death. and some taxes, too.

Just finished filing my taxes, and I feel as though a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. That and $326. Luckily, I also get $316 in tax refunds this year, so that means I will pay a grand total of $10 to the government this year. HAH. Of course, that’s not including the hundreds of dollars that were withheld from my salary every month.

I also still have to mail my NYS tax returns, yet H&R Blockhead somehow still charged me $30 for e-filing that state tax return. I say “suck it” to that. Time to get on the phone with customer service?

In other news, I got an advance promo copy of Neurosis’ new album (their first in 3 years), Given to the Rising. I’ve listened about 3 times now, and I can say it’s definitely a melding of their different Steve Albini-produced styles, from Times of Grace through The Eye of Every Storm. It also marks a return to their post-hardcore roots after two albums of post-rock atmospherics, but retains a lot of the chill/melodic feel of those two albums. The riffs kick my ass and make me calmer at the same time. But a more in-depth and pompous review will follow.

Sidenote: I think the album cover looks suspiciously like Jar Jar Binks. What do you think?

Exhausted now. To sleep now, perchance to dream about avoiding taxes, and some death, too. The latter is much more plausible.

-D

Listening: Neurosis - Water Is Not Enough