ISC Blog (Archive): Interview With Michael Boakes of I CHOOSE VIOLENCE, 07.04.23.
Originally posted on our now-dead prior website, this is an archival repost from the bones of our prior platform. An interview with Michael Boakes, vocalist of Australian heavyweights I Choose Violence, ahead of the also now-dead New Dead. RIP New Dead Fest, we miss you. <3
![ISC Podcast Ep. 08 - (Prelude to ‘The Stoked Series’). [11.03.2023]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1735880899753-S534LA4T5CNLF7EDW77F/stoked-synonyms-2.png)
ISC Podcast Ep. 08 - (Prelude to ‘The Stoked Series’). [11.03.2023]
Yet another of our archival posts, this one was a primer/precursor to ‘The Stoked Series’. In this article, I discussed some pretty open and honest challenges around living with ADHD (Inattentive-Type) and some common mental health comorbidities. It’s ultimately positive though, and focuses on the return of hedonia and stokedness.
ISC Podcast Ep. 7: Review of IHSAHN’s ‘The Fascination Street Sessions’ LP, 06.03.2023
Originally posted on our old website, which unfortunately has met an untimely end (thanks, WordPress!). RIP. This episode is a brief one, naturally so when reviewing a short but powerful EP in Fascination Street Sessions by progressive black metal maestro Ihsahn. Original post date: March 6th, 2023.
![ISC Podcast Ep. 6 - The March Not-An-Update Anti-Update (Update). [05/03/2023].](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1735876691453-ZNM7WL2LGUJB70E67X19/471763041_923331563237204_4558893098269910696_n.jpg)
ISC Podcast Ep. 6 - The March Not-An-Update Anti-Update (Update). [05/03/2023].
Originally posted on our sadly now-in-ruins previous website (RIP) back in 2023. In honesty, it’s an interesting piece with some varied thoughts around content-creation and creativity, but it’s overall a pretty impassioned diatribe. If that sounds up your alley, dig in. If not, we’ve got a heap more episodes being copied and reposted from the carcass of ISC.com (RIP)!
ISC Podcast Ep. 05 - ISC Trajectory for 2023. (27.12.2022)
Originally posted on our old website, which unfortunately has met an untimely end (thanks, WordPress!). To quote directly - ‘A culture fed unrelenting standards imposed by some strange continued need to propagate the pre-pandemic model of life under neoliberal austerity. Plot twist - that isn't working, and I'm fed up.’ Link to rant contained inside!
ISC Podcast Ep. 04 - The Great (Sigh of) Resignation.
This is an archival repost of Episode 4: ‘The Great Sigh of Resignation’ of the Inner-Strength Check Podcast. Available on Spotify, Youtube and all other streaming platforms. Rest in Peace innerstrengthcheck.com, you will be missed.
First #TabletopThursday post for 2025 - Tabletop Goals, ISC Content, etc.
Our first new post for the year, and our first #TabletopThursdays segment at that! In today’s edition, Elodie and myself explore out game-master goals for 2025. Additionally, we provide a bit of scoop on several acclaimed wishlist to-play titles in Knave, Mothership, Old School Essentials, Starforged, Five Leagues From The Borderlands and more!
![[ISC Update] A Warm Welcome to Our Newest Team Member, Elodie!](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1740478266773-AI384FGW0Z4QN8MGYPK2/7e0696b6-2c45-4443-bf14-b41c19d3f852.jpg)
[ISC Update] A Warm Welcome to Our Newest Team Member, Elodie!
Originally posted on our old and unfortunately now-suddenly-dead-as-of-NYE-2024 website (RIP), this here’s an introduction for our 3rd addition to the Inner-Strength Check team in Elodie! See the link for background, artist details, some of her visual art and tabletop RPG portfolio, links to projects and more!
![[Archive Review] - Kurushimi, Return 3:Death EP (12.11.2022).](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1735797734694-3W2KPBFP59P3C0E6D4QT/a2738616382_10.jpg)
[Archive Review] - Kurushimi, Return 3:Death EP (12.11.2022).
Archival Review - originally posted on the now-defunct InsertReviewHere.com music journalism blog, then later reposted on the (sadly also now-defunct!) previous InnerStrengthCheck website. Review of Australian avant-garde metallers Kurushimi’s 2022 chaotic EP release in Return 3: Death.
