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Wintersun - Time I review




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Reviewer:
7.5

1150 users:
8.38
Band: Wintersun
Album: Time I
Release date: October 2012


Disc I
01. When Time Fades Away
02. Sons Of Winter And Stars
    1 - Rain Of Stars
    2 - Surrounded By Darkness
    3 - Journey Inside A Dream
    4 - Sons Of Winter And Stars
03. Land Of Snow And Sorrow
04. Darkness And Frost
05. Time
06. [hidden track] [Mediabook & Mailorder edition bonus]

Disc II [DVD] [Mediabook bonus]
+ Time I Live Rehearsals At Sonic Pump Studios
+ Licks & Tricks
+ Sons Of Winter And Stars - Project Demonstration
+ Photo Gallery

Disc III [instrumental CD] [Mailorder edition bonus]
01. When Time Fades Away
02. Sons Of Winter And Stars
    1 - Rain Of Stars
    2 - Surrounded By Darkness
    3 - Journey Inside A Dream
    4 - Sons Of Winter And Stars
03. Land Of Snow And Sorrow
04. Darkness And Frost
05. Time

One of the most highly anticipated albums of the last decade; Time I finally ends the eight year silence, but was the wait worth it?

After the charming Eastern folk influenced introduction, it soon becomes apparent that things have changed with the band in the last eight years. From the album theme of comprehending human emotion and our time on earth to the musicianship and ambitious nature of the orchestrations, Wintersun have aimed for a much grander sound.

Much more symphonic, bombastic even, "Sons Of Winter And Stars" kicks the album off with high spirit and energy. Eight years all of a sudden becomes a little more understandable with the amount of attention to detail and intricate compositions that are so copiously and lavishly interlaced into the music. The musicianship is absolutely top-notch throughout and the closing two minutes of the song provide a wonderfully epic and memorable crescendo.

The album has so many layers, it is deeply ambitious. Time I is an album that has very clearly had so much dedication and effort put into it, but at times it also sounds like Jari has become so consumed with making this the masterpiece everyone wanted that it becomes a little over-indulgent with how complex and dense the compositions are. We are presented a masterclass of orchestration in metal, but it is a challenge to digest and connect with.

With a running time of forty minutes, which includes the introduction and interlude, Time I as a standalone album is very short. The previously mentioned "Sons Of Winter And Stars" and title track "Time" are both great songs and enough to make you crave the second album, but it is hard not to feel underwhelmed when the album seems to cut short. It isn't made any better with a questionable light and quiet production either. Time I then is exactly that; the first of two halves, not the complete article.

The album is mindblowingly impressive in portions, but is just a little too complex and indulgent for its own good. Perhaps along with Time II the picture will become complete, but even though this album has some golden moments - it just feels unfinished alone.

-

Symphonic Extreme Power metal
Nuclear Blast
Finland
Length: 40:07


Rating breakdown
Performance: 10
Songwriting: 9
Originality: 9
Production: 7





Written on 22.10.2012 by Member of Staff since 2006

Guest review by
Bad English
Rating:
8.7
Wintersun - is it real? Well, no, it isn't. We hardly see the sun; for four whole weeks, it never shines.

Allow me to copy the style of DerRozzengarten (the greatest reviewer ever), who knows how to write proper metaphors. Such music is never meant to explain northern life for people who have never actually walked on a frozen river or cleared snow from their car before work (I'm not taking a jab at the French, Dutch, or Danish, who usually overreact when they see 1 cm of snow). Imagine the pre-internet days: it's blizzard beasts, mid-winter, the sun never shines, just 22 hours of darkness and twilight in between. There is nothing to do, only good music, books, or finding a way to channel your creativity. Outside activities, aside from collecting firewood and cleaning snow? I don't think so (but wait a minute, Jari lives in the city anyway?). Anyway, the streets are dead and frozen, the horizon is dark, and night light is ablaze on the snow. All you can do is wait for spring and then summer to arrive slowly. I've done it all my life, still do, and we all did. It's typical northern madness!

