Kguillemette

Never played it, though it's said to be the best one ever made. One day I'll get around to it, though immersive open world games outside of Zelda really aren't my thing.

I've never actually heard of Coldseed. I'm sure there's a reason for that. My personal pick for worst side project I've ever listened to is easily... So incredibly yawn inducing. And I fucking love Dream Theater! I have no idea why I though James Labrie would ever make a good solo album though. This is a bit of a coincidence on my end. I honestly never noticed having this many side projects next to each other in the low 20s until I started writing them up.

I'd argue the switch service is retro gaming, which ironically the primary way I play switch these days. And outside of a small handful of games for each system's library, most sell for way under $70, which is what new games seem to cost these days. I should note that when I refer to retro gaming, I personally am digging my heels into wii, wii u, and PS3 at the moment. I bought Yoshi's Wooly World last week for $15 at a local game store and having a blast with it! And the price of entry on ps5 is beyond me, especially for the console alone. I do agree that modern gaming is cheaper these days than it used to be when adjusting for inflation. Of course I couldn't afford these retro consoles when they were considered "modern" back then, either!

#22 Diabolical Masquerade- The Eerie Obzidian Circuz I have a lot of side projects of big name bands near the top of my list, don't I? Anders Nystrom of Katatonia had an itchy black metal finger and inner kvultist that had him put together this little solo side project. He made a couple very good albums and then absolutely caught lightning in a bottle with the album, Nightwork. It is an has remained my favorite black metal album of all time and "Eerie Obzidian Circuz" remains my favorite black metal song. Just the little intro bellow "OUT OF MY WAY WRETCHED HUMANS" sets the tone. First time I heard it as the album was winding down, I was pulled right back in knowing I was in for a good time. And that's right. This is as good as black metal gets right here. This little side project, and especially this song and album is superior to every other black metal band and album. And in my opinion, it is superior to his main band, Katatonia. This is a must listen to anyone curious of the genre.

I'm in the camp where I am mostly priced out of modern gaming. Id love to partake, but it's just too expensive of a hobby for me. I buy maybe one new release a year for myself. It's an easy decision what kind of gamer I am when I can afford 3-5 second hand games for the same price as a single new release.

I will agree with you that it is pretty unsettling. I take it you enjoyed it? I want to have liked it, I'm just thinking it wasn't my cup of tea. It was certainly a ride though!

Is I'm thinking of Ending Things considered horror or just regular weird as fuck?

#23 Sinergy- I Spit on Your Grave The story of Sinergy as I understand it is Kimberly Goss, who traveled from California to try her hand in the emerging European metal world, saw a void of female led aggressive metal. She managed to recruit the likes of Alexi Laiho to play guitar and with a name like that involved, the rest of the lineup filled out with some real players giving Sinergy almost a supergroup feel. Alexi added his trademark sweeping guitar style and him and Goss made a couple excellent albums, got married in a fever, broke up after a tumultuous couple years and then the group disbanded. It was awesome while it lasted and truly was pioneering in many ways.

#24 Hollenthon- To Kingdom Come We have reached the top 25! Hollenthon is probably the most obscure band left to be featured. They are the side project of Martin Schirenc, who is probably better known as the front man for the so-so death metal band Pungent Stench. With a little help from his then wife, he put together this really impressive project of a band that mixes symphonic elements, gregorian style chanting, synths, horns, strings, and woodwinds all into an MDM package. I cant recommend this enough! And of course we have a bonus feature being this high in the countdown. It was so difficult to pick just one song for the list because the library is just so high quality.

#25 Elvenking- Seasonspeech There are more than a few dedicated folk metal bands I do enjoy as well as folk inspired metal bands. Unleash the Archers comes to mind. Tyr as well. FInntroll and Eluveitie have already been featured. As far as dedicated ones, Elvenking takes the crown with their song "Seasonspeech". It's an great ballad with really nicely blended polyrhythmic vocals. Then all the usual metal tropes such as fierce guitar playing, great aggressive drumming, and all the other things that make heavy metal great are done well here. It's very ambitious for what they were trying to do and they nailed it!

