More stick-n-poke radness

Do you remember the post I did about the young man with the butterflies on his feet and the ridiculous home tattoos? Well, he showed me some photos of his friend's tattoos. And boy, are they ridiculous!

First up- booyah! arm!

This poor person has "booyah!" on their arm not once, but at least SEVEN TIMES! I can also see a pterodactyl, a ghost, and "USA GOES UNDEFEATED".


I wish I knew the story behind this one. "Saves Latin"??? ... maybe I don't really want to know.


And this. What is this? An alien-insect with patriotic wings riding a scooter with hello kitty with a mustache in the back? WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?

Seriously, the more I see tattoos like this, the more I shake my head and start to wonder if they are really works of genius instead of being the worst tattoos in the world.

More stick-n-poke radness

Do you remember the post I did about the young man with the butterflies on his feet and the ridiculous home tattoos? Well, he showed me some photos of his friend's tattoos. And boy, are they ridiculous!

First up- booyah! arm!

This poor person has "booyah!" on their arm not once, but at least SEVEN TIMES! I can also see a pterodactyl, a ghost, and "USA GOES UNDEFEATED".


I wish I knew the story behind this one. "Saves Latin"??? ... maybe I don't really want to know.


And this. What is this? An alien-insect with patriotic wings riding a scooter with hello kitty with a mustache in the back? WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?

Seriously, the more I see tattoos like this, the more I shake my head and start to wonder if they are really works of genius instead of being the worst tattoos in the world.

VOIVOD - (1989) Nothing Face @256kbps

Arguably the best of the Denis Belanger-era Voivod albums, Nothingface is highly recommended to just about any aficionado of twisted, original heavy metal or prog rock. Although the album's roots are in progressive rock, the group knows when to lay off the virtuosic overkill and play it straight. A superb, tripped-out cover of Pink Floyd's early psychedelic masterpiece "Astronomy Domine" is the album's highlight, and its video aired numerous times on the early-'90s MTV show Headbanger's Ball, introducing many to the band for the first time. Vocal melodicism is stressed heavily on Nothingface, with Belanger's vocals pushing such tracks as "Missing Sequences" and the title track, as do guitarist Denis d'Amour's jazzoid-metal guitar riffs. The group's lyrics may be hard to decipher for some (relying heavily on themes of science fiction that often paint unsettling pictures), but ultimately help complement what the group is doing musically. Nothingface also turned out to be their most commercially successful album, making an appearance on the Billboard charts. Jason Newsted has praised Voivod as one of his favorite metal bands on numerous occasions, and after hearing Nothingface, it's easy to understand why.
-- by Greg Prato, Allmusic Guide

Tracks
1.the unknown knows
2.nothingface
3.astronomy domine
4.missing sequences
5.x-ray mirror
6.inner combustion
7.pre-ignition
8.into my hypercube
9.sub-effect

..label - MCA Records
..buy - Amazon
..home page - MySpace

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KATATONIA - (1999) Tonight's Decision @256kbps

Tonight's Decision continues in the song-oriented direction of 1998's Discouraged Ones, but with an even greater emphasis on verse-chorus-verse songwriting. The guitars churn more heavily than on that album and the drums are a little more aggressive; however, the production is slicker on the whole, almost to the point of sounding ready for mainstream rock radio. Jonas Renske's vocals are again cleanly sung (as opposed to growled), and he has even added a falsetto to his arsenal. In other words, this album is a pretty far cry from the black metal-leaning style of their earlier records. On the other hand, the depressive melodies and lyrics are pure Katatonia, and the songwriting is solid throughout: "Black Session," "For My Demons," and "Right Into the Bliss" hold their own next to the cover of Jeff Buckley's "Nightmares by the Sea." It won't please fans hoping for the band to return to their earlier style, but taken on its own terms, Tonight's Decision is still a strong record, and one which suggests that greater commercial success isn't out of the question for these melancholy Swedes.
-- by William York, Allmusic Guide

Tracks
1.for my demons
2.i am nothing
3.in death a song
4.had to (leave)
5.this punishment
6.right into the bliss
7.no good can come of this
8.strained
9.a darkness coming
10.nightmares by the sea
11.black session

..label - Peaceville Recs.
..buy - Amazon
..home page - www.katatonia.com/

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KATATONIA - (1998) Discouraged Ones @256kbps

