tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32994199487531834172024-03-12T21:45:01.589-07:00Achilles Last StandWhere a deranged man shakes his fist at a world that does not understand him!Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-79951064471403651012017-07-16T19:17:00.000-07:002017-07-17T05:56:25.869-07:00<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">They’re Dead…They’re
All Messed Up</span></b></div>
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Sometime in the early 80’s, MTV showed Night of the
Living Dead as a midnight movie.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>My
memory tells me it was on Halloween but I could be wrong about that.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What I cannot be wrong about is the impact
this little film made upon my young teen mind and conscience.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
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I always loved horror from since I can remember.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Scary books about ghosts and stories of
hauntings were always a part of my landscape.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>If Godzilla was on, I was there.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I remember the original TV mini-series of Salem’s Lot scaring the crap
out of me, as well as a film called Burnt Offerings, and any time The Exorcist
was on, I avoided it like the plague.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>That was just too scary, you know?</div>
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By this time I was into horror big time, meaning it took
up many of my Friday nights at home.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Showtime ran two horror films back to back after midnight on those
Fridays, and that’s when I got my taste for slasher flicks (Friday the 13<sup>th</sup>
scared the living bejesus out of me) and nubile teens who liked to show their
boobs and scream a lot.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Oh, and the
blood.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There’s always the blood.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
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But then along came this black and white film that I’d
heard about yet hadn’t seen, and my world changed completely.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That ominous music at the beginning told me
immediately I was in trouble, and that this was serious business; this movie
wasn’t going to play around, despite its age and black and white status.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Then came Johnny doing his best Karloff
impression (“They’re coming to get you, Barbra”) and that first zombie and I was
like, what’s going on here?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The guy is
dead but living, and he really wants to kill this pretty lady.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But why?<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Later I would learn.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>These things
lusted for human flesh.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Oh, god.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Oh, dear god.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Well, at least they won’t show it.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I mean, this is black and white, after all and…they showed it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Dear Lord, they went there.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And the daughter kills the mother.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And a black man punches a white woman.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A black man was in charge.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This movie was breaking all kinds of taboos
for its time.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>For my time.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And then the posse comes along.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Maybe these guys can survive because it’s
only localized…no, no, it’s happening everywhere.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Everywhere!<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>They fight and scratch and claw and the humans do their best to survive
but they can’t get along and soon the dead are in the living room and poor Ben
is alone in the basement.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But wait, he’s
going to get saved!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They’re going to…Did
those motherfuckers just shoot him in the head?<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Jesus, what the fuck?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And finally
those flickering, final images, still photos, all grainy and so very
disturbing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They put Ben on the fire
with the rest of the dead zombies.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>How could
they?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>How could this movie end like
this?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>How?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
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I couldn’t wait to see it again.</div>
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And again.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And
again.</div>
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It became my favorite film of all time.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It still is.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></div>
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Imagine my wonder when I discovered there was a
sequel!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Set in a mall!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And in color!<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I dove into Dawn of the Dead and oh my, if I thought Night went for it,
this one…this one pushed it even further.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The guy making these movies was a maverick.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He didn’t care for convention or Hollywood storytelling.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He told it like it was.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The TRUTH.</div>
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Oh, and a bit later I discovered there was a third
movie.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What???<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Day of the Dead, just as extraordinary, even
more destructive of the soul.</div>
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George A. Romero made these films.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I wanted to know more about him, and over
time, I saw all of his movies.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And he
became my favorite director of all time.</div>
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George gets credit for starting the whole “zombie” thing,
and that’s great.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He doesn’t get enough
credit for being an amazing storyteller.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>He didn’t use fancy camera tricks, or strange angles, or do flashy
fifteen minute single takes.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Nope.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>George told the story.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>His greatest gift was his editing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He could make benign scenes sing and
pop.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He knew what he was doing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And what a great writer!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I won’t even get into his wonderful
imagination, and the way he could make characters feel completely real, and the
way he could make political and social statements without you even noticing at
first.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Later it would sink in.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Later you would realize, this guy is a
master.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He also doesn’t get credit for
his scoring choices, whether it was his original picks of library music or his
employment of such wonderful composers as Donald Rubinstein and the mighty
Goblin.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>George knew how to tell a
story.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He was never salacious, never out
for a buck, never like, “Let’s be really nasty and gory and make some
headlines!”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>No, the gore worked for the
story, not the other way around.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If a
zombie ate people, you had to show it.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>If the only way to kill one was to shoot it in the head, you had to show
it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This was all very
matter-of-fact.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He was a blue-collar
kind of guy.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Nothing mattered but telling
the story.</div>
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I learned this trait from him.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’ve tried to carry it over in my own fiction
(I fail more often than I succeed).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The first
short story I ever had published was a zombie story.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>My first published novel was a zombie novel.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’m proud of that.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’m proud that I made the zombies like George
made them:<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>slow, hungry, and gory.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I tried to give them all some kind of
personality, just like George did (and this is something people miss all the
time:<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>his living dead were pretty damned
human, so they were monsters in the classical sense, meaning they reflected us;
nearly all of the other zombie movies—and The Walking Dead—don’t do this, they
just make them one-dimensional feeding machines). <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
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George A. Romero is my favorite director of all time.</div>
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I told him so when I finally got to meet him at a
convention two years ago.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I sat next to
him and shook his hand and told this gentle giant quite boldly that Night of
the Living Dead was the greatest movie of all time.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He barked at me.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“Of all time?<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Come on!” And I smiled and said, “Well, it’s my favorite movie of all
time.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And he smiled and said, “Well,
that’s okay, then.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And I got my picture
taken and shook his hand again and thanked him and left.</div>
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I will always treasure that day.</div>
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Now George is gone.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>He passed today.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I’m filled with
sadness, which is a weird thing to feel for a person when you don’t really even
know them.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But it’s how I feel.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
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This world is a sadder, less vibrant place without George
A. Romero.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But at least we still have
the movies.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And right now, I’m going to
put my favorite of all time on (and yes, Night of the Living Dead is the
greatest film of all time, and if you disagree, we can fist-fight about it),
turn down the lights, and slip away.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></div>
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Thanks for all the scares, George.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Thank you, thank you, thank you.</div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-45881638122895543702017-01-31T14:49:00.001-08:002017-01-31T14:49:35.596-08:00
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">Kreator</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px;"><b><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">Gods of Violence</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Kreator
is a band that’s been around since the early 80’s and they’ve been praised
consistently for being one of the greatest thrash bands in metal history, going
on to be considered one of the Big Three of German Thrash along with
Destruction and Sodom.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Over the years,
their style had changed from time to time but they’ve always brought the heavy,
and since the new century, they have released a series of unfailingly great
albums.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Now they have brought their
latest creation to the table, so let’s take a look…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Opening
track is “Apocalypticon” and it really is a simple instrumental
introduction/build up to carry you into the album proper.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This thing is filled with martial drums,
melodic guitar, and epic keyboards that set the template for what you’re going
to get.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This could easily be called
Power Metal and that description would be fair.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>But Kreator always make sure to slam it into overdrive, and they do so
with the next track.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“World
War Now” rages in on a series of thrash riffs, plowing forward, attacking on
all gears.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Mille Petrozza (founder,
vocalist, guitarist) rips into his patented, authoritative and powerful vocals,
unleashing a torrent of politically-charged lyrics (something that will repeat
itself countless times throughout this record).<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The song charges along until about two minutes in where it slows to a
rumble of drums and melodic leads, tumbling into a chant-along section,
bringing more of that Power Metal feel back in.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>After this, it continues down the melodic path until it tears into a
series of blistering leads.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Good, good
stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A
tolling bell of doom brings in “Satan is Real,” probably the best track on the
record.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Melodic twin guitar slides us
further in until the crushing riffs about twenty-five seconds in.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This song is what Kreator does to perfection
as a band:<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>lots of melody, lots of
thrash, commanding vocals, anthemic chorus.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>This is Kreator firing on all cylinders and my Satan is it sweet on the
ears.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Pure,
crushing assault comes next with “Totalitarian Terror,” an all-out thrasher. <span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Blasting right along, Mille spits lyrics about
revolution and resistance to radical lies and governments.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is a song ripped straight from the headlines,
possibly Mille’s reaction to the far-right winning seats of government around
Europe and the U.S., but that’s just my interpretation.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In any case, this is a neck-breaker, so don’t
approach it without knowing you’ll soon be in the pit, mixing it up.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Oh, and there’s an amazing anthemic chorus in
this one, too.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Gods
of Violence” has one of those acoustic openers thrash bands loved to do in the
mid-80’s, a little sitar thrown in for good measure, before the Maiden leads
spring up along with the sing-along chorus.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Then its thrash, baby, thrash, Kreator just kicking ass for a fourth
song in a row, on a roll, formidable and undeniable.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They’ve got this sound and style perfected,
and yet it doesn’t feel machine-like, but fresh and full of energy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Next
song “Army of Storms” continues the chug, rushing right along, mixing the
Maiden with the thrash to the point of righteousness.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Relentless pummeling, combined with a mix of
thrash and melody, carry the listener “beyond the blood red horizons.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is a galloping horse with flared
nostrils, spitting steam and fire.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Hail
to the Hordes” could easily fit on an Amon Amarth album since it’s all Viking
power and grit.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is a nice change in
tempo to keep the running order fresh, Kreator here experimenting just a tad to
keep themselves honest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Lion
With Eagle Wings” brings the furor down with a renaissance-like guitar opening
(and is that a glockenspiel chiming behind the guitar?), pulling you in, making
you think this might be a moment to catch your breath, but nope.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Seconds later its racing along, sleek and
strong, if a bit repetitive in relation to what came before it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Drums
and chug are what “Fallen Brother” is made of.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>A more mid-tempo stab at the heart, this one keeps it simple, although
that’s not to its detriment.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And yes,
you’ll get some more melodic twin guitars, but the damned drumming is really
impressive in this song.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What we have
here is a third song in a row that could be considered filler but on any other
album would be considered killer.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Which
category they fit in is up to the mood of the listener.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Side
by Side” is more of the same, really:<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>heavy,
thrashy, melodic, frantic.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Nothing wrong
with this song but like the three that proceeded it, nothing remarkable,
either.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Death
Becomes My Light” is the final track and we find Kreator doing something a bit
different here.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It opens like a Maiden
song, atmospheric, melodic, and full of drama.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Mille pulls back on the grit and spit and sings more on this track and
it’s effective.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There’s a bit of prog
here, even though the guitars do kick in, and we get some virtuous melodic twin
guitar slinging.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This song more than
anything resembles Maiden through and through, minus the soaring vocals.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Gallop, gall, and epic greatness carry this
one along.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>More thrash bands should do
this, I think, mix in the twin leads with the crunch; it makes an effective
team of light and shade, giving the song dynamics you don’t normally find on
thrashier efforts.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is an excellent
end to an excellent album</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Gods
of Violence is a great record, Kreator returning with a fantastic collection of
tunes and riffs.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It does get a bit
samey-sounding at times, but the overall crush carries it through.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is an early contender for album of the
year, and easily bests the new efforts of the Big Name American thrash bands that
have put out new albums over the last year and a half.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-60497440296558111432016-12-30T08:26:00.001-08:002016-12-30T08:26:46.607-08:00My Metal Top Five countdown for 2016 continues. It's been a good year for metal but then again, nearly every year is good for the greatest music known to man. Keep in mind that my picks are based not on what I think are the "best" albums of the year, but the ones I loved the most. My only criteria was how much I listened to it as compared to other albums. These Five are the ones that got the most play.<br /><br /> Enjoy!<br /><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">One:</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Blood Ceremony</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Lord of Misrule</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">And
here it is, unexpected to most, but not really to me, the number one album of
the year, Blood Ceremony’s Lord of Misrule.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>This is a band I have great fondness and affection for, and their last
record, The Eldritch Dark, was my number one pick for 2013, so this should come
as no surprise.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It is also the
least-heavy of all my list. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
