Well, the Twin Galaxies clown rodeo has been at it again.
Now, I know what many of you are going to say, but I'm definitely not writing this to encourage people to take Twin Galaxies seriously. This is so folks can have a good laugh, or at least get the gist of what went on without having to go to the site. Links are provided for attribution. Only follow the TG links if you doubt what I say is true. (Note: Most of what follows was from the dispute thread, and does not represent original research on my part.)
Admittedly, I did have some hopes Twin Galaxies might be turning around, following the infamous Dragster dispute. It was legendary how poorly that dispute was handled, with a clear cut case for removal of Todd Rogers' Dragster time firmly established on day one. And yet, if you recall, TG head custodian Jace Hall seemed content to argue endlessly with Omnigamer, the author of the Dragster analysis, over the fact that his Dragster simulation was not a comprehensive model of the entire universe, accounting for everything from hardware malfunctions to cosmic rays to, I don't know, fucking gnome wizards. Jace sought a burden of proof even higher than the highest criminal standard of "beyond a reasonable doubt", aiming for a target somewhere along the lines of total omniscience. This open-and-shut case went on for months, uncovering several other bogus scores of Todd's, as well as his fabrication of evidence and outright lies over the years. The dispute was eventually settled, not by the scientific certitude Jace Hall called for, but rather by the testimony of former TG ref Robert Mruczek.
https://i.imgur.com/LcOMFL5.png
But I'd hoped TG administration were cognizant of how embarrassing that dispute was, and were committed to doing better in the future. Despite TG's many blemishes, they do have a lot of history, even if the legacy scoreboard needs a massive overhaul. And the Billy Mitchell Donkey Kong dispute, which I still say was handled impeccably, seemed to validate that hope, at least for a while. However, some subsequent disputes have gone back the way of Dragster again. This latest dispute... well, disputes... against speedrun liar Rodrigo Lopes have taken TG dispute nonsense to a whole new level.
Who is Rodrigo Lopes?
Rodrigo Lopes is a long-time speedrunner from Brazil with a lot of talk and very little video. His claimed records were not recognized by Speed Demos Archive (and thus are not recognized by speedrun historians today), not due to an outright ban or (before now) tangible proof of cheating, but because he refused to share the whole videos. Rodrigo did make an SDA post in 2008, claiming many significant speedrun world records, but only offering video of the last few moments of each run as proof. While not recognized in the speedrun community, Rodrigo does have a prolific history at Twin Galaxies (going by the username "Siliconian"), with 1,622 scores/times from the old referee era. Add in his 6,846 scores/times from the current "TGSAP" era (thousands of which are on various tracks on mobile games), and you have his current (as I write this) total of 8,468 scores at Twin Galaxies, giving him the most TG world records and the site's highest "Expert Skill Index" rating:
https://i.imgur.com/1H6cnGn.png
Rodrigo was also a founder of Brazil's "Team Metroid", whatever that means, as well as (put on your shocked faces) a Twin Galaxies referee.
In 2006, Richard Ureta was recognized with a new TG world record on Legend of Zelda for NES, with a time of 32:02. Ureta's glory was short-lived, as Rodrigo quickly declared his intention to beat that time. (Rodrigo's writing can be hard to read. It should be noted that English is not his first language.) Three weeks later, Rodrigo announced he had overtaken Richard with a time of 31:36 (later re-timed to 31:37). As was standard practice at TG at the time, a physical tape was mailed to a TG referee to verify, and no copy of it was ever made public, although Rodrigo did upload the final dungeon to YouTube some time later. (Bet he regrets that now!)
Earlier this summer, questions were raised about this 2006 "world record", and why it didn't appear in Summoning Salt's world record progression video on Legend of Zelda, as it was faster than both Ureta's run and the best publicly available run of that era by Tom Votava. This led to a formal dispute of Rodrigo's record at TG, in the hopes of collecting emerging evidence and discussion in one official place. Rodrigo claimed this dispute, initiated without clear evidence at the start, was proof that jealous haters were out to besmirch his good name. But of course, it didn't take long for hard evidence to emerge of cheater-ation:
https://i.imgur.com/Y2LBsdu.png
On the left is the enemy spawn formation of the third room of level 9, taken from LackAttack's current world record. And on the right is the same room's spawn formation from Rodrigo's run. Every known speedrun of the game that takes a direct path from the last Triforce piece to level 9 has the proper spawn formation for that room as seen on the left, except for two outliers that have the formation seen on the right: Michael "TSA" Damiani, and Rodrigo Lopes. One might be led to think the two have something in common.... other than a little mutual disdain:
https://i.imgur.com/uUgJb8n.png
Zelda experts chimed in on the TG dispute thread, explaining the underlying game mechanics governing these enemy spawn patterns. There are a few ways to get this irregular formation, such as leaving and re-entering level 9 or back-tracking a few overworld screens for no apparent reason, but each possibility would be inexplicable in a speedrun, resulting in a loss of time that would be strictly disqualifying for the final time Rodrigo claimed. The spawn pattern seen in Rodrigo's run simply couldn't happen following a straight route from the last Triforce to level 9. The most likely cause would have been using Up+A upon entering level 9, giving the player as many chances as they wanted for a flawless level 9 to splice together with their complete game up to that point.
So we have an old TG score, with no public video, from a player who as late as 2017 claimed to have a secret better route that could get sub-30 (under TG's no-glitch rule set), but only if he gets lucky bomb drops. In other words, he claims outright mastery of the game while still not knowing that item drops in Legend of Zelda are now calculated, and have been for years. But none of that matters, because he still refuses to share the whole video of his run.
Hold up. He still has the video?
Oh yeah, did I mention that? He told this to TG user Starcrytas in a PM:
https://i.imgur.com/nky0EXr.png
Years ago, he mocked people who are afraid of showing off their record runs:
https://i.imgur.com/wQbau8s.png
But now, when asked about whether the video could be made available, it's always a variation of "Oh, it would be a pain to find," or "This is unfair," or "I don't take this that seriously, I just play games for fun," or "I don't have the time to do all that." Even though he does have the time to keep submitting dozens and dozens of new scores on mobile games.
Wait wait wait, he's still submitting scores!?
Yup! I mean, not right now, but he was submitting new scores right as this dispute against him was going on. When I started tracking on November 12th, he added 50 scores in four days, all of which went through the normal adjudication process. Basically every variation he could find on Angry Birds and Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia on Android. Gotta pad those TG ratings somehow, right?
A whole new level of TG nonsense
What really sets this particular circus dispute apart from the others we've seen is Twin Galaxies' normally impossible-yet-predictable evidence standards went completely out the window. At times, it felt like Jace Hall was just making shit up on the fly.
On November 7, three months after the discrepancy of spawn formations had been noted, Jace Hall finally felt compelled to step in. As we discussed, Jace adheres to a dubiously high evidence standard for removal of a legacy score. Video of the crime in action? How do we know that video wasn't staged? Confession of the killer? How do we know it wasn't coerced? Rigorous scientific determination of a claimed run's impossibility? Sure, but did you factor in the human element? What if math is wrong? What if we're living in a computer simulation and none of this is real? Can you truly rule out robot warlocks from the future?
This time, Jace acknowledged that the evidence was both compelling enough to warrant action but not as "definitive" as is his preference, putting himself in a "unique" situation:
https://i.imgur.com/cSEKbcn.png
Rather than do the reasonable thing and say "Let's remove this probably-cheater's scores until he can cough up some damn vids," Jace decided this stalemate would best be broken with a generous offer to the speedrun community:
https://i.imgur.com/3S3ucse.png
Yes, you read that correctly. Jace called for no fewer than five notable Zelda speedrunners to sign statements affirming their belief both in the evidence against Rodrigo and in Twin Galaxies' competence.
What exactly would a signed statement of opinion prove that the evidence itself did not?
Good question, bud! Either the evidence makes the case, or it doesn't, right?
Omnigamer, who has no shortage of experience dealing with Jace Hall, trashed him on Reddit over this maneuver:
https://i.imgur.com/M3wtocf.png
Before I continue, I should point out something I've noticed here. For years, Jace Hall has expressed, let's say an "emphasis" on getting players to provide and verify their real info at Twin Galaxies. We're talking real names, phone numbers, and actual physical addresses. See for instance the last thirty seconds of this Facebook livestream from last year. Or this interview from 2014 (at the 2:15:13 mark). Jace says that TG doesn't sell peoples' info, and that this point of emphasis is because Guinness prefers to deal with real names. Okaaay... But what's odd to me is, he brings up this desire for your info even in contexts that have nothing whatsoever to do with submitting that info to Guinness, such as "We need you to give us your personal info before we can accept your testimony on this score dispute."
At any rate, nobody signed Jace's exact statement, but a few Zelda speedrunners did show up and offer their expertise in the dispute thread, including Fcoughlin and cantaloupeme (who was expressly curious why Twin Galaxies needed his address). "Four Swords" runner Tompa contributed as well. A couple of people even ran "TG Rule Set" as a new category on SRC, both getting a better time than Rodrigo (obviously with the correct level 9 spawn patterns).
Half-measures
That silly offer to the speedrun community got even sillier just hours later, when Jace decided to amend his terms. Rather than offer a resolution where all of Rodrigo's scores would be wiped from the leaderboards (as one would tend to do with cheaters), Jace backpedaled and said, due to insufficient evidence, only Rodrigo's pre-TGSAP scores would be removed, and maybe the ban wouldn't be lifetime after all:
https://i.imgur.com/tJ30WAA.png
"TGSAP", for those who don't know, stands for "Twin Galaxies Submission and Adjudication Process", the new community-based system for score/time verification which supplanted the old private referee system. Under TGSAP, full video is required, to the extent that even previously verified scores/times can be removed simply on the basis that the video has since disappeared from public view. (Again, that's talking about scores/times submitted under TGSAP. Legacy scores are treated differently.) Honestly, it's a commendable standard for modern adjudication, but anyone who has looked into cheating in gaming/speedrunning knows that even full, permanent video hasn't stopped people from producing convincing cheats (not even under TGSAP specifically). TGSAP doesn't require handcams, nor does it sufficiently account for things like macro use or ROM modification. TGSAP is good, but it's not perfect.
The idea that someone would be found to have cheated enough to warrant removal of mail-in scores, but not enough to warrant removal of online video scores, is baffling, not to mention arbitrary. Jace Hall didn't seem to balk at the prospect of stripping Billy Mitchell's scores in the face of the MAME evidence, and many other disputes are dispatched quietly and efficiently. But a special few of them drag on for months, with the phoniest of rebuttals being offered at times. As I said before, I would have liked to believe things had changed at TG, that things were moving in the right direction such that these decisions were being weighed with respect to the evidence and not TG admin's reluctance to remove a particular player's scores. But these maybe/maybe not half-measures make me wonder. Was TG's reluctance to strike all of Rodrigo's scores due to Rodrigo's extensive and continued participation on the site? Was it due to his high placement on their site-wide rankings? Was TG afraid of the embarrassment that would ensue if their top player was found to be a cheater? Or hell, is this nonsense all just another way of stirring up bullshit drama?
The bogeyman
In attempting to defend his overabundance of caution (if you could even call it that), Jace Hall then delved into several references to potential legal action against TG which could result from score/time removals such as this:
https://i.imgur.com/Zw07f1N.png
https://i.imgur.com/1tdXPjw.png
First of all, as far as we know, nobody has actually sued the current Twin Galaxies over a score/time removal. Billy Mitchell has famously threatened to sue over his scores getting wiped, but he hasn't actually followed through, and is unlikely to ever do so as his case is dead-on-arrival. Yes, in the U.S. you can technically sue anyone for anything (though I don't know how it works in Rodrigo's home country of Brazil), but no actual case can be made against a scoreboard simply de-listing a player's scores without comment. Twin Galaxies did literally that two years ago against notorious scumbag (and former TG ref) Ron Corcoran. At best, this is a potentially operation-crippling level of over-caution, or at worst, this is Jace Hall using the specter of legal threat to justify a position which in actuality has more to do with some other unstated motivation.
But here's where it gets really ugly to me. Remember Jace's offer for five speedrunners to slap their real names down on the table and testify that they think Rodrigo's run is baloney? If he really truly does think this is a case with actual legal liability, what on Earth are we supposed to make of that "offer"? "Here, people who have nothing to do with this website, you put your names on this instead." He literally says their statements need to be strong enough to "move the needle toward resolution", with the stated concern being that TG could get sued. Is he trying to base Twin Galaxies' decision directly on other peoples' testimony such that TG can say "You can't sue us, we're just going by what was reported, you'll have to sue those other people instead for telling us you cheated"?
But honestly, I don't even think that's what's going on here. Jace talks about all of this so openly and freely. What does every lawyer tell you to do when faced with legal threats? "Keep your yap shut!!" No way did Jace consult with a lawyer on any of this, or at least if he did, no way is he actually taking that lawyer's advice. He's just a cowboy, shooting from the hip. He tells us what he wants, but he can't seem to be up front about why some disputes are so easy to settle while others can't be resolved even in the face of definitive proof.
The Human Element
Speaking of the Dragster dispute, what contentious, drawn-out Twin Galaxies dispute wouldn't be complete without a suite of ancillary disputes, as investigators begin to notice that the main disputed record isn't the only fishy item on that player's score page? Rodrigo's time on Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures on GameCube has been questioned as potentially impossible. (Again, only the last few minutes are made public by Rodrigo.) There are also some alleged discrepancies with his time on Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past on SNES.
But the real juicy stuff goes all the way back to our old friend, our old pal, the Atari 2600. No, we're not racing any dragsters or storming any barns or wascaling any wabbits this time. But we do have a Tasmanian Devil sighting! Recall that Todd Rogers in 2004 claimed an impossible (for multiple reasons) score on the Atari game Taz, complete with a photo of his television showing the impossible score. Todd's defense at the time was that he was actually playing on a secret 1984 version of Taz which scores differently, a version which nobody to this day has ever found. (I will say that Rodrigo has not yet to my knowledge resorted to the "prototype defense".) That score was the subject of its own dispute parallel to the Dragster dispute two years ago. Unlike Todd's claim, Rodrigo's score on Taz is actually possible in the sense that the game will technically allow it, but it's still not possible in the sense that no human can consistently play on the insane speeds the game runs at past about 300,000 or so points. Check out the console and emulator leaderboards for that game:
https://i.imgur.com/4VMsP5A.png
Rodrigo managed the same super-human feat on Asterix, which is basically the same game:
https://i.imgur.com/ugzy0hE.png
Not quite as stark a contrast is Rodrigo's Asteroids score, again on Atari 2600. The top console score is 79,660 points, while on the emulator leaderboard Rodrigo is rockin' 111,390:
https://i.imgur.com/Q7jILnh.png
https://i.imgur.com/uUFk6ZJ.png
In fact, each of these sketchy Atari scores of his are on emulator, rather than actual console. It turns out, it's a simple matter to slow down an Atari emulator during game play and then play it back at full speed, creating the illusion of real-time play one might pass off on a trusting referee.
Another sketchy emulator score by Rodrigo is on "Alligator People". But this time, the score actually is just impossible, ending in a 3 when scores can only end in a 5 or a 0.
https://i.imgur.com/zs9y619.png
Hey, maybe we can just round the score down and call it good.
Talk, talk, talk
