Bit N Tonic

Your self-loathing video game source. Follow me on Twitter @ewoksurflessons

[bitntonic]

Gamer Pressure

I love playing games. I love talking about games. I love listening to people talk about games. Games have helped me get through mental turmoil, provided some of my most memorable moments – they’ve been involved in my every waking moment since I was six. So, why does my favorite medium make me feel so damn pressured?

Is it my intense game backlog that spans years? Is it because I secretly don’t like genres or games which are (seemingly) universally loved? Or maybe, possibly, it’s the unrelenting pressure which assaults my soul if I am even slightly behind the gaming curve. Whether you missed news, or didn’t play Final Fantasy VII, to the general audience you will still be labeled through these four resounding, judicially absolute words, “You’re not a ‘gamer’”. There is an urgency to consume everything. If I am not ingesting to the degree of the defined “gamer”, then I do not love the medium I have devoted my life to as much as the guy/girl who played every game this year.

Oh, so I’ve been playing video games since kindergarten, but because I don’t enjoy platformers I am not a gamer? Fuck that. 

There are rare moments in the gaming community when everyone is at peace. Players everywhere are constantly shitting on each other, anthemically shouting expletives to the tune of, “The Order 1886 was only six hours and $60, so you should hate it!” Meanwhile, the rest of us shrink into the shadows, harboring love for a gaming pariah like The Order without expressing it publicly because it’s not “cool” if you consider yourself a gamer. And that’s just if you’re a regular, every day gamer. Compound that feeling by 1,000 if you’re in the public eye, and another 1,000 if you’re a woman, person of color, or any minority group. The need to prove yourself is only more present, the definition of a gamer even more stringent.

Gaming began as a haven for social outcasts which, over time, has transformed into a contest where gamers clamor to prove themselves. In doing so, what was once an inclusive group – sheltering those who’ve been deemed weird or separate from mainstream society – is now annoyingly exclusive, shoving others aside because they only play AAA games, not indies; western RPGs, not JRPGs.

If you choose to invest yourself in gaming, the culture decides your level of passion for you. I have many friends who called themselves gamers, but have since settled into adulthood, a lifestyle not entirely compliant with gaming. However, are they not still gamers? What the fuck does it matter if they have time for maybe one or two games a year -- they still carry the same love they had when they were kids. Regardless of their love, according to gaming strata they receive the title of “casual gamer”. When did we have to start actively trying to convince others that we are as much a part of gaming as the guy/girl who played every AAA and indie this year? When did gaming turn into a competition?

It’s a contest that is destructive at best. With the development of YouTube and Twitch, gamers have become vicious in their competition. We’ve seen trolls come into prominence, internet toxicity evolve into new, dangerous forms, and a fresh breed of vile wholly devoted to being awful toward one another.  People have been teased, subject to poorly written manifestos, and threatened purely because “your League of Legend strats are booty, bruh”. Not only are these individuals ridiculed, what was a relaxing hobby is now ruined by bullshit politics.

I love video games. Yes, the pressure of appeasing my peers is present, but I generally do not care. I cannot afford to care. If I allow myself to get wrapped up in the vitriol, I will eventually resent gaming as so many have before me. Even though I avoid the puddles of crap, it still sucks. It really sucks. The fact alone that I have to ignore specifics of a culture I have engrossed myself in is sad. Games were once the mecca players ran toward because they knew there would be a warm welcome. Now, when players arrive at the door that used to be so accepting, they have to know the password, fill out the application, and wait to be placed by an arbitrary hand into their proper category: hardcore, casual, or just for fun. You cannot simply play games, you have to be judged first.                

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I got a new job

I got a new job. It's incredibly stressful and I have very little time. I still love video games. My boy Koog and I are scheming behind the scenes to get our podcast up and running. See you soon.

[bitntonic]

Merc List Vol. 13

Holy shit, have any of you played Rocket League yet? Fair warning: you will become hopelessly addicted when you do. I cannot play that game without breaking out in a sweat (gross, right?), but at the end of every game I always need to play at least one more. The gameplay is well balanced, the cars are kind of adorable, and the learning curve is fairly easy. I was nervous that I wouldn’t get it because I am inherently bad at sport-esque games (if you even want to call Rocket League a sport) that use a great deal of coordination. I was pleased that I picked it up quickly. If you haven’t played it, you really should. Or maybe not because it really is that addicting. You know what’s addicting in a good way? The Merc List. Let’s get into it.

