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You think you can't beat Steel Soul 100%? WRONG, YOU CAN. JUST BE RICHER. BE SMARTER. BE AN ARCHITECT ON DRUGS.
Steel Soul. It's painful. It's not for everybody, hell, I'm sure most people would go without even attempting it. SO PROVE IT FOR THE SHINY ACHIEVEMENT. DO ITTTTT I'm not a very good player when it comes to bosses, I beat Act 3, managed to get around 93% completion over my first playthrough, dying repeatedly (10+ times) to most bosses in the game. I then decided to try out steel soul. It didn't go well, I ended up dying to random platforming, random arenas, Moorwing, Moorwing, Moorwing, Moorwing, TROBBIO!!! Then I tried again, and again. Eventually, I found a strategy and route to get through the game on 100% Steel Soul, relying on various strategies like tool spam, planning out every upgrade and dodging boss fights until they're absolutely required, as well visiting the local Lifeblood dealer for the 10th time this week. This is the story of how even YOU might be able to beat Steel Soul while relying on -Excessive tool usage ( Glory to the Pale King ) -Meticulous planning and routing ( While you studied the nail, I sharpened my mind ) -Frantically running around the arena dodging attacks while waiting for your Plasmium masks to regenerate and 1 hit away from dying -A lot of shard and rosary grinding -Extreme cowardice This guide will cover the route I used, every tool, every boss that could be a challenge and what tools can be used to kill them faster, and what upgrades are possible to acquire so you are as kitted out as possible before fighting a mandatory boss. WHEN THE BOSS ENTERS THE ARENA, THEY SHOULD HEAR YOUR BOSS MUSIC ( It's Cogflies, it's always Cogflies ) Here's some general advice before getting started Shards and Rosaries are farmable, your life is not. If you are at risk of dying, or in a situation that can lead to death, DO NOT bother conserving shards, or tools, this applies twofold in an arena. Kill everything as fast as possible and get out, even if it means you have to do another rosary farm for more shards. History is written by the winners and by The White Lady's name you'll be the only one writing by the end of this. Never panic. Panic is the number 1 issue that leads to death in bosses and arenas, even if you get wombo-comboed by a boss, such as a particularly scary incident in Trobbio where he landed 3 hits in quick succession, reducing my HP to 1 and breaking the Fractured mask, I managed to recover by focusing fully on avoidance until I had a reasonable amount of masks to continue the boss fight. IT'S NOT COWARDICE, IT'S GIVING THE CROWD A SHOW. Take it slow. Platforming sections are not worth dying over, nor is regular exploration. While benchwarping ( Saving the quitting the game to return to your last bench ) might be a bit cheesy ( I did not do it for any arenas or bosses ), I still recommend it during exploration, mistiming a jump in an exploration section is not worth the runback, IMO. Even if you prefer not to benchwarp, repeatedly walking back to a bench every shortcut to heal up and farming soul from respawning mobs so you an enter a platforming section with more health is still something you should do. Familiarize yourself with item locations and access requirements, or use a map. You need to know how to path through areas while getting as many items that are worth getting as possible, and risks associated with trying to acquire that item. Remember, a runback from a bench lasts 1 minute. A runback from Mosshome is multiple hours. Before we start : Crest Choice and lifeblood overdose. I personally recommend familiarizing yourself with Hunter's due to a specific section in the game, but any of the early game crests work, your choice on whether to acquire Wanderer's, Reapers, and Beast are dependant solely on whether you want to use them, and when you feel comfortable battling the arena/boss guarding them. However, most of act 2 is planned to be done with either the Architect's Crest, or utilizing the Plasmium in Wormways to enter Lifeblood Overdose state. I cannot overemphasize this sole mechanic letting me win this run. Lifeblood overdose : Is a status you enter where all your regular masks are replaced by blue, regenerating masks. This functions similarly to Hiveblood, except you can regenerate all our masks, at about 5-6 seconds per mask. The way to activate it is by having 9 bonus Lifeblood masks, either through 9 usages of Plasmium injection, or by getting them from Wormways. This bypasses a lot of other mechanics like spikes, platforming risks ( Except 1 section in particular ), minor contact damage from enemies while running through areas, anti-healing such as Father of the Flame's lack of silk generation, Sinner's Road, Bilewater, Groal and Chef Lugoli's maggots, as your masks regenerate even when afflicted with maggots. Simply wait out any damage taken from platforming and minor mobs and continue on your way. Why does Hornet, the bigger bug, simply eat the small maggots? Is she stupid? The downside, is that binding only restores 1 mask, cutting it's effectiveness in 1/3. Instead, when in this state, switch to playing evasively, you don't need to hit enemies to heal, and can stall out battles until you regenerate to a comfortable level of health to continue fighting. In arenas, I recommend killing all mobs but 1 or 2 and just utilizing your mobility to evade them until you regenerate. However, with the reserve on Plasmium being 20 and fast traveling via Bellways removing the status, you need to run back to shady guy selling blue juice in the dark part of town for refills often, unless you just decide to stop fast traveling and run your way around places on foot. Tools The bread and butter of this run, especially with how reliant it is on the Architect Crest, or Tool Spam for safe boss clears. I'll only be covering the ones actually used in a reasonable capacity, while skipping over those that have not been used, or only acquired solely for unlocking the Architect crest. ( The answer is Cogflies, it's always Cogflies ) RED TOOLS Straight Pin : Early game option in The Marrow. Can help with a small bit of chip damage and safely killing off mobs in arenas, but usually replaced soon. Threefold Pin : Requires fighting the Craw arena, decent option for crowd control, and occasionally used for mob clearing and some larger bosses, as it can hit with all 3 pins for about 50% more damage than if only 1 pin hit. An alternative to Curveclaw. Curveclaw : Alternative to Threefold Pin, by aiming the arc at the point where an enemy is standing, you can land multiple hits for more damage. Also spammable, but far better against big bosses. Sting Shard : Acquired from Forge Daughter after an arena in Deep Docks, bread and butter trap for killing annoying mobs who approach you, and good for setup in arenas. Throwing out one where mobs are about to spawn followed by a single hit as the mob appears would kill most mobs and give you more breathing room. Throw them in the air and watch enemies float towards you before getting shredded by the trap. Against bosses, you can either place them by predicting where they would land, or spam them and have it act as additional damage. Not suitable for bosses that spam a large number of projectiles, but I'll not that projectiles hitting it can cause it to break ( bad ) and some boss projectile to disappear ( Good ). TACKS : From Sinner's Road, requires Cling Claw. The best tool for handling arenas, groundbound bosses, bosses that move around the ground to attack you... Just really high damage, spammable with minimal thought, and helps heavily with chipping down enemies when they enter the arena. Very good all around, and an essential part of the toolkit that only gets swapped out for bosses that fly around a lot, or are airborne. I HEAVILY recommend acquiring this as soon as you get the cling claw, since it can help against basically everything except flying enemies in exploration. A bit cheesy, but you have 1 life, so... Better to cheese enemies by clinging to the walls and jumping over their heads and letting them die on the tacks than risk death. PLASMIUM VIAL : See lifeblood overdose. Flintslate : Requires Simple Key. I personally never used it for combat, due to it's duration. However, it can stave off Cold for a few seconds when applied in Mount Fay, which is why it gets a mention here. COGFLIES : From High Halls, I usually save unlocking it until after I get the Double Jump. I blitz past every enemy in High halls, relying on regenerating health to make my way through High halls, unlock this, then use it for the whole rest of the run. Very useful for killing... Anything, but especially flying enemies harassing you in platforming sections. Deploy them, watch them kill while you focus on platforming or landing an Architect Needle Strike to finish off whatever they're hitting. YELLOW TOOLS There are 3 notable ones Shell Satchel : Acquire from Wormways. Lets you carry more tools, functionally a tool pouch upgrade, available in the Wormways. Lucky Dice : Acquired from Blasted Steps. Gives you a chance to ignore damage. It's not a very high chance (2%, scaling up each time you get hit without it activating ), but it might help save you from death. Ascender's Grip, which lets you stay on walls clinging, which is useful for arena's, some bosses ( If they only have 1 attack that can hit you there ), or for platforming. The rest like Scuttlebrace, Silkspeed Anklets, Weighted belt all find niche use depending on user preference, with Silkspeed Anklet being recommend for Courier's Rasher. BLUE TOOLS Magma Bell : Acquired from Forge Daughter. Helps in specific boss fights like Savage Beastfly 2, Forebrothers Signis and Gron, Father of the Flame, Last Judge in her 2nd and 3rd phase, generally exploring Deep Docks, and multiple platforming sections that include lava like Far Fields Mask Shard, Abyss escape. Very good option as 2 mask of environmental damage after being hit while parkouring can kill you. Alternatively, simply don't get hit. Pollip Pouch : Acquired from Greyroot, the most useful early game tool for handling arenas, this in combination with tacks and spike shards are my go-to for act 1 and early act 2. FRACTURED MASK : Acquired from Mottled Skarr in Hunter's March. Get this, equip it. It gives you a last chance hitpoint where your runback for a boss is the whole game. Use it. Or don't, just make sure your health never hits 0. Weavelight : Moss Mothers in Weavenest Atla. Useful for platforming, the speed and additional silk regen ( It's unlisted, but it functions as 1 extra silk heart ) lets you spam the Clawline. I very heavily recommend getting it since Moss mothers are easy once you complete Act 1, and it helps you with many platforming sections where clawline use is expected, most notably, MOUNT FAY. Longclaw : Huntress in Putrefied Ducts. Just generically useful range extender. I use it mostly as a way to hit flying bosses, and lets you poke much further with the Architect Crest. Pin Badge : Act 3, Pinstress fight. The Architect's charged Needle Strike attack is good, this charges it up faster. Note that quick sling isn't here, IMO, with Cogflies, Tacks and Spike Shards, it's not really as effective as using airborne maneuvers to toss Coglies and tacks onto the ground, and setting up Spike Shards in advance. TOOL POUCH AND CRAFTING KIT UPGRADES Crafting Kits are available from Forge Daughter Halfway Home Innkeeper ( Craw feather quest ) Architect Crest ( Needs Clawline ) Grindle ( Needs Double jump ) In act 1, get both from Forge Daughter after entering deep docks, and the Crawbug quest after Widow, they'll help with the most difficult factor of act 1, your low nail damage and lack of upgrades. In Act 2, the strategy is beelining the Clawline and then the Double Jump from Mount Fay, unlocking both upgrades ASAP. Tool Pouch Upgrade are available from Mort in Pilgrim's Rest Loddie in Marrow Nuu in Halfway Quest 20 Flea after the Fleas reach Fleatopia, so late Act 2. You can get as soon as you enter Far fields, then the other 2 in Act 1 after Widow or exploring more. ACT 1 : MY TOOLS, WHERE ARE MY TOOLS!!! There's not much to say in the earliest part of the game, being quite linear. The route would be as follows Mosshome ( Moss Mother )-> Marrow ( Bell Beast ) -> Deep Docks ( Lace ) -> Far Fields ( Fourth Chorus ) -> Greymoor ( Moorwing ) -> Shellwood ( Sister Splinter ) -> Bellhart ( Widow ) I personally save exploration for after Widow, as I am familiar with most bosses here and the Needolin + Cling Claw unlock most items available in those areas. I don't particularly have much to say about the non-bolded bosses, there are minimal ways of getting upgrades or tools to handle them before fighting them, with any considerations ( And risks ) mentioned below. Mosshome : Nothing much, kill Moss Mother, get out Marrow : Get Druid's eye via Mossberries, get Silkspear, fight Bell Beast, get a craftmetal, straight pin, shard pendent, more tools at minimal risk are always good, and enter Deep Docks. A flea is available in the upper section of the Marrows for the 5. Deep Docks : Get through the area, and work your way towards Swift Step, the ant arena in lower hunter's march should be no challenge, then navigate to the 2 lost fleas, 1 near Swift Step and 1 near Bellway (2 and 3), then make your way to Forge Daughter. The arena before her is the first somewhat risky arena, but getting access to Sting Shard and Magma Bell, AND ESPECIALLY the Crafting Kit upgrade ( Via 2 craftmetal, 1 from Pebb in Bone Bottom + 1 from The Marrow ) are worth it. Hunter's March : Worth it? Mainly, the fractured mask. This tool is essential, saving me from many potential deaths this run, and I would heavily recommend getting it at SOME point in act 1. The question is... When? Definitely not before getting Swift Step, Skarrguard is going to kill you immediately. You could go any time after getting Swift Step, even the Float ability would make the area more bearable to navigate. The area also has a Lost Flea easily accessible, meaning you can get it as one of the 5 needed to skip Moorwing ( We will talk about HIM later ) Battle Lace, avoid the lava, and stay near the center of the arena if possible, because getting hit by a 2 damage move and falling into lava can kill you Far Fields : Same as usual, navigate through, get the drifter's cloak, fight Fourth Chorus, explore to find a lost flea, buy a Tool Pouch Upgrade from and Memory Locket from Mort, then ascend into Greymoor. OR Moorwing and Lost Fleas ( Sting Shard and Straight Pin ) : Our first skippable boss, by getting 5 Lost Fleas ( Marrow, x2 Deep Docks, Hunter's March, Far Fields ), we can make our way to Greymoor and skip Moorwing entirely. Whether you want to do so depends on 2 things. Whether you are comfortable fighting him, or if you have the patience to gather 5 fleas. Personally, I prefer the flea route, they're in relatively convenient locations and Moorwing is my most consistent run-ender in act 1, oddly. I don't know why, I just struggle against it. Bastion of consistency ( In my Death ) Greymoor Exploration : You could risk the Craw arena to acquire Threadstorm, which is the Silk skill of choice up til we acquire the Architect Crest, due to it's high damage and AoE size. Of course, that requires fighting craws. Personally suggest against it due to Craws being painful to fight and preferring to do when we acquire Tacks and are doing the Craw Feather's quest. Shellwood : Get through, avoid dying to the Stickbug arena (I got stickbugged to death once here, oops ), get to Sister Splinter and acquire the Cling Claw. This unlocks most exploration in act 1 except for Needolin doors. Sister Splinter : There is a way to skip the boss, by taunting and baiting one of those AoE flower mobs over and pogoing off it to reach a ledge normally inaccessible before fighting her, letting you acquire the cling claw while skipping her arena. If you DO fight her, a single silk skill kills the mobs and also removes