title: Great Big Sea

text: The band found its new name as original bassist Jeff Scott rented an apartment on Rankin Street, St. John's, where the members first met and discussed the formation of the band. As a four-piece, the band first appeared as "Rankin Street" at a little pub in downtown St. John's called "The Rose and Thistle", playing for $100 and beer. They played through Sean McCann's stereo system, as renting a PA would have cost more than the night's earnings. Susan Hickey (guitar and vocals) left the band months later to attend school in Halifax and was replaced by Darrell Power. The band gained much popularity playing such local pubs as Bridget's and Greensleeves. In 1991 Jeff Scott was replaced by Jackie St. Croix on bass. The band released one recording on cassette titled "Rankin Street".


title: Great Big Sea

text: According to Doyle, Rankin Street owned a PA system and he owned a van, which made Great Big Sea "a match made in heaven." They toured nearly constantly for the band's first several years, sometimes traveling as many as 300 days a year.


title: Great Big Sea

text: In 1997, the band reached the top ten of the Canadian "RPM" pop chart with "When I'm Up (I Can't Get Down)", a cover of a song by the British folk group Oysterband. They performed at the 1999 Stardust Picnic festival at Historic Fort York, Toronto.


title: Great Big Sea

text: The band won the "Entertainer of the Year" award at the East Coast Music Awards for every year between 1996 and 2000. In 2001, they decided not to submit their name for nomination in order to allow other bands to compete. They have also been nominated for several Juno Awards, including Group of the Year in 1998, 2005, 2009, and 2011.


title: Great Big Sea

text: Power retired from Great Big Sea in 2003 to spend more time with his family and friends. Supporting members of the band include Canadian freelance drummer Kris MacFarlane (2002) (drums, accordion, guitar, backing vocals) and Murray Foster (2003, formerly of the band Moxy Früvous) (bass, backing vocals).


title: Great Big Sea

text: In the 2000 Canadian Federal Election, controversy occurred when Stockwell Day and the Canadian Alliance used the band's hit single, "Ordinary Day", at a rally without their permission. The band noted that this was a copyright violation and ordered that Day cease using the song for campaigning purposes.


title: Great Big Sea

text: Great Big Sea's first concert DVD and videos collection, the "Great Big DVD", saw release in Canada and the United States in 2003 and Europe in 2004.


title: Great Big Sea

text: In late 2005, the band released its long-awaited "traditional" album, "The Hard and the Easy", on which they recorded their favourite Newfoundland party songs. The title of the album comes from a line of the song "Tickle Cove Pond", one of two songs on the album about a horse falling through ice.


title: Great Big Sea

text: Also in late 2005, Great Big Sea released its first podcast, with clips of the band bantering back and forth in the studio mixed with various songs by them and other artists. They have since released several podcasts.


title: Great Big Sea

text: On February 9, 2006, the band's tour bus tipped on its side into a ditch on the Trans-Canada Highway about 80 kilometres east of Vancouver near Surrey. The bus went on its side (right side) right beside the commercial weigh scales. As traffic backed up as far as Chilliwack, British Columbia, RCMP started to re-route traffic through the weigh scales. Their driver suffered minor head injuries, but everyone in the band was unhurt. The band went on to continue their tour including their performance that evening at The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts.


title: Great Big Sea

text: On November 21, 2006, the band released their second concert DVD, "Courage & Patience & Grit", recorded in Belleville, Ontario. It is also the second release by the band to be titled by a line from their 2005 song, "Tickle Cove Pond".


title: Great Big Sea

text: On June 13, 2007, the band announced they would return to the studio with producer Hawksley Workman. On March 14, 2008, the band announced that the title of the new album would be "Fortune's Favour", borrowing a phrase from one of the songs on the album, "England". Prior to the release, a few of the songs that were eventually included on the album were played at live concerts, including "Love Me Tonight", "Walk on the Moon" "The Rocks of Merasheen", "Straight To Hell", and "Oh Yeah". On April 17, 2008, the band's website announced that the first single from "Fortune's Favour" would be "Walk on the Moon". People who pre-ordered the album from the band's official website were also treated to exclusive digital downloads of the songs "Belong (A Capella)" and "Gallow's Pole". The album was officially released on June 24, 2008 across all of North America.


title: Great Big Sea

text: On February 23, 2010, band member Séan McCann released his debut solo album "Lullabies for Bloodshot Eyes" to pleasing critical success. The nine track collection was recorded over the course of several months earlier this year at GreatBigStudio in St. John's.


title: Great Big Sea

text: On July 13, 2010, Great Big Sea released their new album "Safe Upon the Shore" in North America. Alan's "From the Road" blog on the band's website, originally confirmed its production in an April posting, speaking also of the album's subsequent release in July. "Nothing But A Song" is the first single off the bands' ninth studio recording, with a subsequent tour kicking off at the end of the summer 2010.


title: Great Big Sea

text: Great Big Sea announced a 'greatest hits' album titled "XX" in October 2012, accompanied by a 20th anniversary tour with 32 dates in 28 cities across the US and Canada which kicked off on March 5, 2013 in Los Angeles and finished in St. John's on April 23, 2013.


title: Great Big Sea

text: In 2013, McCann announced that he would be leaving the band at the end of the "XX" tour, much to the dismay of his bandmates.


title: Great Big Sea

text: In an interview with Bob Mersereau for the CBC, McCann discussed his life changes. "I stopped drinking two and a half years ago, I've decided to leave the band I've been in for 20 years. I'm 46 years old, and I've decided to make ...changes."


title: Great Big Sea

text: In 2020, McCann coauthored a memoir with his wife, Andrea Aragon, titled "One Good Reason" that discusses his early life, battle with addiction and how this affected his life in the band. In it, McCann says that struggling to maintain his new sobriety he told his bandmates in January of 2013 that XX would be his last tour with the band, but the rest of the band and its management refused to announce this publicly. Finally, in November 2013 with XX almost over, McCann announced his departure himself in a tweet, feeling that the fans needed to know. While largely vilified by Great Big Sea fans with little said by the band or management to counter this view, McCann claims he was devastated by how Great Big Sea ended and wishes it could have gone differently.


title: Great Big Sea

text: On November 5, 2015, Alan Doyle was quoted in an interview with Christopher Tessmer of the "Regina Leader-Post", "We’re all struggling to define what the status of Great Big Sea is right now. As most people know, at the end of 2013 — after our 20th Anniversary tour — Sean (McCann) quit and left the band. We spent a length of time — a year or so — to find an amicable way that Bob (Hallett) and I could continue without him. We couldn’t, so we came to the realization that we didn’t want to go on like that. We don’t want to fight for the spoils of it. For the lack of a better term, the band is now happily retired."


title: Great Big Sea

text: On February 27, 2017, Doyle was quoted in an interview with Jason Setnyk of the Cornwall Seeker, "Of course (we’re still friends). Sean, Bob, Darrell, and myself still own the publishing. Sean doesn’t live in Newfoundland anymore. We don’t talk as much as we once did, but he seems to be doing really well and great, and good luck to him."


title: Great Big Sea

text: Great Big Sea is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism and worked with them on a radio PSA.


title: Bali Ha'i (Better Call Saul)

text: "Bali Ha'i" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American television drama series "Better Call Saul", the spinoff series of "Breaking Bad". Written by Gennifer Hutchison and directed by "Breaking Bad" cinematographer Michael Slovis, "Bali Ha'i" aired on AMC in the United States on March 21, 2016. Outside of the United States, the episode premiered on streaming service Netflix in several countries.


title: Bali Ha'i (Better Call Saul)

text: Jimmy McGill finds it difficult adjusting to his new job at D&M, and is unable to sleep in his apartment, so he turns on the television and finds that Davis & Main have begun airing a plain advertisement seeking plaintiffs for the Sandpiper lawsuit, which makes him even more anxious. He returns to his old boiler room office, where he has no trouble falling asleep. The next morning, Jimmy leaves Kim Wexler a voicemail in which he happily sings "Bali Ha'i" from "South Pacific". With Chuck McGill's help, Kim is transferred out of HHM's document review room, but is treated coldly by Howard Hamlin, who gives her humiliating and menial assignments, including arguing unwinnable motions in court.


title: Bali Ha'i (Better Call Saul)

text: Kim is approached by Rich Schweikart of Schweikart & Cokely, who tells her that he was impressed with her performance while arguing a motion she was sure to lose. He offers her a position at S&C that will include better pay and benefits and the promise of meaningful work. Unsure of what to do, Kim relieves her stress by running another con with Jimmy. They fool an investor into giving them $10,000, though the next morning Kim tells Jimmy they will not cash the check, but keep it as a "souvenir". She confides her doubts about whether to move to S&C and expresses jealousy that Jimmy always seems to know what he wants. Though he is increasingly frustrated at D&M, Jimmy lies to Kim about how working at D&M is everything he has always wanted.


title: Bali Ha'i (Better Call Saul)

text: Mike Ehrmantraut refuses Hector Salamanca's offer of $5,000 to say the gun found when Tuco Salamanca assaulted him is Mike's, so Hector has his henchmen, including Leonel and Marco Salamanca (the Cousins), wage a harassment campaign. Stacey and Kaylee Ehrmantraut receive implied and explicit threats, so Mike agrees to take responsibility for the gun, but only if he is paid $50,000. Hector agrees, and Mike later gives $25,000 to Nacho Varga to reimburse him for the money Nacho paid Mike to get Tuco arrested. Mike argues that he owes Nacho since Tuco's reduced sentence means Mike did not live up to the terms of their agreement.


title: Bali Ha'i (Better Call Saul)

text: The episode received very positive reviews from critics. It holds a perfect 100% positive rating with an average score of 8.38 out of 10 on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. The critics' consensus reads: "Bali Ha'i," with a calm-before-the-storm approach, subtly shows nuanced character performance work while brilliantly eliminating trusted tropes and providing a desired focus on Kim and Mike.


title: Bali Ha'i (Better Call Saul)

text: Terri Schwartz of IGN gave the episode an 8.3 rating, writing "The Cousins are back as Hector Salamanca makes things personal for Mike."


title: Bali Ha'i (Better Call Saul)

text: For this episode, Jonathan Banks was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards.