But enough of actual scores and evidence. Let's get to the most indelible element of any lengthy Twin Galaxies dispute: Name-calling and petty bickering!
The question of how exactly Rodrigo's scores were verified was a topic of discussion. Rodrigo had 14 scores with "referee" listed as verification method (meaning, the score was verified live in-person), and with Rodrigo firmly in Brazil, there doesn't seem to be any way that could have happened unless he and his buddies in "Team Metroid" were verifying for each other. But insofar as Rodrigo did submit tapes to a TG ref who wasn't his teammate, he had a specific preference to submit those tapes exclusively to TG referee Robert Mruczek. (It also appears that his competitor Richard Ureta "Sleepz" was subjected to no less than triple-verification while Rodrigo skated through.)
I'm not going to get into the question of whether Mruczek was in on the scam, as opposed to merely being identified by the cheaters as a ref who trusts them. But just because I'm not going there doesn't mean others didn't. You can see much of this squabbling for yourself on the open thread, but I wanted to show off a couple "deleted scenes", if you will, captured as part of my screencapping.
First we have "RTM" (Robert Mruczek) popping off at [REMOVED BY ADMIN]. Who, might you ask, is [REMOVED BY ADMIN]? Thankfully, TG admin's redaction isn't very thorough, as the original version of RTM's quote was still up in a reply from Marcade, just a bit lower on that same page. That reply, as you see, later got the axe altogether:
https://imgur.com/a/dCLvnCa
I mean, sure, it was petty and off-topic, but have you seen these TG dispute threads?
Marcade made another reference to Mruczek, which again got edited out. But this time, Jace addressed it specifically:
https://imgur.com/a/G5oyriI
Back again with the "But somebody could sue" bit? Like, seriously, how was that any more slanderous and worthy of censorship than half of what goes on in those threads? Why were Marcade's comments about Mruczek so much worse than his remarks about Rodrigo in the same comment? Out of all the nonsense on that site, why was this the item Jace could not allow to stand?
Speaking of Jace, he ruffled some feathers when on page 21 he characterized witness testimony as mere "lips flapping"...
https://i.imgur.com/bqhhBtt.png
...but wasn't Jace the one asking for that "lips flapping" testimony moments ago? Wasn't he directly saying such testimony was all he would need to wrap the dispute up? Also recall yet again the infamous Dragster dispute, which dragged on for months in spite of verified and re-verified scientific evidence, only to come to an abrupt end (a month ahead of schedule) on the basis of - oh, that's right - "lips flapping".
It was around this same time that Jace, over on his site blog, acknowledged "concerns" over Twin Galaxies' legacy scoreboard, while casually floating out a shocking proposal:
https://i.imgur.com/WE7SCUS.png
Jace would later say in the comments that the proposal was scrapped due to negative feedback.
Meanwhile, back at the Rodrigo dispute, the official Twin Galaxies account offered the most - and I don't use the term lightly - cringe-inducing rebuttal to the ol' speedrunners' mantra:
https://i.imgur.com/TlKevl4.png
Later, in the same comment, TG again invoked the dread threat of legal action:
https://i.imgur.com/qVv3tP3.png
Lastly, TG offered a weak explanation of why they would remove only some of Rodrigo's scores:
https://i.imgur.com/VqCG0iH.png
Again, this dispute calls all of Rodrigo's pre-TGSAP scores into question, but somehow his TGSAP scores are safe. I guess the TG mantra would be "Vid, did".
The rants
Getting back to the man of the hour, if you love dumb rants from cheaters continuing to profess their innocence in the face of obvious guilt, then Rodrigo Lopes is your guy!
I linked the "Oh, I don't have time to find the tape, I just play games for fun" rant above. Around November 12, Rodrigo sent another one, this time directly to Jace Hall, who reposted it to the public evidence thread:
https://i.imgur.com/WPL4nM9.jpg
Let's see... "I've given a lot of time and work to this site," "These people are haters looking for evidence to destroy me," "They broke the rules when they opened this dispute," "It's unfair that there's so many of them all against me." Not a lot pertaining to the actual evidence, but you know how that goes. Oh, and an interesting little plea bargain at the end. "How about you just ban me for one year, and let me keep my scores?" Surely, the words of an innocent man!
It should be noted that his claim that he has proven his critics wrong only for them to resume at a later date doesn't seem to be valid. Multiple participants in the dispute looked for any instance of him proving the legitimacy of any contested run of his, ever, and nothing of the sort could be found.
Jace at this time responded to Rodrigo and reiterated his stance that, if this dispute were approved, it would result in the removal of Rodrigo's non-TGSAP scores and a ban of to-be-determined length.
Oh, but this wasn't the last of Rodrigo's juicy rants. He had up to this point avoided participating in all the disputes against his runs (except for one 2017 dispute which called for a mere time adjustment). But dude had had enough! This injustice would stand no further! On page 25, he decided to finally make an appearance, and lay some truth down on the non-believers:
https://i.imgur.com/NqvJ8Dp.png
Oh my gosh, for real? How long is this gonna go?
https://i.imgur.com/ekT1HYv.png
You'll have to go there yourself if you want to bask in its true awe, but here's the gist: "I've been with Twin Galaxies a long time, but nobody cares what I've done! Nobody thanked me for all the work I did! Good players are leaving, and you don't care! Us players who have stayed since the beginning are treated like garbage! Newbies are treated with more respect than me! If you so much as submit an incorrect digit, you'll get banned forever for cheating! These haters attack me wherever I go! Look at these other disputes about which I have nothing meaningful to say! Someone can start a dispute, and there's no penalty if they're wrong, but I can lose all my records, so how is that fair!? Why do these newbies have more influence than us senior members!? Twin Galaxies doesn't care if I'm banned or not! I spent my time helping Twin Galaxies, but these newbies are spending all their time investigating me! If I lose, I'll lose 8,300 records, this is unfair! This will never end! Even if I upload Zelda and prove them wrong, they'll just dispute me again without proof! Angela starts a dispute without evidence, and there's no penalty, but if I refuse to submit the video, I get banned! You cannot say this is fair! I don't need to defend myself against an invalid dispute! Twin Galaxies is corrupt against itself! Go ahead and remove all my records from before 2013, I'll reclaim them again! I'll agree to a one-year ban, but you don't need to ban me permanently! Thank you to all my real friends!"
At that point, Rodrigo finally relented and addressed the actual evidence against him by publishing his complete Zelda tape, proving his innocence and putting the matter to rest forever.... Just kidding. No, what really happened was Jace Hall at last closed the actual dispute thread with an official statement effectively saying "Enough is enough", announcing that Rodrigo's scores would be removed immediately.
Haha, nope, that didn't happen either. This circus train wasn't going to stop that easily.
Makin' up the rules
You probably thought Jace was done with his wacky dispute deals. But YOU THOUGHT WRONG.
Rodrigo complained over and over that the dispute process was unfairly biased against him. This seems weird to me, given that people disputing TG scores are expected to spend hours of their free time and bend over backwards to dissect what little public evidence is available while the person claiming the score can sit back and do actual nothing even when compelling evidence against their claim emerges. But regardless, Rodrigo's complaints were heard by the Twin Galaxies ringmaster himself, who whipped up the following offer to dispute participants:
https://i.imgur.com/7vJfVWG.png
What? The? Hell? Is going on here!?
I don't want to bash the people who signed up for that, as they can do what they want. But you'll notice that, despite my having posted to the dispute thread advocating that all of Rodrigo's scores should be removed, my name isn't anywhere near that nonsense. And it's not because dude isn't obviously guilty, and it's not because I have any TG submissions whatsoever to care about. It's because this is fucking insaaane.
First off, it's one thing for Rodrigo to be annoyed at someone disputing his score/time with no evidence, but it's a whole 'nother matter when significant evidence exists that the run is cheated. Imagine if someone who certainly appeared to be guilty of a crime - let's say, bribery - complained that it's not fair he has to defend himself in court and may go to jail, while the people credibly accusing him aren't at risk of anything themselves. Now, imagine the judge says, "You know what? You're right! Let's make it more fair. The people who think he's guilty, please raise your hands. Here's the deal. If this guy is found guilty, he'll go to jail for bribery, but if he's found not guilty, you'll all go to jail instead!"
Like, why is this bogus complaint being entertained by TG admin at all? Like, at all?
There's also the little matter that Twin Galaxies dispute verdicts haven't always been exactly reliable. Like, I'm really supposed to risk anything, literally anything whatsoever, on the notion that TG administration will look at concrete evidence of someone cheating and conclude "Yup, case is clear, dude definitely cheated." I wouldn't risk my garbage on that, no matter how certain I was that the person actually cheated.
I will also point out that 1) like the rest of this ridiculousness, this clearly didn't go through any lawyer, and 2) given that it wasn't vetted in any way, it wouldn't really stop Rodrigo from uploading his original spliced submission and claiming that it "clearly and definitively proves without question" that his run is "valid". We all know what these words are supposed to mean in real talk, but in a pseudo-legal context they can be argued many different ways. It's like making a bet with someone you don't trust that one of you will get the "record" on a given game without ever specifying what track, what rules, who's going to verify it, or what the timetable is.
Oh, and once again, we see Jace Hall just making shit up as he goes. Contrary to his claim that this sort of offer will be in effect for "one specific dispute case only", the precedent is now set. Isaiah "Triforce" Johnson, during his Contra 3 dispute last year, claimed to have a tape showing a playthrough of his which he would only publish in the event Twin Galaxies removed his score. Does he now get right of reprisal against his disputers? Does every accused gamer get that right? Should there really be a penalty for raising a question about a run's legitimacy? I get that score disputes can definitely be used as harassment, and I do agree that matters concerning the investigation of potential cheating should be handled with some delicacy (which seems to be lacking from the TG dispute method in general), but at the end of the day, such matters must be discussed if the sport is to stay clean.
While this offer of Jace's certainly added to the theatrics of the Twin Galaxies clown rodeo, I'm not sure it improves his scoreboard's legitimacy. It also tacitly gives away the notion that Jace is already quite confident in the guilt of the accused. He knows he isn't actually going to have to enforce this nonsense, which would mean scrubbing out several of TG's top competitors and contributors from his site, all for life. Like, why not just act on that confidence and remove the score? Is it that the theatrics are more important?
Soon after this new offer from Jace, with people now risking lifetime bans and score removals over this dispute, the question was asked whether this meant Rodrigo would now face a full score removal and lifetime ban rather than the partial measure referenced multiple times earlier:
https://i.imgur.com/QKnAeEG.png
No direct answer was given.
Technical difficulties
For a short while, there was some consternation that wiping Rodrigo Lopes and all his scores could actually break the Twin Galaxies website:
https://i.imgur.com/Ykuwtrp.png
Basically, the site grants users all these points and ratings and bullshit based on their participation in submission and adjudication under TGSAP, and a lot of that would get torn to shreds the moment Rodrigo and his submissions are plucked from the system. Unlike Todd, Billy, and some others, whose scores (bogus and otherwise) were limited to the old referee days, Rodrigo has been even more active under TGSAP than he was before, even though it was his older records which finally came under scrutiny. This was the first time that a wide removal of scores under the TGSAP system was being considered. Jace said of the possibility of a one-time workaround:
https://i.imgur.com/InZwWZT.png
He did eventually come back and say the site's engineers figured out a way to keep everyone's credibility rating and submission points, but really, who cares?
Check this out, though! Rodrigo returned! On page 35:
https://i.imgur.com/p5q6c4v.png
Holy smokes! Tapes! Lots of them!! And he's recording them... like, externally, with a cell phone, I guess? But hey, that's something! Are we actually gonna get some progress? Are we gonna see this Legend of Zelda one-time world record that Rodrigo's been oh-so happy to brag about all these years?
https://i.imgur.com/bLS1ZHk.png
Hahahaha, Nope!! We got two short clips of his digital capture being recorded off his computer screen. One is just 20 seconds of him getting the first sword, and the other is a shorter version of the level 9 video we've already seen. Here, check 'em out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO4-qsMylHQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imFaesFrMRo
"Ohhhhhh gosh, it would be sooooooooooo much trouble to drag this already digitized file over into YouTube. I'm afraid the best I can do is record a couple minutes of it externally and then post that instead."
Of course, his three posts on page 35 came with more ranting about how the disputes are invalid, and how people are only disputing these records because they belong to him. He says that Jace probably doesn't want to lose him or other members of the site, remarking in all-caps "WE DONT NEED TO FIGHT AGAINST OURSELVES." (No dude, we don't, because you're a cheater.) Also another attempt at plea-bargaining down to temporary ban with only old scores removed. Also another shout out to his real friends.
Literally not one person bought any of this shit, of course. There were many more requests that Rodrigo upload the Zelda run, or even perhaps, just the segment from the last Triforce piece to the first stairway of level 9, since theoretically that would provide enough data on enemy spawn formations and item drops to determine any splices. However, Mrturk did point out on page 37 that a lot of information on what people would be looking for had been collected in the dispute thread, and that Rodrigo did now have the opportunity to at least try to modify the evidence to erase certain tells. Thus, at this point, with so many people agreeing to risk lifetime bans themselves, Twin Galaxies should accept only the entire original video (not that they were going to get it, anyway).
Wrapping it up
Oh my goodness, are we there yet?
Not long after Rodrigo's taunt that he totally had the video right there and still wouldn't be sharing it with anyone, things actually started functioning reasonably, starting with this announcement from Jace:
https://i.imgur.com/kzPkBEh.png
Well, some things functioned reasonably. As I was starting to write all this, I was occasionally refreshing Rodrigo's profile page, and on Tuesday I saw this message:
https://i.imgur.com/t8DEVPu.png
I thought, this must be it! Dude is done for!
But no, not only can TG not run a score dispute, they can't run a damn website either. The player profile link I had been following, the one that still comes up right now when you Google "Twin Galaxies Siliconian" - https://www.twingalaxies.com/siliconian - stopped working. They changed site URLs that day, and a bunch of existing links are all broken, now. The new URL for Rodrigo's profile - https://www.twingalaxies.com/member.php/36224-Siliconian - was still business as usual.
...at least for a few hours. Then Rodrigo's profile actually did change:
https://i.imgur.com/NuUyulc.png
No official word, though. Does "BANNED" mean temporary, or permanent? All 8,468 of his scores were still there. It seems like, if you were TG admin, and if you were the sole party able to choose when this stuff would be implemented, you could... you know... have your closing statement ready to go for when you flip the switch. This dispute couldn't even end properly.
Almost five hours later, we finally got the word:
https://i.imgur.com/FRZzVow.png
Okay, not a good start...
https://i.imgur.com/VONhBc1.png
Better...
Basically, TG admin cited the fact that a lot of people put a lot of time and energy into investigating this dispute, while Rodrigo voluntarily told everyone he has the tape and refuses to share it. Apparently it matters that Rodrigo told everyone about the tape voluntarily, rather than the existence of the tape being deduced or discovered? TG admin also didn't care for the fact that Rodrigo suggested he would wait for a ban and then publish this totally-exonerating evidence after the fact, basically saying this conduct was unbecoming of a former TG ref who called on others to substantiate their claims many times:
https://i.imgur.com/FriDuAP.png
Haha, somebody wasn't happy! As for the result:
https://i.imgur.com/Fwxgywc.png
No explicit reason was given for why the punishment was bumped back up, although obviously it was the correct move. And the next day, the deed was done. TG admin then closed the official dispute thread, while opening a separate "Post-verdict" thread so people could continue bickering about irrelevant bullshit.
So what did we learn?
I think, deep down, in our heart of hearts, we know the answer:
Nothing we didn't already know.
TL;DR:
https://i.imgur.com/ZaCT9cC.png

