Inner-Strength Check Podcast

I was fortunate enough to provided a third opportunity to speak with metal luminary Bjorn 'Speed' Strid, frontman and vocalist of the mighty Soilwork and, more recently, disco-lovin' supergroup The Night Flight Orchestra.

In this interview we discuss the upcoming Australian tour, experiences recently supporting KISS on the Swedish leg of their farewell tour, as well as how the man keeps up his vocal performances on two legendary heavy music acts after 25+ years in the business!

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THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA Tour Dates:

Thur Aug 3rd - BRISBANE - The Zoo

Fri Aug 4th - SYDNEY – Crowbar

Sat Aug 5th - MELBOURNE - Max Watts

GENERAL PUBLIC TICKETS ON SALE: WED 26 APRIL @ 10AM AEST.

TICKETS AND INFO: www.hardlinemedia.net

Now and then, I'll be dropping some pieces of media here and there from my GM-ing in various RPG campaigns.

This is a little introductory spiel I cooked up with some corny narration, to introduce our TTRPG group to the fantastic Forbidden Lands system.

It's a brief spiel around the lore. Stay tuned for more random bits and pieces of silly content in future!

More Forbidden Lands content to come in future. Travel safe, adventurers.

Official Site:

https://freeleaguepublishing.com/en/games/forbidden-lands/

Hi There!

Today's episode explores the world of video gaming in 2023.

We begin from an industry-wide context, before moving down to my personal relationship with the hobby, releases I'm excited for, and some positive footnotes about changes in technology, community and accessibility.

Time-Stamps:

[04:35] - The Context of Gaming in 2023 [Industry and Economic Factors]

[09:35] - The Context of Gaming 2023 - [The Gaming Community][14:47] - My Relationship to Video Gaming in 2023 - [Mental Health, etc][18:00]- Games I’m Currently Playing (and Why)

[24:30] - RANT TIME! -Publishers, Content-Creation Cycles, Crunch Culture/Industry Strain, Day One Patches, Players as Beta-Testers

[28: 43] - Rant Over - Positive Aspects of Gaming in 2023 - Technology Advances, Community Norms, Creativity etc.

[32:36] - New Games I’ve Enjoyed in 2023 - Erranorth, Wildermyth, etc

[35:37] - 2023+ Releases I’m Looking Forward To/Outro

Credits:

Ambient Backing Tracks Courtesy of - Ovani Sound (All Rights Reserved)

SFX Courtesy of - Zapsplat (All Rights Reserved)

References:

1. Grand View Research

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/video-game-market

2. Hitberry:

https://www.hitberrygames.com/post/trends-that-are-shaping-the-gaming-industry-in-2023

3. The Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2023/jan/11/playtimes-over-how-2023-could-reshape-video-games

https://www.facebook.com/groups/musolegion

Deadlifts And Death Metal:

FB:

https://www.facebook.com/deadliftsanddeathmetal

IG:

@deadlifts.n.deathmetal

Web:

https://directionalstrength.com/ddm/

Welcome to my first ever audio podcast interview!

Deadlifts and Death Metal is a local staple of the Melbourne heavy music scene, augmenting the metal community's love of sensory modulation through lifting and riffing.

We run through a mutual Q and A format, and take things both from my perspective as a neurospicy social worker, and Elissa's framework as a trainer/business entrepeneur.

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Approx. Timestamps by Topic:

12-18 mins - Elissa’s Lived Experience with Gym Culture and Eating Disorder. Cognitive Distortions/Perfectionism and Nutrition.

25 mins - How Metal Entered the Fitness Process + Vibe Attracts Your Tribe - Metalhead/Music-Lover Clientele DLDNM

27 mins - Back to You, Brady - Social Work, Boundaries, Neurodiversity’s Impact on My Role + Discussing Our Work History.

33 mins - [insert Bill Hicks Marketing skit here] - Our Journeys Around Marketing/Impact on Career.

36 mins - Fitness Marketing - ‘Criers are Buyers!’ and Impacts on Engagement In Training.

39 mins - Reverse Motivational Interviewing - Cognitive Dissonance as Sales Tactics.

40 mins - Metal as  Authenticity, Community Barrier-Breaking and Inclusion At The Gym.

44 mins - Normie Gym-Goer Attitudes To Metal, + Powerlifting and Metal

46 mins - Elissa’s Trifecta - Beer, Deadlifting and Death Metal (in Balance!)

46 mins - ALERT ALERT ALERT NSFW! NSFW! Fast Forward A Minute! NOT FAMILY FRIENDLY LOL.

48 mins - K.I.S.S. - Exercise as An Accessible, Evidence Based Treatment + Sensory Modulation.

