galaxiid

Hmmmm. I have mixed feelings about this album. I can't deny the fact that tracks like Love Like Winter and The Killing Lights really worked their way into my brain, but I counted the Black Sails - Art of Drowning run as some of my absolute favourite music at that point in time (I think my display name on Runescape was Afireinside? and there is still an Art of Drowning poster up in my childhood bedroom I think...) and while I liked Sing The Sorrow well enough it was pushing further away from what I personally was gravitating towards at the time.

Listening through again I think I at least appreciate what they were going for and had been building up to over the previous few records with incorporating more electronics and the like. Even in a discography as all over the place as AFI it still stands out as an odd one in the eventual transition form hardcore punk to moody alt arena rock or whatever they hell they are up to now.

I will say that the bonus track Rabbits are Roadkill on Rt 37 and Fainting Spells recorded for this but ending up on the deluxe edition of the next record are by far my favourite ones from this era.

I grew up with F-Zero X. I count F-Zero GX in my top ten, and possibly top 5 games of all the time depending on which day you would ask me. I have zero attachment to the SNES game outside of giving it a shot on switch online and thinking eh I guess this would have been cool for its time.

My initial reaction to 99, mostly because of the GX remaster rumours, was very negative.

But I have been playing this almost non-stop and having a blast. The changes to the original F-Zero to bring it more in line to X/GX (boost mechanics, lap count, attacks) do a lot to make the moment to moment gameplay click with me. But the real thing is that this is easily the best implementation of the 99 formula. I feel much more like an active participant in the match first of all, and the super quick matchmaking combined with the relative short length of any given race make it so easy to just keep coming back. The initial feeling of being pinballed around at the mercy of the pack fades away really quick once you figure out some of the suprisingly deep strategies of each vehicle's strengths/weaknesses and when best to hold back or pull out front to build/use the skyway on each track. I do imagine the later more expert courses they add down the line will be a massacre though.

Best surprise of the year for me. Really, really happy with it. Would still love a GX remaster though...!

I like the record a bunch for sure, Silence is Golden probably my favourite track though I tend to always prefer the shorter faster songs. Nothing beats Not Getting Excited from the previous album for me, but a big part of that is its huge as an opener in a live setting I think.

As an aside being from NZ and having seen them kicking around for nearly a decade now, its awesome to see how far they've come. Even the changes in venue size in the last 2-3 years when they do local tours has been really cool.