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Dan Fasulo

@danfasulo

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Wise man say: “Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza.”

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Now that my whole DnD party has been properly introduced to this bad boy, I can share my latest painting project.

Learning this skill is certainly a process. This guy is probably about 80% matches to what I envisioned in my mind. But I’m happy with how he looks! This was a first in a lot of ways for my mini work - first resin model that needed assembly, first model this size, first model not working off a color guide, and first time trying some new techniques on it.

Did Zulvoth come out exactly how I pictured him - not quite. Did he still come out looking pretty gosh darn sick - hell yeah. And he’s only reaffirmed my enjoyment of painting these little bits of grey plastic too. On to the next one! taken in Brant Lake, New York by @danfasulo

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4 months ago

Been a minute again since I wrote about some new Vinyl, but I’ve spun this a few times since it came so let’s change that.

This is the new full length from Baltimore’s Nuclear Tomb titled “Epoch Inhumane.”

When I’m looking for new metal, I usually like to hear two full songs if I can and decide from that. This is one of the rarer times where I heard one single, and by the bridge I had preordered the vinyl. Now with the whole thing in hand, I definitely made the right call.

This is some East Coast Thrash Metal, with some Prog bits and a real hardcore punk energy to it. It’s not fully crossover, but since it’s Baltimore, there’s definitely some shared DNA there. The more technical and proggy elements never take away any of the energy on here - this whole thing is a 36 minute sprint. Those moments where the time signatures or tempos do shift really add to the listening experience in such a great way though - the little guitar flourishes - especially on “Faithless Continuum” give it such a manic energy that really up the energy. And then going right into the slower, mid-tempoed intro in “Broken Promise, Barren Essence” gives you a minute to catch your breath before the circle pit winds right back up. In classic Brad Moore form, his cover art really does a perfect job capturing the chaotic energy of the album.

Normally by this time of year, I’ve settled into a bit of a “it’s a Death Metal year” or whatever genre has really stood out to me. This year has been totally the opposite - I’ve heard phenomenal Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom, Thrash and Prog. It’s a more varied year than it’s been the last couple, which really excites me for the back half of the year. Gonna have some great catching up to do with vinyl releases! taken in Brant Lake, New York by @danfasulo

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4 months ago

Back with another new LP to talk about, this time it’s the debut full length from the Vermont Death Metal band Ordh - “Blind in Abyssal Realms.”

Where to start with this beast - calling this a death metal release is technically correct, but definitely is selling it short. Metallum lists them as Progressive Death Metal, and while that’s closer for sure, I honestly would make sure to toss the Doom label on there too. There’s nothing here that’s truly Doom Metal, but there’s certainly an influence present - no song is shorter than six minutes, hell the whole records only five songs. It reminds me a lot of both the Blood Incantation album from 2024, and the Hamferð album from the same year; there’s a vibe that just kind of works the same.

I think what gets me on that train of thought is the guitars here. Sure, there’s plenty of virtuosity that comes with Prog, but there’s a lot of the melancholy I associate with Doom. The leads in particular have a real nice tone that lets them sit out in the mix, while not being too clean as to be jarring. There’s a killer melodic line in the first track “Apis Bull” that just gets stuck in my ear every time.

The vocals fill in the mix just as well - buried under just enough grit and grime to add to the vibes. Vocalist Jonathan Hébert has a really great growl. There’s a section early in the title track that lets his vocals and the drums really shine, before it kicks into the much more intense and frantic sections. It’s this constant evolution of dynamics that I find myself loving - it keeps these long songs interesting.

This is one of those albums that I find difficult to explain - if you’ve listened to some death metal or doom metal that I’ve shared here, you might have an easier time getting into it. If you’re not a metal fan, this is a tougher entry point, but still does a great job of illustrating what the extreme metal scene is looking like. It’s a record that I think just has a really great presence and vibe to it. With only five songs and coming in at right around 40 minutes, it’s really worth a listen. taken in Brant Lake, New York by @danfasulo

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4 months ago

If your personality is “I’ve seen Interstellar 4 times” this one’s for you 👽 Sci-fi trivia starts at 7 pm with DJ @danfasulo

Thursday
Taproom 2:00-8:00 pm
Taco Kings 4:00-8:00 pm by @danfasulo

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5 months ago

Been a minute since I talked about some new vinyl in the ol’ collection - let’s fix that. This is the new full length from Long Island’s Restless Spirit, self-titled “Restless Spirit.”

