navybsn

Probably would have needed to change my skivvies had I heard Fight Fire with Fire or seen Geddy in person up close. Alas, we got neither tonight. But the setlist was decent. And I did get Battery. Had to wreck some shit for a few minutes. The Ecstasy of Gold Whiplash For Whom the Bell Tolls Ride the Lightning Until It Sleeps Lux Æterna Screaming Suicide (followed by Kirk & Rob doodle: Sonny Curtis’s “Love is All Around” and Ozzy's “Over the Mountain”) The Day That Never Comes Wherever I May Roam The Call of Ktulu (Dedicated to Cliff Burton) The Unforgiven Inamorata Battery Moth Into Flame One Enter Sandman

Yeah I never had the chance back then, so I'll take whatever I can get. They're old, but fuck they sound great. Tomorrow I think we'll get some other goodies like Fight Fire with Fire, Ride the Lightning, Battery... I'd spooge my pants for Phantom Lord, Escape, or Trapped Under Ice, but those aren't very likely. Tomorrow's openers are Ice Nine Kills which I've never heard of and Five Flavored Fruit Punch which I have heard of but never heard. Not getting my hopes up for either. Time for hitting the bar and merch table. Tonight is an unrelated show: Green Day, Rancid, and Smashing Pumpkins. Wouldn't mind seeing Rancid but the cheapest Tix we can find would cost us $700. Pass. Think we'll just get shitty drunk and find some good chow. Crazy thing to me so far is the insufferable amount of poseurs out for the show. I mean I get a ton of people didn't get into Metallica until the black album, but they bust out with Hit The Lights and you're not even bobbing your head... GTFO. I mean even my Midwestern mom looking non metal head wife was ready to wreck shit when they started playing that. C'mon man, it's a fuckin metal show.

Day one report from Minneapolis. Despite paying a ridiculous amount of money, we're all having a blast. Minneapolis is up there with the coolest cities I've ever been to. Friendly people, plenty of beer, and nice weather for the middle of August. As for the show, we missed most of Mammoth. What I heard wasn't that impressive. Pantera sounded ok, but didn't do much for me. Never much of a fan anyway. Metallica on the other hand fuckin killed. These guys shouldn't sound this good so far into their career. My only complaint is the size of the venue. Would rather be in a smaller place, but it is a minor complaint. Setlist was as good as I could expect. Now a free day to explore and then show #2. The Ecstasy of Gold (Ennio Morricone song) Creeping Death Harvester of Sorrow Hit the Lights King Nothing 72 Seasons If Darkness Had a Son Fade to Black Shadows Follow Orion Nothing Else Matters (With extended Kirk intro) Sad but True Battery Fuel Seek & Destroy Master of Puppets

I've known her for 45 years (been married for almost 28). This will be her first. Don't give up hope. We go to quite a few bluegrass & goth shows together, but she is naive to the ways of the metal show. But it's freaking Metallica, and everyone likes Metallica. Definitely not a metal head, but she knows more than plenty of junior heshers these days just by virtue of living with me all of these years.

Mainly been listening to this German radio station for the past day or so. Decent mix of metal and hard rock. Everything from Mayhem to Priest. Have been rearranging the house and haven't had the time to sit and listen to anything specific. Also packing to catch a flight to Minneapolis tonight for Metallica weekend with Ms. Navy and some dear friends. Paid way too much to go see these old geezers, but you only go around once. Plus, getting to drag the woman I am related to by marriage to a metal gig is a life goal. MetalFM (fluxfm.de)

One more banger for today before I hang it up: Thy Feeble Saviour - And Darkness Fell

Rollins was such a maniac as a front man. Controversial maybe, but I've always preferred him to Morris or Dez. On to this banger. I see complaints every time Inquisition releases a new album that they've gone "soft" or are recycling ideas, but I just don't agree. Nothing they've ever done disappoints. Black Mass for a Mass Grave Might as well throw this in the pile for next: Veneration of Medieval Mysticism

Cruel Force - The Rise of Satanic Might Coroner - Punishment for Decadence Hypnosia - Extreme Hatred

Kampfar - Til Klovers Takt Ackercocke - Antichrist Deiphage - Nuclear Calvary Sadus - Illusions

Know nothing about this project but it's decent. Getting some Mork vibes. Not much on YT, but 4 albums on BC currently for $7. Mnajdra - In the Name of the Goddess Mnajdra - s/t Bandcamp linky: https://mnajdra.bandcamp.com/music Ynkleudherhenavogyon - Yeunadow Henaver Raat - Enchantment Mortal - Evil Incarnation Nimbifier - Der böse Geist Indesiderium - Of Twilight And Evenfall

They're great. Melodies and "textures" unlike anything else. Love the guitar interplay. It's mixed louder than most but it really works in their favor. If you dig it, check out their related project Floor. Oblation Btw - I think it's the drummer who left a while back and did Caveman Cult. Totally different but totally awesome war metal band.

Both, and that's why it's so great. High Spirits - You Are Here - bubblegum/pop metal from Chris "Professor" Black who also does Aktor, Dawnbringer, Metalusafer, and Superchrist. I believe he was in Nachtmystium at one point too (not that it would be something to be bragging about). Torche - Meanderthal - one of my all-time favorite bands. Don't sound like anything else. Only ever got to catch them once before they hung it up, but that show was awesome and they left a solid catalog to go back to frequently.