Artist: BROCKHAMPTON
Album: Team Effort Puppy The Best Years Of Our Lives iridescence
Tracklist: Wikipedia
Released: September 21, 2018
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Best Boy Band Since One Direction

8 years ago, a user under the name of “harry styles” opened a thread on a Kanye West discussion forum with one simple question. “Anybody wannna make a band?” Many replies later, over 30 people ended up agreeing and formed a group consisting of not only rappers and producers, but engineers, designers, and videographers. They called themselves Alive Since Forever and released only one project, a self-titled EP on Bandcamp. Some members of the group decided to rebrand, some left, and some new members were added. On January 27, 2015, BROCKHAMPTON released their first official single, a 6 minute track called BET I.
BROCKHAMPTON released two more singles that year, HERO and DIRT, with the latter winning a contest that gave them their first professionally shot music video. On March 24, 2016, BROCKHAMPTON released their first project, a mixtape entitled ALL-AMERICAN TRASH.
At this point, BROCKHAMPTON consisted of 16 members, with 13 of these members still remaining in the group today. I won’t list them all (here’s a list of the current members), but the main players are Kevin Abstract, Matt Champion, Merlyn Wood, Dom McLennon, Joba, Bearface, and Romil Hemnani. The group derived their name from [the name of a street in Corpus Christi, Texas,] on which Kevin used to live.
The group garnered a decent amount of attention at this point, and after the release of Kevin Abstract’s second studio album in November 2016, American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story, more music sites started to become aware of the group and its eclectic, indie-influenced approach to hip hop. In January 2017, the group released a standalone single named CANNON. It was apparent at this point they were on the path to refining their sound, experimenting, and finding themselves. However, what wasn’t apparent is that they were about to kick off what would become one 2017’s biggest success stories, a carefully executed rapid-fire punch of albums that would launch the group into public consciousness and earn them one of hip hop’s most dedicated fanbases.
On May 6, 2017, BROCKHAMPTON released FACE, the first single off of their debut album, SATURATION. Between then and the album’s release, they dropped 3 other singles, the fiery and harsh HEAT, the irrefutably catchy GOLD, and the infinitely quotable STAR. Around the time STAR was released, the sub caught on and the group gained tons of new fans overnight. However, shortly after SATURATION released on June 9, 2017, the internet’s busiest music nerd, Anthony Fantano, uploaded a review of SATURATION on his channel, awarding the album the high praise of a 9/10. This helped the group attain even more awareness, propelling their prospects to new heights.
Now, any artist hot off of a release that garnered them tons of exposure would celebrate this success, release another single or two off the album, and plan their next release. BROCKHAMPTON did not do this. In fact, the group released a single, LAMB, two days before the album’s release that was rumored to be off a completely different album. The song ended up not making the cut, but BROCKHAMPTON did announce SATURATION II less than a month after the release of the first one.
SATURATION II was predated by four singles, GUMMY, SWAMP, JUNKY, and SWEET. SATURATION II released on August 25, 2017, and even managed to debut at #57 on the Billboard 200. Surely, the group would take a break at this point, right? Wrong. Alongside SWEET, they surprised fans releasing yet another loose single, FOLLOW and an announcement that their third and final album would be released before the year’s end.
SATURATION III only had two singles, the bombastic fan favorite, BOOGIE and the somber, atmospheric STAINS. However, the group also released videos for RENTAL and ZIPPER, released one day before and a month after the album, respectfully. They also released a short film, BILLY STAR a few days before the album which featured a few songs that would end up on the record. SATURATION III debuted at #15 on the Billboard 200, selling 36,418 album-equivalent units. And with that ended the Saturation Trilogy. However, just before the album’s release, once again BROCKHAMPTON teased the future, announcing that they weren’t ready to call it quits yet (big surprise) and announced their fourth album, TEAM EFFORT, which would be released in 2018.
BROCKHAMPTON were riding a continuous high that spanned the latter half of 2017, and things were just about to get started. In March 2018, they announced that they were shelving TEAM EFFORT to work on a summery record, tentatively titled PUPPY. A week afterwards, a PSA delivered by Jaden Smith was posted to their YouTube stating that BROCKHAMPTON signed with RCA. They announced a new tour that had them performing huge sets at festivals like Governor’s Ball and Coachella that would surely increase their fanbase substantially.
2018 looked like the year where BROCKHAMPTON would make it big, and with two albums slated for release, it appeared as if 2018 would be even bigger than 2017.
And it was.
But not the way they wanted.