digital version was available in February and I immediately downloaded and
listened.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It didn’t impress me
much.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Oh, it was good, and professional,
but nothing really stuck with me.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And
that was okay, because every album they’ve ever released has been like
this.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This band is the definition of a
“grower” listen because it takes several spins.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>For me, it clicked when I got the vinyl, sat down with the lyrics, and
cranked the stereo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
album opens with a haunting guitar line, creeping background organ, a slight
drum clack, and then it roars in, all flutes, riffs, bass, and drums.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“The Devil’s Widow” picks up pace and rocks,
Alia O’Brien’s vocals ethereal and powerful all at once.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Guitarist Sean Kennedy propels the whole
thing along with powerful chunks.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The
story of the song weaves its spell, rocking and rolling, old school Sabbath
riffs, seering guitar solo, sliding into a flute solo.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is great stuff, even if it takes some
unpacking to appreciate.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But that’s the
genius of this band.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>4:40 in and the
song settles into a slow vibe, dropping down to acoustic guitar, flute, and
Alia’s voice.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The witchy vibe is
unmistakable and, as always, seductive, giving you a moment to pause and
reflect.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And then that opening repeats
itself, and the riff returns, and you’re back to banging your head.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Lorely”
is pure psychedelic rock joy.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This
sounds like something the Turtles might have written, if they were of the mind
to wield those guitars with some crunch.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Atmospheric and playful, but all the while dark and dangerous, this is
the kind of track that will get stuck in your head for days on end.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Keyboards are to the fore here, but not in
some sappy way, the guitar all reverb, with some old school Witchcraft-style
riffs to flesh it out.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>At 2:50 it goes
full psych for a moment, the sweet guitar solo reminiscent of the early
70’s.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Man, Kennedy plays with full
soul.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Next
song “Rogue’s Lot” brings the riffs back, echoing their Sabbathian roots,
settling into a doomy dirge.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“How do the
living raise the dead?” Alia asks, and you know, instinctively, it’s with songs
just like this one.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>All doom until it
rolls into some psych for the chorus and then back to the dirge.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Good, good stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Epic
album title “Lord of Misrule” follows and it may not seem like an epic at
first, but those cascading riffs and the steady rhythm punch this thing into
drive and it rocks along, some tasty licks accentuating the feel.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Pure occult, pure rock, and all things
mighty.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Alia’s vocals are not the most
powerful but they work, the thinness and fragility adding to the overall
effect.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Which isn’t to say she can’t
sing or bring the power, it’s just different than someone who belts out a
song.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>She lives in it, giving it
whatever it needs.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Moody is a word that keeps
coming up with this record and moody this song is.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A blood-red dusk is settling over the land,
and the feast is turning from revelry to something decidedly more dangerous.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Half
Moon Street” is the next song and was the one I took the longest to warm
to.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Now it is my favorite.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>An almost jaunty riff starts the proceedings,
the flute comes in, levelling the sound, smoothing it out, and Alia begins the
tale of weird mysticism.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This song is
swirling fog around a sputtering gaslight lamp, tall brick buildings, ancient
tomes, old men meeting, and treachery.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“But
I’m in league with something older” tells the truth about this song and the
band.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There is a sly undercurrent of
ancient occultism here and you either get into it and love it or it passes
right by and you don’t care.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>For me, it
works.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Another
slow, moody (there’s that word again) piece comes next.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Psychedelic (did I mention this album has a
lot of those flourishes?) and quiet, “The Weird of Finistere” builds its weird
cadence, seducing you quietly as it worms into your brain.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>By the end you’re chanting along, not quite
sure why you’re enjoying it so damned much.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>This one doesn’t rock, but it rolls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Flower
Phantoms” returns to that pure 60’s psych rock sound.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If you close your eyes, you can picture the
girls bopping along in mini-dresses, all decked in out pastel flower-power
groove.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Almost pure pop, you might
wonder where all the hard rock and metal has gone but you won’t care.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s so pretty it’s hard to deny.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And catchy.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>There’s nothing sell-out about it; this is a band exploring its
roots.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And that guitar solo…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Next
to last song “Old Fires” brings back the swagger, a riff that makes you want to
cry, punching your face as this one rollicks along.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This song is joyous dancing around a bonfire,
gone skyclad, all muscle and grit, light and shadow.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>2:25 in settles into a drop down organ
groove, the drums and bass remarkable, doing what they do the entire album,
giving a solid, rocking backdrop.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Kennedy blazes in with his best solo yet, the power of it building and
building and building, sweeping you along until…in comes the opening riff,
bludgeoning in its polite way, the song rocking out all over again.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Man, this is great stuff, and really does
compete with Half Moon Street as my favorite track.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Pure Blood Ceremony.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Things
Present, Things Past,” the final song, is a ballad.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Acoustic guitars bring this Wicker Man to
life, bits of organ underlying the thing, bass the foundation, drums shuffling,
flute accenting.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Again, Blood Ceremony,
at its purest.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The druids sing, the
maidens dance.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>3:15, the song shifts
slightly, the flute taking us on a deeper journey, bodies swaying by the
campfire, as ancient spirits fly around, filling the air with their phantom
tales.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The song fades off and the grin
creeps across your face as it comes back, all Beatles-esque for a second.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is a perfect way to end a nearly perfect
record.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Don’t
come into this one expecting furious thrash or cold black metal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Come into it expecting mood and texture and
yes, riffs and flutes (hey, that’s what they do).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Let it wash over you.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Soon its infectious songs will seduce you,
like any great music does.</span></div>
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Note: I could not find a full album stream, so here are some vids I pulled.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BYZwXqpMW4w" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-70841171287754683512016-12-30T07:53:00.001-08:002016-12-30T07:53:22.996-08:00I limited myself to writing about five albums because I didn't want to spend all my time filling out a top ten and do it as thoroughly as I thought I needed. However, I did have some records that came close to making that Top Five, and I decided to share them with you, including a few thoughts on each.<br />
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So here is your Other Five, in alphabetical order:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Aborted</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Retrogore</span></b></div>
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Pure death metal goodness, this one almost, almost made it into the Top Five. I really struggled between this and the Darkthrone. This album rages from beginning to end. Get on it.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Eerie</b></span></div>
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Desolate, distant, soul-scraping horror, with haunting riffs and drums and vocals that just kind of own you once the album starts, this is damned good stuff. Do not miss out.</div>
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(Could not find any links, so you're on your own, but the search is worth it)</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Electric Citizen</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Higher Time</span></b></div>
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Pure riff n' roll, bringing things back to the Sabbath, adding plenty of psych, these guys are a dirty secret the rest of the world needs to know about. Back to the essence of what metal and hard rock are all about.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Gojira</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Magma</span></b></div>
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Some might find this controversial, but I think this is their best record. It's varied, heavy, but with just enough light to give it some sparkle. But don't be fooled, this is dark stuff, and like I said, heavy.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Testament</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Brotherhood of the Snake</span></b></div>
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Their best album? Maybe. It's right up there, and certainly the best thrash album of the year (sorry, Metalli-fans). Dense, heavy, that unbelievable rhythm section and the guitars and the vocals...Damnit, just go listen and enjoy!</div>
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-76385815096757149772016-12-29T07:53:00.000-08:002016-12-29T07:53:32.030-08:00My Metal Top Five countdown for 2016 continues. It's been a good year for metal but then again, nearly every year is good for the greatest music known to man. Keep in mind that my picks are based not on what I think are the "best" albums of the year, but the ones I loved the most. My only criteria was how much I listened to it as compared to other albums. These Five are the ones that got the most play.<br /><br /> Enjoy!<br /><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Two:</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Amon Amarth</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Jomsviking</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Here
is a band I have loved for a long time but have fallen out of my favor somewhat
over the last ten years.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Since the Odin
on Our Side album, I feel like Amon Amarth have veered too much into the
melodic realm and too far from their death metal roots.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>While there are many great songs on the
ensuing records, they don’t stick with me as much as the older stuff.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Plus, there is the trap of repeating yourself
too often; Amon Amarth are kind of a one trick pony, and there’s nothing wrong
with that.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Many bands can be successful
carrying on like they always have (Motorhead, Slayer, etc.) but most get into a
rut and cannot escape it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Maybe this is
why they wandered a bit from their home into melodic lands full of brighter
guitar harmonies and “cleaner” vocals.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>In any case, I didn’t mind, I just didn’t like it as much as the older
music.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And then they came back with this
amazing record.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Right
away they are in your face, pummeling drums, twin harmonic leads, like a
heavier Maiden or Lizzy, and the bass rumbles and the song drops and in comes
Johan Hegg with that powerful vocal of his, and you know you’re in for a
treat.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Yes, “First Kill,” the first song
on the record, is much like their last few albums, all blazing, bright
melodies, but there’s an urgency here that they lacked on some of those other
recordings.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We are reminded that Amon
Amarth aren’t a death metal band anymore, but something a shade south (of
heaven) of power metal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The vocals keep
it in line, really, but as the album continues, the riffs come on stronger,
deeper, from a guttural place Amon Amarth haven’t visited in some time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Wanderer”
starts melodic, almost like a song off Ride the Lightning, and then the riffs
dig in and this is the first inkling that things are going to be a bit
different with this album.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s still
not death metal, and that’s fine, but it is something closer, and it bites but
never loses the melody.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A mid-paced
affair, this satisfies on many levels, and ends with a narration from Hegg that
sounds like King Fowley, which brings a smile to the face.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Third
song, “On a Sea of Blood” goes right for the riffs at the front end, sliding
into some melodic harmony (Amon Amarth are masters of this; just amazing).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Hegg brings the pain and we’re moving along,
the song flowing faster than mead after a hunt.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The chorus here is perfect Amon Amarth, you can chant along but it’s not
catchy in an obnoxious way (as I found some of the songs on, say, Twilight of
the Thunder God).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Riffs dig in again and
Hegg’s voice drops.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Ah, that
rumble.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Good stuff.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“One
Man Against All” goes back to the melodic opening but then it does a funny
thing about 16 seconds in; that melody starts to chug a bit more, and it’s so
pleasing to the ear.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Hegg carries us
along with the story (this is a concept record, telling a story from beginning
to end, of a Viking warrior outcast from his home, journeying out into the
world, finding a new home, and coming back for the woman he loves) as we reach
one of the catchiest choruses Amon Amarth have ever recorded.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And it could be of the annoying kind if it
wasn’t so damned cool, and if those massive riffs didn’t follow it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When I say massive, I mean like ocean waves
crashing against the hull of a small boat.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>If you’re not careful, you’ll get capsized.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Next
song “Raise Your Horns” is just straight up metal, a mid-paced affair right from
the Accept playbook.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Yeah, it’s “commercial,”
as much as such things like this can be called commercial, and sure, it’s a
stadium sing-along, but so what?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>These
guys have made this thing their own, and you can either enjoy it or get lost.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The video for this song is pretty incredible,
too.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“The
Way of Vikings” opens with stirring guitar harmonies that make me feel like I’m
Conan, staring into the rising sun, about to ride off into adventure.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The drums come rumbling and bring with them
the riffs and Hegg’s guttural growls.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Again, this is what Amon Amarth do so well, welding melody with heft and
throwing in some epic atmosphere to go along with it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is truly the way of the Vikings.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A
semi-narrated line starts the next song, “At Dawn’s First Light” and then we’re
off.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is a faster song, riding
through the forest on a steed breathing fire, carrying us to a melodic chorus
but doing so by bludgeoning through the underbrush, first.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This one will trample you, if you’re not
careful.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">An
atmospheric beginning, chiming guitars washing over the ears, waves of the
ocean crashing to shore, ushers in the mid-paced chug of “One Thousand Burning
Arrows.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Hegg goes low here.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A slow-burn epic, this one, it will probably be
looked over by most fans, but this is vintage Amon Amarth, moody and grim, the
ashes of the fallen dead filling the air with a suffocating smoke.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Vengeance
is Mine” swaggers in on a spoken verse followed by ripping guitars and we’re
galloping again, in all the right ways, plenty of melody but also plenty of
heft and gravity.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Like so much of the
rest of this record, this melds the two worlds of Amon Amarth in a perfect
way.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They’re on fire.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And then the magnificent chorus comes in
about 1:13 into the song and nothing can stop the smile that’s creeping across
your face at this point.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
next to last song, “A Dream that Cannot Be” does something Amon Amarth have
never done before:<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s a duet.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Doro Pesch plays the part of the narrator’s
lost love and man, she just nails it.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>This comes across as kind of hokey at first (like what are these guys
trying to do?), but the emotional power of the narrative takes over and the
tragic outcome is remarkable (no spoilers here).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The song works, but really only in the
context of the story the album is telling.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I’m not sure if this is an experiment they should repeat, but again,
they make it happen, despite the long odds.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Final
song brings the story and the album to a close.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Melodic, ringing notes play an almost circular pattern to lead us into
the meat of the epic “Back on Northern Shores.”<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>This song kind of sums the whole thing up, plenty of melody, plenty of
riffing, and a nice touch of grand chorusing.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>And as another Amon Amarth album ends, we stand at the shore and watch
it sail into the sunset, smiles all around.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">An
epic, energized return to form for an amazing band that is improbably popular,
Jomsviking brings us metal, pure and furious and glorious.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Raise your horns!</span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-79078202478979962842016-12-28T21:06:00.000-08:002016-12-28T21:06:05.750-08:00My Metal Top Five countdown for 2016 continues. It's been a good year for metal but then again, nearly every year is good for the greatest music known to man. Keep in mind that my picks are based not on what I think are the "best" albums of the year, but the ones I loved the most. My only criteria was how much I listened to it as compared to other albums. These Five are the ones that got the most play.<br /><br /> Enjoy!<br /><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Three:</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>World Gone Mad</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Suicidal
