#chasedown

[nba24highlights]

EMBIID CHASEDOWN BLOCK!!!🔥💨👀 The 76ers can advance to the Eastern Conference Finals with a win in Game 6 Thursday 730 PM ET on ESPN #joelembiid #embiid #chasedown #chasedownblock #blockshot #blockedshot #embiidblockbrown #jaylenbrown #sixers #celtics #sixersvsceltics #21 #nba #nba24highlights #nbahighlights #viral #fyp #fup

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

diamond settlement first time is insane actually

[reesespeanutbutterfuck]

(im)perfectionist

vinny hong x jo!reader

jay jo's imperfectionist sister meets the flawful vinny hong.

part 8

part 7 | part 9

part warnings: fem!reader, jo!reader (jay is reader's 1 year older brother, but they're in the same class), second person's pov (you, you're, your), wb main story SPOILERS

—

“The fuck is wrong with you?!” Vinny kept spewing strings of curses while holding Sung by the back of his shirt’s collar. He was fuming mad. Furious.

“Ow, Ow! That hurts! I’m sorry! Let go of me already, Vinny!” Sung, despite being held roughly, still had the balls to unremorsefully laugh at Vinny's pissed face, even enjoying angering him more. “It’s because you move too slow! I’m getting impatient, just talk to her already!” 

“I swear I’m gonna wring your neck–”

Sung released himself from Vinny’s hold on the back of his shirt’s collar by force, and once again saw it as an opportunity to escape and dash outside in the hallway. Now they’ve caught other students’ attention because of the commotion they’re making.

“You little shit, come back here, motherfucker!” Vinny chased his friend down the hall paying no mind to the stares they got and people they bumped into.

After a while, the two eventually got tired from all the running. Panting and sweaty, Sung slid down the wall near the classroom window. Vinny held his knees and fell beside him. When Sung turned to his friend he let out another breathy laugh.

“Not a word.” Vinny hissed to warn him to shut his up. His nose was almost fuming smoke from anger, and at the same time exhaustion. 

The reason for their little immature chasedown? Well… Vinny went out to get some fresh air for a while near the end of the class. And Sung, being Sung, suddenly decided it was a good idea to get ahold of his friend’s phone that was left unattended on his table to suggestively text you by the number he got from Minu’s phone.

“What? I did you a favor y’know. You can just deny you sent the text and she’ll believe you, obviously nobody would believe you’d text like that! You’ll have your first conversation through text.” Sung bowed his head while still catching his breath.

“You fucking–” Vinny cursed under his breath and decided to leave it. He was already tired from their little chasedown, he can’t hide Sung’s body if he murders him now. “I’m not interested in her. And I told you, she’s not one to fool around with.”

“I know that, but really? Nobody will settle with just friends after all that. I mean a girlfriend, as in a female friend is always cool, but I just wish you’d have a girlfriend. It’s enough already that I don’t have one, I’m saving you from the same fate.”

“Friends your face.” Vinny was the first to stand up and reach for his backpack, hanging it around one of his shoulders. “Who do you think you are, playing cupid? If you want to fool around you go talk to her yourself. I’m practicing with the crew tomorrow, and I’m giving back her glasses. If everyone else finds out about your little prank, I swear I will drag you all the way from wherever you are and slaughter you in front of everyone.” 

“We’ll see about that,” Once again Sung made it a laughing stock, “I'd still wish for you to get a girlfriend, though. Preferably a medical rookie.” he maliciously mumbled his last words and patted Vinny’s shoulder, prompting Vinny to threaten to hit him again, which Sung dodged before he picked his own bag up and exited the classroom first, his laughter echoing even outside.

—

“What’s that?”

“Calculus.”

Dom, who couldn’t find anyone to talk to, because the others were busy and won’t pay attention to him, squatted in front of you to watch you while you were sitting on the bench, doing your homework.

“Really? Studying? I thought you were here for us?” Dom pouted, you stifled a grin as you realized, Sometimes, Dom really does resemble Jordan. You were here as a bystander to their practice this afternoon.

“I can prioritize both at the same time.” You got back to solving the equation at hand. You need to finish this thing off so you can start writing your resignation letter and the two, or three remaining notes Jay lent you after you skipped school for a week because of your “flu”.