Read more ››
published 20.12.2016 | Comments (10)


Comments page 2 / 8

Comments: 216   [ 4 ignored ]   Visited by: 1216 users
22.10.2012 - 21:05
Rating: 5
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
Written by Guest on 22.10.2012 at 21:01


I haven't paid thousands... You don't have to as well. You just have to bear in mind that wearing some crappy headphones for 20 dollars plugged into your iPod is not enough to be able to assess anything.

If you want to be "objective" in this way, you have to treat your room, speakers, headphones to have neutral frequency response and to fit your ears perfectly (in terms of natural perception mainly). You also need neutral amp and at least good DAC. You also need a good source - lossless is a need, an absolute need.

Ah, so I have to know how to create a neutral frequency in my listening enviornment in order to provide a valid opinion on music
Damn, I've been doing it wrong this whole time

I'm not trying to be a dick, but I find that absolutely absurd
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22.10.2012 - 21:10
Rating: 7
Carl Berg
Carl Berg
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 22.10.2012 at 19:21

Written by Guest on 22.10.2012 at 19:18

7.5 is way too low... I am sure if Ensiferum, Brymir, Equilibrium or any other band had released this, they would have been rated much higher.



too low. I would say it's even a full point too high. Really nothing special, deep, complex etc. about this album at all. Just a standard symphonic metal album.


Exactly my opinion. Though this is an interesting social phenomenon to observe. If enough hype is created around an album, fans will undoubtedly praise it far too much than what it's really worth, and much of this will overflow to the easily manipulated masses.

While much of the regular users here on MS will bash a far superior album, they surprisingly tend to flock to Time like it was the masterpiece of our generation.
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22.10.2012 - 21:18
Rating: 7
Nightfall

Written by Guest on 22.10.2012 at 20:02
Don't you want to rate it 2 or 3? Oh my god, I don't know what "proper" metalheads are waiting for today... It's not perfect but when I compare it with 99 % of metal albums it's a definite masterpiece that forms THE FIRST PART OF THE WHOLE THING AS IT IS CLAIMED IN ITS TITLE! It's very complex but within the overal concept, it's modern, it shows the band in a very different light and the album itself is quite original (Whispered don't come even close in terms of real quality!)...


I rated it a 7. 7 = good.

And I'm tired of people claiming this is a masterpiece, because it's not. Get over it.

Compare it to 99% of metal? Nice statement you got there. Please tell me how did you listen to every metal album ever made. If you want to defend this almost-average album so desperately at least use valid arguments.
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22.10.2012 - 21:26
Rating: 9
Sir Thrashalot

Something I forgot to mention above, it's Baz's courage to give that album a review. It does appeal to the masses and a lot of people were expecting this album for a whole lot of years, like me. I do think it's incomplete as well, but I had to note that it must not have been easy to be the one to say "Meh, i'll do it". Congrats on being objective too.
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22.10.2012 - 21:27
Rating: 5
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
Written by Guest on 22.10.2012 at 21:24


"And I'm tired of people claiming this is a masterpiece, because it's not. Get over it." === At least use valid arguments if you want to force me to change my opinion... If not, get over it that I don't agree with you. People on MS don't agree with your rating as well as you can see.

"If you want to defend this almost-average album..." === Nice statement you got there. Please tell me how did you listen to every metal album ever made to know this is "almost-average"? ,-)

Wait, so now I have to have listened to every metal album ever made to call it average?
That's even more absurd than your other statement
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22.10.2012 - 21:32
Rating: 5
Alex F
Slick Dick Rick
Written by Guest on 22.10.2012 at 21:30


You should... You never know how many excellent (or very bad) albums/bands are there you haven't heard so far.

I would say it's more safe to say Wintersun are among the best than calling them average. There are tons of average to bad bands... But there aren't tons of excellent bands out there.

You're right, there are tons of average to bad bands, and Wintersun are among them
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22.10.2012 - 21:37
UnknownCheese

You're retarded, not so sorry to say.

