Oh well, time flies... today - exactly 20 years ago - I signed up to Metal Archives. As it looks like, I was member 7.594*, so already a bit late to the party, but I hadn't heard about Metal Archives before. If I remember right, two Swedish guys approached me within few days asking for info about certain releases. So I asked the 2nd one why/how/what and he explained that he wanted to add the info to the metal-archives site for the release entry.

Well, that sounded interesting and hence I signed up the same day, in order to get some information about unknown releases of bands that I didn't know about. Or adding information that was missing (e.g. I added the first comment about the two different Obsessed By Cruelty versions, as well as info on the lost track "Shadows Of The Moon" on Necrophobic's debut. And during my first weeks, I recognised a big black hole of Polish and Swedish Death Metal bands, so the first band I added to the database was Magnus (band 19.470 in the archives)

Also the forum became my 2nd home together with the German Rock Hard forum. Even if there was no "Forum Meet'n-party Party" it was nice getting in contact with several dozens of people all over the world. Mainly trading/selling/buying, but also discussing about releases (e.g. "do they really exist????"). Also funny to get in contact with several musicians after adding their bands to the archive - getting corrections from them or just a "thank you". Which was cool, because I then always asked if there were any "old Rehearsal room tapes that don't sound like shit" and got sometimes a tape or CDR in return for postage costs or even for free. Amazing times...

Well, I am not participating much in forums anymore these days. Lack of time and other hobbies that cost too much time. But I am still alive, reading a few threads like opus' awesome thread "reviewing my complete CD collection from A-Z" and a few others.
Oh, and I wonder how many of the "old guard" are still active these days.

So here's to the next 20 years.

(* 7.594 based on "Forum => Members =>Joined)