Mastodawn

Giant ground #sloths’ #fossilized #teeth reveal their unique roles in the #prehistoric #ecosystem

https://theconversation.com/giant-ground-sloths-fossilized-teeth-reveal-their-unique-roles-in-the-prehistoric-ecosystem-267601

Giant ground sloths’ fossilized teeth reveal their unique roles in the prehistoric ecosystem

Researchers often rely on fossil teeth for clues about what extinct animals ate. Giant ground sloths’ teeth have been tricky to analyze, though – until now.

The Conversation

Angry Metal Guy Oct 7

Ültra Raptör – Fossilized Review

By Grin Reaper

Cybernetic dinosaurs skirmish with a squad of Starship Troopers-inspired foot soldiers on a battle-scarred field. Eerie green mist cloaks a gutted refinery where small fires continue to blaze. Above, pocked moons loom menacingly low, while farther up, chrome font adorned with gratuitous umlauts irradiates the sky. Conventional wisdom says not to judge a book by its cover, but this is album art you can hear. If you’re not conjuring vivacious guitar acrobatics, lock-step rhythmic thunder, and macho bellows, then you aren’t paying attention. Ültra Raptör is here to crack open a cold one and unleash sophomore effort Fossilized. So buckle up, buckaroo. Grab your mandatory Molson and let this quintet of Canucks hit you “Hard ‘N Fast” with their take on heavy speed metal.

Have I ever wondered what Judas Priest might sound like if they teamed up with Blaze Bayley to write Screaming for Vengeance II? No. But Ültra Raptör approximates that hypothetical effort on Fossilized. Musically speaking, Fossilized sits comfortably between Priest’s 80s era and modern Riot V. Slick guitar leads, rumbly bass grooves, and punchy drums support hooky-as-fook choruses and flashy solos. The music is kinetic, and anyone who appreciates a slice of NWoBHM should find plenty of toe-tapping, headbangable moments. Ültra Raptör doesn’t do anything new on Fossilized, but they never claim to. These fellas are just here to cook up tales of heavy metal, dinosaurs, and haulin’ ass, and by God, they do that with aplomb.

Fossilized charms effortlessly, churning out melodies and earworms so sticky that I can’t shake them from my gray matter. The first four tracks set an imposing standard, where “Fossilized” and “Hard ‘N Fast” are my personal favorites, and “Spinosaurus” and “Living’ for the Riff” never falter. Guitarists Criss Raptör and Zoltan Saurus lead the assault, with riffs, licks, and leads blitzing your ears with cocksure blasts.1 From the opening moments of “Fossilized,” the six-string theatrics never let up. I’ve listened to my share of albums where I was duped by a single, only to discover the rest of the album failed to live up to the soaring heights promised. Ültra Raptör peddles no such dreck. Growling bottom-end Dick Van Heuß bolsters each track with brawny bass. Though spotlights are rare, Van Heuß constantly lurks below, ever present if you listen past the rest of the electrifying onslaught. No laggard himself, drummer Tony Bronco revs up the kit and does a tremendous job of setting a searing pace (“X-Celerator”2). Meanwhile, vocalist Phil T. Lung croons through nine tracks with his gritty baritone. I expect his voice will be the most divisive part of Ültra Raptör’s sound, and while he’s capable, it’s not the typical torsion-induced falsettos regularly featured in the genre. Though he mostly evokes Blaze Bayley, a few moments ring of Dave Brockie. The ensuing amalgam is a potent brewski—one best consumed with a mullet and a pack of cigs crammed into your denim jacket.

Ültra Raptör’s fearlessness begets a raucous and engaging listen, though adjustments could have elevated Fossilized. In total, they deliver forty-one minutes of filler-less heavy metal (less instrumental “Le Voyageur d’Oort,” a decent but unremarkable minute). The mix permits everyone to shine and contains enough depth to appreciate what passes for nuance in such an outrageous concept. Revisiting the vocals, Lung is proficient and never lacks the gusto to match the music’s energy. Despite that, I wish there was more variety in his singing. Either harnessing more falsettos like on debut Tyrants or bringing in a guest singer could add enough extra spice to kick things up a notch. Singing aside, the chief knock on Fossilized is a lack of originality. I don’t believe this will or should prevent anyone from enjoying what Ültra Raptör does here, but it defines a ceiling that’s extremely difficult to push past.

Ültra Raptör pumps testosterone-fueled, chest-thumping vigor into Fossilized, constructing an over-the-top arrogance that would crumble with less conviction. The album exudes fun because of the utter commitment to the bit, and unless you’re allergic to a good time, I highly recommend checking out Fossilized. It’s not an album that will change anyone’s mind about what heavy or speed metal offers, but it is an excellent example of what makes a very good record within those confines.

Rating: Very Good
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Fighter Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: October 7th, 2025

#2025 #35 #BlazeBayley #CanadianMetal #FighterRecords #Fossilized #HeavyMetal #JudasPriest #Oct25 #Review #Reviews #Riot #RiotV #SpeedMetal #ÜltraRaptör

Kaye Menner Photography May 26, 2025

#Fossilized #Octopus #Art - #Artistic #Impression by Kaye Menner #Photography Wide variety #Prints & lovely #Products at:

https://kaye-menner.pixels.com/featured/fossilized-octopus-art-artistic-impression-kaye-menner.html

#abstract #ink #fossil #rock #coloring #photoabstract #blackredwhite #impressionism #digitalwork #artisticimpression #homedecor #mastoart #fediverse #fediart #fedigiftshop #giftideas #wallartforsale #Art #artforsale #BuyIntoArt #AYearForArt #Artist #FineArtAmerica #PhotographyFeed #VisualArts #CreativeArts

Stefan F. Wirth Mar 23, 2025

#Fossilized #traces of may be #unknown #microorganisms found in #marble/#limestone from Saudi Arabia, #Namibia and Oman by German researchers from the Gutenberg Univ. Mainz.

This short #science comm. post by S. F. Wirth

Reference
Passchier, C. W., et al. (2025). Subfossil Fracture-Related #Euendolithic Micro-burrows in Marble and Limestone. Geomicrobiology Journal, 1–16 https://doi.org/10.1080/01490451.2025.2467417

Photo
Traces in Namibian rocks by authors of paper above, creative Commons http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/