title: Dinner in America

text: Dinner in America is a 2020 American coming of age dark comedy film written, directed, and edited by Adam Carter Rehmeier. It stars Kyle Gallner, Emily Skeggs, Griffin Gluck, Pat Healy, Mary Lynn Rajskub, David Yow, Hannah Marks, Nick Chinlund, and Lea Thompson. The plot follows a punk rock singer seeking an escape and a young woman obsessed with his band who unexpectedly cross paths. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2020. It was released in the United States on May 27, 2022. It received critical acclaim for its energy and the performances of the leads.


title: Dinner in America

text: A reckless, on-the-lam punk rock singer named Simon goes home with Beth, a girl he met while volunteering at a clinical trial. He and Beth's mother begin to flirt, and after getting caught, Simon lights the family's front yard on fire. Meanwhile, track athletes Derrick and Brandon bully the young and awkward Patty, who goes to work at a pet store before returning home. She eats dinner with her parents, Norman and Connie, and brother Kevin, and is unsuccessful in asking for permission to go to a rock show with her friends, Sissy and Karen. For the past two years, Patty has been sending postcards containing nude photos and lyrics to her original music to John Q, the lead singer of her favorite band PSYOPS, who will be playing next week with the Alliance. She is unaware that John Q is Simon, who performs wearing a ski mask.


title: Dinner in America

text: The following morning, Simon begins to sell drugs around town. A police officer spots him and gives chase buts fails to find him. Simon crosses paths with Patty, who recognizes him from a college course on music appreciation. She tells him that she was just fired from the pet store by the owner, Mr. Hanley. She takes him back to her place, where they flirt. Simon and Patty later eat dinner with the rest of her family. Simon convinces Norman and Connie into giving him a place to stay for the week and tells Kevin he is adopted. Patty tells Simon about her fascination for John Q. Simon runs away and confronts his band members for setting up the rock show without his knowledge. He returns to Patty's house and smokes weed with Kevin.


title: Dinner in America

text: The next day, Simon and Patty make plans to demand an overdue paycheck from Mr. Hanley. Derrick and Brandon come across them and beat up Simon. In a rage, Simon convinces a friend to lend him his truck. He goes home to retrieve a dead cat from Patty's front yard before tracking Derrick and Brandon down. Patty acts provocatively to throw them off as Simon knocks them unconscious, strips them, burns their tracksuits, and places the dead cat on their bodies. The smoke alerts the other track athletes, who find them as Simon and Patty make their escape and drive away. They get the check from Mr. Hanley and eat lunch at a fast food restaurant. There, they kiss passionately. Simon and Patty spend the rest of the day on a date at an arcade. Simon breaks into a ticket machine to win Patty a desired stuffed teddy bear. They return home and find the rest of Patty's family completely stoned.


title: Dinner in America

text: The following day, Simon prevents Patty from going to a job interview to be a dish cleaner and instead takes her to the basement of his mother's house. He tells her that he is John Q and proves it by giving her back her postcards. He praises her songwriting abilities. They have sex and later perform one of her songs. Her singing brings him to tears. Simon's family arrives home and invites the pair to dinner. When the family starts to criticize Simon and accuse him of being a drug addict, Patty confronts them, but they mistake her awkwardness for drug use. The family kicks them both out. When Patty asks Simon if he thinks she is retarded, he tells her to stop undervaluing herself because she is a "total punk rocker." When Simon tells his music manager that he refuses to play with the Alliance, his band members decide to call the police and turn him in for a reward. Simon takes Patty on another date to a "secret" rock show. He sings one of her favorite songs, "Dinner in America," and dedicates the performance to her, cementing their relationship. The police arrest Simon as Sissy and Karen notice Patty kissing him before he goes. The trio decides to start a riot girl band. Sometime later, Patty reads a letter from Simon that includes a nude photo of his. She punches a bully that calls her a retard, walks away, puts on a ski mask, and listens to the song she recorded with Simon.


title: Dinner in America

text: The concept for the film originated from two sketches by writer-director Adam Carter Rehmeier. The first sketch, "Kicks" (2006), centered entirely around Simon's time volunteering for clinical trials to pay for his punk records. Rehmeier wrote the second sketch, "Dinner in America", around 2009, and took a more comedic approach that focused on Patty's family as they ate dinner. When he saw they were not working independently, he combined the stories together sometime between 2013 and 2014, and the idea for the film came to fruition. Rehmeier said the film drew inspiration from the characters of Dawn Wiener in "Welcome to the Dollhouse" (1995) and the title character in "Napoleon Dynamite" (2004): "I wouldn't say they were really direct [influences]. I think really it came down to writing things that weren't going anywhere and just having like a lot of marinating over a long period of time."


title: Dinner in America

text: The screenplay was noticed by filmmaker Danny Leiner who, initially interested in directing, noticed Rehmeier's vision and came on board the project as a producer. The ensemble cast, including leads Kyle Gallner and Emily Skeggs, was announced in September 2018. Filming took place in Detroit, Michigan. Leiner died by the time production had concluded in 2018; the film is dedicated to his memory. Ben Stiller and Nicky Weinstock are credited in the end credits as producers as well. Leiner said he was thankful for their guidance, especially since Weinstock was on set the entire time. Skeggs, who plays Patty, said musician Ezra Furman was a major inspiration for her performance. Original songs for the film were constructed ahead of filming during pre-production. The score was composed by John Swihart.


title: Dinner in America

text: The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2020, as part of the U.S. Dramatic Competition. It was released in select theaters in the United States on May 27, 2022, by Best & Final Releasing, and on video-on-demand on June 7.


title: Dinner in America

text: On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 77 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The critical consensus reads, "Rounded out by a pair of satisfying performances, "Dinner in America" is a coming-of-age rom-com with infectious punk rock energy." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 80 out of 100 based on eight critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: Dinner in America

text: Lorry Kikta of "Film Threat" hailed the performances from the ensemble cast as "fantastic" and said the screenplay was "hilarious and ingenious." Dennis Harvey of "Variety" called the film "surreal" and described Gallner's portrayal as "a knockout lead performance."


title: Utah Data Center

text: The Utah Data Center (UDC), also known as the Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative Data Center, is a data storage facility for the United States Intelligence Community that is designed to store data estimated to be on the order of exabytes or larger. Its purpose is to support the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI), though its precise mission is classified. The National Security Agency (NSA) leads operations at the facility as the executive agent for the Director of National Intelligence. It is located at Camp Williams near Bluffdale, Utah, between Utah Lake and Great Salt Lake and was completed in May 2014 at a cost of $1.5 billion.


title: Utah Data Center

text: Critics believe that the data center has the capability to process "all forms of communication, including the complete contents of private emails, cell phone calls, and Internet searches, as well as all types of personal data trails—parking receipts, travel itineraries, bookstore purchases, and other digital 'pocket litter'." In response to claims that the data center would be used to illegally monitor email of U.S. citizens, in April 2013 an NSA spokesperson said, "Many unfounded allegations have been made about the planned activities of the Utah Data Center, ... one of the biggest misconceptions about NSA is that we are unlawfully listening in on, or reading emails of, U.S. citizens. This is simply not the case."


title: Utah Data Center

text: In April 2009, officials at the United States Department of Justice acknowledged that the NSA had engaged in large-scale overcollection of domestic communications in excess of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court's authority, but claimed that the acts were unintentional and had since been rectified.


title: Utah Data Center

text: In August 2012, "The New York Times" published short documentaries by independent filmmakers titled "The Program", based on interviews with former NSA technical director and whistleblower William Binney. The project had been designed for foreign signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection, but Binney alleged that after the September 11 terrorist attacks, controls that limited unintentional collection of data pertaining to U.S. citizens were removed, prompting concerns by him and others that the actions were illegal and unconstitutional. Binney alleged that the Bluffdale facility was designed to store a broad range of domestic communications for data mining without warrants.


title: Utah Data Center

text: Documents leaked to the media in June 2013 described PRISM, a national security computer and network surveillance program operated by the NSA, as enabling in-depth surveillance on live Internet communications and stored information. Reports linked the data center to the NSA's controversial expansion of activities, which store extremely large amounts of data. Privacy and civil liberties advocates raised concerns about the unique capabilities that such a facility would give to intelligence agencies. "They park stuff in storage in the hopes that they will eventually have time to get to it," said James Lewis, a cyberexpert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, "or that they'll find something that they need to go back and look for in the masses of data." But, he added, "most of it sits and is never looked at by anyone."


title: Utah Data Center

text: The UDC was expected to store Internet data, as well as telephone records from the controversial NSA telephone call database, MAINWAY, when it opened in 2013.


title: Utah Data Center

text: In light of the controversy over the NSA's involvement in the practice of mass surveillance in the United States, and prompted by the 2013 mass surveillance disclosures by ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the Utah Data Center was hailed by "The Wall Street Journal" as a "symbol of the spy agency's surveillance prowess".


title: Utah Data Center

text: Binney has said that the facility was built to store recordings and other content of communications, not only for metadata.


title: Utah Data Center

text: According to an interview with Snowden, the project was initially known as the Massive Data Repository within NSA, but was renamed to Mission Data Repository due to the former sounding too "creepy".


title: Utah Data Center

text: The structure provides , with of data center space and more than of technical support and administrative space. It is projected to cost $1.5–2 billion. A report suggested that it will cost another $2 billion for hardware, software, and maintenance.


title: Utah Data Center

text: The completed facility is expected to require 65 megawatts of electricity, costing about $40 million per year. Given its open-evaporation-based cooling system, the facility is expected to use of water per day.


title: Utah Data Center

text: An article by "Forbes" estimates the storage capacity as between 3 and 12 exabytes in the near term, based on analysis of unclassified blueprints, but mentions Moore's Law, meaning that advances in technology could be expected to increase the capacity by orders of magnitude in the coming years.


title: Utah Data Center

text: Toward the end of the project's construction it was plagued by electrical problems in the form of "massive power surges" that damaged equipment. This delayed its opening by a year.