Tendencies</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">If
you think you’re surprised to see this album on my best of the year top five,
you cannot possibly more shocked than I am.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I go way back with this band, to the late 80’s, and I have loved them
ever since.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But for me, the band kind of
ended after Art of Rebellion.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They’ve
had many releases since then, but I never could get into any of them.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>When I heard they had a new album out this
year, I thought, for nostalgia’s sake, I’d put it on and give it a try.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Wow.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">It’s
good, real good, and after the first listen I knew it was an instant classic
that could stand right up with their older stuff.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
album opens with a drum beat by new drummer Dave Lombardo (yes him) and then a
bass riff by new bassist Ra Diaz.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Talk
about some chesty confidence.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Then the
riffs come buzzsawing in and next thing you know you’re in the middle of the
pit wondering what just happened.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“Clap
Like Ozzy” is a strange song lyrically but it gets the point across:<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>this is about fun, about getting lost in
life, living for every good thing that motivates you, and knocking down
anything that gets in your way.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>While
the song plays, I cannot get the picture of Ozzy, clapping and grinning while
whatever band he’s in blazes away behind him.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>That’s how to live life.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And this
song can usher you right into that feeling with its pulverizing thrash and
moshable moments.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“The
New Degeneration” rides in on a documentary sample and a mid-paced riff that
makes you bob your head and grin with its old school control and power.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Guitarists Dean Pleasants and Jeff Pogan know
how to deliver, and they do so over and over again through the whole record.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>2:36 in and the song picks up that patented
thrash gallop that sweeps you along and sends you spinning into a frenzy.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Third
song “Living for Life” begins with a loungy bass and swirling guitar weirdness
that calls to mind 80’s ST as Mike Muir preaches with an almost psychedelic
furor.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And about a minute in, the slight
pause, the holding of the breath while you wait for the hardcore/metal to kick
in.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And kick it does.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Lombardo seems to be having the time of his
life on this record and this song is a great example of it, with lots of his
little fills bringing the noise as only he can.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>By the end the song circles back into itself and you’re happy for the
respite, just so you can catch your breath.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Melodic
guitars open “Get Your Fight On!” as old-school ST as a song can get.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Muir singing before sliding into his patented
evangelization as the band warms up to life behind him.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The song slowly builds momentum until it is
ready to pop and when it pops, bang!<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Riff, riff, riff and man you’re sliding along, banging your head,
letting the goodness of the metal wash over you.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If you like How Will I Laugh Tomorrow era ST,
you’ll love this song.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Oh, and sweet
bass.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Snarling
“World Gone Mad” comes next.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This may be
the best song on the album.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Another
sinister, slow start builds to the boiling point, Muir’s angry lyrics leading
us into the footstomping, neckwrecking riff that tears our heads off.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Vintage metal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Vintage, epic, awesome metal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Happy
Never After” starts right away with the guitars, dips down into a touch of
psychedelia and then comes back up to the surface with another rock-hard,
steady riff that carries you along with a pummeling authority you don’t hear
much these days.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is steady as she
goes, all the way to the end, keeping your head banging, the drums pushing it
along, never in a rush, never worried about a thing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">And
then we come to another epic.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“One
Finger Salute” has that patented build up that ST is so good at.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Muir brings the truth “The worst is coming
yet” he sings, “but you know we’ll be waiting for it.” And then a hardcore
moshpit whirling blast blows you over and you’re swept up into the rebellion,
the defiance, and it feels so good.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And
from there it just carries on, reminding you what a potent song can do, moving
your feet, your head, your body, your mind, and your spirit.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“We stand in contempt, one finger
salute.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Oh, yeah.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Ripping guitar solos, drop down bass sass, a
breakdown that makes you want to stomp around the room, this one has it all.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Damage
Control” is another mid-paced effort that lets you catch your breath, but not
for long.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>About 1:25 in, the bass takes
over and Muir starts up a chant that leads into the song picking up.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>At this point it’s all so effortless and
excellent you wonder why this band isn’t at the top of the charts.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Firing.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>On.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>All.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Cylinders.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“The
Struggle is Real” is the last of the rockers on the record.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It blasts right out of the gate, thrash and
hardcore melting into one, galloping drum beats propelling this thing forward
at a dangerous pace.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Muir brings it,
Lombardo brings it, hell, they all bring it.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
last two songs are “Still Dying to Live” and “This World” are ballads, and by
this point, soaked in sweat, you need these two to bring you back down to
earth.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Muir sings, laying his heart on
the line, like he does in every damned song he’s ever recorded, whether it’s
punk, metal, a hybrid, or a ballad.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Every hardcore frontman from the 80’s on owe their existence to this man
and the way he handles his business on stage and on album.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>These two songs are amazing and could easily
be overlooked after the proceeding fury.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>But don’t pass them up.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There’s
more passion here than in just about every popular song recorded in the last
year.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">World
Gone Mad is a raging return to form but more than that, it’s no nostalgia
trip.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It blazes and rocks just as hard
as any new work around today.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Do not
miss this if you like your metal and anger and fervor straight up.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-33933611870236291262016-12-28T06:50:00.000-08:002016-12-28T06:50:41.391-08:00My Metal Top Five countdown for 2016 continues. It's been a good year for metal but then again, nearly every year is good for the greatest music known to man. Keep in mind that my picks are based not on what I think are the "best" albums of the year, but the ones I loved the most. My only criteria was how much I listened to it as compared to other albums. These Five are the ones that got the most play.<br /><br /> Enjoy!<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Four:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Abbath</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Boy,
2016 sure roared in.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We got new releases
from Anthrax (a great album), Witchcraft (a great album) and Abbath brought his
new band to the fore.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Leaving Immortal,
he put together a sound that was an amalgamation of Immortal and his “I”
project, a lethal dose of black n’ roll and black metal that was just as frigid
and impaling as anything he’s done in the past.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Right out of the gates of the New Year, we got a classic.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“To
War” starts with some boots marching in the snow and that crunch is replaced by
a massive guitar crunch that bludgeons and then speeds up, a tank warming up
and cresting a hill, crushing all before it.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The drums rumble and threaten, tribal and dirty, propelling this damned
thing along.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A bit of the old black metal
magic rears its head 1:33 and we’re off!<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Abbath’s vocals may not be for all, but they sure work for me.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>His deathly croak sounding just as urgent as
ever.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This song sets the tone for what
is to come.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Winter
Bane” comes next, and it’s a sheer joy to behold.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Heavy, driving, with just an amazing riff
come 40 seconds in.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is what Abbath
does better than anyone on the planet right now, this song right here.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It contains several movements, all heavy as
hell, all blackened and crusted and yet thoroughly listenable and melodic in
its own way.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The song lumbers and
lurches forward, carrying us on a chaotic tide of wild drumming and wanton
riffs, with a nice little bass fill 2:10 in.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>If your head doesn’t bob to this one, you’re not a fan of metal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Right at 5 minutes the song drops down, goes
kinda acoustic for a bit, giving us some light for the shade, and then it picks
up and just thumps, man, riffing, hair flying, slow and steady.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It pops up from there and cruises, Abbath
giving a weird, strained vocal that adds to the overall melody.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Third
song “Ashes of the Damned” thrashes right out, pummeling, blackened metal
greeting you with a swaggering grin.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>This song is a series of fast punches to the face, punctuated by the
(keyboard?) horn poke that goes with each uttered word of the chorus/song
title.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It settles into a groove 1:30 in,
giving us a few seconds to catch our breaths before rising to clobber once
more.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Reverberating
drums and crusty riffs bring us into “Ocean of Wounds,” a mid-paced affair that
grinds along, akin to a trek up the side of a mountain on a winding path that
is perfectly cut so as to afford a steady march to the summit.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is moody black n’ roll, atmospheric and
firm, a cold resoluteness that fades into wind and rain.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Riff,
riff, riff, comes next, brutal and dirty, sliding from clean to black for the
song “Count the Dead.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is again
mid-paced but more fiery, less mesmerizing and repetitive, turning black 1:55
in, with blast beats and that sweet black metal guitar riffing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Abbath’s vocal exhorts us along, this thing
taking on an epic feel, a bit of Bathory in there, although I couldn’t name a
riff or chord to prove it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Fenrir
Hunts” is just brutal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It blasts right
on into your ears and assaults, machine gun drumming, black metal riffing,
patented Abbath growls, this one is kind of mean but in a good way.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Again, the joy that permeates from these
tracks are infectious without once being poppy or boppy.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is a fist-pumper, a grit your teeth and
whip that hair around affair that’s at once serious as hell and joyous as a
first kiss.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This song is the most
Immortal of them all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Melodic,
echoey chords and driving drums open “Root of the Mountain,” leading to a hook
that’s sweet and satisfying.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This one
slows it down a bit, leaving the listener to catch his breath, and then it
turns right around and swings in a way that Satyricon have mastered on their
last few records.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This song is just as
apt to make you turn your head left to right and back again as it is to bang it
and that’s because “swing” is the operative word here, until about 2:25, and
then it becomes a straight up headbanger, with some epic bass going on in
there.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It still swings, but this time
instead of from side to side, it’s going forward. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Final
track “Eternal” lets you know right away that this record isn’t going to just
fade away, it’s going to rip your face off.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Heavy, violent, almost purely black, this one sends you home crying like
the bully it is.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But even so, you smile,
nursing your split lip, because you know you’ve been in a good fight and it was
well-worth it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Abbath
has crafted maybe the funnest grim album of the year.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The joy in the playing, in the marching,
triumphant return to the world stage, is infectious.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s hard to listen to this record and smile,
despite how dark and epic it is.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is
why metal is so dynamic and amazing and if you can’t enjoy this, you can’t
enjoy metal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A
simple, elegant, powerful statement of intent.<span style="margin: 0px;">
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-81017961478763854582016-12-27T16:38:00.003-08:002016-12-27T16:42:14.586-08:00And here begins my Metal Top Five countdown for 2016. It's been a good year for metal but then again, nearly every year is good for the greatest music known to man. Keep in mind that my picks are based not on what I think are the "best" albums of the year, but the ones I loved the most. My only criteria was how much I listened to it as compared to other albums. These Five are the ones that got the most play.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Number Five:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Arctic Thunder</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">by</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Darkthrone</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">It
opens with a peal of guitar squeal and then bashes you on the head with a
relentless, primal riff and drum pattern that rumbles forward and reminds you
just why you love Celtic Frost and the venomous roots of black metal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And then the vocals come in, gurgling like
the cries of a corpse brought back to life.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The pace suddenly picks up, the riffing faster, the beat no longer
lurching but running at you like a deranged killer with blood on his mind.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And such is opening track Tundra Leach, and
such is this album.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Every time you think
you’re safe, you find out you’re not.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>This is the gift of Darkthrone; they never settle and they always go for
the throat.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>3:20 in and the beat changes
yet again, grinding gears back into a pummel.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The killer has caught you, you’re in his clutches now, and he
mercilessly beats you over the head with his hammering riffs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Burial
Bliss rolls in next, a colliding eruption of fast riffs and drum beats, closer
to punk with its venomous attack.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This
one is all business, all forward momentum, slowing only slightly at the 3:00
mark.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Slightly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">As
the bliss fades out, Boreal Fiends throbs into life, slow, haunting notes
played over a singular beat, seguing into a buzzsaw riff just as the vocals
roar in, disturbing the tranquil beauty the opening passage gave us.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The song drops down again for an instant,
letting you catch your breath.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is
mid-tempo goodness right here, moving along at a steady, metallic pace, the
crashing of the prow of a boat against the large waves it rams through.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>2:35 brings us a clean vocal/chant/cry to the
gods, followed by foreboding licks, some cymbal shudderings, and then a heavy,
doomy drum beat.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The tortured vocals
return as the song turns almost to sludge, dragging along its broken limbs
through a thick marsh of mud.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>At 4:20
the pace picks back up, but just middling again, with a blessed riff that
slides into a smooth guitar solo so clear and crystal it almost hurts your
ears.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Another
rapid number, but one closer to slow thrash than anything else, comes next.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Riff follows riff, the primitive drum sound
pushing this Inbred Vermin along until about a minute passes and we get some
more thrashy riffing, but nothing too wild until the switch is flipped and
we’re rolling along, banging our heads to the pure black n’ roll that
follows.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Oh, sweet, blessed metal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The song drops into a valley before climbing
back up to mid-paced territory again and then back to trashy thrash.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It finishes in sludgy fashion, making your
head bob and your eyes close.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Arctic
Thunder bang to life, an old-fashioned metal number, all riffs and thud with some
drumstick on cymbal stand tinks that add to the old-school feel and
rhythm.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This whole thing feels like a
Voivod song from the early eighties, although it sounds nothing like Voivod, if
that makes sense.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It bashes along, as
does many of the songs on this album, carving a valley all its own.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Epic
riffs start Throw Me Through the Marshes, the drums laid back and easy.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is another head-bobber, one that begins
like proper Bathory, the band just before it turned Viking, when it was still
fooling with lo-fi but dreaming bigger.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>About 2:00 in and the pace picks up, the riffing more insistent, the
drumming more driving.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Like many of the
songs, the riffs flirt with Black Metal proper but never really go all the way,
keeping the traditional metal feel just enough to make this a hybrid
sound.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>At 3:46 the riff changes into an
almost cock-rock swagger, big and swinging, daring you to look, returning
almost instantly to the epic riff from the beginning of the song.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Deep
Lake Trespass opens with the most Black Metal riffs so far, although again,
they do not go all the way.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There is no
out of control whirlwind, the pace picking up in more of a punk rock fashion a
