2025 Wrap-Up

 Well, it's that time to take a look at this year overall and see how it went. 

While some things around the world certainly got hairy or stupid, I personally had a rather excellent year overall, pulling off a whole lot of stuff that I wanted. In fact, I haven't had a more successful "Actually do stuff I wanted to do" year in a *very* long time. I always expect that I won't get to do it all-even my best years had holes in them-but it's really been awhile, due to one thing, the other, or something else. (Not all bad, mind you! Sometimes it's just a busy life.) So getting one of those Really Winning Years is always something, and I hope to continue forward to next year! 

As a whole, I got myself into much better health than I have been for years. Finally feeling my age later last year, I made a few lifestyle changes and it's done wonders. Nothing big, but I think I finally realized around the holidays last year that I am no longer 30 and 'invincible', but when you get to be 'Old Millennial/Xennial Age' at this point, that you can't do all the stuff(like not exercise at all ever) that you used to. I have better overall habits now-again, nothing crazy, just overall in better health, and my watch tells me I am now below my age health-wise, instead of above. 

Also I got to re-build a lot of my physical media collection. I had gone digital like many in the '00s-10s, especially since I moved overseas in the 00s and it was easier to just unload most of my stuff to both make moving easier and wipe out old debts to boot, sorta win/win. But after digital started to suck a lot in the 2020s(I like MP3s and Ipods and such but streaming really started to get weird), I missed the collection, and now I have a nice amount of it back. Plus, for DJing(See below!)

Getting back into working with music in different capacities has also happened. I still have more I want to do there(see below), but suffice it to say I've managed to dip back into it and it's been a lot of fun. (I'm a behind the scenes person.) 

I got to more gigs than ever this year than I have in ages. Having the young guy and just being overall tired all the time made me skip a lot(and the ones I really wanted to go to, like Satyricon a few times, and a couple fests with some cool bands playing, it was often during the times I was out of the country! Just bad luck.) I'd get to hit some now and then-a gig here, a fest there-but in the 2010s+ I just did not get to enough. 

In Feb, I got to see Beherit play live finally, and boy, was it worth it. I also got to catch a rarely seen live band, No Future, a post-punk band I dig. Getting back into more gigs this year was great overall. 

In April, I finally got to see Satyricon, live, in their full form!! I was so, so happy and it was one of my favorite concerts ever. Seeing Rotting Christ for the first time was awesome, and Behemoth were great to see at their own gig(I saw them at a festival once a long time ago, and their stage show wasn't as excessive), but Satyricon are my boys and getting to see Frost actually play live, from the front row, meant everything. (I still need to get my picture with him, tho! The one I wish I got in 2003, but that's the old long story, lol.)

In May I got to see Aura Noir live for the first time! Another one of those bands I've loved for decades but never got to see. They're amazing live and I also got to see the gig with one of my old best buds, who I hadn't gone to a gig with in 20 years since I had moved. (I saw him several times during that time period, both in the US and here, but we never got to a gig together in all that time when we used to go all the time.)

Then comes August and I get to see two 'white whale' bands, King Diamond and Sigh, both at Hellsinki Metalfest! And both were fantastic. The King was every bit as awesome and theatrical as I'd expect(and he sounded amazing, too), and Sigh had packed the ice hall stage, which I thought was awesome for a band playing during the day at a metalfest. 

In hindsight I wish I had splashed for the photo op with the King, but I'll have that as another 'needed photo' to work toward, lol. It's nice to have more than one "I still need my picture taken with this one." 

In the fall, I started mini painting again quite often and it's been grand. I am surprised I managed to get at least decently passable at it in a short time, as it's been a long time since I slapped paint on the old Ral Partha figures. But I'm really happy I started this again as I had been planning on doing so all the way back in earlier 2024, and it never really happened. Finally took the steps to gather some paints up over the summer and once festival season was over I hit it up in September. Now I do it daily! In fact, I even got to do an Art Vs. Artist picture, with some pieces I've done over the months. I'm happy with my progress; as I like to say, I learned a lot, but I still have a lot to learn. Currently I am working on an undead frost giant I hope to have done by New Year's-I'm pretty sure I can as I'm in the detailing phase of it now, and given I'm forcing myself to work with a limited palette my choices are limited. Which isn't a bad thing(doing it for the challenge.)

My very first Art vs. Artist picture!

Winter has been pretty chill all told. We had Xmas and I am pretty content with everything. Beefed out the paint and mini collection a bit. 

And now, I'll just get this out of the way:

Stuff I still need to do(2026 stuff and forward!)

Keep in mind, I don't make 'resolutions.' I just know I wanna do stuff and I try to. Making actual resolutions is a way to failure for me, so I just list a bunch of crap and see what happens. (Even THAT wasn't working out too well for awhile, lol.) Anyway!

