When an OCTOPUS brings you to tears!
Our next #WAWC (What Are We Consuming) talks about Steph's potential audio BOOK of the year, Matt's potential ALBUM of the year, + a special 'Stabbity' announcement for a friend and collaborator!
After months straight of shows and show prep, we are currently knocking out so much behind the scenes for OUR upcoming releases, before we head into the final live events of 2024. Next blog we’ll talk about all those, because this one is jam packed. Today we have a few significant entries for our next WHAT ARE WE CONSUMING series, (a potential AUDIO book of the year, AND a potential METAL album and VIDEO of the year). Then after that, a special Stabbity-rific announcement for a little friend of INSYM! We’ll also give an update on our MISFITZ CLUBHOUSE Halloween special happening on WEBTOON CANVAS! So please hang around until the end for at that goodness!
For those that are unfamiliar with WAWC, this is where Steph and Matt talk about whatever it is that’s crossing past their ears and eyes. For Steph it’s primarily audio books. For Matt, its mainly metal music. Sometimes there may be movies, TV shows, or other entries included, but for this episode, we stick to our bread and butter.
Today we’re going to start with the audio book that brought about the title of this article:
WHAT IS STEPH CONSUMING?
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
My usual M.O. when I go into reading a new book is to be as subjective as possible. I’ve had times when a story has been incredibly hyped and beloved by legions of fans, and after I’ve finished it, I’ve wondered what I missed. On the contrary, there’s ALSO been times I’ve read a book where I can’t believe it’s not talked about more than it is. That’s the beauty of the written word - it’s all subjective.
I will say right away that I deviated from this thought process completely when I started Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Once I heard what the premise was - a woman who works at an aquarium who befriends the resident octopus, while attempting to solve the mysterious death of her son thirty years prior - I was instantly hooked.
I’m an animal lover, and I’ve always had an affinity for sea creatures. Remarkably Bright Creatures captured my heart right away once I learned that one of the narrative voices was that of Marcellus the octopus. This is one of those stories that truly is better digested in audiobook format. Narrator Michael Urie does an incredible job giving personality to the curmudgeonly, fastidious Marcellus.
I can’t even begin to describe how much I adored every single character in this book. I’m not sure I’ve ever been so captivated by every person in a story quite like this. The three main characters - Tova Sullivan (voiced by Marin Ireland), a grieving, elderly mother and widow trying to get by after the deaths of her husband and son, Marcellus the octopus, and Cameron, a wayward, irresponsible thirty year old, meld together in unexpected and beautiful ways.
I truly could gush over this book for pages and pages and go completely in depth on the story structure and character development - which, I must say, is superb. Even though I prepared myself for the crushing emotional impact that inevitably comes to fruition (the book even says as much within the first few pages), I still wasn’t prepared for all the wonderful, sad, unbelievable, and heartwarming twists and turns it had in store.
The vast majority of the time I spend listening to audiobooks is while I'm running early in the morning. Finishing this book while finding myself openly weeping over its conclusion in the dark, early hours while running alone in my neighborhood was a new experience for me. Don’t let that deter you, though. This is an incredibly thought-provoking, sweet, funny, tragic, and fantastical story that, as a writer, I only hope I can achieve to emulate one day. This book will absolutely be on my top ten list of 2024, and is a serious contender for that number one spot.
WHAT IS MATT CONSUMING?
A potential album of the year AND video of the year from KANONENFIEBER
Those who are familiar with my listening tastes know that non-American music is in heavy rotation in my audiosphere. A few articles ago I declared that FELIX MARTIN’S instrumental album THE GATHERING was now the benchmark by which all other albums would be judged this year (if you haven’t heard anything from this, do yourself a favor and CHECK OUT a track HERE). I felt fairly certain that nothing would eclipse it… however…
KANONENFIEBER then dropped the masterpiece Die Urkatastrophe.
Now before I go any further, I want to make sure to offer up a disclaimer. Many times when we see an image we don’t understand, we automatically think ‘evil’. Kanonenfieber has an image that, at first glance, might evoke thoughts of one of the worst eras in world history. HOWEVER, after researching and specifically speaking to the frontman, the band’s focus is the plight of World War I German soldiers fighting in the trenches, churned through the war machine without any concern for the human cost. They are completely against any of the atrocities that happened in World War II. I say all of this to say that when recommending Kanonenfieber, I am doing so with full confidence in their purpose and content, what they stand for and what they don’t.
Now to the album: Die Urkatastrophe from top to bottom is a brutal assault, but moreso it’s catchy and memorable from track to track. If you asked me to pick a favorite track on this album, I’d be hard pressed to pick just one. Ritter Der Lufte, Sturmtrupp, and Lviv zu Lemberg pop off every time I listen, but they aren’t even the focal point / promoted songs on the album, which brings me to WAFFENBRUDER, which is my candidate for MUSIC VIDEO of the year.
KANONENFIEBER - Waffenbrüder (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
This song tells the tale of two young boys who fantasize and romanticize about being on the frontlines, all the way through their time in the forces until one of them dies on the battlefield. Expertly filmed and executed, with a mini-movie feel.
The video link is above. To hear the whole Die Urkatastrophe album, go to CENTURY MEDIA’s stream here.
Next time out we’ll share some more of what’s being consumed, but for the sake of length in this article, we’ll save that for the future.
A ‘STABBITY’ Announcement from good friend RICHARD RIVERA!
In staying with the theme of the Halloween season, our good friend Richard Rivera, writer and creator of the smash hit series STABBITY BUNNY, has taken his talents and title BACK onto the independent scene, and TONIGHT (10/26/24) at 10:30pm EST he’ll be doing his very first STABBITY whatnot special. Specials, exclusives, and rare items will be afoot. We hope you’ll check it out, but don’t take it from us, listen to the bunny himself:
DON’T FORGET: THE MISFITZ CLUBHOUSE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL ‘DRESS UP MESS UP’ IS LIVE ON WEBTOON CANVAS
We’ve finished up PINBALL MADNESS and now we’re onto the HALLOWEEN SPECIAL ‘DRESS UP MESS UP’ for our Clubhouse Crew. The final webisode drops this Tuesday at 9pm EST, but you can go catch up now! We just crossed 500 reads overall on the site and that’s great, but for us to grow on of WEBTOON CANVAS, WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We’d LOVE for you to check it out, like, subscribe and all that, and it’s FREE! Can’t beat that!
CHECK OUT MISFITZ CLUBHOUSE FOR FREE ON WEBTOON CANVAS HERE!
…In Other News
We know we keep saying this, but we’re gonna have some exciting news upcoming for HEIRS OF ISILDUR: The Perilous Prospects! Stay tuned!
Don’t forget that we just started a PATREON account, where you can get some inside scoops, sneak peeks, and more. CHECK OUT OUR PATREON HERE
And if you MISSED ANYTHING at our shows, and want to pick up any of our titles or hot SWAG - check out our ONLINE STORE!
That’s all for now!
Matt & Steph
#TeamINSYM
www.linktree.com/insymmetrycreations