Flamingosis - Holiday

Mick Jenkins - The Waters

toe - Say It Ain’t So

Sun Organ - Other People

Spirit of the Beehive - You Are Arrived (But You’ve Been Cheated) EP

Vietnam - impermanent Past//impossible Future

PUP - Guilt Trip

Gulfer - Getting Hit By Parked Cars

Del Paxton - Paline

Look Mexico - You’re Not Afraid Of The Dark, Are You? 

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Merc List Vol. 12

Video games are cool. So is music. Let’s get down to it.

Gunk - Another Day

Four Hundred Years - An Hour Too Late

Souls of Mischief - Let ‘Em Know

Glocca Morra - Why Am I Not Going Under Walter?

Dikembe - I Just Don’t Understand What All These Kids Dig About Him

Devendra Banhart - At The Hop

Xiu Xiu - I Luv The Valley Oh

Gang of Four - Damaged Goods

Cap’n Jazz - Basil’s Kite

The Anniversary - The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter

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Just An Update

Yes, I know -- I missed the Merc List entirely last week, and didn’t post anything else. There is an explanation, I swear!

The last two weeks have been an intense blur consisting of the following:

- Joining Xbox Culture as managing editor

- Band practice

- Job interview

- Doing two jobs (and only getting paid for one) at my current, shit-awful job

- More band practice

- Job offer, and then accepting job offer

- Putting in two weeks notice at current job

- Band played a show

- Now I’m doing three jobs at my shit job until I’m done (and still only compensated for one)

In between there was some games, and no time to write. Thankfully, things are starting to fall into place. After a long weekend I was able to wash away the stress via rock music, Wet Hot American Summer, Masters of Doom, this great Hotline Miami documentary, and a twelve hour PayDay 2 session yesterday. It was nice, to say the least.

I heavily recommend taking a weekend to do all the things you enjoy most to reboot your system. It’s refreshing and necessary. 

For those who enjoy the Merc List and the content I post, Bit N Tonic will be back on track tomorrow. If you’ll excuse me, I have to go rob a bank in a horse mask. You know what I mean?

Hugs n’ love. 

- Ethan

[bitntonic]

Just 4 The Lolz Of It

Batman: Arkham Knight not running on your PC? Just down-res the graphics like this Reddit user. Lolz.

[bitntonic]

Watch This

Last night, I was tumblin’ down my Twitter feed when I saw a tweet made by Kotaku’s Patrick Klepek regarding his newest episode of Three Beers Deep, a video series he does every week where he fields questions from his tumblr. After I watched the aforementioned episode, I decided to take a look at the rest of his youtube page. 

On the center of Klepek’s youtube homepage is a video aptly titled “Konami Sucks”. If you’re not familiar with Klepek’s work, the video is an analytical extension to an article he wrote for Kotaku titled “Konami Sucks”. The video and article explore the general mystery and shittiness behind Konami’s decision to erase the acclaimed horror demo P.T. from PSN. If you’re not familiar with the Konami and P.T. drama, here it is in a nutshell: even if you downloaded the game at one point, but decided to delete it to clear space, you cannot redownload P.T. from your harddrive. That, as Klepek explains in his video and article, sucks. 

You can watch Klepek’s coverage on P.T.’s deletion above. I would highly recommend it, too -- he makes a littany of fascinating and informative points.

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Are you as exhausted as I am from the video game overload last week? E3 2015 was an emotional journey. Now that the video game equivalent of Christmas has come to an end, the post-E3 blues have set in and I am feelin’ down as hell. Well, what better way to cure the grumpies then music?

Prawn -- First As Tragedy, Second As Farce

My Hear To Joy -- Giving My Hands Away

No Joy -- Everything New

Lion of the North -- Point Me to Providence

Dogs On Acid -- Make It Easy

Open Letters -- Nothing Is Alive, Nothing Is Breathing, Everything Is Dead, and Everything Is Bleeding 

Baths -- Seaside Town 

Two Knights -- Dawg... You Watch Smallville?

Innards -- s.gze

Father Figure -- maybe i’m upset, no, wait, definitely 

If you would ever like me to put a song by your band on the Merc List just message me.

[bitntonic]

Shenmue III’s Announcement Is Annoying

Sony’s 2015 E3 conference was good. Hell, I would even say they had a great conference (excluding a few minor issues). The presentations were concise, the new IPs looked incredible, and The Last Guardian’s solidified-ish release date carries a great deal of clout. It was a solid showcase.

However, there was one announcement that has been bugging me since its unveiling: Shenmue III. 

