Germanium Guillotine

I really struggled with how to organize these posts. In the end, I guess I chose to go by how I found the albums. We talked a little about a couple bands starting my journey, we might as well talk about the band that really fueled my passion, and that's Forteresse. But that brings up something else. Before we get going  Let's clear something up early. This blog is going to try its best to be open about any issues with bands without judgement. I'll leave it up to the reader how to deal with the facts. I am not into fascism, but I am also not into witch hunts. I will say, I researched Forteresse's statements and politics more than any other band I think I've ever looked into. It's sort of fascinating and touches on a lot of things I'd like to talk to. So, Forteresse and a lot of these Québécois bands are tied up in varying extents to the Quebec sovereignty movement, which maybe isn't a thing now that the US has gone belly up. But the basic premise was that...

It all started with the election. I swear. It's become a passion project for me wrapped up in International Relations, sensitive political topics, hit and miss albums, and some killer metal. In case Threads doesn't make it as long as this blog (seems possible), Threads is a microblogging platform from Meta released before Zuck went divorced dick, as an alternative to X/Twitter/BlueSky. I left Twitter while it was still Twitter, never finding a home until Threads, which is now in peril from the Divorced Billionaire Lite but still sticking with it for now. In the days before the election as it became apparent Kamala Harris was going to lose, Canadians began posting funny posts on their Threads offering to become their Emotional Support Canadian (ESC) over the coming days to help Americans deal with it. I took a few of them up on it, because I felt it was fun and a good way to build community. Harlo I just shared jokes and memes with. Nathaniel, I asked for bands. A couple differe...

One of my favorite sayings is the traditional, very simple statement, "The only way out is through." To me it's not hopless, it's an affirmation that you must stay the course, and not give up, because giving up is the sure way to failure. As I sit with my knee elevated and iced on February 26th, having finished my hourlong morning exercises recovering from patellofemoral arthroplasty (knee replacement) on my left knee, I'm reflecting back on how much time I've wasted getting this off the ground because of fear. Fear of doing. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what if this doesn't work. Fear of what if it works. I've changed the name. I've tried to learn SQL and Web development. I've tried to buy domains and ideas. All in the name of finding a voice. My voice is my words, not my technology I'm literally just trying to push publish on some stupid blog posts. Welcome to Germanium Guillotine. Germanium is a rare earth element used in electronics. It...