title: Utah Data Center

text: The finished structure is characterized as a Tier III Data Center, with over a million square feet, that cost over 1.5 billion dollars to build. Of the million square feet, 100,000 square feet are dedicated to the data center. The other 900,000 square feet are utilized as technical support and administrative space.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: Belphegor is an Austrian blackened death metal band from Salzburg. They originally formed in 1991 under the name Betrayer before changing their name in 1993, deriving their current name from the demon Belphegor.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: Belphegor was founded as Betrayer in 1991 by vocalist and bassist Maxx, guitarists Helmuth and Sigurd, and drummer Chris. The band released their first demo "Kruzifixion" in April 1991, and "Unborn Blood" later on. After adopting the name Belphegor in 1993, they released another demo, "Bloodbath in Paradise" on Maxi-CD format. At somepoint before or after the release of this demo, Maxx departed from the band, resulting in Helmuth assuming his role as both vocalist and guitarist of Belphegor since. In between 1993 and 1996 session member A-X performed bass, after which bassist Mario "Marius" Klausner joined the band as a full-time member.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: The band was briefly signed to Perverted Taste Records, the label on which the demo "Obscure and Deep" was released in 1994. This release featured a cover of the Black Sabbath song "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath". Their first album, "The Last Supper", was released by Lethal Records in January 1995. At this time the band's logo was also redesigned to include two inverted crosses surrounded by blood.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: The band's second album "Blutsabbath" was released in October 1997, featuring Man (of Mastic Scum) on session drums. This was followed by an eighteen date tour of Europe in April and May 1998 with Behemoth and Ancient. The band's debut album "The Last Supper" was rereleased in 1999 and came clad in all new artwork and featured an additional six extra tracks from the "Obscure And Deep" EP.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: The following year, the third album "Necrodaemon Terrorsathan" was released by Last Episode (nowadays known as Black Attakk), where Man again performed session drums. The band eventually left Last Episode and later denounced them as a "rip-off label". In January 2001, Belphegor headlined a few shows at outdoor venues at 'Fuck The Commerce IV', 'With Full Force VIII' and 'Hell On Earth' in Germany with support from Dunkelgrafen and Dawn of Dreams. In 2002, Belphegor played at the Summerbreeze, Brutal Assault and Morbide Festspiele prior to further German gigs in December. It was also around then when Belphegor first recruited drummer Torturer (Mor Dagor) and bassist Barth. After releasing their live album "Infernal Live Orgasm" on their own label "Phallelujah Productions", they signed with Napalm Records.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: After having signed up with Napalm Records, the lineup of vocalist and guitarist Helmuth, guitarist Sigurd, bassist Barth and drummer Torturer recorded the fourth album "Lucifer Incestus", produced by Alex Krull of Atrocity. The album was released in December 2003, and a European tour followed.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: Belphegor entered Mastersound Studio in Fellbach during September 2004 record their fifth album "Goatreich - Fleshcult", again produced by Alex Krull. The band undertook a mini-tour in November with Disastrous Murmur, and played at the X-Mass Festival alongside Napalm Death, Marduk, Finntroll and Vader. In February 2005, "Goatreich - Fleshcult" was released in various formats, including a vinyl edition limited to 1000 copies. Digipack variants added the instrumental track 'Heresy Of Fire' as a bonus. That same month, drummer Torturer left the band and was replaced by Nefastus (Tomas Janiszewski). In April, Belphegor headlined the eighteen-day "Goatreich - Fleshcult Europe Tour Pt. I" with support from Arkhon Infaustus, Asmodeus and In Aeternum. The band soon departed from Napalm Records, on the grounds the label "did not support them enough" and they were "fed up with this respectless treatment."


title: Belphegor (band)

text: Belphegor signed with Nuclear Blast in 2005, and commenced recording the album "Pestapokalypse VI" in producer Andy Classen's (who also produced the band's debut album "The Last Supper") Stage One Studios in November.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: After having played bass on six of the nine tracks on the new album, bassist Barth was forced to leave the band and terminate his career after suffering a hand injury that left him unable to continue performing. This led to Belphegor withdrawing from a tour with Hate Eternal in April 2006, and Helmuth was forced to record the remaining bass lines on the new album himself while Robin Eaglestone (ex-Cradle of Filth, Imperial Black) was recruited as a session bassist for live performances between April and October. Barth's full-time replacement was Serpenth, who joined the band in October.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: "Pestapokalypse VI" was released in October 2006, and drummer Nefastus soon left the band. Session drummers have since been recruited including Lille Grubber, Blastphemer (Jan Benkwitz) and former Belphegor drummer Torturer. That same month Nuclear Blast issued a special ammunition box variant of the "Pestapokalypse VI" album, limited to just 500 copies and packed with the CD in digipack, a patch, a belt and "emergency provisions". A vinyl version of the album was also restricted to 500 copies. "Pestapokalypse VI" was further promoted by a promotional videos for the songs "Bluhtsturm Erotika" and "Belphegor - Hell's Ambassador" directed by Florian Werner.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: Belphegor were set to play the X-Mass Festival again in December 2006, however the festival was cancelled. Nevertheless, they were among the bands supporting Danzig on their Blackest of the Black tour in North America in December 2006 – January 2007, and they toured North America again in February–March 2007 with Unleashed, Krisiun, and Hatesphere. With support initially from Kataklysm and Unleashed and later from Arkhon Infaustus, Belphegor headlined the "Midvinterblot European Tour Part II" in May. The band also played at the famous Wacken Open Air festival in August. In September, the band coheadlined with Gorgoroth in most of the venues on the latter's tour of South America.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: In January 2008, founding member Sigurd underwent eye surgery, and because of this it was not known whether he would resume with his role in Belphegor. A few months later however, Helmuth said Sigurd had chosen to leave the band permanently following their tour of Europe in late 2007. For Belphegor's North American tour in February 2008 he was replaced by Anthony Paulini, and he was eventually replaced by Morluch as full-time guitarist.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: In April 2008, "Bondage Goat Zombie" was released featuring Helmuth on vocals and both lead and rhythm guitars, Serpenth on bass and Torturer on drums. As well as a standard CD release this album came in a variety of formats including a limited edition digipack complete with a DVD hosting video clips, behind the scenes footage, a studio "making of" documentary, live footage and a "freak" section, and a further limited option in Stahl helmet packaging complete with dogtag as well as a red vinyl version limited to 1000 copies. This was followed by an appearance at the Hellfest Summer Open Air festival in France in June 2008, and they supported Nile and Grave on the Ithyphallic tour of Europe in September 2008. In October 2008, the band once again toured North America with Amon Amarth.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: In January 2009, an announcement was made stating the band was working on a new album, and Nefastus again would be responsible for the drums. It was reported recording had begun in February 2009, and Nefastus completed recording the drum parts. On February 23, 2009, Helmuth announced the rhythm guitar and bass lines had been recorded in the second studio session. Ostensibly, the new album was tentatively titled "Hexenwahn - Totenkult":


title: Belphegor (band)

text: As opposed to previous tales of the inquisition, this focuses upon the darker, more dismal of the mighty, powerful witches who conjure and worship demons. Those who have a pact with the forces of hell through the occult. The concept deals with demonology, witchcraft/ Hexenwahn, depraved suKKubi, blackest erotica, and as always, the grand devil, himself.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: On June 9, 2009, the album's title was revealed to be "Walpurgis Rites - Hexenwahn". On July 3, 2009, it was announced that the recording was completed and that the album would be released in October 2009. Furthermore, Brazilian artist Marcelo Hvc commenced work on the album cover and imagery.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: The band embarked on another North American tour in April 2009, which was headlined by Kreator and Exodus, along with Warbringer and Epicurean.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: In November 2009, the band joined the Heathenfest tour in North America, along with Eluveitie, Alestorm, Kivimetsän Druidi, and Vreid.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: On January 14, 2011 Belphegor released another album entitled "Blood Magick Necromance" and toured the US with Sepultura in support of the album.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: The band was on hold after their 2011 South American tour until May 2012 due to Lehner going through a serious and difficult operation after being infected with typhoid fever.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: On August 23, 2014, the band performed at the Agglutination Metal Festival in Italy, along with bands like Carcass and Entombed A.D.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: Belphegor released their tenth album, "Conjuring The Dead", on August 8, 2014 via Nuclear Blast. It entered the official German charts at #60, as well as reaching #33 in the Austrian album charts, #177 in France, #13 Heatseekers #52 "Hard Music" charts in USA and #58 in Canada. It was their best chart result ever in these countries.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: Before Belphegor's show in St. Petersburg, the band's leader Helmuth Lehner was attacked by Anatoly Artyukh, an orthodox activist and the assistant of the deputy Vitaly Milonov. The incident happened at the Pulkovo Airport on April 19, 2016.


title: Belphegor (band)

text: In April 2022, the band announced their twelfth album, "The Devils", would be released on June 24. The album's release date was then pushed back twice due to manufacturing delays: once for July 8, and then to July 29.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: In chess, there is a general consensus among players and theorists that the player who makes the first move (White) has an inherent advantage. Since 1851, compiled statistics support this view; White consistently slightly more often than Black, usually scoring between 52 and 56 percent. White's is about the same for tournament games between humans and games between computers; however, White's advantage is less significant in blitz games and games between lower-level players.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Chess players and theoreticians have long debated whether, given perfect play by both sides, the game should end in a win for White or a draw. Since approximately 1889, when World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz addressed this issue, the consensus has been that a perfectly played game would end in a draw (futile game). A few notable players have argued, however, that White's advantage may be sufficient to a win: Weaver Adams and Vsevolod Rauzer claimed that White is winning after the first move 1.e4, while Hans Berliner argued that 1.d4 may win for White. Chess is not a solved game, however, and it is considered unlikely that the game will be solved in the foreseeable future.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Some players, including world champions such as José Raúl Capablanca, Emanuel Lasker, and Bobby Fischer, have expressed fears of a "draw death" as chess becomes more deeply analyzed. To alleviate this danger, Capablanca and Fischer both proposed chess variants to revitalize the game, while Lasker suggested changing how draws and stalemates are scored.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Some writers have challenged the view that White has an inherent advantage. Grandmaster (GM) András Adorján wrote a series of books on the theme that "Black is OK!", arguing that the general perception that White has an advantage is founded more in psychology than reality. GM Mihai Suba and others contend that sometimes White's initiative disappears for no apparent reason as a game progresses. The prevalent style of play for Black today is to seek unbalanced, positions with active , rather than merely trying to . Modern writers also argue that Black has certain countervailing advantages. The consensus that White should try to win can be a psychological burden for the White player, who sometimes loses by trying too hard to win. Some openings (i.e. those where Black's moves mirror White's) can lead to situations where moving first is a detriment, for either psychological or objective reasons.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: In 1946, W.F. Streeter examined the results of 5,598 games played in 45 international chess tournaments between 1851 and 1932. Streeter found that overall White scored 53.4% (W: 38.12; D: 30.56; L: 31.31). White scored 52.55% in 1851–1878 (W:45.52; D: 14.07; L: 40.41), 52.77% in 1881–1914 (W: 36.89; D: 31.76; L: 31.35), and 55.47% in 1919–1932 (W: 36.98; D: 36.98; L: 26.04). Streeter concluded, "It thus appears that it is becoming increasingly difficult to win with Black, but somewhat easier to draw."