Initially, I was as stoked as everyone else. Fans have been clamoring for a sequel to the beloved Shenmue franchise for years. It felt like E3 history watching Sony’s conference and the ensuing Twitter storm. Sony displayed a guns-blazing confidence reminiscent of their 1995 mic drop. The energy was infectious, and Sony loved it. 

After the seemingly endless wave of excitement which depleted the emotional and mental threshold of most, I started to question my joy. Is the Shenmue III annoucnement really that exciting? When are we going to see gameplay? When will it be released? Three, maybe four years from now?  The more I thought about it, the more I focused on the “when” question – when, realistically, will Shenmue III be a tangible experience for gamers to see and, eventually, play? 

The answer is simple: probably not for a long time. This, at its core, bothers me. Why else would you launch a kickstarter for a revered franchise during your conference if not for “wow” factor, or to one-up the competition? Did this have to be shown?

Yes, it’s exciting Shenmue III is in the pipeline. But what do you achieve by announcing a game that has not started development? Buzz is generated, Twitter will be your friend for a month, and yet at the end of the hype train, what is left besides hashtags and hope? Certainly not a conceivable release date.

The objective of the conferences is to show consumers and fans what they have to look forward to and why you should believe in their product. That being said, Sony’s message with Shenmue III was, “Hey, this is a thing. Uh, see you later?” It is irresponsible when you allow fans to cling to the level of excitement Shenmue created without an end date in sight, or release window at the very least. This happened with The Division, it’s happening with No Man’s Sky – showing your game prematurely induces thrill that ultimately turns to annoyance. 

I don’t want to sound overly negative, and I don’t want to take away from the joy fans experienced Monday night. Shenmue III sounds awesome. I did not play the first two games, so I am looking forward to stepping into that world when it becomes available. The  announcement was a wonderul moment in E3 history to behold, but at the end of the day that is all it is – a big reveal that pumped up fans.  Inevitably, those fans will begin to deflate as time goes on and the reality sets in that the physical game will not be in their hands for a while. 

I am not mad at Sony, I just think they should have waited until the game had more to show.

[bitntonic]

E3 2015 Game of the Show Contenders

Holy shit, E3 this year has been bonkers. Every conference was packed minute-to-minute with games -- new IPs, returning favorites, and total shockers. Missteps and Hoop God aside, this has been a hype-ass E3 for gamers. 

And it should be. Current-gen systems have been out for two years (three years if you count the Wii U). The awkward beginning stages have passed, current-gen is starting to grow into its big kid clothes, and now, more than ever, developers are confident in this new era of gaming.

It’s difficult to pick which games excite me most this year. I feel cliche, but it’s like I am choosing between children. Unfortunately, sometimes you can only take a couple kids to Disney World.

That was a fucked up analogy, and horrible parental advice, but you get it, right? Regardless, here are my game of the show contenders.

Eitr

Devolver Digital showcased four new indie games during the Sony conference, each one with charasmatic pixel art. There was one that caught my eye more than the rest: Enema Entertainment’s Eitr. If Dark Souls and Diablo had a baby, and then given a pixel makeover, this would be their spawn manifested. Eitr looks dark, mystical, bloody, and downright gorgeous. Luckily, Eitr will be coming out sometime in 2016. Until then, feast your eyes on that trailer.

Horizon Zero Dawn

Guerrilla Games announced their new IP Horizon Zero Dawn, and it looks incredible (not to mention far more interesting than a first-person shooter like their past Killzone titles). The dinosaur trend has been booming lately -- largely in part to Jurassic World and the new dino game Ark: Survival Evolved -- and Guerilla Games decided to run head first into the fad. As the airy-voiced narrator begins the demo, tossing around terms like “the old ones”, she describes a world that was brought to ruin by technological advancment. Apparently, after the planet went to shit, seemingly because of a global blackout, humanity regressed back to native tribes... with a twist. Gameplay shows a young woman hunting a herd, but wait -- are those robot dinosaurs?

Yup.

I cannot believe I used the words “robot” and “dinosaur” sequentially as a decriptor, nor can I explain how excited I am for this game. Horizon Zero Dawn is slated for 2016. Get ready to wrestle a robot brontosaurus to the ground.

The Division

The Divison is like an old fling: they show up every year, you fall hard against your better judgement, justifying your reason with blind statements of unrequited love such as the painstaking, “they’re different this time!”. And then they leave, filling you with unbearable longing until they return.