![[Archive Review] - Hidden Intent: Dead End Destiny. (03/11/2022).](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1735794615555-VKVDO87O6R8IKFVR3O4W/a2793573206_16.jpg)
[Archive Review] - Hidden Intent: Dead End Destiny. (03/11/2022).
Archival Review - originally posted on the now-defunct InsertReviewHere.com music journalism blog, then later reposted on the (sadly also now-defunct!) previous InnerStrengthCheck website. Review of Australian thrashers Hidden Intent’s opus Dead End Destiny.
![[Archive Review] - Alarum - Circle's End - (03.11.2022)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1735713576242-VEB5RHNF23ID3FJPRCEE/alarum.jpg)
Archive Review: LIFE/LIMB - Emergent LP (07.12.2022).
Archive review of LIFE/LIMB’s blistering-Australian-sun full-length Teratoma. This was originally posted to now-defunct music journalism online outlet Insert Review Here, then my own sadly-also-goner ISC.com. Support the Aussie Scene, RIP LIFE/LIMB.
![[Interview]: Aaron Osborne of AGLO (Melbourne Death-Doom) - 23.04.23.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1735710610595-YSOBGU03VR3BKBPONGLK/aglo-.jpg)
[Interview]: Aaron Osborne of AGLO (Melbourne Death-Doom) - 23.04.23.
Archival interview with Melbourne-based purveyor of one-man sludge/death-doom act AGLO, originally posted on the now-defunct innerstrengthcheck.com in 2023.
![[Archive Review] - Cannibal Corpse: Unimagined Violence.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1735708844523-L6T576UR28XHRIIGMJJ8/cannibal-corpse-500x333-1.jpg)
[Archive Review] - Cannibal Corpse: Unimagined Violence.
Archive review of Cannibal Corpse’s blazing full-length Unimaged Violence. This was originally posted to now-defunct music journalism online outlet Insert Review Here, then my own sadly-also-goner ISC.com. Check out this extreme metal bruiser of a review once more right here on the new site!
Review - Cannibal Corpse: ‘Violence unimagined’ (03.11.22).
Archival review from our sadly now-defunct isc.com prior website, and in turn reproduced from my time as a writer for the also sadly-defunct Insert Review Here. This is a review of the Cannibal Corpse LP 'Violence Unimagined.
![[Archive]: INTRODUCING: #TabletopThursdays!](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/1736753070562-4GR0475IAFPV4NOA5CQ9/image-89.png)
[Archive]: INTRODUCING: #TabletopThursdays!
This article was originally posted to the sadly-now-defunct Inner-Strength Check website on November 28th, 2024. Rounding out our trio of regular columns in Music Mondays and Tech Tuesdays, Tabletop Thursdays seeks to provide both the latest news, deals and happenings in the TTRPG, board gaming and general hobby spaces, as well as personal updates from ourselves as DM’s and players, designers etc in our hobby journeys. Check it out and roll those dice!
Live Review - Nicolas Cage Fighter, Stay Gold Brunswick 12/08/22.
Archival repost of my first local gig review for Inner-Strength Check, for Nicolas Cage Fighter @ Stay Gold in Brunswick, 12.08.22.
Rest in Peace InnerStrengthCheck.com, 31/12/2024. Welcome to innerstrengthcheckpodcast.com!
Gig Review: The New Dead Metalfest XI, 23/04/22.
Archival review of 2022’s brilliant New Dead Festival in Adelaide, South Australia at the Lion Arts Factory.
Plenty more from the sadly now-defunct InnerStrengthCheck.com website - you can’t keep us down!
![Interview - with Brisbane Thrashers IDLE RUIN [18.04.22]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67738900deaf1a5f243892aa/8ba9e470-57ee-4a01-8041-96277ace1dbc/image-1.png)
Interview - with Brisbane Thrashers IDLE RUIN [18.04.22]
Archive post from innerstrengthcheck.com.
Interview with Brisbane-based (now Berlin-based) thrash metal unit Idle Ruin.
Original date of posting = 18th April, 2022.
ISC Podcast Episode 01: - Inside the computer.
Inner-Strength Check is a multi-modal podcast/vlog/blog project focused on exploring the intersection between societal discourse, mental health, neurodiversity, recovery, and leisure.
It’s part-blog, part-podcast and part-vlog/streaming. It's also partly serious discussions and fun stuff - video/board/tabletop gaming, roleplaying, music, reviews, banter and other fun ways of practicing what is preached here.