Friday, December 28, 2012
Green Day Trilogy Part III: ¡Tré! Review
Well, the Green Day trilogy has come to and end. Being a Green Day fan, I've followed the trilogy since ¡Uno!, and now it's time for my review of ¡Tré!, since I got it for Christmas. So here it is.
Track one is called Brutal Love and it starts of slow, but very emotional, and even when gets heavier, it maintains the emotion. It takes a while to really pick up, but that's a nice change from ¡Uno!, which never really slowed down at all. This was a great way to start the last album in the trilogy, the beginning of the end so to speak.
Track two is called Missing You and it's very punk, yet manages to maintain an emotional feel. It's what Fell For You should have been (see my review of ¡Uno!). It's very fun, yet you can still hear the emotion in the songs. Mike Dirnt has a great bass line in this song, and Tré Cool has some great drum parts (which makes sense, this album being called ¡Tré!).
Track three is called 8th Avenue Serenade, and besides the inexplicable false end at the beginning of the song, it's a great song. It's fun, and very Green Day, but I really don't have that much to say about it. This may sound lazy and stupid, but I just don't have much to say, and not just because this song is less than three minutes.
Track four is called Drama Queen and, while slow and acoustic, it's a really fun song. However I can't tell if he's talking about his daughter or some girl. Also despite the song being called Drama Queen, there's no reference to any dramatics from this girl. Basically, if you don't try to make sense of the lyrics, it's a great song.
Track five is called X-Kid, and this song basically describes feelings everyone has felt sometime in their life. It's fun and punky, but people can relate to it, while rocking out. I know this seems lazy, but I really don't have much more to say about it.
Track six is called Sex, Drugs & Violence, the song that for one reason or another features Mike Dirnt on solo vocal for a few seconds. Despite the song's name, this doesn't sound like a song about Sex, Drugs and Violence. However, despite a misleading title, it's a very fun song, that makes you want to jump around. I'd also like to hear more of Mike Dirnt on vocals, whereas in Linkin Park I don't want Brad Delson becoming a regular vocalist (see my review of Living Things by Linkin Park). My only problem with this song is that I think it goes on for too long. They could've said what they needed to say in less than 3 and a half minutes.
Track seven is called A Little Boy Named Train, and this song gets to the rocking guitar, right from the start. I'm sure many people can relate to these lyrics, but why does it sound like Billie Joe's voice was pitched? It sounds higher than normal, and not like he's going out of his range. Overall this song was fun, and very human (a term I used to describe a song that everyone can relate to).
Track eight is called Amanda, and you know what this song is about from the get-go. This song is also very human, and very fun at the same time. My only problem with this song is that it's too short. It doesn't say enough, and I'm wondering more about the story of this song.
Track nine is called Walk Away, and this song is laced with emotion. I love it, it's human, and the whole band shines in this song. I'm sure everyone listening to this song has felt like this one time or another. The guitar is great, the vocals and lyrics are great, the drums are great, it's just great.
Track ten is called Dirty Rotten Bastards, and it's one of those Green Day songs that's like 5 songs in one, like Jesus Of Suburbia, or 21st Century Breakdown. The first part was fun, and I really enjoyed listening to it. The second part sped up, and feels liked the kind that you'd mosh to at a concert. The third was a slow version of the first part, and then you have this slow part with one lyric, "Carried Away". I liked it, but I don't think it fit with the rest of the song. There was hardly even a transition.
Track eleven is called 99 Revolutions, and I read in Alternative Press that this was an overdue song about Occupy Wall Street, and while that's the main message of the song, it could be just another generic revolution song. It's a great song, just with semi-generic lyrics.
Track twelve, the one ending the trilogy, is called The Forgotten, and whoa, what a way to end. People will argue with me, but this is possibly the best Green Day song ever in my opinion. You have Billie Joe's raw emotion, combined with his guitar, and piano, Tré Cool's drums, orchestral background, the whole package, but it really was Billie Joe's time to shine. The lyrics are fantastic, the emotion is clear, the entire song is a masterpiece. I don't care that it was five minutes, it's five minutes of perfection. I have nothing bad to say about this song, because it is a masterpiece. If it seems like I'm sucking up to Green Day here, it's because this song is truly amazing. Read my other Green Day reviews, I never praised a song more, than I praised The Forgotten. This is my favorite Green Day song, and with good reason.
Overall I give ¡Tré! a 10/10. It was definitely the best of the trilogy, you have the emotional stuff, mixed in with the punk rock, and concluded with a song like The Forgotten. I have more to come soon, my own conclusion of the Green Day Trilogy review, and I'll probably review Quatro separately. Well, that's it for now. Next time, A Trilogy In Retrospect: A Summary Of The Green Day Trilogy (Review Part IV)
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Revenge of the Mini-Review: Flyleaf "Fire Fire" live video Ft. Kristen May mini-review
So, if you're a Flyleaf fan who owns a computer, you've probably heard that vocalist Lacey Sturm has left the band, and has been replaced by Kristen May, formerly of Vedera. Well, on November 19th, Flyleaf releaesd a video on YouTube of a live performance of their new song Fire Fire featuring Kristen on vocals. Now, I understand that live videos are nothing compared to the actual thing, but I thought I'd give my thoughts on the video anyway. So here is my review of "Fire Fire" live featuring Kristen May on vocals.
Now there are a lot more pros than cons, so I'll get the cons out of the way. She doesn't have the power in her voice that Lacey had, but then again, Lacey was a phenomenal vocalist. Also she has a nasty habit of passing over words like "it" or "is" repeatedly, but then again, she was probably catching her breath. Overall I think she did a very good job, and I enjoyed her first recorded performance with Flyleaf. However, I have said I am giving her two chances, like with Annette from Nightwish. That's all for now, I'll probably review Tre next. But here's the video, for those of you who haven't seen it.
Now there are a lot more pros than cons, so I'll get the cons out of the way. She doesn't have the power in her voice that Lacey had, but then again, Lacey was a phenomenal vocalist. Also she has a nasty habit of passing over words like "it" or "is" repeatedly, but then again, she was probably catching her breath. Overall I think she did a very good job, and I enjoyed her first recorded performance with Flyleaf. However, I have said I am giving her two chances, like with Annette from Nightwish. That's all for now, I'll probably review Tre next. But here's the video, for those of you who haven't seen it.
Sum 41 concert review
So, I've never done a concert review, but I think this deserves talking about. I was supposed to go to see Papa Roach at Uproar, but they cancelled and for me they were the main attraction, so I went to see Sum 41 at the House of Blues Orlando instead. Here is my review.
