How to Tell if the Emotional Walls You Put Up Are Load-Bearing

Are you the type of person who’d rather not expose your feelings to anyone in your life ever? We get it, it’s revealing and scary, and it gets in the way of quiet time. Unfortunately, society is on a big “mental health” kick at the moment, and your emotional barriers are not “in vogue.” You’ve probably been pressured by loved ones to seek professional help in taking them down, but not so fast—some of those protective barriers you put up could in fact be load-bearing.

This guide will tell you whether removing the emotional walls you’ve put around you will make everything collapse to the ground.

You Put Forth a Hard Shell Exterior

You don’t want anyone to see weakness, feelings, or even ask for help with today’s Wordle. Chances are you’re a softie on the inside, which is why this shell is not sustainable. One person will get to know the true you, and your guard along with that weak-ass shell will come crumbling down.

You’ve Erected a Wall of Silence

For you, it’s preferable to say nothing than something raw and vulnerable. Someone in your life wants to ask you a personal question and you shut them out with your trusty silence wall. One hit of the hard questions, and it feels like your whole life is falling down. If this is the case, then yeah, we’re talking load-bearing.

You’re a Fixer of Other People’s Problems

You’re the first one people call when there is a leaky faucet, a loose door jamb, or if they need help with today’s Wordle. When your significant other asks you what should be done about the problems in your relationship, you go right to the offense and offer to paint the entire home. This has kept you from revealing your own issues to other people, and it has worked out so far. While this is a sign of an emotional wall, tearing through and demolishing it won’t destroy your entire foundation. So go ahead and break those fixer tendencies, but finish that paint job first.

Your Significant Other Is Seeking Emotional Connection Elsewhere

Congrats! Your girlfriend wants an open-concept relationship. This is common when all you can offer emotionally is pouting after your favorite sports team loses. You’re a commitment-phobe, so what’s there not to like? She suggests seeing other people while you “deal with your dad issues.” Sleeping around won’t make your entire life implode, but you should probably try it out just to be sure.

Go Ask Your Mom’s Friend Brian

He’s always ready with his tool kit and knows how to deal with this kind of shit.

If All Else Fails, Try Removing Part of a Wall

You’ve made it this far in life, but your relationships have been mostly empty and unsuccessful. This is no thanks to the blockades you have built around you. Maybe it’s time to make a little pony wall and be real with people. Perhaps you could talk about your fears? Ugh, we just broke out in a cold sweat thinking about it. Forget it, you’re not ready for a remodel.

Trump Brags About Latest Cognitive Test After Crushing Kids Menu Maze

HAZELTON, Pa. — Former President Trump took time during a campaign rally to brag about successfully completing another cognitive test after finishing the puzzles on a Denny’s kids menu “without any help whatsoever,” dazzled sources confirmed.

“I’m sitting there, in front of me the most beautiful moons over my hammy you’ve ever seen. But I said, I’m not eating until these words are unjumbled,” Trump explained. “They have a picture, it’s a cow, and it says ‘what sound does a cow make?’ Moo, and I got it right away. It was unbelievable. The waitress, really thick woman, said no one had done that before. She was stunned. Even the line cook, who was very busy, by the way, stopped what he was doing. And he came over to shake my hand, with tears in his eyes, and said ‘I want to personally thank you for leading the Grand Slams through the maze to Breakfast Island.”

Denny’s waitress Liana Flores had a different interpretation of the events.

“He went through about 30 menus, but he would crumble each one up and eat it so no one saw his mistakes,” said Flores. “After it became clear he was not going to be able to solve any of the puzzles on his own, one of his handlers approached another table and stole a completed menu from a six-year-old, claiming Trump had verbally ‘classified’ it. He also kept referring to me as ‘Liana Denny.’ I assume Trump thinks everyone who works at Denny’s is also named ‘Denny?’”

A former White House aide who wished to remain anonymous claimed all of Trump’s recent cognitive tests had actually been brain teasers and puzzles for children.

“The truth is, the majority of President Trump’s ‘cognitive’ tests were either printouts from PBS’s website, taken from the back of cereal boxes, or ripped out of a couple of coloring books I picked up at Harris Teeter,” explained the anonymous aide. “Trump was desperate for anything that would show his supposed intelligence. But every time he took a real test, he bombed it like it was a pair of his diapers after 3 Big Macs. We got the idea of using kid’s puzzles after Trump met my son, who asked him ‘how much wood would a woodchuck chuck?’ Trump was so impressed by the tongue twister that he made my 8-year-old Deputy Secretary of Agriculture.”

At press time, several mentally unstable dorks rushed to comment on this very article with some variation of “DURRRR WHADDA ‘BOUT BIDEN???”

The Top Ten Most Underrated Major Label Bands From The ‘90s That Will Always Be Sellouts in Our Eyes

Major label bands like Metallica, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam ruled the ‘90s rock world with an iron fist, and even independent labels like Epitaph Records and Fat Wreck Chords had acts that sold quite well as, uh, well. However, this piece isn’t about platinum major label acts or indie ones with different colored certifications; it’s a piece wherein we discuss the top ten most underrated major label bands in alphabetical order that for some reason or another didn’t move THAT many units and are thus considered underrated. A few ground rules for you keyboard warriors: No subsidiary labels count, the band had to have released at least one major label from 1990-1999, we have to anger you with our lack of inclusion of your misinformed opinion, and we have to be able to sleep well at night based on our analysis rivaling Stephen Hawking’s “Theory of Relativity”.