Dom kept watching you with doe eyes, amazed at how quickly you were jumping from one equation to another, his eyes can’t even catch up and follow your hand movements anymore.

You closed your notebook, startling Dom.

“All done.”

“What? That fast?!” Dom looked at you and then your notebook while you stretched your torso. “Can you teach me? Pretty please?”

“Another time. Not in the mood. Just copy mine.” You flung your homework to him, which he caught, great reflexes.

“Sweet! Thanks.” Dom took pictures of your homework. “By the way, have you completed your notes? I think I have the notes you missed during your absence, I can lend them to you as a token of thanks.”

“I'm done with them already. Thanks.” 

After being bedridden for weeks because of the stitches on your back, you were so bored so copied Jay’s notes, which he sent without you having to tell him to. You cannot help your bedriddenness, though. Not when your wound stings and travels from the wound to the back of your legs whenever you stand up even only to go to the bathroom.

“Okay, suit yourself!” 

Dom happily wiggled sitting on the floor and taking pictures of your homework placed flat at the seat of the bench. You left the bench to him and walked towards Jay, who seemed to be zoning out.

“Hey, how’s home these past few days? Is Kay eating well?” 

If there’s something you were worried about back at home, it’s him. You weren't worried much about Jay, you were more worried about Kay. Unlike you and Jay, he’s more vulnerable because he doesn’t know how to operate the stove to cook for himself. So looking out for his health is one of your concerns especially since he’s prone to starving himself to watch cat shows without interruption and forgetting to eat while doing his homework.

“Yeah. He started eating vegetables when you told him cats are attracted to vegetarians.” You laughed, he really believed that. Regardless, you were glad that you made him eat healthy. “He’s starting to overwork himself, though.”

Worry etched on your face, “Why?” 

“Mom keeps telling him she’ll throw Jack away from the house if he slacks off. You know how much he loves Jack.”

You thought hard. You can’t suggest Kay to live with you in the apartment instead. And besides, it’ll be a miracle if your mother ever agrees to that. She’ll see that as you recruiting Kay to rebel against her, too.

“Speaking of mom, is she trying to… patch things up with you?” Jay hesitantly asked. He knows what’s up. Even if he doesn’t show, he’s observant. You know he does.

You didn’t have to ask him what he meant. You knew exactly what he was referring to. You thought hard if you’d tell him the thing about the arranged marriage. The cause of your anger on the night you got stabbed and Vinny found you. You chose not to, come what may. Maybe another time.

“Yeah. Small talks.”

“Oh.” Jay chose not to ask further. He knows you’re not ready to talk about it even after all the years that have passed. He knows you’ll talk about it when you’re ready to talk about it.

Discomfort etched on your face as you remembered that feeling, but you shook your head and shrugged the thought off. You and Jay talked about some other things like snacks and light school stuff, until Mia called Jay to teach her how to bike. Jay excused himself and you got back to your seat on the bench a while ago.

“Okay, time to work on this.”

You began composing your resignation letter, as your Student Body adviser told you to pass your resignation letter within this day for the void to be effective the next day. What a pain. Instead of resting you’ll head back to the school after. You shouldn’t have come here if Vinny won’t show up to give your glasses back. 

Speaking of him though, where the hell is he?

You vividly remember this morning, while you were getting ready for school, he texted you unexpectedly while you were drying your hair with a towel.

—

“Damn it, I still have to write my resignation letter later. I guess I won’t be able to come to Hummingbird’s practice.” you mumbled to yourself. You messaged your Student Council adviser in advance and that's his reply.

Having that new knucklehead President as a replacement for Jay was impactful. Not a good impactful. A bad impactful. You were doing the important paperworks alone because he’s always missing in action, and council work became hectic. Your undereyes were darkening.

You pulled out of your drawer to use some concealer, but you were distracted when your phone beeped.

Angry tomato head: come by later at practice.

Angry tomato head: your glasses.

Well, guess the universe is telling you to come to their practice, after all. You can’t tell him to just hand it to anyone, even Jay. They’re already suspecting something between you and Vinny.

—

“There he is! Over here!” Yuna announced while waving at the redhead.