The openers were both local bands, The Sweet Escape from Port St. Lucie, and A Hero's Fate from Orlando. The Sweet Escape went on first, and they were great, they were fun to watch, and the songs were great. The same thing goes for A Hero's Fate. Then Sum 41 came on, and they were fantastic! I don't normally dance and jump around at concerts, but Sum 41 got me moving. This being 10th the anniversary tour of "Does This Look Infected" They started by playing most of that album, then they played the songs even new fans know. They played everything from Fat Lip to Screaming Bloody Murder. The encore was great, although they really made the audience beg for it. They played a punk version of "We Will Rock You by Queen, some of Sabotage by The Beastie Boys, then played Fat Lip, and closed with Pain For Pleasure. Did I mention Deryck is a phenomenal frontman, and was so much fun to watch. If it seems like I'm sucking up to them, it's because they were that good. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who likes rock music and is looking for a fun show. If you are in Canada and this applies to you, I would strongly recommend seeing them, because not only is Sum 41 there, but also Billy Talent, who are great. Overall, I give their live show a 10/10.
The openers were both local bands, The Sweet Escape from Port St. Lucie, and A Hero's Fate from Orlando. The Sweet Escape went on first, and they were great, they were fun to watch, and the songs were great. The same thing goes for A Hero's Fate. Then Sum 41 came on, and they were fantastic! I don't normally dance and jump around at concerts, but Sum 41 got me moving. This being 10th the anniversary tour of "Does This Look Infected" They started by playing most of that album, then they played the songs even new fans know. They played everything from Fat Lip to Screaming Bloody Murder. The encore was great, although they really made the audience beg for it. They played a punk version of "We Will Rock You by Queen, some of Sabotage by The Beastie Boys, then played Fat Lip, and closed with Pain For Pleasure. Did I mention Deryck is a phenomenal frontman, and was so much fun to watch. If it seems like I'm sucking up to them, it's because they were that good. I would definitely recommend them to anyone who likes rock music and is looking for a fun show. If you are in Canada and this applies to you, I would strongly recommend seeing them, because not only is Sum 41 there, but also Billy Talent, who are great. Overall, I give their live show a 10/10.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Blood On The Dance Floor Trilogy - All The Rage
Blood On The Dance Floor are like the Stephen Kings of music, not in that they're fantastic at what they do, but because they spit out so much music each year, that it's hard to keep up with. They've released two full length albums just this year, and last year released a full length album called "All The Rage", which I will review today. Keep in mind I am going into this review completely unbiased, I am not the type that thinks "BOTDF is awful and should die" but I'm also not the type that thinks "BOTDF is the greatest band alive". I am one that thinks Blood On The Dance Floor is a mouthful and BOTDF is a necessary acronym. So here is my review of All The Rage by BOTDF.
Track one is called Dark Dreams, and opens with a 1 minute, 20 second build up, that is completely unnecessary. Then you get to the song itself. It's okay, but nothing special for BOTDF. Pretty typical considering their previous work. But then you have lyrics by Lady Nogrady, and sadly, that is the only thing separating this song from the rest. A little guest vocal isn't going to save this song from sounding repetitive.
Track two is called Find Your Way, and it opens with Stephen Hawing voice, and then more annoying electro beats. I hate this song musically, lyrically it's a good message, especially for BOTDF's target audience, but again, repetitive. Better than Dark Dreams... I guess.
Track three is called Happy Violentines Day, and I love this song musically, it's okay lyrically, not bad. I enjoyed this, but there are a few cliches such as the counting, the na-na-na, despite this being one of the dark, violent BOTDF songs.
Track four is called Bewitched featuring (yet again) Lady Nogrady, and as far as I can tell, this is a love song about Nicole Kidman, sung by Will Ferrell. It's basically a generic love song, sprinkled with BOTDF's Halloween theme. The thing that separates this from the others, is Lady Nogrady gets an entire verse, and the only thing separating this from other stupid love/breakup songs is the witch theme.
Track five is called Nivana, and unlike Dark Dreams, this starts pretty quick. It's pretty stupid lyrically, awful musically, and it ruins the name of an awesome band. It's basically Atlas Shrugged for bullying victims. BOTDF is their John Galt, Nirvana is their Atlantis. Pretty stupid if you ask me.
Track six is the title track, and it's pretty annoying vocally, and doesn't stop until the chorus. It's okay lyrically, not bad musically, but the vocals by Dahvie I presume, are so annoying you'll want to snap the disc. Not a great title track.
Track seven is called The Untouchables, and this is just dumb. The first verse doesn't fit with the rest of the song, and the rest of it is just as dumb. Basically there is not lyrically consistency, and musically it's just as bad, but at least the music is consistent.
Track eight is called X x 3, and this is one of those sex songs like on their album Epic. Lyrically, it's a generic sex song, musically, it's okay, I mean, for an electronic sex song. The whole thing is pretty mindless and repetitive. Not very good.
Track nine is called P.L.U.R., and while the whole Peace Love Unity Respect message is great, it doesn't fit with their contradictory violent songs, or their sex songs. Vocals are okay, pretty good musically, good lyrically, but what redeemed this song in my eyes is when he said Music is my religion. That one line rocked.
Track ten is called Star Power! and the family guy sample was an awesome way to kick it off, but it gets worse from there. For some reason this song had to be the video game song. Every generic electronic group has one, and this was it. Horrible lyrically, good musically, not horrible vocally. Overall, the family guy sample was the high point.
Track eleven is called Yo, Ho, and for some reason, they decided to make a pirate song. Lyrically, this is horrible, vocally, okay until the pirate voice. Despite this, it's pretty damn good musically, until the chorus. This was worse than Dark Dreams, and that's really saying something.
Track twelve is a bonus track called The Loving Dead/Love Sucks, and considering the name and length of this song, it's most likely two songs crammed into one. Surprisingly, The Loving Dead was good, musically and lyrically, and I was very happy to see another enjoyable song on this awful album. Then we have Love Sucks, and while it's a message their fan base can relate to, it's pretty bad lyrically and musically. The bad thing is, it's so damn catchy.
Track 13 is a remix which I won't review.
Track fourteen is called G.F.A., and since I'm sick of BOTDF, I'll finish this quickly. It's great musically, okay lyrically, I guess. The members of BOTDF are pretty bad vocally, but this also features Nick Nasty, Lady Nogrady and JJ Demon (yay). The others were pretty good but JJ Demon kicked ass. I'm probably thinking biased here, but this might be the best song on the entire album.
