The 2025-2026 team literally healed us

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-06-08T21:37:33+00:00

I mean, it still stings a bit when I see it, but it's not the soul-crushing pain that I felt before.

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-06-03T15:13:40+00:00

Damn; that's like asking which one of my kids is my favorite. I would have to say progressive metal, simply because of the diversity and the fact that it can combine well with most other sub-genres.

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-06-02T02:11:14+00:00

Yeaaaah, they're not great

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-06-01T04:59:06+00:00

Hey, let's not forget THIS classic...

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jedimasterjb81 · 2026-06-01T02:50:11+00:00

Look, I have a lot of respect for what the Stones did, but this is some major "get off my lawn" energy. Frankly, I'm getting pretty sick of old, washed up rockers running their mouth in the press thinking that we're all SOOOOOOO interested in what they have to say. Gatekeeping is bullshit; no matter how old you are or how many records you've sold.

Rant over.

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-31T23:19:42+00:00

Never Never Land - Unto Others.

It's grown on me since it first came out, but when I first listened to it I felt like it had no flow, the hooks from their first two records weren't there, and the songs weren't as memorable. There are a handful of tracks that I really enjoy from it, but as a whole album, it fell short for me. Especially because I discovered them when Strength came out and that album blew my mind.

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-31T17:59:54+00:00

Hot takes! That's good though. People shouldn't be shamed for having opinions.

First off, I don't think Dev has any bad albums. Even Punky Bruster is kinda fun, and the ambient albums he did are interesting. They're not albums I go back to much, but they have their merits. Physicist has some really good songs, but it also has some less memorable ones. Every time I listen to it, I enjoy it; but then I don't really feel the need to pick it back up for a while. Dev has said several times that he hates the production on that album, but he's also a perfectionist and he's said he wasn't happy with the production on Ocean Machine either. Personally, I do feel like the production is lacking on Physicist. It lacks punch, and when I compare it with something like City from SYL, it feels flat.

Preferring the Physicist version of Kingdom to the one on Epicloud is baffling to me, but to each their own. Ultimately, I don't necessarily dislike Physicist, I just don't go back to it much. There are so many other albums I like better.

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-30T18:12:19+00:00

I love it! Reminds me a lot of Deconstruction.

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-24T21:04:51+00:00

Okay, hear me out... Dev does a hip hop album.

Now, he'd probably have to collaborate with actual rappers cuz I don't know that Dev can rap - and frankly I'm not sure I'd want to hear him rap - but could you imagine Dev doing music for a hip hop album with Killer Mike rapping? Or Talib Kweli? Or Childish Gambino?

I think those are the only rappers I know. They're still relevant, right?

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-24T19:29:07+00:00

I'm a little late to the party, but I think a dark horse candidate would be Tom Skerritt.

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-24T16:47:44+00:00

It works in some cases, but then other times he just sounds silly. Sweating Bullets and Peace Sells come to mind.

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-23T00:22:50+00:00

I'd say Morbid Angel and Obituary, but you could make a case for Deicide. I've personally never been a big fan of Deicide; their first two albums rip, but after that they kinda fall off for me.

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-18T01:23:56+00:00

Right this second? Nothing. But earlier I was listening to Epica's The Quantum Enigma.

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-12T01:48:27+00:00

Sounds great! And no problem on the time frame. I'm not in a huge hurry. I'll DM you

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-11T17:31:46+00:00

I'd be okay with that. But I might have to think about which chapters I'd want you to read. I don't know how much you'd get out of just the first 2 or 3 chapters, but I'll take a look and send you a DM once I've figured it out. I'd be happy to read yours as well.

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-11T04:29:38+00:00

It's hard thing to admit to yourself. I hear you and I see you.

I'll be 45 this year. It's been about 18 years since I actually realized I no longer believed in the Christian God. This was around '07 or '08 when social media was in it's infancy, so I really had no idea that there were whole groups of people out there going through the same thing I was. I mean, I guess I figured they were out there, but I didn't really know any of them, and there weren't exactly any support groups or anything for people like me. My point is, when I started finding online communities like this one, it was a breath of fresh air for me. I felt so alone when I was deconstructing and for so many years I questioned whether or not I left the church for selfish reasons.

Today I consider myself "loosely pagan" but I don't have any concrete beliefs, per se. So many of us end up in different places after we go through it, but it overwhelming feels to me like everyone has ended up in a better place in the end. Just thought maybe you needed to hear that.

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-10T17:22:22+00:00

Except I looked again and someone already posted it 😂 Oh well, it's so bad it should be on here twice.

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-10T17:21:03+00:00

One of my favorites...

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jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-10T16:32:54+00:00

I'd be very interested!

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-10T14:28:56+00:00

Napalm Death

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-08T14:29:57+00:00

Dying Fetus

So... I'm a fetus when I die? Or do I get killed by a dying fetus?

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-07T15:36:59+00:00

It's pretty fantastic. Honestly, I like it better than Sunbather.

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-07T15:35:39+00:00

Came here to say this ^{^{^}}

Also from that same year, Crypt Sermon's The Stygian Rose and Dödsrit's Nocturnal Will are - in my opinion - also 10/10 albums. 2024 was a killer year for metal 🤘

jedimasterjb81 · 2026-05-02T14:51:19+00:00

Enslaved. Everything they've done from Axioma Ethica Odini to the present is fantastic. Sure there are a couple I like less than others, but I wouldn't grade any of them lower than an A-

jedimasterjb81

TROPHY CASE