#love writing sappy shit and these two has me writing some of my sappiest yet

[barblaz-arts]

Ok but fr fr the first guest is an amazing fic!! I keep going back to it to reread it!!

I love your work (art & writing)

Thank you! I'm very proud of that one ngl

[happymetalgirl]

Volbeat - Rewind, Replay, Rebound

Even though I started this blog in 2017 and was pretty busy with writing about new music on it from the get go, I still wrote about two albums from the previous year. One was Gojira’s Magma, my favorite album of 2016, which I consider perfect for my sense of the word, and one that I have yet to hear a more recent album better than (though Khemmis came close last year). The other album was Volbeat’s Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie, which I considered to be the most disappointing album of 2016. For as much shit as they got from the detractors that accompanied their meteoric rise in notoriety, Volbeat truly were bringing something fresh, exciting, and downright fun with their ardent combination of energetic rock ‘n’ roll, thrash, rockabilly, and classic heavy metal on albums like Guitar Gangsters and Cadillac Blood and Rock the Rebel / Metal the Devil. The smooth and seemingly effortless blending of the distant genres’ elements through the modernization of the punk/rock ‘n’ roll essence through crunchy metallic guitars and tight, energetic rhythms made them a standout act already at the instrumental level, but it was lead singer Michael Poulsen’s boisterous, soaring tenor and slick Elvis/Cash vocal stylings that really brought it all home. And I personally have enjoyed the band’s unique style at its most potent, which, thankfully has been the majority of their catalog.

The band started picking up wind with the success of several songs from their fourth album, Beyond Hell / Above Heaven, which was their most diverse batch of songs to date, from the emotive pop-punk-tinged rockers “Magic Zone” and Fallen”, to the thrashy “Who They Are”, to the growling death metal of “Evelyn”. And this varied song-writing continued onto their fifth album, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies, whose track list rather closely mirrored the diversity on Beyond Hell / Above Heaven, but it was the success of the single “Lola Montez” that ultimately brought Volbeat to a whole new level of notoriety, and unfortunately to a position that came with the evident pressure to recreate the success of the song that brought them there, which is where 2016′s Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie comes in.

The follow-up album to the “Lola Montez” success found the band seemingly neutered, micromanaged, unenthusiastic, and at a loss for ideas that would fit in the mold they found themselves forced into. With rehash after rehash of the successful 2013 single, Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie was a project with a transparent objective of cloning the band’s radio success, and with the band sounding uncharacteristically un-fun, I can’t help but think it was most likely due to outside pressures. Needless to say, my nerves were pretty tense going into this album, hoping to God that one of my favorite bands of my later high school years wouldn’t succumb to radio-baiting drivel, that Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie was just a fluke. So what do we get from Rewind, Replay, Rebound?

Well, relief, to put it simply. The band seems to have taken to heart the concerns of fans about their sound getting recycled, and they seem to have clearly made some efforts to break out of the mold they’ve been imprisoned in. They do still resort to compositional habits from time to time, but it’s not nearly as consistently recycled as the bulk of their previous record.

“Last Day Under the Sun” kicks the album off on an upbeat alternative rock note with its rapidly strummed major guitar chords; the chorus is a bit repetitive, but I like the way the gospel choir vocals bring it to a soulful high on the last repeat before the end. The song “Pelvis on Fire” is a quick, heavy, punk-y lust anthem that calls back to and melodically resembles “Sad Man’s Toungue” during its verses. The quick tempo and dance-y vibes keep coming on the songs “Die to Live”, whose featuring of the gruff vocal melodies of Clutch’s Neil Fallon and whose ragtime piano and wailing sax really help it make for one of the most fun moments on the album.

The band get Scooby Doo spooky on the more minor key, seemingly werewolf-themed “Sorry Sack of Bones”, which comes with these well-placed samples of echoed wolf howls that make the campy subject matter all the more conducive to the underlying fun of the song. The otherwise peppy “Cheapside Sloggers” takes a similarly minor-key-flavored turn into Anthrax-flavored thrash with the bridges palm-muted groove and Gary Holt’s guest solo diverting the song into oddly brooding and territory. The band dip into the more heavily metallic side of their earlier work on “The Everlasting”, and though it’s still not the most compositionally thrilling Volbeat song, it’s a decent offering of the band’s older style.