little less than a minute into the song.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Nocturno Culto (who handles all the vocals on this album) howls out his
usual acidic lyrics here, the defiance notably stronger and meaner in this
song.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There’s a little soloing towards
the end as the song returns to its opening signatures before ending with a
lurch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
final song, The Wyoming Distance, starts with a nice riff and the rocking does
not stop there.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is the most
primitive of all the songs on the album.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>You can feel the cymbals as they crash and the muted thump of the drums
as if you’re in the same room with them.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Like the rest of the album, this sounds “live,” with no studio trickery,
just the band in there, bashing it out, sweating and bleeding over their
art.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The song ends with a crash of
feedback and quiet studio chatter, like Nocturno and Fenriz said “screw it,
we’re done.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And then that’s it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Everything
is back to basics on this album, and that’s not an insult or to say it’s simple.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Darkthrone seem more determined with each new
record to get to the essence of all that is dark and threatening about metal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Yes, this is more “black metal” than some of
their recent stuff, but the Motorhead influence is still just as important as
the Celtic Frost or the Bathory.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s
actually a perfect summation of their career, minus one balls-out epic pure Black
Metal number.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They don’t do anything new
with this record, but they don’t need to.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>They write great songs and perform them.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The sound is warm and live and just like the obscure eighties band they
named the record after, it feels like something you could have heard in that
time period after Celtic Frost and before Mayhem.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In other words, it’s terrific.</span></div>
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Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-63353210385544285612016-11-20T20:25:00.003-08:002016-11-20T20:27:26.593-08:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Hardwired to Spit Out the Bone:</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">A Review of the new Metallica record</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Confession:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">I
have despised Metallica since Reload.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>They were one of my favorite bands of all time and like most, I loved
the first four albums with a fiery passion.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>The Black Album came out and I really liked it initially, but repeated listening’s
wore on me, and the simplicity of the songs didn’t make me want to come back
for more.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Instead, I got sick of it and
openly mocked them as “Selloutica.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And
then Load came.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I didn’t know how to process
it.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I listened a few times and put it
away, thinking I would come back to it and find that I loved it at a later
date.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A year went by and I tried
again.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Dear God, what was wrong with
this amazing band?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And then Reload…<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">I
was able to look past most of the insults; the cutting of the hair, the openly
hostile attitude towards metal, the changed logo, the make-up and the angsty
vocals, not to mention the tepid grunge that was Load.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But this, this was a travesty.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The band was aggravated by older fans
clamoring for a return to the earlier days and Metallica said they would never
do a “Master of Puppets, Part 2.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But
then they go and make “Unforgiven Part 2” and my head nearly exploded.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I didn’t want them to just repeat themselves,
but doing a direct sequel to a song no one was clamoring for a return to?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What a slap in the face.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Next
came that movie, you know the one I mean.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>I could not feel sorry for these millionaires and their problems.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And poor Kirk.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Of course St. Anger followed and I won’t even
justify that tragedy with much discussion.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>They kept touring, kept having crap Nu Metal bands opening for them, and
basically acted like the out of touch rock stars they were.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Lo
and behold, thrash makes a bit of a retro comeback, and suddenly Metallica wants
to go prove they’re still metal.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Back
comes the old logo, out comes Death Magnetic, a tepid at best album.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It was like they came up with a bunch of
riffs and then threw them together thinking the magic would return.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Uh, no.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Nice try and all of that.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Which
leads us to the new record.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And I have
to say, for the first time in twenty-something years, Metallica put a smile on
my face again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Let’s
get to the songs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Hardwired”
opens the album with a burst of punk thrash speed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>On first hearing, I was taken aback.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The vocals were okay, the drumming was
lagging a bit, but the rest, my goodness, was like a kiss on the cheek from a
lover I hadn’t seen in years.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There’s
bits of Kill ‘Em All in there, and the ferocity of the track works to near
perfection.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>By the time it was over, I
was grinning.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The lyrics aren’t very
good, and I have an issue with the cursing (not because I abhor cursing; I love
it) because it sounds desperate, like James is saying, “I’m back and I’m still
badass, see?”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>In any case, an excellent
start and a primer of what is to come.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Atlas,
Rise” arrives next and this was where I recognized a pattern that would come to
repeat itself throughout the new album.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Metallica was reaching back to past triumphs, drawing on them, and using
them to augment their new songs.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And I think
that’s a good move on their part.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>After
all, when you have a legacy like the first four albums, why shouldn’t you pull
on that?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This song is part thrash mixed with
some Black Album chunk with a whole lot of melodic, twin-guitar stuff going
on.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is just as much Ride the
Lightning as it is anything else, and James’ vocals are for once not
distracting.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>He’s not trying to be Chris
Isaac and he‘s not trying to be tough via Chad Kroeger; he’s just letting it
come naturally.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And the lyrics are good,
too.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Probably my favorite Metallica song
since And Justice…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Now
That We’re Dead” comes on like an outtake from the Black Album, same drum
sound, same lumbering riff.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And that’s
not a bad thing at all.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But…it’s way too
long.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A four minute song would have done
just fine.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Great solo by Kirk.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This harkens too much to the 90’s Metallica
for me, but again, it’s not bad.</span></div>
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<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Moth
Into Flame” brings back that sweet dual guitar harmony that is gorgeous to my
ears.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is quickly followed by a
nice, mid-paced thrash gallop.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The bass
sound excellent on this song.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s again
a look back at Ride the Lightning and again, it’s pretty damned good.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>There’s also some modern flourishes thrown
in, such as the melodic run about 1:13 into the song.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is followed by a chorus of the 90’s
Metallica and then a cycle back to the mid-paced chunk.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Mix and repeat and throw in a solo and you
have the fourth best song on the record.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4tdKl-gTpZg" width="560"></iframe></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Dream
No More” starts sort of like “Sad But True” and sort of continues along the
same vein.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s another mid-paced song
(sensing a pattern here?).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The vocals
are alright. The production is tight and there’s nothing to hate about this
song, but nothing to love, either.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>6:30
is a long journey to take for a song that basically goes nowhere, and a song
they did better on the Black Album.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yqIQvE5R1tU" width="560"></iframe></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Halo
on Fire” sounds very modern with its beginning, leaning on imitator bands like
Trivium for its start out the gate.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And
then it settles down into a quiet little ditty that features the kind of vocals
from Load that make me want to puke turds and throw them at passing kids as
they walk to school.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This song is the
weakest on the album by far, and at this point, it drags down the record.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And eight minutes long?<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Come on, guys.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WbxH5S9_A3M" width="560"></iframe></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Album
One closes, Album Two opens.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Confusion”
starts with almost a direct quote/variation of/on “Am I Evil,” and hey, that’s
a great start.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Then we get some good
chunky riffs, and then it slows down again and we’re back into Load territory
on the vocals.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Suddenly, the song feels
jaunty and not very heavy, despite that fantastic, hefty riff.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Another mid-paced track that pretty much goes
nowhere but again, isn’t terrible. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZChXK2rdr9M" width="560"></iframe></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Manunkind”
begins with something a Metallica fan really hasn’t heard in a long time:<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>an acoustic opening.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Hello, “Battery.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And the song kind of jams down on that same
gear before sliding into a slick, slithering riff that does its own thing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And then we’re back to a Black Album gallop
but man, it sounds sweet.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The song is
bothered by those pseudo-anthemic Load choruses, though, so that takes a couple
points off.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Still, an excellent solo by
Kirk.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Dumb lyrics.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tUVr2xnGIEo" width="560"></iframe></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Here
Comes Revenge” is more like “Here Comes Another 7 Minute Mid-Paced Song That
Goes Nowhere.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s not bad because
there’s not a bad song on this record, but it moves along pretty slow, to be
honest, and the drop down to melodic James singing doesn’t do it any favors.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FpF8Wa2yQH0" width="560"></iframe></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Am
I Savage?” flirts with “Fade to Black” in its opening but then swaggers around
like a drunk spoiling for a fight.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And
then…another mid-paced, six and a half minute song that thinks it’s “Of Wolf
and Man” but really isn’t.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A real shame because
that beginning promises some great things.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IkVG-qXRgfo" width="560"></iframe></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Murder
One,” another song that opens sort-of acoustically, with guitar tones that
sound like “One” that lead us to, yes, a mid-paced slugger that swings hard but
doesn’t really connect a knockout blow.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Like
too many others, it goes on and on and five minutes of your life is gone. </span></div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2Mkq6GFLIsk" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Spit
Out the Bone” finds the lumbering Metallica machine suddenly hitting the gas
and getting its “Motorbreath” running.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>This song is pure thrash and is just as good as anything great off the
recent Megadeth albums.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>That’s a
compliment.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>James gets back to doing the
vocals the way they should be done, no straining, no false emotion, just
getting to the core of things.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Lars is
trying to keep up, as he is almost the entire album.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Kirk is amazing as always and when he and
James are on, they remind us of why they are such a formidable guitar duo.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And then, God help us all, Robert comes in at
the 2:41 point with a bit of lead bass, the kind we haven’t heard since Cliff
(RIP).<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>What a pleasant surprise!<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This song doesn’t feel seven minutes long, it
feels like “Fuck yeah, Metallica is back, bitches!”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>An excellent way to end the record.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m46Z0-HXySo" width="560"></iframe></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">This
album is a logical follow-up to the Black Album and would have been a perfect
release about three years after.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The
fact that we had to wait twenty years to get it is a travesty, but I won’t beat
that dead horse any longer.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>If you’re a
fan of the first four albums, there is plenty here to like, and Metallica give
us their four best songs since And Justice…and that’s no mean feat.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The rest of the songs play like high-school
reunion memories of the Black and Load albums, but thankfully mostly they are
the good memories, not the bad ones.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A
return to form? </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Nah.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">A
pretty damned good record?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">“Yeah-yeah-yuh!”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-52933537449801016792016-11-15T13:40:00.000-08:002016-11-15T13:42:29.938-08:00<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dfk4_M_OY-U/WCt9UBMPLvI/AAAAAAAAAPk/C8Q227ANL3YBQP4YjddK-r3zfPQRuov_ACLcB/s1600/brown%2Bacid%2B3rd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dfk4_M_OY-U/WCt9UBMPLvI/AAAAAAAAAPk/C8Q227ANL3YBQP4YjddK-r3zfPQRuov_ACLcB/s320/brown%2Bacid%2B3rd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The
Hairy-Chested Comedown</span></b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">I’m
not a big fan of multi-artist compilations.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>Not because I don’t like music and not because I don’t like diversity,
but mostly because whenever there is this kind of collection, it’s inevitable
that some of the songs just aren’t as good as others.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Whether that’s because of a difference in taste
and style between the bands, or because the compilers have to fill space and
are limited by whatever is at their disposal (supporting their particular label
roster, a theme they have chosen, etc.), it doesn’t matter.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>I always leave a little happy, a little
disappointed.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Let
me tell you what has not disappointed me yet, and that’s the magnificent Brown
Acid series by Riding Easy Records.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>First off, we don’t have the problem with limited means and limiting
themes.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Their mission is to put to wax
(again) some of the greatest lost hard/garage/acid/proto-stoner rock that was
around in the late 60’s through the early 80’s.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>There is no effort here to support only bands on their label.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The folks at Riding Easy have only one
concern, and that’s to rock your bobby-sock’s off.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
first two albums were excellent and I was skeptical they could pull it off a
third time.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>After all, how much was
truly out there left to mine, and of what was left, could it be of the same,
excellent quality?</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
answer comes quickly, with (literal) screamer “Scream (It’s Eating Me Alive)”
by Grand Theft (Seattle, Washington, 1970).<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>It starts off with the sound of an acid trip gone wrong that is just
beginning to spin out of control.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Fast
and furious and mean, we get slapped in the face right away that the comedown
is coming, and it ain’t gonna be pretty.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Song
after song follows, pummeling you into submission, like a bully in middle
school teaching you the ropes about how things are gonna be from now on,
kid.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We get schooled in all kinds of hard
rock, each song uniform in its greatness.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Chook
(Australia, 1971) shakes off some of that trippy 60’s acid rock with some
thrusting bass, ripping chords, and hungover vocals that sort of lurch along,
slightly demented, just enough to make you worry a little about your journey
and just how inebriated your driver is.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">The
Lindholm Brothers (Barrington, Illinois, 1976) jump in after you get left by
the side of the road and reassure you with some prime boogie rock, if said
boogie rock was performed by some Midwestern boys who had just swallowed speed
for the first time.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Diehard
(Hollywood, California, 1970) come next, putting it into cruise mode, sweeping
you along with some chords and organ that play together to let you know everything
is going to be okay.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>They’re like that
friend that mops your forehead after you’ve vomited; they’re there for
you.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>But you also wonder, in the back of
your mind, if they’re not secretly making fun of you when you’re not
around.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Last
song on Side One is the track that is my favorite, a masterclass of 70’s rock
that was recorded in 1982.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>No wonder
Blown Free and their song “The Wizard” didn’t go anywhere when it came
out.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This song belongs circa 1972, with
its trippy jams and the way guitar chords provide a solid rhythm and the lead just
sort of lead you into outer space.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The
vocals roar in and take charge.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You know
immediately you’re in the hands of people who know what they’re doing, and you