All (Interscope Records)

Self righteous? Maybe! Uncle Critic is here to enlighten, uh, ALL. Anyway, while you most certainly know of All, the majority of Earth’s populous simply/sadly does not, and even casual Descendents fans likely did a whoopsie regarding all things, uh, you guessed it, All. “Pummel” is All’s lone major label release via Interscope Records and is the first LP recorded in The Blasting Room, which was the studio for such seminal punk rock bands like Rise Against, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, A Wilhelm Scream, and Puddle of Mudd; you may think that the last band mentioned is false, which is quite “on brand” here, but alas, it isn’t a joke. However, POM is FAR from punk rock, SO that is a funny! What a mouthful; everything is blurry.

Handsome (Epic Records)

Sometimes ‘90s major label bands like Foo Fighters, Green Day, Weezer, and Rage Against the Machine deservedly get fair shakes and a bouquet of flowers from Erewhon. Sometimes ‘90s rockers like Drive Like Jehu, Jawbox, Jawbreaker, and, I don’t know, a band named Jawline or some shit, just don’t. However, those four bands are too influential to be considered underrated, and while Handsome was ahead of their time, you ugly cats and kittens likely missed the boat on the act, at the very least DURING the ‘90s, so it’s here; fight us in the comments. Produced by Terry Date, who later sat behind the boards for Limp Bizkit’s “Significant Other,” Funeral for a Friend’s “Hours,” Dredg’s “Catch Without Arms,” and Gderd’s “Drop With Feet,” Handsome’s lone LP and self-titled one at that, was captured quite well and still sounds great and fresh today. Helmet, Quicksand, and Cro-Mags. Electric Love Hogs? Ride down!

Marvelous 3 (Elektra Records)

Write it on your hand: Butch Walker is definitely NOT an underrated producer/songwriter, as his work Midtown, The Academy Is…, Bowling For Soup, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra speak for themselves, but his Atlanta power trio act Marvelous 3 sure is, despite them having a minor hit in “Freak of the Week.” This inclusion for yours truly and ours deeply contains quite a loophole in that the goofily titled “Hey! Album” was initially released via the incredibly/creatively named Marvelous Records, but juggernaut Elektra Records signed the act, and released the goofily titled “Hey! Album,” and the band re-recorded nearly half of it prior to its major label showcase. Despite being sticklers for bitterness, we can happily announce that the band reformed seventeen years after their 2001 split, and even put out a new LP in 2023!

The Muffs (Warner Bros. Records for their debut AND Reprise Records for its two follow ups)

Say goodbye/let’s start this section with something sad: Southern California’s The Muffs’ lead vocalist, chief songwriter, general badass, AND former Pixies band member Kim Shattuck sadly lost her battle with ALS in 2019, and she is sorely missed by those with musical taste. Sincerely. You likely heard the band’s “Kids in America” cover in “Not Another Teen Movie,” but the band is SO SO much more than that, and you latchkey kids should be ashamed of yourselves. Fun opinion that doubles as a fact: Kim’s screams were ahead of their time and laid the foundation for so many bands you discovered during the Myspace era. Fun rumor that can’t double as a fact unless it can: Green Day signed to Reprise Records because of The Muffs. In closing, hey Nina, from Pasadena, you’ve no ambition and only ever sit around; we DO know why.

Nerf Herder (Arista Records)

Even though this band never truly broke through the mainstream or the minorsteam, the single on Nerf Herder’s lone major label LP known simply as “Nerf Herder” managed to piss off Sammy Hagar; Google it if you don’t believe us even though you know that you do. We’re not the ones who were in a high school hardcore bands, but neither were you, and Nerf Herder’s self-described and perfectly stated style of “geek rock” is for all easy marks, nosering girls, apologetic golf shirts, and Capes of Joey in a Sea of Good Astronauts. Like the aforementioned Marvelous 3, Nerf Herder’s first (and last) major label LP was initially released by an indie label My Records, and Arista Records smartly picked it up, and stupidly failed miserably at breaking it. Sigh. You’re gonna be the one who’s sorry; sorry, Diana.

Puya (MCA)

Likely the most underrated ‘90s major label act here, or one of the most in general, Puya, Puerto Rico’s hybrid aggressive Rico’s/salsa band seemingly took influences from EVERYTHING/EVERYONE all at once. “Fundamental,” the band’s second full length LP, came out in 1999 (baby!) and was their first release on an international label. You fakers definitely missed the boat on this one and we aren’t taking any further questions on the matter; whatever. If you like your vocals in two different languages, this band is for you, and if you don’t, don’t tell anyone. If you had the chance to see the Sno-Core run which came out a year after “Fundamental,” then you saw or missed Puya as the first of four or five bands which also included Mr. Freaking Bungle, Incubus, and System of a Down pre-“Chop Suey!” Keep it simple, and eventually form a union.