On Discouraged Ones, Katatonia remains as depressive as ever, while at the time moving even further away from its earlier sound than it did on the previous release, Brave Murder Day. Cleanly sung vocals (at times reminiscent of the Cure's Robert Smith) have replaced the agonizing growls of Dance of December Souls, while the songs themselves -- averaging about four minutes apiece -- are much more compact than their previous extended epics. The key aspects of the sound here are the thickly layered guitars, which are distorted but somewhat pushed back in the mix, and the huge, reverberating drumbeats, which are almost uniformly played in a slow-to-medium tempo and seem purposely simplistic. These elements cause the songs to sound overly similar on the first few spins; however, with subsequent listens, the melodies begin to peek through the fog, and the album as a whole takes on an almost hypnotic, dreamlike feel, something reinforced by the ever-steady beats. The imagery-laden lyrics (best exemplified by "Saw You Drown") also accentuate this dreamlike quality. Other noteworthy tracks include "Deadhouse," "Cold Ways," and the slowed-down closer, "Distrust," although the whole of this album really exceeds the sum of its parts. Through its subtle melodies, minimal rhythms, and strongly melancholy moods, Discouraged Ones emerges as either a masterpiece, or else something very close.
-- by William York, Allmusic Guide

Tracks
1.i break
2.stalemate
3.deadhouse
4.relention
5.cold ways
6.gone
7.last resort
8.nerve
9.saw you drown
10.instrumental
11.distrust

..label - Century Media
..buy - Amazon
..home page - www.katatonia.com/

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Cats with no ears

I just took in two of the cutest cats ever, and so I have had cats on the brain lately. Because of this, I thought I'd do some searching for bad cat tattoos. I am SURE there are worse ones out here, but this is what I found- three cat tattoos without any ears. Why would you ever draw a cat without ears? It just makes them look like weird aliens!


This looks like a Lisa Frank drawing without the pizazz.


This is the most half-assed tattoo I have possibly ever seen. Why are the eyes sideways? Why are the whiskers blue? Where are the ears? So many unanswered questions!


This is a mix of the lady's five cats and some human (the right eye). Why the human has a lazy eye, I don't know. I also think the cat is actually the bark of a tree.


And finally, while not technically terrible, this butterfly-cat holding a flower and inexplicably wearing pants makes me laugh.

DEATH ANGEL - (2004) The Art Of Dying @256kbps

Leave it to Bay Area thrash metal pioneers Death Angel to name their recording rebirth, 14 years in the making, The Art of Dying. Oh, the irony! Never ones to play it straight, Death Angel, like their first wave of thrash inspiration, Exodus, shocked their aging fans when they courageously shrugged off the years of rust and returned to active metal duty in 2004. And because they were merely teenagers during their first run, most of the band are amazingly still in their early 30s! More importantly, they've done so in style. The Art of Dying, even while bypassing the often Byzantine arrangements heard on the group's first two albums, manages to maintain the songwriting focus of their third (and heretofore last) effort, Act III, while arguably providing a better all-around thrash experience than the latter. The race is a close one, but there's no denying that everything about The Art of Dying's frenetic, scratchy-riffed first track (requisite acoustic guitar intro notwithstanding) "Thrown to the Wolves," as well as the brilliantly concussive highlight "Thicker Than Blood," positively screams "old-school" thrash. In fact, except for a few very discreet trad-metal tricks, and the odd hardcore vocal or two snuck into "Five Steps to Freedom," "The Devil Incarnate," and "Prophecy," so does everything else on display here. The reasons are clear for all to see: as in their previous life, Death Angel's sound continues to be anchored by the intense drumming of Andy Galeon, and the absolutely sterling lead guitar work of Rob Cavestany, who's so damn good throughout, it's almost easy to overlook his always eye-popping contributions. Curiously, Galeon tackles lead vocals (with moderate success) on the sprawling "Spirit" (featuring an uncommonly bluesy bridge section), while Cavestany takes over -- and we mean takes over -- on spectacular closer "Word to the Wise." Not about to be left out, bass player Gus Pepa jumps in with his own lead vocal for the hit-and-miss "Land of Blood," but it's unquestionably lead vocalist Mark Osegueda (often singled out as the band's weak link the first time around) who's benefited the most from the onset of age. Except for sporadic relapses to his irritating past ways during "Never Me" and the wobbly-paced "Famine," where both he and the band get a little lost in the slower momentum, Osegueda's performance on The Art of Dying is stronger, more confident, and more versatile than ever. And while we're taking a roll call here, let it be known that new guitarist Ted Aguilar acquits himself perfectly well in his first outing with the group. In summary, for a band whose potential had seemed disappointingly unfulfilled at the time of their original breakup, Death Angel have ensured that The Art of Dying serves as an act of speed metal closure.
-- by Ed Rivadavia, Allmusic Guide