vines. There's not much else to say, she's quite simple, just watch out for her falling stagger, dash away because the hitbox is deceptively large and continue hitting her while she's stunned. It's cowardice until you get turned into bug juice by big woman smashing into you. Widow : Can be done before, or after the Act 1 exploration section. You can reasonably acquire, at minimum, 1 extra mask and 1 spool upgrade before the fight. As well as the Tacks tool, and the Pollip Pouch to augment it. I don't have much advice for the fight itself, beyond mentioning that you can wall cling during her attack where she creates spikes on the ground, and a high jump after a wall cling lets you heal relatively safely in the air, avoiding her melee attacks ( With only the ceiling bells able to hit you there ) Act 1 Exploration : At this point, you have unlocked all abilities available to you in act 1, and can explore a bit before fighting Widow, or beat her, get the pin upgrade and then explore. It's your choice depending on how comfortable you are fighting her. Get 1 mask, spool upgrades available here, Gather tools you want to use, and move on to one of the 2 routes. Be warned, getting overconfident and panicking in arenas for spool/masks shards, flintbugs can get you killed, I suggest getting tacks and the Pollip Pouch as a first priority to cheese them all to death. IMPORTANT : Get the Crawbug quest to get another Crafting Kit Upgrade, and beat Loddie's pin throwing game to get a Tool Pouch Upgrade. If you somehow have 100 records in the Hunter's journal, go to Nuu for another Tool Pouch Upgrade. Simple Keys, there are 3 options for using the simple key this early, Wanderer's Crest, Wormways, and Deep Docks. I heavily recommend AGAINST Deep Docks, as the Flintslate and 1 craftmetal is not worth risking dying in that section of Deep Docks. Meanwhile, the Wormways key gets you Plasmium, a lost flea, a memory locket, and Shell Satchel. This is one particularly important, as it functions as a tool pouch upgrade while only costing a yellow slot, very good for this run. You can acquire 2, one from Sinner's Road and 1 from Pebb in Bone Bottom, so choose your picks. The 3rd is available upon reaching Songclave and finding Jubiliana in the quest, and the last is in Sands of Karak. Late Act 1 and Early Act 2 : The Ghost of Pharloom ( How I dodge every boss until I'm fully kitted out ) Sinners Road -> Lower Bilewater Bellway -> The Mist ( Phantom ) -> Citadel Songclave ( Get White Key )-> Whiteward ( Not kidding ) -> Underworks for Clawline I've tried both routes, and I can confidently say getting in through the Phantom route is far safer. Not only because you can avoid Last Judge, Blasted Steps, Underworks and it's relatively cramped corridors, platforming and temporary benches, most of Choral Chambers ( You have to go the long way around from the bottom left ), but also because you can avoid Cogwork Dancers, AND fast travel away via Grand Bellway instead of being forced to go through Underworks before being able to fast travel again. The biggest challenge of the Phantom route is The Mist and Phantom herself. The Mist is annoying because the Wraiths are hard to kill, and deal 2 masks on a grab. If you feel overwhelmed, bail. Fall downwards through the void and return to the bilewater bench before coming back. Because they phase through floors, you can bait them into tacks or sting shards to deal more damage to them. There are other mist strategies covered by speedrunners I won't delve into here, but you can search them up to make the process a bit smoother. Or, just ball. Phantom : She's relatively predictable and can be killed primarily with Poison Tacks, if you are afraid of fighting them, only attack her when she is attacking, as her parry can really hurt. Through there, you can get to Grand Bellway, and then Songclave to acquire the White Key, unlocking Whiteward. NOTE : You'll notice both routes avoid Cogwork Core and TROBBIO!!!!. This means you can return after getting all the mobility tools and other upgrades alongside Lifeblood Overdose, mitigating the risk of those areas. Yes, while Cogworks Core into Vaults into TROBBIO!!!! is a method of entering Underworks, I HEAVILY recommend against it. TROBBIO!!!! deals two mask of damage, clutters the screen, has that hard to avoid whirlwind attack, and is resistant to tacks since he can't be hit by them while doing the whirlwind. It also requires doing Cogwork Core and Whispering Vaults, which are additional areas you could die to. Although navigating Vaults lets you acquire a Pale Oil, this routing means you are fighting 0 bosses upon entering the Citadel until long after you acquire the Clawline+double jump. Which means you can run through everything in Act 1 and Act 2 not gated by a boss and acquire as many Spool Upgrades, Tools, Crafting Kit and Mask upgrades before so much as touching another boss. WHITEWARD Instead, enter Whiteward and enter right side of the Underworks through there, Whiteward is a surprisingly safe location, since there are only 2 enemies you need to hop over before you enter Underworks. You can reach the elevator down through the long corridor connecting the left and right side of Choral Chambers, which is normally accessible only from the right side ( Which is where you enter via the Phantom Route ). UNDERWORKS 2 : SAVE UP TOOLS FOR AFTER YOU GET CLAWLINE. There is an arena after you get the Clawline, so farm up on silk via pogoing the mobs you're meant to clawline, and throw Spike Shard and Tacks to speed up the arena, do not die here. ACT 2 EXPLORATION After acquiring the Clawline, you have some additional options. Get Architect Crest and Lifeblood Overdose. This is a very safe unlock for exploration, letting you get through most areas safely by fully healing, however difficult the parkour. You might have to backtrack back to acquire other tools, but it's worth it for the Architect crest and Lifeblood Overdose. Beeline to the Slab Bellway from Choral Chambers and enter Mount Fay, parkour up with any combination of Weavelight, Flintslate, Ascender's Grip to make the journey smoother ( ESPECIALLY Weavelight as it lets you spam the clawline faster for speed ), pray you don't fall into the ice water and die, and get the Double Jump cloak and cold resistance, letting you explore the mountain. ( YOU STILL TAKE DAMAGE FROM ICE WATER DON'T BE STUPID AND FALL IN ANYWAYS ) From here, you have every mobility unlock except Silk Soar in act 3, as well as regenerating health. At this point, I went and collected every mask shard, every spool upgrade, every flea, every memory locket that wasn't gated off by a boss, as well as Pale Oil for the needle upgrade and the Needle Strike from Pinstress. NOTABLE UNLOCKS Misc upgrades : At the end of it, without fighting any bosses except Conchflies, I had Needle Strike, 7 masks, 4 or 5 spool upgrades, maxed out crafting kit ( Grindle and Twelfth Architect ) and level 3 tool pouch, as well as... Architect Crest : This is going to be a long and drawn out explanation, but it can be summarized as 3 things. ~~~~ARCHITECT CREST SECTION ~~~~ Plasmium/Lifeblood Overdose. Just see the section above Needle Strike : The Needle Strike for the Architect's crest has a VERY long range, alongside the highest amount of damage for all the Needle Strikes among all the crests. This makes it extremely good for arenas where a single one will usually OHKO an enemy. Especially useful for ads summoned by bosses, where you want to kill them fast so you can refocus on killing the boss. It also works as about 3 regular hits of damage from your needle, do you could just wait for openings from bosses and focus on landing these instead. ( Edit : Got nerfed, now deals 3 hits worth maximum, but generates silk now ) Tool Refresh : This seems obvious, but since resting at a bench removes the Overdose effect, you want a way to refresh tools without resting. This is it, if you need to, farm some enemies to regain silk, then bind while holding up ( Up+Bind ) to craft more. Essential for activating Lifeblood Overdose to begin with. Quirks : Charged attacks ( NOT needle strikes ) Holding down the attack button while you would perform a running attack ( Sprinting ) will stop you for half a second, before launching you forward like a regular jump attack, this attack deals about x2 a regular hit. Similarly, the pogo can also be charged, with it stopping you for about half a second in the air to fully charge. This does have other niche usages, letting you having some breathing room during parkour sections, or letting you predict an enemy movement and releasing when you would hit them, but the biggest benefit is just the increased range. Also deals x2 the damage of a regular hit when charged. Advice : By the time you get this crest, you would have the Clawline, as well as the double jump soon after. My recommendation with parkour sections is utilizing the clawline to traverse horizontally things you can pogo off, such as metallic spikes ( Like how you can pogo off them with your nail ). The clawline hitting directly at an enemy also launches you up, and the direct horizontal movement is honestly far more comfortable than most pogos, but landing Pogo attacks or chaining them on bosses is tougher, which is why I suggest grounded poke attacks, needle strike, and tools as your primary ways to attack. The crest does have slightly longer reach, but narrower attacks, meaning it's better at poking long range enemies than broader swipes. Learn the Needle Strike range and area, it helps a lot. And focus on playing defensively and learning boss patterns and when you can land a needle strike. ~~~~END ARCHITECT CREST SECTION ~~~~ Now to cover all the bosses you have to do. I'll be skimming over bosses and the areas that aren't that threatening, since you should have health regen to negate platforming related mishaps. For 100%, you should gather as much stuff as possible before Act 3, as Act 3 amps up the difficulty via Void enemies and making traversal more difficult, with the only upgrades you can get being the last needle upgrade and 1 Spool + 1 Mask. Much easier to do stuff to prep for 100% before that point. BOSSES (+Red Tools, Choose 2 + Lifeblood or use preference ) Savage Beastfly 1 and 2 ( Cogflies, Spike Shard, Threefold Pin ) : Not worth fighting until fully kitted out. For Beastfly 1, go back with full upgrades and slaughter it. For 2, the biggest threat are the fire thrower enemies and the lack of flooring. Equip the magma bell, use your vertical mobility to maintain height while tossing out Spike Shards and Cogflies, try landing needle strikes on the ads to kill them. Gruz Broodmother ( Spike Shard, Threefold Pins, Tacks ) : Of all the bosses to I ever died to near the end, it's this one. Ugh. Beware of cogflies complicating the fight by killing off the spawn when they're near you, as their explosions hurt, the Broodmother itself can be hit by tacks when she does her slam attacks, and watch out for goop spit since the stun usually means 2 damage. I hate how cramped the room is, and the mobs spawned explode. Savage Whiteward Fly ( Tacks, Cogflies ) : 10/10 scare factor, 2/10 boss fight. Focus on avoiding it's charges, wipe the ads with needle strikes, tacks and cogflies, dodge the swords when it's thrown, and let the tacks do their work while it charges you repeatedly. Chef Luigi ( LIFEBLOOD, Tacks, Cogflies ) : Lifeblood means you can heal even when affected by maggots, stay away, dodge the buttslam attack, tacks and cogflies shred, land needle strikes, etc Daddy Fire ( LIFEBLOOD, Voltvessel, Spikeshards ) : Magma bell reduces fire damage, lifeblood lets you play it safe. The boss starts spawning fire faster when it's smaller nodes are destroyed, so try to damage all 4 a bit before breaking them all quickly. Clawline helps a lot with parkouring, so Weavelight is also a good choice since you aren't using the silk anyways. In phase 2, throw the voltvessel in the center and spike shards onto the core, and use double jump attacks to smack it. If you get low on health, focus on dodging for a bit while your masks regen. First Sinner ( Tacks, Threefold Pin, Cogflies, Sawtooth Blade ) : Honestly, not much advice, just avoid her attacks, run at her to hit her, clawline close to dodge horizontal attacks, let tacks shred her when she does her running attack, threefold pin or cogflies or sawtooth to interrupt healing, needle strike when staggered, watch out for her when she follows up ranged flurries in 2nd phase with her ground-running attack. Forebrothers Hornstein and Smiugh ( Tacks, Cogflies, Spike Shard ) : Do not get knocked into the lava, spread tacks to murder Signis fast and Cogflies + Needle strike to handle ads, then whittle down and kill Gron. Prioritise killing ads and Signis and win from there. Conchflies and Angy Conchfly ( Tack, Cogflies, Spike Shard ) : Conchflies are easy to shred, Angry conchfly is hard to hit with needle strike unless it attacks vertically. A needle strike can break the spit attack while also hitting it, and it can be baited into tacks. Groal and Bilewater ( LIFEBLOOD, Cogflies, Threefold Pin, Spike Shard ) : Groal is... not hard, because lifeblood overdose lets you ignore maggots while regenerating masks, you can just play the arena safely, using needle strike to oneshot mobs, then kill Groal with Cogflies, Pin or Spikeshard spam. Or needle strike him to death. Or just hit him normally. It's actually very relaxing fighting him when you don't have to worry about healing or maggot water. Heck, jump into the water to dodge his attacks. The maggots are lovely this time of the year. Last Judge ( Tacks, Threefold Pins, Spike Shards, Cogflies ) : Magma bell halves damage from the 2nd and 3rd phase attacks, it jumps into tacks, spikes, threefold pins always hit with all 3, needle strike, etc. If you fight them in act 1, it's still Tacks and Spike Shards. Second Sentinel ( Threefold Pins, Tacks, Cogflies ) : Has deceptively long reach and approaches you fast when comboing, the cross slash radius is actually massive, I don't have much advice. TROBBIO!!!! ( Cogflies, Spike Shard, Prayers ) : TROBBIO!!!! can ignore damage from tacks while whirlwinding, just land needle strikes when TROBBIO!!!! emerges, don't get too close because of whirlwind and TROBBIO!!!!'s minimal windup explosion, watch for projectiles, and keep an eye on TROBBIO!!!! because TROBBIO!!!! can startup TROBBIO!!!!'s whirlwind while the screen is cluttered by explosions. Gay Dancers ( Cogflies, Spike Shard, Tacks ) : Heard they have separate HP bars, but am unsure of the accuracy. Either way, watch out for the horizontal attacks since they cover the whole floor, watch out for landing attacks since the radius is surprisingly large, and if you have double jump, account for it during their screenwide attack. Voltvyrm ( Lifeblood, Cogflies, Voltvessel, funnily enough ): Dodge attacks, jump and hit, and wait for Lifeblood to regen your masks from the parkour section. ARENA/AREAS High Halls 10 WAVE ARENA LETS GO BAYBEEEEEE ( Lifeblood, Tacks, Sawtooth Blades, kill nest inside High Halls ) : The hardest arena, but folds to tool spam. Kill the nest of the silksuckers in high halls so they don't spawn, needle strike ranged enemies down since the size of the needle strike is so big you can parry the projectiles while also hitting them, shred grounded enemies with tacks, once the two big guys are about to appear, throw tacks, wall cling and throw sawtooth blades/cogflies to kill one, then continue killing the other. If you're particularly scared, just double jump high above the arena and float, dash into the wall, then keep double jumping until you fully heal. Putrefied Ducts : Go my cogflies, kill those annoying acid spitters. Lifeblood Overdose to ignore maggots The Slab : Just kill everything in the place, and find a way to get the keys. Slaughter them like your father slaughtered your siblings Platforming Hell High Halls, Sands of Karak, Cogwork Core, Bilewater : Use lifeblood overdose to regen masks while parkouring, do it with the double jump, cogflies to kill annoying enemies that are trying to snipe you while parkouring Underworks, Wisp Thicket, Lower Deep Docks, : Equip Magma Bell, Cogflies, run through. By the absolute end, you should have 8 Spool upgrades, 9 Masks, maxed out crafting kit, all but the last needle upgrade, as well as all of the Fleas found. ACT 2 ENDING : CUTSCENE LIFEBLOOD REMOVAL JUMPSCARE IMPORTANT : Before this section, make sure to buy out shard bundles til you have 20, you're going to need them to tool spam your way through the ending of Act 2 and the beginning of Act 3. Lace 2 ( Cogflies, Tacks ) : IF YOU'RE USING LIFEBLOOD, THE CUTSCENE WILL REMOVE IT FROM YOU. Make sure you enter with full silk and have reserve Plasmium, jump to the right wall, and double jump up and start injecting lifeblood, crafting, and injecting more until you overdose. BE VERY CAREFUL, LACE CAN AND WILL WALL JUMP UP TO TRY AND HIT YOU HERE. If you fought Lost Lace, she should be easy. Don't get knocked into the steam, watch out for parries. etc. Bootleg Radiance ( Cogflies, Threefold Pin, Curveclaw ) : She doesn't forcibly remove lifeblood upon entering her arena, unlike her daughter who jumpscared me with white colored masks. I... don't have much advice for her, dash to avoid horizontal pins, listen for the sweep attack, run away for a bit if she summons spikes, and watch out for the falling rocks, it's sometimes a bit hard to see the area. Throw curveclaw and pins to damage her. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU GOT NORMAL STEEL SOUL, TIME FOR ACT 3 100% REQUIREMENTS https://www.reddit.com/r/Silksong/comments/1ng54do/list_of_requirements_to_get_100_completion/ As far as I know, you only have to get all tools, masks, needle upgrades, spool upgrades and silk skills, meaning you can skip many memento bosses in this act. ACT 3 Start : If you're nothing without your tools... Uhhh, die, I guess. So, you broke everything, and now you're lying on the ground. Save and quit to reset your masks to full, I know it's a bit cheesy, but losing Steel Soul here would be horrendously painful since it starts you with 4 masks, which is only 2 hits. You're stuck with the Hunter's crest ( Make sure to upgrade it via Eva ) and silkspear til you get to a bench, and I am NOT losing a run here to a single hit. Make your way down, and win in the arena fight while avoiding the steam in the parkour section. Please don't die here. A needle strike with your current nail should leave the mooks 1 hit away from death. Kill them, be careful about void attacks, and move on. Make your way to Songclave, and then Grand Bellway. I ran out of reserves after Bootleg Radiance, so be careful of that, try heading into Act 3 with a (Near) fully filled Plasmium reserve Bell Eater ( Threefold Pin, Cogflies, Voltvessel ): Plant Voltvessel when they come from above, Needle Strike when they're emerging from below, you CAN hit projectiles from the tail to bounce them away from you, and needle strike can do that AND hit the tail. Watch out for the melee attacks from the head, or the area denial, as well as the tail projectiles exploding. Avoid getting too close to the edges since they'll swipe at you. Finally, you're free. Explore Act 3, go to your lifeblood dealer to get your lifetime supply for being a loyal customer, equip the magma bell, and descend into the abyss. ABYSS ESCAPE Overdose on lifeblood, get through the abyss, and then ascend your way out. Make sure you have Magma Bell, and get out. I have no advice here, except it's a tough parkour section, possibly the toughest in the game. If you are REALLY scared, benchwarp. Afterwards, explore all of act 3 to acquire the last requirements for 100%, and make your way to the 3 bosses. All 3 of them are dream bosses, and thus cannot kill you, so I won't be covering them. However... Crawmother Pinstress ( Cogflies, Tacks, Spike Traps ) : Claims to be Pinstress, but I see through her ruse, she's just a Craw impersonator. Robots > Stick. I kinda just facetanked her because she's really slow. Gurr the Tool Spammer ( Cogflies, Tacks, Superiority in Tool Usage ) : Early game tools only huh. He spams Spike Shards and far Inferior tacks to you. Just dodge them and hit him, treat this like a mini bullet hell. SETH ( Cogflies, Tacks, Voltvessel? ) : He moves around very quick, so you're going to have to aim to hit him as he runs below you. His slam attack has an AoE, and he usually follows up with a forward dash at you. The shield and contact damage only deal 1. I don't have much advice, I barely scraped by with tool spam, I would practice him, but no Godhome DLC ( Please, PLEASE ). GAY DREAMER : An alternative to fighting Seth ( And Nyleth but who cares ), or doing Coral Tower, or Karmelita is getting the Clover Dancers' Heart, which can substitute for any single heart of the three, by getting to Verdania and fighting him. Anyways, Coral Tower is a dream, so work through the Arenas, kill Khann, Karmelita and Nyleth or Clover Dancers, do the Flea Festival, get nail upgrade, get every tool, and then it's back into the Abyss. Make sure you stock up on shard bundles, this is the toughest boss this whole game you can actually die to. ACT 3 FINAL BOSS : CUTSCENE LIFEBLOOD ABYSSAL BUNGALOO Yeah she removes your Lifeblood on entry. Do the same thing you did before and wall cling then double jump to overdose yourself. Make sure you practice her well, download a save if you somehow lost yours ( Assuming you fought her before, this is Steel soul, what are you doing ). Practice, practice, practice. I have no other advice for you. LOST LACE ( Tacks, Cogflies, Sawtooth Blade, Dreams, Skill, Patience and Suffering ): I lied, I have a bit of slightly cheesy advice. In phase 1, she cannot hit you if you double jump off a high enough wall cling and hover high above, this lets you regenerate. However, in phase 2 and 3, some void attacks, notably the tracking ones and her "Jump and spew" can reach you up there. If you play it safe, you could theoretically stall her out. While tossing out Cogflies, Tacks, hitting her a few times to rebind, and beating her that way. Avoid dashing directly away from her, if you do, there's a chance she was teleporting where you were moving to and gives you the worst hug in Pharloom. If you dash away, try to make sure you're airborne so you don't collide with her. Congratulations, you beat Steel Soul 100% ~~~~Conclusion~~~~ Yeah, I'm kinda aware a lot of boss advice kinda boiled down to "Use health regen and stall while throwing cogflies, tacks and knives at every problem" Do I regret it? LOL NO. I'm not THAT good at the game, I can't do nail builds and time attacks while avoiding the boss and not-dying. But what I can do is plan out a route that lets me be as powerful as possible, with a build that puts me at as little risk as possible while I let the boss die by the combined might of Lifeblood, Tacks, Cogflies and Sawtooth Blades. Hollownest might have fallen but the Pale King's light and Lifeblood's Blue Kool Aid shines forever. Glory to The Pale King, and his Daughter, Batman Hornet. submitted by /u/Thanksforcrazy to r/Silksong [link] [comments]
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r/Silksong |
Thanksforcrazy |
Sep 22, 2025 |
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Truffle Pig
I can’t eat. That’s the gist of it. I can't eat. I guess to people who haven’t grown up the way I have, it sounds absurd. So much of our lives revolve around eating. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. It’s a social ritual and contract, and without it we lose a core pillar of being human. But I can’t eat. I can’t be part of that. It’s complicated. I grew up to a single mother with a minimum wage. How she managed to keep a sickly kid alive through all that is beyond me. And I don’t mean sickly as in getting nasty colds or ear infections, I mean sick with a big ‘S’. For as long as I can remember, I could never eat solid food. Some doctors called it inoperable achalasia, but my mom called in “royal throat”. “Just like the kings and queens of old,” she used to say. “They were so used to having servants feed them that they stopped eating for themselves.” It was just a nice way for her to make it sound like I was special, rather than cursed. The main problem is that I can’t swallow. So instead I’d have to puree my food and slide it down my throat with a thick plastic tube. I can’t really taste anything, and the whole ordeal can look uncomfortable to onlookers, so it’s something I’m very private about. I can still taste and chew things, but a pleasant taste don’t really outweigh the threat of choking to death. I can drink, but it takes some effort. If it gets too hot or cold, my throat just shuts down. Same if it’s too sugary, too spicy, or too sweet. And since I can’t swallow, I just tilt my head back and let it run down my throat. Mild apple juice is an occasional treat, but I like to stick to ordinary tap water. No fizzy stuff. Nothing that makes the muscles contract. Apart from that one thing, I was a normal kid. I still went trick-or-treating, and by the end of the night, I gave all my candy away to my friends. It made me bully-proof, in a way. To them, I was weird, but it was the kind of weirdness that paid off. Whenever someone handed out candy, or fruit, or freebies, I passed mine along to those who treated me well. “You’re like a truffle pig,” my buddy Dawson used to say. “You get to sniff out all the good stuff, but you can’t have any yourself.” And that’s where the nickname started. Truffle pig. I don’t know if it’s some kind of myth or urban legend, but it’s said that truffle pigs can never be allowed to eat the truffles they’re trained to find. If they do, they’re useless; they get so preoccupied with finding truffles for themselves that there’s nothing left. They get a taste for it, and it’s all over. I got the occasional jab and mean look about the nickname, but most of them said it with love. It wasn’t mean-spirited. It went from “Truffle Pig”, to “Truffles”, to “Ruffles”, to just “Ruff” or “Ruffy”. And I guess that name’s stuck around ever since. I graduated from high school and got a job on a clam boat. Not a fancy job, but I’ve always loved the sea. I never get seasick, or car sick, or anything like that. Maybe a side effect from having a strange stomach. So when a spot opened, I was first in line. Did it for a summer as a practice run and got hired full-time a month later. Great pay, decent benefits. We usually worked on smaller vessels. In-shore boats. Smaller yields that could turn a surprising profit at the local seafood markets. Whatever we could get our hands on we could sell at a huge markup. There wasn’t a single Christmas where I didn’t go home with a bonus. I’d end up being the designated driver whenever I went out with the guys. They’d sometimes forget about my deal and bring me a beer, or a scotch, and they’d end up getting an extra one. I’d stare at that bowl of spicy peanuts in the middle of the table and wonder what it’d be like to pig out on them. Stuff my face full and go to town. To feel the crunch in my teeth, resonating in my jaw. But that’d send me straight to the hospital – or the morgue. A yellow building just down the street. Truffle pig, truffle pig. Look, but don’t taste. Mom passed when I was 27. It wasn’t sudden or dramatic; it was the result of a lengthy battle coming to an end. I held a speech at her wake. Divided her possessions among her living relatives. Packed all her things in brand new cardboard from the tool shop. Picking apart a careful knick-knack ecosystem where everything has a place – leaving only pale walls and dust bunnies. It was kinda funny though – there was this one picture of her and I from when I was just an infant. Back then, I had brown eyes and hair. I thought it was someone else at first, seeing as how I now have my mother’s blonde hair with green eyes. But there was a note on the back confirming that it was, in fact, our first picture together. I was offered a few days off work to get my affairs in order, but I declined. Stepping away from your routine underlines how painful the change is. By declining it, you’re robbing it of its power. That’s what I thought, at least. But when it rains, it pours. And maybe I was distracted that one morning in early May when I turned onto the interstate. I’d gone down that road a thousand times, but just this once, I didn’t pay attention. Maybe the other driver didn’t either. Either way, the collision was violent. No one died, at least. They had to cut me out, but the other guy walked away without a scratch. They put me in a neck brace and took me to a hospital. Ran all kinds of tests. I had a fracture in my left leg, but apart from that, it just looked bad. Most of it was surface-level stuff. They still did their due diligence though. X-rays, check-ups, the whole shebang. I’d have to wear a cast on my leg, but apart from that I’d be fine. I remember the final day before they sent me home. The doctor, a middle-aged Indian woman, went through my x-rays and talked at length about how lucky I’d been. In-between instructions on how to keep my cast clean, I threw in a question. “What about my neck?” I asked. “Am I gonna have to change how I eat?” “No, that should be fine,” she said. “Why do you ask?” “The achalasia,” I said. “It’s inoperable. Should be in my file.” “Achalasia?” She looked at me for a couple of seconds, then back up at the x-ray. “You don’t have achalasia.” I went over it with her again and again. I told her I’d been diagnosed as an infant. That it’d stuck with me all my life. That my throat was atrophied, and that I could only have pureed food pushed down my throat with a tube – “royal throat”, like the kings and queens of old. “I know what you’re referring to,” she said. “But I don’t know what to tell you. You don’t have it. From what I can see, you’ve never had it.” She pointed at the x-rays and explained how to recognize it, and that there were no signs of it in any way. I was perfectly fine – I just had to practice eating. “If you’ve been doing this for so long, chances are you’ll never get quite used to it,” she admitted. “But physically, there’s nothing wrong. But it’s gonna take time adjusting to.” I walked out of there on crutches, but I barely even paid attention to the leg. I couldn’t believe it. All this time, I could’ve been just like all the others. Someone must’ve misdiagnosed me, but there was nothing in my file suggesting there’d even been a conversation about achalasia in my past. In those files, I was perfectly healthy. Always had been. I couldn’t make sense of it. There had to be a reason I’d lived the way I had. I decided I would go through my mother’s things to see if there was a hint. I had boxes to go through a second time – maybe I’d missed something. I got a ride home from the hospital by my buddy Stevey. 