50 mins - Brady’s Observations About DLNDM Training As A Client + Halal Snack Packs (Uhh Highly Sensitive People) As Metalheads And Gym-Lovers

53 mins - Elissa’s Metal Journey (Acid Bath Age 11!) + Brady’s Journey - It’s Not A Phase Mum! 

1hr - The Emotional Adaptability of Metal In Fitness.

‘Metal Is Evil’ As Outdated Conservative Shtick.

[scene missing, brain-fart LOL]

1hr 10min - Future Plans for DLNDM - Lifting Retreats? Metal Choirs and Beer Brewery Mobility Workshops?!

Metalhead Q&A - Questions from Musolegion Admin Team For Elissa.

[FREE Deliberately Not-Redacted ADHD Trying To Find Stuff Moment!]

Elissa’s Changed Relationship To Body Image Via Weights & Metal, Q+A.

1hr 20min - Questions For Brady - Neurodivergent Clients, Communication and Safe Space. 

Resources:

If you feel you require support with anything discussed here, please refer to some helpful eating disorder resources.

Psychological Support:

National Helpline:

https://butterfly.org.au/get-support/helpline/

Find A Psychologist/Psychiatrist:

- If you're in Australia, consider a Mental Health Care Plan through your GP, and be aware you can get on the front-foot by searching the APS Find A Psychologist search engine for local clinicians specialising in this treatment modality.

Please make sure you check for Medicare accreditation to be able to access the rebate if finances are a concern.

Link:

https://psychology.org.au/find-a-psychologist

Did you know you can also do the same for psychiatrists?

Link:

https://www.yourhealthinmind.org/find-a-psychiatrist

Self-Help CBT:

https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Disordered-Eating

This episode is essentially a narrated version of the recent written review for the New Dead XII. Another amazing metal marathon!

For the written content, as well as fantastic photos courtesy of (@vidic_images and @samuelphillipsphotography), see the following links:

Part 1:

https://innerstrengthcheck.com/2023/04/20/live-review-part-1-the-new-dead-festival-xii-15-04-23-lion-arts-adelaide/

Part 2:

https://innerstrengthcheck.com/2023/04/22/live-review-part-2-the-new-dead-festival-xii-15-04-23-lion-arts-adelaide/

Once more - eternal infernal metal hails to the tireless efforts of organiser Jason North, his crew, the Lion Arts staff and management, as well as all artists and respective crew.

Let's keep positively-brutal festivals like this alive - support the scene!

Links:

Web: innerstrengthcheck.com

IG: @innerstrengthcheck_

Youtube: @innerstrengthcheck

Twitch: @innerstrengthcheck

Facebook: facebook.com/innerstrengthcheck.

While I'm here, I'd like to spruik the fantastic FB heavy music group Musolegion, of which I am an admin (not a paid shill).

Check us out @ facebook.com/musolegion and /r/musolegion.

[0.00] Intro/Preamble 

[11:20] My Challenges For Running Tabletop Games This Year

[15:45] 2023 Tabletop Campaigns For My TTRPG Group (Mutant Year Zero, Post-Campaign Systems, One-Shots etc)

[20:00] TTRPG Systems I’m Looking Forward To In 2023. 

Part A: Kickstarters I’ve Backed for 2023 
[20:11] Wicked Ones + Undead Awakening KS

[22:00] Warsurge KS

[23:30] Monty Python’s Cocurricular Mediaeval Reenactment Programme KS

[26:00] Mothership RPG KS + Battletech: Mercenaries Kickstarter

[28:00] Part B - Board Games (Frosthaven, Imperial Assault, My BG Shelf Backlog etc)

[30:00] Hyped Titles in the TTRPG Community for 2023 (EnWorlds Nomination Awards Titles, Most Anticipated Titles for 2023, Dicebreaker’s Recommendations for Non-5e RPGs To Play)

Article Links:

ENWorld Nominations Thread:https://www.enworld.org/threads/nominate-your-most-anticipated-rpg-of-2023-nominations-over.693659/

Polygon - Interview with Catalyst Gaming Labs producer Randall Bills:https://www.polygon.com/tabletop-games/23645493/battletech-mercenaries-kickstarter-announcement-release-date-price

Credits:

Intro Music - Minus Life

Backing Ambience - Floating Abstract by ComaStudio (via Pixabay)

Sovereignty Of Unceded Lands For Today’s Recording: The Watharoung Peoples of The Kulin Nation.

It's about time I put my money where my mouth is with reviews, and start putting them to audio format as well!

This is an audio transcript of my written review for Ihsahn's Fascination Street Sessions EP, due for release on March 24th via Candlelight Records. 

It's an interesting mini-project with the completely-expected level of genre-bending antics we've come to know from Ihsahn and co. 

Links: 

Website: http://www.ihsahn.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/ihsahnofficial/

YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLgDklheFcxYYaDgVDsT-CQ/videos

Fascination Street: https://www.fascinationstreet.se

Say that title three times in quick succession to summon the extradimensional horror of your choosing! 