Tracks
1.intro
2.thrown to the wolves
3.5 steps of freedom
4.thicker than blood
5.the evil incarnate
6.famine
7.prophecy
8.no
9.spirit
10.land of blood
11.never me
12.word to the wise

..label - Nuclear Blast Records
..buy - Amazon
..home page - www.deathangel.com/

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Cats with no ears

I just took in two of the cutest cats ever, and so I have had cats on the brain lately. Because of this, I thought I'd do some searching for bad cat tattoos. I am SURE there are worse ones out here, but this is what I found- three cat tattoos without any ears. Why would you ever draw a cat without ears? It just makes them look like weird aliens!


This looks like a Lisa Frank drawing without the pizazz.


This is the most half-assed tattoo I have possibly ever seen. Why are the eyes sideways? Why are the whiskers blue? Where are the ears? So many unanswered questions!


This is a mix of the lady's five cats and some human (the right eye). Why the human has a lazy eye, I don't know. I also think the cat is actually the bark of a tree.


And finally, while not technically terrible, this butterfly-cat holding a flower and inexplicably wearing pants makes me laugh.

KATATONIA - (1995) For Funerals To Come @256kbps

Katatonia's first recording for new label AvantGarde was 1995's For Funerals to Come.... EP, which found the ever more confident Swedes now capable of knocking out desolate doom/death anthems quite effortlessly. To wit, the opening colossus that is "Funeral Wedding" doesn't even feel like it lasts all of eight minutes, and the comparatively brief "Shades of Emerald Lies" is perhaps even more complex in terms of shifting tempos and riffs -- all of them invariably embellished by gloriously bleak and morose lyrics. In turn, the two-minute title track is achingly gorgeous in its simplicity, its whispered words of unfathomable grief making way to the basic instrumental "Epistle," to bring yet another fine Katatonia EP to a close. [For Funerals to Come... was later included in 2004's Brave Yester Days collection.]
--by Ed Rivadavia, Allmusic Guide

Tracks
1.funeral wedding
2.shades of emerald fields
3.for funerals to come
4.epistel

..label - AvantGarde
..buy - Amazon
..home page - www.katatonia.com/

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ARMORED SAINT - (1991) Symbol Of Salvation @224kbps

Recorded soon after the tragic and untimely death of guitarist Dave Prichard from leukemia, Symbol of Salvation is arguably Armored Saint's finest hour. In what is certainly their best-produced and most diverse album, the band pays tribute to their fallen friend with every performance. And since many of these tracks were co-written by Prichard in his last months on earth, the results are often extremely personal and dramatic — never more so than on the hard-driving "Burning Question," the beautiful "Another Day," and the epic "Tainted Past," which actually features a solo from Prichard. Other highlights, such as "Reign of Fire" and "Dropping Like Flies," find the band thrashing harder than ever, while "Last Train Home" and "Truth Always Hurts" (written by new guitarist Jeff Duncan and returning founding member Phil Sandoval) see them at their most commercial. The chaotic drumming of "Tribal Dance" is another wonderful surprise, and the venemous "Hanging Judge" is simply an awesome all-around metal song. While all Armored Saint albums (save for the very average Raising Fear) have their particular strengths, Symbol of Salvation is probably the best place to start discovering the band.
-- by Ed Rivadavia, Allmusic Guide

Tracks
1.reign of fire
2.dropping like flies
3.last train home
4.tribal dance
5.the truth always hurts
6.halt drawn bridge
7.another day
8.symbol of salvation
9.hanging judge
10.warzone
11.burning question
12.tainted past
13.spineless

..label - Metal Blade Records
..buy - Amazon
..home page - www.armoredsaint.com/

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ARMORED SAINT - (2000) Revelation @224kbps

With some downtime from Anthrax on his hands, vocalist John Bush got together with ex-Armored Saint bassist Joey Vera and decided to reconvene the Saint's Symbol of Salvation-era lineup. The resulting album, Revelation, picks up where Symbol of Salvation left off; it's a solid, tightly performed, traditional heavy metal record that draws on the spirit, if not the speed or sound, of '80s thrash and, to a degree, British metal. It's very recognizably Armored Saint, and most of their fans will be happy enough to have them back that they probably won't be disappointed with it; that said, there's evidence that the band had some difficulty in coming up with enough grade-A material, as some of the songs fail to make much of an impression even in spite of the committed performances. Still, there's an aura of solid professionalism about the record that renders it at least listenable throughout, and sometimes that's enough.
-- by Steve Huey, Allmusic Guide

