I'll be flying out to Vancouver tomorrow morning! Super excited :3

Well we just got home from Furnal Equinox a few hours ago and I just wanted to take a minute to talk a bit about the overall experience I had. Overall, it was a fairly low key con but I got just about everything I had wanted out of it. I pretty much stuck with and the majority of the time, just going around checking things out, chilling out at the bar, etc. But I can definitely say the highlight for me at least was 's infamous Buttcon, where we all hung out, drank, and sang Oasis really fucking loud X3. The only thing was it knocked us all out for most of Saturday and we ended up staying pretty low key the rest of the con.

Anyway, as I said before, I am pretty happy with how things went down. Saw some old pals, made some great new ones, chatted with some of my favourite artists, had my one solid night of partying, and above all, just took the whole thing in- and all that's all I could really ask for. Thanks again to everyone who I did have a chance to hang out with and made the whole first fur con experience so enjoyable! Really looking forward to next year, and with a new hotel and picture perfect theme, I'm definitely feeling good about it already! :3

Yup, should be around between 4 and 5 tonight. Hit me up on Telegram or Twitter if you'll be around :D

Just got Telegram after being forced into it at gunpoint. [at]TuriShadowscale like everywhere else :P

It's been in the planning stages for a while, but I can finally confirm that I will be going out to Vancouver from April 21-29! It'll be the furthest I've ever traveled, as well as my first time to the west coast so I'm really excited! I'm not sure if I know any furs out that way, but it'd be cool to potentially meet up with anyone out that way :3

Seeing these starting to pop up all over the place, so now is a better time than ever I guess

Where are you staying?
The Marriott (was a little slow on the hotel draw unfortunately)

What day are you getting there?
Thursday

Who will you be with?
Rooming with  kodisnowpup,  ealeblanc and  drakonus so probably those guys and some other pals

Will you be fursuiting?
Nope. Still working on that one :P

Do you do free art?
If you like poorly drawn dragons on things I suppose so

What is your gender?
*looks down* The one with the peen

How old are you?
23

Can I talk to you?
Of course! I'm kinda quiet at first but I'm usually up for chatting :3

Can I touch you?
Umm, if you're a friend of mine I suppose, otherwise things might get a little weird

Can I hug you?
Sure. I guess my only rule for that being that you shower regularly :P

Photographs?
If you really want pictures of this ugly mug, I guess so

How can I find you?
Look for a relatively tall, bald and bearded dude more than likely wearing some kind of metal shirt

Which suit(s) will you be bringing?
Just my Armani suit. You know, one of my throwaways :P

Do you draw?
Badly

How tall are you?
About 6' 1"

Are you taken? Are you looking for a mate?
With  kodisnowpup, definitely taken, definitely not looking

Can I visit your room?
If you know me and can deal with a 5 minute walk from the con, than I guess

Can I buy you drinks?
Please?

Can I give you stuff?
I'm a dragon, I gladly accept things to hoard

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
See my hug policy above, but yes. Snuggling is for close friends only

Are you nice?
I try to be! :P

How long are you going?
Thursday through Monday

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Shouting Turi or Derg should do it. However if you REALLY want my attention, show me something shiny

Where will you be most of the time during the days?
Around, probably just taking it all in

What/where will you be eating?
Whatever my allergies let me eat, I'll eat :P

What’s your goal for the con this year?
Hang out with old pals, make some new ones, get drunk, keep social awkwardness to a bare minimum, and above all just take it all in. Admittedly, I'm a first timer so I'm still haven't quite got my con legs yet :P

Hope to see a bunch of you there ^^

YAY TIME FOR MORE STUPID LISTS! :D. Here's my top 25 favourite albums of 2015, not strictly limited to metal/rock. Granted I can only judge what I've heard, so I'm sure there's going to be some big ones I missed! Let's get started!