Songs like the nostalgic anthem “When We Were Kids” (whose bridge’s string section I do actually quite enjoy), the sappy “Cloud 9”, the “Lola Montez”-esque “The Awakening of Bonnie Parker”, and the moderately soulful “Maybe I Believe” feel a little more compositionally and stylistically typical for the band, but even when these songs do tend more toward the band’s stylistic norms and . The closing track, “7:24”, is definitely the sappiest moment on the album, about Poulsen’s connection to his family from afar while on tour, the song’s acoustic balladry only emphasizes the sappiness of the lyrics, which I know probably makes me sound like a heartless asshole for not liking the song about Michael loving his family, but I will say I appreciate the sentiment of the song, and I’m glad Michael loves his family enough to write about them. I’d rather Michael love his family so much that he write a kind of cheesy tribute to them than not love them and not write that song.

The album’s brightest highlight is probably the emotive alternative metal power ballad “Rewind the Exit”, whose soaring, heartfelt chorus is probably the most potent that Volbeat have done since Beyond Hell / Above Heaven. The power of the band to invoke such catharsis through alternative metal instrumentation reminds me of songs like The Offspring’s “Gone Away” and Linkin Park’s “In the End”.

The album does eventually wear thin by about two thirds of the way through, but even in its lesser moments, it’s clearly more passionately created than its predecessor. Volbeat still seem to be in a creative rut, but this album is far more respectable for its apparent attempt to find ways out of that rut than the doubling down on the inflating of their creative deficit of Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie. I do wish this album brought back a little more of the indulgently rock ‘n’ roll swagger beyond “Pelvis on Fire” on this album to counterbalance the alternative metal stylings of late that they still can’t seem to shake for more than one or two tracks at a time. The band’s stricter adherence to feel-good alternative rock lately kind of suppresses the vocal talents and more unique style of MIchael Poulsen, who still sounds great on the tracks here, but who I wish I could say is performing and wish I could hear performing at his full potential on this album. But honestly, I’m just glad to hear the band sounding like they actually want to be playing/making these songs. I’m just glad the last album didn’t permanently suck them into the void of radio rock that was clearly intent on pimping their talent and bastardizing their uniqueness. As relieving as this album is, though, I don’t know if my fears for the next album are completely quelled. As long as Volbeat has notoriety, I think whoever is backing them financially will be in it for the “Lola Montez” money and will be pushing for that kind of material from them. So while it’s not realistic to expect this now-headlining band to make albums like Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood again, I do hope they continue to keep a strong enough tie to their roots, not for nostalgia’s sake, but because they prove themselves to be creatively and performatively potent through that channel. For now though, I am content with the bounce-back of Rewind, Replay, Rebound.

, Relief/10

[keepingup-withthetargaryens]

S7, E5: Eastwatch

More like Bae-fucking-watch. Am I right?

So Jaime is alive and not really very well, but thanks to Bronn, still breathing. I like that he still has the energy to insult Bronn for possibly killing him when, he was literally launching himself at a dragon. I’m really curious as to HOW Jaime and Bronn are somehow magically DOWN RIVER of all of the chaos, and unsure as to how that river is THAT DEEP. Westerosi magic.

Meanwhile, Dany is addressing everyone with Drogon looming over them. She tells them to bend the knee or die, and honestly doesn’t show herself to be much different than Cersei when she just verbalized that she is. But, then again, Cersei didn’t give the people in the Sept of Baelor a choice, did she? Details, details.

Tyrion tries to tell her to give them the option of a cell, and she doesn’t like the idea of slavery - she just freed a ton of people in Essos from that bond, and frankly, we don’t have time for that this season. We have bigger fish to fry. Like Dickon and Randyll Tarly, apparently.

Honestly, this was dumb. Fry Randyll, fine. But Dickon? I don’t like the dude, but I think he could have served more of a purpose if he wasn’t crispy. I really didn’t think she would kill both of them. But - luckily for us, we know that Sam is still alive and just inherited everything that House Tarly was, which he can now do since he’s no longer becoming a Maester - if he survives the war for the dawn. RIP Dicksa fandom (which I just learned about last night and now I feel like it’s ironic that it’s 100% put to rest).