wonder why these guys never made it big.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>And then you remember, this came out in 1982, for God’s sake, when synth
rock was everything.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>These guys must
have sounded like they came from another planet at the time; an awesome planet
full of rock guitars and good, rockin’ hearts.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Side
Two opens with a thunderstorm blowing across the ocean, as Factory (East
Sussex, England, 1971) sets a dark mood and then rips into some prime early-70’s
riffing.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You can almost feel the engine
of your muscle car open up and accelerate down the highway, pausing to shift
gears when needed.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“Time Machine” is
everything later stoner bands would strive to be, trippy and distant and yet
immediate.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Inside
Experience (Fremont, Ohio, 1967) pops up next with “Be On My Way,” the oldest
song on the comp and yet one that sounds like it came from the mid-70’s.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Only the echoey vocals sound of their
time.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is like if the Animals
decided to be dirty and sinister, less pop and more rock.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>A nice, distorted guitar solo is the cherry
on top of this Vanilla Fudge sundae.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Boogie
rock returns with Cold Sweat (Denver, Colorado, 1979) and their song “Quit Your
Foolin’.”<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>It’s almost like the guys in
Foghat decided to put out a song under a different name just to see what would
happen.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This song is all-American,
though, just as much out of the summer rock playbook of Edgar Winter as it is
from those limeys across the pond.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">And
why not start a “Highway Song” off with a reverberating bass and a slight, slow
build, only to crash into chords that at once threaten and comfort.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This is the track by Elliott Black
(Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1978), a dark take on the Nuge with some flute (yeah you
read that right) that comes right at you, delivers it’s punch to the nose, and
cruises out like a champ, hands raised in victory, slamming the door behind for
good measure.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">First
State Bank (Dallas, Texas, 1975) push that door back open and tell you that, “Before
You Leave,” you’re gonna have to sit back and listen to some vintage
Dillinger-style riff rock that’s going to make you smile and shuffle your feet,
all while you enjoy that can of cheap beer and the young hotties that just
showed up to party.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lrFmgrM2js4/WCt_7JqZzlI/AAAAAAAAAP8/ckW9jQdKD5IkxH8Wx4TNpqYzSTHsc0FvgCEw/s1600/brown%2Bacid%2B3rd%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lrFmgrM2js4/WCt_7JqZzlI/AAAAAAAAAP8/ckW9jQdKD5IkxH8Wx4TNpqYzSTHsc0FvgCEw/s320/brown%2Bacid%2B3rd%2B5.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Last
song by Flash Beverage (Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1980), “The Train,” growls like
Lemmy with a rumbling blues backbeat.<span style="margin: 0px;">
</span>This song is a gutful of beer sloshing around your insides.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>You know it’s going to end bad, but still, it
feels good.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>And when you crawl out of
the party, too many cigarettes smoked, too much whiskey guzzled, and a sore on
your lip from the herpes you probably got making out with that trashy chick you’d
never met before, you smile, knowing you had a damned good time.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;">Lance
Barresi from Permanent Records and Daniel Hall from Riding Easy Records have
put out another masterpiece.<span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Go get
yourself a copy, sit back, and enjoy the ride.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span></span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-3811152141558996482016-07-16T13:05:00.001-07:002016-07-16T13:05:35.889-07:00
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Stranger Things</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">A</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Review</span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nVy0uxrpE9o/V4qR1IS5hCI/AAAAAAAAAPM/GMgNQjX0kZkUMqzJy1vnlh6n5gG244irwCLcB/s1600/stranger-things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nVy0uxrpE9o/V4qR1IS5hCI/AAAAAAAAAPM/GMgNQjX0kZkUMqzJy1vnlh6n5gG244irwCLcB/s320/stranger-things.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Is this Nostalgia
Porn?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Is this the kind of show
and movie that we get from time to time, so steeped in a love for days gone by
that it loses its way and instead of becoming something wholly its own, it
instead is just an assemblage of pieces, of body parts, much like
Frankenstein’s Monster, but one that does not live and breathe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does the electricity actually bring it to
life, or does it sit and smolder, a dead thing?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The story of Stranger
Things can be broken down into one simple sentence:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the story of a boy lost and a girl
found, and everything that results in the world around them is a repercussion
of these two events.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">To give too much story
would be to give too much away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
best experienced fresh, without much exposition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trailer for the show sets that tone, and
it’s for the better if the viewer doesn’t come to the table knowing any more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">A group of friends, pre-teen
boys who are the ultimate nerds, who play Dungeons and Dragons and are
interested in science, finish one of their games and split for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three ride off on their bikes, heading back
to their suburban homes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Already we have
a quaint moment of nostalgia:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>America in
the early 1980’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only, one of the boys
disappears, and from this event the rest of the story unspools.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His friends search for him, of course, out on
their own, like any intrepid kid would in a movie set in the 80’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But instead of finding their friend, they
find a girl, all alone, with an almost bald head, looking disheveled and
lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And from there, things
get...stranger.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The story involves a creature,
psychic powers, a vast government conspiracy, and an alternate dimension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It references and uses these plot devices
just like any feature from the 80’s would, and here is where there might be
danger of this story turning into Nostalgia Porn, of the electricity that
shoots through the Monster not reviving it, but instead setting it on fire,
reminding us that dead things stay dead, and they cannot take on a life of their
own.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Not so here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The electricity shocks the heart to life, and what a beautiful,
bleeding, messy heart it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure,
there’s lots of sentimentality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
movie is equal parts The Goonies and The Monster Squad, but it’s also got
dashes of Freaks and Geeks, with a nice seasoning of Nightmare on Elm Street
thrown in, as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while all of
these body parts are familiar, and we see them and say, “Yes, that arm belongs
to Freddy,” and “Those eyes belong to the Goonies,” it’s the heart that’s beating
in the chest that separates this show from simple Nostalgia Porn and allows the
Monster to stumble to its feet and shamble around, a wholly new creation in and
of itself, even if the parts belong from somewhere else.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kzqmPTNWeHY/V4qRkhOkxWI/AAAAAAAAAPI/JgkCwZ8NhRI9UjRqzlIMKKbC_T3nFyfBQCLcB/s1600/stranger-things-poster-s2-pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kzqmPTNWeHY/V4qRkhOkxWI/AAAAAAAAAPI/JgkCwZ8NhRI9UjRqzlIMKKbC_T3nFyfBQCLcB/s320/stranger-things-poster-s2-pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">This show is a great trip
down memory lane, yes, and the creators knew exactly what they were doing (The
synth score?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brilliant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That scene where the faceless government
agents pile out of their cars to hunt down their intended prey, and the synth
theme that accompanies their arrival, that echoes a similar moment in Halloween III?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another scene, involving the creature, when it gets hurt and utters a
cry that sounds strangely just like the anguished howls the creature made in
The Thing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Genius.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The whole show is riddled with moments like
these).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the show does not rely on
these fond memories, or those sharp nods to geeks who get it, it relies on
something all great stories do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
relies on its heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It is this strong,
thumping heart, centered on characters you care for, characters that have arcs
(even down to the bit players in the background), that gives Stranger Things its
own life, that makes it worth viewing and enjoying.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">And oh, how much fun it
is! </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Dig in and relish every
frame, every joke, every heartbreaking moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’ll be glad you did.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/36E8fHsaNgM/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/36E8fHsaNgM?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-19572657064139519722016-05-12T07:30:00.001-07:002016-05-12T07:30:28.392-07:00Their Satanic Majesties Request
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Their
Satanic Majesties Request</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(that
you enjoy the female orgasm)</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c0kbOvAf77Q/VzSRSm1QI4I/AAAAAAAAAOs/tO_yklS7UPMHJyAFuIZK2j75fCop0ApTwCLcB/s1600/ghost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c0kbOvAf77Q/VzSRSm1QI4I/AAAAAAAAAOs/tO_yklS7UPMHJyAFuIZK2j75fCop0ApTwCLcB/s320/ghost.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So
they hit the stage with a thunder of bass that rumbled across the floor like an
earthquake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then the guitars kicked
in and “From the Pinnacle to the Pit” roared from the speakers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The band looked magnificent in their sharp
black clothing and their shiny, demonic masks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As usual, you couldn’t tell a thing about any of the Nameless Ghouls;
they were completely anonymous, the only thing distinguishing them was the
instruments they played.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But this
worked, and as the show continued, little hints and bits about their
personalities came out, with the way they played their guitars, or the keyboards,
or the drums.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And
then Papa emerged.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
was in full Black Pope regalia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
crowd screamed and he walked to the front of the stage not like a rock star,
but like something regal, a religious figure leading his flock into a proper
ecstatic fervor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he wasn’t just
presiding; there was a playful glint in his eyes, one that became magnified the
more he addressed the crowd as the show continued.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What
can be said about Ghost as a live band?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
are exceptional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their show is flawless,
choreographed to a certain degree, and the lighting cues are perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The music rips from the stage, at once powerful
and pure in its rock intensity, and then soft and delightful for the slower
songs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their mix is melodic metal, with the
crunch biting your face off and the melodies tickling your ears and heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They play their instruments good, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They
blasted through an hour and a half set last night in Louisville and the crowd
was treated to a spectacular feast of audio might and visual splendor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was talk of Satan, and an occult vibe
hung over the proceedings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certain
moments felt ritualistic but then they would slide right into a Van Halen guitar
squeal and you would remember that you were being treated to something special.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Papa
changed his outfit a few songs in, losing his headdress and robes, wearing
instead a suit that was equal parts Edwardian and upper crust England, without
any of the flowery flourishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
no puffy shirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He looked like a dark member
of a secret society that practiced magic rituals in giant mansions under the
glare of the full moon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And indeed he
led the crowd as such a religious leader would, wooing us with declarations,
waving his hands about as if conducting an orchestra, pleading softly for us to
sing along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And all the while, through
the midst of the fun of the evening, in the back of your mind, you had to
wonder, just how serious were they about this Satan thing?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There
is no other band like Ghost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They take
the theatrics of Alice Cooper and class them up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This isn’t some brutal Herschel Gordon Lewis
gore flick, it’s more like the Hammer Films of the late sixties, early
seventies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is the gothic element,
but the breasts are more exposed, the blood is brighter, and the sinister edge
sharper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the Devil dances on the fringes,
promising joy and delight and a taste of the sinister darkness.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Who
else but Ghost could seriously get a crowd of Kentuckians to sing this chorus
as loud as they could, with as much passion as they could muster?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“This chapel of ritual</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Smells of dead human sacrifices</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">From the altar bed</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">On this night of ritual</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Invoking our master</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">To procreate the unholy bastard”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">And sing it with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">glee.</i></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">And then moments later, whip out a Keytar and give us a
grand solo.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Who else could pull that off with a devilish wink and a
knowing nod, and yet still have it all be treated with the seriousness of a
Baptist church service?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Only Ghost.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">What about that whole female orgasm, thing, then?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In a playful moment introducing their final song, Papa
went to great lengths to explain how wonderful female orgasms were, and how
incredible it was for a couple to orgasm together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He likened the last song of the evening to a
mutual orgasm, a release.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he invited
us to sing along.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">“Come together, together as one!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come together, for Lucifer’s Son!” we all
sang (Monstrance Clock was the song).</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">And here was the bit where I began to wonder if they
weren’t actually serious about Old Scratch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A guy jumped up and tried to crowd surf as Papa led the parishioners in
the rousing chorus up above.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he
laid eyes on this scoundrel, he turned his wrath upon the poor, stupid fellow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He belted him with curses (not into the microphone)
and bade the security to get rid of him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The guitarist Ghouls joined Papa, exalting the man to get back on the ground
or get out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Security grabbed him and
hauled him away and the band finished out the night with a couple more choruses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the look on Papa’s face when the
interruption occurred was one of intense anger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Was it because a perfect show-stopping moment had been disturbed, or was
it something else?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Hail Satan, indeed.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-40644118111973328922016-04-22T08:31:00.000-07:002016-04-22T08:31:23.839-07:00
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Why I Won’t Be Watching Game of Thrones Anymore</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s simple, really.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love the books.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I read almost all of the novels before the series
started, so my emotional involvement and loyalty is to the written words. And make no mistake: I love those books. They are deeply detailed and yet always
moving, with interesting characters and some fantastic ideas and action. But I probably don’t need to tell you this
because you’ve at least followed the show, if not read the books for
yourself. You know. You understand. This is great stuff. And for four seasons, the TV show kicked ass. But along came Season Five and my dilemma
began.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They started deviating from the books, and not just a
little, not like in previous seasons.
No, they deviated a lot. That
whole Sansa arc was not in the books.
Which is fine, I suppose, but it was garbage, for the most part. I won’t get into deep detail about why it
bothered me except to offer this: they
were basically repeating her relationship with Joffrey. That’s not character development, that’s
treading water. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And then there was the skipping over of the Tyrion story
almost entirely. In the novel Dance of
Dragons, he had a long, arduous arc, a tale that detailed his attempts at
redemption for committing patricide (even if the old bastard Lannister had it
coming, and then some). Tyrion suffered;
he drank himself into a stupor, was humiliated over and over again, and found
his already lowly station in life diminished further. He fought and struggled and by the end of the
book found some sort of peace, I think.
Not on the show. He drinks some,
feels sorry for himself, and next thing you know he’s meeting the Dragon Queen
(never happened in the book). Ugh.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Which brings me to the new season. From this point on, it’s going to be all new
material, not based on the books, as far as I can tell. They’ve already caught up and now they’re
moving forward, essentially spoiling what is to come in the books. I’ve heard the “same ending, different paths”
argument, and that’s fine for most people.
Not for me. I want the
books. I want the real story. I don’t want the TV one. And I most certainly don’t want the ending of
the series spoiled for me by a television show that is supposed to be an
adaptation of the books.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Has there ever been a TV show or movie that spoils the
ending of the actual fictional work it’s based on, before the actual fictional
work is completed? I’ve racked my brains
and can’t think of one, which means we’re pretty much entering into virgin territory
here. And while I find the conundrum interesting,
I come back again to how I feel about all of it.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I want my ending by the book.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And even though everyone I know that has read the books
has given up on ever getting another installment (“The last book will come out
twenty years from now, written by someone else, if we’re lucky” they say), I
have not. It may be foolish, but I want
what Martin writes, not what Martin tells a staff of TV writers to write. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I will wait.
