The End Times sessioned at Egg Studios last weekend under the firm yet gentle hand of Conrad Uno, a name I knew from a lot of records I never listened to back in the mid-90s ... Fastbacks, Supersuckers and some lesser Mudhoney releases (not to mention the nightmarish Presidents of the United States of America), platters I'd see in the collections of friends but never collect my own self. Who knew I'd end up there a decade later?

Conrad was great, however, very much in the Diamond tradition, easy-going and fun to record with, reasonable rates and top-notch basement facilities -- I fully endorse Egg Studios for anyone seeking affordable documentation. We put down eleven songs in fourteen hours, a ludicrous plan even for such a small, well-rehearsed configuration as us, and I'll never do it like that again. Next time I take more time.

After several days of listening and relistening, I can't tell which songs work and which don't ... if anyone wants to lay some fresh ears on this material, let me know and I'll forward a couple MP3s.

I've been deeply moody for many weeks now, waking up daily at dawn no matter when I drop off to sleep and just barely functioning. I see spots every day, minor hallucinations dancing in the space between my eyes and the things I must force myself to reckon with ... with luck this house of cards will complete its collapse and I can return to rebuild.