Board 8 > Rank the Tracks Week 22: Massive Attack's Mezzanine (+ Bolt Cutters results)

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CasanovaZelos
08/01/21 10:48:07 AM
#1:


Previous results can be seen here:
https://board8.fandom.com/wiki/Rank_the_Tracks

The rules:
1. Listen to the album in full
2. Rank every track on the album
3. For the results, there will be a curve at the top of each list; two additional points between #1 and #2, and one additional point for the next two ranks. This way, the songs that really stick out to someone get an edge that is not immediately negated by someone else putting it lower. In the case of Demon Days, someone's 15th track will get 1 point, 14th 2 points, 4th 12 points, 3rd 14 points, 2nd 16 points, and 1st 19 points
4. If you want to include comments for individual songs, I will compile them in the results
5. The results will be posted at the beginning of the next topic
6. The deadline to vote is Sunday, August 8 at 8:00 AM EST - though if you are for whatever reason listening to the album around that time, just say so in the topic and I can delay a bit
7. You can sign up to be added to a user cycle for after we finish the queue; once we get through the last planned album, the next person on the list will choose 3 albums which the other users will vote on for the next topic.
7a. To ensure people are being given an actual choice, the three nominated albums must be by different artists. You can otherwise stick to a similar sound or era.
7b. The tiebreaker for these polls will be whichever is listed first in the poll options - make sure to deliver the results in order of your own preference (which will hopefully have the added benefit of influencing people toward your first choice if they can't decide).
7c. The order of the user cycle will be randomly determined, but users will first be sorted into tiers by how many of their nominations have been covered during the early nominations period.

Massive Attack's Mezzanine track list:
1. Angel
2. Risingson
3. Teardrop
4. Inertia Creeps
5. Exchange
6. Dissolved Girl
7. Man Next Door
8. Black Milk
9. Mezzanine
10. Group Four
11. (Exchange)

Schedule:
8/8: The Killers - Hot Fuss (Seanchan)
8/15: Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five (jcgamer107)
8/22: Air - Moon Safari (ZaziGuado)
8/29: The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced (Johnbobb)
9/5: Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine (Steiner)
9/12: The Knife - Silent Shout (CasanovaZelos)
9/19: Billy Joel - The Stranger (Seanchan)
9/26: Spice Girls - Spice (SpikeSetsFire)
10/3: Iron Maiden - Powerslave (TheArkOfTurus)
10/10: Rancid - ...And Out Come the Wolves (Snake5555555555)
10/17: OutKast - Aquemini (Giggsalot)
10/24: Of Monsters and Men - My Head Is an Animal (Jesse_Custer)
10/31: Taylor Swift - Speak Now (Snake5555555555)
11/7: The Avalanches - Since I Left You (SpikeSetsFire)
11/14: Moby - Play (SpikeSetsFire)
11/21: Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill (Seginustemple)

User Cycle sign-ups:
11/28: MetalmindStats
12/5: TheArkOfTurus
12/12: Snake5555555555
12/19: Jesse_Custer
12/26: ZaziGuado
1/2: SpikeSetsFire
1/9: Johnbobb
1/16: VeryInsane
1/23: CasanovaZelos
1/30: Seanchan
2/6: Giggsalot
2/13: RyoCaliente
2/20: darkx
2/27: neonreaper

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CasanovaZelos
08/01/21 10:51:50 AM
#2:


Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters results

The participants sorted by deviance from final results:
CasanovaZelos (12)
VeryInsane (24)
neonreaper (32)
Jesse_Custer (32)
Raetsel_Lapin (42)
Seanchan (42)
Snake5555555555 (42)
Johnbobb (44)
HBJDubs (64)

General Album Comments

CasanovaZelos: My favorite album of 2020 and #11 of all-time. Hit me like nothing else the first time through and has only solidified its status as an instant classic with every listen. It starts with a typical yet strong Fiona Apple song in "I Want You to Love Me," but the ending of that song descends into a chaos that rarely lets up for the rest of the album. "Shameika" hits with a force I've rarely seen before. The percussion throughout is absolutely magnificent. Who knew piano rock could be so aggressive? My only issue is that the final two tracks kind of trail off, while "For Her" feels like it could have been a perfect closer - not the best track by any means, but the declaration that kicks off the bridge there is so chilling that I can't believe she didn't end with it.