Even though it is foolish. Even
though everything will still be spoiled for me, anyway (remember how readers of
the books kept the whole Red Wedding thing a secret for three years, not
spoiling a damned thing; I don’t think the favor will be returned). </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will wait.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Because I love the books.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And to everyone else: enjoy the show! Just keep your mouths shut around me, please.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike><br /></strike><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NQHVXr6nUpM/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NQHVXr6nUpM?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-8086033293022953022016-01-26T15:42:00.000-08:002016-01-26T15:42:20.768-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-moAksoxRs74/VqgCbLzLnAI/AAAAAAAAANY/ZBmWRINwxbQ/s1600/megadeth-dystopia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-moAksoxRs74/VqgCbLzLnAI/AAAAAAAAANY/ZBmWRINwxbQ/s320/megadeth-dystopia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
have to tell you, I approached the new Megadeth with very little in way of
expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last album (Super Collider)
did nothing for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I listened
to it twice before forgetting it even existed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There’s nothing wrong with Super Collider; it’s fine for what it is, but
it sure didn’t appeal to me much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
felt like a bored artist trying to find something new to do, something that
would spark some creativity and failing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There
were cries that this new album would be a return to form, that the addition of
Chris Adler (Lamb of God) on drums and Kiko Loureiro (Angra) on guitar would
revitalize MegaDave and bring back more of the thrash from earlier
recordings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I’ve heard that song and
dance before in regards to other bands and albums.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The band is “returning to their roots” and I would
be blown away, they all promise, and mostly fail to deliver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I just don’t trust such
pronouncements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Imagine
my surprise when I hit the play button.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Riffs, baby, and cascading solos, guitar notes flying everywhere,
pummeling drums, and Dave’s snarky vocals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yeah, this is Megadeth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, it’s
a return to form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But is it any good?</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It’s
not remarkable, it’s not fantastic, but it’s solid, and relentless, and it sits
in your ear with a pleasant ring, just like getting a phone call from an old
friend you haven’t talked to in a long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It reminds you of older songs, of vanquished vistas, of concerts passed and
good times had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It feels right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">But
it doesn’t excel.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This
is a good album.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, check that, it’s a
really good album, but there is nothing new here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a band doing what it does best and
that’s all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there is nothing wrong
with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is no modern classic and
it doesn’t pretend to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does
Megadeth and does it right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for a
band that’s been around for something like thirty years, could we ask for
more?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(This
calls to mind the latest Slayer album.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another
band from the same time period achieving the same sorts of results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their days of being vital and leading the
metal pack are past and that’s okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They’re the old dogs, with nothing to prove other than they still remain
and can still put out some good music)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">And
there’s good music here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The harmonic
solos, the riffs, the ending of the song “Dystopia,” and so much more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This version of the band sounds like it’s
been playing together for years; it’s cohesive and strong and Dave continues to
rip out riffs that are like the blood of Christ, shed for all our sins and come
to bring us salvation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man is a
genius and is really underappreciated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My favorites would be the opening salvo of “The Threat is Real” and “Dystopia,”
as well as the instrumental “Conquer or Die,” which leads right into mid-paced
bruiser “Lying in State.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this is
something crucial that Megadeth gets right where so many others fail:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they don’t try to run you over with just
lightning, they bludgeon you with thunder, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This isn’t a band trying to prove itself by being hard and fast (I’m
looking at you, Metallica), this is a band concerned with good, heavy songs,
fast or slow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It
is a marvel that a band this long in the tooth can put out such a quality
release.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kudos to Dave and all the
players on the album.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You did good, men.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(8/10
stars)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK95lWHl7js" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK95lWHl7js</a></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bK95lWHl7js" width="560"></iframe></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<br />Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-59746146914459210332015-12-23T06:38:00.003-08:002015-12-23T06:38:39.142-08:00Here's a short story I recently released for the holidays. Hope you enjoy it<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QzrWmV1pdu8/VnqxtD8VQeI/AAAAAAAAAMw/caqsPc7YIvM/s1600/christmasgnobie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QzrWmV1pdu8/VnqxtD8VQeI/AAAAAAAAAMw/caqsPc7YIvM/s320/christmasgnobie.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Gnombies-Kelly-M-Hudson-ebook/dp/B019N3V3N2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450881380&sr=8-1&keywords=christmas+of+the+gnombies" target="_blank">Christmas Will Never be the Same</a><br />
<br />Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-52462136813420298942015-12-23T06:34:00.001-08:002015-12-23T06:35:04.400-08:00I've been absent for far too long. Time to dust this old blog off and do some work. Here's something to listen to while you're waiting, lol:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlpl-RzsCck" target="_blank">War of the Worlds</a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-56964917271227851002013-04-07T20:51:00.000-07:002013-04-07T20:51:09.195-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IzH-MjZzelQ/UWI4hIZcCEI/AAAAAAAAAIg/zcCQlJsq4VM/s1600/evil+dead+remake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IzH-MjZzelQ/UWI4hIZcCEI/AAAAAAAAAIg/zcCQlJsq4VM/s320/evil+dead+remake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Evil Dead</strong> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>(2013)<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First off, let me get this out of the way:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I generally despise remakes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t care for them at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When another one comes out, especially a
horror film, I usually groan, curse the gods above and below, and roll my
eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why would they do something like
this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why trash a classic movie?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a bit of time passes, I soften and, at
some point, check it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most times,
the remakes aren’t total turds, but they’re not far off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I have no faith in remakes, absolutely
none.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“But what about The Thing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or The Fly?” some people cry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those
were two incredible remakes that most would say are superior to the
originals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To those folks who bring
these movies up, I say, “Congratulations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You just named two movies out of hundreds of turds that were actually successful.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, the odds of a remake being
good or better than the original are long and hard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So what about this Evil Dead remake?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did I feel about it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, I had the usual reactions:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I groaned, I cursed, and I rolled my
eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I saw the trailer and I
thought, “Hmm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doesn’t look like a turd
to me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then early reviews came in and I
got excited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I remembered Diablo
Cody, the Queen of Overrated Writers, was brought in to “polish the dialogue”
and I groaned again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no way I
could like this, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Okay, now, before I act like I’m giving this movie a ringing
endorsement, I don’t think it was perfect or great, but it was pretty
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no way it could be
iconic like the original and it isn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, it’s not a flickering demon tongue on the original.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in its own way, it was damned good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I certainly wasn’t bored and I certainly
wasn’t filled with fury or nausea (I’m looking at you, Halloween remake).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t filled with apathy, either, which in
this day and age of horrid filmmaking unfortunately makes a good movie seem
great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I think that’s why so many
people are raving over this film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
good, and because most horror movies that come out suck so bad, they make this
movie seem better than it is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some things I really didn’t like:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The use of the main demon as a Japanese horror figure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Um, listen guys, that was so ten-plus years
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t need the villain to crawl
around jerkily in the mud, head down, with her hair in her face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m well-past over it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The voices of the demons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I don’t like that modulated tone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s boring and doesn’t sound scary at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt like the effect they were going for
was “calm terror” but it came across as flat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were other times when they used more of a snarl to the demons and
that worked much better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The score.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was kind of bland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t great and it wasn’t horrible, it
just kind of was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The end credit theme
reminded me of a mash-up between The Omen and the original Salem’s Lot theme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But don’t pay any attention to this complaint
of mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think every movie should be
scored to sound like Goblin or composed in a John Carpenter style. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The dialogue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh,
thank God they hired Diablo Cody to fix that shit right up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am groaning as I type this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The original sure didn’t have stellar
dialogue, but goddamn, this one stunk at times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of my problems had to do with the speeches the demons made; there
were too many wink-wink, nudge-nudge, “Hey, look, this is just like out of the
Exorcist” moments for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And would it
have killed them to say just once “I’ll swallow your soul” in a more convincing
manner? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some things I did like:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The gore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come on,
are you kidding me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the main
reason to like this film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, Jesus
Christ, it was mostly all practical effects, and it was bloody and gruesome as
hell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a lot of fun seeing a
splatterfest again, and this movie got that right in a perfect sort of
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The demons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought
they were creepy as hell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were
moments when they would pause and just stare and I thought, “Hell yeah.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There was no Ash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yeah, you read that right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think the biggest thing they got right in this movie is they had no Ash
character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, sure, there was the
brother of the main girl who was dressed like Ash in the original, and there
was the hippie-kinda teacher dude who got beat all to hell like Ash, but even
the main heroine was nothing like Bruce Campbell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And thank God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smart move on their part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one change gave this remake its own
identity apart from the original.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
was no way they could replicate such an awesome character as Ash and they were
wise not to even try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like my friend
that went to see it with me said, “Having no Ash made this movie seem like a
sequel set in the same universe as the original and not necessarily a direct
remake.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Thank you, Dan)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he’s right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The gore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, wait,
what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I already mentioned this
before?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, it should be mentioned
again, dammit!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absolutely wonderful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, is this worth going to see?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes, yes it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it better than the original?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Uh, no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s hard to be better than a seminal film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is meaner than the original but it doesn’t
have that something (Bruce Campbell) to set it apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, this Evil Dead remake is like a
really good cover version of a song you grew up loving:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they get it right, and it’s worth hearing a
couple of times, but in the end, you’ll break out the original on vinyl, crank
it up, and relive its awesomeness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">*****<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bonus Pretentious Interpretation!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Evil Dead remake is an allegorical tale of the struggle
of a junkie trying to get clean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
turn into an absolute monster, are ostracized from their family and friends
even as they try and divide their loved ones, they utterly destroy those
closest to them, go through a living hell of barbaric, bloody proportions, but
finally come clean in the end, washed in the blood of their sacrifices,