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

HM30. INTRONAUT - 'The Direction of Last Things' (I've yet to listen to the full thing, but I'm really liking it so far, plus I don't want to hurt me :P)
HM29. ALL THAT REMAINS - 'The Order of Things'
HM28. SEVENDUST - 'Kill The Flaw'
HM27. ENSLAVED - 'In Times'
HM26. LINDEMANN - 'Skills In Pills'

AND THE REAL LIST

25. HEIDEVOLK - 'Velua'
24. BREAKING BENJAMIN - 'Dark Before Dawn'
23. POWERWOLF - 'Blessed & Possessed'
22. AMORPHIS - 'Under The Red Cloud'
21. COHEED AND CAMBRIA - 'The Color Before The Sun'
20. HOPSIN - 'Pound Syndrome'
19. DISTURBED - 'Immortalized'
18. TECH N9NE - 'Special Effects'
17. BLIND GUARDIAN - 'Beyond The Red Mirror'
16. FEAR FACTORY - 'Genexus'
15. KENDRICK LAMAR - 'To Pimp A Butterfly'
14. NINJA SEX PARTY - 'Attitude City'
13. LAMB OF GOD - 'VII- Sturm und Drang'
12. APOCALYPTICA - 'Shadowmaker'
11. GLORYHAMMER - 'Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards'
10. TREMONTI - 'Cauterize'
9. HUNTRESS - 'Static'
8. KAMELOT - 'Haven'
7. STEVEN WILSON - 'Hand. Cannot. Erase.'
6. NIGHTWISH - 'Endless Forms Most Beautiful'
5. MELECHESH - 'Enki'
4. ENSIFERUM - 'One Man Army'
3. TRIVIUM - 'Silence In The Snow'
2. IRON MAIDEN - 'The Book of Souls'
1. GHOST - 'Meliora'

And there it is, there was A LOT of great stuff to come out this year, so it was really difficult to play favourites. Anyway, tell me what an idiot I am and how my list is wrong!

Well well well, it's that time of year again where I think it's cool to make pretentious lists based on my musical elitism! These are the top 15 bands I saw in 2015, depending on the band's performance, crowd, and overall experience. Read on if you dare, it's gonna be long! :P

15. ELUVEITIE – Phoenix Concert Theatre – September 13
Being a personal favourite band of mine, Eluveitie always puts on a spectacular show. What impresses me most about their live show is their ability to play nearly everything with real instruments and not need backing tracks despite the intricacies and diversity of the folk elements used in their music. What made this show stand out in particular was the extended set due to Epica having to cancel their set, giving Eluveitie room to play more of their lesser known material, and some personal favourites such as 'Brictom' and 'Tegernako' which aren't played live quite as often as their usual material.

14. TRIVIUM – Phoenix Concert Theatre – September 22
This show was my 6th time seeing Trivium and what impresses me about them is they are a band that always is progressing in their live show. Something every time I see them gets better than the last time, this time particularly Matt Heafy's voice has improved significantly, relying less on Paolo and Corey's backing vocals to fill in the gaps. It was also very cool to see them play their new material off of 'Silence in the Snow', however other than the few new tracks, it would have been nice to hear some lesser known material. Overall, a very high energy and fun show.

13. TREMONTI – Phoenix Concert Theatre – September 22
I have a soft spot for bands that can immediately win me over after seeing them play live. I was very much unfamiliar with Mark Tremonti's solo material going in, other than knowing that 'he's that guy from Creed who's songs I like to make fun of'. I honestly wasn't expecting him to be such a stellar guitar player and how high octane his solo material is. After seeing them, I immediately bought his 'Cauterize' album and have pretty much obsessed over it since.

12. NIGHTWISH – Phoenix Concert Theatre – April 14
A show I had been waiting for since 2012; Nightwish is one of those bands who definitely works the cheesy singalong aspect, but it's mind blowing how effective and unifying it is. It was very cool to hear the new material from 'Endless Forms Most Beautiful', as well as playing a nicely diverse set, including some songs that they didn't play last time I say them (ie. 'Ghost Love Score'), and some songs they haven't played in years, such as 'Sleeping Sun' and 'Stargazers'.