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Two decades later, statistician Arthur M. Stevens concluded in "The Blue Book of Charts to Winning Chess", based on a survey of 56,972 master games that he completed in 1967, that White scores 59.1%. However, Stevens assembled his games from those that had been published in chess magazines, rather than complete collections of all the games played in particular events.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: More recent sources indicate that White scores approximately 54 to 56 percent. In 2005, GM Jonathan Rowson wrote that "the conventional wisdom is that White begins the game with a small advantage and, holding all other factors constant, scores approximately 56% to Black's 44%". International Master (IM) John Watson wrote in 1998 that White had scored 56% for most of the 20th century, but that this figure had recently slipped to 55%. The website Chessgames.com holds regularly updated statistics on its games database. As of January 12, 2015, White had won 37.50%, 34.90% were drawn, and Black had won 27.60% out of 739,769 games, resulting in a total White winning percentage of 54.95%.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: "New In Chess" observed in its 2000 Yearbook that of the 731,740 games in its database, White scored 54.8% overall; with the two most popular opening moves, White scored 54.1% in 349,855 games beginning 1.e4 (moving the king's pawn two spaces forward), and 56.1% in 296,200 games beginning 1.d4 (moving the queen's pawn two spaces forward). The main reason that 1.e4 was less effective than 1.d4 was the Sicilian Defence (1.e4 c5), which gave White only a 52.3% score in 145,996 games.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Statistician Jeff Sonas, in examining data from 266,000 games played between 1994 and 2001, concluded that White scored 54.1767% plus 0.001164 times White's Elo rating advantage, treating White's rating advantage as +390 if it is better than +390, or −460 if it is worse than −460. He found that White's advantage is equivalent to 35 rating points, i.e. if White has a rating 35 points below Black's, each player will have an expected score of 50%. Sonas also found that White's advantage is smaller (53%) in rapid games than in games at a slower ("classical") time control. In the 462 games played at the 2009 World Blitz Chess Championship, White scored only 52.16% (W38.96 D26.41 L34.63).


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Other writers conclude that there is a positive correlation between the players' ratings and White's score. According to GM Evgeny Sveshnikov, statistics show that White has no advantage over Black in games between beginners, but "if the players are stronger, White has the lead". An analysis of the results of games in ChessBase's Mega 2003 database between players with similar Elo ratings, commissioned by GM András Adorján, showed that as the players' ratings went up, the percentage of draws increased, the proportion of decisive games that White won increased, and White's overall winning percentage increased. For example, taking the highest and lowest of Adorján's rating categories of 1669 games played by the highest-rated players (Elo ratings 2700 and above), White scored 55.7% overall (W26.5 D58.4 L15.2), whereas of 34,924 games played by the lowest-rated players (Elo ratings below 2100), White scored 53.1% overall (W37.0 D32.1 L30.8). Adorján also analyzed the results of games played at the very highest level: World Championship matches. Of 755 games played in 34 matches between 1886 and 1990, White won 234 (31.0%), drew 397 (52.6%), and lost 124 (16.4%), for a total white winning percentage of 57.3%. In the last five matches in Adorjan's survey, all between Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov, White won 31 (25.8%), drew 80 (66.7%), and lost 9 (7.5%), for a total white winning percentage of 59.2%.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Chess Engines Grand Tournament (CEGT) tests computer chess engines by playing them against each other, with time controls of 40 moves in 120 minutes per player (40/120), and also 40/20 and 40/4, and uses the results of those games to compile a rating list for each time control. At the slowest time control (40/120), White has scored 55.4% (W34.7 D41.3 L24.0) in games played among 38 of the strongest chess engines (as of May 27, 2009). At 40/20, White has scored 55.1% (W35.6 D39.1 L25.3) in games played among 1568 engines (as of April 22, 2018). At the fastest time control (40/4), White has scored 54.8% (W39.6 D30.5 L30.0), in games played among 128 programs (as of May 28, 2009).


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: In 2017 AlphaZero, playing 100 games against Stockfish, won 25 and drew 25 as White, but won 3 and drew 47 as Black.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Joseph Bertin wrote in his 1735 textbook "The Noble Game of Chess", "He that plays first, is understood to have the attack." This is consistent with the traditional view that White, by virtue of the first move, begins with the and should try to extend it into the middlegame, while Black should strive to neutralize White's initiative and attain . Because White begins with the initiative, a minor mistake by White generally leads only to loss of the initiative, while a similar mistake by Black may have more serious consequences. Thus, Sveshnikov wrote in 1994, "Black players cannot afford to make even the slightest mistake ... from a theoretical point of view, the tasks of White and Black in chess are different: White has to strive for a win, Black—for a draw!"


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Chess theorists have long debated how enduring White's initiative is and whether, if both sides play perfectly, the game should end in a win for White or a draw. George Walker wrote in 1846 that, "The first move is an advantage, ... but if properly answered, the first move is of little worth". Steinitz, the first World Champion, who is widely considered the father of modern chess, wrote in 1889, "It is now conceded by all experts that by proper play on both sides the legitimate issue of a game ought to be a draw." Lasker and Capablanca, the second and third World Champions, agreed. Reuben Fine, one of the world's leading players from 1936 to 1951, wrote that White's opening advantage is too intangible to be sufficient for a win without an error by Black.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: The view that a game of chess should end in a draw given best play prevails. Even if it cannot be proved, this assumption is considered "safe" by Rowson and "logical" by Adorján. Watson agrees that "the proper result of a perfectly played chess game ... is a draw. ... Of course, I can't prove this, but I doubt that you can find a single strong player who would disagree. ... I remember Kasparov, after a last-round draw, explaining to the waiting reporters: 'Well, chess is a draw. World Champion Bobby Fischer thought that "it's almost definite that the game is a draw theoretically". Similarly, British grandmaster Nigel Short wrote that "... with perfect play, God versus God ... chess is a draw".


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Lasker and Capablanca both worried that chess would suffer a "draw death" as top-level players drew more and more of their games. More recently, Fischer agreed, saying that the game has become played out. All three advocated changing the rules of chess to minimize the number of drawn games. Lasker suggested scoring less than half a point for a draw, and more than half a point for stalemating the opponent's king. Capablanca in the 1920s proposed Capablanca Chess, a chess variant played on a larger 8×10 board and with additional pieces (the chancellor and archbishop, moving as rook–knight and bishop–knight combinations respectively in the same way the queen could be said to be a rook–bishop combination). Fischer advocated Fischerandom Chess, another chess variant, in which the initial position of the pieces is determined at random and identical for both players, subject to the constraints that the bishops be on opposite colours and that the king stand between the rooks.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Today some of the opening variations have been analyzed so deeply that they are often used as . For example, at the highest levels, Black often uses the Marshall Attack in the Ruy Lopez. In this line Black sacrifices a pawn for strong attacking chances, to obtain an endgame where Black is still a pawn down but is able to draw with correct play.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: In 2007, GMs Kiril Georgiev and Atanas Kolev asserted that much the same was true of the so-called Poisoned Pawn Variation of the Najdorf Sicilian, which arises after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Qb6 This has long been considered one of the sharpest and most problematic, or even foolhardy, opening lines. The game usually continues 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3. Georgiev and Kolev stated that 6.Bg5 is seldom seen at the highest level because the of this variation leads, with best play, to a draw by perpetual check. They wrote that the following game "will probably remain the last word of theory":


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Francisco Vallejo Pons–Garry Kasparov, Moscow 2004; Poisoned Pawn Variation 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. f5 Nc6 11. fxe6 fxe6 12. Nxc6 bxc6 13. e5 dxe5 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Ne4 Qxa2 16. Rd1 Be7 17. Be2 0-0 18. 0-0 Ra7 19. Rf3 Kh8 20. Rg3 Rd7 21. Qh6 Rf7 22. Qh5 Rxd1+ 23. Bxd1 Qa5 24. Kf1 Qd8 25. Qxf7 Qxd1+ 26. Kf2 Qxc2+ 27. Kf3 Qd1+ 28. Kf2 Qc2+ 29. Ke3 Bc5+ 30. Nxc5 Qxc5+ 31. Kd2 Qf2+ 32. Kc3 Qd4+ 33. Kc2 Qf2+ 34. Kc3 ½–½ (After 34...Qd4+, White cannot escape the checks.)


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Georgiev and Kolev's pessimistic assessment of 6.Bg5 has since been called into question, however, as White succeeded with 10.e5 (another critical line) in several later high-level games. GM Zaven Andriasyan wrote in 2013 that after 10.f5, "a forced draw results", but that after 10.e5, "we reach a very sharp position, with mutual chances."


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Although it is very much a minority view, three prominent twentieth-century masters claimed that White's advantage should or may be decisive with best play.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Weaver Adams, then one of the leading American masters, was the best-known proponent of this view, which he introduced in his 1939 book "White to Play and Win", and continued to expound in later books and articles until shortly before his death in 1963. Adams opined that 1.e4 was White's strongest move, and that if both sides played the best moves thereafter, "White ought to win." Adams' claim was widely ridiculed, and he did not succeed in demonstrating the validity of his theory in tournament and match practice. The year after his book was published, at the finals of the 1940 U.S. Open tournament, he scored only one draw in his four games as White, but won all four of his games as Black. Adams also lost a match to IM I.A. Horowitz, who took the black pieces in every game.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: According to Sveshnikov, Vsevolod Rauzer, a leading Soviet player and theoretician during the 1930s, likewise "claimed in the [1930s]: '1.e4—and White wins!' and he managed to prove it quite often".