The Rentals (Maverick Records)

You naive non-brilliant boys 110% have issue with this leased position, but compared to juggernaut of juggernaut band Weezer, Thr Rentals, bassist Matt Sharp’s eventual side project act that eventually morphed into a full-time act are definitely underrated. Even though it seems it’s all lies, we still believe you should be with us. Anyway, if you want a helping of Weezer’s Eiffel 65 inspired LP with a large helping of moogs, which are pronounced like “vogue,” but we digress, strings, female backup vocals, and rimmed glasses that are now described as “emo,” and listen the act’s debut record, “Return of the Rentals.” Now spin/stream the band’s 1998 sophomore follow-up, “Seven Minutes More,” which is a literal lie in the best manner that sounds like a combination of Blur and Maya Rudolph. FYI: Motion City Soundtrack owe The Rentals a sweaty and dorky hug.

Shades Apart (Universal Records)

Here’s a foolproof formula from us know-it-alls: “American Pie” + Bridgewater Township, New Jersey + Former Revelation Records who went on to sign with a conglomerate on the collared line statistic + Windows Separated By Several Miles = A Major Label misfire that should’ve hit a humongous bullseye… Anyway, “Eyewitness,” Shades Apart’s major label debut and first of two, is twelve tracks of perfection, but it was definitely polarizing amongst the band’s gruff punk rocking the clock fan base; pity as this end result gets stranger by the day. “Second Chances” got literal second chances on “Eyewitness” and if we can successfully travel via Time Machine a la Emmett Lathrup Brown, Ph.D, we would go back to the unproblematic Woodstock ‘99 and hand out SA, and not sexual assault, CD samplers to all of those watching DMX; RIP, Ruff Ryder. Save it, bear eyewitness, and yell into the eternal echo, “SHADES APART”!

Superdrag (Elektra Records)

Like The (aforementioned) Rentals, Knoxville, Tennessee’s rock group of rock groups known as Superdrag is a combination of popular and underrated, and had a similarly successful minor hit themselves, but it didn’t reference P.; it sucked out your feelings and wounds. The band released two perfect major label LPs in the ‘90s, and even released two flawless ones during the ‘00s; the band’s 2009 fifth and final record as of now, “Industry Giants,” is not 100% solid, but there are some good gems on it as well. How “Head Trip in Every Key” didn’t have a similar impact as much worse 1998 records is still behind us, and we blame “Slappy and the Stinkers” and you for such a global gaffe; wrong vs. right doesn’t matter. Bring your karma down and avoid Superdrag; elevator your vibes up, and you will no longer be too dim to explain that.

Zebrahead (Columbia Records)

Imagine if members of 311 formed a more lighthearted punk rock band, and was not raised in America’s breadbasket, and there you have La Habra, California’s Zebrahead. The band’s lone ‘90s major label release and second studio album, “Waste of Mind,” exposed many to retro seats, had a small hit in “Get Back,” did VERY well in Japan, and was successful enough domestically for one more 2000 Columbia Records follow-up, “Playmate of the Year.” Maybe the 1998 Donald Trump reference via “Get Back” in the year of our lord known as 2024 is now a party foul that inspires foul parties, but move on: Take a chance, kid, as others did and are mid. In closing, if you’re afraid to stand alone with literal high praise on this Zebrahead hill, well, now you’re tripping. Walk away.

Sellout? This Woman’s Parents Are Proud of Her

The incidents that signify the end of a punk’s life are varied, unpredictable, and often smelly, but there is no discharge from the scene as humiliating and dishonorable as having your parents utter the four most cred-destroying words in the English dictionary, “We’re proud of you.”

It’s hard to believe the same fatigue-clad woman I saw drinking shots called Montezuma’s Revenge out of a bowling shoe in exchange for unlimited jukebox rights is the same woman her father now calls the “apple of his eye.” I wonder if she wrote Sarah “Subhuman” Higgins on the cover letter she used to land her cushy new advertising job, or instead opted for something more corporate-friendly.

Any true punk will tell you that receiving a promotion within the 9-to-5 world is actually seen as a demotion in terms of integrity and autonomy, so I can only imagine how secretly disappointed in herself she must have been when she was promoted from an administrative assistant to chief creative officer of a major magazine within just a year. You can’t tell me the poser-itis doesn’t eat away at her while she and her husband drink delicious protein-based smoothies and map out plans to install heated bathroom floors.

When I knew Sarah “Subhuman” Higgins, her only instruments of foreplay were a rubber paddle and spiked heals, but word on the street is that she’s traded it all in for a guy named Milton who has probably never even shed a drop of blood in a church hall punk show. If you lack the subcultural wherewithal to discuss local scene beef and that time Cro-Mags played in the park, how are you supposed to get your woman aroused?

God forbid my parents, step-parents, or any of the myriad of neighbors who helped to raise me dared to say “I’m proud of you,” and wrapped me in a warm hug, I would break their arms and put them in a sleeper hold. Lucky for them, I’ve never been remotely close to encountering such a situation.

Elder Millennial Enters “Start Every Conversation by Describing Most Recent Injury” Phase of Lifecycle

TONAWANDA, N.Y. — 39-year-old Kyle Lowe recently began a new and horrifying phase of his adulthood where he now almost exclusively begins any interaction by describing some sort of pain or illness he’s currently experiencing, sources who all of a sudden have this thing going on with their sciatica confirmed.