Johnbobb: gonna relisten of course but this album blew me away last year

Seanchan: Man...well...they can't all be winners...

First listen and I didn't connect to this album at all. Always a bad sign when I'm 5-6 tracks in and counting how many are left.

CasanovaZelos (responding to Seanchan): And to think, this is the highest rated album of all time on Metacritic (with a reasonable number of reviews, at least). As much as I love it, I'm surprised how universal the response was there.

Seanchan: Criminal is the only song I'd heard from Apple before this. And that's a pretty okay song; it's got a catchy chorus.

There was nothing here that really smacked me in the face and take notice in a good way. Certainly nothing that I would say could be a hit single. But I kinda knew that going in just based on what I'd heard. Also figured that this one probably wasn't going to be in my wheelhouse.

We'll see what another listen or two brings though.

neonreaper: I feel like half of the album doesn't really do much for me but the other half is pretty good. On my list, anything below Drumset I don't feel like I'd really need to listen to again. Some of the good parts remind me of a cross between Eternal Sonata and I Am Setsuna, but that could be just "PIANO" and I'm a simple person.

Raetsel_Lapin: I tend to have a low tolerance for repeated lyrics & Fiona Apple's style relies heavily on repetition, so this album is really not for me. I'm still glad I supported it though--it offers a style unlike anything else we've ranked, I value the opportunity to listen to things I have an aversion to, and I can at least acknowledge that she's talented.

Snake5555555555: A simply incredible album front to back. Fiona Apple experiments gleefully with a lush soundscape of some of the most varied instrumentation you will ever hear on a mainstream album. It rocks, it soothes the soul, it makes you laugh and cry in equal measure as Fiona weaves stories based unashamedly from her own life experiences, from the powerful and emotionally resonant piano rocker "Shameika" to more jazzy numbers like "Ladies", to even the punk-adjacent "For Her". There's a certain sense of shared vulnerability between Fiona and the listener, as she works as both entertainer and excavator, drudging up memories and past experiences you forgot you even had yourself. Much in the spirit of a song like "Hey Ya", Fiona's bouncy and upbeat tempos belay intense drama and it truly forces the listener to pay attention to every note and every lyric being sung. I'm personally a little surprised by the "off-putting" criticism. Despite its experimentation and deeper meanings, it's definitely quite the fun album to just listen to and take in the catchy instrumentation, appreciate its fun quirks (come on, dogs actually being credited on the album is CUTE), and vibe along to Apple's infectious flows.

Seanchan: So, I have to say, this album grew on me some with repeated listenings. Still not something I'm likely to come back to but I've gained a certain appreciation.

Jesse_Custer: Getting this one in at the last minute. I feel like this is one of those albums Id probably like more if I had time to listen a few times.

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CasanovaZelos
08/01/21 10:55:05 AM
#3:


Fetch the Bolt Cutters track ranking

13. On I Go (Track #13)
Score: 32 (Average Rank: 10.44/13)
Biggest Fan(s): HBJDubs, Seanchan (#7)
Biggest Detractor(s): CasanovaZelos, Raetsel_Lapin, Jesse_Custer (#13)

12. Drumset (Track #12)
Score: 38 (Average Rank: 9.78/13)
Biggest Fan(s): neonreaper, Seanchan (#6)
Biggest Detractor(s): VeryInsane, Johnbobb (#13)

11. Ladies (Track #8)
Score: 52 (Average Rank: 8.33/13)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#3)
Biggest Detractor(s): VeryInsane, Snake5555555555 (#12)

10. Relay (Track #5)
Score: 54 (Average Rank: 8/13)
Biggest Fan(s): Jesse_Custer (#4)
Biggest Detractor(s): neonreaper (#13)

9. For Her (Track #11)
Score: 58 (Average Rank: 8.22/13)
Biggest Fan(s): Johnbobb (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Seanchan, Jesse_Custer (#12)

8. Rack of His (Track #6)
Score: 59 (Average Rank: 8.22/13)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Seanchan (#13)