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: More recently, IM Hans Berliner, a former World Champion of Correspondence Chess, claimed in his 1999 book "The System" that 1.d4 gives White a large, and possibly decisive, advantage. Berliner asserted that with best play White wins against the Grünfeld Defense, the Modern Benoni, the Benko Gambit and other (unnamed) "major defences", and achieves at least a large advantage in many lines of the Queen's Gambit Declined. He allowed, however, that "It is possible that the rules of chess are such that only some number of plausible-appearing defences to 1.d4 can be refuted." Berliner wrote that Adams' "theories, though looked upon with scorn by most top chess players, made an immediate and lasting impression on me. Weaver W. Adams was the first person I met who actually had theories about how chess should be played."


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: As explained below, chess theorists in recent decades have continued to debate the size and nature of White's advantage, if any. Apart from Berliner, they have rejected the idea that White has a forced win from the opening position. Many also reject the traditional paradigm that Black's objective should be to neutralize White's initiative and obtain equality.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Starting from 2004, GM Larry Kaufman has expressed a more nuanced view than Adams and Berliner, arguing that the initiative stemming from the first move can always be transformed into some sort of enduring advantage, albeit not necessarily a decisive one. He wrote in 2020, "I don't believe that White has a forced win in chess, but I do believe that if he starts with 1.e4 and makes no mistakes, he can retain at least the preferable position without allowing an obvious draw for 30 to 40 moves or so, beyond the point to which openings can generally be analyzed. He should normally get positions where it is fairly easy to explain why White is better, even if in many cases a grandmaster can expect to hold the draw against a similar opponent. Black should at least be the one who has to be careful to get the draw." Nonetheless, Kaufman considers it necessary for White to make no mistakes to achieve this evaluation. Kaufman writes that "once White makes one or two second-rate moves I start to look for a black advantage."


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Starting in 1988, Adorján has argued in a series of books and magazine articles that "Black is OK!" Alone amongst modern writers, Adorján claims that White starts the game with essentially no advantage. He writes, "In my opinion, the only obvious advantage for White is that if he or she plays for a draw, and does so well, then Black can hardly avoid this without taking obvious risks." Adorján goes so far as to claim that, "The tale of White's advantage is a delusion; belief in it is based on mass psychosis." Rowson writes that Adorján's "contention is one of the most important chess ideas of the last two decades ... because it has shaken our assumption that White begins the game with some advantage, and revealed its ideological nature". Rowson rejects Adorján's claim, however, that White has essentially no advantage, reasoning that White is better' and 'Black is OK' need not be mutually exclusive claims".


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: In one of Adorján's books, GM Lajos Portisch opined that "at least two-thirds of all 'tested' openings give White an apparent advantage." According to Portisch, for Black, "The root of the problem is that very few people know which are the openings where Black is really OK. Those who find these lines have nothing to fear, as "Black is indeed OK", but only in those variations!" Rowson considers this an important point, noting that "1.d4 players struggle to get anywhere against main-line Slavs and 1.e4 players find the Najdorf and particularly tough."


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Modern writers often think of Black's role in more terms than merely trying to equalize. Rowson writes that "the idea of Black trying to 'equalize' is questionable. I think it has limited application to a few openings, rather than being an opening prescription for Black in general." Evans wrote that after one of his games against Fischer, "Fischer confided his 'secret' to me: unlike other masters, he sought to win with the Black pieces from the start. The revelation that Black has dynamic chances and need not be satisfied with mere equality was the turning point in his career, he said." Likewise, Watson surmised that Kasparov, when playing Black, bypasses the question of whether White has an opening advantage "by thinking in terms of the concrete nature of the dynamic imbalance on the board, and seeking to seize the initiative whenever possible". Watson observes that "energetic opening play by Black may ... lead to a position so complex and unclear that to speak of equality is meaningless. Sometimes we say 'dynamically balanced' instead of 'equal' to express the view that either player is as likely as the other to emerge from complications with an advantage. This style of opening play has become prevalent in modern chess, with World Champions Fischer and Kasparov as its most visible practitioners."


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Modern writers also question the idea that White has an enduring advantage. Suba, in his influential 1991 book "Dynamic Chess Strategy", rejects the notion that the initiative can always be transformed into an enduring advantage. He contends that sometimes the player with the initiative loses it with no logical explanation, and that, "Sometimes you must lose it, just like that. If you try to cling to it, by forcing the issue, your dynamic potential will become exhausted and you won't be able to face a vigorous counter-attack." Rowson and Watson concur. Watson also observes, "Because of the presumption of White being better, the juncture of the game at which Black frees his game or neutralizes White's plans has often been automatically assumed to give him equality, even though in dynamic openings, the exhaustion of White's initiative very often means that Black has seized it with advantage."


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: According to Rowson, White's first advantage is that, "The advantage of the first move has some similarities with the serve in tennis in that White can score an 'ace' (for instance with a powerful ), he has more control over the pace and direction of the game, and he has a 'second serve' in that when things go wrong his position is not usually losing." Second, White begins the game with some initiative, although Rowson regards this as a psychological rather than a positional advantage, "and whether it leads to a positional advantage depends on the relative skill of the players." Third, some players are able to use the initiative to "play a kind of powerful 'serve and volley' chess in which Black is flattened with a mixture of deep and prowess." Fourth, "If White wants to draw, it is often not so easy for Black to prevent this. This advantage is particularly acute in cases where there is a possible threefold repetition, because White can begin the repetition without committing to a draw and Black has to decide whether to deviate before he knows whether White is bluffing."


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Rowson cites as an example of the last phenomenon the well-regarded Zaitsev Variation of the Ruy Lopez. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0-0 8.c3 d6 9.h3 Bb7 10.d4 Re8 (initiating the Zaitsev Variation), White can repeat moves once with 11.Ng5 Rf8 12.Nf3. This puts Black in an awkward situation, since he must either (a) insist on the Zaitsev with 12...Re8, which allows White to choose whether to draw by threefold repetition with 13.Ng5 Rf8 14.Nf3, or play on with a different move, or (b) play a different (and possibly inferior) variation by playing something other than 12...Re8.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Rowson argues that Black also has several advantages. First, "White's alleged advantage is also a kind of obligation to play for a win, and Black can often use this to his advantage." Second, "White's 'extra move' can be a burden, and sometimes White finds himself in a mild form of zugzwang ('Zugzwang Lite')." Third, although White begins the game with the initiative, if "Black retains a flexible position with good reactive possibilities, this initiative can be absorbed and often passes over to Black." Fourth, "The fact that White moves before Black often gives Black useful information". Suba likewise argues that White's advantage is actually less than a move, since White must tip his hand first, allowing Black to react to White's plans. Suba writes, "In terms of the mathematical games theory, chess is a game of complete information, and Black's information is always greater—by one move!"


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Rowson also notes that Black's chances increase markedly by playing good openings, which tend to be those with flexibility and latent potential, "rather than those that give White fixed targets or that try to take the initiative prematurely." He also emphasizes that "White has 'the initiative', not 'the advantage'. Success with Black depends on seeing beyond the initiative and thinking of positions in terms of 'potential'." These ideas are exemplified by the Hedgehog, a dynamic modern system against the English Opening that can arise from various . A typical position arises after 1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.g3 b6 4.Bg2 Bb7 5.0-0 e6 6.Nc3 Be7 7.d4 cxd4 8.Qxd4 d6 9.e4 a6. White has a , while Black often maneuvers his pieces on the last two of the board, but White "has to keep a constant eye on the possible liberating pawn thrusts ...b5 and ...d5." Watson remarks, "Black's goal is to remain elastic and flexible, with many options for his pieces, whereas White can become paralyzed at some point by the need to protect against various dynamic ." He also observes that, "White tends to be as much tied up by Black's latent activity as Black himself is tied up by White's space advantage." Moreover, attempts by White to overrun Black's position often rebound disastrously. An example of this is the following grandmaster game:


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Lev Polugaevsky–Ľubomír Ftáčnik, Lucerne Olympiad 1982: 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. 0-0 Be7 7. d4 cxd4 8. Qxd4 d6 9. Rd1 a6 10. b3 Nbd7 11. e4 Qb8 12. Bb2 0-0 Suba wrote of a similar Hedgehog position, "White's position looks ideal. That's the naked truth about it, but the 'ideal' has by definition one drawback—it cannot be improved." 13. Nd2 Rd8 14. a4 Qc7 15. Qe3 Rac8 16. Qe2 Ne5 17. h3 According to Ftáčnik, 17.f4 Neg4 18.Rf1 is better. h5 18. f4 Ng6 19. Nf3 Now Black breaks open the position in typical Hedgehog fashion. d5! 20. cxd5 Ftáčnik considers 20.e5 or 20.exd5 preferable. h4! 21. Nxh4 Nxh4 22. gxh4 Qxf4 23. dxe6 fxe6 24. e5? Ftáčnik recommends instead 24.Rxd8 Rxd8 25.Rd1. Bc5+ 25. Kh1 Nh5! 26. Qxh5 Qg3 27. Nd5 Other moves get mated immediately: 27.Bxb7 Qh3#; 27.Qe2 Qxh3#; 27.Qg4 Bxg2#. Rxd5 28. Rf1 Qxg2+! 29. Kxg2 Rd2+ White resigned. If 30.Kg3 (the only legal response to the double check), 30...Rg2+ 31.Kf4 Rf8+ forces mate.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: An examination of reversed and symmetrical openings illustrates White's and Black's respective advantages:


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: In a "reversed opening", White plays an opening typically played by Black, but with colors reversed and thus an extra tempo. Evans writes of such openings, "If a defense is considered good for Black, it must be even better for White with a move in hand." Former World Champion Mikhail Botvinnik reportedly expressed the same view. Watson questions this idea, citing Suba's thesis that Black, by moving second, has more complete information than White. He writes, "everyone has such difficulties playing as White against a Sicilian Defence (1.e4 c5), but ... leading masters have no qualms about answering 1.c4 with 1...e5." To explain this paradox, Watson discusses several different reversed Sicilian lines, showing how Black can exploit the disadvantages of various "extra" moves for White. He concludes, The point is, Black's set-up in the Sicilian is fine as a reactive system, but not worth much when trying to claim the initiative as White. This is true because Black is able to react to the specific plan White chooses; in Suba's terms, his information is indeed a move greater! Furthermore, he is able to take advantage of dead equal positions which White (hoping to retain the advantage of the first move) would normally avoid.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Watson also observes, "Similarly, the Dutch Defence looks particularly sterile when White achieves the reversed positions a tempo up (it turns out that he has nothing useful to do!); and indeed, many standard Black openings are not very inspiring when one gets them as White, tempo in hand." GM Alex Yermolinsky likewise notes that GM Vladimir Malaniuk, a successful exponent of the Leningrad Dutch (1.d4 f5 2.g3 g6) at the highest levels, "once made a deep impression on me by casually dismissing someone's suggestion that he should try 1.f4 as White. He smiled and said, 'That extra move's gonna hurt me.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Yermolinsky also agrees with Alekhine's criticism of 1.g3 e5 2.Nf3, a reversed Alekhine's Defense, in Réti–Alekhine, Baden-Baden 1925, writing that Alekhine "understood the difference in opening philosophies for White and Black, and realized they just can't be the same! White is supposed to try for more than just obtaining a comfortable game in reversed colour opening set-ups, and, as the statistics show—surprisingly for a lot of people, but not for me—White doesn't even score as well as Black does in the same positions with his extra tempo and all." Howard Staunton, generally considered to have been the strongest player in the world from 1843 to 1851, made a similar point over 160 years ago, writing that Owen's Defense (1.e4 b6) is playable for Black, but that 1.b3 is inferior to "the more customary [first] moves, from its being essentially defensive". The current view is that Owen's Defense is slightly better for White, while 1.b3 is playable but less likely to yield an opening advantage than 1.e4 or 1.d4.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Rowson writes that "in general one would assume that whatever advantage White has would be revealed most clearly in symmetrical positions." Accordingly, Watson, Suba, Evans, and the eminent player and theorist Aron Nimzowitsch (1886–1935) have all argued that it is in Black's interest to avoid symmetry. Nonetheless, even symmetrical opening lines sometimes illustrate the tenuous nature of White's advantage, in several respects.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: It is often difficult for White to prove an advantage in symmetrical opening lines. As GM Bent Larsen wrote, annotating a game that began 1.c4 c5 2.b3 b6, "In symmetrical openings, White has a theoretical advantage, but in many of them it is only theoretical." GM Andrew Soltis wrote in 2008 that he hates playing against the symmetrical Petroff's Defense (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6), and accordingly varies with 2.Nc3, the Vienna Game. However, there too he has been unable to find a way to an advantage after the symmetrical 2...Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7, or after 3.Nf3 Nf6 ( to the Four Knights Game) 4.Bb5 Bb4 5.0-0 0-0 6.d3 d6 7.Bg5 Bg4 8.Nd5 Nd4 9.Nxb4 Nxb5, or 7.Ne2 Ne7 8.c3 Ba5 9.Ng3 c6 10.Ba4 Ng6 11.d4 d5, when 12.exd5 e4 may even favor Black.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Moreover, symmetrical positions may be disadvantageous to White in that he has to commit himself first. Watson notes that it is even difficult for White to play noncommittally in a symmetrical position, since almost every move has certain drawbacks. Fischer once went so far as to claim that after 1.Nf3 Nf6 2.g3 g6 3.Bg2 Bg7 4.0-0 0-0 5.d3 d6 (Reinhard–Fischer, Western Open 1963), Believe it or not,' Black stands better! Now, whatever White does, Black will vary it and get an asymmetrical position and have the superior position due to his better pawn structure!" However, GM Paul Keres responded in "CHESS" magazine, "We just don't believe it!" In symmetrical positions, as the Hodgson–Arkell and Portisch–Tal games discussed below illustrate, Black can continue to imitate White as long as he finds it feasible and desirable to do so, and deviate when that ceases to be the case.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Further, a particular extra move is sometimes more of a liability than an asset. For example, Soltis notes that the position arising after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.Nf3 Nf6 "is pretty equal". The same position, but with Black's knight moved to e4, arises in Petroff's Defense after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5. That position offers White better chances precisely because Black's extra move (...Ne4) allows the advanced knight to become a target for attack.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Finally, symmetrical positions may be difficult for the white player for psychological reasons. Watson writes that anyone who tries the Exchange French, "even if he thinks he is playing for a win, assume[s] a psychological burden. White has already ceded the advantage of the first move, and knows it, whereas Black is challenged to find ways to seize the initiative." Two famous examples of White losses in the Exchange French are M. Gurevich–Short and Tatai–Korchnoi. In M. Gurevich–Short, a game between two of the world's leading players, White needed only a draw to qualify for the Candidates Matches, while Black needed to win. Gurevich played passively and was outplayed by Short, who achieved the necessary win. In Tatai–Korchnoi, the Italian IM fell victim to Korchnoi's whirlwind , losing in just 14 moves.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Rowson gives the following example of Black outplaying White from the Symmetrical Variation of the English Opening. He remarks, "there is something compelling about Black's strategy. He seems to be saying: 'I will copy all your good moves, and as soon as you make a bad move, I won't copy you any more!


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Hodgson–Arkell, Newcastle 2001: 1. c4 c5 2. g3 g6 3. Bg2 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. a3 a6 6. Rb1 Rb8 7. b4 cxb4 8. axb4 b5 9. cxb5 axb5 (see diagram). Here Rowson remarks, "Both sides want to push their d-pawn and play Bf4/...Bf5, but White has to go first so Black gets to play ...d5 before White can play d4. This doesn't matter much, but it already points to the challenge that White faces here; his most natural continuations allow Black to play the moves he wants to. I would therefore say that White is in 'Zugzwang Lite' and that he remains in this state for several moves." 10. Nf3 d5 10...Nf6 11.0-0 0-0 12.d3 d6 13.Bd2 Bd7 would transpose to the Portisch–Tal game below. 11. d4 Nf6 12. Bf4 Rb6 13. 0-0 Bf5 14. Rb3 0-0 15. Ne5 Ne4 16. h3 h5 Finally breaking the symmetry. 17. Kh2 The position is still almost symmetrical, and White can find nothing useful to do with his extra move. Rowson whimsically suggests 17.h4!?, forcing Black to be the one to break the symmetry. 17... Re8! Rowson notes that this is a useful waiting move, covering e7, which needs protection in some lines, and possibly supporting an eventual ...e5 (see Black's twenty-second move). White cannot copy it, since after 18.Re1 Nxf2 Black would win a pawn. 18. Be3 Nxe5! 19. dxe5 Rc6! Rowson notes that with his more active pieces, "It looks like Black has some initiative." If now 20.Nxd5, Bxe5 "is at least equal for Black". 20. Nxb5 Bxe5! 20...Nxf2? 21.Qxd5! wins. 21. Nd4 Bxd4 22. Bxd4 e5 Rowson writes, "Now both sides have their trumps, but I think Black has some advantage, due to his extra central control, imposing knight and prospects for a ." 23. b5 Rc8 24. Bb2 d4 (diagram). Now White has a difficult game: Rowson analyzes 25.e3?! Nxg3 24.fxg3 Bc2 25.Qf3 Bxb3 26.exd4 Bc4!, winning; 25.g4 hxg4 26.hxg4 Nxf2! 27.Rxf2 Bc2, winning; 25.Qe1!? Rc2! with advantage; and 25.f4 (risky-looking, but perhaps best) Nc3! 26.Bxc3 dxc3 27.Qxd8 Rexd8, and Black is better. 25. b6? Overlooking Black's threat. 25... Nxf2! 26. Qe1 If 26.Rxf2, Bc2 forks White's queen and rook. 26... Ne4 27. b7 Rb8 28. g4 hxg4 29. hxg4 Be6 30. Rb5 Nf6! 31. Rxf6 Qxf6 32. Qg3 Bc4 33. g5 Qh8+ 0–1


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: The opening of the following game between two world-class players, another Symmetrical English, took a similar course:


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Lajos Portisch–Mikhail Tal, Candidates Match 1965: 1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. d3 a6 8. a3 Rb8 9. Rb1 b5 10. cxb5 axb5 11. b4 cxb4 12. axb4 d6 13. Bd2 Bd7 (see diagram). Once again, White is on move in a symmetrical position, but it is not obvious what he can do with his first-move initiative. Soltis writes, "It's ridiculous to think Black's position is better. But Mikhail Tal said it is easier to play. By moving second he gets to see White's move and then decide whether to match it." 14. Qc1 Here, Soltis writes that Black could maintain equality by keeping the symmetry: 14...Qc8 15.Bh6 Bh3. Instead, he plays to prove that White's queen is misplaced. 14... Rc8! 15. Bh6 Nd4! Threatening 16...Nxe2+. 16. Nxd4 Bxh6 17. Qxh6 Rxc3 18. Qd2 Qc7 19. Rfc1 Rc8 (diagram). Although the pawn structure is still symmetrical, Black's control of the c- gives him the advantage. Black ultimately reached an endgame two pawns up, but White managed to hold a draw in 83 moves.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Tal himself lost a famous game as White from a symmetrical position in Tal–Beliavsky, USSR Championship 1974.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: In chess tournaments and matches, the frequency with which each player receives white and black is an important consideration. In matches, the players' colors in the first game are determined by drawing lots, and alternated thereafter. In round robin tournaments with an odd number of players, each player receives an equal number of whites and blacks; with an even number of players, each receives one extra white or black. Where one or more players withdraws from the tournament, the tournament director may change the assigned colors in some games so that no player receives two more blacks than whites, or vice versa. The double-round robin tournament is considered to give the most reliable final standings, since each player receives the same number of whites and blacks, and plays both White and Black against each opponent.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: In Swiss system tournaments, the tournament director tries to ensure that each player receives, as nearly as possible, the same number of games as White and Black, and that the player's color alternates from round to round. After the first round, the director may deviate from the otherwise prescribed pairings in order to give as many players as possible their equalizing or due colors. More substantial deviations are permissible to avoid giving a player two more blacks than whites (for example, three blacks in four games) than vice versa, since extra whites "cause far less player distress" than extra blacks, which impose "a significant handicap" on the affected player. Tournaments with an even number of rounds cause the most problems, since if there is a disparity, it is greater (e.g., a player receiving two whites and four blacks).