Overall 5/10. It seemed like every song was lacking somewhere, if not musically, then lyrically or vocally. I did enjoy a few songs on the album in every aspect, but that isn't saying much, considering I liked every single song on Linkin Park's new album. Maybe they learn from their mistakes and improve in their next album Evolution, or maybe they do what sells and confirm every suspicion I had about them.
That's all for today, tune in next time when I review Tre by Green Day, unless I get around to something else first.
Track one is called Dark Dreams, and opens with a 1 minute, 20 second build up, that is completely unnecessary. Then you get to the song itself. It's okay, but nothing special for BOTDF. Pretty typical considering their previous work. But then you have lyrics by Lady Nogrady, and sadly, that is the only thing separating this song from the rest. A little guest vocal isn't going to save this song from sounding repetitive.
Track two is called Find Your Way, and it opens with Stephen Hawing voice, and then more annoying electro beats. I hate this song musically, lyrically it's a good message, especially for BOTDF's target audience, but again, repetitive. Better than Dark Dreams... I guess.
Track three is called Happy Violentines Day, and I love this song musically, it's okay lyrically, not bad. I enjoyed this, but there are a few cliches such as the counting, the na-na-na, despite this being one of the dark, violent BOTDF songs.
Track four is called Bewitched featuring (yet again) Lady Nogrady, and as far as I can tell, this is a love song about Nicole Kidman, sung by Will Ferrell. It's basically a generic love song, sprinkled with BOTDF's Halloween theme. The thing that separates this from the others, is Lady Nogrady gets an entire verse, and the only thing separating this from other stupid love/breakup songs is the witch theme.
Track five is called Nivana, and unlike Dark Dreams, this starts pretty quick. It's pretty stupid lyrically, awful musically, and it ruins the name of an awesome band. It's basically Atlas Shrugged for bullying victims. BOTDF is their John Galt, Nirvana is their Atlantis. Pretty stupid if you ask me.
Track six is the title track, and it's pretty annoying vocally, and doesn't stop until the chorus. It's okay lyrically, not bad musically, but the vocals by Dahvie I presume, are so annoying you'll want to snap the disc. Not a great title track.
Track seven is called The Untouchables, and this is just dumb. The first verse doesn't fit with the rest of the song, and the rest of it is just as dumb. Basically there is not lyrically consistency, and musically it's just as bad, but at least the music is consistent.
Track eight is called X x 3, and this is one of those sex songs like on their album Epic. Lyrically, it's a generic sex song, musically, it's okay, I mean, for an electronic sex song. The whole thing is pretty mindless and repetitive. Not very good.
Track nine is called P.L.U.R., and while the whole Peace Love Unity Respect message is great, it doesn't fit with their contradictory violent songs, or their sex songs. Vocals are okay, pretty good musically, good lyrically, but what redeemed this song in my eyes is when he said Music is my religion. That one line rocked.
Track ten is called Star Power! and the family guy sample was an awesome way to kick it off, but it gets worse from there. For some reason this song had to be the video game song. Every generic electronic group has one, and this was it. Horrible lyrically, good musically, not horrible vocally. Overall, the family guy sample was the high point.
Track eleven is called Yo, Ho, and for some reason, they decided to make a pirate song. Lyrically, this is horrible, vocally, okay until the pirate voice. Despite this, it's pretty damn good musically, until the chorus. This was worse than Dark Dreams, and that's really saying something.
Track twelve is a bonus track called The Loving Dead/Love Sucks, and considering the name and length of this song, it's most likely two songs crammed into one. Surprisingly, The Loving Dead was good, musically and lyrically, and I was very happy to see another enjoyable song on this awful album. Then we have Love Sucks, and while it's a message their fan base can relate to, it's pretty bad lyrically and musically. The bad thing is, it's so damn catchy.
Track 13 is a remix which I won't review.
Track fourteen is called G.F.A., and since I'm sick of BOTDF, I'll finish this quickly. It's great musically, okay lyrically, I guess. The members of BOTDF are pretty bad vocally, but this also features Nick Nasty, Lady Nogrady and JJ Demon (yay). The others were pretty good but JJ Demon kicked ass. I'm probably thinking biased here, but this might be the best song on the entire album.
Overall 5/10. It seemed like every song was lacking somewhere, if not musically, then lyrically or vocally. I did enjoy a few songs on the album in every aspect, but that isn't saying much, considering I liked every single song on Linkin Park's new album. Maybe they learn from their mistakes and improve in their next album Evolution, or maybe they do what sells and confirm every suspicion I had about them.
That's all for today, tune in next time when I review Tre by Green Day, unless I get around to something else first.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Green Day Trilogy Review Part II - ¡Dos!
Well, it's that time again, Green Day has released a new album in their trilogy. As I recall, I gave Uno a pretty damn good review, but now it's time for ¡Dos!. If this album is anything like the last one, it'll get a pretty good review. So here is my review of ¡Dos! by Green Day.
Track one is called See You Tonight, and not only is it pretty damn short, it's slow and pretty weird, not like anything on Uno. There really isn't enough to talk about for me to say anything interesting about it.
Track two is called Fuck Time, and this is a pretty badass song overall, but I don't think the fuck in the name was necessary at all. I like it musically, and besides the name, it's pretty good lyrically, but the song seems to be centered around that one word. It almost seems like bad songwriting, but then again, the rest of the lyrics are great.
Track three is called Stop When The Red Lights Flash, and this song is fast and energetic, not to mention it was one of a few featured on my favorite TV show, CSI: NY. I'd feel weird if I didn't mention "Don't stop when the red lights flash" was a line in "Oh Love", the first single from Uno. This is a good song musically, pretty good lyrically, and all very energetic, which is what Green Day is known for.
Track four is called Lazy Bones, and this is one of my favorites because the whole "I'm too tired to be bored" theme describes how I feel so much. It rocks musically, and as I said, I love the lyrics. The whole thing hits pretty close to home, and in this case, that's a good thing. Green Day never fail to entertain me.
Track five is called Wild One and it almost sounds like a continuation of Lazy Bones with no lyrical relation. The lyrics are good, the music is great, and if it seems like I'm sucking up to Green Day here, it's because I normally don't buy and review albums I don't think I'll like. Overall, pretty good song.