While dragging his bike, he accidentally laid eyes on you for a second but averted his eyes. He looked mad about something… as usual. He always looks like that. It’s obvious that’s his default face. He looks like a rottweiler practicing his scary face.

Minu immediately called the crew members to practice, so you didn’t get the chance to ask him for what you needed from him, and he was blocked by the others from your sight so he wouldn’t be able to pass through. You can’t interrupt their practice, looks like you’re going to have to stay for a while. Nevermind, you needed a place outside school to write the letter, anyway. You continued writing your resignation letter. 

A few corrections, crumpled paper, scribble, toss. Corrections, crumpled paper, scribble, toss, repeat. Corrections, crumpled paper, scribble, toss, repeat.

Finally, you raised the paper containing your final output, also hearing Minu’s voice in the background yelling, “good work, guys!”. You guess they finished their practice at the same time. You took that long to compose a resignation letter? You folded the paper loosely and sneakily looked for an opportunity to initiate a subtle close proximity as the others including Yuna and Mia. 

You were going to leave to pass your resignation letter, so you must approach Vinny now.

While everyone was busy yapping, you sneaked up behind Vinny—who seemed uninterested in what the crew were talking about, and stood almost beside him. Almost, because although close, not close-close. You lightly nudged Vinny, who didn’t notice you at first. He immediately got the signal and fished out from his jacket’s pocket. 

His hand was so close to discreetly handing over your glasses without a case, not until Dom creeped on the both of you from behind, peeking at the object on your hand. “Hey, why does he have your eyeglasses? Are you not telling us anything?”

Now all eyes were at you two. Even Minu, who was talking about random shit, stopped to look at you two, and Jay. You can tell from their looks that your not so secret transaction raised their suspicions even more than the first time they sensed something going on between you and Vinny.

Now you want to kill Dom.

***

© reesespeanutbutterfuck 2023, don't forget to support your creators by reblogging !!!

[nelliesnellie]

I had one goal going into my first Tetris tournament (yes those exist, and whats more they exist for the GameBoy version). That goal was to not embarrass myself. And while I didn't win, I figure I succeeded in my objective.

I mean, I got swept in the first match. Totally knocked off my feet. I think played well! I was just against quite a high level player. But I put up a decent fight and hit level 20, the top level in this version.

This is the moment where I lost. See that misdrop? If the longbar there was one space to the right, I would've been able to drop that J in next to it, clearing the line and allowing me to dig back down. But alas! I fucked up the landing.

Honestly what really got me were the nerves. For part of the game I managed to just chill out and play (courtesy in part to The Cocteau Twins on my speaker). But the nerves just got to me, I was sweating and overthinking and struggling to keep my hands steady. If I was that focused and playing relaxed, I could have finished the chasedown and at least not been swept lol.

Shout out to Toni though - a phenomenal player and a gracious opponent!

You may notice that I don't have the device to record video off of the GameBoy. I just put my phone in webcam mode and point it at the screen. Which I kind of like because there's a kind of immersion or nostalgia or something looking at the screen. And I can show off the "GameGirl" customization. But it would also be nice to have good clean video, that matches everyone else's. Maybe by next time I'll be able to cough the 70 bucks or whatever it costs to get an Interceptor. We'll see.

Anyway. I had. So much fucking fun today. And I look forward to playing the next one in November!

[anthrofreshtodeath]

if you're still accepting prompts, #14? fine if not!

Jane hobbled from her unmarked parked a block or so away to Maura’s front door. She shoved her hands in her pockets, not because it was cold out, but because balling her fists in her coat pockets somehow dulled the already dull, heavy pain slithering from the middle of her back into her hips. Work had been long already, with the murder of a social worker starting their morning. But then, it ended with Jane in a foot race with the suspect, which in turn ended in a chasedown tackle worthy of the NFL. 

Jane had gotten her man.

But, she wondered, as she fished for her keys, if it was worth it. Thirty-five wasn’t old by any means, but sports and academy training and drug pursuits and near-death by serial killer had all taken their toll. And now, every morning when she woke up, she dealt with a twinge in her lower back before popping some over the counter pain meds and draining a cup of coffee. Usually, it was all she needed. When days like today rolled around, however, nighttime was filled with beer and heating pads until the moment she could respectably shuffle to bed and try to sleep the pain away.