standing on the precipice of a literal new dawn (minus a left hand, of course).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You’re welcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-4881674210792695162012-01-15T16:11:00.000-08:002012-01-15T16:32:21.384-08:00Lucky 13 Questions...The Final Chapter????<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W5hckT3Jxz8/TxNut9UWu4I/AAAAAAAAAHo/6aZ9_YyLD-4/s1600/kim.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W5hckT3Jxz8/TxNut9UWu4I/AAAAAAAAAHo/6aZ9_YyLD-4/s320/kim.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698019689386916738" /></a><br />Who can tell? Who can read the future? This will, however, be the last 13 Lucky Questions for the time being. And boy, do we go out in style! Like Jason getting carved up at the end of Friday the 13th Pt. 4, we bring the goods with this one! Check it out: the lovely, the brave, the talented, Kim Curley. Enjoy the interview and then take your ass out and get some of the stuff she's got work in. You won't regret it!<br /><br />Let’s do this!<br /><br /><br /><strong>1. If there was only one movie you could watch for the rest of your life, what would it be and why? </strong> <br /> “Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca” starring Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine and Judith Anderson. The movie is based on Daphne Du Marier’s book by the same name. Filmed in 1940, this romantic thriller takes you through the lives of widower Max de Winter (Olivier) and his young bride (Fontaine). Along the lines of a sinister Cinderella story, the new Mrs. De Winter can’t help but feel the ghostly influence of the deceased Rebecca still lingering. Although you never see Rebecca, the character’s in the story make you believe she actually existed! Circumstances surrounding the death of Rebecca resurface, and puts the newlyweds ‘…happily ever after,’ marriage in jeopardy. Does the spectral Rebecca still rule over the lives of those she left behind at Manderley? This was Hitchcock’s first American movie and I’m blown away by it every time I watch it, which is at least a dozen times a year. I like stories that are dark, with unexpected twists and turns. PS-Spoiler alert: To make the character Rebecca more real to the audience, Fontaine’s character is never given a first name! Love it! <br /> <br /><br /><br /><strong>2. Who is your favorite literary character and why?</strong> <br /> I fell in love with Joanna Archer in Vicki Pettersson’s “Sign of the Zodiac” series. Not only is the main character a strong female lead, but the way the author took the character and put her through the wringer is incredible! I like escapism in books. I want to be taken somewhere outside the norm, and Vicki Pettersson takes you there with Joanna. The action scenes are impressive, detailed, and in-your-face. Ms. Pettersson steps outside the writing “comfort zone,” constantly putting Joanna in life-or-death situation’s that most of us would probably run away from. Although the character is super-human, Joanna Archer makes a lot of human decisions which usually plunges her deeper into a world of chaos she’s trying to protect. <br /><br /><br /><strong>3. Favorite book and author? </strong><br /> I poured through all of my books, and lists of favorites and I just can NOT give you an answer on favorite book. I like all books, good and bad. There are too many stories out there for me to pinpoint to one favorite book. Sorry. Favorite author: Tie between Stephen King and J.K. Rowling. Although neither can be compared to the other, both are strong writers. In my opinion, both succeed on all aspects of writing: capturing the audience’s attention and holding it! <br /><br /><br /><strong>4. What is the one implement you could not part with in the event of a zombie apocalypse? </strong> <br />A really, really sharp ax or hatchet. And, a sharpening stone.<br /><br /><br /><strong>5. If you had to eat your big toe or your pinkie finger, which one would go? Take this seriously; your life depends on it.</strong> <br /> Since I need my big toe for balance, pinkie finger would go without batting an eyelash!<br /><br /><br /><strong>6. Favorite album and artist?</strong> <br /> I’ll always be a KISS girl at heart (up to 1984). However, my favorite album and artist would have to be Queensryche and their “Operation: Mindcrime” album. I never thought I’d like a concept album, but this one still holds messages that apply to our world today. Just amazing.<br /><br /><br /><strong>7. Who could clip their toenails in your presence and you not be offended?</strong> <br /> In the words of King Julien, ‘Not the feet, Mort. What have I told you about the feet?’ Sorry, feet are the appendages that help you wade through the daily crap. Therefore, feet disgust me. Ugh!<br /><br /><br /><strong>8. Female fiction writers tend to have their work ghettoized as being for fellow females only while fiction written by men does not. This applies to other forms of entertainment as well. For instance, I went to see the movie Bridesmaids and was lambasted by male friends for it being a “Chick Flick.” And actually, it was universally damned funny. When they saw it, they ate their words. Why, besides sexism, do you think this happens?</strong> <br /> In 2005-2006, there was a little underrated television show called, “Commander in Chief,” starring Geena Davis. Ms. Davis’ character becomes President of the United States after the death of the acting President. My daughter watched the show faithfully, while I ignored it. When Hilary Clinton stepped down from her race as President in 2008, my daughter stated, ‘Yep, just like the cancellation of Geena Davis’ show.’ I asked her what she meant by her statement. She replied, ‘the show failed for the same reason Hilary Clinton failed: American’s are not ready for a female President.’ She was right. Although women have made great strides to overcome adversities tied to our gender, until every single person on the planet is comfortable and accepting that women can do most things men can do, sexism will be the main influence. Besides, if we get rid of titles, i.e. “Chick Flicks,” you’d have to get rid of titles like, “Action Flicks,” “Guy Movies,” “Family Movies,” “Comedies,” “Western’s,” etc. Our society has to label everything-helps them to categorize and compartmentalize. <br /><br /><br /><strong>9. What is your favorite sport?</strong> <br /> Swimming. You can feel the genuine competition between participants in this sport. <br /><br /><br /><strong>10. Is there a story of yours that has been published that you’ve looked back on and said, “Oh, God, I wish it wasn’t?”</strong> <br /> No, I believe we learn from our early endeavors and just forge on. I don’t have time to look back and worry about what I’ve written. <br /><br /><br /><strong>11. What story are you most proud of that you’ve written and why?</strong> <br /> I’m proud of a WIP children’s fiction novel. It stems from a story I made up for my daughter nearly twenty years ago. The main theme is one that’s been around forever: despite diversities, tear down those barriers and help others in need.<br /><br /><br /><strong>12. Eggs. Love them or hate them?</strong> <br /> Egg whites only, please.<br /><br /><br /><strong>13. Promote the shit out of yourself. What do you have coming up and what have you finished?</strong> <br /> <br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CVAL3C4vQq4/TxNu676Ih8I/AAAAAAAAAH0/9WxYcGd2w54/s1600/Earth%2527s_End_Cover_Proof.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CVAL3C4vQq4/TxNu676Ih8I/AAAAAAAAAH0/9WxYcGd2w54/s320/Earth%2527s_End_Cover_Proof.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5698019912346798018" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A sci-fi/apocalypse short story, “Faith,” that is being included in the Wicked East Press, “Earth’s End Anthology,” coming out January 2012. Nonfiction submission sent to Hidden Thoughts Press about my daily battle with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Working on above mentioned kid’s fiction novel this year. Pouring over my many three-ringed binders for story inspirations. Hopefully get more author interviews in on my blog (looks around for volunteers!).<br /><br /><br />You can find Kim at her <a href="http://cupcakesblogcorner.blogspot.com">blog</a> and over on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/kim.curley1">Facebook</a><br /><br /><br /><br />And there you go! How can you not love a lady who speaks so highly of KISS and Queensryche? Plus, she's a hell of a writer. Go forth and get her stuff and ye shall be fulfilled in life!Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-33137096916384392582012-01-07T12:40:00.000-08:002012-01-07T13:15:13.046-08:00Another round of Lucky 13 Questions!Here we go again! This time I'm featuring Suzanne Robb, a very talented writer who had a lot of work out there for you to dip your eager, greedy hands into! She has a bunch of new stuff out, as you'll learn below, but let me take a moment to direct you towards her novel, Z-Boat. What a terrific read! You got zombies, you got folks trapped on a sub, and you've got some really fun and interesting characters that you'll find it impossible not to root for! Plus the claustrophobia. And did I mention zombies? Oh, yeah...you know you want to do it!<br /><br />First up, a slight bio, and then the Lucky 13 Questions!<br /><br /><em>Suzanne Robb is the author of Z-Boat, released by Twisted Library Press. She has over 4 dozen stories in current and upcoming anthologies with various publishers. She is also a contributing editor at Hidden Thoughts Press, and next year Wicked East Press will be releasing Read the end First, an apocalyptic anthology she edited with Adrian Chamberlin. In her free time she reads, watches movies, plays with her dog, and enjoys chocolate and LEGO’s. </em><br /><br />Let’s do this!<br /><br /><br /><strong>1. If there was only one movie you could watch for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?</strong><br />One movie, that’s a tough one, but I would have to go with Clue. I never ever get tired of the performances in that movie and of course I love Tim Curry.<br /><br /><strong>2. Who is your favorite literary character and why?</strong><br />Thursday Next from the Jasper Fforde series. I like her best because she is strong, makes mistakes, acts like a normal woman in odd circumstances, and can take care of herself. I find that she is probably, at least for me, one of the funner literary characters. I know it should be something high caliber, but I like what I like lol.<br /><br /><strong>3. Favorite book and author?</strong><br />Again with a tough one. I would have to go with Fool by Christopher Moore, the man is brilliant and the book makes me laugh out loud. Actually, anything by him makes me laugh.<br /><br /><br /><strong>4. What is the one implement you could not part with in the event of a zombie apocalypse?</strong><br />Well, I am assuming we have to go with what we have currently, so for me it would be my axe. That is the most useful thing I have. Cordless screwdrivers are lame and shovels you need such a wide arc to swing.<br /><br /><br /><strong>5. If you had to eat your big toe or your pinkie finger, which one would go? Take this seriously; your life depends on it.</strong><br />Are you okay? Um, if I had to pick, pinkie finger, I never use it to type and the big toe is pretty essential in balance. <br />One more time, are you okay? Need a hug?<br /><br /><br /><strong>6. Favorite album and artist?</strong><br />Andrew Bird, Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs. I love a lot of music but Andrew Bird is my go to man for any occasion.<br /><br /><br /><strong>7. Who could clip their toenails in your presence and you not be offended?</strong><br />I have yet to find that person. I think it is a gross habit, and what is the deal with not picking them up? Just launching them across the room..annoying!<br /><br /><br /><strong>8. Female fiction writers tend to have their work ghettoized as being for fellow females only while fiction written by men does not. This applies to other forms of entertainment as well. For instance, I went to see the movie Bridesmaids and was lambasted by male friends for it being a “Chick Flick.” And actually, it was universally damned funny. When they saw it, they ate their words. Why, besides sexism, do you think this happens?</strong><br />I think it happens for many reasons, males have a strong presence in the literary world, especially horror. Even a lot of females refuse to buy books by women writers because they have not “proven” themselves. I think that until we can look at a book and not judge it by the gender of the writer this problem will always exist.<br />What I do think is funny is that male writers complain that women dominate the romance areas, but how many men do you know aspire to write those? And if they did, I know they would do better than the women, it is just part of the way things are sadly.<br /><br /><br /><strong>9. What is your favorite sport?</strong><br />Swimming by far, cannot swim enough…ever.<br /><br /><br /><strong>10. Is there a story of yours that has been published that you’ve looked back on and said, “Oh, God, I wish it wasn’t?”</strong><br />Yes, several in fact..or not so much that it was not published, but that I did not trust an “editor” to do their job when clearly they didn’t know the difference between a comma and a period.<br /><br /><br /><strong>11. What story are you most proud of that you’ve written and why?</strong><br />“The Curse of the Moonlight Killer” It is out soon in ebook format, and I adore this story because it is original in concept and idea and everyone who beta read it loved it. It was a pure moment of inspiration and one I hope to turn into a book.<br /><br /><br /><strong>12. Eggs. Love them or hate them?</strong><br />Not a fan.<br /><br /><br /><strong>13. Promote the shit out of yourself. What do you have coming up and what have you finished? </strong><br />I have a novel out called Z-Boat, available <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Z-Boat-Suzanne-Robb/dp/1467945749/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1322786071&sr=1-16">here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pUP0mr8-oaI/TwiyIhdY7KI/AAAAAAAAAGs/G1cn8BgYc_Y/s1600/libcover.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pUP0mr8-oaI/TwiyIhdY7KI/AAAAAAAAAGs/G1cn8BgYc_Y/s320/libcover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694997588300328098" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I also have a blog here with all my current and upcoming anthologies <a href="http://suzannerobb.blogspot.com/">here</a> <br /><br />In the end of December a great anthology titled Live and Let Undead edited by Hollie Snider will be released by Twisted Library Press. It has one of my stories in it and is a fantastic collection; highly recommend it to any zombie fan.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1VBLB1tb-Zk/Twiyo_054EI/AAAAAAAAAG4/iYoY7ChtxZ0/s1600/liveandletundeadfullsize.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1VBLB1tb-Zk/Twiyo_054EI/AAAAAAAAAG4/iYoY7ChtxZ0/s320/liveandletundeadfullsize.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694998146207834178" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I also have an anthology that I co-edited with my friend Adrian Chamberlin called Read The End First, it is apocalyptic in genre and has a TOC of great and talented writers, right now it is out for blurbs, to be released in 2012<br /><br />I have an ebook coming out on January 2, 2012, it contains 3 of my short stories and will be done via Dark Continents publishing.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w5UK37qbkVQ/Twi09327tyI/AAAAAAAAAHc/awsEEJa6sE0/s1600/dc_cover.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w5UK37qbkVQ/Twi09327tyI/AAAAAAAAAHc/awsEEJa6sE0/s320/dc_cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695000703869368098" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In April 2012 Hidden Thoughts Press will be releasing a collection of non-fiction essays I compiled and edited called Anxiety Disorders.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SX-Il50GqO8/TwizkCTSI4I/AAAAAAAAAHE/OMqRYhSJXII/s1600/book_cover.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SX-Il50GqO8/TwizkCTSI4I/AAAAAAAAAHE/OMqRYhSJXII/s320/book_cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694999160484406146" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Lastly, Earth’s End will be released in January 2012 via Wicked East Press, and has one of my short stories in it.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ggJHLD1NP1Y/Twiz_icaxGI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/KztCf5qXKo0/s1600/EE_Promo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ggJHLD1NP1Y/Twiz_icaxGI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/KztCf5qXKo0/s320/EE_Promo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5694999632969122914" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And there it is, folks! The wonderful Suzanne Robb! Hope you enjoyed it and again, go get her books! You won't be sorry!Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-539222343403140662012-01-05T15:49:00.000-08:002012-01-05T16:12:20.314-08:00Top 5 Horror Films of 2011So here's the list. Take as you may, but there's not a bad movie here. Some will amuse you, others will disgust you. Let's get going:<br /><br />5. <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smfOiNO7SoI">Kidnapped</a></strong> and<br /> <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNC2HwAaWWE">Stake Land</a></strong><br /> Yes, I'm cheating. I don't care; it's my list, dammit! Anyway, Kidnapped is a grueling film about a home invasion made in Spain and it's as brutal as a movie can get. Terrifying drama and stunning suspense. But be warned, it will turn your stomach at the end, not only with a bit of the old red stuff, but mostly because you really feel for the characters. Stake Land, on the other hand, is more stuff of fantasy, about an apocalypse brought on by rabid vampires. Yes, these vampires don't sparkle in the sun. They kill. And feed. And mankind is on the ropes. Imaginative and full of some great action, this is a definite see if you like your horror more on the monster side.<br /><br />4. <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLEo7H9tqSM">Troll Hunter</a></strong><br /> Speaking of liking monsters, this one is for you! A Norwegian film about a group of documentary filmmakers stumbling on a man who actually, yes, hunts down and kills trolls. There is a lot to love about this movie, from it's humor to the suspense, but it's the main character of the troll hunter himself that wins the day. Excellent movie, and not as silly as you would think.<br /><br />3. <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okZZca4EfAQ">Human Centipede 2</a></strong><br /> And here we go. Lots of people hate this movie, lots say it's the worst film of last year. Screw them. This movie is disturbing and gross and everything the original wasn't. The first was a great satirical horror film that had some black humor that made you chuckle. This one is satirical as well, but it ain't very funny. In fact, this movie seems to be a response to the critics who lambasted the original. Anyhow, see it and decide for yourself.<br /><br />2. <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1YbOMDI59k">Insidious</a></strong><br /> Yes, this is practically a remake of Poltergeist, but it's a much scarier movie. Yeah, you heard me right. This movie is scary. It has chills, it has jumps, and it has creeping dread. Oh, and some nice humor, too. The best way to see it is in a crowded theater, but since that probably can't happen now, put out the lights and enjoy!<br /><br />1. <strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90r3CnPI0AM">Paranormal Activity 3</a></strong><br /> I'm a big fan of this series and by now, you know whether you love them or hate them. If you like them, this is the best one, in my opinion. They play with you just like in the other two, but this one takes it to a new level. Plus, I really liked the boyfriend/step-dad character. This is scary stuff, and coming from a guy who's as jaded as it gets, that's saying something. Again, best seen in a crowded theater.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-70066625903115206082012-01-01T19:27:00.000-08:002012-01-01T19:52:59.427-08:00Best (non-horror) Movies of 2011Okay, I always want to do this, but get lazy and let it fall by the wayside. I am going to list my favorite movies of 2011 below. You can agree or disagree, but I don't think, if you watch these films, you'll be bored!<br /><br />5. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8ccSiH4olo"><strong>X-Men First Class</strong></a><br /> I know you think I've lost my mind, but this movie was a lot of fun. Was it historically accurate? Uh, no, but who cares? It had mutants fighting, a great script, some fantastic actors, and a really cool style. I think it's the best of the X-Men movies, easily.<br /><br />4. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCRQQCKS7go"><strong>Super 8</strong></a><br /> This maybe could have made my horror list of top fives, but I chose instead to put it here. So if you don't like that, you can stuff it, because this movie was all I love about films. It was warm, funny, quirky, scary, and mostly, fun. Great direction, great story, and the acting was terrific. Just a really, really good time.<br /><br />3. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgPC74-Tde8"><strong>13 Assassins</strong></a><br /> Oh, hell yeah! This was something else. First hour, all plot and set-up, introducing the characters and their cause. The second hour, pure carnage. This was a classic Samurai film, if you like yours bloody. And I do. Just an excellent movie, all the way around, and could easily be my number one.<br /><br />2. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK30uyEvRGo"><strong>Drive</strong></a><br /> My, my, yes! Stylish, engaging, thrilling...man, I could go on and on. If you like noir, you'll love this. If you like crime movies, you'll love this. If you like movies, period, you'll love this. Like my top 3, depending on the day, this could be my favorite of the year.<br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3tidwW1gGM"><strong>Rise of the Planet of the Apes</strong></a><br /> A lot of folks have a problem with this film. Some say it shirks the human characters, making it unengaging. Some find fault with logic and plot points. Well, they just don't get it. This movie tickled the eight year old boy in me pink. The humans aren't the point, are they? They are used to bring us into the story, but once Caesar makes his first appearance, it's his movie. And the ape's. Lots of subtle setting up for the future, including the dribbles of info about the astronauts that go missing, make this a geeky delight, as well. If you didn't like it, give it another try, and if you did, well, you're alright in my book.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-71550636415222935082011-12-31T17:02:00.000-08:002011-12-31T17:38:31.946-08:00Lucky 13 Questions!Welcome to a new feature here on my blog called <span style="font-weight:bold;">Lucky 13 Questions</span>, in which I interview a few very special folks that I admire! We kick this inaugural event off with one of my absolute favorite persons, the one and only, <span style="font-weight:bold;">Rebecca Besser</span>! Hope you enjoy...