Track six is called Makeout Party, and it rocks. The lyrics are kind of weird, but the music is great, and more than makes up for the facts that the lyrics hardly make sense to me. This is the kind of punk rock Green Day is known for, and I love it.
Track seven, and the first single off the album, is called Stray Heart, and it starts off with a great bass line by Mike Dirnt, and then you hear Billie Joe. The lyrics are great, the music is good, although the chorus is a bit too simple. The weirdest thing though was the music video, which looks like it belongs at an indie film festival. I'd like to meet the director of that video.
Track eight is called Ashley, which is the first line of the song and the murder weapon of headphone users. This song is very energetic, and while I believe songs named after a girl is way too cliched, it doesn't mean they're all bad, and this one is very good.
Track nine is called Baby Eyes, and it's another loud, energetic song. Great musically, good lyrically, and one I'd love to see live. I don't have that much to say about it besides that.
Track ten is called Lady Cobra, which I think is the name of the rapper on the next track, and this is a very energetic song, with great lyrics, and kick-ass punk sound. The one thing is, like many of the other songs, it's too short. This could've been a lot longer than the final product.
Track eleven is called Nightlife, and this song was criticized because it was very experimental, and included a female rapper. The rapping was okay, but was a bit excessive, Billie Joe was great, the lyrics he sang rocked, and the whole song was great musically. Personally, I think these critics are complaining about nothing, but that's just me.
Track twelve is called Wow! That's Loud, and while the name is appropriate, it could've been louder. Despite this, the song is good lyrically, great musically, and it's energetic, and will make headphone users say Wow! That's Loud!
Track thirteen (yes, this is the only one in the trilogy that had thirteen tracks and not twelve), is called Amy, and was a tribute to Amy Winehouse, who passed away recently. The song was great lyrically, musically, and is catchy as hell. And it's a much slower song, which we didn't see much of on Uno, and is appropriate, considering the subject matter. A great way to end the thing.
Overall I give ¡Dos! a 9/10. It still has a lot of the in your face punk from Uno, but was more musically diverse. You have the loud, energetic punk, like Stop When The Red Lights Flash, but you also get a break from that, like on Amy. That's two of three in the Green Day trilogy, considering how diverse this was, and how awesome The Forgotten is, I can't wait for ¡Tré!. However, seeing as that won't be out until December, and I probably won't be able to get it until Christmas, I'll have to enjoy ¡Uno! and ¡Dos! for now. That's it for today's review, tune in next time when I review ¡Tré!... well, most likely, but before you go, it's time for another edition of "Did The Director Of Eraserhead Direct The New Green Day Video?"
Track one is called See You Tonight, and not only is it pretty damn short, it's slow and pretty weird, not like anything on Uno. There really isn't enough to talk about for me to say anything interesting about it.
Track two is called Fuck Time, and this is a pretty badass song overall, but I don't think the fuck in the name was necessary at all. I like it musically, and besides the name, it's pretty good lyrically, but the song seems to be centered around that one word. It almost seems like bad songwriting, but then again, the rest of the lyrics are great.
Track three is called Stop When The Red Lights Flash, and this song is fast and energetic, not to mention it was one of a few featured on my favorite TV show, CSI: NY. I'd feel weird if I didn't mention "Don't stop when the red lights flash" was a line in "Oh Love", the first single from Uno. This is a good song musically, pretty good lyrically, and all very energetic, which is what Green Day is known for.
Track four is called Lazy Bones, and this is one of my favorites because the whole "I'm too tired to be bored" theme describes how I feel so much. It rocks musically, and as I said, I love the lyrics. The whole thing hits pretty close to home, and in this case, that's a good thing. Green Day never fail to entertain me.
Track five is called Wild One and it almost sounds like a continuation of Lazy Bones with no lyrical relation. The lyrics are good, the music is great, and if it seems like I'm sucking up to Green Day here, it's because I normally don't buy and review albums I don't think I'll like. Overall, pretty good song.
Track six is called Makeout Party, and it rocks. The lyrics are kind of weird, but the music is great, and more than makes up for the facts that the lyrics hardly make sense to me. This is the kind of punk rock Green Day is known for, and I love it.
Track seven, and the first single off the album, is called Stray Heart, and it starts off with a great bass line by Mike Dirnt, and then you hear Billie Joe. The lyrics are great, the music is good, although the chorus is a bit too simple. The weirdest thing though was the music video, which looks like it belongs at an indie film festival. I'd like to meet the director of that video.
Track eight is called Ashley, which is the first line of the song and the murder weapon of headphone users. This song is very energetic, and while I believe songs named after a girl is way too cliched, it doesn't mean they're all bad, and this one is very good.
Track nine is called Baby Eyes, and it's another loud, energetic song. Great musically, good lyrically, and one I'd love to see live. I don't have that much to say about it besides that.
Track ten is called Lady Cobra, which I think is the name of the rapper on the next track, and this is a very energetic song, with great lyrics, and kick-ass punk sound. The one thing is, like many of the other songs, it's too short. This could've been a lot longer than the final product.
Track eleven is called Nightlife, and this song was criticized because it was very experimental, and included a female rapper. The rapping was okay, but was a bit excessive, Billie Joe was great, the lyrics he sang rocked, and the whole song was great musically. Personally, I think these critics are complaining about nothing, but that's just me.
Track twelve is called Wow! That's Loud, and while the name is appropriate, it could've been louder. Despite this, the song is good lyrically, great musically, and it's energetic, and will make headphone users say Wow! That's Loud!
Track thirteen (yes, this is the only one in the trilogy that had thirteen tracks and not twelve), is called Amy, and was a tribute to Amy Winehouse, who passed away recently. The song was great lyrically, musically, and is catchy as hell. And it's a much slower song, which we didn't see much of on Uno, and is appropriate, considering the subject matter. A great way to end the thing.
Overall I give ¡Dos! a 9/10. It still has a lot of the in your face punk from Uno, but was more musically diverse. You have the loud, energetic punk, like Stop When The Red Lights Flash, but you also get a break from that, like on Amy. That's two of three in the Green Day trilogy, considering how diverse this was, and how awesome The Forgotten is, I can't wait for ¡Tré!. However, seeing as that won't be out until December, and I probably won't be able to get it until Christmas, I'll have to enjoy ¡Uno! and ¡Dos! for now. That's it for today's review, tune in next time when I review ¡Tré!... well, most likely, but before you go, it's time for another edition of "Did The Director Of Eraserhead Direct The New Green Day Video?"