To The Division’s credit, it is nothing like my ex-girlfriend. On March 8th, 2016, the long-awaited Tom Clancy MMO third-person shooter will be here to stay. Finally. From the moment I laid eyes on the first E3 demo two years ago, it was love at first sight. Now that players have been given a chance to take the apolocalyptic shooter for a spin, the previews have come back positive, and my doubts have diminshed regarding the game’s daunting scope. Next year, my love and I will have another opportunity to capture what we had the first time. I think we are going to be okay.

Cuphead

A run and gun platformer derived from 1930s cartoons? Uh, yes please. I love when a game announcement takes you off guard, Cuphead was a delightful surprise, entrancing audiences with its lovely, unique art direction. My hope is that Cuphead does what Fallout 3 did for millions of player -- provide a means to experience a medium they otherwise wouldn’t consume unless for someone older or schooling. Fallout 3 probably introduced millions to The Ink Spots, just as Cuphead will allow players to appreciate art inspired by Max Fleischer via a new, hip indie game. 

Cuphead comes out sometime this year.

The Last Guardian

The Last Guardian will be available in 2016. *mic drop*

And it looks stunning. The wait, silence, and general mystery regarding Sony’s game was worth it when they opened the confenrence with The Last Guardian demo. As soon as I heard the words “long awaited game” I knew. Watching that huge bird-dog storm onto the screen was an intensely gratifying moment as a gamer. 

The long awaited game was made real to fans everywhere Monday night, a moment that will, without a doubt, go down in E3 history. I hope you’re as excited as I am to ride the adorable bird-dog everywhere, and do bird-dog things. You know?

                                                ————

That’s my five contenders for the moment. This is subject to change as E3 continues, but for the time being, there you have it! What are your favorites from E3 2015?

[bitntonic]

Fallout 4. If you didn’t get a chance to watch the new gameplay footage shown during Bethesda’s conference last night, do yourself a favor and correct your mistake. That’s all I have to say right now. Oh, and check out this week’s Merc List.

Giraffage -- Chocolate

Nothing -- Hymn to the Pilory

Year of Glad -- Flowers

Thin Lips -- Nothing Weird

Swearin’ -- Here to Hear

Sirs -- Shellshock

Bear Vs. Shark -- Kylie

We Were Skeletons -- Tremors 

Ted Nguyent -- My Body is a Temple of Doom

Clique -- Pining

If you would ever like me to put a song by your band on the Merc List just message me.

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Merc List Vol. 9

Yikes, I am late two weeks in a row. What the hell is my problem, am I right? Life has been crazy lately. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do about it at the moment. Hopefully things calm down soon so I can post the Merc List on it’s rightful, alliterative day. Until then, bear with me.

Happy Tuesday! The day that is almost as monotonous as Monday. Let’s get into the Merc List, shall we?

1994! -- Most Deaf

Good Crime -- The Better Everything Looks

Bars of Gold -- Hey Kids

The Get Up Kids -- Out of Reach

Boris -- Hope/Riot Sugar

Sharks Keep Moving -- Cashmere, Washington 

Dog & Panther -- Giant Hands

CSTVT -- Stranger, You Know

Ape Up! -- No Troy

Pswingset -- Native Pass

The Get Up Kids and Boris tracks were contributed by Nicholas Rennemann. His music is awesome and I will put it on the Merc List as soon as it is recorded. I don’t know if he cares enough about social media for you to follow him anywhere.

If you would ever like me to put a song by your band on the Merc List just message me.

[bitntonic]

What Do We Want From Fallout 4

The Fallout franchise has loomed large in gamers minds recently, and the idea of a sequel has been teasing us to the point of insanity. What the hell do we do now that Fallout 4′s existence has been confirmed straight from the horse’s mouth? 

I spent so much time yesterday being idiotically giddy that I didn’t even take the time to think about what Fallout 4 could bring, and what I want from it. Now that Fallout 4 is official, it’s time to start thinking about what we want to see in the next installment.

Multiplayer?

I am, for the most part, a single player centric gamer. Bethesda predominantely makes single player games. Unfortuantely, with the growing prevelance of online connectivity in gaming, multiplayer in Fallout may be a reality we have to accept. I know, believe me I know – just seeing the words mutiplayer and fallout next to each other makes me sad. Fallout is a game that should inherently be played alone given you’re a survivor in a nuclear wasteland. I sound like an old man waving his cane. 