I'll claim my Ice Hockey suggestion. Awesome job this year!

#26 Black Sabbath- Heaven and Hell Sorry Ozzy. Dio you are not. I fucking love Black Sabbath like every proper metal head should. Paranoid is rightly considered an all time great album. Ozzy is one of the best and most influential rock singers of all time, no question. But still he's no Dio. And I don't consider rating a Sabbath song with Dio higher than a Sabbath song with Ozzy the least bit controversial. Heaven and Hell is an amazing song, no other way around it, and Dio's Operatic voice just rings so beautifully.

Lol. I'm totally doing this one year..

Get over here!

#27 Symphony X- The Accolade We are seeing some true heavy hitters right now. I love everything about this song made by some of the masters of prog metal. The subtle piano, the guitar harmonies, the seamless rhythm section that ties everything together, and of course the great Russel Allen belting out the tragic story of a knight going into battle. A common theme going forward is that the bands are just so good that it is near impossible to pick a favorite. So here's a bonus! Symphony X- Smoke and Mirrors

wtf. Only you... I'm of the opinion that while I acknowledge and respect that external factors play a role in everything we do, this is largely overthought. Games are only designed to stimulate 2 or 3 senses after all. It doesn't mean I will or won't enjoy a game in a vacuum sense.

#28 Devin Townsend- Kingdom The mightiest of Devin's solo stuff is right here. I remember first hearing this song on the Physicist album, and it always struck me compared to the rest of the songs. Then one day some 7 years later I had the chance to hear it performed live. He cleaned the vocals up and really showed myself and the audience exactIy how capable of a performer he is. I thought it was just a throwback song mixed into the middle of his set, but then it turns out he re-recorded it into this beautiful rendition. It's such an epic display of vocal prowess. It's a simple song, yet so powerful. I really wanted to put something from Ocean Machine being that is my favorite solo Devin album, but this is a song I can't deny being completely in love with.

#29 Huntress- Blood Sisters This is one of my all time favorite pandora discoveries. They had that classic metal feel and dropped in traces of thrash and power with great melodies behind it. "Blood Sisters" was another one of those songs where I needed to stop what I was doing and hit that "like" button. I also love the singer Jill Janus, and her "not quite clean" style of singing. Looking back on her history, she seems to have been on track for greatness in the metal community had she not tragically taken her own life. Oh I must wonder what could have been. RIP

I still use my second gen ipod touch. I'm sure you can get a classic ipod that would be relatively cheap if buttons are important. My touch I think was under $10 and they still sell the multi pin chargers at my local Walmart when I needed a spare.

Whoa. This is incredible!

I miss the pre Facebook and pre YouTube internet. Such a simple time...

#30 Zimmer's Hole- When You Were Shouting at the Devil... I fucking love Zimmers Hole. Consisting of the core of Strapping Young Lad, they just beat all hell! Yes, Jed Simon, Byron Stroud, and the great Gene Hoglan are all members here. From my understanding, they actually predate SYL and are some true pioneers to that extreme metal sound that really came together when Devin joined them. Their lyrics are pure works of comedy that I just can't get enough of. I also should emphasize that Gene Hoglan is 100% my favorite drummer of all time, and this is just the first time seeing him on my list. Specifically about this song, it absolutely rips on hair metal. Glam rock can go suck a cock! If you are a fan of Devin and SyL and unfamiliar with Zimmers Hole, change that ASAP!

My bowser reposted!

#31 Stratovarius- Hunting High and Low I have a serious love/hate relationship with Stratovarius. When they are on, they have some of the finest power metal to have ever been created. But I also know them to drop a turd from time to time. Pretty much the entirety of Elements Pt 2 I think is just a hot mess. Stratovarius has the distinct honor of having both the first power metal song I loved, and the first power metal song I actively disliked. "Hunting High and Low" is the former. In spite of their catalogue being very mixed, this song remains one of my first loves and still finds itself getting played anytime I need to feel upbeat and inspired. It's quintessential Power Metal song!