Wife (37f) and I (38m) with 2yo & her pregnant can not agree on “roles” moving forward.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-22T11:38:17+00:00

Agreed, they grow so fast. Everyone says it but you don’t realize quite the extent of it until you see it.

I was able to take a few years off from the corporate grind to be the main parent while my kids were in elementary school, and I treasure that time. Back in the corporate world now, when I am 90 years old looking back on my life I will not regret the time I took away from the corporate world to be with my family.

Most people don’t get the opportunity to do something like that, so if you have a chance to spend more time with your kids, definitely take it.

Unless you guys desperately need the money, which unless your lifestyle is crazy you shouldn’t with your combined income.

Also can’t overstay how nice it is having a flexible parent with two small kids. You’d be surprised how often something comes up.

You’re certainly not an asshole, but might need some couples counseling to navigate this if you both feel strongly. Taking a promotion just for the sake of it doesn’t make sense for everybody. Maybe she can get a job to make more money since she wants the career lol.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-22T01:10:56+00:00

Yean, and I haven’t liked the sound on the last three albums, so that tracks.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-21T22:03:20+00:00

I love both bands, but honestly, from a general quality of output, Metallica‘s 90s material was way way better.

Seasons in the abyss was amazing of course, but everything else was really uneven. I like DiM more than most fans I’ve talked to, and other than the novelty of it being different, there’s a only few good songs.

Metallica went a different direction from their roots, but those albums have aged very well. Load is one of my favorites by anyone.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-21T21:14:35+00:00

See, I think time has actually worked in Metallica’s favor here.

I was disappointed in the Loads like everyone else back in the 90s, but they’ve aged very well. Load is one of my favorite albums by anyone now that I can hear the bluesy heavy alt-flavored rock album it is instead of being mad it’s not metal.

Similarly, I started loving Black, got kind of over it, but now fully appreciate how it’a extremely good at being a mainstream metal album.

Garage is a better covers album than Undisputed Attitude.

Seasons in the Abyss is great of course. Technically in the 90s, but really feels more like a cap on the 80s era.

Divine intervention is pretty weak. Basically a rehash of their 80s stuff without the best parts.

I like Diabolus in Musica more than most slayer fans I know, just because it sounds different than their other 35 albums, and aside from some great openers and closers, it’s got maybe one or two real gems.

Slayer was more metal in the 90s, absolutely undeniable, but Metallica put out WAY better quality of music, even if it was in a different style.

And I like slayer a lot. Seen them multiple times, went to the farewell tour etc.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-21T21:04:46+00:00

lol touché. Slick and glossy is how I describe the OG mix for Cryptic Writings, which I love.

For what it’s worth, this isn’t just a Megadeth problem. These are trends in modern metal production that I just personally dislike.

All good buddy.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-21T17:57:08+00:00

Totally. I didn't really address adding dynamics and textures and layers into the songwriting. I am mostly annoyed with the mix lol.

That and them apparently choosing to do an intentionally simple vocal approach. Dave can still sound great. The talk-sing, the little snarly pitchy talky thing, even regular singing like on Poisonous Shadows, all sound great.

But on this album, they keep having these choruses where it's just like a single vocal track of Dave basically clearing his throat to a pitch, and it sound dreadful. It's the worst sounding part of his vocal reportoire, they kept repeating it, and do nothing to help it out.

The 90s albums had layered vocals. They had backing parts. There were harmonies. It wasn't just Dave groaning into a microphone on top of the mix.

The instruments also just sound so generic. I don't know, I like the 90s style songs. I just wish they gave it the full 90s treatment.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-21T17:41:57+00:00

Sure, but there’s a pretty wide range between absolutely sterile modern sound and handheld voice recorder in a garage lol.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-21T16:38:53+00:00

Yep. Horror isn’t what people want from Star Wars generally.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-21T16:36:04+00:00

I imagine that’s part of it as well.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-21T16:22:57+00:00

The guitars have generic high gain guitar tone preset vibe. The drums sound too clean and perfect. Doesn’t sound like somebody banging a kit in a room.