7. Fetch the Bolt Cutters (Track #3)
Score: 65 (Average Rank: 7.11/13)
Biggest Fan(s): Raetsel_Lapin (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): HBJDubs (#13)

6. Newspaper (Track #7)
Score: 74 (Average Rank: 6.67/13)
Biggest Fan(s): HBJDubs, Seanchan (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): neonreaper, Johnbobb (#12)

5. Under the Table (Track #4)
Score: 75 (Average Rank: 6/13)
Biggest Fan(s): Seanchan (#2)
Biggest Detractor(s): Raetsel_Lapin, HBJDubs, Johnbobb (#9)

4. I Want You to Love Me (Track #1)
Score: 90 (Average Rank: 4.78/13)
Biggest Fan(s): neonreaper (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): HBJDubs (#10)

3. Cosmonauts (Track #10)
Score: 93 (Average Rank: 4.56/13)
Biggest Fan(s): Jesse_Custer (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Johnbobb (#8)

2. Heavy Balloon (Track #9)
Score: 95 (Average Rank: 4.33/13)
Biggest Fan(s): CasanovaZelos (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): Snake5555555555 (#13)

1. Shameika (Track #2)
Score: 97 (Average Rank: 4.56/13)
Biggest Fan(s): VeryInsane, Snake5555555555 (#1)
Biggest Detractor(s): HBJDubs (#12)

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CasanovaZelos
08/01/21 10:58:44 AM
#4:


This will be a fun week because I have a positive memory of this album but haven't listened in ages, since I usually turn to Blue Lines when I want to listen to a Massive Attack album in full (despite thinking they're of comparable quality)

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Johnbobb
08/01/21 11:35:54 AM
#5:


How the hell did you people tank For Her like that

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Snake5555555555
08/01/21 1:18:02 PM
#6:


Risingson
Teardrop
Exchange
Inertia Creeps
Group Four
(Exchange)
Angel
Mezzanine
Dissolved Girl
Black Milk
Man Next Door

Trip-hop is such a fantastic genre of music. It's not something I seek out often; instead it always seems to find its way to you in your times of need or crisis. At once, it's energetic and danceable, and by the same token, dark, full of despair, scary & terrifying, and emotionally thoughtful, tailor-made for 3AM middle-of-the-night contemplation. Massive Attack's Mezzanine is the definitive album of the genre, ironically because they tried so hard to escape the very genre they were most known for. I first discovered this album after tracing back the roots of Silent Hills' OSTs and Akira Yamaoka's influences, and so it was an instant success with me. It never gets quite into the realm of pure horror as Aphex Twin, but instead builds up this atmosphere of dread with ethereal experimentation and haunting guest vocals, especially the work of Liz Fraser who helps support the album's highest and memorable moments, who almost seems to be fighting for air amidst intense and suffocating claustrophobia. Despite the album's lofty ambitions however, it stays grounded with disturbing songs about toxic relationships such as in "Inertia Creeps", or wistful contemplation turning into a desperate cry for help in "Group Four" as Fraser runs like a Victorian ghost through lines bemoaning a dead-end job and ultimately a wasted life. The album's most triumphant moment however is "Risingson", a musing on boredom and anxiety that cuts through to the soul with intense reverb and empty spaces that speak louder than words. And that's really the guiding star of the whole album; life isn't always as gloomy and depressing as the album makes it out to be, but there are points where it will be and you will appreciate those empty gaps more and more as you get older. And in Massive Attack's own disparaging of trip hop and electronica, they used this very feeling to create an album that's eternally resonant and emotionally timeless.

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I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back.
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Jesse_Custer
08/01/21 2:40:41 PM
#7:


Black Milk
Teardrop
Angel
Exchange
(Exchange)
Dissolved Girl
Mezzanine
Group Four
Man Next Door
Risingson
Inertia Creeps
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LiquidOshawott
08/01/21 7:38:35 PM
#8:


So Im not as familiar with this as I feel I should be (I listened to it once like, a decade ago?) but just going by the first couple songs I think Im really gonna like it

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HBJDubs
08/01/21 9:22:46 PM
#9:


1. Teardrop
2. Inertia Creeps
3. Angel
4. Black Milk
5. Mezzanine
6. Group Four
7. Dissolved Girl
8. Risingson
9. Man Next Door
10. Exchange
11. (Exchange)

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neonreaper
08/01/21 9:52:39 PM
#10:


Looking forward to this - its been a while since Ive listened to this!

