I recall that when the South Park creators made an episode criticising Scientology, that the 'Church' tried to dig up some dirt on Trey and Matt in order to try and discredit them... and pretty much realised they were squeaky clean, which was amusing to behold.

So Bell Witch - Mirror Reaper is pretty damn good. Only played it twice since I got it over the weekend (80+ minutes will do that) but it's already growing on me. I can just sort of sink into these mournful, rolling riffs and harmonies - the second half, which is actually not even really metal, is even better than the first and really ties it all together. I'll check their other stuff sometime.

This documentary on the #NoDAPL movement is really powerful. It's 2 hours long, but y'all should watch it if you have the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dWeg_jHdK0

still haven't given that one a listen, but Four Phantoms is a serious heater. definitely recommended.

Sounds about fucking right Buncha dullards.

Look at them kids go! Makes an old man happy.

Apparently an 18 year old just killed 17 people in another mass school shooting, this time in Parkland, Florida. Tragedy.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/parkland/florida-school-shooting/fl-sb-active-shooter-marjory-stoneman-high-20180214-story.html

Yep, saw it yesterday. Well done, society.

I think that, in lieu of improving our laws or trying to fix the problem, everyone just send some useful thoughts and prayers.

Only you can end these tragedies:

https://www.thoughtsandprayersthegame.com/

Yeah... I guess I'm beating a dead horse but I'm still amazed at the fact that some people are still accepting these bimonthly slaughters in the name of freedom.

Silly Netherlander! Don't you know that the people's right to own instruments of murder far outweighs the lives of high schoolers? That is the way of AMERICAAAAA, FUCK YEAAAAH!



FREEDOM IS THE ONLY WAY, YEAH!

[screams internally]

Went down to Seattle last night to see Yob and Conan play together because I knew that wasn't a line up to be missed. Holy god, was it heavy! It was also a really special show; Yob hadn't played since August and they played around 45 minutes of their upcoming album coming out in June. Sounds really, really good. Conan also busted out a track from their upcoming album, Existential Void Guardian. Should be a good year for doom metal!

SORTA on the topic of the Florida tragedy...

It keeps being repeated that if you took out the top 3-5 cities with the highest gun crime rates, the rates themselves plummet significantly. How much of that is true? I haven't gotten a direct answer from either side.

I'm obsessed with Anaal Nathrakh! I don't know if it is the vocals or music.....I just can't understand why I love this band!!!

Could it be because the name sounds so similar to anal?

I dunno. I find it bizarre how people can acknowledge that our president has no concern whatsoever for civil rights, yet they would support a total gun ban. Yes, people on the left claim that they don't support a total ban on firearms, but most of them admit it if you press them for long enough. What happens if/when someone a hundred times worse than Trump gets in office? Sure, the military has more firepower, but I would rather have at least something to defend myself against a totalitarian regime than have nothing at all.

You'll be the resistance leader who overthrows Mecha-Trump.

Trump is already being overthrown by the legal system. Just give it time. Someone even worse is going to fuck this country dry in the future, though.

Stop with the hallucinogenics and conspiracy theories dude. Also that mentality is exactly why we have a gun problem. I support a full assault weapons ban, eveyone should, nobody needs an assault rifle. If you want to hunt or have guns for fun, have the fuck at it. You don't need an AR15 for that, suck my dick.

I wonder what scenario you have in mind in which guns would help you defend yourself against a totalitarian regime.

Any train of thought that starts with an implication that owning guns is a human right is bound to crash and burn in the next paragraph.

If anyone has seen video compilations of tubby militia dudes cosplaying in the forest they would realize how laughable the idea that they would stand a chance against an actual military operation is laughable.

No way dude! It's a commonly known fact that anyone holding an assault rifle becomes Rambo and could take out the entirety of the North Korean army by themselves. And don't forget the plight of the hunter who has to modify his AR15 with a banana clip and carry armor piercing rounds to tear through the thick armor that deer evolved to possess over the last few hundred years. Oh shit, not evolution, I forgot that was a trick of the devil, god gave them body armor to make it a fair fight!

If the USA government wanted you dead, you would die. You think assault rifles help all those poor bastards in the Middle East who get splattered by drone strikes? You'd be no different. Pretending otherwise is nothing but wishful thinking.