40-something father of three, salt-of-the-earth kinda guy. The kind of person who has a pickup and doesn’t mind helping you move, ‘cause that’s just “what you’re supposed to do”. He must’ve noticed I was a bit quieter than usual. “Don’t worry about work, Ruffy” he said. “Give it a couple weeks.” “Thanks, but that ain’t it,” I said. “It’s my throat.” “Whiplash?” he asked. “Got an ache or something?” I explained to him what the doctor had said. That I was fine, and always had been. I told him about the x-rays, how nothing showed, and how there was nothing in my files. Stevey got so caught up in the story that he almost missed a green light, making the guy behind us lean on the horn. Stevey snapped out of it and stepped on the gas. “That’s fucked up,” he said, making a left turn. “But I mean, that’s good news too.” “I suppose, yeah.” I was gonna have to get used to a new way of living – one where I could sit by the table and share a meal. I had a hard time wrapping my head around it. I was a bit scared. After all, what if I didn’t like it? Could I just go back to pretending? But first, I had to give it a try. I couldn’t just go trudging into a restaurant and order a ribeye – I had to try something small. I had Stevey drop me off at the supermarket. I bought some yoghurt, cucumber, and chocolate ice cream. I asked him to join me in the kitchen. I figured it’d be for the best to have someone call for help if things went sideways. Like the doctor had said, even if I was physically okay, it’d take time getting used to the sensation. There aren’t exactly any tutorials on how to eat – it’s supposed to come naturally to us. It’s not something you learn. We sat down at my kitchen table, and I cracked open the yoghurt. Stevey had a coke. I didn’t have any cutlery, so I had to grab a teaspoon from my mom’s kitchen box. I dipped it in the yoghurt, picked it up, and observed. My heart was beating out of my chest. “You alright?” Stevey asked. “Nervous.” “Just try a little,” he smiled. “Try to enjoy it.” So I tried it. I let my tongue soak in the soft vanilla and acidic tang. I took a deep breath, leaned back, and just… tried. I almost choked as my throat muscles cramped up, but it went well enough. It was wildly uncomfortable though. I coughed a little, but held up a hand to show Stevey I was okay. I tried a little more, and then some ice cream. It was difficult, and I could feel an ache in my throat. I was flexing muscles I’d hardly ever used. Over a painstakingly slow hour, I tried little bits and pieces of things. I was getting used to it, slowly but surely. I had to stop when I got to the cucumber though. I cut it up and tried eating it like a mush, but part of the skin got stuck in the back of my throat. I ended up having a coughing fit. Stevey had to give me a couple back slaps. We decided to pause for the day. But it was promising – I was feeling something I hadn’t felt before. It was a new experience, and I was getting better at it. “Give it a month,” said Stevey. “By the time that leg cast is off, you’ll be a brand-new person.” Over the next few days, I was stuck at home, waiting for my leg to heal. Meanwhile, I took some time going through my mom’s stuff. Everything from old phone books to photo albums. There were a lot of baby pictures, but they weren’t in a particular order. In most of them, I had blonde hair and green eyes, but there were a couple where it was still a clear brown. I could see a couple of things change in my mom, too. Her hair getting longer. The marks under her eyes growing deeper. But there were other things too. There was this one picture where she was breastfeeding me, and another shortly after where she used a bottle. There was also one where she’d been in some sort of accident, wearing a bandage that reached up to her shoulder. All the while, I was micro-dosing on food. Little pieces of ice cream and yoghurt. Mashed potatoes and gravy. A strawberry sorbet. It took some time to get my throat moving, but after just a couple of days I could swallow with little to no problem. The first solid food I ate was a salty peanut. I bit down and chewed it for so long that my jaw ached, and when I finally swallowed, I could feel a tingle in my neck. Like little puzzle pieces falling into place. I was so relieved I could cry. I ended up eating a whole bag, letting a re-run of Friends echo in the background. But all I could hear was the sweet crunch of peanuts breaking against my perfect enamel. It was such a filling sensation. Flavor. Texture. Mouthfeel. And with it all, the realization that I had so much more to experience; it was euphoric. I wanted to save the first time I had a big dinner for a special occasion with my work friends. Not just Stevey, but the whole crew. My cast was still healing, so I had some issue getting around, but that wasn’t gonna stop me from having a fantastic night. A proper steak dinner, a shrimp cocktail, garlic bread… I didn’t hold back. I think my colleagues could feel the change in the air, as they all got equally excited to order. We had some drinks, made some jokes, and left all the pretense at the door. Just guys being guys. As soon as I dug into my shrimp cocktail, I could feel something. There was this rush of energy, like an electric surge. I could feel my pupils growing larger, and I couldn’t close my eyes. My breathing grew shallow, and my pulse wouldn’t stop rising. It’s like I was on some kind of drug, or fighting for my life. I thought I might be having an allergic reaction, so I had to stop myself and do a mental check. I felt fine. I was fine. Great, actually. The moment my steak arrived, the others raised a glass. “To good food,” Stevey said. “And good friends.” The others echoed the sentiment, but before they got to ‘good friends’, I’d sunk my teeth into the steak. I could feel the juices soaking into my teeth. It’s difficult to describe the sensation. It’s like I didn’t just eat a steak, I could hear the bovine death cry in the back of my head. I could feel myself growling as a predator, sinking my teeth in like a prowling tiger. I daydreamed with open eyes watching the red of the meat pulse with an invisible heartbeat. And somewhere in the distance, I could hear Stevey say something – but I couldn’t make out the words. I bit down, hard, and tore away. My teeth ached, as if they were pushing themselves out of my mouth – reaching for more meat. And with every passing second, the restaurant faded away, until something cold splashed across my face. I was lying on the floor. My work friends were standing in a circle around me. One of the waiters called an ambulance. My hands were covered in grease; I’d grabbed the steak right off the plate with my bare hands. There were bitemarks on my forearm. Deep ones, still bleeding. I had to get my arm stitched up. According to Stevey, I’d gone completely feral. I’d torn that steak up, reached across to Luke’s pork chop, and grabbed that too. When I couldn’t immediately grab more meat, I’d fallen to the floor, biting my own arm like I was trying to subdue a prey animal. They’d never seen anything like it. “Some kind of episode,” Stevey said. “We’re worried about you.” Doctors didn’t know what to make of it. Some kind of chemical imbalance from a sudden shift in diet, combined with stress and physical recovery. It didn’t help that I’d been drinking. Not much, mind you, but enough for it to affect me. They couldn’t point to a single instigating factor, and instead prescribed me a kind of anti-anxiety medication. They were just throwing darts at the wall at that point. Coming home, I noticed something peculiar. There was a crack in the side of my cast. I’d just been at the hospital, and it’d been fine, so it must’ve happened recently. I thought about going back there, but I flexed my leg a little, and it felt fine. And in a couple of minutes, the whole cast peeled off. My leg was healed. Now, I’m no doctor, but I couldn’t feel anything wrong with it. I could put pressure on it. Walk. Flex my foot. Not even a hint of pain. The only thing I could point out as being unusual was a strange skin growth on the left side of my thigh. At first I thought it was a long strand of hair, but it was too thick and covered in skin. Touching it didn’t hurt, so I just broke it off and held it up. I got a little spot of blood from it, but nothing major. The thing was moving when I held it up. Contracting over and over, like a dying insect. Or like the leg of a shrimp. I got a call from my boss the following morning. They insisted I took some time off, in accordance with my doctor. They were eager to have me back, but I had clearly not ‘adapted to my new circumstances’. It was a very diplomatic way of saying I was making people uncomfortable, and that they needed some time before they could forget that mental image of me gnawing on myself like a wild animal. But that just gave me more time to experience things on my own. I made a long list of things I was going to eat. Pork. Chicken. Turkey. Maybe something a bit more unusual, like alligator. At least three kinds of fish. Crab. And every kind of fruit I could find at the supermarket. Then again, fruit didn’t excite me as much. There was just something about biting into meat that was way more satisfying. I enjoyed the taste of fruit and veggies, but there was something about the texture of meat that I couldn’t make sense of. Then again, this was my first time experiencing food – there was no way for me to know this wasn’t normal. When I got back from my shopping spree, I went to the bathroom to wash my hands. I noticed something in the bathroom mirror. My eyes looked different. The pupil looked rectangular. I figured it was a trick of the light, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to change. But I was too excited to care. I was gonna have a field day. So I washed my hands, splashed some water on my face, and hurried into the kitchen. At first I was systematic. Putting out little samples of things. Bite-sized nuggets of meat, ready to be plopped down in a single gulp. I prepped a couple in the frying pan, others in the oven. I’d bought a new air fryer to try out some combos. I put on some music and had a blast. Everything was so rich, so succulent. Different textures, different flavors, and a world to discover. I could imagine the salty sea running between my fingers as I bit down on the crab meat. I could feel the texture of the feathers as I slurped up a slice of turkey. I adored it. Every last second of it. I spent close to 13 hours that way. Just eating, eating, eating. The shops closed, and opened, and I was first in line to get more. I must’ve looked like hell. That’s what the look on the cashier’s face said at least. I would fall asleep at the dinner table, still holding my next piece of meat. A chicken wing. A tomahawk steak. An honest to God cheeseburger. I’d close my eyes and keep eating, dozing off between bites. It was heaven. While I didn’t know it at the time, I kept that up for 49 hours total. I was in this meat-stained daze, not knowing what was happening around me. I’d missed calls and appointments. E-mails. Bills to pay. I hadn’t paid attention to any of it, and my systematic approach had completely fallen out the window. It was a marathon. When my kitchen ran empty, I lumbered to the bathroom. My stomach felt like wearing a backpack on the front; like an imbalance. I had to lean my arms against the wall to keep myself from tipping forward. I was scared to look in the bathroom mirror, but I did it anyway. The pupils of my eyes had gone horizontal. The skin of my left leg had hardened into a kind of shell. My teeth had grown long and jagged. My nails curled into claws. And throughout my hair I could find these long hollow tubes, like the growing feathers of a baby bird. My tongue was thick and discolored. My skin turning a reddish brown, with white milk-like spots. I just stared at myself, not grasping that this was a mirror. It showed me, but I wasn’t me anymore. And when that realization hit, two thoughts struck me at once. One, that I was destroying myself. That this whole ordeal was what my mother had tried to avoid. Two, that I didn’t want to stop. I needed to keep going. I went through my mother’s things in-between meals. It is hard to piece together a life after it’s gone, but it’s even harder when you think you already know what it looks like. But my mother’s life was very different from what I imagined. Sure, my father was a mystery. There was no mention of him anywhere, except that they met at a punk concert back in the 90’s. But she’d lived a very full life since then. She’d had friends, lovers, and plans of her own. But one thing stood out in particular. How I’d lost my brown hair and eyes. From what I could tell, she’d hurt herself in some way, and after that I’d changed. It was around the time where I’d gone from breastfeeding to being bottle fed. A thought hit me. An uncomfortable one. I thought back on what I’d done with that steak, and the way I’d torn into it. Could I have done something similar to my mother? Had I always been like this? I tried to find more. More answers, more pictures, more anything. All the while, I ate, ate, ate. When I ran out of meat, I had the fruit. When I ran out of fruit, I had the veggies. Then the butter. The yoghurt. The ice cubes in the back of the freezer. At one point, it was three in the morning, and I was feverishly going through a photo album from my high school years. Nothing interesting, but I realized I didn’t have anything left to eat. And yet – I was still chewing. Looking down, I had started pulling out the buttons from the remote control and crunched them up like they were little plastic cashews. I didn’t care. I just had to eat. I gnawed on anything and everything. The leg of the kitchen table. The copper wire going to my bedside lamp. I smashed a wine glass on my cutting board and ground it up into something resembling salt, and ate that too. I didn’t feel a thing, it was just more texture. Wonderful, filling, texture. I was in a daze. And the next time I looked myself in the mirror, I could barely comprehend it. When change happens rapidly, and naturally, it is hard to notice. You don’t really see it until you slow down long enough to care. If you’ve been running a marathon, you don’t stop halfway through to weigh yourself – you wait until you’re done. It was the same for me; I didn’t realize the changes until I’d slowed down long enough to reflect on them. I wasn’t human anymore. My hands had turned into this amalgamation of hoof and claw. My back was bent over with a fish-like ridge running along my spine. My eyes had three different colors, and one of them were coming out of the socket. If I concentrated, I could move it in and out, like the eye stalk of a crab. A couple of my teeth had turned to glass and ceramic. I could spot copper cables running under parts of my right bicep. Anything and everything I’d consumed with gusto had integrated into me, one way or another. I couldn’t call for help; my fingerprint didn’t register on my phone lock. I couldn’t make words in my mouth to speak. I’d turned into a flesh prison. You are what you eat. I’d lose track of time. One day I’d have a tail dragging after me, another I’d have a wing instead of an arm. My whole body was bubbling, like a boiling cauldron, shifting with every bite. But with nothing left to eat, it was devouring itself; eating the last parts of me that were human. I’d awakened a process that couldn’t be stopped, and it would turn on itself instead of letting me starve. There was no one to call for help. I could barely close the blinds to my windows. I spent most of the time in the shower, drinking water straight from a busted pipe. I’d spend hours there, drinking, watching myself mutate. I could even affect it, in a way. “Another finger,” I’d think. And there’d be another finger. But it was getting harder to think. To comprehend. To put thoughts together in a way that made sense. Perhaps more things changed than I realized. After all, the brain is as much an organ as the heart, the throat, and the tongue. I’d lose long periods of time to a hazy blur. I remember snatching a bird off the windowsill and eating it whole, like popping a grape. I’d walk around gnawing on the curtains like they were long strands of spaghetti. But in a way, I knew I was losing myself. Whenever I had a moment of clarity, I could feel my heart sink into that empty pit in my stomach. ‘I’m going away’, I’d think. ‘I’m losing myself’. So with every fiber of my being, I grabbed a piece of paper, bit my finger, and wrote in blood; ‘STAY HUMAN’ It’s difficult to describe the mind of an animal. A part of you disappears. You don’t think about inconvenience, or what-ifs. You think about your next meal, where to sleep, and where to get water. You don’t care if you knock over a lamp or pull out a cable. It’s just noise. I remember watching that paper, knowing it said something. But the symbols didn’t mean anything. It turned from words to scribbles. At one point I mistook them for droppings and started to look for mice. Didn’t find any. I didn’t consider myself lost. I didn’t consider anything. And for days, I lumbered back and forth, turning my home into a nest. Then, at some point, the symbols made sense. A rare moment of clarity. Stay. Human. I knew it was temporary. A matter of minutes, maybe an hour. I had to think of a plan. Something, anything, that would make me stay human. Everything pointed to me taking on the properties of what I ate. So if I wanted to make myself human, there was only one solution. One grotesque, unthinkable, solution. Now, I could find something tasteful in everything I ate. Anything from glass, to copper, to wood and bone. But having to eat human meat to find myself – that was a line too far. But what choice did I have? I made a plan. It was a long shot, but it was the only one I could think of. I could feel myself slipping, so I tried to remember three things; the color of the building I had to go to. The direction I had to move. And that there was meat there. Color. Direction. Meat. I repeated it like a mantra. I remember standing by the front door, pressing my head against the wood. I could hear someone taking their sweet time to lock up and leave in the hallway outside. ‘Please, just go’, I prayed. ‘You have to go.’ By the time they were gone, so was my mind. All that remained was color, direction, and meat. I made it outside. I followed the direction, looking for the color. A yellow building, just down the street. I would run through the dense woods on all fours, thundering like a hoofed gorilla. I could feel my body changing to sustain the momentum, my arms growing heavy. I had to force myself to keep going, to stay focused on the task at hand. There were so many distractions. Cars in the distance. Voices. Bright lights casting shadows of potential prey. But I followed the direction in my mind. And I saw the building with the color. And I knew there’d be meat. I didn’t even notice the locked door, I walked straight through like it was made of paper. There was no guard there, thankfully. If I’d had the mind to read, I would’ve noticed the sign of ‘County Morgue’. I would know what the smell from the metal boxes meant. But in the mind of an animal, you don’t care about the name of your prey. You don’t give meaning to your actions. You just take what you want and make it your own. So that’s what I did. I’m not gonna go into detail. I can’t. I remember every bite, but I can’t bring myself to put it into words. A man who’d died from a heart attack. An older woman who’d broken her neck. I pulled them out and did what animals do. Meat. Bone. Organ. Later, the papers would say it was a bear. They weren’t entirely wrong, I suppose. I lumbered home, dragging my bloated stomach through the woods. I’d feel my senses returning to me. A mind becoming human. But with that realization came understanding in what I’d done, and the searing emotional pain that ensued. I lay there among the berry bushes and the blue sunflowers outside my apartment complex, hoping no one would see me, as I waited for an opportunity to go home. But honestly, at that moment, I think I rather would’ve died. So here we are, back at the start. I can’t eat. My hair has grown out into a mix of black and gray, a combination of the two people missing from the morgue. My face still looks like my own, I guess that part was still buried somewhere deep in me. I’m a little taller, and a little heavier, but my colleagues have chalked that up to a change in diet. I’ve gone back to an all-puree lifestyle. That same old bottle pushing straight into my gut. I can’t allow myself to be lost to sensation again. I treat myself to some fruit every now and then, and the occasional drink, but I don’t eat full meals. I don’t want to tempt fate any more than I already have. I’m back at my job, and I think I’m doing alright. People are looking at me like they always have. No one questions that I’ve gone back to what works for me – they could see for themselves that something didn’t sit quite right when I started eating. They didn’t wanna see that Ruffy again, and that’s fine with me. Of course I want to know more, but the only person who could tell me for sure has passed on. There are no more leads, no more signs. The only thing I could find was a curiosity among my mom’s old letters. I’d missed it once because it was stuck in her collection of birthday cards, but there was a handwritten note from an anonymous sender. ‘I told you not to breastfeed him.’ No name, no signature. Just messy handwriting on a crumbled-up piece of yellow paper. All in all, life goes on. I know I’ll never really be like everyone else, but I think that’s okay. I can pretend for as long as I need to. Maybe it’s okay to be a tainted truffle pig as long as I don’t go looking for something to eat. But if I’m honest, sometimes I wonder. If I gave in, fully, and let myself run loose. If I consumed anything, and everything. What would that make me? If I put it all into a single package, what would I become? Truffle pig, truffle pig. Look, but don’t taste. submitted by /u/Saturdead to r/nosleep [link] [comments]
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r/nosleep |
Saturdead |
Jun 20, 2025 |
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They uncovered a mass grave in the Carolinas. Please, lock your doors.
First off, I need to state that I’m a man whose faith is that of science. I believe in germ theory and general relativity. The supernatural is not my ball game. Never has been. I am skeptical of all things people think can’t be explained with science. I grew up with a bible thumping father and no mother, because apparently sepsis is all part of God’s plan. My mother died at home with a fever of more than 105 Fahrenheit. My dad didn’t believe in theories. Not medicine or Cro-Magnon man. There was just god and his plan. Although I’d like to think my father had no influence on my life, I suppose all this led me to where I am now. I’m the head of the anthropology department at a large southern university. My work, my life, it’s all rock dust and carbon dating. Tables laid with tangible bones far older than 5,000 years with computer data to prove it. My father said such things were put in the dirt by the devil. Fossil record was but a test of faith. I hate that man, but now I’m wondering if somehow, like a broken clock being right twice a day, that the bastard was right. Anthropologists aren’t usually the recipients of late-night business calls. So when my work cell rang at 11pm, I figured I’d either been butt-dialed or it was another spam call about a vehicle warranty. I answered all the same. “Hello, this is Professor Hinckley.” “Professor, this is Deputy Nick Caper. I’m with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office. I’m sorry to bother you at this hour, sir. You were recommended to me by the folks at Clemson.” I didn’t specialize in forensic anthropology, but I’d done work for the state before when human remains of Native peoples were found. I must admit, calls like this made me feel important. I puffed out my chest and tried to shake the sleep out of my voice. “Hi yes, how may I help you, young man.” Young man. I cringed. I wasn’t even fifty who was I trying to be? “Sir, we’re trying to stay ahead of the press on this, so your discretion would be greatly appreciated. We got a call this afternoon, someone’s dog wandered off on a walk in Sumter and came back with a femur in his mouth.” “Oh, boy.” “Yeah, well the owner went lookin’ to see where he fetched it from and found some human remains. They’re old, so we’re not talking about murder or at least any kind of active investigation, but the thing is, there’s a lot of ‘um.” “A lot of bones?” “Yessir. Dozens. As in dozens of bodies. Problem is it doesn’t seem to be a burial ground. The dead folks, well they’re wearing western style clothes. Shirts and trousers and such. We did some research and read that mass graves of bodies all piled on each other like this would be peculiar.” “It would,” I said as I pinched my noise. “I take it you need someone to come out and take a look?” “We’d be very grateful. You can bring whoever you like. We just need this identified before our little town gets overrun by them media types filling the bars.” “I’m sorry, the county isn’t familiar. Where did you say you were?” “Oh, don’t worry that’s just how we like it here. We’re in Western South Carolina. Sumter National Forest. I’ll email you all the details.” “Ok,” I sighed. “Ok, I can get there tomorrow but it’ll be somewhat later. 5pm or so. I’ll bring my team with me.” My team. I cringed again. It was a fancy term for a couple of broke graduate students. “Well, I’ll tell the Sheriff. Thank you, Professor. Apologies again about the hour.” “Don’t worry about it. Bye now.” I hung up and googled Sumter National Forest. That part of the park in Oconee county was isolated. I clicked my thumb nail in my teeth. Western style clothing. I figured it could be the mass grave from an old epidemic that hit some settlers. Everything about this felt strange. From the phone call to the circumstances. Who at Clemson would recommend me? It was Friday and I hoped my team, Meredith and Casey weren’t going to be too hungover to work as I went back to bed. ______ The three of us carpooled and hit the road around 3pm. It was a later start than I’d have liked, but we would be at address the deputy sent me around 6pm. As it turned out the address that was sent to me was more of a crude way point. The bodies were found nearly 400 feet from a trail and I had thought we were lost until I saw a trailhead parking lot with a few law enforcement vehicles in it. We got out and stretched our legs. We had several large bags of excavation equipment and hauling them off trail would be a hell of a workout. I was beginning to regret even saying yes to this. Still, the circumstances were intriguing. This grave could be the site of some previously unknown event in early American history. I tried to tell myself that I should be excited. You should quit acting like such an old man. I met with the Sheriff, Deputy Caper and a few county clerks that were simply curious. The hike in wasn’t as strenuous as I thought it’d be. It was entirely flat, but the bramble we had to wade through had strewn my skin with scrapes. I was actually blinking away a little blood by the time we got there. The dig site itself was clear. All the bushes and even small trees had all been sawn away, leaving an open patch of land about the size of a two-car garage. The ground was slightly dug up, a ring of earth lay around the mass grave. I immediately noticed something was off. The bones that were visible were blackened, as if they were burnt. Their clothing had curled from flames, and what little of the cotton was left was bunched and dirty. Still, I could tell the clothing was certainly not native. I looked at Deputy Caper with my mouth slightly agape. “These bodies have been burnt.” He turned to the Sheriff. “I told you, Sheriff. Ain’t no way dirt and time does that to skeletons.” The Sheriff huffed. “You’re no archeologist, Nick. So, what do you think this was?” The Sheriff looked at me expectantly as if I should already know the answers. “Some kind of sickness or massacre?” “I have no idea.” “How old are they do you think?” I glared at him and repeated myself. “I have no idea. Old.” “Like the seventeen hundreds?” I nodded. “Well, that’s certainly past the statute of limitations. Hell, South Carolina might not have been a state and Oconee county wasn’t even a twinkle in this country’s eye. Not much we can do here, is there?” I wanted this buffoon gone so I nodded again. “We’ll work until it gets dark and get an early start tomorrow. We’ll update you as soon as we learn anything. In the meantime, I’d appreciate if you reached out to someone with the South Carolina Historical Society. I can date these bones, but I won’t be able to tell you what these people were doing here.” The Sheriff hiked up his utility belt. “We actually tried. They didn’t answer when we called Friday night. We left a message, but we expect we’ll hear back Monday. We also contacted a couple other universities, but no one wanted to come out on the weekend it seems.” Meredith and Casey looked at me peeved as they hadn’t exactly wanted to come either, but I suggested it might help their grade. I stood straight and cleared my throat. I didn’t think I was a chump for giving up my weekend to investigate a find of this importance. I thought it was southern societies’ fault and not mine for being more interested in barbecues than mass burials. “Well, they’re missing out. This is certainly something extraordinary.” “Nothing we need to be concerned about though, right?” The two cops seemed listless. They wanted to be dismissed. I sighed, almost disappointed. “No, probably not.” “Ok, well we’re off then. The wife’s been looking after the brisket today so,” the Sheriff crossed his fingers. “Fingers crossed!” The deputy unfurled a length of crime scene tape and started wrapping it around trees as they walked back. “So you can find your way to the trail,” he nodded at the tape. “It gets awfully dark out here.” “Thank you,” The deputy suddenly frowned. “And professor, are you staying at the Days inn in Walhalla?” “No, we’re not staying in Walhalla. We found a little bed in breakfast in Pleasant Falls. Just ten or so minutes from here.” The Sheriff laughed and shook his head while the Deputy’s eyes widened “Pleasant Falls? There’s a B&B there?” “Yeah,” I was feeling defensive at this point. “It’s cheap as all hell.” “I bet. Just so you know the folks are a bit cooky there.” “Cooky how?” Blurted out Meredith. “Well, rumor has it everybody in that town’s got the same great grandparents. If you catch my drift. There’s all but 23 of them, too. Pleasant Falls ain’t a town, it’s a hamlet.” “We’re just sleeping there. It’s better to stay closer to the work site. Makes early mornings all the easier. It’s not like we’re going to the bar there.” “Alright, just thought we’d give you the heads up. The Day’s Inn in town always has vacancy so if you do change your mind just drive right over.” I nodded. “Thank you, gentlemen.” They disappeared into the woods and we began unpacking some of our equipment. In the darkening woods it took us far longer to get set up than I’d anticipated. I realized these were likely the newest bones I’d ever dealt with professionally. I was used to brown and yellowed skulls. Fragmented remains where I’d piece the bones of ancient people’s back together like a puzzle. I was out of my depth here. I was certain then, as interesting as it was, that I shouldn’t have agreed to come. I squinted and moved parts of a skeleton as if I knew what I was doing. “The remains appear to be early Anglo-Settlers,” I said that, but I only reached that conclusion contextually. There was nothing in the single skull I looked at to be sure. I would need time, daylight and finally some lab work to figure this out. I had Meredith and Casey pack up the valuable things that we wouldn’t leave overnight and soon we were back in the car driving to our bed and breakfast. _____ The town was nestled at the end of a dirt road. A dead-end sign sat shot, pocked with bullet holes at the entrance. “Um…” said Meredith when we saw it. “It’s fine.” I said, trying to contain some anger. “We’re just sleeping here. Kids shoot everything everywhere out here. It’s not damnatory of the entire town.” Damnatory. For the third time in 24 hours, I scrunched my eyes and cringed. At least I was smart enough to know that actually smart people don’t like using big words. “Well damnatory or not,” said Casey. “This place is a shithole.” As if on cue a pack of pigs darted across the dirt road and disappeared behind a derelict chapel. Its white paint was peeling, it’s steeple slightly bent. “Well, if you’re looking for the Ritz-Carlton you picked the wrong major.” I pulled angrily into the dirt driveway of the B&B. The house didn’t look horrible. The paint was fresher than most the other buildings and the nice sign they had in front looked like someone put labor into making it a presentable business. We got out of the car and all wheeled around. The town was deserted. Even though the population was only