» 2026-04-19
Slay The Spire 2
I've unlocked Ascension 2 for every character class and really ought to take a break from this overly addictive game...
I really appreciate the refinements over the first game, and I am wondering what might be coming down the pipe — that isn't available in the early access version.
Next up on the "to do" list:
- finish Final Fantasy IV (DS)
- Final Fantasy V
- Final Fantasy VI
I'll be playing these on a mix of my SNES (FFV) and Nintendo DS. At some point, I'll get around to buying the Pixel Remaster versions of the first 6 Final Fantasy games. The quality of life improvements are a big deal to me now, since my time is a lot more limited.
» 2026-04-18
Reissues And Remasters
For all the new music coming out on a regular basis, I don't really have the time, or the inclination, to keep track of all the albums getting re-released. This week happened to be an exception, with several noteworthy albums on the slate.
John Frusciante, To Record Only Water For 10 Days
Despite not being anything even vaguely resembling a Red Hot Chilli Peppers fan, I have listened to this album a few times a year since I first heard it. An assistant kitchen manager at my first job played it on the stereo at work and I was instantly hooked. I think I was somewhat aware of the album from reading The PRP... "Away & Anywhere" got stuck in my head instantly; I think this was one of the albums that helped fuel my obsession with drum machines and artists recording albums entirely themselves.
Fear Factory, Digimortal
This is the album where my fandom began to waver. I did enjoy the album when it dropped, but it's a lot more uneven than anything that came before it. That "Back The Fuck Up" is a song I only enjoy ironically while "Linchpin" is one of my all-time favourite Fear Factory songs is a prime example of the album's high degree of variance.
I don't know why this is listed as an "expanded edition," unless Roadrunner retains some king of rights to 'digipak,' because all the extra songs are on the copy I bought on release day.
HateSphere, The Sickness
This is a band I always associate with the guy who runs the website for The Project Hate and did a few of their album designs. This Danish thrash band has always been exceedingly underrated. This re-release is a great excuse to check them out!
Meshuggah, Catch Thirtythree and Destroy Erase Improve
The only "DEI" that I'm concerned with and I'm very curious to see what benefits come from the remastering process. The same goes for Catch Thirtythree, which is a tremendous album that I tend to forget about because ObZen and Nothing were the records of that era initially drew me in as a fan.
» 2026-04-12
Escape The City
My weekend didn't go quite as planned; I managed to blow out a tire by hitting a curb at 10:30pm on Friday night. After waiting around for 3 hours for CAA to bail on me, I ended up breaking out my car's ownership manual and learning how to be a grown-up and change a tire. I didn't get home until 2:00am and didn't get to sleep until some time after 3.
On its own, a blown tire is a serious annoyance but the timing also could not have been worse. I had plans to pick up a friend and head up to the camp ground I spend my summers at, for some early spring kyaking and a bonfire. When I finally got to sleep, I had no idea how I was going to salvage my weekend.
I woke up at 8:00am, called a tire shop close to my house and immediately remembered that it's the peak time for seasonal tire changes. They were booked solid. I took a shot in the dark and called my dealership — expecting to get some kind of automated message telling me to call back Monday, or schedule an appointment a week or two out. No, actually they were able to get me booked for an emergency appointment and I was rolling out of their parking lot on two new tires by 11:30am.
Naturally, I am extremely unhappy with the expense but the weekend was a sorely needed retreat from the day-to-day grind in the city. Touring around a still largely frozen lake and nearby swamp was really fun; I got a lot of good pictures and was able to hang out with my friends. We built an enormous bonfire and ate until moving was difficult. I already logged my first cornhole games of the year, although the wind made things challenging.
I don't hate where I live, but it's really calming to get away from the noise and crowding of a city — even a smaller one like Ottawa. This summer's going to be a really fun, extremely busy season.
» 2026-04-04
Ingested Update
When it was first announced that Ingested had parted ways with their newest vocalist, Josh Davies, I wondered if they would be re-recording his the vocals for their forthcoming album, Denigration.
It turns out that is exactly what the band did. Their statement on the matter is as follows:
Sean and Andrew have re-recorded all vocals across the album. When the next single drops; the updated recordings will begin rolling out, and the current digital version of "Merciless Reflection" will be replaced. From point forward, the new recordings will stand as the definitive edition of the record.
All physical and digital versions worldwide will reflect these updated vocals.
This wasn't a small decision, but it was the right one for the future of the band and the album. We're proud of how the record stands, and it represents where Ingested is today as we move forward.
This incarnation of Ingested captures a specific moment in time and stands as a unique document this chapter our history.
Alongside this, we'll begin the search for a new frontman as we build what comes next.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support us, it genuinely means everything.
For his part, Davies released a brief statement reiterating his innocence and noting that he has not been charged with any crime.
Lapsed Fandom
It just dawned on me that we're coming up on the 5-year anniversary of my finally giving up following the UFC. I used to be one of the most dedicated hardcore fans, spending almost every Saturday night — with depressingly few exceptions — watching events that would run 8+ hours. Once I broke the habit, the momentum I had built up dissipated very quickly. (It also helped that I had a lot more options in my social life, so I had a lot of things I could do when I wasn't watching barely-ranked middleweights stink up the UFC fight warehouse.)
At some point, I really need to put all my thoughts and feelings about my MMA fandom into writing. I haven't completely stopped paying attention, but these days my focus is on the business side of things — the TKO revenue extraction machine. Similar to pro-wrestling, one ascends to the final form of diehard fan when they stop following the product week-to-week but still care about earnings reports and buyrates.
I'm hoping to get a rough draft put together over the next few weeks. This feels like a necessary step in fully moving on from what used to be a central fixation in my life.