11. ENSIFERUM – The Opera House – May 20
I was so stoked for this show since I fell in love with their new album 'One Man Army' and it was mind-blowing to hear these songs live. From the adrenaline rush administered by 'Axe of Judgment' to the epic singalong of 'Heathen Horde' and the rather unorthodox but mind-numbingly catchy 'Two of Spades'. It was a high energy party show and it was quite evident with how much fun the band was having. The only flaw was that I think the set could have been stronger in some parts, missing some major crowd favourites such as 'Lai Lai Hei'.

10. BREAKING BENJAMIN – Sound Academy – September 15
A recurring theme when I was picking the bands for this list was a sense of freshness, or bands I had just flat-out never seen live before. This was my first time seeing Breaking Benjamin and they certainly didn't disappoint. They played a staggeringly long set, managing to fit in all of the crowd favourites, the best of their new material, as well as some very good covers. Despite a late start and some technical difficulties, the band performed very well.

9. MUSHROOMHEAD – The Rockpile – August 20
This was a show that was a spur of the moment decision to go to, but I'm so glad we did. To have a show that visually stimulating in such an intimate room was an amazing experience, despite not being overly familiar with a good portion of the material. The band had a vicious stage presence that electrified the crowd and really set the tone for the solid set they played. I just wish the set could have been a little longer- having just a little over an hour to play around 13 songs.

8. MACHINE HEAD – Phoenix Concert Theatre & Guelph Concert Theatre – February 4 & November 21
One of the few bands I got to see more than once this year, both times playing huge 2 and a half hour sets covering a ton of material from their discography. Robb Flynn has the uncanny ability and charisma to basically start a riot for every song, making these shows without a doubt some of the highest energy and intense shows I've been to all year. Certainly one hell of a way to spend a birthday!

7. BLIND GUARDIAN – Danforth Music Hall – October 29
This show stands out particularly because I've been waiting almost 10 years to see Blind Guardian, and I finally had the chance to, so my expectations were pretty high. I think Guardian is about the only band on this list who can outdo Nightwish in terms of cheesy singalong parts, sometimes carrying on for a good 5 minutes after a song ended, particularly in 'The Last Candle' and 'Valhalla'. And of course, there was the haunting 'Bard's Song' which was an incredible experience having everyone sing along.

6. GHOST – Sound Academy – October 1
Much in the same vein as Ensiferum, I had fallen in love with Ghost's new record 'Meliora' long before the show, so I was really looking forward to hear all the new material. Ghost's stage show is a sight to behold in itself, being incredibly visually striking, but combined with their sheer talent as a band makes them one of the best live bands in all of metal today. Their set was just about everything you could have wanted, a great mix of the Meliora stuff, as well as all the best tracks from their two previous albums, making it an all-around fantastic show.

5. SLIPKNOT – Molson Ampitheatre – August 8
While on the topic of visually striking, no band in metal puts on quite a spectacle like Slipknot. While playing a set that nicely amassed all their best work over their 5 album discography, the real draw of a Slipknot show is their stage show, creating an environment which is just as chaotic as the music- from pyro to drum lifts to insane stage stunts. Not to mention Corey Taylor's sheer charisma taking command of the crowd is truly a sight to behold. Even if you're not a fan of Slipknot's music, seeing their show is a must at least once.

4. STEEL PANTHER – Sound Academy – May 22
Seeing Steel Panther was also another first for me, and it was nothing short of a full blown party show. The set was awesome, taking all the best songs from all three of their records. Aside from the band all being immensely talented, they were all funny as hell, making the stage banter between Satchel, Michael, and Lexxi just as enjoyable as the actual songs. Just an absolutely wild night and an incredibly entertaining show.

3. LAMB OF GOD – Molson Ampitheatre – August 8
This was honestly a surprise for me, I hadn't followed Lamb of God all that closely since high school, but after seeing them live, my interest in them has piqued once again. Despite playing in a massive venue, they somehow had a very cool way of making the venue seem a lot smaller, making it seem as if Randy Blythe was screaming in your face the entire show. I've never seen such a huge crowd go so wild, even in the stands. The set was solid, playing a little bit of everything, I only wish it could have been longer, because despite the short amount of time they had, they were definitely one of the best bands I've seen all year.

