Holy shit, another old one here! I check back here about every few months, which is a lot more compared to the last decade. Seems like I didn't miss much since my last visit, but I'm busy with writing music and reviews.

Hello again everybody, hope you are all doing fine during this crazy times!

Damn, I'm surprised to see you kicking. Even you had disappeared during my time haha. Glad you're still about keeping stuff alive though. Popped into your profile to check out some of your music, pretty dope dude. You uploaded anything since 2018?

I was in the 5th grade. Where did the time go?

Hey there! Not heard from you in so long. I think last time I even spoke to you was when I was still known as Bahamut. I've been managing this year with all the insanity but tbh still being in work and treating myself to some CDs and vinyls every pay day (especially the latter) has been a way to keep going.

Of course, had gigs and festivals disrupted because of Covid. Should have had Bloodstock a few weeks ago but to compensate they're providing an extra day and have Mercyful Fate as headliner (along with Devin Townsend and Judas Priest) for 2021. Additionally was supposed to see Helloween in October but that's pushed back to May. Also hoping to see Igorrr next year as well.

We do need to pick up the pace here, I agree. I want to be doing fine but I'm not. My girlfriend is the latest person close to me to get COVID-19. I can't stop feeling miserable over it. Music and especially metal is the one thing that unifies people and lifts them up even in the most polarizing times. During the Spanish Flu, our music options were very limited, and pretty much restricted to corny dance tunes and classical.

A lot of musicians are being less productive, and some are throwing little bones here and there. We're still over 2 months away from when Carcass releases their Despicable EP for example, but I personally can't wait for it to come out.

You were in 5th grade when I was in 9th, so that makes me about 4 years older than you give or take...I see now that you're 25 and I'm 30, so maybe your birthday is a little later in the year. It's gone by quickly for me too, but there's always something new to worry about.

Yeah, I was spring baby. I started making music pretty seriously right around the time you graduated, actually.

You know honestly, the last metal song I wrote, I was on quarantine, my gf and I had been fighting for a week, and my whole class was sick with Covid after sitting behind a sick Chinese family for 11 hours on the way back from Latvia. Does the inside of your head sound anything like this by any chance?

CROSSOVER POST TIME https://www.newgrounds.com/bbs/topic/1456156

Haha, I'm surprised to see YOU in here, actually ^^ there's not so many names I remember from days of old, but yours did certainly stick.

I was only gone for about 8 years, though ;-)

Thanks for checking out my stuff, glad you enjoyed it. I'm currently working on a new EP which should be done before the years is over.

How are things over there? Have you remained here without any greater breaks, enjoying the decline and social media renegades? ^^

Hello man, I wouldn't have recognized you with that "new" name but surely I remember the old one - I think we already talked a little after I came back here at some point in the last two years. I've also started collecting vinyls, but only a few that have stood the test of time and should be displayed in my home :-)

Nice plans. I didn't have to cancel anything myself, but was looking forward to catching Unleash the Archers some time this year, as well as attending some local little festivals which have been pushed online or postponed entirely, of course.

Oh man, all the best for you and your gf. Hopefully you are through this soon. It's tough to read about COVID these days, because here in Austria nobody really gives a shit anymore. We came through that first wave pretty well, but since we didn't see any coffins on the streets or body bags thrown around (Italy) people - especially the old ones! - don't care anymore, "it's a flu" has become a common sentence here.

I did a lot of writing (music, reviews) and relaxing (limited job time) during lockdown, I could handle that rather easily.

Yo. Just popping in here for a bit since I noticed activity. Work has been kicking my ass to the point where I'm barely doing anything other than sleeping or working it seems. Good thing is I'm only working 1 job now for the first time in 6 years. So thats a plus not having 14+ hour work days and sometimes working 7 days a week. I know I shouldn't be bitching about working for obvious reasons but yeah.

Anyone buy any new or "new" music lately? I randomly went on a Elder buying spree getting all their stuff I didnt already have in one for or another digitally and/or on vinyl. Just got my clear copy of Gold & Silver Sessions yesterday. Also preorded the new Pallbearer album and bought the digital version of Red Fang's newest single on bandcamp.

Ya I guess I lost track of how long I've been gone now.. So you got me beat there. I'm not even sure what made me think of logging back on, but I got some messages from other older folks doing the same thing. Maybe the quarantine shakes are getting to us.

I'm excited for the new EP, I'll be on the look out!

For now most of my days is juggling too many D&D games, I don't know what is happening in the world irl or online anymore :3

Holy shit I remember you from 2006.

Yeah this place sometimes pops up in my head and I think I have to go check it again, but most of the time I'm just watching Youtube or Movies. Now I've set up a computer desk this place is on my mind again. Still love this thread even though I haven't checked it for a year haha.

I've been getting together a home recording set up so hit me up if anyone in this thread wants to make some songs together for a laugh.

I joined not long afterwards, your signature picture is burned into my brain and I remember from 15 years ago. Crazy man.

Hey Marko! How is Adders Fork coming along? It's me PONOS haha

The absolute horror, man. How can you survive this? Sure, obvious reasons, but I couldn't imagine being stuck in a work-week for 40+ hours. Guess I'm lucky with my job. It's stressful, but I have enough free time to recover.

Yes, the following I bought on Vinyl recently:

Woods of Ypres - Woods 5 - Grey Skies & Electric Light (love this one)

Paradise Lost - Shades of God (underrated as hell and to me it's better than what came right before and after it)

That sounds a a bit similar to my comeback a little while ago...except I was just dabbling in some nostalgia and somehow found this place again :-P

Thanks, it will probably be ready in November!