She’d promised Maura a drink, however, to celebrate their break in the case. The compromise they came up with when Jane had texted that she didn’t feel like going out - in actually she didn’t feel like she could go out - was a bottle or two at home. 

Well, Maura’s home. 

“Knock knock,” called Jane when she pushed into the warm air of the front hall, though she didn’t knock and didn’t wait for Maura to reply before heading to the refrigerator. She pulled three bottles of Peroni from the top shelf, two for her, one for Maura if Maura was in a beer mood. She banged the first bottle against the countertop, and the cap popped off, clattering against the granite with finality.

“Jane is that you?” Maura did reply eventually, her voice carrying from the hall before her. She appeared, in leggings and an off-the-shoulder sweater, barefoot as she padded toward Jane. “It is.” she answered for herself.

Jane bit back the satisfied little sigh that settled in her chest whenever she saw the soft skin of Maura’s neck, sloping uninterruptedly into the soft skin of her rounded shoulder. 

Just like Jane could admit she was aging, that her body wasn’t as resilient as it used to be, she could admit that she liked Maura. She was attracted to her. There never seemed to be a right time to say it, especially after Maura’s sadness, her anger at Jane shooting herself, but Jane regarded it as the most adult crush she’d ever had. None of the butterflies or the embarrassment or the fear of rejection could compare to the eventual net positive that confessing would be, it just… hadn’t happened organically yet. “It is. You want a beer? Or should I get out that cabernet?”

Maura smiled for the smallest of moments, until it bled away into a furrowed brow and a frown as she marched toward Jane, who had reached up for the cabinet with the wine glasses in it -something about Maura’s countenance that told her the answer to her question before Maura’s mouth could. Jane regretted wincing, though, because it apparently derailed the entire moment. “Lumbar radiculopathy,” Maura stated just before she palpated Jane’s mid-to-lower back, causing a couple ego-bruising yelps.

“Jesus,” Jane exclaimed when she regained the ability to say English words, “is it fatal?”

Maura huffed, and continued to feel. “Pinched nerve, sciatica,” she said. “How long have you been feeling like this?”

“Since I was twenty-three?” Jane joked. “Ouch!” she screamed when Maura put pressure. “Sorry. Uh, it’s been bad since I took down that chucklehead.”

Maura stopped. She forewent the wine for the beer that already sat on the counter, though she used a bottle opener rather than her expensive countertops to bust it open.  “It’s been bad? Does that mean it was present before taking down the chucklehead?”

Jane laughed at Maura’s use of the term. “It’s uh, it’s always there, kinda barkin’. But I can usually manage with some tylenol and a few stretches.”

Maura shook her head. “Upstairs. My room please,” she ordered, taking the beer from Jane’s hand so that she held two. 

Jane blinked. Not where she thought this was going. “Uh, what?” She sputtered. What the hell was there to say to that? She reached back for her drink but Maura pulled away.

“I will bring these up,” Maura answered. “But you need heat and some site-specific stretching,” she said, “and I happen to have a new massage oil that smells like mint.”

“Oh no,” Jane put her hands up and waved them. “I don’t need that. You don’t need to do that,” she backed up when Maura stepped closer, and shook her head. Her entire body tensed and she stood as straight as her spine would allow.

“You have degenerative disc disease,” Maura admonished. But, she softened when she saw the apprehension on Jane’s face. “It will help,” she said softly, “trust me.”

Jane let that sigh go finally, but for a different reason altogether. “A’right,” she said. “I’m goin’.”

___

When she had stumbled from the driver’s side of her car to the front door, Jane had no idea she’d end up half naked in Maura’s bed. Under Maura. Christ.

It was almost as sensual as it sounded, given how thin Maura’s leggings were and the heat Jane could feel from between Maura’s thighs resting on her own ass, but…

“You’re stiff,” Maura said quietly. Her fingers had warmed up the skin on Jane’s back, and the oil on them made a wet sound in addition to the very moist pressure of each rub. “And not because of the pain. You need to relax. This isn’t any different than any other massage you’ve gotten.”