2. JUDAS PRIEST – Air Canada Centre – November 12
What can I say about the Metal Gods that hasn't already been said? This was my first time seeing Priest and despite our seats not being the greatest, I still gained a whole new respect for them and ended up having some of the most fun I've had at a show in ages. They still show that even after all these years, they are still one of the best bands in the world. And of course, ,Rob Halford again showed why he is, was, and always will be the King of the Scream, even at 64 years old.

1. STEVEN WILSON – Danforth Music Hall – June 26
Going into Steven Wilson, I had no idea what to expect. The Danforth was set up more like for a jazz show than it was for a rock show. Once the lights went down and the show started, you could feel the building of an atmosphere like no other and that's when you could tell that this show was going to be something special. Steven Wilson was another first for me, and the change from the standard rock show setup into something else was definitely refreshing, but I compare it mostly to how I described seeing Meshuggah last year- despite not knowing a whole lot of the material going in, it really didn't matter. Between the masterful playing and the visuals , this show was nothing short of hypnotizing and has easily made Steve one of my favourite musicians/songwriters. The man has a mind for creating atmosphere like no other, and thankfully I'll have the chance to relive the experience come March, when he comes back to Toronto. Steven puts on more than just a concert, it's an experience of the senses and the mind- the man has truly got something magical.

And there you have it! 2015 was a great year for concerts, and 2016 already looks like it's shaping up to be a good one as well! :D

A big thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday yesterday! I must admit, in between stress from both school and work as well as all the shit that's been going on in the world, I've been feeling kinda bummed lately. So thank you for helping put a smile on my face ^.=.^

Whoops, I got old again. I'm 23 today :D. Can't think of a better way to celebrate either than heading off to see one of my favourite bands: MACHINE FUCKING HEAD \m/

So  kodisnowpup and I have hit a major milestone in our relationship, we've now been together for 5 years now! And man, it feels like just yesterday this whole thing started. But we've been through all kinds of ups and downs together but we're still here, stronger than ever. Unfortunately we're both working all day tomorrow so we really won't get the chance to go out and do anything, but at least since we work at the same place we'll be working together ^^.

I love you pup. Thank you for the best 5 years of my life. Here's to many more! (I owe you drinks one of these days :P)

 hatredanon threatened to sit on me if I didn't. And since I haven't posted a journal in a while and am a fan of my non-shattered face or pelvis, it's time for a good ol' fashioned MAYMAY

Comment here and I'll:

1. Tell you what animal/creature you remind me of.
2. Tell you what color I think fits you.
3. Tell you how I feel about you.
4. Insult you.
5. Tell you my favorite OC of yours.
6. Tell you what season you remind me of.
7. Tell you what food you smell like in my head.
8. Think of a random nickname for you.
9. Tell you what element you remind me of.
10. Ask you to put this in your journal without using the word 'tag'

I've been sort of MIA on here for the last little while so I thought I'd post a little update on where I've been and what I've been up to. The honest answer is work has kept me busy like no one's business. In between my boss retiring, everyone going on holidays, and coming within hours of going on strike last month, it's been crazy and stressful, and it's been a challenge to keep up with everyone like I normally do, so for that I apologize. I've been stuck with a constant barrage of evening shifts, which seems to clash with just about everyone else's schedules, and I usually don't get home until 10:30 at night, totally exhausted.

That being said, I have had quite a bit of fun this summer as well, mostly in the form of some of the coolest concerts I've ever seen, including System of a Down, Slipknot, Lamb of God, Steven Wilson, Mushroomhead, etc. and there's plenty more on the way, including Machine Head in Guelph on my birthday :D.

As for the immediate future, I've got a few more days of work before I head home to Kingston for a week and hopefully catch up with the usual crowd before I head back to school. But I feel like I deserve a little vacation after all the working I've been doing :P.