The Best Years Of Our Lives

On May 11, 2018, Ameer Vann, a member of BROCKHAMPTON, was accused of having sex with underage girls, making forceful advances on women, and being emotionally abusive.
Ameer Vann was the face of all three SATURATION covers, and was on almost every single song the band has ever recorded. After performing a shaky Boston Calling set on May 26, 2018 without Ameer, the group decided to cancel their summer tour. The next day, it was announced that Ameer Vann was no longer a part of BROCKHAMPTON.
The group maintained all but radio silence until appearing on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon less than a month later, where they debuted TONYA, the reflective lead single of a record called The Best Years of Our Lives. A few months later, they announced their Beats 1 Radio show, Things We Lost in the Fire, and debuted 3 new singles over the course of July: 1999 Wildfire, 1998 Truman, and 1997 Diana. The three singles referenced various films and pop culture moments during the 1990s, and fans speculated that Tonya Harding’s controversy in 1994 meant that these tracks were all part of their forthcoming album.
However, that forthcoming album never came.
On August 26, 2018, BROCKHAMPTON announced that their fourth studio album, iridescence, would be releasing in September. BROCKHAMPTON’s iridescence was recorded primarily at Abbey Road Studios and Kevin stated that the record was inspired by Radiohead’s Kid A, which meant no singles. This led to wild speculation. What would the album sound like? Were any of the singles on the album? Would the group address losing a member? A few weeks later, the cover and tracklist were revealed, and the only previously released song on the album was TONYA. Fans waited for a long long week until the album’s release, and many wondered if the group would lose fans with multiple scrapped albums and zero singles. BROCKHAMPTON released one video shortly before the album’s release in America, a violent and hectic video for a track called J’OUVERT.
On September 21, iridescence was released. Thanks to some cleverly-placed merch bundles, it went on to sell a staggering 101,000 album-equivalent units and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. They went on to support their biggest tour yet, selling out mid-range venues like Terminal 5 or The Observatory for multiple nights. iridescence is the first album in a trilogy titled The Best Years of Our Lives, and the other two parts are yet to be announced. The only thing that is confirmed is that we are all in for another wild ride in the future.

Take It All Or Leave It

From the opening moments of iridescence, it’s clear the record is a radical departure from their past work. BROCKHAMPTON trades their monstrous hooks and unorthodox hip hop production for industrial-inspired experimentations rife with sparse piano, dissonant percussion, and some of the harshest synths they’ve given us yet. NEW ORLEANS kicks off things pretty harshly, seguing from Matt Champion’s “perfectly fine” quip to a hurried Dom verse over a pervasive whine and pulsing, distorted bass. They waste no time throwing you into the thick of it, and while this level of energy isn’t sustained throughout the album, iridescence’s more inaccessible tracks end up being some of the most realized. Take something like the near-solo Merlyn track WHERE THE CASH AT, where this pulsating synth returns to accompany sporadic drums and shutter sounds, making for one of the greatest displays of dissonance on the record. DISTRICT is another highlight, a song that starts off with a pitch-shifted chorus over a bittersweet string quartet before synths crash and multiple hooks unravel. The aforementioned J’OUVERT is potentially the hardest track on the album, with a drudgingly heavy instrumental and some anxiety-inducing synths that set up the stage for Joba’s no-holds-barred monster of a verse, easily one of the strongest on the album.
That isn’t to say that iridescence is a complete departure from BROCKHAMPTON’s brand of indie-esque rap – the album still has some cuts that would make the most esteemed BROCKHAMPTON fan remniscent. However, instead of simply rehashing older tracks, they take some of their earlier ideas and refine, retune, and reimagine them. SAN MARCOS is comparable to early SATURATION tracks such as SWIM and SUNNY, two very summery guitar-laden and introspective tracks. However, it doesn’t start that way, instead opening with a raspy, static-filled Matt Champion verse. You expect the rash and disorienting instrumental to appear at any second, but instead, you’re greeted with a shockingly mellow guitar. Bearface sings the chorus as various members question the security and genuineness of the people around them. It’s a tender moment of respite that follows a flurry of fierceness, and when the song’s outro kicks in and The London Community Gospel Choir arrives (the same choir on multiple tracks on the new 1975 album), it’s easy to get lost in the sheer unbridled optimism and sense of euphoria unleashed in the song’s final moments.
However, it is really moments where things get wacky that help justify some of the choice to experiment on this record. HONEY feels like a glee-filled fever trip in terms of production, sampling not only Beyoncé’s Dance For You, but also sampling BROCKHAMPTON’s own song BUMP. The two push and pull over police sirens and autotuned vocals and it’s a climax that feels so very BROCKHAMPTON yet would never be dreamt of occuring on an earlier release. THUG LIFE is another surprising moment on the album, as it directly follows the opening track, NEW ORLEANS, seguing from the aggressive synths to a calm and uplifting piano. Perhaps the wildest and farthest departure from complacency is the album’s closer, FABRIC. Kevin Abstract and Dom deliver self-reflective verses that don’t sound too off-kilter, but Joba gives an Eminem-like performance on his brief verse. The instrumental all but lacks percussion for the first half, instead littered with the odd vocal sample. After Bearface gives a muffled and imperceptible verse, the song marches on with a chant. “You don’t understand why I can’t get up and shout,” Kevin proclaims over a yearnful instrumental that eventually deconstructs into an inescapable droning of drums.
Admittedly, the album does skip a beat in the way of the group’s dynamic – it’s understandable why, as the dynamic was abruptly disrupted, but it’s noticeable. That said, the album does feature some notable verses and it’s easy to find lyrics up to the par of the SATURATION trilogy. The obvious standout verse on the entire record is Kevin’s raw and intimate verse WEIGHT. He admits the feeling of succumbing to pressure with lines such as “They split my world into pieces, I ain't heard from my nieces/I been feeling defeated, like I'm the worst in the boyband” and “And every time she took her bra off my dick would get soft/I thought I had a problem, kept my head inside a pillow screaming.” Joba, like the rest of the group, deals with some demons on iridescence, and on songs like TAPE he reflects on his past experiences of drinking and driving to escape suicidal episodes with lines like “And between the tick-tocks, speeding down the one-way/Fuck these signs, fuck these lights, put my life on the line,” tackling heavy thoughts with a lack of tact, laying everything out. He continues this momentum with the honesty on J’OUVERT, where he delivers quips such as “Misunderstood since birth/Fuck what you think, and fuck what you heard” and “Should have known better, wish that I was betteAt dealing with the fame and you fake motherfuckers.” In fact, the entire album is filled with quotable lines, from Bearface’s “Baby boy, why you lookin grimy as shit?” on BERLIN to Matt Champion’s “¿Cómo se dice? Don't touch on me with them dedos” on VIVID to Joba’s “Praise God! Hallelujah! I’m still depressed!” on DISTRICT. Times like this are where BROCKHAMPTON shine the most, when they deliver lines that stick with listeners far after the album’s release.
Above all, iridescence is about the struggle to stay afloat after attaining fame. Between SATURATION III and iridescence, BROCKHAMPTON went on a tour, and on that tour, they sold a hoodie that just had a phrase printed that said:

IF YOU KNEW HOW LONG IT TOOK
AND HOW MUCH YOU WOULD HAVE TO GIVE UP,
YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO BE FAMOUS

Now, this isn’t a piece of merch for iridescence, but it’s a phrase that seems especially suited for the prevalent themes of dealing with a meteoric rise in popularity in such a short span of time. The group tackles this throughout the entire album, from the short interlude lifted from a Cam’ron interview about knowingly being exploited in an attempt to make it big on LOOPHOLE to the especially biting testimonies from each group member on TONYA. Kevin laments a life different from the one he has, admitting “I deleted Facebook, I’ll trade fame any day/For a quiet Texas place and a barbecue plate.” Dom also expresses his desire for simpler times, admitting “I fantasize about a time when everything was simple/My shelter sheltered me from things I needed to commit to.” Merlyn reveals his insecurities about succeeding in the music industry, admitting his “Daddy said ‘Study or get that cash’/Mommy said ‘Your career ain’t gon last.’” That’s not to say the album is all bleak – there’s moments like the Kevin’s cute tribute to his boyfriend, Jaden Walker, on SOMETHING ABOUT HIM, but at the end of the day, it’s not a happy album. Kevin states it best on the album’s closer, FABRIC:

I can’t sleep like I used to
The world will try to tell you who you are before you get to
Explain yourself, your thoughts, your motives and all of your reasons
Two albums every season, what the hell do y’all believe in?
Who the hell do y’all keep reachin’?

In many ways, iridescence is a breakup record. It’s a farewell to the SATURATION trilogy and the days of making music in a small home with a single couch, doing nothing but making music and being in the company of those who care about you. It’s an honest acknowledgement that they can’t return to their old life, that they must say goodbye to some freedom from omnipresent scrutiny. It’s a reflection on what it means to part ways with a group member, but most importantly, a friend. A friend that many of them knew since high school. A friend who lied and hurt you and others. It was a tough decision, but one that needed to be made. They’re no longer the high schoolers who met online and decided to start a band. Things change. What the fuck do you even do if you go from accumulating thousands of views on YouTube to a $15 million record deal and a #1 album in the span of a year?
You write music about it.

Perfectly Fine

Here are some of my favorite lyrics on the album that weren’t already mentioned.
NEW ORLEANS

I been down too long, brother
Tell the world, I ain't scared of nothing
Tell the world, I ain't scared of jumping
Tell my boy I want a crib in London

• Kevin Abstract

THUG LIFE

The biggest threat I’m up against is who I face in my reflection
Depression still an uninvited guest I'm always accepting
Can’t help but meet the feeling with a familiar embrace
When I know that it’ll kill me if I give into my brain

• Dom McLennon

WEIGHT

Pressure makes me lash back, wish I could get past that
I can't take a step back, makes me wish you'd pass that
Pressure makes me lash back, wish I could get past that
I can't take a step back, makes me wish you'd pass that

• Joba

SAN MARCOS

Big old whiskey on them icy rocks
Flood down some veins like oxy does
I need fresh air, I need oxygen
Who the hell you fooling? It's so obvious

• Matt Champion

TONYA

We were sat outside on the Harvard floor
With our feet in dirt, and our hearts in awe
I be losin' sleep thinkin' 'bout missed calls
And I see the names circling our thoughts

• Bearface

I Feel You

Here are some questions to consider.

• What do you think of the album’s experimentation? Did it work for you? Why or why not?
  
• With the loss of a group member, their dynamic has changed. Do you feel like it has changed for the better or worse? Why?
  
• Like all BROCKHAMPTON projects, there are various spoken word interludes. Did you find they helped the album? Hurt it? Why?
  
• There’s quite a few tracks that didn’t make the cut for this release? What do you think of what was left behind? Do you prefer iridescence or some of the material that most likely will never be on an album?
  
• Where do you think BROCKHAMPTON goes from here? What will they sound like? This album did have a few hidden features and A$AP Rocky is featured on a loose snippet, but who else do you think will collaborate with them in the future?
  