“I don’t know what happened. It’s like one minute I’m a spry young whippersnapper treating my body with reckless abandon and the next I’m being quoted on record using the word ‘whippersnapper,’” explained Lowe. “The other day a friend of mine in their twenties asked me how I was doing and I spent half an hour making crunching noises with my mouth to simulate what my knee sounded like after I stepped on an uneven sidewalk two weeks ago. It’s like I’m trapped in some kind of fragile old-person hell.”

Geriatrician Margery Pampalampa, MD., gave a medical perspective on Mr. Lowe’s conversational development.

“This phase is a natural part of the human lifecycle. Just because the vast majority of millennials still can’t afford health insurance doesn’t mean they don’t age the same as previous generations,” began Pampalampa. “Frankly, I’m glad that it is natural for human beings to, at a certain point, start every conversation with talk about their medical failings. It’s good training for when they come into my office and have to explain what stupid thing they did to injure themselves.”

Despite most professionals’ optimism in regards to aging, very, very, very old man Jefferson Crackers affirmed that everything only gets so much worse from here.

“Oh boy. You think it’s bad now? Wait until you hit the point when you start every conversation by mentioning which of your friends died that week,” hooted Mr. Crackers while slipping into a bathtub filled with Bengay. “All you can really hope for is that nothing really horrifically embarrassing happens to you, because you will still talk about any injury regardless. That’s how everyone found out I had to have my wooden butt replaced with an aluminum one after those dern beavers wouldn’t stop chewing on it.”

At press time, Lowe was seen taking a deep interest in comparing ankle braces, which he does not yet need but feels that “you can never be too careful.”

Opinion: I Think I’m Finally Ready to Waste My Time and Become a Casualty of Society

Looking back on my life I’ve realized that I’ve made a lot of mistakes. But these are the things you learn about yourself when storming through your forties like your name is El Niño.

One thing I’ve changed my mind about is the value of owning property. I once trashed my own house party because nobody came. If I knew that in 20 years that the house would have been worth roughly $1.2 million, I would have been a little more hesitant about doing grabbing my skateboard and doing 50-50 grinds down my stairway banister. Those trucks left serious gouges in the wood and destroyed the wood’s finish.

Another thing I’ve learned is I should be kinder to the elderly. I used to laugh when I saw an old person fall But then I took an awkward step off a curb and let me tell you, there is nothing funny about it. It was three years ago and my left knee still hasn’t been the same.

No matter what you do with your life one day you are going to realize that you are old. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I’m sick of my diabetes monitoring patch beeping at me to “Act my age”!

Regardless of whether I wanted it or not, consequences and responsibility have been thrusted upon me. I’ve had countless trips to HR for having fun at other people’s expense. When my daughter asked me when I was picking her up from soccer practice I told her “Don’t count on me, to let you know when.” Turns out that wasn’t an appropriate answer. And now my wife is mad at me, cuz I’m not listenin’.

I’m now living with the ramifications of having a conscience so small. Huffing gas and drinking to proportion are not skill sets that get you far in life. Being raised on heavy metal and mullets is doing nothing for my retirement plan. I’m starting to agree with my mom’s doctor when he said that she should have had an abortion.

Biden Attempts to Appeal to Youth By Appearing On Stage at Frankie Valli Concert in New Leather Jacket and Blue Jeans

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — President Biden made an attempt to win over Gen Z voters by appearing on stage at a Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons concert wearing a brand new leather jacket and blue jeans, confirmed multiple retirement-aged sources.

“I’ve been a politician a long time, Jack, and I know you can’t make the young people come to you, you have to go where they are. I called up my old pal Frankie, we’ve known each other since the ‘50s when we drag-raced down by the old shipyard in our hotrods to win the heart of sweet Mary Anne. We were enemies then, but we became close friends over the years because all of our other friends died,” said President Biden. “He still pulls in a young crowd, I’m talking about people born after the Korean War here. They are the next generation, and I want to show them how slick I look in these dungarees. I might even join Frankie for a song or two.”

Concert attendee Katherine Wilson admitted she was flattered by the president constantly praising the crowd for their youthful looks.

“I just turned 68 last week and I’ve been feeling a little down about my age. I just became a great-grandmother for the third time, and my children are trying to sell my house so I can move into an elderly care facility permanently. So when President Biden said ‘You all look so great tonight’ it meant a lot to me, because I don’t recognize the person I see in the mirror anymore,” said Wilson. “I raised my kids the best way I knew how, and this is how they repay me? I swear they turned on me when their father died. They still blame me for that, you know. I guess I’m just the worst mother that ever existed and I’m sorry.”

Political analysts believe this was a gross miscalculation by President Biden.

“You can’t really blame the president. To him, everyone seems young. He’s so old he predates the Boomers. His generation doesn’t even have an interesting name, because there aren’t enough of them left to even justify thinking of one,” said left-leaning pundit Maurio Tiento. “If he wants to truly connect with Gen Z, someone is going to have to explain to them how old they actually are, and then convince him they are actually worth talking to. Because most people his age only communicate with Gen Zers through birthday cards they send in the mail with a $5 bill in there.”

President Biden announced his next campaign stop will be at a “Murder She Wrote” fan convention in Atlanta.