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: The game of chess is not solved, meaning it has not been determined with certainty whether a perfectly played game would end in a win for White, a draw, or even a win for Black. Due to its high level of complexity and the limitations of computer technology it is considered unlikely that it will be solved in the foreseeable future.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: In his 1950 paper "Programming a Computer for Playing Chess", information theorist Claude Shannon argued that in principle the game of chess ought to be solvable. In practical terms, however, he argued that it is not feasible for any computer to actually do this. He estimated that a computer would need to calculate 10 positions from the initial position, which he said would take 10 years. It is thus theoretically possible to solve chess; however, according to Shannon, the time frame required puts this possibility beyond the limits of any feasible technology.


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Hans-Joachim Bremermann, a professor of mathematics and biophysics at the University of California at Berkeley, further argued in a 1965 paper that the "speed, memory, and processing capacity of any possible future computer equipment are limited by certain physical barriers: the light barrier, the quantum barrier, and the thermodynamical barrier. These limitations imply, for example, that no computer, however constructed, will ever be able to examine the entire tree of possible move sequences of the game of chess." Nonetheless, Bremermann did not foreclose the possibility that a computer would someday be able to solve chess. He wrote, "In order to have a computer play a perfect or nearly perfect game [of chess] it will be necessary either to analyze the game completely ... or to analyze the game in an approximate way and combine this with a limited amount of tree searching. ... A theoretical understanding of such heuristic programming, however, is still very much wanting."


title: First-move advantage in chess

text: Recent advances in computer science have not significantly changed that assessment. The game of checkers was solved in 2007, but it has roughly the square root of the number of positions in chess. Jonathan Schaeffer, the scientist who led the effort, said a breakthrough such as quantum computing would be needed before solving chess could even be attempted, but he does not rule out the possibility, saying that the one thing he learned from his 16-year effort of solving checkers "is to never underestimate the advances in technology".


title: The Dear Hunter

text: The Dear Hunter is an American progressive rock band originating in Providence, Rhode Island. It began as a side project of Casey Crescenzo when he was a member of the Receiving End of Sirens, before becoming his main band in 2006. The band's sound features a wide variety of instruments and styles.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: Most of the band's albums, starting with their 2006 debut album "", are concept albums and a part of a common storyline, planned to conclude with a sixth installment. The most recent addition is 2016's "". Additionally, they have released albums unrelated to the Acts; "The Color Spectrum" in 2011, "Migrant" in 2013, the EP "All Is as All Should Be" in 2017, and the most recent release being the album "Antimai" in 2022.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: The band began as a side project of Casey Crescenzo when he was a full-time member of the Receiving End of Sirens. The Dear Hunter was originally intended as a vehicle for music Crescenzo had written that did not fit with the sound of the Receiving End of Sirens. Crescenzo affirmed that:


title: The Dear Hunter

text: In the winter of 2005 Casey recorded the "Dear Ms. Leading" demos. He created 10 copies on burned CDs that were circulated amongst his friends and posted online for download. While elements and characters featured on the demos would reappear on the subsequent "Acts", Crescenzo has confirmed that there was a transformation in how he represented these themes and persons; while the story had its origins in his personal life, the "Acts" removed most autobiographical elements in favor of fiction:


title: The Dear Hunter

text: In May 2006, Casey was "asked to leave" the Receiving End of Sirens and began working on the Dear Hunter's first studio album. He expanded the scope of the project to a six-album story set at the dawn of the 20th century. The story revolved around the birth, life, and abrupt death of a boy known only as "The Dear Hunter." Crescenzo later remarked that the protagonist is "not a hero at all. I do not think he does a single good thing or smart thing in any of the stories." As Crescenzo summarized,


title: The Dear Hunter

text: For Crescenzo, the decision to begin the story at the beginning of the 20th century was consciously chosen due to the events that would unfold in future acts:


title: The Dear Hunter

text: In a 2007 interview, Casey stated at that time that he had the overall story of the Dear Hunter mapped out. Casey produced and recorded the EP by himself with the assistance of his brother on drums and mother on backing vocals. "" was released in September 2006 on Triple Crown Records.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: Shortly after the release of "Act I", Casey recruited Luke Dent of the recently split band Faraway for vocals and keyboards and Erick Serna as a second guitarist. Luke brought in his brother Sam on drums and Erick brought long-time friend Josh Rheault in to play bass. The band entered the studio in late 2006 to record the follow-up to "Act I". Recording finished in early 2007, during which time, the band was featured in Alternative Press' "100 Bands You Need to Know in 2007."


title: The Dear Hunter

text: "" was released May 22, 2007. Originally, the band had written almost 2 hours of music for the album, but managed to trim the run time down to 80 minutes so as to fit on a single compact disc. "Act II" reached No. 39 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. The band supported the album by touring with As Tall As Lions, Saves the Day, Say Anything, Thrice, Chris Conley, The Format, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Boys Night Out, Circa Survive, Ours, and Fear Before the March of Flames.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: The band filmed a music video for the song "The Church and the Dime". A book based on the story of "Act II" was released as part of the deluxe edition of "Act III: Life and Death". Artist Kent St. John was selected to do the illustrations.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: Prior to a string of dates with Circa Survive, Josh Rheault and brothers Sam and Luke Dent left the band. Temporary replacements for the tour dates included Cliff Sarcona and Julio Tavarez of As Tall As Lions (drums and bass, respectively), Christopher Tagliaferro of Tiger Riot (bass), and Andy Wildrick of the Junior Varsity (guitar/keys). Wildrick later joined the band as a permanent member, along with Sagan Jacobson of Crown Atlantic on bass and Casey's brother Nick on drums.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: The Dear Hunter embarked on their first headlining tour in mid-2008 with Lydia, Eye Alaska, and You, Me, and Everyone We Know. On December 9, 2008, it was announced that Nate Patterson, Casey's former bandmate in the Receiving End of Sirens, would begin playing bass for the band, as Sagan Jacobson had left.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: After the headlining tour, the Dear Hunter entered the studio to record "". During this time, former bassist Josh Rheault announced on tour that he had rejoined the Dear Hunter on acoustic guitar, backing vocals, and keyboards. "Act III" was released on June 23, 2009 on Triple Crown Records.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: Between the release of "Act II" and "Act III", Crescenzo was also conceiving a multi-album arc related to the color spectrum. On April 23, 2010, Crescenzo announced that the Dear Hunter would take a break from the "Acts" project to focus on this concept. He also stated that "Act IV" would most likely not be seen for quite some time. He later announced that the project, titled "The Color Spectrum", would consist of nine EPs, each corresponding to a certain color (specifically, Black, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet and White).


title: The Dear Hunter

text: On February 24, 2011, Alternative Press announced the EPs would be released in multiple formats, including a physical CD containing select tracks from each of the EPs. At some point prior to the completion of "The Color Spectrum", Josh Rheault and Erick Serna both left the band to pursue their respective musical projects. Subsequent to the release of "The Color Spectrum", the Dear Hunter performed the entire three-hour set of EPs in a single show and released it as a DVD, entitled "The Color Spectrum DVD".


title: The Dear Hunter

text: The Dear Hunter went in to the studio in 2012 with producer Mike Watts to record "Migrant", the first album under Crescenzo's new imprint label, Cave & Canary Goods, which is a unit of Equal Vision Records. Prior to recording the album, Crescenzo expressed his excitement over working with Watts and further noted that


title: The Dear Hunter

text: "Migrant" represents another deferral of the next "Act" record, a consideration that Crescenzo weighed before moving forward.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: "Migrant", which is the first album released by the Dear Hunter that does not have a concept, was released on April 2, 2013. Crescenzo remarked that the non-conceptual nature of "Migrant" presented a new challenge: "I've been in the rhythm of writing conceptually. It’s a challenge for me to be more transparent and more honest and more directly from the heart and not filtering it through something. So I think that was really exciting; it was really refreshing." Remarking on the less rock-oriented and relatively streamlined nature of "Migrant", Crescenzo noted that:


title: The Dear Hunter

text: On March 3, 2015 Casey Crescenzo announced that "" was well underway and should be released by the end of 2015. This was announced in conjunction with the Dear Hunter's live album that was released the same day. The live album, "The Dear Hunter – Live", features songs from the string quartet tour from mid-2013.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: On June 16, the single "A Night on the Town" became available for streaming on the band's official website, and the album became available for preorder. On the preorder form, the release date of the album was said to be September 4, 2015. The album debuted at No. 39 on the "Billboard" 200 selling approximately 7,000 copies, both career highs for the band. The Dear Hunter then embarked on a Fall US Tour with bands CHON and Gates.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: On June 22, 2016 Casey Crescenzo announced via Facebook that "" was set for a September 9, 2016 release. The album debuted at #48 on the US Billboard 200 and #6 on the Independent Albums chart, becoming their 2nd best charting success so far. The band embarked on a month-long North American tour with Gavin Castleton and Eisley in late September, finishing with a show in San Francisco accompanied by Awesöme Orchestra. The show focused mainly on Act IV and V and a few tracks off the first Acts. In an interview with Pop Matters, Casey announced the next Dear Hunter record will be unrelated to the Acts.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: On September 12, 2017, the Dear Hunter announced a headlining tour with the Family Crest and Vava. On September 13, the Dear Hunter announced a six track EP titled "All Is as All Should Be". It was released on December 1, 2017 through Cave And Canary Goods.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: On February 14, 2020, the Dear Hunter released an orchestral LP in collaboration with composer Brian Adam McCune and San Francisco-based group Awesöme Orchestra through Cave and Canary Goods. The Fox and the Hunt repurposes and expands upon orchestral parts recorded for Act IV and Act V into a fully realized instrumental album.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: On June 12, 2021, Gavin Castleton announced his departure from the band via their Pillar account (a subscription-based online community in which the band actively participates). Castleton cited being at a point in his life that he cannot "[contribute] the appropriate time, energy and focus" that the "many amazing and ambitious TDH events and releases" would require. He also stated these events and releases were "on the near horizon." The band wished Castleton well in the same post.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: On October 13, 2021, the Dear Hunter announced an upcoming event for their next release "The Indigo Child" set for October 22, 2021, on their Instagram and Facebook pages.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: On October 25–29, 2021, the Dear Hunter (along with touring keyboardist Aiden Earley) took part on the S.S. Neverender cruise along with Coheed and Cambria and many other bands.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: On February 4, 2022, the Dear Hunter announced an upcoming American tour with special guests The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, & Tanner Merritt of O'Brother.


