Ghost

You can fell totally alone being surrounded by thousands of people. Plus, Mark has been dealing with anxiety and depression, so makes sense to have seen him 'detached'.

So this is really sad news for the music world. May his soul rest in peace. What a loss. His music plays a huge part in my life since I was a teenager. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jun/11/brian-wilson-beach-boys-dies

I like them a lot. I heard some songs back in the day but got hooked with Prequelle. Then, I went back to their catalog and discovered Opus Eponimous, Infestissumam and Meliora. I absolutely love Skeleta. The only song I don't manage to get into is Excelsis. Rite Here Rite Now, the DVD is amazing. Their scenografy is stunning.

I like it a lot. Yep. Much better than Impera. The first three tracks are fire. Peacefield, Lachryma and Satanized.

That was a pleasant read, @_Kyle_, and I agree with a lot of things you say there. Also, I think there's something more to Tom that it's not been said yet. Maybe because I refuse to think he was that jerk back in the day. My speculation is he had some serious problem dealing with his first kid, Jen and blink being at its peak. Also, probably, some sort of anxiety or much likely depression going on. But that's totally speculation with any evidence. My perception is that Tom's personal life was basically starting to tear apart since then. Or maybe it just was ego. On the other side I can feel too the need of Tom to do BCR to fulfill his interest in exploring a different side of his music coin. I feel like Mark was way too insecure to accept some drifts in blink's sound, and maybe Tom though "ok, I'm gonna explore by myself". As far as it looks from what Mark says on the book, it started as a small thing which ended up being big and recruiting Travis and all. So even if it was Tom's valve to explore other sounds, he didn't handled it very well towards Mark. In the end, he being featured on Elevator sounded more like a forced consolation price. I don't think we're gonna get much more insights on the story, unless Tom speaks by himself and, even though, that's what we're gonna get so far. I mean, I bet there are tons of shit and details that will be unveiled, unless closer people starts to 'talk', you know, as happens with some classic bands, This is fascinating, ain't it? EDIT: oh, and then we have the Modlife affair. Tom was really intelligent on that idea, but again... it was not very well handled, specially with his interest in putting blink in. Anyways...

Oh, hey, what?

Finished it this morning. I liked it. Pretty straight forward. I though he was going to tiptoe on the Tom affair, but he gives more detail than I thought. Not that much on the California-NINE era, and it feels like he's not that happy on how that las album was conceived. And about the first breakup, now more than ever, I'd love to see the lost Blinkumentary footage.

I can understand Jen, but she was married with a musician and she already knew too. It's a tricky balance for both having a new born. Anyways, one thing is that, and another the dorky level Tom was able to reach just by ghosting his own band mates two times through his management. That's just... I mean, not intelligent at all, so to say. Looks like that, pretty much and I can understand Mark being that hurt and reacting as he reacted recruiting Skiba for blink to keep going on. He and Travis handled the first round as pure classy gentlemen, then they god fed up with Tom and kept the machine going. Fair enough. I'm on the second diary entry. I'm loving the book.

Holy shit, hahahaha.

I'm loving it so far. I'm on the part that Enema of the State explodes all over.

Hm... I will start this book in a few days and this disappoints me a bit. I was expecting a little bit more insights in this period of time which was, to be fair, pretty weird (but interesting as fuck), specially the NINE 'years'. Started before pandemic, felt weird before it all exploded and then it all hit the world. We missed a proper long world tour on that album and I honestly think it was for the best. So I was expecting a little bit more of information. I guess this confirms that it was, probably, the lowest period in blink history, and makes sense along with what Travis said in Lowe's interview. To hire so much co-writers was, probably, a way to stay relevant o engaged to the industry. Probably a way to revive it all and a last try to see if it all could work.

Yeah, he divorced Jen. Nah, joking. I think they just learnt the lesson properly. That's what it seems genuinely when they say it in interviews.

Mostly hits 🤣

I agree. There are tons of garbage under that label, but so is under other labels, so... yep.

I didn't chose that name, though. That's how it's called.

I think you stumbled upon 'adult oriented rock'. And yeah, kind of sucks. I don't know if we're talking about the same thing, but lots of bands, once they (sort of) end their evolution -usually due to less commercial success-, then steer again to something that wants to remember what they did in their origins, or just trying to go 'back to the roots'. I agree. Foo Fighters went that route and I got bored of them.

Also, mentioned on the podcast, seems like blink will start to demo songs this summer.

Wow, he said they are talking about playing Elevator live.

I don't know if they are better, but I'd put them on the official tracklist without a doubt. To me they are super fun classic blink.

That's the reason blink works so well. Mark and Tom work as a perfect duo in terms of composition. They keep each other's balance. I always though that the two first AvA records had potential HUGE blink songs if Mark would have had the chance to participate in them with some producer's help. A few come to mind: Valkyrie Missile, The War, The Adventure, The Gift, Start The Machine, It Hurts, Love Like Rockets, Call To Arms, Heaven, Secret Crowds and Star Of Bethlehem. Don't get me wrong. I like them for what they are, but I think they could have become huge blink songs. And if you pay attention to BCR, which also was Tom being Tom, it was way more concrete because Finn was the producer.

I don't see blink as a 4 piece per se either. Not like Matt being on the same spotligh as the rest of the band. I don't know, it feels weird in the end. It's amazing in the context, though. What I can see is blink having a second guitar player a la Green Day or Sum 41 for live shows, to have a fuller live sound, but in the end they never did it and, to be fair, never felt as they needed it with urgency. If so, yeah, would be amazing to have Matt in that place.

This is surreal but amazing. And it demonstrates that people is able to see the real important things in life when they get their shit together and focus on what really matters. What a moment.

Wow that would be amazing. I hope there will be a live stream.

Thank you. That was the whole thing. I would take in the debate -because we all are free to open it up-, but not the disrespect just ignoring the point of the thread playing to be the 'sarcastic' intelligent member attacking others, as it's been shown. But hey, this place is no different than any other social media, and it's also polarized as hell in regards of some opinions, so I kind expect this things to happen from time to time. Just one last thing here: I don't see any debate as a white/black sided option. You always have an infinite grey scale in between. Ignoring that is just dangerous.

So you wouldnt listen and woudln't even tried to understand. As expected. JarJar just JarJaring. My argument may be dumb but at least I'm not the dumb person here. And nope. I'm not for the robots, @Dans Cliff. You either got the point. Anyways. I get people debating and having different points. I get people don't even wanting to debate. I don't get people doing the straw man thing just to shit over an opinion and user, being disrespectful. But well, old classic blink online.