I've seen a lot of apologies and even sentiments of guilt in the everyday language within the content-creator/creative/influencer space lately. 

Heck, even people expressing their sincerest apologies for not having gotten pictures up on social media in an arbitrarily 'timely' enough fashion.

Leaving any sort of relative silence or inconsistency in posting content (of any form) onto the Internet seems to becoming a growing source of anxiety from creatives and influencers.

A real-world lack of capacity to feed the hamster-wheel of endless digital consumption is something I'm noticing more in everyday discourse. 

Join me as I paradoxically spend 40 minutes butchering silence, to discuss a few things I've noticed about our growing discomfort with it. Both from the perspective of a neurodivergent/mentally-spicy person, and moreover just a human being making and consoom-ing Internet in 2023. 

Hey, that rhymed!

A two-fold episode, really - first part is a bit of an update from Yours Truly with regards to my situation, and some thoughts around the barriers that podcasting/content-creation-as-hustle-culture (as well as mental illness) can impose on prospective podcasters, creatives etc. 

The second part is a little more optimistic, where I outlay a fair amount of the specific music and hobby-related content that I will be both consuming and potentially reviewing/discussing on ISC this year. For instance, solo tabletop RPG's, a post-campaign review/discussion, potential interviewees, specific gigs, etc.

Overall, I'm aiming to make this space a bit more focused on how we can squeeze a little more empowerment and fun from our otherwise bleak capitalist dystopia, rather than just another exhaust-vent barrage of preaching to the choir. (Although, expect some of that too!). Sure, there will be plenty to say on the current discourse, but for my own health and your sanity, dear listener/reader/consoom-er, let's focus on how we can have fun and engage in creative things in this overwhelming era. 

Am also keen to potentially chat with or even have episodes/content led by: 

- Musicians/music industry professionals, health professionals, community development workers, hobbyists (anything! go nuts!), tabletop fans, gamers, geeks, lived experience peers, fellow differently-brained neurodivergents, game designers, content creators, etc. 

Links:

Web: innerstrengthcheck.com

Twitch: @innerstrengthcheck

Youtube: @innerstrengthcheck

Facebook: /innerstrengthcheck

Thanks. 

Do good, be kind, stay safe, well and hydrated.

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BLOG LINK:

https://www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog/isc-podcast-ep-05-isc-trajectory-for-2023-27122022

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BLOG LINK: https://www.innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com/blog/isc-podcast-ep-04-the-great-sigh-of-resignation.

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In this episode, I speak a bit to my own struggles in post-pandemic life, but moreso really drill down into a lot of unspoken/downplayed concerns that are coming up for a lot of people. Good people, who are languishing and struggling overall in the post-lockdown period, and feeling unnecessarily guilty for doing so. 

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Particularly, we look to critique the almost-inexplicably-stupid regression back to hustle-culture in a time of ongoing ambiguity and collective exhaustion. A culture fed unrelenting standards imposed by some strange continued need to propogate the pre-pandemic model of life under neoliberal austerity. Plot twist - that isn't working, and I'm fed up. 

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It's a bit rambling and tangential, but that's on-brand.

Hopefully you enjoy the show, and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2023. 

Brady.

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I'd like to acknowledge the leadership, sovereignty and strength of the Wadawurrung people of the Kulin Nation, traditional stewards and rightful owners of the land upon which this recording took place. I'd also like to pay equal respects to the People of the Gumbaynggir Nation, upon whose lands I was born and raised, and all sovereign First Nations.

Support your local National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. 

Close the Gap.

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Intro audio courtesy of Minus Life, from Brisbane. 

Bandcamp: 

https://minuslife.bandcamp.com/music

Background ambience courtesy of Audiomirage. 

https://freesound.org/people/audiomirage/

Rights of ownership are solely those of the artists, and not my own. 

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[Did You Know?]

* As as Australian mental health consumer, you have the right to search for and find a Medicare-rebated psychologist as part of any Mental Health Care Plan completed under the care of your GP. The APS (Australian Psychological Society) has a Find A Psychologist search engine that includes gender, suburb, treating issues, method of delivery, specific quals etc.

Link:

https://psychology.org.au/find-a-psychologist

* Likewise, did you know you can search for a local/telehealth-providing psychiatrist using a similar search engine offered by the FRANZGP? 

Link: 

https://www.yourhealthinmind.org

Finally - if you're struggling with your finances, an unsafe living situation, rent, bills, support or just want a place to connect with people, I can't recommend AskIzzy enough as a great portal for self-Googling to your local appropriate service:

AskIzzy.com.au 

More resources to be added to the website - stay tuned!

Twitch: @innerstrengthcheck

Youtube: @innerstrengthcheck

Web: innerstrengthcheck.com

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