If they release a remaster of Diablo II some day, I'll quit my day job and life, I'm sure...

Yo Ponos-Soar, I actually remember that name-change of yours ^^

What kind of home recording studio are you planning? I've done the same within the last 12 months, it's exciting to actually be able to sing properly at home.

New Adder's Fork EP to come around November :-)

I've had my sig since October 2, 2004, so I've used it for almost 16 years. I was never into changing sigs much. I figured that if I got it right back then, there was no reason to change it ever again, except adjust the dimensions for every redesign since then. Of course, that also eventually eliminated it being an animated sig from the 2007 redesign to the present day. The lack of animation compared to the early days doesn't make too much of a difference if I'm being honest.

My girlfriend is still in isolation (we're still within that 2 week time period) and she has developed breathing issues that should subside on their own, but if they don't, and in fact if they even get worse, I'd hate to see her in the hospital. It's all hands on deck here--we don't want what started off as a mild case to turn into an acute one. She is continuously and understandably fatigued.

I deal with my inner pain (and I have a lot of it) with music to the best of my ability. Sometimes it can only go so far. I definitely miss going to shows or even just going outside without feeling the pressure to wear a mask. I certainly have had sex without my mask on plenty of times this year in the privacy of my own home (seriously, who'd fuck with their mask on?), and that won't change once we're all healed up from our illnesses. I'm not really super sick right now, but on the 14th, I'll be having shoulder surgery that will require me to be put in a sling for 6 weeks and physical therapy for months longer. My current condition wouldn't even allow me to enjoy the chaos that comes with being at the front of any concert anyway.

I've just spent a bunch of money on stuff, got an iMac from 2010 to record onto haha. I should make some hellenic black metal for you. Oh yeah, you posted a link for me to download the Shores of Sheol stuff I didn't have but it expired by the time I saw it. I listened to Firebringer off Monumentum the other day haha.

I could be wrong but I'm sure it's been over 10 years since we last spoke. However long it's been it's great catching up with old faces in here as it was one of my favourite threads in my prime time on this site and still want to check in here even now.

At first I wanted to get vinyls of the albums that are the best of the best to me but have been more adventurous than that. I made a true start to vinyl collecting once all the shops were allowed to reopen from lockdown as a way to try and support what's already struggling before Covid came along.

I did treat myself to a few vinyls last weekend as part of Record Store Day as well as HMV doing their own vinyl week. Ended up getting four different LPs which was more than I probably should have spent but it was needed to treat myself and all four are indeed worthy.

I know the feeling on working long hours. Doing that much in a day literally only gives you time to eat and then not much longer until it's needing to sleep. Not so much fun and the tiredness can have a lasting effect the following day or two. I swear, bank holiday just gone I was mostly tired but thankfully I've got a few extra days off to recover some more.

Latest new release I bought was Haken's Virus. I wasn't much of a fan of their previous release Vector but upon giving the new one a listen I was really blown away. So much so it's become their best effort to date! For any new prog metal goodness, I cannot recommend enough to listen to Messiah Complex from it.

Der Weg Einer Freiheit are badass

Oh shit, it's Earfetish. A name one could not simply forget over all these years.

What's up? ^^

Really? Maybe my rotting brain got something wrong there, but whatever - as you said, it's absolutely cool seeing some of the old guard running around this place, like grown-ups visiting their former playgrounds.

Damn, nice choices - especially Chemical Wedding - one of the best albums with Dickinson at the helm (and I'm actually not too big on his vocals).

Well, shit. What do you need again, maybe I still got some ^^

I'm self-employed and I've got a 10-month-old baby. What's up with you?

The last heavy metal show I went to was Deafheaven, just before he was born. I then saw Explosions in the Sky on Feb 14th and then Covid happened and I really miss shows

Woah, not bad ;-) I hope your business is not directly compromised by the whole situation and you can also get some sleep even though you have that little baby around you? ^^

I've become a hearing aid audiologist a decade ago and I'm doing pretty well in a rather sane company, so I'm good. Got a younger woman so there is no baby pressure, haha.

I tried "Sunbather" after it was released and found it OK, didn't quite gel with me. I do imagine that this sound could work wonders in a live environment though. Was it a good experience?

My last concert was Behemoth last year, with At the Gates. The former were amazing, the latter were barely OK, their drummer couldn't quite keep up with the rest of the band.

Many thanks! You know, I recall you saying ages ago that you're more of a Priest guy than a Maiden guy but it's fair game. Both fantastic bands that I couldn't live without either of them. Speaking of Priest, amongst my eBay hunting as of late thanks to being influenced by my friend for that, I snagged myself a picture disc of the You've Got Another Thing Comin' single so I'm pleased with that.

As for Chemical Wedding, definitely a fantastic album along with Accident of Birth. Those are pretty much the highlights from Bruce's solo career, although admittedly there's a solo album or two I never got around to checking out.

I've been very lucky, yeah. Glad to see you're managing!

Well really it was the worst time I've seen them; I don't rate their new album like I do their other albums. I think it's the fifth time I've seen them and most of the time they are spectacular. imo. If you like that kind of thing.

I missed Behemoth on their last tour - they sold the venue out!

What a brain, man! ^^ Indeed. But to be honest, both bands have had their fair share of missteps within the glory. Strangely, I've actually found a few gems among the dirt; "Lighting Strikes Twice", "The Clansman", "Sign of the Cross" and almost the whole Jugulator album, respectively, have been in my playlist for quite a while.

Nice catch there.

The song I mostly come back to these days is "Tears of the Dragon" which is one of the older solo-tracks if I remember correctly.