Every Motörhead Album Ranked Worst to Best

After being kicked out of the best psychedelic rock band of all time (Hawkwind, not Pink Floyd you posers) for doing the wrong type of drugs, Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister ended up forming a band to provide the soundtrack to his favorite narcotic (amphetamine), and thus Motörhead was born. Greasy, loud and aggressive, Motörhead would have a legendary forty-year run as a band, fueled by Sex, Drugs, Rock’n’roll (Lemmy never considered them a metal band and neither should you, since these were the words of “God” himself), and composed of a rotating door of various band members over the years, most famously “Fast” Eddie Clark (RIP) channeling the early rock and roll feel with a then modern twist, while Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor provided the fury behind the kit. The band even helped metalheads and punks bond over something other than a degenerate lifestyle of beer drinking and hell-raising, with much of their early work forming the basis of Thrash Metal and other crossover genres.

Motörhead was a powerhouse of a band, consistently recording, writing, releasing and touring consistently from 1975-2015. While your Naysayers may claim that all of Motörhead sounds the same, you’re not wrong, but try to write something as good as “Terminal Show”, this offer goes out to seasoned vets as well. I dare you, double dare you, double dog dare you and dog double dog dare you (there are a surprising amount of Motörhead songs with Dog in the title, who knew God liked canines so much?).

And that’s not to mention the legendary life of their frontman, Lemmy Kilmister, who played, smoked, sped, and fucked his way through a life we ALL wish we could have lived. He saw the Beatles play at the Cavern Club, toured behind the Iron Curtain with the Rockin’ Vickers (pretty sweet in their own right), was a roadie for Hendrix, and played in TWO legendary bands, all by the age of 30. Lemmy’s departure of this mortal coil in 2015 was most certainly our generation’s equivalent of Elvis’s death, but less depressing, because while Lemmy may have been old by the time of his death (Motörhead played their final show two weeks before Lemmy succumbed to Brain Cancer), he was still putting on one of the best live shows in the game as Rock’n’Roll’s real king. And no one played the games quite like you, old chap.

The fact that there is no Motörhead ranking on this site is frankly an unacceptable sin, one we will repent for by giving the definitive Motörhead ranking, from worst to best.

23. Another Perfect Day (1983)

The only album to feature Brian Robertson of Thin Lizzy and terrible fashion fame, “Another Perfect Day” couldn’t have been a more misleading title. Plagued by recording issues, lineup incompatibility and a shift towards a more accessible sound. This led to the inevitable sacking of Brian Roberston and the Recruitment of longtime axeman Phil Campbell (he served for 32 YEARS IN Motörhead). So while not perfect, maybe this day wasn’t so bad after all?

Play It Again: “Marching Off to War”
Skip It: “Back at the Funny Farm”

 

22. Self-Titled (1977)

Motörhead’s debut album is by no means a bad album, but compared to everything that came afterward, this LP feels like Motörhead finding their (admittedly already pretty rad) sound, and it’s the only album to feature Larry Wallis on guitar and Lucas Fox on drums. It’s said that if you don’t succeed, try and try again, and when the first attempt is this good, you better believe what comes after is something to get stoked about.

Play It Again: Just listen to “On Parole”
Skip It: “Vibrator”

 

21. Sacrifice (1995)

The title of this album presumably refers to the future sacking of guitarist Wurzel (RIP), since this was his last album with the band. This album is (by Motörhead standards) pretty run-of-the-mill, with very little variation to the tone, songwriting and overall sound. The band may have been losing steam at this point, but through “Sacrifice,” Motörhead had brighter horizons to look forward to.

Play It Again: “Over Your Shoulder”
Skip It: “War to War”

 

 

20. Aftershock (2013)

Recorded after Lemmy’s admittedly hedonistic lifestyle started to catch up with him around 2012, this album is the first in their career to feel like it is slightly lacking in energy. But with a title like “Aftershock,” a band that once seemed like they would live forever were starting to see cracks in this mortal coil, with the lyrics starting to reflect this change, looking towards potential change, for better or worse, a decision the band decided not to go with, instead staying the course for the rest of their existence, shining bright in the night sky like those stars on Christmas (Lemmy’s Birthday).

Play It Again: “Coup De Grace”
Skip It: “Going to Mexico”

19. March Or Die (1992)

Drawing more from classic rock than many Motörhead albums, “March or Die” finds a way to fit between both of these extremes, and we’re not sure how we would describe such a stroll. It also features presumably Lemmy’s second tribute to a punk band in the form of “Bad Religion” which, while decent, definitely ain’t not R.A.M.O.N.E.S. But as a midlife crisis record, this is definitely better than “St. Anger,” even predating that album too, proving how even at their most average, Motörhead were still capable of turning heads and creating revolutionary concepts.

Play It Again: “Jack the Ripper”
Skip It: “Cat Scratch Fever”

18. Kiss of Death (2006)

“Kiss of Death” is a Motörhead record through and through, and it contains the songwriting of their ‘70s and ‘80s work mixed with the more modern, frankly better production on later records, leaving a midrange Motörhead record that could have been recorded in any era of the band and probably turned out the same. But “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” could easily be the motto of this band, and this album is absolutely listenable, even if it doesn’t break new ground.