title: The Dear Hunter

text: On July 1, 2022, they released their eighth studio album "Antimai" through Cave and Canary. The album is the first record in the band's sci-fi/fantasy-themed "Indigo Child" saga, introducing the titular city, and its geographical and social structure on a fictional world. A follow-up album, "Sunya" is currently rumored to be out sometime Spring 2023.


title: Sangster International Airport

text: Sangster International Airport is an international airport located east of Montego Bay, Jamaica. The airport is capable of handling nine million passengers per year. It serves as the most popular airport for tourists visiting the north coast of Jamaica. The airport is named after former Jamaican Prime Minister Sir Donald Sangster.


title: Sangster International Airport

text: The airport is run by the management company, MBJ Airports Limited, whose leading stakeholder is Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico, and minority-owned by Vantage Airport Group. Sangster was privatised and turned over by Airports Authority of Jamaica to the consortium in 2003. A 2021 study found that Sangster International Airport was one of the top 20 most vulnerable international airports to climate change caused sea level rise.


title: Sangster International Airport

text: Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St. James, was first conceived in 1936 when the site now housing the Sangster International Airport was identified as one suitable for the construction of an airport in the town of Montego Bay. Originally named the "Montego Bay Airport", a decision was made to build the runway in 1940, and the actual construction of the facility was completed on 18 February 1947. At the time of its completion, the town of Montego Bay was more like a playground for the rich and famous, and was considered then, one of the premier vacation spots within the Caribbean, just as it is today.


title: Sangster International Airport

text: The first international airline to fly into the Montego Bay Airport was Pan American Airways (which eventually became Pan Am), and the airport, which in comparison to today's standards, was more like a small aerodrome, was operated by Pan American until 30 September 1949, when the Jamaican government took control of the facility. However, the Sangster International Airport, as known today, is nothing like it was in the early days. One of the most noticeable differences was that initially, the terminal building was on the northern side of the runway but was shifted to the southern side of the runway during one of the several upgrading exercises that took place at that facility, which was necessitated by the growth in air traffic over the years. Plans for the construction of a new terminal at its present location, on the southern side of the runway, were announced in July 1955. the plans for the new terminal building was part of what turned out to be a continued upgrading and restructuring of the facility, to enable it to cope with the growth in traffic. The original terminal was built and opened on 7 July 1959, with a capacity to accommodate 500 passengers per hour, and parking for seven aircraft at a time.


title: Sangster International Airport

text: Over the years, the upgrading process was a continuous one, ultimately the facility had grown into the larger of the three international airports in Jamaica, handling approximately 3.7 million passengers per annum in 2007, and had seen an increase in passenger and aircraft movement in 2009. The management and partners of the airport have been trying to seek with passengers from Asia, but the project stalled in 2010.


title: Sangster International Airport

text: Since January 2001, plans have been executed to expand the airport to the status of a world-class airport. The new eastern concourse of the Sangster International Airport (SIA) (the result of phases 1A and 1B) was officially opened in December 2005. Phase two was then due to begin towards the end of 2006; however because the economic conditions were favourable and the tourist trade in Jamaica is increasing, phase two was brought forward to January 2006.


title: Sangster International Airport

text: A planned expansion of the main runway was in a preparation phase but due to the poor economic conditions, the runway expansion project was stopped in 2012 indefinitely. This expansion would have afforded the airport a fully functioning runway to accommodate large aircraft traffic. MBJ Airports Limited also commissioned a new customs hall, arrivals lobby and transportation center in March 2007. Since then, further expansion and renovation projects such as the relocation of the immigration hall and duty-free mall have been launched and was completed in September 2008. this facility has increased the handling capacity to nine million passengers per annum. Plans are also in place for the relocation of the tower, domestic terminal and others.


title: Sangster International Airport

text: In 2006, there was a change in management at the airport following the change in the consortium that operates this facility. Relations between the new management and unions have been difficult, with a strike in November 2007 and in November 2009.


title: Sangster International Airport

text: The airport won the World Travel Awards' "Caribbean's Leading Airport" for the years 2005, and 2009 to 2017.


title: Sangster International Airport

text: Due to recent surges in passenger numbers and new routes being added, the airport consortium has taken on a number of projects to rehabilitate the airport in order to cope with the added demand. The airport will be renovating its check-in area which had been left untouched since 2008, as well as re-surfacing aprons, taxiway, and the runway. The airport also revamped its duty-free offerings and, in March 2018, welcomed three Starbucks outlets (part of Starbucks' first foray in the Jamaican market), complementing the already well-appointed airside offerings like Auntie Anne's, Quiznos, Nathan's, Dairy Queen, Moe's Southwest Grill and Wendy's to name a few. In March 2018, the airport announced its plan to revamp the airport's retail area to enhance the customer experience and optimize profits on retailing activities in the airport.


title: Andrew II of Hungary

text: Andrew II (, , , ; 117721 September 1235), also known as Andrew of Jerusalem, was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1205 and 1235. He ruled the Principality of Halych from 1188 until 1189/1190, and again between 1208/1209 and 1210. He was the younger son of Béla III of Hungary, who entrusted him with the administration of the newly conquered Principality of Halych in 1188. Andrew's rule was unpopular, and the boyars (or noblemen) expelled him. Béla III willed property and money to Andrew, obliging him to lead a crusade to the Holy Land. Instead, Andrew forced his elder brother, King Emeric of Hungary, to cede Croatia and Dalmatia as an appanage to him in 1197. The following year, Andrew occupied Hum.


title: Andrew II of Hungary

text: Despite the fact that Andrew did not stop conspiring against Emeric, the dying king made Andrew guardian of his son, Ladislaus III, in 1204. After the premature death of Ladislaus, Andrew ascended the throne in 1205. According to historian László Kontler, "[i]t was amidst the socio-political turmoil during [Andrew's] reign that the relations, arrangements, institutional framework and social categories that arose under Stephen I, started to disintegrate in the higher echelons of society" in Hungary. Andrew introduced a new grants policy, the so-called "new institutions", giving away money and royal estates to his partisans despite the loss of royal revenues. He was the first Hungarian monarch to adopt the title of "King of Halych and Lodomeria". He waged at least a dozen wars to seize the two Rus' principalities, but was repelled by the local boyars and neighboring princes. He participated in the Fifth Crusade to the Holy Land in 1217–1218, but the crusade was a failure.


title: Andrew II of Hungary

text: When the "servientes regis", or "royal servants", rose up, Andrew was forced to issue the Golden Bull of 1222, confirming their privileges. This led to the rise of the nobility in the Kingdom of Hungary. His "Diploma Andreanum" of 1224 listed the liberties of the Transylvanian Saxon community. The employment of Jews and Muslims to administer the royal revenues led him into conflict with the Holy See and the Hungarian prelates. Andrew pledged to respect the privileges of the clergymen and to dismiss his non-Christian officials in 1233, but he never fulfilled the latter promise.


title: Andrew II of Hungary

text: Andrew's first wife, Gertrude of Merania, was murdered in 1213 because her blatant favoritism towards her German kinsmen and courtiers stirred up discontent among the native lords. The veneration of their daughter, Elizabeth of Hungary, was confirmed by the Holy See during Andrew's lifetime. After Andrew's death, his sons, Béla and Coloman, accused his third wife, Beatrice d'Este, of adultery and never considered her son, Stephen, to be a legitimate son of Andrew.


title: Andrew II of Hungary

text: Andrew was the second son of King Béla III and Béla's first wife, Agnes of Antioch. The year of Andrew's birth is not known, but modern historians agree that he was born around 1177, considering that Margaret, who was born in 1175 or 1176, was his elder sister, which, however, is far from certain. Andrew was first mentioned in connection to his father's invasion of the Principality of Halych in 1188. That year, Béla III invaded Halych upon the request of its former prince, Vladimir II Yaroslavich, who had been expelled by his subjects. Béla forced the new prince, Roman Mstislavich, to flee. After conquering Halych, he granted it to Andrew. Béla also captured Vladimir Yaroslavich and imprisoned him in Hungary.


title: Andrew II of Hungary

text: After Béla's withdrawal from Halych, Roman Mstislavich returned with the assistance of Rurik Rostislavich, Prince of Belgorod Kievsky. They tried to expel Andrew and his Hungarian retinue, but the Hungarians routed the united forces of Mstislavich and Rostislavich. A group of local boyars offered the throne to Rostislav Ivanovich, a distant cousin of the imprisoned Vladimir Yaroslavich. Béla III sent reinforcements to Halych, enabling Andrew's troops to repel the attacks. Andrew's nominal reign remained unpopular in Halych, because the Hungarian soldiers insulted local women and did not respect Orthodox churches. Consequently, the local boyars allied themselves with their former prince, Vladimir Yaroslavich, who had escaped from captivity and returned to Halych. Duke Casimir II of Poland also supported Vladimir Yaroslavich, and they expelled Andrew and his retinue from the principality in August 1189 or 1190. Andrew returned to Hungary after his defeat.


title: Andrew II of Hungary

text: He did not receive a separate duchy from his father, who only gave him some fortresses, estates and money. According to historian Attila Zsoldos, these landholdings laid in Slavonia. On his deathbed, Béla III, who had pledged to lead a crusade to the Holy Land, ordered Andrew to fulfill his vow. Andrew's father died on 23 April 1196, and Andrew's older brother, Emeric, succeeded him.