a couple dozen it was still disturbing. A curious flock of chickens bobbed across the grass towards us. “I vote Days Inn. Even semen-stained sheets beat this,” said Meredith. I was about to give her an earful before she spoke again. “Look at that freakshow,” she whispered. I followed her gaze to see a man walking toward us from behind the chapel. “Hullo!” He waved strangely. The boots he wore were unlaced and he had a bowl cut. We all looked at each other before returning a wave. He came right up to us and paused. “Hi, there,” I said. “We booked a room for the night. Do you work here?” “Oh no, no.” He shook his head. “I see.” It was difficult to look him in the eye when he spoke. His teeth took my attention like a train wreck. Hard to look away. They were horribly crooked and the color of butter. “You’re here for that grave aren’t ye?” he asked. I had to unfurrow my brow to be polite. The man’s accent was strange. I couldn’t place it at all, and I had to think after he spoke to figure out what he’d said. “The grave? Yes. I wasn’t aware it was public information.” Meredith and Casey were uncomfortable and had both slyly stepped further away from the man. “There are no secrets in these parts.” He smiled and again I was entranced by those teeth. “But I knew there was a grave out there long before yous all dug it up. It’s a legend here.” I wanted this hillbilly to leave us alone, but now I was more intrigued. I stepped towards him. “How’s that?” He sighed as if pleased he got to tell his story. “This place had a name that’s been long forgotten. Far Wales. That’s what the settlers called it when they first came here all those hundreds of years ago. Thing is they weren’t alone in these woods. There were others living here. Spirts, demons, you pick a name, but they weren’t human. They looked it though. Skinwalkers of some sort.” The man paused and seemed to wipe a grin off his face. “Anyhow instead of leaving here when they found they weren’t here first the people did what those new countrymen did best; they invited them all to a dinner in a shack, locked the doors and burnt the place to the ground. They buried their remains somewhere out in the woods.” “Well, it looks like your town’s folk lore is somewhat accurate.” “Oh, I know. But that’s not the interesting part. The legend went on to say that one of them didn’t die right away. He lived, at least long enough to talk to his killers.” “What’d he say?” Meredith and Casey were now leaning forward to listen. “He said that if their bones were ever to see the light of day, his people would grow flesh like trees do leaves. And that they’d rise up from the dirt and slaughter those townsmen. Slaughter everyone. Every last settler of this new world.” I saw a couple of women in the window of the church. They laughed when I caught their eye and ducked beneath the sill. My cheeks flushed and I exhaled like a bull. “I’m not interested in that kind of nonsense. Flesh does not photosynthesize. Skin, hair, a consciousness, these things are created by cells and—” “That’s all good.” The man held up his hands to stop me. “I was just telling you a story. No need to get all… specific.” “Right,” I said. Meredith gave me a little eyeroll as if to say asshole. “Just be warned. The sun was shining awful bright today,” he smiled. “And the day before, too.” I opened my mouth, but Meredith cut me off. “We appreciate the heads up. We really do.” “I thought ya might.” He bowed his head and sauntered off. “Good day now.” “Good day,” said Casey somewhat sarcastically. When the man was out of earshot I whipped around. “You two are ok playing along with that nonsense?” “If it means not being murdered in my sleep,” said Casey. “And after that spiel and what the cops thought of this place… You can stay here, but I’m staying in Walhalla.” “Holla,” said Meredith in agreement. “Ok, fine,” I was fuming but trying to keep my cool. Trying not to be the twice divorced grump I was inevitably becoming. “But if you’re taking my car, you’ll be back at the crack of dawn to take me to the site.” “Done. We’ll fill her up for you, too.” I should’ve left with them. Although the doors to the B&B were unlocked there was no one there. I rang the little bell, but no one came to greet me. Too proud to call them back for a ride, I took one of the second-floor rooms, and barricaded the door shut behind me. _____ I slept fine, surprisingly. Although I didn’t want to admit it, that ghost town and the bowl cut man’s rantings made me feel like a scared child. The only problem is that when I woke at sunrise, Meredith and Casey weren’t there. I stepped onto the front porch of the bed and breakfast. The town was as empty as the evening before. Just some stray animals here and there. The same chickens and a skeptical border collie inspecting me from a distance. I pulled out my phone and called Meredith and then Casey. No answer. The sun got higher and dawn was long gone as I began walking down the road. I passed the trailhead parking lot and stared at where the trail began. It was as if there were a door into the forest. A patch of empty space in the otherwise impenetrable wall of woods. And that door was waving to me. The wind was blowing hard now. The leaves and branches swaying to and fro, entrancing. I stopped walking. Somehow, I’d hardly noticed it, my car was in the parking lot. I was fuming. Did they really not even bother driving the extra five minutes to pick me up? I rushed towards the trail in a huff and charged through the brush to the burial site. By the time I got there my skin was scratched up horribly and I was panting. I was confused but thankful that the grave site was empty. Meredith and Casey would’ve seen me in that sorry state and pitied me as some pathetic old man. I stood with my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes at the bodies. Meredith and Casey were probably just sleeping off a hangover in Walhalla. We’d left the tarp, some dig brushes, and I had a pair of latex gloves in my pocket. I could get to work. I knelt and began digging through the bodies. Unlike many older specimens I’d worked with the bones weren’t flaky or fragile and falling apart in my hands. I lifted and moved a ribcage. Under it was a piece of burned navy cotton. I began unraveling it carefully. You can imagine my confusion when I saw it was a modern design. A crew collar. It even had a tag. It was a sweater from Gap. I tossed it aside and started picking through the bones in a panic. This one still had flesh on it. Not yet decomposed. Another was still warm. I pictured the empty town of Pleasant Falls. A ghost town that was supposed to have two dozen residents. How many bodies were in this grave? Close to 24, I thought. I looked further out into the grave and started counting skulls. But I paused a moment later and stood. There was blood. Fresh blood on top of the grave. It was still dripping from the sky. I slowly looked up. Hung in the trees were the flayed bodies of Meredith and Casey. They were naked. Their mouths red ovals like they’d died screaming. What happened then was a blur. I ran back through the woods, the whole time thinking about the man with the bowl cut we’d seen in town. The man that seemed like he was pulled from the 1600’s. He was playing with us the whole time. The legend he had told had already come true. The words rang in my head. “The sun was shining awfully bright today. And the day before.” His bones were the one’s originally buried there. His people. Demons or Skinwalkers. They murdered the entire town of Pleasant Falls and stuffed them in the very grave they had been buried in. I think they let me live so I could tell you. So, I could try to warn you. They’re going to kill everyone on this continent. I know they are. And they’re coming. submitted by /u/MrFrontenac to r/nosleep [link] [comments]
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r/nosleep |
MrFrontenac |
Sep 4, 2022 |
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Rap Fan Listens to 100 Great Rock Albums for the First Time
I'm a black 24 yo, and I finally decided to listen to the Rock music that gets so much praise. Outside of 3 albums, my only experience with rock music is from video game soundtracks, movies and TV commercials. I tried to go into each one with an open mind and as blind as possible, doing research afterwards. This took 5 months to complete. Also, I chose to listen to them in a random order, as to not develop a unconscious bias for the older stuff. Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963): B+ [2 listens] not really rock, but still very entertaining. He's really more of a poet than a musician and the lyrics carry the whole thing, with the music not being too impressive. I set a full day aside for his discography, so I would fully appreciate his later stuff if I understood what he first sounded like The Beatles - Beatles for Sale (1964) B [1 Listen] this is the only Beatles album I didn't originally listen to at the same time as the others. This feels like a more focused A Hard Day's Night, but both are just as good. I've went into more detail on each Beatles Album in another post. But this is when they start to become great Bob Dylan - Bringing It All Home (1965): A- [3 listens] I actually liked the acoustic side better lol. His first big dip into electric guitar on an album, it's pretty great. After hearing his other albums, this isn't that mind-blowing, but on the first listen, I was completely captivated by the storytelling from song to song. The only time I've ever looked up the lyrics to read side by side while listening The Beatles - Help! (1965): B+ [3 listens] the effort and quality is the same, but it's much more varied than AHDN. They're doing it all here, wonderfully. It's variety is what gives it a slight edge over their "touring era" albums Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited (1965): A++ [4 listens] The album where "the 60s officially started", this is really great. Going full electric did nothing to change the fact that he's such a great lyricist, that he can make an album with only a triangle and it'll still be great to hear him speak. Also, Like A Rolling Stone lived up the hype, the entire choruses to the harmonica is literally perfect The Beatles - Rubber Soul (1965): A++ [5 listens] Ok, this is where I started to understand why they're considered the GOAT. Ginormous step up in musical ability, they were in the zone here. Apparently, this started the album era and I can see why. It's incredible from front to back The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966): A+ [4 listens] the 3rd album I listened to and it was WAAAY too early (after Metallica) and I was NOT accustomed to the sound yet. It was after I listened to the Beatles and understood the sound of that era, that I could properly understand it in the right context. It's probably the most consistent album I've heard, not a single bad song here. I'm glad I'm able to have respect for this album Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde (1966): Masterpiece [5 listens] the lyricism of Highway 61 plus much better musicality from the backing band and Dylan, equals a true masterpiece. The musicianship in particular increased and truly makes the music JUST great as great the storytelling of every song. The Beatles - Revolver (1966): Masterpiece [7 listens] At first I didn't like it because Rubber Soul was so good, but after repeated listens, it's fucking perfect. The mixtures of sounds and styles in just a single song is incredible, let alone great songwriting throughout (it's no longer all love songs, thank god) The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967): MASTERPIECE [5 listens] probably the most anticipated album here, was underwhelmed at first, as this was supposed to be the GREATEST of all time. With more listens, it's so cohesive with it's style and it's time is what makes it stand out above the rest. You could hear that they were just trying to be as creative as possible The Velvet Underground & Nico - Self-Titled (1967): A+ [3 listens] what a great album. Love the tone of the vocals here, matching with the unique music, particularly the guitar. Such a moody album, that teleports you to a small nightclub in the 60s, filled with smoke, where a couple of singers come to sing their emotions away on stage The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour (1967): B+ [3 listens] an actual B sides project, it's still pretty damn amazing. There's really no flow from track to track, but the quality of songs is enough to make it a great project Cream - Disraeli Gears (1967): A+ [2 listens] I only knew that these guys apparently were a "super group" and that this was psychedelic rock. I had no idea that this was THE psychedelic rock album (I always assumed Sgt. Pepper's was). From front to back, consistent tone, as if I was transported to the late 60s with this record. I also assumed that because it's solely in one genre, that it'll get old after a second listen, but it got exponentially better The Doors - The Doors (1967): A- [2 listen] Nice, laid back 60s rock. THIS is the sound I used to associate "60s rock" as. Pretty consistent, but no amazing highs to make it a favorite The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced? (1967) B+ [1 listen] I understand why people say he's the best. The songs aren't really all that interesting, but what he's doing with the guitar certainly is. At times, it feels like he's just experimenting instead of making actual music, but whenever he does go off on a tangent, you're 100% into it Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding (1967): B+ [2 listen] I probably need to listen to it more to have a fully formed opinion on it, but as it stands, it's an okay project. More folk than rock which brings it down some but Bob Dylan can release a spoken word album and it'll still be great off his lyrics alone The Band - Music from Big Pink (1968): A- [2 listens] I thought it was pretty presumptuous to name themselves THE Band, but nevertheless, they had a few highly rated albums. I had very low expectations and they exceeded them. Such a moody, cooled album. Also, Carry the Weight lived up to the standards The Beatles - Self-Titled ("The White Album") (1968) Masterpiece [5 listens] Underwhelmed at first, with how aimless it is, but came to see the greatness of it. The opposite of Revolver, every style gets it's own song where it gets explored to it's creative peak. It felt like it was a point it how random the songs where in this album. Like most Beatles stuff, I can't explain it but it just works. Spectacular Van Morrison - Astral Weeks (1968) A- [2 listens] I didn't know whether to add this because it wasn't strictly defined as rock, but "experimental." I got the absolute wrong connotation when I saw that and disliked it at first. Ended up enjoying it a bit more on a 2nd listen. It's more experimental folk than rock, with a bunch of jazz and soul influence, yet it doesn't feel messy in it's execution. Given more listens, it could grow on me The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969) Masterpiece [6 listens] Underwhelmed at first. I did some digging about it and how side A and B different, and that changed EVERYTHING. The "Abbey Road Medley"... is the greatest 20 minutes of music I've ever heard in my life. I don't even want to say anything after that. But if the first half was as cohesive as the second, it would be in the "greatest piece of art ever created" status, for me. What a fucking send off Creedence Clearwater Revival - Green River (1969): A+ [2 listens] probably the most blues heavy album I've heard, incredible style of rock on display. The singer-guitarist combo is also the best I've heard. So many songs popped out on the 2nd listen, like Lodi and I Wrote a Song for Everyone. Can't wait to hear their other albums! The Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed (1969): B+ [3 listens] they have a very signature sound and style unique to them, but for some reason, I just don't love it that much. It was