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Flyleaf - New Horizons Review: End of an Era
Okay, so Flyleaf will always hold a special place in my heart. My first concert, ever, was Flyleaf, and They only improved from there (well, Memento Mori had it's low points, but so does just about every album ever made). Now, they release a new album about every 3 years, so I was excited when I heard 2012 was the year of a new Flyleaf album. It was given the name "New Horizons", which is a great summary of many of Flyleaf's songs. Originally, I just viewed this as I would any other new album. However the importance of this album amplified greatly with the announcement that this would be the last Flyleaf album featuring lead vocalist Lacey Sturm (Lacey Mosley when I started listening). As with Nightwish, another female-fronted band who replaced their lead singer, this is the end of an era. So here is my review of New Horizons by Flyleaf.
Track one is called Fire Fire, and it is a great way to start the album. The lyrics are great, the music starts slow, but rocks, it's an all around great song. It really makes you wish Lacey had stayed. Already better than much of Memento Mori.
Track two is the title track, and sadly, it isn't that great. I almost thought it wasn't Flyleaf when I first heard it, because there's barely any example of Lacey's powerful loud voice, and no examples of her gritty rocker voice. The lyrics are good, but the music just isn't, so they cancel out. It sadly doesn't live up to the rest of the album, and it seems like while the good songs make you wish she had stayed, the bad ones make you wish she could have a chance at title track redemption.
Track three is called Call You Out, and it is a perfect example of a gritty rock song by Flyeaf. It's loud, it's fast, it's in your face, reminiscent of I'm So Sick, or more so Chasm, almost to a point of eerie similarity. This song more than makes up for the last track, and for those of you hoping for a kick-ass rock song from Flyleaf for the last Lacy album, this is perfect.
Track four is called Cage On The Ground, and it's a very emotional song, that displays Lacey's powerful voice perfectly (though, perhaps not as perfectly as Arise). There are more songs like this featuring Lacey's powerful voice, but this is one of those that you can feel the emotion, from Lacey's voice alone. I can't imagine how awesome it would've been to see her sing this live (for those of you wondering, Flyleaf's live show kicks ass).
Track five is called Great Love, and it starts out emotional with rocking music, but immediately slows down, to a verse that in my opinion, doesn't fit with the chorus. There's almost no transition between a boring verse and a kick-ass chorus. I like it, but it's nothing compared to the next track.
Track six is called Bury Your Heart, and it is possibly my favorite song on the album. It starts off slow, and then rocks. The lyrics are great, and this is one of the great emotional songs Lacey does, despite not using her voice to it's full power. It is a fantastic song, and I personally wish this were the first single.
Track seven is called Freedom, and it starts off rocking and only gets better. This is an example of emotion and gritty rock, in perfect harmony. The lyrics are great, but I'd expect nothing less from Flyleaf. The entire song is very well done, and this is another song I'd love to have seen done live. Also this is the first time in a long time Lacey has screamed on a song (as she did in I'm So Sick and Cassie).
Track eight is called Saving Grace, and it is another perfect example of emotion in Lacey's vocals. Now Flyleaf's lyrics are almost always great, but these ones in particular, were fantastic. The music fits perfectly throughout the entire song. At one point though, Lacey's voice gets a lot lower for the bridge, and it was weird.
Track nine is called Stand, and while this was a softer song, this was done right, the music actually fit the vocals. I'm not gonna keep saying how great the lyric were, because Flyleaf's lyrics are almost always great. If New Horizons were done more like this, I'd probably like it more (the song New Horizons is kinda growing on me though). I think it ends to soon though.
Track ten is called Green Heart and while I like the loud rocking song among the emotional songs, this song does not fit on an album called New Horizons. This fits more on Memento Mori than on this. I'm just glad it was a short as it was, so I didn't have to sit through more than almost 3 minutes of it. It's not that I didn't like it, it's that it didn't fit on this album, at all.
Track eleven, and the final track, is called Broken Wings, and this ending may not be what the fans wanted, but it fits perfectly with the tone of this album, and on an album called New Horizons. The song starts out slow, but I almost didn't expect it to build up and rock the way it did. It rocked without making itself too out of place on this album. It fits the tone, Lacey's voice emotional throughout, instrumentals rock, lyrics, you know. A great end for the album that this is.
Overall New Horizons was great. Better than Memento Mori. Not better than the first album though. I noticed a lot of short songs, and at first I almost wished they had given Lacey more of a finale, considering this is her final Flyleaf album, but when they were making the album, they couldn't have known she was gonna leave. She couldn't have known she was gonna leave. It just happened, and New Horizons was what we got (There is the iTunes bonus track, but I don't have that version). The new singer is Kristen May, and no, he name is not a sentence fragment. She is the former singer of Vedera, and is now singing for Flyleaf. I'm gonna put it this way. When Tarja left Nightwish, I bought Dark Passion Play, and it was just okay. So I gave the new singer a second chance, and the most recent Nightwish album, Imaginaerum, kicked ass. So I am giving Kristen May two chanced not to screw up Flyleaf forever. Although what I really wish they would do is release a new single so the fans can get a taste of Kristen May Flyeaf (no that is not a sentence).
Well, that's a wrap, tune in next time when I review Green Day's album Dos, will it be as awesome as Uno, we'll see. That's it, but first, it's time for another edition of, "That's the replacement?!?"
Track one is called Fire Fire, and it is a great way to start the album. The lyrics are great, the music starts slow, but rocks, it's an all around great song. It really makes you wish Lacey had stayed. Already better than much of Memento Mori.
Track two is the title track, and sadly, it isn't that great. I almost thought it wasn't Flyleaf when I first heard it, because there's barely any example of Lacey's powerful loud voice, and no examples of her gritty rocker voice. The lyrics are good, but the music just isn't, so they cancel out. It sadly doesn't live up to the rest of the album, and it seems like while the good songs make you wish she had stayed, the bad ones make you wish she could have a chance at title track redemption.
Track three is called Call You Out, and it is a perfect example of a gritty rock song by Flyeaf. It's loud, it's fast, it's in your face, reminiscent of I'm So Sick, or more so Chasm, almost to a point of eerie similarity. This song more than makes up for the last track, and for those of you hoping for a kick-ass rock song from Flyleaf for the last Lacy album, this is perfect.