The whole burning people alive thing is 100% a nod to her father, the Mad King, whom everyone compares her to, and she just took one step closer. But I don’t think she’ll remain on that path... D&D just like drama. And I don’t think she particularly enjoyed doing it, by the way she said Dracarys. It was merely a tool to sacrifice two to get the rest of the men on board.

Meanwhile, back in incest-ville, Jaime is SHOOK. Cersei’s like “it’ll be fine” and he’s like, “really? really? let me tell you how it all went down” and she still doesn’t really back down. To be continued.

Back on Dragonstone, Dany and Drogon have landed.

And Jon is conveniently waiting for them on a cliff like ye olde war wives.

Literally my face while watching this scene.

Idk about you, but if I saw a dragon land in front of me and show me its teeth, the first thing I’d do is be polite and take off my glove before touching it. Jon knows his manners.

How expensive was this? Very. But honestly as someone who has been WAITING for Jon to interact with a dragon for 10+ years, this was highly satisfying. Essentially the significance here is that while Dany can semi-control and interact with her dragons, they aren’t keen on letting anyone else do it. They didn’t even let Tyrion all that close to them, although they didn’t kill him either (and that’s an entire other can of worms with the Tyrion as a secret Targaryen theory and I’m not going into that right now) and Jon doesn’t even have any food for him, but Drogon seems perfectly content to let Jon touch him. Typically, only dragon riders, Targaryens, and people who had been around dragons for a LONG time could get this close to them in the books. So - take this with GREAT significance, and more to come once the episode moves along. Needless to say, Dany is also VERY interested in the fact that Drogon lets Jon do this.

Also, if you watch when she’s telling him that no matter how scary they are, they’re still her children, he’s literally heart-eyes-motherfucker staring straight at her before he catches himself and says “you weren’t gone long”.

Dany asks him about what Davos meant when he said Jon took a knife in his heart for his people, and he tells her that Davos often gets carried away - but he doesn’t get the chance to tell her because...

Guess who’s back with a brand new track?

J-J-J-Jorah the explorer! A.K.A. Ser Friendzone.

When she hugged him, all I could think about was that letter that he wrote her when he thought he was going to have to fall on his sword or be taken by greyscale and it was literally the sappiest love letter - and I know sappy love letters because I teach middle school (I know).

That is a HUG and Jon isn’t too excited about it, but Jon isn’t really excited about anything, ever.

The irony here is that Jon carries Jorah’s family sword, and Jon’s best friend rid Jorah of greyscale. One big happy family.

This face literally translates to “what are you doing here with my queen you broody hot asshole?” 

That’s so Raven/Raisin Bran gets a vision and tells everyone, via raven. Like, the entire country. Bran is the mobile CNN update of Westeros.

Annoying old dudes are annoying. Listen to Sam, you assholes.

Jon: babe, I gotta go Dany: so soon? You don’t have any men and I didn’t tell you that you could go Jon: I gotta go Jorah: I AM BIGGER AND STRONGER I WILL GO Everyone: *ignores Jorah* Tyrion: Hold on I have a clever plan, let’s show Cersei white walkers are real and then she won’t want to kill us all Everyone: she will always want to kill us all Tyrion: But maybe not right now - delay it a while Everyone: great plan Jorah: Does this mean I get to be an explorer Everyone *ignores Jorah*

So last time anyone tried to bring a Wight down south, they had that hand that was all rotted out by the time it got to King’s Landing. Also this was the point in the show when I realized the particular reddit spoilers I found were real and correct. Ugh. Like, I’m happy to have episode outlines but I’m also not?

Meanwhile, Bronn sets up a secret meeting, and Jaime is NOT HAPPY. 

Meanwhlie, Davos goes to find Gendry. “I thought you might still be rowing” - DAVOS IS ALL OF US since season 3

Here he is looking like a goddamn Christian Bale but better.

And he has a warhammer.

HELLO, reference to Robert, who fought with one, and killed Rhaegar with it.