Let’s Get Married

Thank you for reading this whole writeup if you were able to get this far. I wanted to talk about my own relation with the group and why their music is so special to me, so here is some context about why this album was one of the most anticipated records of the year for me.
Four years ago, before popheads was even born, I stumbled upon this comment in a daily discussion thread recommending a little record called MTV1987 for people who liked Kid Cudi and Childish Gambino. You can even see my dumb replies on other comments in the thread if don’t believe me, but there’s nothing special there honestly. Anyway, I decided to download this mixtape on a whim, which is not something I normally do. I went in completely blind and was blown away. As someone who grew up on this hellscape we call the internet, there weren’t any artists outside of Childish Gambino writing music about being an awkward, lonely kid who spent their time online. However, one song completely floored me, and it was the 7 minute behemoth known as Drugs. The song switched back and forth from aggressive electronic rap verses to this vulnerable, catchy pop chorus. And it wasn’t over then, the song then transforms into a sultry, pensive R&B cover of Cassie’s Me & U. I was stunned. And I was hooked.
I became obsessed with Kevin’s music, eagerly awaiting what was next. He released ECHO in late 2015, a single that I absolutely overplayed. Nearly a full year later he released a full length record, American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story. I immediately picked up tickets to see him because I wasn’t missing that, and I saw Kevin Abstract at the now-closed Webster Hall in New York City on March 20, 2017 (that’s not my footage, sadly). The venue held 400 screaming teens and it was glorious. I still have the poster from this tour in my room. Kevin performed a few BROCKHAMPTON songs, but for the most part, he was trying to further his own solo career. At the time, I definitely preferred his work to BROCKHAMPTON’s output, although I did really enjoy All-American Trash. However, things changed when he announced the SATURATION trilogy (shameless plug).
I spent a lot of Summer 2017 just waiting for SATURATION and SATURATION II to come out, and when it was announced that BROCKHAMPTON would go on tour, I bought those tickets immediately. I saw them on 9/11/17 at Highline Ballroom, a 700 person venue. It was one of their first concerts and they played STAR 6 times. I spent much of that semester begging all my friends to listen, and a good amount of them actually did listen, and a few of my friends have now seen them live over 10 times.
On October 21, 2018, I saw BROCKHAMPTON with the same group of friends who I mercilessly forced to listen, and this was at Terminal 5, a 3,000 person venue. The show sold out way faster than their first tour. I met a lot of fans waiting in line and we talked about our favorite songs, the merch we were all decked out in, and how the line extended far past the reaches of human sight.
It’s stupid and cheesy, but despite being only a few months younger than Kevin, I look up to him. I’m proud of the fact that I watched the boys’ monthly Spotify plays soar from 3,000 to 3,000,000. It feels really weird for the little internet group I obsess over to have a #1 album and a swarm of fans, but I’m glad this has happened. I’m glad that I get to share my enthusiasm for this group with the world.
Isn’t that what this whole thing is about?

Artist: BROCKHAMPTON
Album: Team Effort Puppy The Best Years Of Our Lives iridescence
Tracklist: Wikipedia
Released: September 21, 2018
Listen: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Best Boy Band Since One Direction

8 years ago, a user under the name of “harry styles” opened a thread on a Kanye West discussion forum with one simple question. “Anybody wannna make a band?” Many replies later, over 30 people ended up agreeing and formed a group consisting of not only rappers and producers, but engineers, designers, and videographers. They called themselves Alive Since Forever and released only one project, a self-titled EP on Bandcamp. Some members of the group decided to rebrand, some left, and some new members were added. On January 27, 2015, BROCKHAMPTON released their first official single, a 6 minute track called BET I.
BROCKHAMPTON released two more singles that year, HERO and DIRT, with the latter winning a contest that gave them their first professionally shot music video. On March 24, 2016, BROCKHAMPTON released their first project, a mixtape entitled ALL-AMERICAN TRASH.
At this point, BROCKHAMPTON consisted of 16 members, with 13 of these members still remaining in the group today. I won’t list them all (here’s a list of the current members), but the main players are Kevin Abstract, Matt Champion, Merlyn Wood, Dom McLennon, Joba, Bearface, and Romil Hemnani. The group derived their name from [the name of a street in Corpus Christi, Texas,] on which Kevin used to live.
The group garnered a decent amount of attention at this point, and after the release of Kevin Abstract’s second studio album in November 2016, American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story, more music sites started to become aware of the group and its eclectic, indie-influenced approach to hip hop. In January 2017, the group released a standalone single named CANNON. It was apparent at this point they were on the path to refining their sound, experimenting, and finding themselves. However, what wasn’t apparent is that they were about to kick off what would become one 2017’s biggest success stories, a carefully executed rapid-fire punch of albums that would launch the group into public consciousness and earn them one of hip hop’s most dedicated fanbases.
On May 6, 2017, BROCKHAMPTON released FACE, the first single off of their debut album, SATURATION. Between then and the album’s release, they dropped 3 other singles, the fiery and harsh HEAT, the irrefutably catchy GOLD, and the infinitely quotable STAR. Around the time STAR was released, /hiphopheads caught on and the group gained tons of new fans overnight. However, shortly after SATURATION released on June 9, 2017, the internet’s busiest music nerd, Anthony Fantano, uploaded a review of SATURATION on his channel, awarding the album the high praise of a 9/10. This helped the group attain even more awareness, propelling their prospects to new heights.
Now, any artist hot off of a release that garnered them tons of exposure would celebrate this success, release another single or two off the album, and plan their next release. BROCKHAMPTON did not do this. In fact, the group released a single, LAMB, two days before the album’s release that was rumored to be off a completely different album. The song ended up not making the cut, but BROCKHAMPTON did announce SATURATION II less than a month after the release of the first one.
SATURATION II was predated by four singles, GUMMY, SWAMP, JUNKY, and SWEET. SATURATION II released on August 25, 2017, and even managed to debut at #57 on the Billboard 200. Surely, the group would take a break at this point, right? Wrong. Alongside SWEET, they surprised fans releasing yet another loose single, FOLLOW and an announcement that their third and final album would be released before the year’s end.
SATURATION III only had two singles, the bombastic fan favorite, BOOGIE and the somber, atmospheric STAINS. However, the group also released videos for RENTAL and ZIPPER, released one day before and a month after the album, respectfully. They also released a short film, BILLY STAR a few days before the album which featured a few songs that would end up on the record. SATURATION III debuted at #15 on the Billboard 200, selling 36,418 album-equivalent units. And with that ended the Saturation Trilogy. However, just before the album’s release, once again BROCKHAMPTON teased the future, announcing that they weren’t ready to call it quits yet (big surprise) and announced their fourth album, TEAM EFFORT, which would be released in 2018.
BROCKHAMPTON were riding a continuous high that spanned the latter half of 2017, and things were just about to get started. In March 2018, they announced that they were shelving TEAM EFFORT to work on a summery record, tentatively titled PUPPY. A week afterwards, a PSA delivered by Jaden Smith was posted to their YouTube stating that BROCKHAMPTON signed with RCA. They announced a new tour that had them performing huge sets at festivals like Governor’s Ball and Coachella that would surely increase their fanbase substantially.
2018 looked like the year where BROCKHAMPTON would make it big, and with two albums slated for release, it appeared as if 2018 would be even bigger than 2017.
And it was.
But not the way they wanted.

The Best Years Of Our Lives

On May 11, 2018, Ameer Vann, a member of BROCKHAMPTON, was accused of having sex with underage girls, making forceful advances on women, and being emotionally abusive.
Ameer Vann was the face of all three SATURATION covers, and was on almost every single song the band has ever recorded. After performing a shaky Boston Calling set on May 26, 2018 without Ameer, the group decided to cancel their summer tour. The next day, it was announced that Ameer Vann was no longer a part of BROCKHAMPTON.
The group maintained all but radio silence until appearing on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon less than a month later, where they debuted TONYA, the reflective lead single of a record called The Best Years of Our Lives. A few months later, they announced their Beats 1 Radio show, Things We Lost in the Fire, and debuted 3 new singles over the course of July: 1999 Wildfire, 1998 Truman, and 1997 Diana. The three singles referenced various films and pop culture moments during the 1990s, and fans speculated that Tonya Harding’s controversy in 1994 meant that these tracks were all part of their forthcoming album.
However, that forthcoming album never came.
On August 26, 2018, BROCKHAMPTON announced that their fourth studio album, iridescence, would be releasing in September. BROCKHAMPTON’s iridescence was recorded primarily at Abbey Road Studios and Kevin stated that the record was inspired by Radiohead’s Kid A, which meant no singles. This led to wild speculation. What would the album sound like? Were any of the singles on the album? Would the group address losing a member? A few weeks later, the cover and tracklist were revealed, and the only previously released song on the album was TONYA. Fans waited for a long long week until the album’s release, and many wondered if the group would lose fans with multiple scrapped albums and zero singles. BROCKHAMPTON released one video shortly before the album’s release in America, a violent and hectic video for a track called J’OUVERT.
On September 21, iridescence was released. Thanks to some cleverly-placed merch bundles, it went on to sell a staggering 101,000 album-equivalent units and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. They went on to support their biggest tour yet, selling out mid-range venues like Terminal 5 or The Observatory for multiple nights. iridescence is the first album in a trilogy titled The Best Years of Our Lives, and the other two parts are yet to be announced. The only thing that is confirmed is that we are all in for another wild ride in the future.

Take It All Or Leave It

From the opening moments of iridescence, it’s clear the record is a radical departure from their past work. BROCKHAMPTON trades their monstrous hooks and unorthodox hip hop production for industrial-inspired experimentations rife with sparse piano, dissonant percussion, and some of the harshest synths they’ve given us yet. NEW ORLEANS kicks off things pretty harshly, seguing from Matt Champion’s “perfectly fine” quip to a hurried Dom verse over a pervasive whine and pulsing, distorted bass. They waste no time throwing you into the thick of it, and while this level of energy isn’t sustained throughout the album, iridescence’s more inaccessible tracks end up being some of the most realized. Take something like the near-solo Merlyn track WHERE THE CASH AT, where this pulsating synth returns to accompany sporadic drums and shutter sounds, making for one of the greatest displays of dissonance on the record. DISTRICT is another highlight, a song that starts off with a pitch-shifted chorus over a bittersweet string quartet before synths crash and multiple hooks unravel. The aforementioned J’OUVERT is potentially the hardest track on the album, with a drudgingly heavy instrumental and some anxiety-inducing synths that set up the stage for Joba’s no-holds-barred monster of a verse, easily one of the strongest on the album.
That isn’t to say that iridescence is a complete departure from BROCKHAMPTON’s brand of indie-esque rap – the album still has some cuts that would make the most esteemed BROCKHAMPTON fan remniscent. However, instead of simply rehashing older tracks, they take some of their earlier ideas and refine, retune, and reimagine them. SAN MARCOS is comparable to early SATURATION tracks such as SWIM and SUNNY, two very summery guitar-laden and introspective tracks. However, it doesn’t start that way, instead opening with a raspy, static-filled Matt Champion verse. You expect the rash and disorienting instrumental to appear at any second, but instead, you’re greeted with a shockingly mellow guitar. Bearface sings the chorus as various members question the security and genuineness of the people around them. It’s a tender moment of respite that follows a flurry of fierceness, and when the song’s outro kicks in and The London Community Gospel Choir arrives (the same choir on multiple tracks on the new 1975 album), it’s easy to get lost in the sheer unbridled optimism and sense of euphoria unleashed in the song’s final moments.
However, it is really moments where things get wacky that help justify some of the choice to experiment on this record. HONEY feels like a glee-filled fever trip in terms of production, sampling not only Beyoncé’s Dance For You, but also sampling BROCKHAMPTON’s own song BUMP. The two push and pull over police sirens and autotuned vocals and it’s a climax that feels so very BROCKHAMPTON yet would never be dreamt of occuring on an earlier release. THUG LIFE is another surprising moment on the album, as it directly follows the opening track, NEW ORLEANS, seguing from the aggressive synths to a calm and uplifting piano. Perhaps the wildest and farthest departure from complacency is the album’s closer, FABRIC. Kevin Abstract and Dom deliver self-reflective verses that don’t sound too off-kilter, but Joba gives an Eminem-like performance on his brief verse. The instrumental all but lacks percussion for the first half, instead littered with the odd vocal sample. After Bearface gives a muffled and imperceptible verse, the song marches on with a chant. “You don’t understand why I can’t get up and shout,” Kevin proclaims over a yearnful instrumental that eventually deconstructs into an inescapable droning of drums.
Admittedly, the album does skip a beat in the way of the group’s dynamic – it’s understandable why, as the dynamic was abruptly disrupted, but it’s noticeable. That said, the album does feature some notable verses and it’s easy to find lyrics up to the par of the SATURATION trilogy. The obvious standout verse on the entire record is Kevin’s raw and intimate verse WEIGHT. He admits the feeling of succumbing to pressure with lines such as “They split my world into pieces, I ain't heard from my nieces/I been feeling defeated, like I'm the worst in the boyband” and “And every time she took her bra off my dick would get soft/I thought I had a problem, kept my head inside a pillow screaming.” Joba, like the rest of the group, deals with some demons on iridescence, and on songs like TAPE he reflects on his past experiences of drinking and driving to escape suicidal episodes with lines like “And between the tick-tocks, speeding down the one-way/Fuck these signs, fuck these lights, put my life on the line,” tackling heavy thoughts with a lack of tact, laying everything out. He continues this momentum with the honesty on J’OUVERT, where he delivers quips such as “Misunderstood since birth/Fuck what you think, and fuck what you heard” and “Should have known better, wish that I was betteAt dealing with the fame and you fake motherfuckers.” In fact, the entire album is filled with quotable lines, from Bearface’s “Baby boy, why you lookin grimy as shit?” on BERLIN to Matt Champion’s “¿Cómo se dice? Don't touch on me with them dedos” on VIVID to Joba’s “Praise God! Hallelujah! I’m still depressed!” on DISTRICT. Times like this are where BROCKHAMPTON shine the most, when they deliver lines that stick with listeners far after the album’s release.
Above all, iridescence is about the struggle to stay afloat after attaining fame. Between SATURATION III and iridescence, BROCKHAMPTON went on a tour, and on that tour, they sold a hoodie that just had a phrase printed that said:

IF YOU KNEW HOW LONG IT TOOK
AND HOW MUCH YOU WOULD HAVE TO GIVE UP,
YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO BE FAMOUS

Now, this isn’t a piece of merch for iridescence, but it’s a phrase that seems especially suited for the prevalent themes of dealing with a meteoric rise in popularity in such a short span of time. The group tackles this throughout the entire album, from the short interlude lifted from a Cam’ron interview about knowingly being exploited in an attempt to make it big on LOOPHOLE to the especially biting testimonies from each group member on TONYA. Kevin laments a life different from the one he has, admitting “I deleted Facebook, I’ll trade fame any day/For a quiet Texas place and a barbecue plate.” Dom also expresses his desire for simpler times, admitting “I fantasize about a time when everything was simple/My shelter sheltered me from things I needed to commit to.” Merlyn reveals his insecurities about succeeding in the music industry, admitting his “Daddy said ‘Study or get that cash’/Mommy said ‘Your career ain’t gon last.’” That’s not to say the album is all bleak – there’s moments like the Kevin’s cute tribute to his boyfriend, Jaden Walker, on SOMETHING ABOUT HIM, but at the end of the day, it’s not a happy album. Kevin states it best on the album’s closer, FABRIC:

I can’t sleep like I used to
The world will try to tell you who you are before you get to
Explain yourself, your thoughts, your motives and all of your reasons
Two albums every season, what the hell do y’all believe in?
Who the hell do y’all keep reachin’?

In many ways, iridescence is a breakup record. It’s a farewell to the SATURATION trilogy and the days of making music in a small home with a single couch, doing nothing but making music and being in the company of those who care about you. It’s an honest acknowledgement that they can’t return to their old life, that they must say goodbye to some freedom from omnipresent scrutiny. It’s a reflection on what it means to part ways with a group member, but most importantly, a friend. A friend that many of them knew since high school. A friend who lied and hurt you and others. It was a tough decision, but one that needed to be made. They’re no longer the high schoolers who met online and decided to start a band. Things change. What the fuck do you even do if you go from accumulating thousands of views on YouTube to a $15 million record deal and a #1 album in the span of a year?
You write music about it.

Perfectly Fine

Here are some of my favorite lyrics on the album that weren’t already mentioned.
NEW ORLEANS

I been down too long, brother
Tell the world, I ain't scared of nothing
Tell the world, I ain't scared of jumping
Tell my boy I want a crib in London

• Kevin Abstract

THUG LIFE

The biggest threat I’m up against is who I face in my reflection
Depression still an uninvited guest I'm always accepting
Can’t help but meet the feeling with a familiar embrace
When I know that it’ll kill me if I give into my brain

• Dom McLennon

WEIGHT

Pressure makes me lash back, wish I could get past that
I can't take a step back, makes me wish you'd pass that
Pressure makes me lash back, wish I could get past that
I can't take a step back, makes me wish you'd pass that

• Joba

SAN MARCOS

Big old whiskey on them icy rocks
Flood down some veins like oxy does
I need fresh air, I need oxygen
Who the hell you fooling? It's so obvious

• Matt Champion

TONYA

We were sat outside on the Harvard floor
With our feet in dirt, and our hearts in awe
I be losin' sleep thinkin' 'bout missed calls
And I see the names circling our thoughts

• Bearface

I Feel You

Here are some questions to consider.

• What do you think of the album’s experimentation? Did it work for you? Why or why not?
  
• With the loss of a group member, their dynamic has changed. Do you feel like it has changed for the better or worse? Why?
  
• Like all BROCKHAMPTON projects, there are various spoken word interludes. Did you find they helped the album? Hurt it? Why?
  
• There’s quite a few tracks that didn’t make the cut for this release? What do you think of what was left behind? Do you prefer iridescence or some of the material that most likely will never be on an album?
  
• Where do you think BROCKHAMPTON goes from here? What will they sound like? This album did have a few hidden features and A$AP Rocky is featured on a loose snippet, but who else do you think will collaborate with them in the future?
  

Let’s Get Married

Thank you for reading this whole writeup if you were able to get this far. I wanted to talk about my own relation with the group and why their music is so special to me, so here is some context about why this album was one of the most anticipated records of the year for me.
Four years ago, before popheads was even born, I stumbled upon this comment in a /hiphopheads daily discussion thread recommending a little record called MTV1987 for people who liked Kid Cudi and Childish Gambino. You can even see my dumb replies on other comments in the thread if don’t believe me, but there’s nothing special there honestly. Anyway, I decided to download this mixtape on a whim, which is not something I normally do. I went in completely blind and was blown away. As someone who grew up on this hellscape we call the internet, there weren’t any artists outside of Childish Gambino writing music about being an awkward, lonely kid who spent their time online. However, one song completely floored me, and it was the 7 minute behemoth known as Drugs. The song switched back and forth from aggressive electronic rap verses to this vulnerable, catchy pop chorus. And it wasn’t over then, the song then transforms into a sultry, pensive R&B cover of Cassie’s Me & U. I was stunned. And I was hooked.
I became obsessed with Kevin’s music, eagerly awaiting what was next. He released ECHO in late 2015, a single that I absolutely overplayed. Nearly a full year later he released a full length record, American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story. I immediately picked up tickets to see him because I wasn’t missing that, and I saw Kevin Abstract at the now-closed Webster Hall in New York City on March 20, 2017 (that’s not my footage, sadly). The venue held 400 screaming teens and it was glorious. I still have the poster from this tour in my room. Kevin performed a few BROCKHAMPTON songs, but for the most part, he was trying to further his own solo career. At the time, I definitely preferred his work to BROCKHAMPTON’s output, although I did really enjoy All-American Trash. However, things changed when he announced the SATURATION trilogy (shameless plug).
I spent a lot of Summer 2017 just waiting for SATURATION and SATURATION II to come out, and when it was announced that BROCKHAMPTON would go on tour, I bought those tickets immediately. I saw them on 9/11/17 at Highline Ballroom, a 700 person venue. It was one of their first concerts and they played STAR 6 times. I spent much of that semester begging all my friends to listen, and a good amount of them actually did listen, and a few of my friends have now seen them live over 10 times.
On October 21, 2018, I saw BROCKHAMPTON with the same group of friends who I mercilessly forced to listen, and this was at Terminal 5, a 3,000 person venue. The show sold out way faster than their first tour. I met a lot of fans waiting in line and we talked about our favorite songs, the merch we were all decked out in, and how the line extended far past the reaches of human sight.
It’s stupid and cheesy, but despite being only a few months younger than Kevin, I look up to him. I’m proud of the fact that I watched the boys’ monthly Spotify plays soar from 3,000 to 3,000,000. It feels really weird for the little internet group I obsess over to have a #1 album and a swarm of fans, but I’m glad this has happened. I’m glad that I get to share my enthusiasm for this group with the world.
Isn’t that what this whole thing is about?

Original post: https://www.reddit.com/OttawaSenators/comments/byusg2/i_took_a_look_at_potential_prospects_with_ou

Name: Peyton Krebs

Position: Center
Projected: First Round (Ranges from 8-15)
Player Type: A 5-foot 11 all around complete center.
Advantages:

• One of the high-end play makers in this draft who is a constant difference maker. Has a variety of passes in his arsenal such as no look passes, saucer passes and slip passes. He is a multi-threat player and posses a great shot with good mechanics. Possesses the ability to force defenses towards him which leaves his teammates open. He’s an effective line-driver with very very good skating and quick top speed. Has great agility and can attack gaps and holes like an NFL running back. Has a strong stick and is rarely stripped while always keeping defenses on their heels. Excellent board battler. One of most naturally gifted leaders in this draft and has many believing he’s one of the most natural play off performers.

Negatives:

• His small frame might keep him from being able to dictate play like he currently does in the NHL. His board battling might take a hit as there’s not a lot of room for Krebs to grow in terms of size. He’s a quality skater but lacks that top gear for his size. Lack of exceptional skill to his game, he’s well rounded in everything but won’t blow you away with his skill level. Skill level is very good, but not exceptional when compared to other top-end talents in this draft.

Potential: Comfortable a Top 6 potential in the NHL. Very confident that he’ll be able to make an impact and contribute to all areas of the ice. He shows all the traits of what you want in the middle of the Ice.
NHL Scout Comments:

• Had the best game out of all guys at Top Prospect game
• I give the kid all the credit in the world for what he did with a team that is not very good
• Hes the heart and soul of this draft, he’s going to get picked high and people will think it is a bad pick. He is going to prove that he was worth as going as high as he did. He had nothing with him on his team
• I like Krebs, works his ass off. Next on my list after Byram from out west.
• Had one of most impressive games I have seen all year against Dach. Single handily won his team the game
• Reminds me of Turcotte. Just slightly less version in skill and skating ability. However, Krebs is smart and competes maybe even a bit harder than Turcotte. Both players will have future coaches fall in love with them and rely on them in all situations in games. Both could be future NHL captains in the future.
• Like the kid, but he had a crappy shift against Sweden.

Final Thoughts:

• Top prospect that competes hard and is essentially very good at everything. High compete, High work ethic, great play-making, good skill. Plays a complete game and future coaches will rely on him in every situation. Negatives against him seem out of his control as they have to do with Size and frame and the fact that he does not have elite skill set, just very good at everything. Top leader in this draft. He is ranked to go anywhere from 7-16 and many see him as a top 10 pick. However, he just got a big injury in his Achilles. He is going to drop but the question is how much? Is seen as a comfortable top 6 potential. We would be very luck to get him, but Achilles essentially means he’s out for a year, which is crucial in his development. He won’t be back according to Corey Pronman until early in the season.