an easy listen, but aside from the first and final track, there's nothing here that stands out. Great sound tho The Who - Tommy (1969): B [1 listens] A rock "musical", pretty unique to merge the two. While the songs are okay on their own, imo the story just not as interesting to warrant a double album of material. I was left wanting more of a complete, linear story, which is this severely lacked Crimson King - In the Court of the Crimson King (1969): A- [1 listen] Didn't see this on any any big critic lists, but did see it a lot on Reddit. It's a great mixture of Jazz and classical music, with a rock base. It has a formless composition; favoring moments over fully fleshed out ideas. It does at times feel empty (idk if that is a common staple of "progressive rock"), but overall the good parts make up for the tonal emptiness of a good chunk of the album Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin I (1969): A- [3 listens] I have heard of this band, but I had NO IDEA that they were this big or well respected (I thought they were on the same level as ACDC or Aerosmith, but with less hit songs lol). Someone said that they were "the Beatles of the 70s" and that quickly gave me some perspective. This feels like blues, but just infused with rock. Which is PERFECT with their individual members. The guitarists is incredible at riffing and freestyling, the drummer can easily switch back and forth between improving and supporting the bass guitar, while the lead has such a free flowing style, that he can easily adapt to whatever is behind him. It feels like you're in the studio with them, just hanging out, watching them freestyle on their instruments. I wish there was a bit more energy (that'll come later), but all in all, this is a great time. Also, the keys combo with the drums and bass on Your Time Is Gonna Come :) Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II (1969): A [3 listens] what a follow-up! They went out to just make a better album, instead of doing something completely different (that'll come later). Their Debut must have been a giant success, because there's this big aura of confidence that every single member brings on here. Where LZ I feels like you're in a studio with them, LZ II feels like you're in a concert with them; the energy and tone here has completely been raised Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III (1970): A [3 listens] This was probably the hardest LZ album to put my finger on. I was at first taken aback by the more acoustic sound and moving slightly away from their signature heavy rock sound. With multiple listens, the individual songs grew on me more than any from their first two. It's a great album with a bunch of experimentation of the structure of their songs, but not straying too far from what I expect LZ to sound like (that'll come later). It feels like you're hanging out around a campfire in the middle of the wilderness. I'm glad they decided to go in a different direction on the 3rd album The Stooges - Fun House (1970): A- [2 listens] A "vibe" album is the best way to describe this. Just pure emotion and energy, as if music just comes out of them. It's so messy at times, that it becomes an art in itself Black Sabbath - Self-Titled (1970): A- [3 listens] I originally thought this was going to be more "thrash" when I saw that this was the first ever Heavy Metal album (that's what I assumed all heavy metal sounded like), so after the first listen I was pretty underwhelmed. Thankfully, I revisited this after I listened to Paranoid and it was a much better time. Something about this era with it's 6-10 minute songs, where they truly squeeze out every single ounce of creativity they have for each song. Where instead of the "best parts", every song feels like a separate entity; having it's own journey it goes through Black Sabbath - Paranoid (1970): A+ [2 listens] holy shit, what a improvement. They took everything great from their Debut and just refined it. Sort of the opposite of their Debut; every song here is more concise and is straightforward in their directions. I also had to mention the best song transition I've heard with Planet Caravan into Iron Man The Beatles - Let It Be (1970): B+ [3 listens] solid "epilogue", loved the stripped production to make it feel more unique, but it pails in comparison to what came before it George Harrison - All Things Must Pass (1970): A [2 listens] The only triple album I've listened to I believe, it's doesn't overstay it's welcome. My Sweet Lord is still one of the greatest songs ever made, Apple Scruffs is a personal favorite, as well as Wah Wah. It feels like he's just rocking out and we're just along for the ride. I love the "wall of sound" production throughout, but it does lose some of it's glammer when it's overused. Fantastic project and I'm glad George finally got the praise he deserved John Lennon - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970): A [3 listens] Very personal album and not at all of what I expected a John Lennon solo project would be. With that said, it's an album that grows on you with every listen, as you get used to the tone. Although it's definitely a smaller scale project, with it's reduced production, his emotional vocal performance throughout really makes it's special Led Zeppelin - Untitled "Led Zeppelin IV" (1971): A++ [4 listens] ingeniously building off of LZ III, this greatly adds on what it brought, while improving the production. The songs are no longer confined in a ordinary structure, free to go in any direction as they want and it perfectly highlights the incredible talent of the members, as their soloing to little moments of flair are on fully display. Stairway to Heaven (which I never heard before) and Levee Breaks are so great BECAUSE of this ability to completely change the song a quarter of the way through and then change it AGAIN! Only flaw is not every track is perfect (that'll come later). This one feels like I'm inside their minds, during a brainstorming process, watching them throw ideas at each other, bouncing off in complete harmony The Who - Who's Next (1971): A+ [3 listens] Now I what their "best" looks like. Every song is fantastic, great songwriting throughout. The intro to Baba O'Riley is godly and that part in Won't Get Fooled Again was one of the most pleasant surprises so far. I'll definitely be listening to this more Carole King - Tapestry (1971): A- [2 listens] Added it because of the lack of women I've seen, plus it's very highly rated. Pretty good but doesn't really feel like it's "rock". There's still a lot of enjoyable parts, she's a very expressive singer and is wonderful in making her songs feel personal David Bowie - Hunky Dory (1971): A+ [2 listens] One of those people who I just accepted as "GOATs" without ever hearing their music, I was super excited to hear this. Really great, Bowie's performance is such a pleasure to listen to. I listened to this near the end and it's easier to see just how influential this sound would become in the upcoming decade David Bowie - Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (1972): A+ [2 listens] it's really a toss up between this and Hunky Dory on which I like better. Although, I like that this leans more into "rock" with it's heavier reliance on the guitar. Also, much better individual songs here The Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street (1972): B+ [1 listen] An improvement on Let It Bleed for me, it was much more enjoyable listen leaning more into a blues rock style that I believe is what they're best at, but I just don't think they're for me. That being said, it's hard to not like this album Led Zeppelin - House of Holy (1973): A [3 listens] They sound like "veterans" here; the production, musicality, and composure with their individual instruments, are perfectly realized. They sound like one cohesive band, instead of 4 insanely talented guys just playing together (which isn't a negative, especially on LZ I and II). While I don't think they are at their best with the songwriting (that'll come later), it's easy to see that they're in their "prime" Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) A [4 listens] "The Greatest Album of all time"? I've tried a few times to adore it but it didn't reach that level for me. What it is though, is the most cohesive album I've heard so far. It feels like 1 long song, which is a great compliment to describe the experience of listening to it (which I've come to see that it would become a trademark of Progressive Rock). Maybe if they added more "individual songs", I'd love it more. What all that being said, I can still see this being the GOAT in others eyes Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973): A++ [2 listens] him and Bowie were in the category of "Automatic Legends" that were just constants of the universe. So I was glad to see an Elton John album come up and this was marvelous! I definitely need more listens, but this can easily be masterpiece after 3 more listens. The pianos, the vocal performance, the guitars, organs? It's all perfect Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run (1975) A [2 listens] Did not expect this to be that good. I thought he was closer to country, but it's delightfully more pop centric. Very energetic choruses and phenomenal saxophone playing (an instrument I play). The whole is very great and surprisingly fun Aerosmith - Toys in the Attic (1975): B- [2 listens] I assumed this band was way bigger than I thought they were, so I'm surprised I didn't see more of their work highly rated. This is a solid collection of songs, but nothing too ear grabbing about it. I'll probably never touch this album again The Eagles - Hotel California (1975): B [1 listen] a wonderful title song, but it's an okay album. The rest couldn't match up the Hotel California and it was all downhill from there. Still good music, but nothing great imo Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975): A [2 listens] I saw some critic say the phrase "how do you follow up perfection? By making something that's arguably superior" and that's a pretty good description of this album. I actually like this one slightly more. The ethereal spaces in between the more meaty lyrical sections are much better and pronounced this time around. The instruments are much more interesting in those transitional sections. And the individual songs are also better as well, love this project Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti (1975) A++ [2 listens] The whole thing is great, I'm done trying to wrap my head around them. I'm leaning towards this and IV being my favorite LZ albums. My final thoughts on LZ is that they are the only band where the lead singer isn't the dominate identity; the guitarist brings every song up 5 notches, the bass drives EVERY song perfectly, and the drummer... made me appreciate the incredibly fine line between being super creative and staying in the pocket for the band. Every album they get better and better, is it possible for them to make a subpar album? (That'll come later lol :p) Queen - A Night at the Opera (1975): A- [2 listens] I had to add at least one Queen album and this is a fun, wonderfully crafted listen. Definitely one of those you listen to the full album, instead of individual songs. Only flaw is the major standouts are on the first and the last tracks, so it does make everything in between feel lesser. With that said, still a lovely album. Patti Smith - Horses (1975): A- [3 listens] Where are all the women at lol? I saw this top a bunch of all time lists, but rarely any Rock only lists, so I really had to go out and find this one. Pretty good listen, feels like Punk, but with much more variety in it's styles. Awesome album, with a great opener as well. Her vocal style is awesome Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks (1975): A++ [3 listens] A heartbroken, love stricten Dylan, who's really going through some stuff here. Still the great storytelling that made him a legend, but much much more focused than any of his albums before it, given it's central theme. Fantastic, fantastic album! Boston - Self-Titled (1976): A [3 listens] What an opening. Short album, but it's all hits. Don't have much to say about it because of it's length, but it's the sound I most identify as "70s rock". The light, airy space of the vocals, with heavenly guitar chords and energetic, head nodding riffs The Ramones - Self-Titled (1976): B [2 listens] The "original" sound of what would become punk rock, this was actually a pretty good listen. The guitar riffs to the stressed, nonchalant vocals surprisingly works. This isn't the most creativity fueled project, but for what it is, it's pretty enthralling; a group of guys rocking out Sex Pistols - Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols (1977): B [2 listens] felt a bit repetitive at times with the vocal performance. With that being said, Johnny Rotten is the best part of this album, with the guitar and drums battling each other for 40 minutes being a close second. But definitely a good time Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (1977): Masterpiece [4 listens] I've listened to this countless times (this amount is how much since I started the other albums). I absolutely love this album, from the harmonies, the musical rhythms, and the incredible quality from track to track. Not only is there not a single bad song here, but I'd go as far and say every song here is perfect Steely Dan - Aja (1977): A [1 listen] I would call this more Jazz than Rock but that aside, this is a really fun listen. The Sax and the guitar steal nearly every song with their respective solos and every chorus is top notch. Bruce Springsteen - Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978): A [2 listens] 2nd Springsteen album, this one is more varied in it's sound and no dragging moments at all. Actually, there's more impactful sections throughout, louder and closer to rock here, leaning on the drums and guitar much more. Van Halen - Self-Titled (1978): B- [1 listen] This is a name I heard of before and after listening to this, it's definitely a sound I'm familiar with. This screams 80s guitar riffs to me and it was pretty fun to hear. The songwriting isn't really worth listening, but it's a great peek into what would be the mainstay sound for the upcoming decade. The Clash - London Calling (1979): Masterpiece [5 listens] this is a great example of the difference between having a style and having an identity. My problem with other "punk" albums is that they all felt repetitive from song to song but with this, the styles constantly change and switch to keep it fresh from track to track; without losing their unique brand of sound. The guitar isn't unwieldy force, but is controlled and steady and can be that energetic force when it needs to (and you can actually hear the bass guitar!). The vocals lead every song and they are AMAZING, near the top of my favorite. It's punk rock at it's best Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (1979): A- [2 listens] Sounds like Gothic rock, but with punk influence. Love Day of the Lords and everything else is pretty solid. Great voice for this style, I'll listen to Closer in the future AC/DC - Highway to Hell (1979): B+ [2 listens] With Back In Black being my very first intro into rock a long time ago, I was surprised that ACDC actually had a different lead singer at first. So this was definitely one I was interested in hearing the "original" (I, of course heard the title song before, but it didn't connect that it was different people). And while he and the band was great, to me it's always in Black In Black's shadow. Really fun album AC/DC - Back In Black (1980): A++ [6 listens] The first rock album I listened to years before starting this list, it positively represented how "good" rock music was for me and that it's not so foreign as I always assumed it was. Listening to it in comparison with other albums, it's sound isn't as varied (the stereotypical flaw I attributed to ALL rock), but it's extremely consistent