“This is Gendry” “He’ll do”  OH HE WILL MORE THAN DO.

Cersei is pregnant with another incestuous child. Joy!

Moving on, I am such a stan for this moment because they are both so great. I like how they talk about how their fathers were friends and I’m just like oh but Ned wasn’t your father but go on being adorable together.

Jorah: bye babe Jorah: *sees Jon* Jorah: *marks his territory* Jon: bye, if I die you won’t have to worry about conquering my territory or me bending the knee Dany: but.... don’t..... go... 

Dany: *watches all baes sail away*

Okay. All jokes aside, THIS is one of the most important scenes GoT has ever shown us. To most people, who are NOT book readers, it was just Gilly talking about some guy who kept a too-detailed journal, and Sam getting fed up with all this shit. 

BUT.

Gilly asks Sam what an annulment is. Sam tells her it’s when a man sets aside his lawful wife and takes another. She says that a prince “Raggar” (Rhaegar) got an annulment and married another in a secret ceremony in Dorne.

HELLO.

OH my god I’m mentally screaming.

Rhaegar Targaryen. Dany’s brother. Jon’s father. He was married to Elia Martell of Dorne (Oberyn’s sister). She had two sons with him, but he knew that “the dragon has three heads” and he believed his children would fulfill an ancient prophecy. She couldn’t have any more children since she almost died having their second, and he got an annulment. From Elia. He MARRIED LYANNA STARK IN A SECRET CEREMONY IN DORNE. 

1) This shuts down the polygamist theories that have been floating around for years

2) If Jon’s parents were officially MARRIED at the time of his birth, he is NOT a bastard at all, but a legitimate Targaryen and the rightful heir to the throne of the seven kingdoms, as Rhaegar was crown prince, and it’s passed down through the male line. 

Like... WHAT. I. HAVE. BEEN. WAITING. YEARS. FOR. THIS. AND. YOU. CASUALLY. DROP. IT. IN. MY. FACE.

Rhaegar and Lyanna are literally my favorite thing about Game of Thrones. If we don’t get a flashback of them, I’m going to freak out. Although they supposedly cast this guy named Wilf as Rhaegar and I’m so much more down with Devin Oliver being Rhaegar but... oh well. I love the people of the internet for these anyway:

So, anyway, reference that back to Jon being so friendly with Drogon - bam. Targaryen blood. Blood of the dragon. Love it, this is amazing, I am living. Go, Targaryen baby, go.

Okay, another thing that needs explaining. Littlefinger is 100% trying to turn Arya and Sansa against each other. What we have to remember is that they DID NOT get along as children, and they haven’t seen each other in years. Yes, they are family, but their bond is not all that great. Arya is already mad at Sansa for not sticking up for Jon when the lords were talking shit about him.

So, remember how they said that Maeser Luwin kept copies of every Raven scroll that was sent to Winterfell? This is the copy of the scroll that Cersei forced Sansa to write back in Season 1, when they told her that her father was a traitor, and that she needed to write to Robb and tell him to swear fealty to Joffrey since Robert had died. If you remember, Cersei painted it so it looked like Ned tried to take the throne from Joffrey, when really, he was trying to figure out why his friend died so mysteriously.

Sansa did what she was told by Cersei, because at that time she was naive and still thought there was a chance she could be queen - and Ned hadn’t been executed yet so things didn’t seem as dire to her as they really were. 

Littlefinger knows that if Arya believes Sansa betrayed their family (and lied about what Ned was doing) it will split them apart, and she will become volatile and dangerous to Sansa - meaning Sansa will have to do something about it.

Honestly, I think this is just a piece of dumb drama, but they have been building up to this for a while. In the S7 trailer, Sansa says “the lone wolf dies, and the pack survives”. I still think Littlefinger is the lone wolf and he’s grasping at straws.

And, we end with the A-team going to find a wight to prove to Cersei that they exist. TBH, when I read this in the reddit spoilers, I was like “what a dumb idea!” but here we are. So, good luck, boys.

Until next week.

P.S. - if you have any specific questions that you want me to answer for next week, feel free to put it in my ask - I got quite a few this week that I clarified in here (hopefully).

Thanks for reading!