Jane detested the mood lighting Maura apparently insisted upon, because it made Maura’s voice syrupy thick and deep. Jane wasn’t sure how, but it did and she had to contend with its potency. “Well I wouldn’t know,” she snarked just to grasp onto some wisp of control. 

Maura’s hands stopped moving, but stayed heavy on Jane. “Wait. You’ve never had a professional massage?”

Jane shook her head this time. It swished on the pillow. Maura felt good putting all her weight on Jane despite the awkward conversation. “Do I look like I’m made of money?”

Maura resumed a light rub, more affectionate than remedial. “Well… then treat it like any other back rub you’ve been given. Obviously relaxing is paramount,” she said. Jane froze, stiffened under her, and she gasped. “Jane. No one’s ever… for you?”

“Never,” Jane answered, into the feathery down below her face. At least it hid her blush. “I don’t really… trust a whole lot of people. After Hoyt. And imagine some guy puttin’ his paws all over me when I’ve got sciatica. Sounds like hell.”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” Maura said. “That’s a shame.” Immediately her touch shifted from medical to loving. 

And the vulnerability actually felt kind of nice. Jane couldn’t move, especially not injured, but at least Maura couldn’t see her face, and at least Maura was being kind. If Jane weren’t so thrown off by her own feelings, she’d think that Maura was also communicating something else. Something more. “Hey, listen,” said Jane, deciding it would be improper to wait any longer. “I gotta tell you somethin’.”

As if to make whatever forthcoming confession easier, Maura leaned forward, curling herself on top of Jane until her face nestled between Jane’s shoulder blades. “What?” she asked, her breath hot against Jane’s already hot spine. 

“I… I am so into you it hurts,” Jane whispered, emboldened by their positions. 

Maura laughed rich and loud into the cavern of Jane’s stretched muscles. “Is that what caused all this pain?” she asked. “Your attraction to me?”

Jane laughed, too, because it was the best response she could have expected. “It is a heavy burden to carry, let me tell you. Especially when you show up to work in those heels,” she teased.

Maura settled into her further and slid her arms up until they rested on top of Jane’s under the pillow. “Hmm,” she exhaled. “I can’t say it was on purpose even if I’d like to.”

“I just… things seemed to be getting a little hot and heavy in here,” Jane explained. “And I wanted you to know before anything went any further. I don’t wanna be a creep.”

“It’s sweet that you think this was hot and heavy,” Maura responded. She kissed the back of Jane’s head before sitting back up and stretching the skin around Jane’s lumbar spine all over again. “And it’s sweet that you would want to warn me. But I feel the same. Ok? I feel the same. But we really should work this out; it’s only going to hurt worse if I don’t finish.”

Her thumbs picked up the pressure in their work again, and Jane slammed her fists into the mattress. “Youch, fuck!”

“Maybe later,” said Maura, with a smile that Jane could hear in her voice.

[funyundude]

Tha chasedown

[dianasprnce]

now that kamilla has recorded her first career block, the second she has her first chasedown block in the league, i will ascend

[nba24highlights]

Lebron James Vertical Chase Down Block off Glass! 2023 #lebron #nbaplayoffs #chasedown #block #shorts #lebronjames #6 #lakers #lakersnation #chasedownblock #lebronjameschasedown #lbj6 #nba #nba24highlights #nbahighlights #grizzliesvslakers #lakersvsgrizzlies #grizzlies #grizzliesbasketball #lebronblock #lebronblocks #viral #viralfyp #fyp #fypviral #viraltiktok #tiktok #twitter #youtube #mustwatch #mustmatchthis #younglebron #younglebronjames #fountainofyouth

[goadwriter]

Lyrics: Album-Stress Test by Dillon Crossley

2000 Get in and drive thats all he saidFoot to the floor heavy like leadI fell behind in this apparent raceBut traveled on with a heated chaseDown windin roads we surely did goLeft right above and belowUnder the stars we drove that nightThe dash and headlights the only light We raced for miles down road after roadInfront of me I noticed he slowedI caught up and started my takingTaking the lead my…

[principiumindividuationis777]