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Walter: No, Donny. These men are cowards.
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CasanovaZelos
08/02/21 10:26:59 AM
#11:


bump

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ChainLTTP
08/02/21 10:43:51 AM
#12:


If I could be reincarnated into any music "scene," it just might be the mid-90s London trip-hop era. Such great vibez.
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SpikeSetsFire
08/02/21 1:09:11 PM
#13:


1. Dissolved Girl
2. Teardrop
3. Exchange
4. (Exchange)
5. Group Four
6. Black Milk
7. Inertia Creeps
8. Angel
9. Man Next Door
10. Risingson
11. Mezzanine


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TheArkOfTurus
08/02/21 6:09:40 PM
#14:


1. Group Four
2. Dissolved Girl
3. Risingson
4. Teardrop
5. Angel
6. Inertia Creeps
7. Mezzanine
8. Black Milk
9. Man Next Door
10. (Exchange)
11. Exchange

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Snake5555555555
08/02/21 6:11:30 PM
#15:


I feel like such a weirdo having the Exchanges ranked separately lol.

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I've decided to put my fears behind me. I'm not going back.
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Raetsel_Lapin
08/02/21 7:12:26 PM
#16:


1: Angel
2: Risingson
3: Dissolved Girl
4: Black Milk
5: Mezzanine
6: Teardrop
7: (Exchange)
8: Group Four
9: Man Next Door
10: Exchange
11: Inertia Creeps
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Seanchan
08/02/21 9:31:46 PM
#17:


Oh man, you guys have no idea what it's like going into some of these albums completely blind. LOL...

I've not heard albums from a lot of the artists we've done but at the very least I've heard a single or two or have a general idea of what to expect. With Massive Attack though, no idea.

I think I liked this? It's certainly evocative. I felt like I should have been walking through some semi-legal warehouse club party, everything dark and sweaty, possibly under the influence of some illicit substances. It felt like something to get lost in. Don't concentrate too hard, just let the beats wash over you and take you away.

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Congratulations to azuarc, the guru of gurus and winner of GotD 2020!
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CasanovaZelos
08/02/21 9:45:07 PM
#18:


Seanchan posted...
Oh man, you guys have no idea what it's like going into some of these albums completely blind. LOL...

I've not heard albums from a lot of the artists we've done but at the very least I've heard a single or two or have a general idea of what to expect. With Massive Attack though, no idea.

I think I liked this? It's certainly evocative. I felt like I should have been walking through some semi-legal warehouse club party, everything dark and sweaty, possibly under the influence of some illicit substances. It felt like something to get lost in. Don't concentrate too hard, just let the beats wash over you and take you away.


Not even "Teardrop"? Interesting.

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CasanovaZelos
08/03/21 10:46:48 AM
#19:


bump

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CasanovaZelos
08/03/21 9:07:11 PM
#20:


up

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CasanovaZelos
08/04/21 3:23:56 PM
#21:


bump

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CoolCly
08/04/21 7:49:19 PM
#22:


man, i tried listening to bolt cutters on board 8's recommendation a while ago, and boy was that a miss.

it's certainly unique, and if people like it thats totally cool, but to me, it was what i have to assume were literal nails on a chalkboard

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Seanchan
08/04/21 10:32:32 PM
#23:


CasanovaZelos posted...
Not even "Teardrop"? Interesting.

Having now listened to the album a 2nd time, nope, I didn't recognize it at all.

Also, for whatever reason, this album didn't hit as hard the 2nd time. Maybe just wasn't in the right mood tonight.

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"That was unnecessarily dramatic". - NY Mets motto (courtesy of InnerTubeHero)
Congratulations to azuarc, the guru of gurus and winner of GotD 2020!
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LiquidOshawott
08/04/21 10:33:40 PM
#24:


So I did a ranking, laughed at how silly it was, then listened to it again and now Im kinda scared to post it so I might have to listen to it one more time

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ChainLTTP
08/05/21 10:41:07 AM
#25:


Seanchan posted...
Having now listened to the album a 2nd time, nope, I didn't recognize it at all.