In conclusion, yup, silverbutt is still alive and kickin', and I'm gonna try and be a little more talkative again soon, I miss everyone! :3

and I will both be there :D. Honestly can't say I've ever done anything like this before, but since it gives me an excuse to cavort about in my dragon gear in public, why not? It'd be nice to see people if you're gonna be around ^.=.^

I don't know if anyone will read this, but I've had all kinds of thoughts this evening that I really need to get out of my head before I can sleep...

I was informed tonight that a friend of mine and sister to one of my closest friends in high school passed away a few weeks ago. It left me at a loss for words on how such a young and wonderful individual with an incredibly bright future could be taken away so suddenly, especially someone I knew quite closely. It has really made realize how precious and fragile life really is, and how every day we are alive is a gift.

I am truly thankful to be alive and I realize how lucky I am to be surrounded by such wonderful people - friends and family alike. Also, if you're reading this, thank you as well - whether you're a close friend of mine, someone who just enjoys the commissions I post, or anyone in between... you all make my life worth living.

- Turi

I'll see you again someday, Heidi.

Holidays are officially here for me and no better way to kick things off then going VIP to see Kamelot and DragonForce tomorrow night! And then the day after I'll be heading back home to Kingston for a week to visit family and friends. Looking forward to seeing  prplhaze,  bt-armistice, and  familliar's new place as well ^.=.^

I really want to get a commission with Brook and/or Lex from Gargoyles soooooooooooo badly...

Getting a big half sleeve started on my upper left arm. A super big Nordic looking piece with a big dragon :D. I'll be posting WIPs over the next while until its finished ^.=.^

I've been a facepalm draggy for quite a while now and I feel like I need to change things up.

So as much as I love Turi showing off that butt of his, I feel as if my gallery is getting a little oversaturated with butts. So I'm curious to see if anyone has any suggestions or ideas for future commissions for me. They can be SFW or NSFW, I'm really interested in hearing some other ideas.

That being said, I've got a few ideas in mind, I'd still like to get something with this butt: kodisnowpup/ moomoosheep once his character gets finished being redesigned. I still have a piece in mind with my good friend and fellow dragonbutt  ashtalon once we find the right artist. I've also been working on several new characters for myself which I may involve eventually, including a twinky buck named Flynn and a blue jay (who is nameless as of now).

But anyway, I'd love to hear some ideas or suggestions! ^.=.^

I've never really done this before, but ask away! Nothing's off limits. Either on here or at http://ask.fm/Turi_the_Dragon ^.=.^

Catching my plane out to Washington for MAGFest tonight! I'm so excited I can barely contain myself! *flails arms wildly* :D

Totally forgot to do this earlier on with my old laptop dying on me, but here's a list of the top 15 bands I saw last year, based both on how well the band played and the overall concert experience.

15. TYR - February 16/October 17

14. DEATH ANGEL - February 16

13. ARCH ENEMY - October 29

12. TURISAS - May 1

11. HUNTRESS - October 29

10. SONATA ARCTICA - September 11

9. OPETH - December 21

8. AMON AMARTH - October 10

7. CANNIBAL CORPSE - July 25

6. SABATON - April 14/October 10

5. ICED EARTH - April 14

4. ELUVEITIE - October 17

3. AVENGED SEVENFOLD - July 25

2. MESHUGGAH - June 19

1. DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT - November 30

So there you have it! Got some great shows planned for this year already as well: Nightwish, Kamelot, Machine Head, Alestorm, Cannibal Corpse, Behemoth, Volbeat and Steven Wilson :D

And I'm back in business! Got my new laptop in this morning and I've been messing around with it since I got home from work and I'm really liking it so far (minus the whole Windows 8 thing >8C). Feels nice to be back! Anyway, that being said, I decided to start up an NSFW Twitter for all my less than appropriate thoughts and pics, so feel free to follow me there if you want: https://twitter.com/Turi_AD.

Now it's time to go through a few weeks of art...

Life seems to love kicking me in the balls lately. My laptop decided to die on me tonight, and with all the hardware issues I've had with this thing, it'd be cheaper to buy a new one rather than get the damn thing fixed. As it is I'm writing this on my phone now. So long tattoo savings... It was nice knowing you