Stoner doom can be a genre of metal that I really love - but it also can just be incredibly repetitive and the same sounding music from one band to the next. Where I think this record manages to avoid that is by adding in a fair amount of progressive elements. This sounds a lot like middle era Mastodon - think post-“Crack the Skye” time frame. The guitars have a crunch to them, and the leads float on top of the low end really nicely - the tone on the leads in particular I love. It’s still got a good amount of dirt on it, without losing the clarity you need on leads. And when we get into honest to goodness soloing, it’s progressive without being avant garde - technical without being unlistenable. The lead work of “Red in Tooth and Claw” I really like - the harmonic lines are super nice, and it leads into the very space-y intro of “Desire Lines” really nicely.

Stoner rock and metal lives and dies by the low end though, and this record happily knows that. The bass is present without being over powering, and the tone on the bass is killer - with a real grit and gruffness to it. It fills the sound out perfectly, and when it gets the spotlight adds a ton to the songs. The outro section of “Hallowed” is a good spot to see this.

I think the easiest place to hear the Mastodon-ness of this record is in the vocals. They’re cleanly sung, but it’s not “pretty singing” if that makes sense. They’re also sat back in the mix a bit - feeling like they’re a step or two away from the mic, again filling in the sound really nice.

While this year hasn’t had a ton of new stuff that has really grabbed my ear yet - there’s been a handful at least - this is the one that I’ve found myself going back to the most so far. It’s heavy without being brutal, melodic without losing the weight, and honestly a great gateway kind of record. Plus that cover art is so cool. taken in Brant Lake, New York by @danfasulo

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5 months ago

🎶 Think you know your music?

Join us on Saturday, January 24, 2026 from 6–8pm at our Glens Falls taproom for Music Trivia hosted by DJ Dan Fasulo!

🎵 6 finely curated, musically intriguing rounds
🍻 Beer prizes on the line
🧠 Bragging rights guaranteed

Grab a pint, bring your smartest friends, and let’s see who really knows their music.

#meanmax #meanmaxbrew #meanmaxbrewworks #downtownglensfalls @downtown.glens.falls #musictrivia #musictrivianight #trivia #taproomvibes #taproomevents by @danfasulo

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9 months ago

Look, number one this year was never in doubt. As soon as this record was announced, I knew it would take the prize. If you play trivia with me at either place, you’ve heard this band plenty, I wear their merch all the time, they’ve been my favorite band for two years now. It’s Blackbraid with “Blackbraid III” and it is spectacular.

What more can I say about this record - it takes everything I loved about the band and just refines it. The native and folk elements are more seamlessly blended in with the heavier elements. The album as a whole flows more like a complete album experience. The lyrics are great. Jon’s vocals remain a high point. Hell, even the cover song kicks ass. Black Metal “purists” will tell you this is a gimmick band, or something like that, and I’m telling you fuck that noise. Go listen to Blackbraid. Go see them, they fucking rule live.

But most importantly, support underground music. Go to local shows. Buy physical media. Get that T-shirt, and wear it! Put the sticker on your car. Make a battle jacket.

Standout Tracks: Just listen to the whole record man, it’s perfect.

#vinylcollection #blackbraid #atmosphericblackmetal #topten #wolfmountain taken in Brant Lake, New York by @danfasulo

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10 months ago

Silver medal this year is from a band rapidly becoming one of my favorites - this is Castle Rat’s second record “The Bestiary.”

Castle Rat just put out their debut last year - it made my end of year list as well - and turned around and wrote not just another full record, but one that noticeably evolves and grows their sound. The star is still Riley’s vocals, soaring over the music with an epic quality that carries the cinematic nature of this whole project. Some people will complain and say it’s all just gimmicks and her attire, and those people are so wrong it’s hilarious. The entire package is so well put together it works beautifully.

Where this record is also a step up is the music under Riley’s vocals. The guitars and bass layer together so well, they’re incredibly warm sounding, especially on vinyl. This is probably the first record this list that I really think massively sounds better on vinyl - it just fits the whole sound and atheistic to a tee. The leads here are just flashy enough, without being too techy and overdone. The drums really stand out - full and alive sounding, with a deep resonance to them - in particular the toms. This is a band that is growing incredibly fast, and will continue to be great, you can just see that. I’m really excited for what 2026 has in store for them.

Standout Tracks: honestly the whole damn thing, but give Wizard, Siren, and Sun Song a listen to get a good vibe for the record I think. And the quiet moments from Path of Moss and Crystal Cave.

