining Deceptor’s bygone blend of death and thrash, although several others creep in as well. It’s a compelling concoction, and one that slugs ‘n’ chugs with a fat-free runtime and thunderous moments. Given their remorseless allegiance to the olde school, does Deceptor coronate a Reign of Terror, or leave listeners asking for a Reign check?

Throughout Reign of Terror, Deceptor channels the blood ‘n’ guts of decades past to chisel out an uncompromising slab of deathrash. “Red Dawn” inaugurates the album with a beefy build that reminds me of S.O.D.’s “March of the S.O.D.” before “Human Cavity” starts the party proper. Its mid-paced chugs recall relative newcomers Power Trip and Enforced, although the vocals sit somewhere between Karl Willetts and Tom Angelripper. The solo from “Human Cavity” is classic thrash, though, like if Anthrax stripped a Megadeth lead to its core and discarded the flamboyance for maximum killdozing efficiency. And speaking of ‘Thrax, “Whammer” showcases the bouncy, chaotic riffs I associate with their best 80s material. Meanwhile, “Firing Squad” elicits early Kreator and Dismember,1 “Street General” wields primitive Sepultura vibes, and throughout Reign of Terror Bolt Thrower, Sodom, and Entombed2 provide bases for ample comparisons. As you might expect from a sound so rooted in the past, touchstones abound.

Considering the calls to so many legendary bands, Deceptor acquits themselves well with their performances. The one that stands out the most to me is drummer Andrew Harper’s relentless battery, which adds a wicked charge to Reign of Terror’s brutal regime. From “Fog of War”’s sinister double bass rolls to “Join or Die”’s tireless bombardment, Harper supplies a fantastic and invigorating outing. Preston Lanier’s guitars likewise impress, from the recklessly unrestrained Slayer shredding on “Join or Die” to the 80s Razor and Destruction riffage of “Whammer.” It’s not all thrash, though, as Lanier also conjures early Entombed on “Fog of War” and even Grave with “Combat Patrol” and “Street General.” Vocalist/bassist Gabe Earley rounds out the trio, unleashing a subtle bass performance as he rips and barks with effective command. And emphasis on subtle here, as no moment stands out where the bass is front and center. I can pick it out more often than not when I listen for it, but fortifying the bass tone with a deeper, richer presence would add a welcome depth and help the performance stand apart.

As you might expect given the framework for Deceptor’s mission, Reign of Terror stays trve through its entirety. Appreciators of the style will no doubt find it a nostalgic romp through time as Deceptor brings the past to life, yet being steadfast in the commitment to recreating metal’s salad days limits their ability to carve out an original voice. The track sequencing also turns awkward, with the three shortest tracks slotted into the three-four-five spots. Although the songs flow well enough, this compresses the front half of the album and, by comparison, the back half drags artificially despite Reign of Terror’s lean runtime. Pulling some of the latter tracks earlier into the album would alleviate this accordion effect and offer a more balanced experience.

All told, Deceptor’s Reign of Terror invokes an adrenaline-fueled, bare-knuckled era of thrash and death metal that proves potent all these years later. In particular, the album’s production whisks me away to the late 80s with its retro grit and considered mix, allowing drums, guitars, and vocals to share the spotlight at the right times. Deceptor harbors tons of talent and possesses a clear vision for the Reign of Terror they’re destined to unleash. If these ruffians can find a way to harmonize their inspirations with their own voice, Deceptor’s next outing could be an unholy smash. Until then, I’m content to revisit this debut and let Terror reign o’er me.

Rating: Good!
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: August 21st, 2026

Asus ROG Swift RGB Stripe OLED Review: Clarity King

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.wired.com/review/asus-rog-swift-rgb-stripe-oled-pg27ucwm/