Track four is called Cage On The Ground, and it's a very emotional song, that displays Lacey's powerful voice perfectly (though, perhaps not as perfectly as Arise). There are more songs like this featuring Lacey's powerful voice, but this is one of those that you can feel the emotion, from Lacey's voice alone. I can't imagine how awesome it would've been to see her sing this live (for those of you wondering, Flyleaf's live show kicks ass).
Track five is called Great Love, and it starts out emotional with rocking music, but immediately slows down, to a verse that in my opinion, doesn't fit with the chorus. There's almost no transition between a boring verse and a kick-ass chorus. I like it, but it's nothing compared to the next track.
Track six is called Bury Your Heart, and it is possibly my favorite song on the album. It starts off slow, and then rocks. The lyrics are great, and this is one of the great emotional songs Lacey does, despite not using her voice to it's full power. It is a fantastic song, and I personally wish this were the first single.
Track seven is called Freedom, and it starts off rocking and only gets better. This is an example of emotion and gritty rock, in perfect harmony. The lyrics are great, but I'd expect nothing less from Flyleaf. The entire song is very well done, and this is another song I'd love to have seen done live. Also this is the first time in a long time Lacey has screamed on a song (as she did in I'm So Sick and Cassie).
Track eight is called Saving Grace, and it is another perfect example of emotion in Lacey's vocals. Now Flyleaf's lyrics are almost always great, but these ones in particular, were fantastic. The music fits perfectly throughout the entire song. At one point though, Lacey's voice gets a lot lower for the bridge, and it was weird.
Track nine is called Stand, and while this was a softer song, this was done right, the music actually fit the vocals. I'm not gonna keep saying how great the lyric were, because Flyleaf's lyrics are almost always great. If New Horizons were done more like this, I'd probably like it more (the song New Horizons is kinda growing on me though). I think it ends to soon though.
Track ten is called Green Heart and while I like the loud rocking song among the emotional songs, this song does not fit on an album called New Horizons. This fits more on Memento Mori than on this. I'm just glad it was a short as it was, so I didn't have to sit through more than almost 3 minutes of it. It's not that I didn't like it, it's that it didn't fit on this album, at all.
Track eleven, and the final track, is called Broken Wings, and this ending may not be what the fans wanted, but it fits perfectly with the tone of this album, and on an album called New Horizons. The song starts out slow, but I almost didn't expect it to build up and rock the way it did. It rocked without making itself too out of place on this album. It fits the tone, Lacey's voice emotional throughout, instrumentals rock, lyrics, you know. A great end for the album that this is.
Overall New Horizons was great. Better than Memento Mori. Not better than the first album though. I noticed a lot of short songs, and at first I almost wished they had given Lacey more of a finale, considering this is her final Flyleaf album, but when they were making the album, they couldn't have known she was gonna leave. She couldn't have known she was gonna leave. It just happened, and New Horizons was what we got (There is the iTunes bonus track, but I don't have that version). The new singer is Kristen May, and no, he name is not a sentence fragment. She is the former singer of Vedera, and is now singing for Flyleaf. I'm gonna put it this way. When Tarja left Nightwish, I bought Dark Passion Play, and it was just okay. So I gave the new singer a second chance, and the most recent Nightwish album, Imaginaerum, kicked ass. So I am giving Kristen May two chanced not to screw up Flyleaf forever. Although what I really wish they would do is release a new single so the fans can get a taste of Kristen May Flyeaf (no that is not a sentence).
Well, that's a wrap, tune in next time when I review Green Day's album Dos, will it be as awesome as Uno, we'll see. That's it, but first, it's time for another edition of, "That's the replacement?!?"
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Marilyn Manson Born Villain Review!!!
Hey guys,
So I've been a fan of Marilyn Manson for a few years, and I've been putting this review off for a while. This is long overdue, so here it is, my review of Marilyn Manson's Born Villain.
Track one, Hey Cruel World, starts out with some slow guitar and electric stuff. Then Marilyn starts singing, and you can tell this'll be great. Then it starts rocking. And you realize this was the song that I Am Among No One was from. The heavy guitar, and dark vocals make this a great start to the album.
Track two, and the lead single, is called No Reflection; However the album version is a lot longer than the single version (like Storytime for Nightwish). The first verse was very low, but then got more upbeat, and then the chorus, which rocked. The guitar and drums are great, however this isn't one of my favorites.
Track three is called Pistol Whipped and it starts out with some quiet gears cranking, and then guitar, with electric stuff. And then you hear breathing. The vocals come in, and this is probably one of the ones I like less, due to the slow tempo, and gears at the beginning. However, the chorus was great, so I won't say it was completely bad.
Track four is called Overneath The Path Of Misery, and this one was leaked early, but the album begins with a long Shakespeare quote. Then the guitar comes in at it rocks. Due to hearing the song on YouTube, I recognize a lot of the lyrics. A lot of Shakespeare references, yet still able to rock. And then the chorus comes in and rocks.
Track five is called Slo-Mo-Tion, and originally, I wasn't into this song, but I've gotten around to liking it, since I saw the video. It kind of reminds me of Putting Holes In Happiness, but the lyrics are completely different. I honestly don't know what this song is supposed to be about, but that's what I love about Manson, his songs are so complex, that sometimes I can't understand what they mean. He truly is an artist.
Track 6 is called The Gardener, and I'm not into this song, mainly because it's almost all spoken word, almost like a musical poem, which further proves Manson is an artist, and not just a musician, but I hate spoken word. I just don't like it for some reason. So this song is a good song overall, but I personally don't like it.
Track 7 is called The Flowers Of Evil, and while that name sounds awful, this is a very good song. It takes a while to get going, but once it does, it becomes an awesome work of industrial metal. This is a prime example of the darkness that Manson is known for.
Track 8 is called Children Of Cain, and while it is a slower song, it is incredibly catchy. It is very dark and gloomy, which is good, because you don't want a bubbly song from Marilyn Manson. The lyrics are complex, but not too complex (Too complex = Not catchy), and the music is dark, but rocks.
Track 9 is called Disengaged, and it starts with breathing on the mic, and then it gets good. This is actually the shortest song on the album, but is still really good, which makes me wish it was longer. The chorus rocks, and really brings this song to life.
Track 10 is called Lay Down Your Goddamn Arms, and with a title like that, I'm not surprised that there's a lot of unnecessary profanity in this song, but I still enjoyed it, the lyrics are good, besides the unnecessary cursing, the music kicks ass, and the chorus rocks.
Track 11 is called Murderers Are Getting Prettier Every Day and this song kicks ass. It's fast, it rocks, the guitar is badass, and the lyrics rock. This is a less artistic song on the album, but I love it.