Play It Again: “Trigger”
Skip It: “Devil I Know”

 

17. Snake Bite Love (1998)

If we’re being completely honest, we could have scrambled all of these next listings up to number twelve and this article would still make sense without changing a word. But that’s not how these listings work, so here we go. This late ‘90s work stands on par with their ‘80s classics, and contains one of Motörhead’s most underrated ballads in the form of “Dead and Gone,” which upon first listen, wouldn’t sound out of place on a Simon and Garfunkel record, proving that Motörhead ain’t a one-trick pony after all.

Play It Again: “Snake Bite Love”
Skip It: “Joy of Labour”

16. Bastards (1993)

Named for the plural form of what Lemmy originally wanted to call the band upon formation, this album pulls from everything Motörhead past, present and future, just like a tweaked-out Scrooge McDuck. It was also the first album to feature Motörhead’s technically best (the best kind of best) drummer Mikkey Dee. The production on this album is strangely abhorrent though, for reasons we don’t completely understand, maybe the producer, his crew, or the record label were the titular “Bastards” that the album title is referring to.

Play It Again: “Burner”
Skip It: “We Bring the Shake”

15. The World Is Yours (2010)

Just as Lemmy had prophesied way back during “The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2, The Metal Years,” the band would be inspired enough by something to rip it off in their music. And while this wasn’t in the form of a musical ripoff, the title derives from the video game “Scarface: The World Is Yours.” Well we hope so anyway since we know Lemmy was a gamer, and this late-career gem was released a couple of years after the aforementioned video game. But it’s far more memorable than that cheap Scarface cash grab of a game, so who’s ripping off who doesn’t matter.

Play It Again: “Devil’s In My Head”
Skip It: “Brotherhood of Man”

14. Motörizer (2008)

More Motorizing than moisturizing, “Motorizer” is an instructional manual on how to perform Rock’n’Roll (courtesy of the track “Rock Out”) and the blues too (there’s literally a song entitled “Teach You How To Sing the Blues”). It’s a great two-for-one deal, and that’s some great lessons from some Rock’n’Roll veterans deep into their third decade, with Lemmy recording this record at 63, and this album still sounds young and vibrant regardless of age. But you know, “If You think you’re too old to Rock’n’Roll, you are” which is a saying to live by, musically or otherwise.

Play It Again: “Rock Out”
Skip It: “One Short Life”

13. Inferno (2004)

Infernally furious, especially with a band who was approaching their 30th year as a band, coming in Hot as the Hounds of Hell, so fiery that the band had to do a blues number to cool off with the final track “Whorehouse Blues.” If any other band would have released this album, it would have been considered their masterpiece, but it’s just another Motörhead album, and Motörhead has the benefit of being fronted by “God” himself, and you can’t have god without the devil, so burn on “Inferno.”

Play It Again: “Terminal Show”
Skip It: “In the Black”

12. Hammered (2002)

Lemmy and the boys favorite state to achieve in their off time, this record is a perfect fusion of every era of Motörhead, brought directly to your homes courtesy of theme song for WWE Superstar Triple H, the aptly titled “The Game.” But wait, there’s more, so much more to the greatness of this album, with the frankly underrated “Walk a Crooked Mile” being the best Motörhead album opener of the 2000s.

Play It Again: “The Game”
Skip It: “Brave New World”

 

11. Rock’n’Roll (1987)

Named after some obscure style of music that Motörhead helped perfect, this was the last album the band would release in the metal-tinted ‘80s, and it is every bit as invigorating as prior albums. When contacting the estate of Lemmy Kilmister researching this article, they refused to share the recipe for a “Bacon Torpedo,” which if we’re being honest, sounds kind of delicious, but some things are better left to mystery.

Play It Again: “Eat the Rich”
Skip It: “Dogs” (only one canine-themed song per album, and “The Wolf” has us covered)

10. Overnight Sensation (1996)

Conventional wisdom would dictate that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks, but this only applies to canines, and everyone in Motörhead has been human mixed with demons (as far as we know). While the band may not have been breaking any new ground on this album, they still find plenty of nuance in old territory, fine-tuning the Motörhead formula like bored chemists discovering a brand new, exciting variation on an old recipe, which still excites to this day.

Play It Again: “Civil War”
Skip It: “Listen to Your Heart” (still good)

9. On Parole (1979)

Released after “Overkill” and “Bomber” became an overnight sensation but recorded before. United Artists (funny name for a greedy record company) had heard that this little pub band they recorded made it to the big time and decided to release this previously shelved recording, and Lemmy originally saw it as a greedy cash-in by an already wealthy company. But this is the first record to be recorded with that classic lineup of Kilmister, Clarke, and Taylor, and oh boy is it ever a step up from their first album, refining everything that made the band already great and propelling them to future glory.

Play It Again: “Motörhead” (still the best use of “Parallelogram” in a song)
Skip It: “Vibrator” (so bad that it gets skipped twice on this list)

8. We Are Motörhead (2000)

Due to their aging fanbase starting to suffer from dementia (substance-fueled or otherwise), Motörhead kicked off the turn of the Millennium in the most Motörhead way imaginable by releasing both a kickass album and improving the original “God Save the Queen” by taking it out of the hands of the Sex Pistols and making it awesome. Doing what the band was born to do, this album kicks your ass.