Name: Alex Newhook

Position: Center
Projected: First Round (Ranges from 12-20)
Player Type: A 5-foot 10 explosive two-way center
Advantages:

• Able to play at an overwhelming pace wit a high-octane motor. In the offensive end, he’s constantly in motion and causing pressure. His pace comes from his tremendous skating ability and willingness to be a difference maker. Built well and has a powerful stride. One of the better in this class at shifting his weight when taking off. When skating, he’s able to change gears rapidly which is a main reason to why he’s able to breakdown defenses. Skating allows him to drive lines and he was responsible in driving one of the better lines in BCHL. His great skating and cross-over mechanics allow him to skate wide and sharply cut inside. He’s an above average passer that could give unexpected passes but not as consistently has some play-makers in this draft. His shot is not bad, and has improved greatly over the season. Can play physical hockey and has no problem initiating contact and competing in corners.

Negatives:

• Hard to project his ceiling due to his production coming from vision, skating and motor and not his puck skills. His puck skills are good, but not at all dynamic especially when compared to some other prospects in his class. When challenging one on one he consistently loses the puck. His shot will not translate to the NHL unless he can he can learn to release it behind screens, and this means he’s going to have to learn how to protect the puck under pressure. He will struggle in NHL to shoot unless he refines his puck skills. Has a slight lag in anticipation of play. He’s a reactive player that does not pre-determine what he’s going to do next, which is great. However, he’s not unpredictable like he should be to be able to take advantage of his reactive trait. He would be more unpredictable if he changes pace, something which he struggles with. Alex is constantly playing at a very very high pace which is a great asset, but hurts him sometimes. The NHL will adapt to him if he plays super high pace constantly and does not alter his pace to cause some unpredictability on defenders. Overhandles the puck a lot which leads him to be carrying the puck to frequently.

Potential: Middle 6 CenteWinger that can play both sides of Ice. Dynamic skill not there for him to be a first line centre.
NHL Scout Comments:

• Was not healthy at WJAC, much better then what he showed
• Great player, you need to go back and keep watching. I have him listed higher then a lot of top of guys in the predicted top 15
• Never seen him play well, can warm up to him. Other members of our staff really like him though.
• Anytime I watch him, he does not dominate. He’s playing Tier II
• Second Rounder for me, not enough skill
• I think He’s faster than quick
• Powerful skater, but mechanics are not refined. He has a higher chance of making it if he can clean up his mechanics.
• I like Newhook, but before this season I thought he was better then what I saw this season. He’s not as skilled or dynamic as I had originally thought although limited viewings. Good player but concerns me that he did not dominate BCHL games as much as Tyson Jost did in the same league. Tyson Jost has had some struggles so far.

Final Thoughts:

• He’s a hard one to judge. Plays at a very high pace, competes very hard and has a high engine. He does not have enough high end dynamic skill to be a top top forward, so his potential is not as great as many think it is. He’s projected to be a 2nd/3rd line two-way center whom I feel we have a lot of White/Norris/Pageau. He showed he could adapt this year and needs to work on puck skills and identify options quicker. His board play improved this season but needs to keep working on his body posture. If he can fix his body mechanics when attempting to alter his skating-lanes, he’ll have a much higher chance of achieving his potential. He currently plays at a high pace, one gear which is easy to defend against especially in the NHL. I think if he’s available we should really consider him. His lack of high end skill concerns me because that’s what we currently need for a center especially if Brown does not pan out. It’s hard to teach puck skill and dynamics. Many think he could play centewinger in the middle of the line up and help on both sides of the ice. His two main faults are that he plays at super high pace constantly and needs to work on adjusting his pace to be more unpredictable. The second fault is he needs to work on his shot mechanics. He’ll be a good player and while not much high end potential, has a strong 2 way game and can be taught the wing position. Will be useful on PK, and with the league being all about skating, he’ll be useful in NHL, even if he does not fulfill 100% of his projection.

Name: Cameron York

Position: Left Defense
Projected: First Round (Ranges from 12-23)
Player Type: A 5-foot 11 efficient 2 way defensemen
Advantages:

• Efficient player with excellent hockey sense and skating ability. Has great anticipation with and without the puck. Dynamically capable of adjusting his pacing to match intensity in different scenarios which allows him to keep/stay ahead of play. His anticipation allows him to be 2 steps ahead, which allows him to be excellent under heavy pressure situations. One of the better outlet passers in this class. Rare to see force plays or make questionable plays. This also applies to his puck-rushing. Prefers the stretch pass but capable of using his impressive skating ability that includes a quick 2 step, a fluid stride and ability to separate at top speed. His skating mechanics are impressive and allow him not to waste much energy which allows him to play tons of hockey without fatigue. Rarely gets hit with a clean hit due to his reads and elusiveness. Excellent gap and puck tracking ability. His defending is more modern as he uses an active stick very well and makes well timed defensive plays. Does not mind being more physical and will occasionally lay a hit. Puck skills are good and uses them while protecting the puck as he’s driving wide. Loves to drive wide and either pass In front of the net or do a wrap around. Gets shots to the net, lacks velocity in his shots but usually directs them towards deflection options. Quarter backs the best PP unit in junior hockey.

Negatives:

• Despite his offensive prowess, he did not have many dominating performances. His biggest issue is asserting himself in games. Scouts believe this could be due to how dominating the USA18 team is. Many times, games were out of reach for opponents during the opening periods. Scouts state it’s difficult for players to keep a high compete level in these situations. Left scouts wanting more from him on the PP but understood the circumstances he was in as he had Caufield, Zegras, Hughes and Boldy on the power-play (All projected to be top 10). Cam showed success on international change, which opened a lot of eyes as this showed them, he could be more assertive when needed and showed more offensive prowess.

Potential: Top 4 mobile D who can makes plays in all three-zones and has a low chance of being a bust.
NHL Scout Comments:

• Interview was fine, nothing interesting. No red flags which is what we were looking for. His personality represents his game, not overly aggressive.
• Great defensively and good vision, type of player that NHL coaches will appreciate.
• I think he’ll go 18-20 range (Jan 2019)
• He’s their best defensemen and not close. Really liked him some games against college teams. His offense is at the level I thought it was on last year.
• Second Rounder for me, not enough skill
• I wasn’t as high on him as others on our staff to start the year but watched him against last night and he’s really grown on me. He’s into my first round now.
• Based on what im seeing, one of the most underrated this draft. I love his game and have him ranked in top 10, above Dach and Cozens.
• My #2 Dman and in my top 10
• He’s a laid-back Cali dude. I like him
• If he develops his “it” factor, he could be the best defensemen in this draft
• After Byram, hes the best D-man I’ve seen in this draft
• Pre-season we had him ranked #2. Moritz Seider pushed him down. He had a mediocre first half but returned to form in the 2nd half. Outstanding 2nd half to his season and u18s.

Final Thoughts:

• This player could be a steal. Great 2-way player with no real weaknesses. Scouts just wanted him to assert himself more but with Hughes, Caufield, Boldy, Zegras, etc on his team he did not really have to. He showed in the U18s tournament that he could assert himself and had a great tournament. The only negative thing and it only applies to Ottawa is that he plays LD. Some could say with him being on such a strong program, it’s easy for him to do well. But he’s projected to a have a very low chance of being a bust and not panning out. Tsn1200 stated that Brannstrom mentioned he prefers the RD, and if that’s a possibility then York would be a great add to our blueline.

Name: Samuel Poulin

Position: Right wing
Projected: Late 1st to Early/Mid 2nd
Player Type: A 6-foot 2 Power Forward
Advantages:

• Had a strong season with Phoenix and averaged a point per game in regular season and did very well in opening round in play offs close to 2 points per game. Plays a smart game and is strong on the puck along the wall. Not afraid of going strong to the net with the puck. Will use body and strength to win puck battles and create spaces for teammates. His skating is fine for a kid that’s 200 lbs. However, his skating can go from average to above average depending on the game. His skating is not his strong suit but won’t hold him back in the next level. Heavy decent shot but lacks accuracy. Not a natural goal scorer but has enough skills to produce points in junior. In the NHL he’ll likely be more of a two-way guy and his physical attributed and his attention to detail. Not a like to dislike about him

Negatives:

• Not projected to be a high end scorer in NHL and is projected to be a 3rd line two way player. Does not have upside at NHL level but will produce points in Junior.

Potential: 3rd line two way player that’s a good pro. Low chance of bust
NHL Scout Comments:

• I really like him a lot, no huge weaknesses and has a ton of character
• Top guy out of the Q this year
• Safe bet that he can be an NHLer playing a supporting role. Knows his role very well.
• Saw him when his team was getting spanked and the game was over early. You never know with this kid as he played that game as if it was overtime game 7. Upside might not be through the roof but hes smart, goes to the dirty areas and finds ways to get his points

Final Thoughts:

• I Honestly think he’d be a good pick up. He does not have a ton of upside but has huge character and knows his role very well. Would be a good 3rd line two way power forward. He will win puck battles and go hard to the net and give his all. Reminds me of Brady Tkachuk a little bit but obviously a lot less talented. He’d be a solid 2nd round pick up if he’s still available. He is a smart player that can be relied on and will give us some size and physicality while going hard to the net. He won’t be a first line winger and that is okay, but he does not have great weaknesses and will be an NHL player.

Name: Nolan Foote

Position: Left Winger
Projected: 2nd Rounder
Player Type: A 6-foot 4 Two-way forward
Advantages:

• Some areas of his game project he will play at a high level. Physically already mature and very strong. His puck protection is excellent and it’s very hard to take the puck off him. Showed the ability to put defenders on his hip as he assertively drives to the net. An a very good shot which is the strongest in the whole league. He is excellent in picking corners and getting velocity on his shots. His compete level is there every night. He back checks hard and bangs pucks on the board. High intensity player.

Negatives:

• Huge issues with his skating, his top speed is average at best. Takes time for him to reach his top speed. Was below a point per game player and had a rough season as did his team. Bad lateral mobility. Late birthday and one of oldest.

Potential: Unknown, it all depends on if his skating can improve big time. If it can improve then he will be a top 6 forward as he has a great shot, great compete level and great defensive awareness while playing Powerplay and Penalty kill.
NHL Scout Comments: There was no generic scout comments on this player, but there were scout comments on some games that they have watched:

• Offensively looked very dangerous from ringette line down. He was great at protecting the puck and has a heavy shot. His skating is lacking. He scored 2 goals coming off very quick releases. He made the other team pay for giving him space. (November 17 vs Oil Kings)
  
• Solid game, but nothing spectacular. He played heavy and showed good ability to skate through checks. Competed very hard and was strong in battles. Won battles with good body work and heavy stick. Played a ton and was rarely off the ice for more then a couple minutes. He’s used on PP and PK while absorbing heavy even strength minutes.
  

Final Thoughts:

• I think this prospect will break or make it based on his skating. If he improves it then he could be a solid NHLer. If he does not, then he will struggle in the NHL and will be a 3rd/4th line player at best. His Shot, compete level, puck battles and strength are already at/projected to be at NHL level. His skating is slow and not good and lateral mobility is not there. If our development team feel they could improve his skating, then he’d be a solid 2nd rounder. He is a late birthday and one of the older players, so it really depends on our development team. I do think he has upside as he competes hard, has a great shot, great on puck battles, can pass, and plays a 2-way game. Scouts think he has some areas in his game that project him to play at a high level (Shot/Compete/Boardplay/PP-PP/Leadership) but also possess major holes (Skating).