Track 12 is the title track Born Villain, and while this is a slower song, it's very dark, and the lyrics are awesome. It's almost 5 and a half minutes, so you have a lot to work with. This is a work of art as well as a rock song. The end verse kicks ass, and I almost wish this were the last song on the album, but if it were, we wouldn't have this next one.
Track 13 is called Breaking The Same Old Ground, and you'd think from the beginning this would be a slow, but dark rock song, but it's actually more emotional and slow. I like it, but I almost wish a rock song were the last one, well, an original one.
Track 14 is a cover of You're So Vain by Carly Simon with Johnny Depp (Yes, the actor) on guitar. I honestly never know Johnny Depp was such a good guitarist, and Manson did great on the vocals, not trying to copy Carly Simon (but, let's be honest, how could he?).
Overall Thoughts: 8/10. While there were songs on here I didn't enjoy, I love the majority. Marilyn Manson is one of the few true artists in the music business today, and this album proves it to those who deny it. Manson is a creative genius and I love this album, I just wish it came with a lyric booklet. Damn independent labels.
So I've been a fan of Marilyn Manson for a few years, and I've been putting this review off for a while. This is long overdue, so here it is, my review of Marilyn Manson's Born Villain.
Track one, Hey Cruel World, starts out with some slow guitar and electric stuff. Then Marilyn starts singing, and you can tell this'll be great. Then it starts rocking. And you realize this was the song that I Am Among No One was from. The heavy guitar, and dark vocals make this a great start to the album.
Track two, and the lead single, is called No Reflection; However the album version is a lot longer than the single version (like Storytime for Nightwish). The first verse was very low, but then got more upbeat, and then the chorus, which rocked. The guitar and drums are great, however this isn't one of my favorites.
Track three is called Pistol Whipped and it starts out with some quiet gears cranking, and then guitar, with electric stuff. And then you hear breathing. The vocals come in, and this is probably one of the ones I like less, due to the slow tempo, and gears at the beginning. However, the chorus was great, so I won't say it was completely bad.
Track four is called Overneath The Path Of Misery, and this one was leaked early, but the album begins with a long Shakespeare quote. Then the guitar comes in at it rocks. Due to hearing the song on YouTube, I recognize a lot of the lyrics. A lot of Shakespeare references, yet still able to rock. And then the chorus comes in and rocks.
Track five is called Slo-Mo-Tion, and originally, I wasn't into this song, but I've gotten around to liking it, since I saw the video. It kind of reminds me of Putting Holes In Happiness, but the lyrics are completely different. I honestly don't know what this song is supposed to be about, but that's what I love about Manson, his songs are so complex, that sometimes I can't understand what they mean. He truly is an artist.
Track 6 is called The Gardener, and I'm not into this song, mainly because it's almost all spoken word, almost like a musical poem, which further proves Manson is an artist, and not just a musician, but I hate spoken word. I just don't like it for some reason. So this song is a good song overall, but I personally don't like it.
Track 7 is called The Flowers Of Evil, and while that name sounds awful, this is a very good song. It takes a while to get going, but once it does, it becomes an awesome work of industrial metal. This is a prime example of the darkness that Manson is known for.
Track 8 is called Children Of Cain, and while it is a slower song, it is incredibly catchy. It is very dark and gloomy, which is good, because you don't want a bubbly song from Marilyn Manson. The lyrics are complex, but not too complex (Too complex = Not catchy), and the music is dark, but rocks.
Track 9 is called Disengaged, and it starts with breathing on the mic, and then it gets good. This is actually the shortest song on the album, but is still really good, which makes me wish it was longer. The chorus rocks, and really brings this song to life.
Track 10 is called Lay Down Your Goddamn Arms, and with a title like that, I'm not surprised that there's a lot of unnecessary profanity in this song, but I still enjoyed it, the lyrics are good, besides the unnecessary cursing, the music kicks ass, and the chorus rocks.
Track 11 is called Murderers Are Getting Prettier Every Day and this song kicks ass. It's fast, it rocks, the guitar is badass, and the lyrics rock. This is a less artistic song on the album, but I love it.
Track 12 is the title track Born Villain, and while this is a slower song, it's very dark, and the lyrics are awesome. It's almost 5 and a half minutes, so you have a lot to work with. This is a work of art as well as a rock song. The end verse kicks ass, and I almost wish this were the last song on the album, but if it were, we wouldn't have this next one.
Track 13 is called Breaking The Same Old Ground, and you'd think from the beginning this would be a slow, but dark rock song, but it's actually more emotional and slow. I like it, but I almost wish a rock song were the last one, well, an original one.
Track 14 is a cover of You're So Vain by Carly Simon with Johnny Depp (Yes, the actor) on guitar. I honestly never know Johnny Depp was such a good guitarist, and Manson did great on the vocals, not trying to copy Carly Simon (but, let's be honest, how could he?).
Overall Thoughts: 8/10. While there were songs on here I didn't enjoy, I love the majority. Marilyn Manson is one of the few true artists in the music business today, and this album proves it to those who deny it. Manson is a creative genius and I love this album, I just wish it came with a lyric booklet. Damn independent labels.
Dot Dot Curve Deaf, Dumb and Blind review
I've put this off long enough, here is my review of Deaf Dumb and Blind by Dot Dot Curve.
Track 1 is called Doctor, and is another generic electronic intro which we see so much of today.
Track 2 is called Snapbacks & Tatts, and it gets straight to the good stuff. Spanky's rapping, but he also screams, which I love. I liked the lyrics a bit less than other stuff recently, but it's mostly brand new, so I'm not complaining.
Track 3 is called Hotelly YPSM remix ft. J Bigga, and I've never heard the original song, so I don't have that to compare it to, which is actually a good thing. It's pretty catchy, especially the chorus, but anything by J Bigga is catchy... well, except the verse in this song.
Track 4 is called Cockroach, which is a freestyle by Spanky, which I'd been hoping for since I'm Still Here. Spanky was great, and I loved the Shining reference. However, due to the roaches in Florida (where I live), I can't say I liked the name at first. I hope to see more freestyles from Spanky in the future.
Track 5 is called Tongue Dance, and is reminds me a lot of Spoonfull Of Sugar off Till The Wheels Fall Off, well, besides the subject matter. This is simply put, a song about making out, but you picked that up from the lyrics.
