The rhythm of life

[squeen]

It's not as deary as it sounds.

Although I've recently been accused by Malrex of overstepping my bounds by playing internet doctor...in the spirit of life's comradery I'll risk offering you this quote and a few thoughts:

“In religion, as in war and everything else, comfort is the one thing you cannot get by looking for it. If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth -- only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair.”

For me, recognizing my selfish desires and habits---and trying to let go of them---was a first step to finding some peace of mind. Moving from a desire to reshape reality to my own liking, and instead reminding myself to be thankful for what is was another. I do believe love is real --- but it's something you feel for others...not a commodity you receive.

TS's quote is right on. So is EOTB's. So it Prince's. You've got to surrender. As Dylan sang: "You gotta serve somebody."

Beyond that I'm as clueless (or more so) than the next fellow. Despite all our self-assumed cleverness and pride, it's the proverbial mid-life crisis, arriving right on schedule. Hang in there amigo.

 

[The Heretic]

TS's quote is right on. So is EOTB's. So it Prince's. You've got to surrender. As Dylan sang: "You gotta serve somebody."

Surrender you say?

(all those screaming Japanese girls in the audience should be able to cheer anyone up)

 

[bryce0lynch]

I parry with the drummer from Trio!

One must imagine Sisyphus as happy.

Devoid of meaning, the pursuit of meaning is all we have

 

[PrinceofNothing]

A serenade to accompany your mood oh Holy Bryce.

 

[The Heretic]

We were so sure,
We were so wrong,
Now it's over but there's no one left to see.

<I think it's the pandemic driving everyone nuts>

 

[The Heretic]

I know! Use youtube to learn a new language while having fun! (though I have a feeling this video is going to be taken down soon)

 

[TerribleSorcery]

Come on guys. Bryce needs STRENGTH to get through his difficulties.
That can mean only one thing:

 

[Osrnoob]

WE CAN DANCE
WE CAN DANCE

 

[bryce0lynch]

 

[PrinceofNothing]

Come on guys. Bryce needs STRENGTH to get through his difficulties.
That can mean only one thing:

Damn, not bad for a 90s wargame inspired Heavy Metal band. Blood for the Blood God!

 

[bryce0lynch]

 

[bryce0lynch]

Life Is Real

 

[Melan]

When life throws you lemons, just watch this clip and be uplifted.

 

[TerribleSorcery]

Damn, not bad for a 90s wargame inspired Heavy Metal band. Blood for the Blood God!

Bro. Have you not heard Bolt Thrower before? Poser, leave the hall! I know you Europeans have weird tastes but c'mon...
Go listen to 'For Victory...' and 'Those Once Loyal' along with the linked album, then say 100 Black Sabbaths while flogging yourself backwards.

 

[PrinceofNothing]

Bro. Have you not heard Bolt Thrower before? Poser, leave the hall! I know you Europeans have weird tastes but c'mon...

In the words of Ben Stiller, "NO ONE MAKES ME BLEED MY OWN BLOOD. Them's fightin' words where I come from sir. You had better write me a damn fine adventure for my NO ARTPUNK CONTEST, lest I conjure up the fury of a thousand storms, smite thee with the weight of a mountain's roots, and end thee rightly.

(That For Victory Song ain't bad. I had heard of them before but they got buried under other bands, Triptykon, Amon Amarth, Celtic Frost, Disturbed, Children of Mercy, Manowar etc. etc.).

This stuff makes me yearn for late 90s batshit insane over the top Warhammer, not realistic watered down straight-up warhammer. I miss Barrington J.Bailey and Ben Counter era 40k.

 

[TerribleSorcery]

Ahh, I see how it is. It's a pretty tight deadline. I will see if I can work it in, I am already writing 3 different dungeons right now for the various games I run. Perhaps one of them can be bent towards the contest if I get it done in time, but we'll see what the players do next.

And c'mon back anytime if you want to hear about the good stuff. Bolt Thrower is one of the very few metal bands that can absolutely do no wrong (even Morbid Angel put out some shitty albums, as painful as that is to say).

 

[PrinceofNothing]

And c'mon back anytime if you want to hear about the good stuff. Bolt Thrower is one of the very few metal bands that can absolutely do no wrong (even Morbid Angel put out some shitty albums, as painful as that is to say).

I'm no music critic and I like the general tone, a distorted heavy growl that hits like an artillery bombardement and puts hair on the chest, but it lacks a certain...dynamism? Let me try it again.

Maybe I underestimated it, For Victory has a sick change starting at 1;54 and the riff at 2;40 is pretty damn good. Its actually a very dynamic song. I'm less enthusiastic about the interplay between lyrics and the music, it is only at 4;34 when the singer, presumably some sort of Orc, grunts, "We Will Remember Them" that the lyrics, which exist mostly as a sort of muttering background drone that works suprisingly well, and the song seem to be in harmony.

I contrast with Amon Amarth. Gorgeous harmony between the ultra-fast growling of the lead, the epic poetry of the lyrics and the breakneck pace of the rhythm. MULTIPLE jaw-dropping solos in a song no longer then 4 minutes.

 

[TerribleSorcery]

Ah yes, Amon Amarth. They of the 53-foot touring trailer with their album art plastered on the side! I remember seeing them at the Opera House in Toronto around '05, and then again here in '07 at Sounds of the Underground, where my buddy got his rib broken in the mosh pit during "A Thousand Years of Oppression." That was a good one. Funny that you bring them up - they are one of the few death metal bands I can think of that sound even a little bit like Bolt Thrower. Almost nobody in DM followed down that stylistic path, although of course AA draws on a great deal of the usual suspects also. Most of Bolt Thrower's imitators are actually crust & grind bands, go figure.

I lost track of AA around when "Twilight of the Gods" came out as I had started digging through all the old stuff. Maybe I am jaded (definitely) but the later records are too slick & samey. They definitely found their sound at a certain point and haven't shifted since. Amon Amarth's money album is unquestionably "Versus the World," though "With Oden at Our Side" gets second place - raw, intense & heartfelt, guitar tone is utterly nasty, riffs & changes are less predictable, songs are longer, Hegg's delivery has more variety.

If you like melodic death metal, a couple things.
I will skip the obvious stuff like Carcass (great) or In Flames (not very good):

The old Arch Enemy material (up to the first two Angela records. The Liiva-era material is great all the way back. Alyssa's era can be skipped and if you discovered them today, you'd be forgiven for thinking they are poser trash):

Dawn - the whole "Slaughtersun" album rules

There are plenty more but that's a start.
And for viking-themed metal the granddaddy of them all is of course Storm - "Nordavind" but you might find it a bit much:

 

[The1True]

Fucking eh, Cancon ye hosers!
These guys are defunct due to dead drummer but I think their main project Strapping Young Lad is still givin'er

 

[TerribleSorcery]

Oh God, I had forgotten about those guys