🎶🎮 July 2025 Roundup
Summer vacay is officially over, and we're back to the mundanity of everyday life. All in all, this year's vacation was pretty darn good for me, even though we didn't undertake any big trips. We had family and friends keeping us company, the weather has been great, we did a lot of yard work together as a family at home, and I helped my dad and my brother repaint a lot of my parents' cabin. The days flew by, and now it's time to buckle down for a year until I get a decent chunk of time off again.
I also had a fair amount of time to spend taking in new music and a few select videogames! And thank FSM for that cause June and July have been absolutely packed with releases. I kid you not when I say that currently, I have 40+ albums waiting for curation. I will be presenting some of them here before they go into my AOTY nominees playlist. 😁
I'm going to be writing a blog post about my little physical fitness project that I've been undertaking for the past three months. I have not been this fired up about something for a long time, and when I get excited about something, I wanna share it with the world. The draft is already started and you might see it published already next week, so watch this space!
I had my last day at work on the 31st as well, which was an almost surreal experience after having been there for the past twelve years. It's a significant chunk of time, and I feel a bit untethered at the moment, despite knowing that I have a new job that I'll be going to on Monday. I got to say a proper goodbye and show some appreciation for most of my coworkers, which I'm thankful for. They even bought me a cake to wish me good luck, which got me a bit emotional, ngl. 🥲
But let's dive into the fun stuff, shall we?
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The Games
Tower Wizard
Incremental Roguelite Clicker (STEAM)
If you ever were one of the misfortunate ones that fell for the time sink that was Cookie Clicker, and for whatever reason you want a more involved version of that experience, this game is it. You play as a humble wizard, who wants to raise a grand tower. You enlist help along the way to gather magical energy of various kinds, wood for construction, houses for your minions, etc. It all gets quite involved toward the end with a shit ton of different resources to manage, upgrades to get, and minions to summon. My entire playthrough took about 12 hours in total.
This game has perfected that constant dopamine kick of "just one more upgrade" to see how far you can get in a run. I actually had trouble pulling myself away to do other things.
And it's only like €3 on Steam. Those are some really cheap long hours of entertainment right there! You can also buy it directly on Itch.io if that's more your bag.
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Donkey Kong Bananza
3D Platformer (SWITCH 2)
Donkey Kong has been one of Nintendo's main staples for me since very early childhood. Donkey Kong Jr. was one of my first experiences on the NES (yes, even before Super Mario Bros.), and I've always had a soft spot for the big lug. After reading and watching all the rave reviews about this game, I decided to get it on the very day that I got my Switch 2, and I honestly can't imagine a better first game experience for this console.
It is absolutely bursting with charm, fun, and energy. I have not played nearly enough to give any kind of proper review on it, but I have played enough to know that I am truly enjoying myself. I don't really experience pure gaming joy much anymore at my age, but damn, Nintendo knows how to still make'em.
If you got the Switch 2, or are planning to, this one shouldn't be missed. 🐵
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The Music
Pop Up! - Flavored
Future Funk, 2016
Listen, sometimes you just wanna dance in the sun, and this - much like Kouek's album from last year - has taken up most of my casual listening time while in the car, chilling with my family outside, or when having friends over. It gets toes tapping quite easily, has immaculate summer vibes, and is just a plain good time.
I don't know why I've never heard of this specific release until now almost ten years later, but it's amazing how you can just come across great music while simply browsing Bandcamp. Check it out! The opening track should be enough to discern whether this is for you.
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Veneficus Sarcina - Being and Morbidity
Black n' Roll, 2025
Sometimes you don't need the blast beats of traditional black metal for something to sound raw and dark. This group out of Ohio knows how to groove, and how to sound fucking brutal while doing it. Their guitar tone is shrill and grating in the best way, all while chugging along at the perfect head bopping tempo. I'd say this record is quite a roller (pun intended) and sometimes that's just what you want.
You can check out the album on Bandcamp and maybe toss these guys some well earned coin. They have less than 1000 listeners on Spotify which is a crying shame, in my opinion.
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Mawiza - Ül
Indigenous Metal, 2025
I love surprises. This Chilean band quickly impressed me with their very distinct and unique sound, featuring vocal performances and instrumentation that you rarely hear in metal music, while still remaining heavy and groovy, and with plenty of attitude. This primal and soulful release quite poignantly encapsulates how metal can be multicultural, and that diversity enriches not just the genre itself, but also us as listeners. Highly recommend checking this out.
Available on Bandcamp for those that feel like expanding their horizons a bit.
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Nite - Cult of the Serpent Sun
Blackened Heavy Metal, 2025
I am not big on traditional heavy metal, but every once in a while a release comes creeping along which has that x-factor which makes it immediately appealing. The melodramatic vocals which saturate so much of the heavy metal genre is absent, and instead we get this low, hoarse, evil sounding vocal delivery that is much more in line with black metal. And I like it, a lot. It works perfectly with this kind of music, giving it a much more serious and somber tone than traditional singing ever could.
There is still a lot of that heavy metal melody here, mind you, all set to that comfortable mid-tempo groove which keeps your head banging along. Great solos, confident musicianship, and just a lot of catchy and memorable tunes.
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I'm now about to head back home from a quiet weekend at the cabin with my partner, and tomorrow I will be embarking on my new adventure. I am very much looking forward to what the rest of this year might bring.
I hope you're all still having a great summer. Peace! ✌️