I've seen Sabaron twice. Once at a festival and again opening for Priest. Admittedly they're not my thing, but even so I can usually enjoy most anything live. They are the most boring, going through the motions, scripted, low energy band I've ever seen.

Haunt/Savage Master show tonight. Don't care too much about either band, and not enough to worry about posting their shit. Weenie metal as the boys refer to it. But it's a show, so I go. Currently listening to bar trivia as we pregame. If someone could come put me out of my misery... At least there's cold beer.

Saw these cats on Saturday opening for Sacramentum. Killer show from both bands. Watain-esque black metal from Atlanta, GA. Little hints of Tsjuder, Dissection, UADA, all the stars. Super cool dudes too. I'd heard the 2022 album before but not paid much attention to it. They've 5 albums out which are all pretty decent. Vimur - The Timeless Everpresent (2024) Vimur - Transcendental Violence (2022) Sacramentum did all of Far From the Sun, and I must say, I've seen them 3 times previous and wasn't all that impressed. But in a little sweatbox in the back of a dilapidated pizza joint about 7 Scotch ales deep and 10 feet from the stage, they fucking killed. Some bands (I'd say most bands) are just best in small venues.

Yup. All Texas and kick ass live. Do a great WASP cover too. Snowblind in Texas. Their previous album Aces Wild is decent as well.

Same. One of the best bands going. Only one that can get me excited about a 20 minute death metal song. This fall will see new albums from 4 of my favorite bands: Opeth, Blood Incantation, Oranssi Pazuzu, and Circle of Ouroborus. List season will be tough this year.

We made our daughter wait until 14, but Ms. Navy and I are assholes. She was caught in that generation that really didn't know how to handle the 24/7 access to all things, platforms, and socials. We weren't smart enough to figure out how to block them. I think much of the famed Millennial Anxiety Complex we see everywhere comes from their unfettered access to the interwebs. Didn't work. She's 25 and still a basket case. So I don't think ours was the right answer. We finally gave in when she was having to be out on her own after school before we could go pick her up. Was only an hour in a safe place with adult supervision nearby, but that was too much for mama bear.

The first growl I heard my heart just swelled with happiness. I'm not one to crap on later prog-Opeth. I dig a lot of Sorceress and In Cauda. Works really good live too. Hated Heritage with a passion though. New song does give me some Heritage vibes, but the good parts of Heritage. I had already bought tix to see them in October, but now I can't wait. Tribulation is opening for them and they supposedly have a new one pending release too. Not as familiar with them, but I will be by October. Today, not quite the usual WFH day. Remote from our house down the road while the HVAC tech works on the AC unit. Without server access, it's a lower volume of choices than usual. Will spend the night here as there's a show in my rinky-dink hometown of Panama City tomorrow night - Sacramentum. No idea how they landed the last night of their US tour in this decrepit shithole, but the opportunity to see them in a "should be" condemned pizza joint downtown deep in the heart of the MAGA Bible Belt just cannot be missed. A Forest of Stars - Opportunistic Thieves of Spring A Forest of Stars - A Shadowplay for Yesterdays A Forest of Stars - Beware the Sword A Forest of Stars - Grave Mounds

Thanks for that dude. I'm going to need it. Having a hard enough time trying to figure out what the fuck to do to even get the program started at the moment. It's been a few years since I last went to school and seemingly a lot has changed. Lots of moving pieces. I have no doubt that I will be using lots of colorful expressions for the duration.

Unfortunately no metal this morning. Currently listening to a 4 hour orientation for my doctoral program that starts next month. As you can imagine, it's about as much fun as listening to CSPAN. Last night however, I had the house to myself, so it was the first 3 Blind Guardian and first 3 Opeth albums while knocking back some fine Irish whiskey and trying to corral a psychotic 2 year old Siamese. Still need to check out that new Akhlys. Usually like everything dude puts out. Really need new Nightbringer and Aoratos records. Akhlys is good stuff, but it's his least exciting project IMO.

Interceptor - Tales of Mayhem - saw these cats last night at a local gig. Total Venom and Motorhead worship from Charleston, SC. Not bad.

Another NWOTHM find from last year. A little less polished than the Walpurgys and leans more on the HM side. Kerrigan - Bloodmoon

Was not familiar and I do indeed dig it. Nice blend of NWOTHM and 90's horror punk. Gives me vibes of bands like Haunt and Graves' era Misfits. Nice find dude.

Bad Religion is in my poorly calculated top 5 bands of all time. Love basically everything through The Process of Belief, but Suffer was them at the peak of their powers. Fuck Armageddon is juvenile punk greatness and Generator is a vicious tour de force from experienced masters, but Suffer strikes the balance between the 2. Just picked up a clean used copy a few weeks ago myself. I had Friday off and made myself a little time to visit my local record shop. Felt guilty spending coin all over the country and leaving out my hometown guy. So I picked up a few more: The Grateful Dead - Reckoning - even if you don't usually like the Dead, this is the record you need. Live show from San Francisco circa 82 or so. Exhorder - Slaughter in the Vatican reissue Clutch - Blast Tyrant