Why does this sort of fluffy fruitcake metal always attract the worst fans?
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22.10.2012 - 21:38
Rating: 9
Italics

The only way that Marcel will like a band is if it's some no-name black/death metal band that no one has ever heard of... extra brownie points if every song by the band sounds the same (quite likely).
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But I Justify My Desire to No One
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22.10.2012 - 21:38
Rating: 5
@gent_-_orange

Written by Guest on 22.10.2012 at 21:33

Then you're deaf... Sorry to say that.

Sorry mate but you sound like a fanboy, He is deaf because he thinks Wintersun are average? Really?
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22.10.2012 - 21:41
Rating: 9
Italics

Written by Sir Thrashalot on 22.10.2012 at 21:26

Something I forgot to mention above, it's Baz's courage to give that album a review. It does appeal to the masses and a lot of people were expecting this album for a whole lot of years, like me. I do think it's incomplete as well, but I had to note that it must not have been easy to be the one to say "Meh, i'll do it". Congrats on being objective too.


I agree very much with Baz's review, but I wouldn't act like he's taken some big, risky step by writing this review. Just read the first page of comments so far... 95% of the comments agree with him and are telling him what a great job he did. On MS, it's the COOL thing to do to call popular bands overrated... not the other way around.
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But I Justify My Desire to No One
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22.10.2012 - 21:42
Rating: 7
Carl Berg
Carl Berg
Quote:
Written by Guest on 22.10.2012 at 21:33

You're right, there are tons of average to bad bands, and Wintersun are among them


Then you're deaf... Sorry to say that.


You thinkz my favorite bandz is not the best... you must be deaf! (goes sobbing in corner)

Typical fanboy.
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22.10.2012 - 21:42
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Italics on 22.10.2012 at 21:38
The only way that Marcel will like a band is if it's some no-name black/death metal band that no one has ever heard of... extra brownie points if every song by the band sounds the same (quite likely).

LOL on this one. Always easy to look down on someone you have no clue about.

Written by Guest on 22.10.2012 at 21:33
He is not objective at all... You can even look at particular phrases he uses, they are subjective as hell. The review is purely subjective.

Reviews are per definition subjective. Per definition they are the opinion of ONE PERSON.
ONE person's opinion can never be objective. Opinions aren't objective or facts... They are just opinions which shall remain subjective for ever. Write your own review, it'll be just as good as this one in terms of being subjective tbh just like every single review in all websites.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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22.10.2012 - 21:45
Rating: 9
Italics

Written by X-Ray Rod on 22.10.2012 at 21:42

Written by Italics on 22.10.2012 at 21:38

The only way that Marcel will like a band is if it's some no-name black/death metal band that no one has ever heard of... extra brownie points if every song by the band sounds the same (quite likely).


LOL on this one. Always easy to look down on someone you have no clue about.


The truth hurts. Whenever a grand total of 50 people worldwide like the stuff you like, there's a reason for it. The stuff you listen to is boring noise, and it sucks.
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But I Justify My Desire to No One
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22.10.2012 - 21:48
Rating: 9
Italics

Written by Guest on 22.10.2012 at 21:46

Written by X-Ray Rod on 22.10.2012 at 21:42

Written by Italics on 22.10.2012 at 21:38
The only way that Marcel will like a band is if it's some no-name black/death metal band that no one has ever heard of... extra brownie points if every song by the band sounds the same (quite likely).

LOL on this one. Always easy to look down on someone you have no clue about.

Written by Guest on 22.10.2012 at 21:33
He is not objective at all... You can even look at particular phrases he uses, they are subjective as hell. The review is purely subjective.

Reviews are per definition subjective. Per definition they are the opinion of ONE PERSON.
ONE person's opinion can never be objective. Opinions aren't objective or facts... They are just opinions which shall remain subjective for ever. Write your own review, it'll be just as good as this one in terms of being subjective tbh just like every single review in all websites.


Review can be at least a bit objective but then it is not going to say very much... At least to the majority of people.


Baz's review was actually very accurate and very complimentary of the album. I think you are only upset with the overall rating.
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But I Justify My Desire to No One
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22.10.2012 - 21:48
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Italics on 22.10.2012 at 21:45
The truth hurts. Whenever a grand total of 50 people worldwide like the stuff you like, there's a reason for it. The stuff you listen to is boring noise, and it sucks.