Also, I must say that comparing civil rights =/= the right to own a gun. Not guns that allow you kill 10 people with the single pull of a trigger, at least. Australia had a mass shooting once, and what did they do? They began to regulate them a lot more strictly. Funnily enough, it never happened again.

This idea of being able to stand up against a tyrannical regime is based on feelings. AboveTheThrone is a good example of this:

"Sure, the military has more firepower, but I would rather have at least something to defend myself against a totalitarian regime than have nothing at all."

Can't you see how egotistical this is, AboveTheThrone? You're basically saying that being able to pick up your gun, knowing that you won't stand a chance at all against Seal team six is somehow worth all the trouble this "right" brings with it for the rest of society.

I think anyone establishing a totalitarian regime would not start by seizing power then removing "gun rights".

They would befriend existing militia and wacko gun loving interest groups, seek their collaboration, and then seize power using weapons, in the name of liberty.

On a much, much lighter note...

I was on another board and the subject of the mediocre post BM band Ghost Bath came up. It was implied by another poster that this band does not actually play guitars during their live shows, that the guitars are all on backing tracks and the instruments in their hands are merely stage props.

Anyone hear anything about this?

I suppose I am not that adept of a Google-er because no useful results turned up.

Obviously, this is not worthy of its own thread.

The government wouldn't use drones, tanks, or other aircraft against insurgents if they were in an urban environment, as there would be definite collateral damage.

So you *do* think there's going to be a fascist takeover soon, but that its not going to be *quite* so evil that it can accept some collateral damage? Based on the military/intelligence apparatus' previously shown concern for human rights? I mean, if we're talking about a situation in which there was legitimate insurgency against the US government you think they *wouldn't* pull out all the stops? I just really don't understand your reasoning, man. What exactly is the scenario you're envisioning?

I don't see America becoming more like North Korea anytime soon. Fascism could only take hold in this country if the regime were to persuade a large proportion of the people that they are the "good guys". So, in that case, they wouldn't be able to bomb non-combatants and still maintain support from the masses.

I hate to use Nazi Germany as an example, but meh... the Nazis didn't bomb their own supporters as far as I know. They earned the trust of their people by brainwashing them to believe they were some morally superior force doing good for the world. Had they carelessly carpet-bombed "Aryan" people, they would have had coup attempts on their hands.

To answer your question more directly, I see the far-right radically changing the country in our lifetime. I see them implementing a total police state and using it to arrest women who have had abortions, people who criticize Israel and/or Christianity, and any left-leaning political activists. This all sounds far-fetched until you read comments on social media from people who gets their news from Fox and other neo-conservative sources.

You should tell that to the thousands of children in the Middle East who have stumps for limbs. See what they think about the USA government caring about collateral damage.

The U.S. government doesn't care about collateral damage in the Middle East because they know they can get away with it. If they started killing Americans on their own soil, there would actually be a backlash.

They can already get away with allowing children on American soil to be murdered on a weekly basis. Might as well get proactive and kill them themselves!

They could easily prevent that by putting armed security in schools.

You should never have a need for fucking armed security at a goddamn school

ATT, do you read what you post? Like, slowly and carefully? Because that proposition sounds horrendously dystopian. No country should ever need to put armed security in schools to protect the children from other armed people that might try to murder them. Aren't you guys supposed to be a first world country? You know, like all of those other nations with no school shootings. Like Australia; that illustrously succesful case you somehow neglected to address in one of my previous posts.

I mean, sure, you could nip the problem in the bud by implementing, I dunno, some kind of stricter regulation on the acquisition of firearms. "Gun control", if you may. But naaaah, let's just put more guns near/inside schools! There's no way for that to go horribly wrong and make the USA look even more absurd or deranged.

Or maybe, just maybe, you care more about the "right" to keep a firm grip on a piece and hopefully be John Wick some day than the deaths of innocent children. Come on, you can say it if you want.

I suppose your solution to the opiod epidemic is more opiods? Or to have the opiods prescribed by people who are currently under the influence of them, needle and wallet?

When you get a cut, you shouldn't go to the doctor. Just stick the knife deeper and twist it a bit. You'll be feeling better in no time.

Seriously, no answer here?

I'm still trying to figure out what you mean by "side"