Well, as I said, I got my DJ collection well curated by now, AND my outfit, but my introverted ass needs to actually start putting out the feelers to places who might have a free slot to take a specialized metal DJ. that latter thing wouldn't be a problem around here, but the 'free slots' part might be. But there's a few areas. However, I am terrible at actually reaching out to places, given, again, I like to hide under rocks unless I'm going to a gig or something in terms of social times. But we'll see what happens! 

I still need to learn how to place Eclipse properly so I can teach others so we can start playing it once in awhile since it seems really fun. It's the one thing I wanted to do last year and never got a chance to. 

Get a tabletop game going more full-stop. Even if it's just a monthly game. A bunch of us here *want* to play but trying to get adults around a table once a month is challenging. Between TTRPGs and now Trench Crusade, I'm pretty sure we can get something going. 

1349 still eludes me live, but they didn't really play anywhere close enough to me this year, and the one gig that's kinda close-ish in 2025 is a few days before Xmas over in Sweden and I can't quite swing that, unfortunately. May 2026 be the year I get to see them live(also in their full form!) Also, I hope to get that long-awaited picture. XD (Probably the funniest thing on the list, given I am someone who worked/works with music and is acquaintances and friends with a ton of musicians who I have just random pictures of me hanging out with lying around on old sim cards that are a dime a dozen and guys who I chat with regularly.) 

Besides them, I don't have too many white whale bands left-Mercyful Fate, but I'm not sure if they'll be playing live this year, though they do have an album in the works! Assuming all goes well I'll be seeing Tormentor this spring and they're another one I've had on the list that I need to see. So at least I'll get to see them!

Oh yeah, been wanting to get a bullet belt, lol. Or make some chain thing. Either one. 

Continue to improve at mini painting and beefing out the ol' physical collection again.

Really it's a pretty chill list. So long as I keep my current better health state and manage some gigs I'll be happy this year. And see 1349. I really need to see 1349.

All told, 2025 has been a really great year for me overall. I managed to ding off a whole lot of things on my proverbial list, and my list going forward isn't too huge; mostly just continuing to improve things and hoping to keep things going. 

And now, for my Albums of the Year! I'm not gonna go super deep into these in terms of description, as to try to keep this blog somewhat not eight hundred pages long. 

Runner-Up 1: ...And Oceans-The Regeneration Itinerary

If you like blackened, melodic industrial-style metal, ...And Oceans will deliver. This album tears it up in terms of that genre, and I highly suggest it for anyone interested in it. Great album from start to finish. It definitely falls more under 'Clean, thick production' but that sorta thing is fine with me these days. 

Runner-Up 2: Testament-Para Bellum

Holy SHIT this album's heavy! I was surprised how heavy and brutal it was. I've been a Testament fan since the turn of the 80s-90s(in fact, Testament is responsible for a mosh pit at my 8th grade dance when I brought The Ritual in, which is probably one of my top 50 albums of all time), and when this hit I had to give it a spin, and it was incredible. Was really happy to hear them still have it. Hope to get to see them live again soon! 

Shares the Number 1 Spot but Because It's A Live Album, I Didn't Want To Break My Own Rules so I'm Making It Share a Spot: 1349-Winter Mass

You all know this one was coming. I already did a whole review of it in my blog here, so you can read my thoughts in full. In short, amazing live album. Go get it. 

The 'Official' Non-Live Album AotY Spot: Sodom-The Arsonist

And here we go. Even 40 years later(their first EP, In the Sign of Evil, came out in 1985), Sodom proves that they can still keep releasing all-killer, no filler heavy Teutonic thrash. I had this one on a whole lot this summer and any album that gets on repeat often the year it comes out often gets my vote. It doesn't reinvent any wheels but continues to do what they do best. 

I really don't know what my Movie of the Year is since I don't really watch a lot of new movies, heh. Game-wise, I might have to give it to Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, the follow-up to SNK's famous old fighter Garou: Mark of the Wolves. While its roster left out a couple of characters it really should have gotten in, it's a ton of fun and I found myself enjoying my time with it a lot. THAT said, I'm also tempted to give it to Donkey Kong: Bananza, since holy shit that game has charm out the ass. And it didn't leave out important characters. And there's that amazing remix of Gangplank Galleon. 

(I've been retro gaming more often than not, having not played a whole lot of brand-new games lately. Or I've been playing the good remasters of old favorites. So unfortunately I need to keep track of newer games. I'm hoping 2026 has some more games that I want to play. I've also been kinda busy this year and haven't gotten to play a few games I wanted to, like The First Berserker: Kezan and such, since I've been either, as said, retro gaming or playing FFXIV, or the occasional bit of WoW super-casually.) 

This is mostly my gaming life nowadays.

Alrighty, got games, a recap, music and all of that stuff. I guess from here on we'll see what the New Year brings! I'll be back soon at some point to blog some more about something or other. Maybe do a mini-recap or get on about Trench Crusade or something. 

'Til next time!