Hhahahahhahahahahahaha wow man you are awesome. You didn't even try to see what bands I listen to (some of them are in your own list of favorite bands). Same goes to Marcel tbh, a huge deal of his stuff is pretty "basic" in terms of how popular it is.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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22.10.2012 - 21:49
Slayer666

Only 7.5 for an album from the fabled Wintersun? Damn, Baz, I hope you do know what kind of shit is about to hit the fan...
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22.10.2012 - 21:51
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Slayer666 on 22.10.2012 at 21:49

Only 7.5 for an album from the fabled Wintersun? Damn, Baz, I hope you do know what kind of shit is about to hit the fan...


Somehow I get the feeling that this is as much drama as we gonna get this time.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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22.10.2012 - 21:52
Rating: 9
Italics

Written by X-Ray Rod on 22.10.2012 at 21:48

Written by Italics on 22.10.2012 at 21:45
The truth hurts. Whenever a grand total of 50 people worldwide like the stuff you like, there's a reason for it. The stuff you listen to is boring noise, and it sucks.


Hhahahahhahahahahahaha wow man you are awesome. You didn't even try to see what bands I listen to (some of them are in your own list of favorite bands). Same goes to Marcel tbh, a huge deal of his stuff is pretty "basic" in terms of how popular it is.


I was referring to Marcel, not you, champ
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But I Justify My Desire to No One
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22.10.2012 - 21:53
Slayer666

Written by X-Ray Rod on 22.10.2012 at 21:51

Somehow I get the feeling that this is as much drama as we gonna get this time.


Eh, that would be rather disappointing. Or maybe quite the opposite, it may mean (most) people have finally learned not to bitch about other people's opinions.
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22.10.2012 - 21:53
Rating: 9
Italics

Written by Slayer666 on 22.10.2012 at 21:49

Only 7.5 for an album from the fabled Wintersun? Damn, Baz, I hope you do know what kind of shit is about to hit the fan...


As I said before... it won't. Unless by "shit hitting the fan" you mean 95% of the comments praising him and agreeing with him.

Again, it's cool to call popular music overrated on metalstorm, not the other way around.

With that said - baz deserves the praise, it was a good review.
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But I Justify My Desire to No One
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22.10.2012 - 21:56
Slayer666

Written by Italics on 22.10.2012 at 21:53

As I said before... it won't. Unless by "shit hitting the fan" you mean 95% of the comments praising him and agreeing with him.

Again, it's cool to call popular music overrated on metalstorm, not the other way around.

With that said - baz deserves the praise, it was a good review.


Apparently, shit really did hit the fan, mostly with you. I smell butthurt all over your posts. I even saw this little gem on your profile:

The handful of symphonic power metal bands out there are "generic," and yet the ENDLESS ocean of no-name death/black metal bands are "original?" Gotta love that metalhead logic...
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22.10.2012 - 22:00
Rating: 10
Andreas

I could also whine like that: "Almost nobody gave the new Freedom Call an objective rating, since almost nobody rated it with a 10."

Come on please, you have your opinion about an album, so you are subjective about it. When a review makes it clear that your point of view is a subjective one too, you're whining about a lack of objectivity just to avoid the fact that your opinion is also just an opinion.
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22.10.2012 - 22:00
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Italics on 22.10.2012 at 21:52
I was referring to Marcel, not you, champ


Same applies tbh specially since in the elite/staff world we joke quite a lot that I'm the "mini Marcel".
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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22.10.2012 - 22:01
UnknownCheese

Written by Guest on 22.10.2012 at 21:55

Also, all of you can have a look for opinion of many people from the industry or other bands on Time I... Almost all of them are praising or even are amazed of how good the album is. I think quite safely they know better than some "pure metal fans" here. Those are the people who create the music you listen then...

About the review - I don't care about that 7.5... But the review itself is absolutely confusing as stated within one of my previous statements. He praises the album, he gives high marks for everything including production (which is quite bad in my opinion, definitely not worth 7) and then he ends with "uncomplete" statement even though he clearly knows this is THE FIRST PART AS IT IS STATED EVEN IN THE TITLE and lowers the rating to 7.5.