Ten Greatest Moments in NBA History

10. Larry Johnson's four-point play (Game 3, 1999 Eastern Conference Finals)

9. Magic Johnson's "junior skyhook" (Game 4, 1987 NBA Finals)

8. Tayshaun Prince's chasedown block (Game 2, 2004 Eastern Conference Finals)

7. Jerry West's 60-foot buzzer beater (Game 3, 1970 NBA Finals)

6. Michael Jordan's shrug (Game 1, 1992 NBA Finals)

5. Larry Bird's steal and pass (Game 5, 1987 Eastern Conference Finals)

4. Gar Heard's "Shot Heard Round the World" (Game 5, 1976 NBA Finals)

3. John Havlicek steals the ball (Game 7, 1965 Eastern Division Finals)

2. Bill Russell's chasedown block (Game 7, 1957 NBA Finals)

Willis Reed enters Madison Square Garden (Game 7, 1970 NBA Finals)

[pick-em-pool]

WEEK 14

THE RACE IS TIGHTENING UP - WHO WANTS IT MORE???

JULIETTE - 8 POINTS

NICE WORK JUJU COMEBACK TIME!!! Our little (but actually tall) swimmer is getting offers all over the place, Duquesne, Ohio, the University of Eastern West Plattsville College for the Blind 😎 the list goes on!

ABBY - 8 POINTS

UH OH She in 3rd Place ALONE 🥉 Live your single life Girl slay 👧

GABBY - 8 POINTS

She didn't need a fortune teller to get 8 correct picks this week! 🙏 #PleaseForgiveMeBabeI'llTakeYouToNewOrleansForTarotReading

PEYTON - 7 POINTS

Awwww he intentionally did bad this week so he'd stay with Val in 4th ♥♥♥♥

VAL - 7 POINTS

Down to 4th place! Eh who needs football Val has friends now unlike the rest of us dorks! 🤼🤼🤼

JJ - 7 POINTS

Val, now Juliette - JJ's bravery as a car passenger is unsurpassed 👑 must be what gave him the courage to pick Chicago 🐻

JANIE - 7 POINTS

*Hello darkness my old friend*

LISA - 7 POINTS

She is now BARELY holding onto 1st place! can others complete the chasedown? Shaping up to be the greatest sports finale of all time, screw the miracle on ice 🏒🏒🏒

RUSTY - 7 POINTS

Busty Rusty is still in the mix, probably could have scored more points but he was too busy balling out on his Christmas decorations

LETS GO CREW THE RACE IS WIDE OPEN AND I WANT TO SEE WHO GETS THE MONEY 💲💲💲

[mywifeleftme]

200: Mercyful Fate // Don't Break the Oath

Don't Break the Oath Mercyful Fate 1984, Roadrunner

Before I started this series, I hadn’t reviewed a record in nearly ten years. I specialized in metal, and these days I have only a handful of metal albums in my physical collection, so it’s rare that I pull an album off the shelf that I’ve meaningfully written about before. But I did cover Mercyful Fate’s Don’t Break the Oath in my previous life, and my feelings about it haven’t changed. So, here’s an old slab of demon wax for Halloween, lightly edited for grammar.

If you want to really love Mercyful Fate, and God is it rewarding to do so, you have to be kinda willing to just “go with it.” When you hear Fate for the first time, you can’t help but notice how ridiculous King Diamond’s voice is, and often people find it so distracting that they never really give the band a chance. I liken it to watching old horror movies: yeah, they’re dated and you can see the wires, and the things that scared people then seem trite and funny now, but on the other hand, the way they use the tools at hand to craft their vision often results in a unique aesthetic. The ridiculousness is part of the appeal, sure, but you also have to be willing to let yourself accept these things on their own terms.