Play It Again: “We Are Motörhead” and “God Save the Queen”
Skip It: “Out to Lunch”

 

7. Orgasmatron (1986)

While the production leaves much to be desired, there are still many great songs to be found within, including the title track which was both a critique of organized religion and a humble brag on the band’s collective sexual prowess. It’s also the band’s first release as a four-piece, the first with Phill Campbell and “Wizzo” bringing that ‘80s twin guitar proficiency and increasing the band members’ ability to be an “Orgasmatron” by increasing the surface area to band member ratio, whatever and “Orgamsatron” is (tell us if you know, it sounds awesome).

Play It Again: “Orgasmatron”
Skip It: “Built for Speed”

6. 1916 (1991)

Motörhead entered the ‘90s with one of their strongest records, and even though it was their last release to feature “Philthy Animal” Taylor on drums (RIP to the father of the modern blast beat), his opening drum beat to “One To Sing The Blues” stands right alongside the intro to “Overkill” as a beat that is both brutal and makes you want to move. This album cemented Lemmy’s songwriting prowess with the title track showcasing Lem’s softer side while lamenting the loss of life in World War One scarring a generation, showing the man’s ability to write a ballad just before he wrote another heart-wrenching track in “Mama I’m Coming Home” for Ozzy.

Play It Again: “1916”
Skip It: “Going To Brazil”

5. Iron Fist (1982)

The last album to feature “Fast” Eddie Clark on guitar, this record was plagued with problems from the beginning, with the loss of a producer leading the boys to take even more cues from the nascent hardcore movement and attempt to produce the album themselves, to mixed results production-wise, but this led to the grand finale of the best lineups to ever grace rock’n’roll, even it felt a Harley Davidson running on fumes, it was the end to “Another Perfect Day” in Rock’n’Roll.

Play It Again: “Iron Fist”
Skip It: “Go to Hell”

4. Bad Magic (2015)

Motörhead’s swan song ironically begins with the ultimate anthem for life in the form of “Victory or Die,” and the rest of the album sees Lemmy making a deal with the Devil by offering him all of his then-limited lifeforce in exchange for one last, great Motörhead album. This even gave Lemmy some “Sympathy for the Devil” and that Rolling Stones cover feels like a man who has lived his life to the fullest given’er for one last great record, while honoring the Gods of Rock’n’roll who Rock’n’Rolled before him. Sniff, sniff, no I’m not snorting drugs, I’m crying over this masterpiece. Baaaaaa.

Play It Again: From the Top to the End, Hell Yeah
Skip It: Not if you’re a man of class and taste

3. Ace Of Spades (1980)

Containing Motörhead’s most popular song in “Ace of Spades” and anthem for professional musicians in “We Are the Road Crew,” this record was Motörhead’s highest charting record of their career, and the band was comfortably settled into their loud, fast and abrasive sound at this point in their career. Motörhead had reached a point in their career where the only people they had to bicker with were themselves, which planted the seeds of destruction in their classic lineup.

Play It Again: “We Are The Road Crew”
Skip It: “Ace of Spades” (despite being overplayed, it’s still sweet)

2. Bomber (1979)

Playing like a well-maintained B-52 delivering its payload, “Bomber” saw both the classic iteration of its configuration and frontman Lemmy stepping into their unique and groundbreaking approach to loud, fast music. With lyrics drawing both from frontman Lemmy’s real-life experiences (Dead Men Tell No Tales) and fascination with history (the title track), Motörhead were pushing boundaries, and that’s not even mentioning Lemmy’s revolutionary approach to bass (Big Guitar goo BRRR).

Play It Again: “Lawman”
Skip It: Nope

Honorable Mention: No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith

For those unfortunate enough to have never seen Motörhead live, the band fortunately recorded this flawless performance at the height of the band’s popularity, relative youth and straight-up raw power. Deafening, bombastic and fantastic, this is a must-listen for anyone who is a fan of Rock’n’Roll or musicologists looking for a time period of pure, raw, unadulterated perfection.

 

 

 

1. Overkill (1978)

Beginning with one of the most iconic and revolutionary drum beats/imitation of a heart full of speed on the title track, courtesy of Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor, “Overkill” is Motörhead in full force. Merging Heavy Metal, Good time Rock’n’Roll, and even some Psychedelic Influences on “Metropolis”. Everyone and their relatives love this album, from the Punks, Metalheads, and straight-up rock fans singing the praises ever so highly, there’s even some feminist messaging in “I’ll Be Your Sister” (for the late ‘70s anyways). This Groundbreaking release paved the way for punk and metal to get beyond their petty squabbles and embrace a brotherly love that has only grown every year since. And God Bless ‘Em. Every one of ‘em.

Play It Again: Every time louder than anytime else
Skip It: WHAT!?!?!

Inspiring! Golden Bachelor Proves You’re Never Too Old to Get Married, Give it Three Months, Then Get Divorced

“The Golden Bachelor” first captured the nation’s heart with a romantic tale of two widowed septuagenarians who were able to find love again later in life, thanks to a few heavily produced dates and whatever (or whoever) went down in the Fantasy Suites. Gerry Turner reminded us that when it comes to matters of the heart, it’s never too late to meet that special someone.

And today, America’s grandzaddy has given viewers something additional to be hopeful about: the timeless ability to rush into an ill-considered betrothal, enjoy a few months of new relationship energy, and then burn it to the ground.