from track to track. My opinion of it didn't really change as much, but it will always the "first", so I have more love for it than others. Also, THIS guitarist is my favorite... by a mile Motörhead - Ace of Spades (1980): B [ 2 listens] If you heard one song, you pretty much heard all their stuff. Luckily, their sound is pretty fun. I thought this was going to be Thrash Metal in sound, but it's much more of Hard Rock Talking Heads - Remain In Light (1980): Masterpiece [3 listens] I saw it pretty high on RS top 500 list and the strikingly, creepy album cover quickly grabbed my attention. The cover art does a great job at setting the expectations, this is weird, odd, exciting, and captivating. The multiple layers of the background vocals, awesome guitar riffs, the lead in his weird, off-putting delivery in particular songs makes it insanely intriguing. But it's the percussion that truly makes this a masterpiece; it feels like there's 3 to 5 people playing different types of drums at a single time. This album is exhilarating and is an absolute banger. It feels like I'm having a fever dream; I don't even care if this is considered rock or not, it's great Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast (1982) B [3 listens] I assumed it would thrash and ended up hating it. After more listens, its not half bad. The lead singer pretty much steals the show. Don't enter albums with preconceived sounds to expect, because you might get disappointed when it's different Def Leppard - Pyromania (1983): B [2 listens] I had to do some background on the band and saw they were "Glam Rock" for context. So after having better framing, it's not half bad. Too Late for Love is a great song and they keep their style consistent for the most part. I'm still not the biggest fan of this genre, but I can at least respect it, which is kinda the whole point of this R.E.M. - Murmur (1983): A [2 listens] never heard of this band before, but saw that they were influential in Alt Rock so I added this to the list. Very nice and laid back album. Not hard rock like most 80s albums, but enough energy throughout where I didn't get bored. I have a feeling this might grow on me more and more, really loved it on the 2nd listen Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA (1984): A+ [2 listens] On the 2nd listen, this one is my favorite from him. Same quality of music, but much better individual songs on this one, especially on Side B. I thought I was gonna hate his music going in and now, songs like Glory Days and Cover Me are in my standard rotation Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms (1985): B [1 listen] pretty solid, nothing to incredible to say about it. More of a synth-pop and relaxed sound than a hard rock, but it's still good for what it is. Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986): Masterpiece [4 listens] This is the "Black Album", but permanently stuck at 10. It was a bit relentless for me after the first listen, but since then, it's energy is matched by only a few albums. The guitarist is just having the time of his life, the base guitarist just ignores him and goes 120 mph for 40 minutes, while the drummer is seizuring, with random pausing and banging the hell out of the drumheads. Meanwhile, the lead masterfully finds a way to sing over this chaos. Even with all of this anarchy, there is clear structure underneath the madness, that makes the multiple listens more and more rewarding. I fully understand why it's called "Thrash" metal Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet (1986): B+ [1 listen] I'm pretty familiar with all the singles, but I was still surprised how good the whole thing was. I can listen to "Glam Rock", but it's not particularly my favorite. With that said, there's so many songs here that are heart pumping bangers, that I can't help but love U2 - Joshua Tree (1987): B+ [2 listens] I'm definitely familiar with U2 and heard about them being very conceited and stuff like that. But as always, I go into every album with an open mind and this was pretty solid. Not really the Rock album I was expecting, but when I understood their style, it was hard to not be impressed with what they're doing here. Not my favorite type of music, but it's a solid project with no skippable sections anywhere Guns & Roses - Appetite for Destruction (1987): A- [2 listens] one of the early albums I listened to and it blew me away! I loved the Hard Rock style and the peaks of high and low energy songs are connected by the incredible guitar playing; the singer is great, but the guitarist carries this album for me. Revisiting it, it doesn't have that same impact as it did the first time but it's still so much fun The Cure - Disintegration (1989): A [2 listens] I thought it was gonna be more heavy metal based on the cover art and I HATED it on the first listen. After time away and better expectations of what it expect, this is so damn amazing; literally a 180° in my opinion. The moody, brooding tone is too great to not like and by far the best intro into an album Pixies - Doolittle (1989): A- [2 listens] Never heard of them, but saw they were some of the influences of Nirvana. And I can definitely hear it, the vocal style here is very similar. I really can't put my finger on the musical genre, it's more of a mix of things instead of deviatives of genres, which is really interesting. Going to visit their other stuff later Metallica - Self-Titled "The Black Album" (1991): A [3 listens] The first "metal" album I heard and its fucking incredible. Instantly knew that this was going to be my favorite genre of Rock. The vocals, guitar, the bass, the DRUMMING!!!! What a great intro to metal and I loved it. After hearing more albums, it doesn't quite hold up to others with it's weaker second half, but I played the first half of this more than any album in my car on Max volume. Still a personal favorite Nirvana - Nevermind (1991): Masterpiece [6 listens] this has always been the standard from what I expect from the great rock albums. LOVED it the first time I heard it and still love it now. The first half of this album is perfection and the second half matches it with some great songs. It somehow tows the line of being super exciting and aggressive, yet very laid back and chill (I guess that's what "grunge rock" is). It's great, and I love it when more compared to the other albums I've now know. Perfection U2 - Achtung Baby (1991): A- [3 listens] this is exactly the direction I wanted them to go in after Joshua's Tree. More upbeat and leaning more into Pop at times, it's much more captivating this time around. The songwriting is also much better here. I wouldn't have guessed that I would love a U2 album Pearl Jam - Ten (1991): Masterpiece [5 listens] No clue who these guys were, but I saw someone suggest this as one of the greatest debut albums ever and next to Nevermind, it was one of the biggest pushers for grunge rock, so I listened to it early. Holy hell, what an intro to grunge! This moody yet passionate vocal performance mixed with this hard rock sound, goes together like peanut butter and jelly. One of the best first listens I had as well, I was just so surprised how great it was and how in the hell that I never heard of these guys before Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991): A+ [2 listens] I have heard of this band and I always had the connotation that they were corny/played out, for some reason (main reason it was near the last to be on the list). Man, is this album funky! Love the sound and they go all in on it as well. I have no idea how this was so successful during the grunge rock wave, but I'm glad it was Rage Against The Machine - Self-Titled (1992): A++ [4 listens] Thank God I listened to this near the end, because this would've set the bar way to high for anything to follow. THIS should always be on the top of the list for any Rock album to suggest to rap fans. The perfect combination of hard/heavy metal and aggressive vocals and drumming. Excellent project Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992): A [2 listens] I can't remember why, but I hated it on the first listen for some reason. But he second listen was so damn enjoyable, a complete opposite experience. The harmonies shouldn't work with this grunge metal sound, but it somehow goes together beautifully. It's a shame that I felt that I "hated" it for so long Nirvana - In Utero (1993): A [2 listens] Held off on this, as to not get overly familiar with Nirvana as "the" sound of grunge rock. This feels more dirtier and more grittier with it's production. They do something different and I respect it so much for not taking the easy road The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream (1993): A+ [2 listens] I was going to skip this one, because I felt I already listened to enough Grunge Rock albums. Thank God I didn't, because this shows just the amount of versatility this genre lends itself to. They can go from slow to energetic, pulled back to emotional, rough and heavy to harmonic and beautiful. If this was shorter, I'd probably have listened to it more and raised the rating, but this is still really special Nine Inch Nails - Downward Spiral (1994): A [3 listens] The best way to describe it is "controlled chaos". As if he's inside a tornado; picking up random, mangled debris flying around and creating music with it. This is unabashedly raw, gritty, and openly unrelenting. I really don't know WHY it works, but wow, it works amazingly. What a great experience Green Day - Dookie (1994): A [2 listens] I've heard of American Idiot, so I was interested to see what made them known. This was really enjoyable and is similar to what my idea of what "punk" sounded like. Very difficult to point out any weak spots anywhere as the entire thing is extremely consistent. Just by looking at the cover and hearing the first few seconds of the first song, I can instantly visualize the mood of some random teen in the mid 90s in their bedroom Soundgarden - Superunknown (1994): A [2 listens] Never heard of this band before and I vaguely know the name Chris Cornell, so I added to the list. Man, is this an awesome time. Whereas Nirvana tilts a bit more towards Hard Rock than punk imo, this feels like it firmly defines what grunge is to me. There's great songs spread throughout the whole album, so the runtime feels much easier (a criticism I have with longer albums; not spreading out the good songs). I feel like there's still room to grow with this album, but it's possible to become a masterpiece Weezer - Self-Titled "The Blue Album" (1994): A- [1 listen] this is the punk rock of Dookie, but without the teenage angst and rage in the music (there's still a bit in the lyrics). This seemed like the album for the "average" 90s teen and feels like the actual soundtrack to an entire generation. Where Dookie was that stereotypical "90s awesome teen", this was something more realistic and more grounded Oasis - Definitely Maybe (1994): A [2 listen] this was described as a "breath of fresh air in the era of Grunge Rock dominance", which is a cool perspective on why this is so well received. This "Britpop" album is much more fun and honestly, lighter than the stuff in the same year. Quite a few standout songs and it keeps that bright ray of sunlight throughout it's runtime Radiohead - The Bends (1995): B+ [1 listen] I chose to set a full day aside for all of Radiohead's albums, because Ok Computer was the main reason I started this whole thing, so I went ahead and listened to all of their best albums together. In hindsight, a peek to what's to come, but compared to everything else, it's slightly above average. Still entertaining for what it is Radiohead - Ok Computer (1997) A++ [3 listens] the most anticipated album on my list, due to the fact I saw a Reddit post about this being one of the most influential albums of the 2000s and I never heard of it not even once in my life. This is a really interesting album. Its more of a full experience than a collection of songs, but here the songs build off one another. Deeper into the album, every song here better and better. This isn't my favorite style/genre of music, but it's still so damn good Radiohead - Kid A (2000): Masterpiece [4 listens] Ok, THIS is how you follow up perfection. They really lean into the weird side of Ok Computer without completely leaving the pocket of what they're great at. Experimental is the best word to describe this. The first song slaps you in the face of what type of journey you're going on and it doesn't let go of your hand until it finishes. It's atmospheric tone is unmatched at times, even when it sacrifices the more "meaty" individual songs like on Ok Computer or later on In Rainbows. But it's like entering another dimension for 45 minutes. Also, Idioteque gives me goosebumps even after the 10th listen System of a Down - Toxicity (2001): Masterpiece [4 listens] I remember the name of this band growing up and I was surprised none of their projects came up when I searched for albums to add to my list. So I added their most liked album, and it was the best decision I made. This album is so fucking incredible. I love it for it's insane energy, but I've come up adore it for it's beauty in it's harmonic choruses and awesome baselines. My favorite performance by a singer on a project, more for his uniqueness in his inflection and the passion behind every phrase, he's giving 1000% on every song The Strokes - Is This It (2001): A+ [2 listens] I thought it was going to be more heavy metal (the cover art with the woman). On the second listen, the choruses here are just way too good to hate. Super chill songs, but again, it's the passionated vocal performance that make it great. This is far from a "boring album" I once thought it was. The "fractals" cover is a better fit The White Stripes - Elephant (2003): A+ [3 listens] Banger! SNA is still one of the greatest riffs ever, but it thankfully didn't overshadow the rest of the project. It's still mind-boggling that there's no bass guitar on this. The variety was unexpected, but really legitimatizes the entire album as a whole and not just the best songs Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004): A- [2 listens] a really consistent listen from track to track. This is a sound I'm somewhat familiar with hearing growing up, but never associated it with "rock". This style won't wow you, but it's the style that make it such a beautiful album Green Day - American Idiot (2004): A+ [1 listen] This time around, the sound is much more refined and there's a grander theme here; making this feel like a giant leap in their writing. Fantastic title track and I also had no idea Blvd of Broken Dreams was a Green Day song, so that was a great surprise. I'll listen to it more to better catch the story between the lyrics Arctic Monkeys - Whatever You Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006): A++ [1 listen] Wow, what a sound! It's that indie rock style, but leaning into a punk style as well. Every song on here just places you into a mood and it's awesome! Also, love that it has a consistent theme of clubbing throughout the whole album. I'll listen to it more, but man this is great Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007): A++ [3 listens] They take a different different direction here, putting more emphasis on individual songs having their own distinct identity. All 3 are neck and neck, with Kid A being the favorite LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (2007): A- [1 listen] This sounds more Electronic than Rock for most of it, but it's still a great listen. I recognize that one song from a 2k soundtrack Tame Impala - Currents (2015): A- [1 listen] The newest album I've listen to, but turns the clock back with a psychedelic rock sound. Really really nice feel, a mix of psyche and disco. Not as hard hitting as I like, but still consistent in what it wants to deliver submitted by /u/MrC_Red to r/Music [link] [comments]
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r/Music |
MrC_Red |
Apr 18, 2022 |
Canada