#vinylcollection #topten #castlerat #therealm #epicdoommetal taken in Brant Lake, New York by @danfasulo

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10 months ago

Time for the podium positions, and the bronze metal record is another west coast one. This is the new record from Bay Area Crossover lads Doomsday, “Never Known Peace.”

Thrash had a bit of a great year this year, and while the Warbringer record was the only one that really stuck with me, this bit of Crossover Thrash blew me away, even more so that this is their first full length. In a world with no real Power Trip anymore, this sound has a massive void that needs filling, and these guys might just be the perfect fit. It’s got the snarl of crossover, the technicality of thrash and the skate-punk energy of the Bay Area on full display. Power Trip gave us the Executioner’s Tax, these guys have The Outlaw and they go hand-in-hand.

The whole record sprints through in half an hour, with no filler in there. Guitar dives and riffs fill this thing from the jump. The vocals are that perfect punky snarl, and this whole project just has a vibe to it that’s so damn cool. Give me more bands like this, not Sleep Token/President garbage.

Standout Tracks: Death is Here, The Outlaw, Never Known Peace, Holy Justice

#vinylcollection #crossoverthrash #doomsday #bayareathrash #topten taken in Brant Lake, New York by @danfasulo

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10 months ago

Final four records of 2025 and we’re hitting up both coasts here in the States. We start out West with the new Nite record “Cult of the Serpent Sun” which dropped way back in March.

I first found Nite with their last record, and I really dug the mix of blackened vocals with a more traditional heavy metal sound underneath. That has continued to evolve on this new record, much to this album’s benefit. There’s a huge 80’s rock vibe to the music on this thing - especially on the song “Skull” which has a killer main riff. The black metal style vocals over top fit in this delightfully weird way - there’s not too many other bands pulling off this mix as well as Nite does.

The guitar tone is another high point here - the leads all have this real clarity to them, but there’s like a degree of fluidity to the tone as well. I love how the leads sit in the mix - the whole thing has a sort-of “sounding far away” to it, thanks to the black metal Influences. I also really love the vinyl sleeve design - the artwork is sick, and the clean back design works incredibly well.

Standout Tracks: Cult of the Serpent Sun, Skull, Tarmut, Crow (Fear the Night)

#vinylcollection #nite #nitemetal #topten #blackenedheavymetal taken in Brant Lake, New York by @danfasulo

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10 months ago

Number five this year is the last record that I haven’t tracked down a vinyl copy of - yet. This is the new Blut Aus Nord Album, “Ethereal Horizons.”

A later release in the year, dropping right around Thanksgiving, this is some stellar Atmospheric Black Metal from France. Blut Aus Nord’s been at this for a while, just over 30 years and hitting pretty much every kind of style Black Metal. This one is more on the atmospheric side of the genre - very spacey and washed out. Calling it Ethereal is quite apt, it does have a wispy feel to it.

But when the intensity picks up, which does happen plenty over the hour or so runtime, it’s hard to not have your ears perk up. There’s a very Explosions in the Sky/Panopticon vibe to some of the riffs, especially in the tones. “The Fall Opens the Sky” in particular reminds me really hard of a song off of the last couple Panopticon records, with a really bright hopefully melodic line over the intensity.

This is definitely not an easy listen if you’re not already a little tuned into black metal, but sitting down with it for an hour is something I really do think is worth the time.

Standout Tracks: Shadows Breathe First, The Fall Opens the Sky, What Burns now Listens.

#topten #atmosphericblackmetal #blutausnord taken in Brant Lake, New York by @danfasulo

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10 months ago

Back at it after the Christmas shenanigans, number six this year is Warbringer’s “Wrath and Ruin.”

Warbringer has been one of the better thrash bands, keeping that scene alive for like 20 years now, and this new record really shows them at the head of the pack I think. It’s got all the hallmarks of great Bay Area thrash - it’s fast, it’s technical, it’s got just enough social commentary to it, and most of all, it’s catchy. The hooks on here get stuck in my ears all day long.

I do think that it’s still a little front loaded - the first side of the vinyl is all killer with no filler. But the back half did grow on me over the year - a benefit to releasing back in the spring. Even if it hadn’t though, that first half is so good, it would be on this end of year list.

Standout tracks: The Sword and the Cross, Better World, Neuromancer, Through a Glass Darkly.

#vinylcollection #topten #thrashmetal #bayarea #warbringer taken in Brant Lake, New York by @danfasulo

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10 months ago