Look, anyone who tells you the King’s voice is “badass” probably isn’t really thinking about what they’re saying; when you’re listening to Diamond’s spindly wail on “Night of the Unborn,” you’re not sitting there going, “Man, a guy with that voice could probably kick the shit out of me.” I always felt like he was a really earnest guy who wanted very badly to be able to scream like Rob Halford but could only approach those high notes through a rather willowy falsetto. So, he found a way to use the things he had (strangeness and creativity) to become one of the great metal vocalists. His skewed-operatic sense of melody and (at the time uncommon in metal) willingness and ability to master multi-tracking techniques have few peers in the genre to this day. In 1984, you’d have had to look outside the metal genre to find vocal multi-tracking on a par with what Diamond does on "The Oath" and "Come to the Sabbath." He’s utilizing his voice as an instrument, coming up with these elaborate, off-the-wall vocal melodies (only John Arch of Fates Warning was nearly as original, and you can bet Diamond was a big influence), trying on weird effects, and ultimately matching note for note the decadence of the instrumental performances. Again, the fact that the guy probably thought this kooky shit was legitimately scary or occult is irrelevant. What he’s actually doing is just, for whatever reason, really fucking awesome.

It helped that he had maybe metal's baddest band laying down the music. Denner and Shermann’s riffs brand your ears while putting on a “how to solo the metal way” clinic (see “Gypsy” for both), and the underrated rhythm section of Hansen and Ruzz consistently find that perfect balance between technique and groove. As much as I love Judas Priest, the more I listen to Don’t Break the Oath, the more I realize how thoroughly Mercyful Fate beat them at their own game. It’s like if some rookie did one of those ridiculous LeBron James-style full-court chasedown blocks on LeBron, and then posterized him with a dunk at the other end of the court. Maybe Priest were hampered by recording technology and the burden of inventing a new style, but it’s only fair that someone else ended up delivering the definitive statement of that style. After all, Priest had pretty much done to Deep Purple what Mercyful Fate then did to them. “Night of the Unborn” is K.K. Downing sublimed, and on album-highlight “A Dangerous Meeting” you can hear that trebly, hot rod "Exciter" template finally reach the sustained heat it always aspired to. Listen in relative awe as the midsection of “Welcome Princes of Hell” thoroughly trumps “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming.” Songs like “Come to the Sabbath” and “The Oath” frequently find themselves inside the most intense, “Dissident Aggressor”-type moments Priest could only sustain for brief passages; Fate sounded like they’d be comfortable living there.

The scary thing is the way they kind of toss off little ideas which show that, had they wanted to, they could’ve absolutely owned virtually any other contemporary metal band’s style as easily as they did Judas Priest’s. The rolling, groovy riffage of “Desecration of Souls” just about out-Savatages Savatage, and you know Dave Mustaine ripped off the coda to “Come to the Sabbath” coda for approximately half of the breakdown riffs on Megadeth’s first four albums. Their ability to seamlessly integrate heavy prog riff transitions and rhythms makes even classic Fates Warning sound clumsy by comparison. And the folky mellow guitar riffs at the beginning of “To One Far Away”? Tell me that doesn’t sound like the origin of Opeth. I find myself staring into the cover art* while I listen to the record, and it seems like it perfectly represents what Don’t Break the Oath is all about. You do what I used to do when I was 15 and spread out all your metal CDs [2023 edit: LPs] on your floor and it’ll immediately catch your eye, that strikingly yellow square amongst all the blacks and blues. If other metal albums are burnt offerings to the Devil, then this sacrifice is one that stills burns, constantly burns. There’s no album quite like it. It’s IIIIIIIIIN THE NAME OF SAAAATAAAAANNN, it’s Don’t Break the Fucking Oath, and it’s the best metal album ever.

* By the way, am I the only one who thought the Melissa cover art was an abstract painting of blood dripping sideways because the skull face was so dim?

200/365

[linkmlre2525]

[Highlight] Rondo avoids LeBron's chasedown block with a beautiful pass

[theavenuebox]

with the chasedown on TNT!...

with the chasedown on TNT!…

  @giannis_an34 with the chasedown on TNT! Source

[don-lichterman]

Brooklyn Nets lose patience with Kyrie Irving, embroiled in another mess of his own making

Brooklyn Nets lose patience with Kyrie Irving, embroiled in another mess of his own making

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving hit one of the most famous shots in NBA history with his game-winner in game seven of the 2016 finals. Hot on the heels of an even more famous LeBron James chasedown block, Irving cooked two-time MVP Stephen Curry and knocked down a three-pointer that delivered the Cleveland Cavaliers their first championship. Irving played one more season in Cleveland before a…