Alter_Id

Sure thing. There's a lot to take in, I know. Just keep in mind, as with anything, the more you do it everything will begin to make more and more sense. It's important to get through the process though. When you're able to move through synthesis with intentionality it's like opening up a new world with endless possibilities only bounded by your imagination and the capabilities of the synth you're using.

This isn't a bad video for a beginner. It covers a lot of fundamental concepts. He speaks a bit fast, so slow speed by 10% if you're having trouble following. It's a long video because it covers so much ground, so be ready for that. I hope it helps in your process!

https://youtu.be/jWorjBDcty4?si=hcXsI0_vOge2gEas

Synthesizers/sound design, music from extreme metal to baroque to pop, learning about anything that interests me (e.g. geography, geopolitics, world history, pop science level physics/astrophysics/paleoanthropology, religions and philosophy), the Godzilla franchise, terrible horror movies, Pathfinder 1E, and a voyeuristic curiosity surrounding conspiracy theories/the paranormal/the occult

Genuinely surprised to see that Eluveitie beats out Celtic Frost.

Edit: Just looked at the stats, and wow, it's not even close: 872,935 to 120,157. That's a real wtf. Insert Principal Skinner "...it's the children who are wrong."jpg

I have a couple years-long discontinued flavors I still miss to this day. After looking at the site just now, one of them (Makin' Whoopie Pie) is in a couple buried references of trivia questions they've asked, and the other (Maple Blonde Brownie) is entirely absent. I wonder why they aren't listed in the "graveyard".

Well, I'm in the camp that will take and enjoy whatever Godzilla related productions that I can get (for the most part), but I still have a critical filter when it comes to anything. I think my bias trends toward giving extra points to something that isn't afraid to add something unique into the franchise that we haven't seen before; so I've been liking the Reiwa stuff as whole (including the animes/singular point) more than some fans seem to on balance.

Between Shin and Minus 1 I definitely preferred Shin. I think Minus 1 was very well done, and I understand why so many people are giving a positive response too it (though I do think some of it is a tad overblown; it's not the best movie in the franchise). A few critiques I had of it have to deal with the fact that it really seems to hit it's beats. This is both a strength and a flaw as far as I see it. There were a few instances where I knew how something would play out before it happened on screen (very far in advance in one instance). The way it hits those beats though seems more similar to Hollywood from 20-30 years ago though (when it was still open to making decent movies) instead of current Hollywood where every script is run though the sieve of maximal focus group approval. In effect, the beats meet what can cause fulfilment of emotional engagement as opposed to what will land and keep the most American audience butts in the seats. It was predictable but substantive rather that vapid spectacle.

There were also a couple of instances where things didn't make sense enough to pull me out of the viewing experience. Not that Godzilla movies need to make sense, because were dealing with giant monsters here after all, but more in the "the physics don't work here" and the "this is so clearly a deus ex machina that I can't ignore it" capacity.

All that said, those are just the critiques. I think there's a lot about it that works toward the fact it had as broad appeal as it did where as my ideal Godzilla movie likely wouldn't have been enjoyed as much by as many people as Minus 1 achieved. And there are certainly things that it brought into the franchise that were unique, e.g. being essentially a period drama, the deeply developed human story line, the convincing performances, etc. I saw the sentiment that it's perhaps the best introductory film for someone who hasn't been previously interested in the franchise, and I tend agree with that I think.

As far as the next movie... I'll enjoy it like I enjoy every Godzilla movie, but I'm hoping that this is Wingard's last. I thought there were some mistakes with Godzilla vs Kong, and with what I've seen so far of GxK I am not seeing anything to convince me that there's going to be any course correction, rather, I think it looks like he's going further down the wrong path. I won't go into specifics here (I've typed enough already). I did really enjoy the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters series though. I love some of the lore exposition they developed through the season. I hope they keep going with it.

Agreed. I was fortunate to have seen them live before Valfar passed. I didn't know who they were at the time, but they absolutely blew me away. To the point I felt compelled to go shake his hand after their set and let him know how much I had enjoyed it. To this day it's a top 10 live experience for me.

The forums on the metal archives are still active and a good resource for various different things concerning extreme metal. Bits of news, discussion, and some out of left field recommendations that I don't find other places.

The image is actually emblematic of why you're having trouble finding good new music. You're still just looking at the outside of the haystack. In the modern era it's incredibly easy to access good new music, but perhaps more difficult to find that music (based upon your tastes). The prevalence of independent music exploded over 20 years ago. At this point, if you're relying on the vestiges of major labels and popular distribution channels as your tastemakers you're basically doing it wrong.

The drawback is that you may actually have to put in some time and effort to find new stuff you like, but it's definitely out there. Probably much more exists than you have time to consider, really. How much time you're willing to spend searching depends on how important it is to you to find new stuff that you enjoy. Use shortcuts and find a different tastemaker associated with genre's that you like if you want (e.g. online publications, youtube channels, online forums/communities, playlist where they exist, podcast, etc.) You'll have to put in some time to find the relevant ones to you, but perhaps not as much time as combing through new stuff on your own.

Lots of us with interests in genres with an extensive underground scene have been sifting through the mud to find gems for decades already, and I still enjoy the process a lot, though many people might think I waste a lot of time. These days that skillset is transferable and almost a requirement to find the good stuff in any and every genre. Unless you are lucky or don't mind enough that the most commercial stuff is still your jam.

(edit: unless of course this post is more a condemnation of broadly popular tastes in music. I'd have to type more to address that, but I'll save it. It's nothing new, and also hinges on subjectivity.)

Summoning is one of those bands where you could ask someone which of their albums is their favorite and regardless of their answer it's a good choice.

Last I saw it isn't actually clear whether or not Fadades is parody or legitimate. Very clear in any either case that Fadades is great.

Especially within a genre like black metal where bands will make contra-conventional artistic decisions by way of course as it is, stumbling upon a vibe like this out of honest artistic expression vs. deriving it with a manifest ambiguity where the tongue seems to sprout from the cheek almost hardly matters. However Fadades came to be, it's a monument to whatever it actually is.

"Upon closer inspection, these appear to be loafers."

I am envious of this man's seeming capability to honestly pursue the path of an actual hero. May the endeavor and fortune of he and his support structures only prove cause for that envy to grow.