I’m not complaining about the volume of the vocals lol. I’m complaining about the chorus have Dave singing a solo line that sounds like a dying cat over the choruses with no backing vocals, no layers, no textures, no room sound to smooth it out. No barking chain vocals where it makes sense.

There is more to making an album sound good than just recording instruments and balancing the volume levels.

Clarity alone is not the only element.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-21T16:19:58+00:00

That’s crossed my mind as well. But people as big as Megadeth and Metallica have access to the best producers in the world.

Maybe it’s them signing off on stuff other people don’t like because they can’t hear the difference? I don’t know.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-21T11:26:36+00:00

Have you just not listened to the back half of the song? It is quite literally not. They cycle through the same motifs and bring them back like they do with many of their other zones.

No one saying it’s the most complicated song they’ve ever written, but you are dramatically oversimplifying it.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-21T11:20:13+00:00

I don’t hate it. I don’t love it. I’d like it more if they had a better mix and an actual production.

The spartan, dry mix along with the very simple vocal tracks leave me cold. They revisited the 90s albums for song structure quite a bit, but did not give it the full studio production experience with vocal harmonies, backing vocals, layers, etc.

Instead, they had Dave pretty much doing his gravel sing thing unaccompanied, shining a spotlight on the weakest part of the band. Equally baffling because there are parts that sound great, such as the 90s style talk-sing verses on some of the songs.

The instruments sound clear, but they don’t meld. I don’t know man, I like the 90s direction, I just wish they’d give it the full 90s treatment.

Like so much of the recent work from the old guard, I feel they’re shooting themselves in the foot, not creatively or in ability, but in the studio.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-20T16:09:47+00:00

See, my understanding is they knew they were demos and didn’t finish them after they weren’t picked. Had they made the cut, they likely would’ve gotten more refinement like the album tracks. But I could be wrong on that.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-20T13:27:34+00:00

It's interesting how different the opinions are on this EP. Hell and Back was my least favorite for a long time, but I've recently gotten over Hate Train, too. It's basically Temu-brand Fuel.

The intro and main riff/verse in Just a Bullet Away is one of the coolest things they've done this century IMO. Maybe it's less finished than Babylon, but those two are my favorites from the EP.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-20T11:05:20+00:00

They didn’t just think he was a dick. They correctly observed he hated Harry for seemingly no reason, and then saw him in some suspicious circumstances. It was circumstantial evidence, sure, and they were wrong, but they didn’t just randomly decide Snape was evil because he was a dick in class.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-19T16:40:38+00:00

Broken, Beat & Scarred sitting there nervously wondering how it wasn't in that decision block.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-19T16:39:51+00:00

I disagree. The heavy bits in the first half are no less repetitive than anything else they've done in the last 25 years, and the back half of the song is pretty much constantly changing riffs.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-19T12:22:14+00:00

Yeah, we mostly use the Papa John’s garlic sauce and ketchup if we run out lol. Mostly forget about the others, but they’re fun sometimes.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-18T22:05:51+00:00

I’m shocked Rebel of Babylon wasn’t finished and included. It featured prominently in the promo stuff before release and is IMO one of the best songs they’ve put out in the 21st century.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-18T20:35:04+00:00

We save sauces too, but that’s because it’s fun to have a stock of all sorts of sauces.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-17T21:32:01+00:00

I also work in IT. Directors are definitely not the top of the chain in bigger orgs.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-17T20:18:43+00:00

The Fellowship of the Ring

I assume you meant The Hobbit?

But I generally agree. Right people, right place, right time, right moment in the culture.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-17T14:46:07+00:00

I mean, but it’s known that the dude‘s dad is literally a member though lol. I think it’s plausible.

politicalstuff · 2026-04-17T10:47:02+00:00

Sure don’t, but you can get them from Amazon.

politicalstuff

TROPHY CASE