If you thought that bad relationship decisions were only for 20-somethings or people having midlife crises, check your ageist assumptions at the door. Because it turns out that you can have decades of life experience and STILL make a series of absolutely terrible choices that will leave your grandchildren shaking their heads and begging you to go to therapy.

Were there any signs that this marriage wasn’t going to last? Absolutely. Like how Gerry only asked Theresa what her job was right before the season finale, and also the fact that he murmured the L-word into the hearing-aid garnished ears of not one, but several other ladies in the midst of wooing his bride-to-be.

So it comes as no surprise that this silver fox wreaked just as much havoc in the hen house as a younger, redder fox would have. And that’s right, ladies, it didn’t even matter that there weren’t any eggs in there. Old people can be just as shitty as young people, which is a beautiful message that just might bring this broken country together again.

And as if the whirlwind courtship and sudden decoupling weren’t already #relationshipgoals, Gerry and Theresa have proclaimed that they’re still in love with each other and intend to remain best friends. They’ve entered toxic situationship territory, all but guaranteeing that they won’t be able to move on, while sabotaging any future dating prospects — and we ought to applaud them for it.

They’ve shown us without a shadow of a doubt that you’re only as old as you feel. And if you feel immature enough to marry a stranger on national television and divorce them before you’ve learned their middle name, then we can all hope to remain forever young at heart.

The Top 30 AIs From Movies Ranked by How Well They Could Write My Book Report on “A Separate Peace”

Well, my book report on John Knowles’s “A Separate Peace” is due tomorrow and I am in a corner. All I could come up with was “This book is a separate piece of shit.” I took another pass and punched it to “This coming-of-age story is a separate piece of shit” but I don’t think that’s going to fly. Thank God I’m a high school sophomore living in the age of AI.

Thanks to the miracle of chatbots, no one actually needs to read or write anything. When tasked to do so we can simply have AI do it, and then the person assessing that thing can use AI to do that, and things can just go back and forth like that until we all realize the futility of being alive and walk hand in hand into the ocean. Unfortunately, my English teacher, Mrs. Esposito, doesn’t want to play ball.

Apparently, Mrs. E has some software that can detect when a paper is written by any major AI chatbot. If I’m going to convince her that I’ve learned anything from this tortuous, grueling WWII boarding school coming-of-age melodrama, which to be clear I did NOT, I’m going to need something more powerful. I did a little weird sciencing, and I managed to contact the top 30 AI programs from sci-fi movies to see which one was best qualified to write my book report. Here are the results:

30. Chappie

Turns out when it comes to writing book reports, a robot raised by Die Antwoord is about as useful as my friend whose way into Die Antwoord; not at all.

29. GERTY from “Moon”

There was something concerningly familiar about GERTY’s voice. Sure enough, as soon as GERTY found out I was a teenage boy he got real creepy. Kept complimenting my muscles and telling me I should let him take Polaroids of them? I don’t know, I got the hell out of there.

28. The Cowboy from “Westworld”

As soon as he got to the part about Phineas’s pink shirt he got fed up and went on a murder spree.

27. The Machine Woman from “Metropolis”

She just danced. In 1927 that was the big concern with AI I guess. “What if they do all of our dancing?!” Simpler times.

26. Huey, Dewey, and Louie from “Silent Running”

Basically a bunch of cute radiators. They don’t talk so they weren’t much help. In fact, it’s unclear whether they are actually sentient or if I’ve simply anthropomorphized them in my desperate isolation while reading this god-awful book.

25. Johnny Five from the “Short Circuit” Franchise

He read the book, and Johnny Five no longer wants to be alive. Are you happy now John Knowles?

24. David from “A.I Artificial Intelligence”

The kid just kept crying for his mommy. I know it’s a shitty book but Jesus kid, grow up a little!

23. The Tabernacle from “Zardoz”

The Tabernacle did write me a book report and this thing makes no sense. Phineas is a mutant? Gene needs to meditate on the 2nd level? The boarding school is Oz? Can a computer be on drugs? This computer has to be on drugs.

22. Robby The Robot from Various films

You know the robot you designed for a movie is cool when he gets cast in other movies. Robby was indeed up to the task of writing a competent book report, but he’s just too damned slow. I don’t know how his inner workings operate but he needs to do like 100 typewriter clicks between every word. It’s been 3 days and he’s still on the introduction, so he’s not gonna bang this thing out in time.

21. I Robot

Apparently, the fourth unwritten law of robotics is “Do not waste my time with WWII-era coming-of-age melodramatic horse shit.”

20. M3gan

M3gan suggested we blow off school altogether and just have a dance-off. I’m sensing a theme here with the female presenting robots on this list. It was slightly more productive than her first idea, murder.

19. RoboCop

Reading “A Separate Peace” triggered some dormant memories in Robo from his former life as Murphy. He went rogue, hunted down and murdered the English teacher who made him read it as a kid.

18. Ex Machina

Another female robot and once again, she just danced. Why is it that when a male writer imbues a robotic female character with the gift of sentience, they just make them dance? Can I just write a report on that? THAT’S interesting!

17. The Machines from “The Matrix” Franchise

Turns out it’s a sore subject. This book is what caused the machines to turn on humanity in the first place.

16. Sid 6.7 from “Virtuosity”

Sid’s mind is an algorithmic combination of over 200 violent criminals and psychopaths, all of whom begged to be shut down halfway through this book.