Quote by AnnaMayZing

I recently saw a vlog on YouTube from 2021 with Tuomas Holopainen (Nightwish). In it, he mentioned Darkwoods My Betrothed, a band with which he has played keyboard for many years, but has no other input. I thought I would take a listen... Nope, not for me. I prefer the more melodic metal rather than Black Metal.

I need to give them another listen. My appreciation for extreme metal styles has changed since I last tried them and I might be more amenable to them now. And Tuomas needs no other input, IMHO, just his style of playing reveals his presence if you're familiar with his work.

Kardashev, my new metal discovery of the week, kind of split the difference with their progressive deathgaze (as it's called). Some very heavy death metal elements including some of the fastest blastbeats I have ever heard, but also some lighter, more melodic moments. They are possibly the most extreme band that I have actually liked to date. Their 2022 album Liminal Rites, from which this comes, blew my mind yesterday.

Tram

Okay, folks. The ape is here.

We got Fire-Roasted Spring Fling on for the coffee crowd. Teas are Canadian Breakfast and Vinyl Cafe. Kettle is boiled if you're craving something else. Cold beverages are stocked up.

What's happening in your world?

Just now, plain old H2O. Tried coffee this morning to see if my tastes on that front have changed. They haven't. Still hate the stuff.

Hm. Have a fondness for both and haven't seen either live in eons. Opera.

Play a sport or watch that sport?

I have been slacking off on this for a while, so I thought I should take a shot at restarting it. This week, Authors Publish offers a list of 26 literary journals with high acceptance rates, which is the writer's definition of "approachable". It's a mixed bag with lots of poetry, micro, and flash but a lot of market for full-length fiction. Worth a look if you're wanting a market that's a bit easier to get into than bigger names.

https://authorspublish.com/26-approachable-journals/

Crap

Dessert ends a delicious meal.

The usual. Yorkshire Gold tea.

Wine. Don't generally drink beer.

Coffee or tea with dessert?

Quote by verbal
My daughter is going to have a major operation in about a week, and I am caretaking for a couple months as I help her out

Vibes to both daughter and dad. Hope all goes well.

I'm on a bit of a death watch right now. My aunt (father's sister) is in palliative care. She is in her late 80s and had a rough ride with long COVID a few years back, not to mention other outstanding health issues. My brother is keeping in touch with her family and relaying news as it comes.

Good morning!! New day, new week, new government. Well, sort of. Canada is having an election but the present governing party, the Liberals, seems likely to win. However, they have a new leader who has shifted their direction a bit.

Coffee is a dark roast from Costa Rica. We've got Yorkshire Gold and Assam teas. Kettle is hot for those needing other hot beverages. Fresh lemonade and iced tea are mixed up and in the fridge. Soda stock lookin' good. And here's cookies.

Good morning!! It's Friday, week is ending. But ape has a headache. groans

So I'm keeping it simple. Coffee is McCafe, teas are Tetley's and Earl Grey. Kettle is on for other fine bevvies. Cold drinks are there if you need 'em (we actually got there yesterday, with 27C and a bit humid).

And there's brownies if you're a mite peckish.

Depends on the pie. Some go better a la mode than others (e.g. pumpkin goes better with whipped cream). But generally a la mode.

Fruity teas (lemon, Earl Grey) or spice/savoury teas (chais and related)?

Ditto (answering my own since Meagananne didn't add a question)

Cake or pie?

Just water for now. Make some tea later once I have too much blood in my caffeine. 😀

Finnish bassist and vocalist Marko Hietala is a bit of a journeyman musician nowadays. He has his solo career, he guests with other bands, he has been touring a lot with his former bandmate Tarja and reliving some of their Nightwish glory days. And he has become the lead vocalist of Bearwood, a new Finnish hard rock band whose founder and guitarist is another Marko; Marko Karhu. Both Markos are fantastic musicians so, needless to say, I am really loving this new project of theirs. Here's the latest video.

Hey good morning, all. How's things where you are? I am single for a couple days so my wife can help out with a math competition at a university out of town. I am surviving.

Coffee du jour is Tobermory Grotto. Teas are Assam and Sunday Tea (vanilla). Kettle is ready for other hot bevvies. Fridge is stocked with lemonade, iced tea, and sundry sodas.

Hope all have a good day.

Later, alligators.

Blackbriar is considered symphonic metal rather than goth metal but, dang, their videos are often dark as all hell. Gothic symphonic metal or maybe symphonic gothic metal? Anyhow, "The Fossilized Bride" (yeah, you can see where this is going already, right?) is classic Blackbriar with the guys as a band of ghost hunters or urban explorers and lead singer Zora Cock as the mysterious titular character. And who is that weird guy in the old clothes? The widow's lost love?

Quote by verbal

Talia's birthday today! Wish her well!

Hope she's keeping well. Have not seen her around in a while.

Yorkshire tea (not Gold, the original).

Lotso goodies left from yesterday. Dig in!

Coffee is a Nicaraguan Dark Roast from Las Chicas. Teas are Scottish Breakfast and Assam. Cold drinks are all looking good.

What's up?

She's amazing. It's great how many old classic artists are still hanging in and sounding pretty good into their seventies and even eighties. John Lodge, ex-Moody Blues, dropped a pretty good new EP a couple months ago and he's turning 82 this year and wrote at least one of the songs while recovering from a stroke.

New Evanesence and it's pretty good. Apparently it's from the soundtrack of Netflix's live action remake of the anime Devil May Cry.

Twilight (rushes off to rinse mouth out)

Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne

Everyone should choose their favourite.

Care - Core

Red Rose with a twist of lime for me, but I drink Tetley's at work since that's what's in the lunchroom cupboard.

One wonders if bobcats glare at us and go "It's Robert Cat, you fools." 😊

Apparently someone wanted to use plastic eggs at the White House but the orange-haired one said no. The egg producers backed him up, too, not surprisingly. The number of eggs used is apparently a pittance relative to what is eaten in the US every day. The article I read gave the figure of 9 million eggs a day, which actually feels low to me for a country with well over 300 million people where eggs are widely used either directly or in things like baking.

Love Dido. There's some newer singer-songwriter I was listening to recently who had a bit of her vibe but I forget who now. My brain is saying beebadoobee but her sound is a bit different, really, so it is probably someone else. Here's beebadoobee (real name: Beatrice Laus) anyway. Good young singer-songwriter born in the Philippines and raised and schooled in the UK. Hot off the presses from Coachella 2025.