Tracks
1.pay dirt
2.the pillar
3.after me, the flood
4.tension
5.creepy feelings
6.damaged
7.den of thieves
8.control issues
9.deep rooted anger
10.what's your pleasure
11.upon my departure


..label - Metal Blade Records
..buy - Amazon
..home page - www.armoredsaint.com/

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DEATH ANGEL - (1990) Fall From Grace @224kbps

To be perfectly honest, this horribly recorded Death Angel live album should have never seen the light of day, especially coming off the heels of the band's best album and major-label debut, Act III. But, because they had flown the coop of Enigma Records a bit early in order to sign with Geffen, the once promising Bay Area thrashers still owed their original label one more album, hence this ill-advised release. Featuring the highlights from their first two releases, the record may have still possessed some merit had not the performance chosen by the label (perhaps on purpose) been so sloppy and uninspired. While it collects such early favorites as "Bored," "Kill As One," and "Guilty of Innocence," not even diehard fans will want to sift through the sonic murk in search of something to enjoy here.
-- by Ed Rivadavia, Allmusic Guide

Tracks
1.evil priest
2.why you do this
3.mistress of pain
4.road mutants
5.voracious souls
6.confused
7.bored
8.kill as one
9.guilty of innocence
10.shores of sin
11.final death


..label - Restless Records
..buy - Amazon
..home page - www.deathangel.com/

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ALIEN ANT FARM - (2003) truANT @224kbps

After Alien Ant Farm's deadly bus crash in 2001 in Europe, it was difficult to tell if the band would record again. Lead singer Dryden Mitchell broke his neck, a notoriously difficult injury from which to recover. But the California-based Alien Ant Farm teamed up with producers Robert and Dean DeLeo of the Stone Temple Pilots for truANT, an album that grabs listeners by the collar with "1,000 Days" and doesn't let go until the closing track, "Hope." The first single, "These Days," is so relentlessly addictive and hopelessly upbeat ("These days are great/There's work to do/Would you like to work with me?/I'd love to work you") that anyone who hears it will give in to its soaring vocals and staccato guitars. "Sarah Wynn" is an incredibly honest, touching plea for a girl to stop using drugs ("What the hell were you thinking of?/I can't help you now, Sarah/Why the hell were you shooting up?/Now you're coming down, Sarah"). The song is almost painful to listen to. "Tia Lupe" doesn't fit in with the anthemic rock that fills truANT, but it is nonetheless a snappy, Latin-inspired love song. These days music fans will be hard-pressed to find an album so satisfying-

Tracks
1.a 1000 days
2.drifting apart
3.quite
4.glow
5.these days
6.sarah wynn
7.never meant
8.goodbye
9.tia lupe
10.rubber mallet
11.s.s. recognize
12.hope

..label - El Tonal
..buy - Amazon
..home page - www.alienantfarm.com/

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Bad chest tattoos

I think there is a trend of getting bad chest tattoos with bloody writing. Please tell me this isn't so, and it's just these three unfortunate dudes.


"All Hope Is Gone" -- not a very good thing to get when you're young (I cropped his face out of the photo, he looks like he is 17). Also what's the logo on the right? I assume these are bad lyrics of some sort.


"Blood Is Forever" -- I guess this is a way of celebrating family, but there is surely a much better way to do it. Also the bloody cracked Batman logo is an a+ addition there, buddy.


"Pull The Trigger Bitch" -- sdkjfhsdk I can seriously not think of a worse thing to get tattooed on your chest for all time. Do you think he will ever have sex with anyone ever again? I guess he'll just have to keep his shirt on indefinitely!

Bad chest tattoos

I think there is a trend of getting bad chest tattoos with bloody writing. Please tell me this isn't so, and it's just these three unfortunate dudes.


"All Hope Is Gone" -- not a very good thing to get when you're young (I cropped his face out of the photo, he looks like he is 17). Also what's the logo on the right? I assume these are bad lyrics of some sort.


"Blood Is Forever" -- I guess this is a way of celebrating family, but there is surely a much better way to do it. Also the bloody cracked Batman logo is an a+ addition there, buddy.


"Pull The Trigger Bitch" -- sdkjfhsdk I can seriously not think of a worse thing to get tattooed on your chest for all time. Do you think he will ever have sex with anyone ever again? I guess he'll just have to keep his shirt on indefinitely!

