This grows on you. Flesh of the Stars toy with doom, post rock, melody
and silence to create a cohesive, flowing album where each track blends into
the next and can be played on repeat without feeling forced. Anhilla is rooted
by a sparse doom riff reminiscent of Encircling Sea’s work and the riff, &
variations on it, emerge on each track. The album really starts to show promise
6 minutes & change into the 2nd track; the vocals suddenly tease
you with harshness then jump into a deconstructed Sabbath riff which
transmogrifies into a synth groove reminiscent of the Dr Who theme on track 3. The guitar gets a little heavier & a
little proggier, and the vocals become more varied & collaborative. Track 4
melds into a Pink Floydesque vibe. 5 features a really beautiful solos leading
into somber, effective vocals.
With few notable exceptions, clean singing is not my cup of
tea and FOS utilizes them exclusively on Anhilla. That said, they don’t suck. At their best, the
flat affect melds well with the doomier aspects, lulling you into a warm
cocoon, but the more ambitious melodic delivery on other tracks did nothing for
me. you find yourself hoping for a
release –something crushing, something shriekier, more guttural. That said, the hunger for the release was a
large part of why I kept it on repeat. Don’t single out a track. Make time to
listen straight through. Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Monday, January 18, 2016
3 pairs of grappling shorts under $40
first tournament of my adult life and the ref heckled me for wearing a pair of basic mesh shorts.
most of the other competitors there were in rash guards and board shorts. the ref's comments, looking at the garish graphics and color schemes on outfits that I couldn't afford; it all seemed peacocky, distasteful and excessive. it took me right back to jr high when my poorer school merged with a larger, more affluent one. despite everyone at the tourney being cool and my placing 3rd in my bracket, it grated on me and for the next few years I exclusively rolled in the same raggedy shorts and t shirts from punk/metal bands and targeted anyone in a rashguard/matching shorts. jr high me replicated by adult me: insecurity and shitty attitude rapped up in ripped up jeans and an Anthrax tshirt replaced by a shitty attitude wrapped up in basketball shorts and a GBH shirt.
anyways, clothes don't make you a better grappler. here's 3 affordable pair of board shorts I trained in this year
Clinch Gear Fired Up- grabbed these because A) I could afford them. B) they sponsored Hendo and Fedor. these are a bit flashier than I care for, but have a clean, basic design. Initially, the lack of a draw string didn't bother me, but the more I rolled in them, the more it annoyed me. it didn't help that the sizing isn't 100% accurate and I found that they run large. that said, the forward folding waistband holds them securely in place. there's a small mouthpiece pocket inside the waistband. Despite months of intensive use, repeated washings, the colors haven't faded, the stitching look solid. they're constructed of slightly flexible, but durable & heavy material with an elastic band in crotch which is showing signs of piling. of the 3 reviewed shorts, they are the heaviest material, seem the most durable. not IBJJF legal.
Jaco Tenacity Resurgence Fight Shorts -These look sharp. One of the better features is the mouthpiece pocket located on the hem at the bottom of the shorts by the thigh, so you don't have to dig into your waist, open the shorts to get it out. there's a nice, non slip waistband that keeps them from sagging.
of the 3, these seemed the least durable. that said, they are marketed as fight shorts, not grappling shorts and are constructed of a very light, very flexible material. the colors have begun to fade a bit, the graphics are peeling off. i started rolling in them in September and there's already a tear developing in the groin.
there's a weird pouch type thing inside the shorts, in front of the crotch that makes no sense to me. I asked a buddy and he couldn't figure it out either. the shorts are secured via a draw string and a fold over waist band which sticks out way too far. it doesn't affect performance but it makes tying the drawstring a little complicated and sticks out oddly. not IBJJF legal
93 brand Standard Issue- like most of their gear, it's very clean and basic in appearance. that's not a complaint. very subtle graphics and highlights. initially, the drawstring seemed superfluous, and I think it could do with a redesign in terms of where the eyelets emerge from the waistband, but in conjunction with the elastic waistband, it does exactly what a drawstring is supposed to do -keep the shorts up. the shortest length of the 3. thick material with an elastic band in the crotch, which despite being 2 weeks old, having never been in a dryer, is starting to show signs of pilling and some threads are coming lose. ( note: piling hasn't progressed/worsened after 2 months) there is no mouth guard pocket. I think that these are IBJJF legal
most of the other competitors there were in rash guards and board shorts. the ref's comments, looking at the garish graphics and color schemes on outfits that I couldn't afford; it all seemed peacocky, distasteful and excessive. it took me right back to jr high when my poorer school merged with a larger, more affluent one. despite everyone at the tourney being cool and my placing 3rd in my bracket, it grated on me and for the next few years I exclusively rolled in the same raggedy shorts and t shirts from punk/metal bands and targeted anyone in a rashguard/matching shorts. jr high me replicated by adult me: insecurity and shitty attitude rapped up in ripped up jeans and an Anthrax tshirt replaced by a shitty attitude wrapped up in basketball shorts and a GBH shirt.
anyways, clothes don't make you a better grappler. here's 3 affordable pair of board shorts I trained in this year
Clinch Gear Fired Up- grabbed these because A) I could afford them. B) they sponsored Hendo and Fedor. these are a bit flashier than I care for, but have a clean, basic design. Initially, the lack of a draw string didn't bother me, but the more I rolled in them, the more it annoyed me. it didn't help that the sizing isn't 100% accurate and I found that they run large. that said, the forward folding waistband holds them securely in place. there's a small mouthpiece pocket inside the waistband. Despite months of intensive use, repeated washings, the colors haven't faded, the stitching look solid. they're constructed of slightly flexible, but durable & heavy material with an elastic band in crotch which is showing signs of piling. of the 3 reviewed shorts, they are the heaviest material, seem the most durable. not IBJJF legal.
Jaco Tenacity Resurgence Fight Shorts -These look sharp. One of the better features is the mouthpiece pocket located on the hem at the bottom of the shorts by the thigh, so you don't have to dig into your waist, open the shorts to get it out. there's a nice, non slip waistband that keeps them from sagging.
of the 3, these seemed the least durable. that said, they are marketed as fight shorts, not grappling shorts and are constructed of a very light, very flexible material. the colors have begun to fade a bit, the graphics are peeling off. i started rolling in them in September and there's already a tear developing in the groin.
there's a weird pouch type thing inside the shorts, in front of the crotch that makes no sense to me. I asked a buddy and he couldn't figure it out either. the shorts are secured via a draw string and a fold over waist band which sticks out way too far. it doesn't affect performance but it makes tying the drawstring a little complicated and sticks out oddly. not IBJJF legal
93 brand Standard Issue- like most of their gear, it's very clean and basic in appearance. that's not a complaint. very subtle graphics and highlights. initially, the drawstring seemed superfluous, and I think it could do with a redesign in terms of where the eyelets emerge from the waistband, but in conjunction with the elastic waistband, it does exactly what a drawstring is supposed to do -keep the shorts up. the shortest length of the 3. thick material with an elastic band in the crotch, which despite being 2 weeks old, having never been in a dryer, is starting to show signs of pilling and some threads are coming lose. ( note: piling hasn't progressed/worsened after 2 months) there is no mouth guard pocket. I think that these are IBJJF legal
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