What's your point? A bunch of big name musicians praised the latest Morbid Angel too. Most musicians just aren't willing to take the heat and start bad mouthing other big name bands. More musicians should take the King Fowley approach.
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22.10.2012 - 22:03
Rating: 9
Italics

Written by Slayer666 on 22.10.2012 at 21:56

Written by Italics on 22.10.2012 at 21:53

As I said before... it won't. Unless by "shit hitting the fan" you mean 95% of the comments praising him and agreeing with him.

Again, it's cool to call popular music overrated on metalstorm, not the other way around.

With that said - baz deserves the praise, it was a good review.


Apparently, shit really did hit the fan, mostly with you. I smell butthurt all over your posts. I even saw this little gem on your profile:

The handful of symphonic power metal bands out there are "generic," and yet the ENDLESS ocean of no-name death/black metal bands are "original?" Gotta love that metalhead logic...


So me agreeing with Baz and telling him that his review was very accurate = butthurt over his review.

You've got to be brighter than that...
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But I Justify My Desire to No One
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22.10.2012 - 22:05
Rating: 10
Andreas

Quote:
Written by Guest on 22.10.2012 at 22:03

What's your point? A bunch of big name musicians praised the latest Morbid Angel too. Most musicians just aren't willing to take the heat and start bad mouthing other big name bands. More musicians should take the King Fowley approach.


That's your interpretation of the thing. I would trust a successful musicians or audio industry guy more than a generic MS fan tbh...

Exactly. That's why people don't trust your opinion.
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22.10.2012 - 22:05
Rating: 6
Unhealer
Eclecticist
It's so fun to read "Time 1" topics.
Btw, agree with the main points of the review, even though I think it deserves a lower score. Dividing the two albums was a really effective commercial move as I said before but it surely compromised the musical experience.
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22.10.2012 - 22:06
Rating: 9
Italics

Written by X-Ray Rod on 22.10.2012 at 22:00

Written by Italics on 22.10.2012 at 21:52
I was referring to Marcel, not you, champ


Same applies tbh specially since in the elite/staff world we joke quite a lot that I'm the "mini Marcel".


All of us are to some extent... but he takes it to the extreme, knows that he takes it to the extreme, and has posted numerous times before about how he is proud of it. Nothing wrong with it... I'm just calling him out on the fact that there's a reason nobody likes what he likes. It's not good music. If it was, it'd be more popular. I suppose "not good music" is subjective... but when 99.99% of humans on earth would agree with you, you're in safe company. Just check out his top albums of 2012 if you want a good look at what I'm talking about.
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But I Justify My Desire to No One
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22.10.2012 - 22:09
Rating: 9
Italics

@MetalHOE

If you want to see 99% of people praising this album, go to youtube, facebook, or virtually any other metal/music website besides metalstorm. I'm not sure what you expected to find here... in fact, I'm surprised that you weren't pleasantly surprised by the very positive review that Baz gave this album. You aren't going to change many minds here, and it doesn't matter, because "here"is a very very very very very small handful of metal fans worldwide. Metalstorm has its own unique, special attitude. Most albums that are considered "flops" on here receive high praise and success in the real world... and most of the modern "masterpieces" discussed on here nobody has ever heard of. Don't let it get to you so much.

FWIW, I was a little let down by this album... but then again, I didn't think Wintersun's debut was amazing either... but not bad, maybe a 7/10.
I need to listen to Time a few more times, as I've only heard it once. But from my first listen, I'd say Baz's review is spot on.
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But I Justify My Desire to No One
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22.10.2012 - 22:09
Slayer666

Written by Italics on 22.10.2012 at 22:03

So me agreeing with Baz and telling him that his review was very accurate = butthurt over his review.

You've got to be brighter than that...


I wasn't really saying you were butthurt over the review itself, but rather over other people's comments here. Which is what happens when a huge, wildly popular band gets a score that's not a perfect 10 in an official review. Some people bitch about the review/score, others bitch about the people bitching about the review/score and so on and so forth. But less-than-a-perfect review is what's at the heart of it all, which was my point.
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