Name: Philip Broberg

Position: Left Defense
Projected: Seen him ranged from 7-22 depending on which mock draft you look at
Player Type: A 6-foot 3 Puck transporting defenseman
Advantages:

• Good size and excellent skating ability. Has a smooth, strong stride that he uses to his advantage. He advances pucks up ice creating distance between him and his opponents. He likes to go wide and around defenders. His North-South skating is impressive. Able to make up for his other faults with his mobility and skating ability. He can out muscle opponents due to his size, strength and activity with his stick. Rarely plays the body but when he does it’s perfect. Most of the time he outskates opponent and strips them with his good reach and speed. Looks to drive play all the time. Has a special aura and confidence around him. His passing is overlooked as he’s constantly driving play, but he’s a capable passer from what he has shown.

Negatives:

• Lacks hockey sense but it should not be considered bad. Tries to make the same play repeatedly even though it’s been unsuccessful, and opponent has it figured out. Needs to learn how to adapt better. Makes up for lack of hockey sense with skating ability. Against men and international competitions his hockey sense easily gets exposed. He sometimes fails to read situations correctly which leads to dangerous chances. Sometimes he is too passive and cemented in front of his net. Inconsistent in his own end but scouts think that could be coached/taught. Tends to be a pusher, where he catches his guy and instead of typing him up along the boards or checking him, he will give him a small push which leads to nothing. Stickhandling and shot need to improve. Creates offense with his speed and power, not finesse. Seems to gamble and favor low percentage plays in the offensive zone. Accurate wrist shot, but lacks velocity.

Potential: Top 4 potential but is considered an unpolished long term project as he needs to improve some aspects In his game which can be done through coaching/development. Hockeyprospect scouts are not as confident in him as NHL scouts are.
NHL Scout Comments:

• He skates the puck up ice, with blinders on, until he scores… or turns the puck over
• Good player, but I’ll tell you that im pretty confident Craig button likes him a bit more than me (August 2018) (This scout was right as Button has him rated as the 7th pick in his latest mock draft)
• He can’t move pucks, he tries to skate everything
• People are getting caught up in his end to end rushes but ignore that he struggles at several important facets of the game
• Really impressed me, great tools and he uses them. Thought he showed good hockey sense.
• He’s too one dimensional for me. He’s in my 2nd round
• He turns over a lot of pucks. His Dzone exits are a big area of concern for me
• Hes more of a puck transporter than anything else. I like him because he competes but hes not without some issues. If someone takes him top 10 they will probably regret it. I think he’s a great 2nd round pick.
• I thought he stepped up in the U18s and Sweden does not win it without him
• I love his skating because it’s long strides. The thing I dislike most is that it’s like hes playing with blinders like a horse wears
• If you take his high end skating out of his game, are we even talking abut him in the top two rounds?
• I think he lacks hockey sense and a great puck game. I did not think he was as fantastic at the Hlinka last summer as some scouts I spoke to did. He lacked hockey sense and it continued all season. Great size, skating combo but it goes downhill after that. I know numerous team scouts who share the same opinion. I hope im wrong, he seemed like a great kid at the combine and I got good reviews on his interviews.

Final Thoughts:

• Different scouts seem to have different opinions on this player. Some love him, and some don’t think he’s good enough. There is no in-between. One thing for sure is that they all love his skating and see him as an excellent skater who happens to also be 6 foot 3. He’s a hard one to judge as some scouts think that if you take his skating ability away, then he would even be in the top 2 rounds. At the same time, some scouts think his lack of hockey sense could be developed through coaching and defensive teaching. Seems like an all kid, always wanting to push play, always wanting to drive play, always wanting to do the low percentage high reward play in the offensive zone. Some teams will have this player ranked high; some will have him ranked much lower. If developed properly he could be a top 4 big strong defender who skates well, but he is a long-term diamond in the rough type player that will need a lot of coaching. He has the compete level so who knows. I don’t think Ottawa would be the right fit for him, don’t think we’d be able to develop him well with Brannstrom/Wolanin/Chabot all on the left.

I'm really bored and I haven't found any posts like this so I figured we could discuss it now while there's a lot of uncertainty behind it because it's a lot more fun to see how the final product ends up shaping up to be.
The thing that makes me so excited for this season to start is the plethora of prospects we have knocking at the door. For starters, a name that does not get mentioned nearly enough is Jonathan Dahlen. Coming in on left wing, I personally believe his skill set is almost guaranteed to have chemistry with some existing members on this team. My biggest fear is that there are too many NHL contracts that are being filled that he may not get the chance he needs to play some games right off the bat. Which is is not necessarily a bad thing. Big minutes in Utica will do nothing but benefit him but I wouldn't be surprised if he came in and had a great camp this year.
The Pettersson conundrum. Do you start him off on the wing, shelter him and let him play? Do you see what he's capable of early on while the competition is cold and play him at center? To me the teams future shape revolves mainly on Elias. The majority opinion on this to me seems to be that starting off the wing with PP1 minutes galore. With the addition of Hughes ( I'll get to him later) I believe we'll have one of the best PP%'s in the league. On paper at least. While he has all of the skills needed to succeed but you never know when it comes to European players. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he struggles with adapting to the North American game. Not to say that he wouldn't be able to. I just think he has shown that he's the type of player who needs to be comfortable to succeed and early on it's a learning process. He has not yet failed to adapt, every time he's been met with competition better than the last, he always ends up adjusting and begins to contribute. I have no reason to believe that's going to change.
Do we send down Gaudette? We currently have a log jam at center. That goes double if Jay Beagle is on the way. If you know me you know how much I love the way Gaudette plays and what he brought to Northeastern last year as he topped off a fantastic season with the Hobey Baker Award. He was held pointless in his 5 game stint at the end of the season. To me, I don't see that as a concern. You consider all the variables that go into that and put into consideration the way he played.. I don't necessarily hold that against him. Maybe I'm biased but overall he seemed like a player who knew what to do but was not at all comfortable in doing it. Defensively he would be seen watching the play instead of moving with the play and I see that as inexperience and to an extent shock of playing in the NHL. He had some great chances, and his linemates in Leipsic and Virtanen I also believe to be a great fit but need time to build some chemistry. All players on that line have skills, moderate to quick speed and the ability to finish. With that being said, coming out of the NCAA it wouldn't hurt to get some seasoning with the pro life in Utica. If you consider the team they could potentially have and The Trent Cull "Make A Man Outta You Plan" Playing on a team that should have success (on paper) and playing a key role with big minutes could be a big building experience for him. I would prefer the NHL though.
Leipsic. Can he remain consistent? At Left wing we have Eriksson, Granlund, Baertschi, Gaunce as potentials to fill that position. All of which excluding Gaunce ( sry bro) are much harder to manage as opposed to Leipsic. I personally like this guy. He has great speed and hands to go with it and to be honest was completely robbed for goal of the year from a Canuck. Only to be outdone by the Sedins gracing us with a taste from the past, one last time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dED8bMmVknM (If you need a refresher).
Realistically I think he's the type of player we need to compete with the speed of other teams. Without that speed we lose the threat of potentially turning over the puck and rushing it down the ice and in today's NHL, that is crucial.
What about Goldobin? He ended up playing on the 2nd line with Bo & Jussi J. Yeah, that wasn't that long ago. Nikolay hasn't been given the opportunity to play a full NHL season. Rather it be Willy putting em in the dog house or his game not being up to standards to last a full NHL season, he has yet to make his mark. He ended up with 14 points in 38 games (8G 6A) in the NHL and 31 points in 30 games (9G 22A) in the AHL. We know that he can play in the minors and he shows consistency there. Is he another "too good for the AHL, not good enough for the NHL?" I hope not. I personally like Goldy. I think he has at least 2-3 grade A chances a game and then kinda lays low. By no means a glaring issue with our roster at any point but overall, where does he fit in this puzzle for you? Does he start with the big club or in Utica? I believe he'll ride the pine and slot in as TG sees fit in order to test out line combinations as the season goes along. Unfortunately I do not foresee stability for him next season.
With players like Dowd and Boucher. I think they're the guys on the outside looking in here. They will go to Utica and become depth players. They'll have their chances to play, as will any potential prospect who's higher up on the list who may end up being edged up and visiting Utica. Injuries (especially as a Vancouver Canuck) are bound to happen. https://i.imgur.com/Irs0YXH.png member?
Now obviously I'm not getting into defense. That is an entirely different cam of worms that I want nothing to do with, but that doesn't mean we can't talk a little about Quinn Hughes. This kid plays in the NHL. Why does he play in the NHL? Because he can. The line "he's the best defensemen on that team already" comes to mind. Skill, Skating,Speed, Hockey IQ, you name it he's got it. Except for size. Which is ironically his biggest knock. I don't buy in to it being an issue for him. He's been said to have that "it" factor and to me, that means the ability to surpass any major obstacle and contributing despite it and finding a different approach to it. The X factor on the hand is a different beast altogether. If it were up to me, after free agency frenzy is over. You sign Hughes and throw em on the PP1 and let em' have it. The arsenal we have on a power-play is lethal. It's weird, when you think about it. Quinn Hughes is essentially everything we wanted Stecher to be last season. Stech is also a absolute work horse who doesn't get enough respect. I am still wincing at the memory of his face getting absolutely decimated by pucks. Played through it like it was business as usual.
"So then what do you propose the lines could look like?" I could see this as a viable option. I've been so busy typing all of this up I haven't really sat down and thought of who would really work well with who so off the top without much consideration. I also added Beagle as we are currently the front-runners to receive him and it makes things interesting.

• Baertschi-Horvat-Boeser

This line has great chemistry and they both know how to get the puck to Boeser. I think it's the safest bet you can make to start off the season and until proven otherwise should remain together.

• Eriksson-Sutter-Pettersson

I'm going to catch a lot of heat for this, but I think if Sutter is placed in a position to produce, he could. Especially with teammates like Pettersson and Eriksson. Truth be told, I have such a hard time placing Loui anywhere in the line up and feeling good about it. I think most importantly he needs someone with a boat load of skill to succeed at this point and Pettersson could be that. With Sutter, believe me guys. I know a lot of you consider him a "dark hole where offense goes to die" but I'm not completely sold on that notion. At the very least, this is convenient enough for me to plop Eriksson and have something to move on from.

• Leipsic-Gaudette-Virtanen

This is where things start to get interesting. This is a dark horse line with all the makings to succeed. There's some size, some skill, some grit and tenacity out the ass. This line to me decides if our team is going to be good, average or absolute shit. I haven't talked a lot about Jake but I think he's due for a great season. Rumors have it he's in the best shape of his life and with an off-season dedicated towards working on the more finesse side of the game such as stick-handling or edge work on his skating. I'm predicting a career year for him. He picks up where he left off and continues to develop chemistry with the same line mates as the season before. I'm a firm believer in letting certain lines play regardless of outcome and I think this is a prime example to be made of that. With time and experience this line could be our 3rd of the future.

• Granlund-Beagle-Gagner

Last but not least we have this defensive trio. I'm not 100% on Roussel being necessary if Gagner is still on the team and I don't see GMJB trading him. All things considered at least with Sutter there was interest being reported on and with rumors being in the 4 year department for term. I reaaalllllyyyyyy don't think that's such a good idea. What this line gives you is responsible play in your own end and an ability to eat up minutes. This could also serve as a PK unit. Truth be told with Sutter hypothetically playing 2nd C in this variation I put together, It puts more responsibility on this line so perhaps that is an area of concern. I don't envy management with the task of assembling this team, you can start to see where some questionable signings are starting to have an impact and which is why I think aside from Beagle they need to tread lightly. . We can talk "piece of the puzzle" but at the end of the day you can acquire as many pieces of the puzzle you want but if you end up with pieces from multiple puzzles, it's never going to get solved.
In conclusion,
This was all at the top of my head with some quick google searches. I've probably missed a million things that go into things like this but I figured I'd give my take on it before asking yours.
What are your line projections for forwards next season?