A PSA against home tattooing

I've posted some awesomely ridiculously terrible and rad stick-n-poke tattoos here in the past, and I will again. I have a soft spot for bad tattoos that friends do to each other. This one, however, is pretty inexcusable, and shows how home tattooing is generally a really really really really bad idea.



ow ow ow ow ow ow ow. This makes me hurt all over just looking at it. So scratchy!!!! I can't even imagine what it must look like healed. I think my favorite part is that he only has one eyeball.

A PSA against home tattooing

I've posted some awesomely ridiculously terrible and rad stick-n-poke tattoos here in the past, and I will again. I have a soft spot for bad tattoos that friends do to each other. This one, however, is pretty inexcusable, and shows how home tattooing is generally a really really really really bad idea.



ow ow ow ow ow ow ow. This makes me hurt all over just looking at it. So scratchy!!!! I can't even imagine what it must look like healed. I think my favorite part is that he only has one eyeball.

More Zombies

Please excuse me for posting about my own tattoos so much this week, but I can't help myself! I'll post some legitimately terrible tattoos soon, don't worry!

You guys should all know by now that I am fascinated by flash tattoos and tattoos that come from the same drawing but look different. The tattoo I got on Friday was part of a Friday the 13th special, where you could get any flash zombie on a sheet for $40. I chose the classic coming-out-of-the-grave-zombie, and it turns out three of my friends went for the same thing. One of my friends and I got sxe zombies, my other two friends got the zombie as he was on the sheet. Here are all four zombies for comparison (done by three different artists, see if you can spot the two that were done by the same person).

More Zombies

Please excuse me for posting about my own tattoos so much this week, but I can't help myself! I'll post some legitimately terrible tattoos soon, don't worry!

You guys should all know by now that I am fascinated by flash tattoos and tattoos that come from the same drawing but look different. The tattoo I got on Friday was part of a Friday the 13th special, where you could get any flash zombie on a sheet for $40. I chose the classic coming-out-of-the-grave-zombie, and it turns out three of my friends went for the same thing. One of my friends and I got sxe zombies, my other two friends got the zombie as he was on the sheet. Here are all four zombies for comparison (done by three different artists, see if you can spot the two that were done by the same person).

VINTERSORG - Visions From The Spiral Generator

Vintersorg is a Swedish folk black metal band from Skellefteå, Sweden, formed in 1994 under the name Vargatron. Lyrically, the band deals with topics on fantasy, mythology, nature, the cosmos, and metaphysics. Vintersorg means "Winter Sorrow," but the name was taken from the Isfolket series by Margit Sandemo, where the character Vintersorg is the son of a great pagan leader.
The project was originally formed in 1994 to "push the limits" of black metal music, where the vocals are mostly clean sung, and only a few parts per song that had the traditional screaming vocals. The sound of Vintersorg has vastly changed over the years, as their earlier sound had more of a folk influence, and later on, more of an experimental sound. This transformation was most notably marked with the release of the Cosmic Genesis album, and the change in sound progressed from album to album, with the 2004 album The Focusing Blur being an extremely avant-garde album. Notably, the vocal styles have shifted quite noticeably throughout Vintersorg's existence, with "Cosmic Genesis" featuring low-pitched clean vocals with the occasional growled vocal, and "Solens rötter" featuring more high-pitched and melodic vocals.
Along with this change in musical style, the lyrical topics began to shift as well. In the past, the lyrics were all sung and written in Swedish, and dealt with topics of nature and paganism. With the advent of Cosmic Genesis, the lyrics were now written and sung mostly in English, and now dealt with scientific ideas and philosophies such as metaphysics, astronomy, and astrology. In the Cosmic Genesis booklet, Vintersorg extends thanks to Dr. Carl Sagan, author of the book Cosmos.
Vintersorg (aka Andreas Hedlund) is constantly creating music. He is the front-man of several bands including Vintersorg, Otyg, Borknagar, Havayoth, Fission, Cronian and Waterclime.

Tracks
quotation - vem styr symmetrin - a metaphysical drama - universums dunkla alfabet - e.s.p. mirage - spegelspaeren - the explorer - a star quarded coronation - trance locator.

..year - 2002
..label - Napalm
..buy - Amazon
..home page - www.myspace.com/vintersorganic

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crows

I just got my thighs done. These are beyond awesome. Only the linework is done so far, but I'll get them finished next month. Done by the ever-awesome Myles Karr at Saved in Brooklyn, NY.





the placement is great

crows

I just got my thighs done. These are beyond awesome. Only the linework is done so far, but I'll get them finished next month. Done by the ever-awesome Myles Karr at Saved in Brooklyn, NY.





the placement is great