Luckily for us, Bethesda carries a “we’re gonna do whatever the fuck we want” attitude. If there is multiplayer in Fallout 4, it’s going to be Bethesda’s version of online play, which should give you confidence. Although I am still hesitant toward the idea of multiplayer, there are ways it could be done without distracting from the immersion.

Multiplayer should be an option that can be turned on or off, not an obligatory feature. You’re traveling through the wasteland, Four Dog – I am assuming Three Dog will be upgraded to Four Dog to celebrate the numerical change and his brand new current-gen appearance – is treating your ear buds to beautiful tunes, and a friend pops online who you would like to invite into your world. This friend may only join your game by invitation, and a feature in the options menu must be turned on to enable multiplayer. 

That would be my ideal multiplayer; anything more than that would be too invasive. The Fallout games are the quintessential single player experience, but if done right, multiplayer could be fun with a buddy to accompany you for some wasteland mayhem.

Three Dog

Dear lord, please let Three Dog be in the next game. Some of my most memorable video game moments stem from exploring Fallout 3′s beautifully desolate environments while soaking in the the Galactic News Radio playlist and its charimsatic DJ. It’s eerie having Billie Holiday and The Ink Spots play in the background as you traverse the wasteland. Artists that, if in a different time period, would fit in fine or provide your nostalgia fix. 

In the Fallout universe, The Andrews Sisters are simultaneously trendy and out of place. The nuclear holocaust brought culture to a standstill while society kept progressing otherwise, culminating in a world that is technologically advanced, but archaic in all other respects, including music.  Listening to these oldie tunes, accompanied by Three Dog’s voice of truth, in utterly destroyed enivronments brings comfort and pain: comfort as you harken back to the times that were, and pain as you bemoan an era that will never return.  

Three Dog is the vessel to keep this erradicated culture alive so the populace of the Wasteland can retain some semblance of their former lives. The smooth talking radio host and soundtrack iconic of the times is essential to Fallout’s personality. It would be a huge bummer if they are not included in the new game.

Back Story

I enjoyed the lack of explanation in Fallout 3 pertaining to the cause of civilization’s annihilation. Most information was gained by notes and books scattered throughout the Wasteland, or talking to NPCs, and the back story was largely left to interpretation. Judging by the trailer, it looks like we could be getting background details and possibly even playable segments before the great decay. 

My initial reaction was aversion – I don’t want to know how it all happened. It was fun letting my imagination fill in the blanks. After letting the idea ruminate, I came around quick.

The political and social complexities of the Wasteland are part and parcel of the universe. It explains why some factions interact with each other, why some are in conflict, and to a degree, why things are the way they are. The various underlying tensions add depth and allow understanding. Delving into the back story would give players a chance to see the political, social and economic dyanmics before the world went to shit. 

My favorite segement in World War Z (the book, not the garbage movie) is the chapter titled “Blame”. In it, the author Max Brooks chronicles the global response to the zombie outbreak, specifically citing the shortcomings of foreign administrations and quarantine protocol. Some countries allow too many infected to leave their borders, while others implement overly complicated plans that waste too much time. Ultimately, global disorganization is the catalyst to pandemic. 

If Fallout 4 has playable flashbacks, it would be interesting to see them done the World War Z way: purely narrative, exploring the parameters behind the nuclear outcome. Minimal, yet enough to scratch the itch of not knowing without diluting the gameplay between two worlds, past and present. 

                                                 ————

Whatever Fallout 4 turns out to be, I have faith Bethesda will deliver. Current-gen hardware is at their disposal, they make quality games consistently, and they have had seven years. The time is coming. It’s so close I can almost hear the howl of Three Dog. 

Haven’t watched the Fallout 4 trailer? What the hell are you doing? Watch it, ya dingus!

[bitntonic]

Merc List Vol. 8

Good Tuesday, everybody! I apologize for the Merc List being a day late and the lack of picture. I legimiately had zero time yesterday. Excuses are dumb, though, am I right? 

This weekend I drank everything at a wedding and didn’t get the chance to play video games (except for The Witcher, of course). I hope the weekend treated everyone nicely and Monday wasn’t too monotonous for you. Let’s get on with it, I am already late!

Tycho --  A Walk

Heatmiser -- Low-Flying Jets

Braid -- Light Crisis 

Milk Carton Kids -- Michigan

Tyler Burkhart -- Unto Leviathan

Pogo -- One Day With You

Spill -- Big Boss

A$AP Rocky -- Excuse Me 

Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield -- Twilight (Elliott Smith Cover)

Alvvays -- Archie, Marry Me

If you would ever like me to put a song by your band on the Merc List just message me.