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">13 LUCKY QUESTIONS</span><br />Starring: Rebecca Besser<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MugpsjFueIs/Tv-zOqgOMQI/AAAAAAAAAF8/BdAvFTN0gUY/s1600/Becca_1_BnW.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 231px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MugpsjFueIs/Tv-zOqgOMQI/AAAAAAAAAF8/BdAvFTN0gUY/s320/Becca_1_BnW.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692465518528573698" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1. If there was only one movie you could watch for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?</span><br /><br />That's a hard one... It would have to be something funny, scifi, or fantasy. I'm tempted to say LotR, but that's three movies. I'm gonna go with “Sex Drive” because I didn't stop laughing through that entire movie!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2. Who is your favorite literary character and why?</span><br /><br /><br />I don't know that I have one. I love characters who are strong and not whiners. Each story also demands a different character and personality. I enjoy when any author can bring their characters to life whether I love them or hate them.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3. Favorite book and author?</span><br /><br />I LOVE the Earth's Children Series by Jean M. Auel and The Reluctant Demon Diaries by Linda Rios Brook.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4. What is the one implement you could not part with in the event of a zombie apocalypse?</span><br /><br />Shotgun. I can either use it to shoot or as a club! So, it's two weapons in one. ;)<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">5. If you had to eat your big toe or your pinkie finger, which one would go? Take this seriously; your life depends on it.</span><br /><br />My pinkie! They say it's hard to walk if you lose your big toe, and I think I could get over the pinkie easier.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6. Favorite album and artist?</span><br /><br />Another hard question... I'm going to go with Live – Secret Samadhi.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">7. Who could clip their toenails in your presence and you not be offended?<br /></span><br />Anyone. That stuff doesn't bother me at all. LOL<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">8. Female fiction writers tend to have their work ghettoized as being for fellow females only while fiction written by men does not. This applies to other forms of entertainment as well. For instance, I went to see the movie Bridesmaids and was lambasted by male friends for it being a “Chick Flick.” And actually, it was universally damned funny. When they saw it, they ate their words. Why, besides sexism, do you think this happens?<br /></span><br />I think a lot of female artists want to emphasize their female voice or femininity to prove something, which causes this stigma. Most also don't 'push it', specifically in the horror genre. They hold back and it shows. I don't think there's anything wrong with strong female characters and it's shown quite clearly in my Nurse Blood serial. I believe in pushing things though. I've had MANY men say they loved my work because I was able to 'go there', and a lot of writers, not just women, can't. They hold back with the gore, and don't show the darker side of life because they themselves either can't face it, or won't let themselves experience it through their characters because it makes them feel uncomfortable.<br /><br />When I first started writing horror I was told I should use my initials and last name so people wouldn't know I was a female. I refused. I can be a woman and still write good horror. I've also heard other female writers who have complained of being rejected from anthologies just for being a woman. I've never had that issue to my knowledge.<br /><br />I know that at times I've written some more female driven or angled stories (mostly because I have insight into how women think so I can make the characters stronger). But I don't do it very often and don't know that I've ever been rejected for it.<br /><br />It all comes down to your ability to write and deliver what's expected. If you can't do that, then you need to reevaluate your style and see how you need to evolve. We all do as we grow as writers, so there's nothing wrong with it.<br /><br />As far as chick flicks go, I'm not really big on them. I'll watch the ones that look really funny and if I think my hub will like them, I tell him and he watches too. But I only suggest the ones I know he'll enjoy. I think the directors are starting to realize that men are 'forced' to watch these particular movies with their wives and girlfriends and are starting to make them more 'guy' friendly, which is nice.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">9. What is your favorite sport?</span><br /><br />Um...it's not actually considered a sport. ;)<br /><br />Okay, a real sport that I like: volley ball.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">10. Is there a story of yours that has been published that you’ve looked back on and said, “Oh, God, I wish it wasn’t?”</span><br /><br />Not so much that, but I have cringed at some of the editing. I wished a couple of time I would have taken a little more time before sending some stuff out. Overall though, I think we all look back on our early stuff and flinch because we see all the stupid mistakes we made because we've learned and now know better.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">11. What story are you most proud of that you’ve written and why?</span><br /><br />Oh, now that's an easy one! Hall of Twelve (both versions – I have a flash and short story version). I LOVE this story because it's out there and I got to make up my own monsters. I love all monster horror and tend to like the new, interesting, and extreme, and that's what Hall of Twelve is.<br /><br />Hall of Twelve is a story of a man who comes home to find his daughter slaughtered and his wife missing. All hell breaks loose in the world around him and he's not even able to get a hold of emergency help. He ends up joining a group of people who stumble upon him as they flee the chaos of shattered civilization to hide where they think they'll be safe from the 'Beings'. But there's nowhere that's safe from the crazy creatures from an alternate dimension who have pets that love to feast on human flesh!<br /><br />When the humans are captured, they're taken to the Hall of Twelve where the roll of the dice chooses their fate. Most will be fed to ravenous monsters hidden behind the doors with the number they've rolled...but a lucky few will roll the magic number and be set free to be hunted again and face their fate another day.<br /><br />The short story version is published in Strange Tales of Horror from NorGus Press.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">12. Eggs. Love them or hate them?</span><br /><br />I don't think it's love or hate – I like them. Most of the time I like scrambled eggs, but once in awhile I like over easy ones. :) Deviled eggs are good too!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">13. Promote the shit out of yourself. What do you have coming up and what have you finished? </span><br /><br />First off you don't know anything about me and would like to know more, you can visit my website for a list of my publication credits and for links to books I have stories in.<br /><br />My site: <a href="http://www.rebeccabesser.com">http://www.rebeccabesser.com</a><br /><br />Also, you can visit my blog (which is mostly interviews of authors and presses, and sometimes contests): <a href="http://blog.rebeccabesser.com">http://blog.rebeccabesser.com</a><br /><br />You can find me on Facebook under: Rebecca Besser or Author/Editor Rebecca Besser<br /><br />I'm also on Twitter under: @BeccaBesser<br /><br /><br />Earth's End edited by me, is being released by Wicked East Press in Jan 2012! The book contains an array of Scifi Apocalyptic fiction.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cdDVh8Sm1Jo/Tv-zqONGN9I/AAAAAAAAAGI/5eV4PJwhTc0/s1600/EE_Promo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cdDVh8Sm1Jo/Tv-zqONGN9I/AAAAAAAAAGI/5eV4PJwhTc0/s320/EE_Promo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692465991968503762" /></a><br /><br />I have a story in the book called, “The Olden Gears,” and it's about cyborg elderly people who go crazy and attack humanity with bloody violence.<br /><br />Here's an excerpt from my story:<br /><br /> "He drove faster, but everywhere he looked there was more destruction.<br /> With numb fingers, he reached over and turned on the radio to see if there was any news about what was going on; it took him a couple of minutes before he could find a radio station that was still on the air.<br /> “...Overnight the world has been bombarded with attacks by the elderly. On every continent, in almost every country, they’ve taken lives at will, showing no mercy...”<br /> Looking out around him, he tried to decide how he was going to make it home. Almost every street was blocked off by accidents, and everywhere he looked, someone was being slaughtered; his attention focused back on the radio as they continued.<br /> “...Medical experts are saying the cause of the outbreak and behavior in their elderly patients is linked to the chemical compound used in the ‘lubrication’ of the ReGen ‘parts’ surgically implanted; the chemical was supposed to act as synthetic blood. Once it leaks into the real blood system, it targets certain parts of the brain and triggers uncontrollable, aggressive behavior...”" ~ The Olden Gears by Rebecca Besser - Earth's End<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifcatch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gyZ9SQqpg54/Tv-z9toewjI/AAAAAAAAAGU/rYCvUps0i6A/s1600/NB_Banner_Horizontal.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 75px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gyZ9SQqpg54/Tv-z9toewjI/AAAAAAAAAGU/rYCvUps0i6A/s320/NB_Banner_Horizontal.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692466326822371890" /></a><br /><br />I also have my Nurse Blood serial still going. You can read what's posted so far at: <a href="http://nurseblood.wordpress.com">http://nurseblood.wordpress.com</a> I post one chapter a week on Fri/Sat. Warning: The serial contains swearing, sexual content, and bloody violence.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1WgIaCdPBcg/Tv-0RON51cI/AAAAAAAAAGg/LKF-R7uYx04/s1600/UDT_Promo_Pic.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 285px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1WgIaCdPBcg/Tv-0RON51cI/AAAAAAAAAGg/LKF-R7uYx04/s320/UDT_Promo_Pic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692466661986784706" /></a><br /><br />Also, if you haven't yet, and would like to read it, my zombie novella, “Undead Drive-Thru,” is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. (There are 14 reviews on Amazon if you would like to get a feel for the book and see if it might be something you're interested in.)<br /> <br /><br />Thanks so much for answering these and I hope they were a little bit of fun.<br /><br />Thanks you VERY much for having me; it was a lot of fun! :) <br /><br /><br />And there it is! I want to personally say that Rebecca is a great author and if you haven't read any of her stuff, you're really missing out. Undead Drive-Thru is a terrific, fast read full of interesting characters and some nice action. If you like zombie stories, this one is for you.<br /><br />Stay tuned for more Lucky 13 Question installments in the near future!Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-26515253318396679992011-05-09T11:15:00.000-07:002011-05-09T11:19:45.409-07:00There Be Trolls!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OYiSzAn31rI/TcgwMDPB87I/AAAAAAAAAFc/cuY3_xUWOXM/s1600/Troll_Hunter_Poster.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OYiSzAn31rI/TcgwMDPB87I/AAAAAAAAAFc/cuY3_xUWOXM/s320/Troll_Hunter_Poster.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604782719847494578" /></a><br /><br /><br />It's been too long since I posted a blog, mostly because I've been busy writing other stuff and, in the down time, been too damned lazy. But every now and then I can rouse myself from the lethargy and get something done. Yes, I'm still very busy, working a full-time job, writing a novel, and also writing a novella, but sometimes, Goddammit,you have to take the time and watch some Troll violence!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLEo7H9tqSM">TROLL HUNTER (2010)</a><br /><br />Yes, it's silly, and yes, it's funny as hell in some parts, but it also delivers the goods.<br /><br />A college documentary crew goes out into the wilds of the Norwegian forests to do a story on government-sanctioned bear hunters and stumbles upon a poacher who is going out and killing bears on his own. Following a lead, they track this man down and try to get an interview, are promptly rebuffed, and decide to follow him around, anyway. Late one night, deep in the mountains, they pursue him into the woods, only to become chased themselves by...yes, a troll. And not just a cuddly little creature who lives under a bridge, but a giant, three-headed monster intent on killing them.<br /><br />What follows, in this found-footage style film is a series of interviews with the troll-hunter himself (brilliantly played by Otto Jespersen as a world-weary, tired of his job, blue-collar kind of guy who matter-of-factly goes about his business of hunting and killing trolls) and a few of the government employees behind his actions. It turns out, the Norwegian government is sponsoring these hunts and keeping them secret from the general public. Along the way, we learn the different kinds of trolls and the ways the Hunter employs to kill them. We are also treated to many funny and scary sequences, as this film simultaneously takes itself seriously and has fun with itself.<br /><br />I cannot recommend this movie enough. It's fun, it's scary, and it's funny scary. It's available right now on Video On Demand and is supposed to get a limited theatrical run in June. It is subtitled, and it is filmed in shaky-cam, but don't let those things put you off. <br /><br />Besides, don't you want to learn what a Jotnar is, and how to kill it?Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-54707735181440078362011-01-01T11:52:00.000-08:002011-01-01T12:19:14.591-08:00Happy New Year!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_orNo3571koQ/TR-MKxN5JEI/AAAAAAAAAFI/k32TancGrHY/s1600/frightfest-drops-a-serbian-film-420-75.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_orNo3571koQ/TR-MKxN5JEI/AAAAAAAAAFI/k32TancGrHY/s320/frightfest-drops-a-serbian-film-420-75.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557314581836670018" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_orNo3571koQ/TR-L8_QULAI/AAAAAAAAAFA/2gsTdJc6eUI/s1600/a-serbian-film-quad-450x338.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_orNo3571koQ/TR-L8_QULAI/AAAAAAAAAFA/2gsTdJc6eUI/s320/a-serbian-film-quad-450x338.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5557314345086757890" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_SIDOVFBTQ">A SERBIAN FILM</a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">(2010)</span><br /><br />This is without a doubt the most disturbing film I've ever seen. The movie has made its way through the festival circuits and stirred-up outrage and debate wherever the film has been shown, and for good reason. This is combative cinema.<br /><br />Milos, a retired porn star in Serbia, is lured into one last job. The money he saved is running out just when he needs it to help support schooling for his young son and the daily costs of living with his wife. The job offer comes from a former associate of his who has gone on to star in animal porn and if this isn't a tip-off that things are going to get strange, then I guess nothing else could be. The man Milos goes to work for has an idea of mixing art with porn but he wants to keep his star in the dark as to the plot. Milos gets offered a bundle of money, too much to turn down despite his misgivings, and finds himself drawn into an increasingly tightening circle of hell itself. After some uncomfortable encounters that flirt with child porn and indulges in masochism, Milos decides to back out. But it's too late now as things rapidly fly out of control.<br /><br />And then there's the "Newborn Porn" scene, and you're either vomiting or running for the exit.<br /><br />From there, its a descent into madness and depravity and the movie becomes an endurance test. Can you make it through to the end, to discover, along with Milos, just what evil he's participated in? You see, Milos gets dosed continuously with a mixture of animal "Viagra" and speed, so he's out of his mind with lust and violence. It's a white-knuckle ride to the end and after it's over, Milos and his family will never be the same.<br /><br />Neither will you. <br /><br />I know it really disturbed me, and I think I got the point. Here's this country, scarred by war and ethnic cleansing, where life has been reduced to the ridiculous. Normal people, working class folks like Milos (even though he works with his dick, he's an artist, no more different than a master electrician or a plumber) have their lives ripped from them and forced to participate in things so terrible there is no coming back from them. No, there is no war mentioned in the film and it doesn't involve any soldiers. Instead, I believe, this film shows the effects of dehumanizing war and what it does to the common people. They, like Milos, get dragged into involvement with things they'd never conceive as possible and when they find out what they've done, they have to deal with the consequences.<br /><br />Watch this only if you have a strong stomach and can put your moral objections aside. Whether you do or don't, you will still be left sick, dizzy, and furious. This film is no joke; it's the real deal. It forces each viewer to confront things they most probably never wished to deal with. <br /><br />You've been warned.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3299419948753183417.post-14736238178165634012010-11-21T18:37:00.000-08:002010-11-21T19:16:17.907-08:00more zombies than you can shake a stick at!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_orNo3571koQ/TOndSrpR3XI/AAAAAAAAAE0/STKjEjkp7ZM/s1600/la%2Bhorde.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_orNo3571koQ/TOndSrpR3XI/AAAAAAAAAE0/STKjEjkp7ZM/s320/la%2Bhorde.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542204129479351666" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kbXTOOFOxU"><span style="font-weight:bold;">La Horde</span></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">(2009)</span><br /><br />In a world full of zombie movies and the increasingly awesome Walking Dead TV show, how does this French film stack up to the litany of living dead stories already available?<br /><br />Well, pretty good.<br /><br />A group of crooked cops break into an abandoned tenement building where, all they way upstairs, a group of Nigerian criminals are holed up. The cops move in to assassinate the criminals but fail, getting half of their crew killed and the rest captured. And just as the criminals are about to put the finishing touches on the survivors, the zombie apocalypse comes down. What follows is a series of frayed allegiances and betrayals and a whole bunch of blood.<br /><br />La Horde is pretty much a zombie film stripped down to its very core: a group of survivors must fight their way free of an infested building to hopefully reach safety outside, even as the world around them falls apart. Every corner turned could be a death sentence and as they try desperately to stay alive, each step leads them into twisting passages of terror and, for some, death. There's nothing new here, nothing unique explored about the characters or the zombies, but it is a lean, mean, thrilling machine. <br /><br />There are a couple of highlights that really stood out amidst the carnage: first off, the cop who gets surrounded by a horde (forgive me) of the living dead as he stands atop a car roof. He knows he's a dead man and yet he goes down fighting in the most spectacular way, first using his guns, then his machete, and finally his fists and feet. It's pretty awesome. And the second is one I don't want to spoil too much, but let's say it involves a giant machine gun and a corridor full of zombies. <br /><br />If you like zombie flicks and want some good popcorn splatter, this is the movie for you. The last thirty minutes are nothing but pure terror and if that's your cup of tea, then pull up a chair and sit right down. You've just come home.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409133467466897331noreply@blogger.com0