Also, for whatever reason, this album didn't hit as hard the 2nd time. Maybe just wasn't in the right mood tonight.
Man you need to watch House!
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LiquidOshawott
08/05/21 11:32:28 AM
#26:


Alright halfway through listen number 3 and I feel confident enough to not just put in the track listing lol (Exchanges aside)

Btw has any album had your favorites be the track listing in ascending/descending order?

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CasanovaZelos
08/05/21 11:40:24 AM
#27:


LiquidOshawott posted...
Btw has any album had your favorites be the track listening in ascending/descending order?


Fela Kuti's Zombie and Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells

For a serious answer, I can't think of any. I know a few where the first half is better than the back half since some albums put the singles right up front, but nothing where it is directly in order.

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Seanchan
08/05/21 12:05:28 PM
#28:


ChainLTTP posted...
Man you need to watch House!

As in, that Fox show with Hugh Laurie? Oh bud, the list of shows I haven't watched is massive and House wasn't anywhere on that list. There just isn't enough free time in a day...

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Congratulations to azuarc, the guru of gurus and winner of GotD 2020!
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CasanovaZelos
08/05/21 12:21:50 PM
#29:


Seanchan posted...
As in, that Fox show with Hugh Laurie? Oh bud, the list of shows I haven't watched is massive and House wasn't anywhere on that list. There just isn't enough free time in a day...

For context that was not explicitly provided, "Teardrop" is used as the opening theme for House

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ChainLTTP
08/05/21 1:24:57 PM
#30:


haha yes

it is also a great silly show in its own right!
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LiquidOshawott
08/05/21 1:34:21 PM
#31:


Angel
Teardrop
Risingson
Inertia Creeps
Black Milk
Dissolved Girl
Mezzanine
Man Next Door
Group Four
Exchange
(Exchange)

Kinda close to track listing!

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ChainLTTP
08/05/21 1:49:19 PM
#32:


where @Giggsalot at?
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CasanovaZelos
08/05/21 10:17:50 PM
#33:


my ranking:
Teardrop
Risingson
Angel
Black Milk
Inertia Creeps
Man Next Door
Dissolved Girl
Mezzanine
Group Four
Exchange
(Exchange)

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CasanovaZelos
08/06/21 2:16:23 PM
#34:


bump

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CasanovaZelos
08/07/21 10:10:02 AM
#35:


final day

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Giggsalot
08/07/21 4:26:49 PM
#36:


ChainLTTP posted...
where @Giggsalot at?
oh hey, it's me!

honestly i don't reach for mezzanine that often anymore, but it's been a definitive album for me for more than a decade, and it's perfect for this topic series. track-for-track it's one of the greatest ever, and nearly 25 years later it's still among the coolest sounding and best produced albums of all time. there's a common perception that the first four tracks outshine the rest of the record, but i've always thought that was completely unfair; some of the most tense and cathartic moments that the album has to offer show up later in the album. honestly, just about every song here has been my favourite at some stage, but on pure instinct i'd rank things as follows:

angel
man next door
mezzanine
inertia creeps
risingson
teardrop
group four
black milk
dissolved girl
(exchange)
exchange

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Johnbobb
08/07/21 6:21:20 PM
#37:


shit I listened a while ago, forgot to get up a ranking

  1. Teardrop
  2. Risingson
  3. Dissolved Girl
  4. Inertia Creeps
  5. Angel
  6. Group Four
  7. (Exchange)
  8. Mezzanine
  9. Black Milk
  10. Man Next Door
  11. Exchange



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Seanchan
08/07/21 10:25:50 PM
#38:


  1. Angel
  2. Inertia Creeps
  3. Dissolved Girl
  4. Group Four
  5. Black Milk
  6. Risingson
  7. Mezzanine
  8. Teardrop
  9. Man Next Door
  10. Exchange
  11. (Exchange)
This was such a weird one for me. I felt like I enjoyed it less on repeat listenings...which might just come down to have to do the rankings. Whatever magic I felt on that first listen never re-materialized.

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Congratulations to azuarc, the guru of gurus and winner of GotD 2020!
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CasanovaZelos
08/08/21 1:41:19 AM
#39:


Last bump

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