[bitntonic]

Have You Played

Two weeks ago, I took advantage of the killer PSN flash sale and picked up this gem. Don’t Starve was on my radar for some time, so the flash sale was the perfect excuse to give it a try. I have two immediate thoughts about the game: 

1.) Fuck, it’s hard

2.) Fuck, it’s awesome

After dying a couple of times, well, I still don’t have the hang of it, but it doesn’t change how much I enjoy Don’t Starve. 

Don’t Starve is a survival game with roguelike qualities. You play as Wilson, a scientist who is transported to a mysterious world where he must survive or meet a timely demise.  It is an interesting storyline considering you’re a man of technology forced into an environment that demands survival by instinct rather than intellect.

As you move throughout the world, there are resources to prolong your survival. Materials such as rocks and flint for fire, berries to eat, hay and twigs to make traps, or seeds to use for farming. Once you die, your progress is lost and the world is reset. 

The longer you’re alive, the more you have to take into account. To start, you have to monitor your health, hunger, and sanity carefully. Various environmental elements can cause them to decrease in an instant. If Wilson is out in the rain too long he will start to get wet, in which case his sanity will drop. You must craft an umbrella to keep him dry. Maybe you found a patch of berries and carrots. Your stomach is growling, you’ve been on the move for days, and the sight of abundant food is a wave of relief. Score, right? Wrong. Wilson’s belly may be full for the time being, but if you do not have storage for food it will go bad over time. So, make the guy a damn refrigerator! These are two small examples of the wonderful cause and effect Don’t Starve gently teaches the player.

There is close to no hand-holding in the game (similar to real life survival). Each lesson you learn is because of trial and error. Building a fire close to flammable objects will burn your campsite to the ground. Cutting down too many trees will cause an ent-like creature to animate and chase you until it is destroyed or you die. Feel like going down that wormhole? It will fast-travel you to another part of the map, saving you time while costing sanity. Let your sanity drop too low and you will begin to hallucinate.

Don’t Starve does an excellent job of teaching the player without actually telling them. When you die in the game, you’re not just given experience which unlocks new playable characters – you become smarter. Your experience is measured in and out of the game. As I unlocked new characters and trophies, I understood the intricacies more, which has led to longer survival times.

I have been playing Don’t Starve on PS4 which translates nicely to console save for a few awkward control schemes. I am not a fan of survival or roguelike games, but this one charmed the shit out of me. For such a low price ($14.99 at full price) it's a big game with plenty of replay value. They also released a great DLC pack Reign of Giants that adds two new seasons, new boss enemies, and more. It's definitely worth the $15, but if you're too stingy, Don't Starve goes on sale regularly. Give it a try!

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Why There Needs To Be A Good Jurassic Park Game In 5 Words

Jeff Goldblum motion capture, guy.

[bitntonic]

I apologize for not posting this in the morning like I normally do. I am not going to waste your time with excuses.

How was your (hopefully long) holiday weekend? I drank an absurd amount of beer, streamed with my good pal/future business partner Brandon, and played The Witcher 3 an unhealthy amount. 

One quick thing about the Merc List: I am thinking about doing away with the “For Fans Of” for every band. I think it does a disservice to the band by comparing them to another. They’re trying to set themselves apart, right? I am not going to do the FFO for this Merc List and in the future. If you really enjoyed the FFO and found it helpful, then I will bring it back, but if there isn’t an outcry to do so I will leave it be. That’s enough talking, let’s get to the tunes.

Slaughter Beach, Dog -- I Feel Extra-Natural (LVL UP Cover. You should really give the rest of Slaughter Beach’s songs a try too. They are awesome.)

Pet Symmetry -- Give Thanks (Get Lost)

Crash of Rhinos -- Luck Has A Name

Nails -- Wide Open Wound (Warning: this song is fucked up heavy)

Ling Tosite Sigure -- Abnormalize 

Mahria -- Ghost Limb

The Hague -- Hourglass (Warning: prepare to fuckin’ cry at the group vocal)

Lions -- Defeating Verbs 

Mock Orange -- 3 O’Clock

Say Anything -- Yellow Cat (Slash) Red Cat (This song is a masterpiece)

Pet Symmetry and Crash of Rhinos tracks were contributed by Nicholas Rennemann. His music is awesome and I will put it on the Merc List as soon as it is recorded. I don’t know if he cares enough about social media for you to follow him anywhere.

If you would ever like me to put a song by your band on the Merc List just message me.