Track 6 is called BottleAfterBottle Ft. BayBay, and I wasn't into this song the first time, and I'm still not. I like DDC, and I don't mind BayBay, but I just don't like this song. I didn't mind the chorus though.
Track 7 is called PartyOnTheMoon ft. Envy (You know, from Scene Kidz), and while I like the verses, I don't like the chorus. Spanky is growling at a point between screaming and rapping, and Envy is doing that annoying thing where she raps like a little girl with a swearing problem (I never liked rappers that did that). I don't mind Envy, I love obSCENE, but I just didn't like the chorus or Envy's verse... at all.
Track 8 is called Area 51 ft. N!tro, and at first I thought it would be one of those songs that belongs on a N!tro album, but this was a great ending. This isn't brand new, but it feels new to me because I didn't bother to download it when it was free. N!tro has a great verse, and he's a pretty good singer for a rapper. Spanky has a great verse, and chorus, and the song ends, bringing the EP with it.
Overall thoughts: 7/10. While this EP had it's moments, at times I just didn't enjoy it. Nasty was so much better, but I still did enjoy tracks like Snapbacks and Tatts, Cockroach, and Area 51. I was just glad to see 6 out of 8 songs being brand new after Dead Beat.
Track 1 is called Doctor, and is another generic electronic intro which we see so much of today.
Track 2 is called Snapbacks & Tatts, and it gets straight to the good stuff. Spanky's rapping, but he also screams, which I love. I liked the lyrics a bit less than other stuff recently, but it's mostly brand new, so I'm not complaining.
Track 3 is called Hotelly YPSM remix ft. J Bigga, and I've never heard the original song, so I don't have that to compare it to, which is actually a good thing. It's pretty catchy, especially the chorus, but anything by J Bigga is catchy... well, except the verse in this song.
Track 4 is called Cockroach, which is a freestyle by Spanky, which I'd been hoping for since I'm Still Here. Spanky was great, and I loved the Shining reference. However, due to the roaches in Florida (where I live), I can't say I liked the name at first. I hope to see more freestyles from Spanky in the future.
Track 5 is called Tongue Dance, and is reminds me a lot of Spoonfull Of Sugar off Till The Wheels Fall Off, well, besides the subject matter. This is simply put, a song about making out, but you picked that up from the lyrics.
Track 6 is called BottleAfterBottle Ft. BayBay, and I wasn't into this song the first time, and I'm still not. I like DDC, and I don't mind BayBay, but I just don't like this song. I didn't mind the chorus though.
Track 7 is called PartyOnTheMoon ft. Envy (You know, from Scene Kidz), and while I like the verses, I don't like the chorus. Spanky is growling at a point between screaming and rapping, and Envy is doing that annoying thing where she raps like a little girl with a swearing problem (I never liked rappers that did that). I don't mind Envy, I love obSCENE, but I just didn't like the chorus or Envy's verse... at all.
Track 8 is called Area 51 ft. N!tro, and at first I thought it would be one of those songs that belongs on a N!tro album, but this was a great ending. This isn't brand new, but it feels new to me because I didn't bother to download it when it was free. N!tro has a great verse, and he's a pretty good singer for a rapper. Spanky has a great verse, and chorus, and the song ends, bringing the EP with it.
Overall thoughts: 7/10. While this EP had it's moments, at times I just didn't enjoy it. Nasty was so much better, but I still did enjoy tracks like Snapbacks and Tatts, Cockroach, and Area 51. I was just glad to see 6 out of 8 songs being brand new after Dead Beat.
Review of Vengeance by R.Jones
Yea, I know, I put off Deaf, Dumb and Blind, again, but I got a request from the artist on this one, so here is my review, of R.Jones.
Track 1 is called Jesus Juice Ft. Chao, and while the lyrics and sound were reminiscent of Aesop Rock, the distorted voice was not a good first impression. Then it's just instrumental for the rest. I dunno, I hope there's more to it than this.
Track 2 is called Fantasy Life ft. Brandon Turk, and this is infinitely better than the first track. The music is catchy as hell, and the voice isn't distorted to the point of annoyance. I actually enjoyed this whereas the first had good lyrics, and that's it. Brandon Turk was pretty good, but I have to wonder, was the 4 minute length really necessary?
Track 3 is called Atari Team Gang, and honestly, I don't see the reason for this song's existence, let alone it being 6 minutes. I made it to about the 1 minute mark and wanted it to be over.
Track 4 is called Pop Off ft. puffpuffpass(what?), and thank goodness for this track because were it not for this, I would be reluctant to listen to anything by R.Jones again. While it repeats lyrics, from ATG, there's actually real verses in this track. I personally think this track could do without a chorus though.
Overall thoughts 5/10, simply because it's literally half good. I see potential, but I can't stand half the record. I love long songs, but if they're bad, making it long is worse. R.Jones himself told me he made this a while back, so I'm hoping he's improved, and stuff like this is a lesson in what not to do. Now, I am not going to post anything, until my review for Deaf Dumb and Blind, thank you.
Track 1 is called Jesus Juice Ft. Chao, and while the lyrics and sound were reminiscent of Aesop Rock, the distorted voice was not a good first impression. Then it's just instrumental for the rest. I dunno, I hope there's more to it than this.
Track 2 is called Fantasy Life ft. Brandon Turk, and this is infinitely better than the first track. The music is catchy as hell, and the voice isn't distorted to the point of annoyance. I actually enjoyed this whereas the first had good lyrics, and that's it. Brandon Turk was pretty good, but I have to wonder, was the 4 minute length really necessary?
Track 3 is called Atari Team Gang, and honestly, I don't see the reason for this song's existence, let alone it being 6 minutes. I made it to about the 1 minute mark and wanted it to be over.
Track 4 is called Pop Off ft. puffpuffpass(what?), and thank goodness for this track because were it not for this, I would be reluctant to listen to anything by R.Jones again. While it repeats lyrics, from ATG, there's actually real verses in this track. I personally think this track could do without a chorus though.
Overall thoughts 5/10, simply because it's literally half good. I see potential, but I can't stand half the record. I love long songs, but if they're bad, making it long is worse. R.Jones himself told me he made this a while back, so I'm hoping he's improved, and stuff like this is a lesson in what not to do. Now, I am not going to post anything, until my review for Deaf Dumb and Blind, thank you.
Dot Dot Curve - Nasty review
I'm a big fan of Dot Dot Curve, but I wasn't a big fan of Dead Beat. Right after that they released Deaf, Dumb and Blind, which I was going to review, before I heard about their new mixtape, Nasty. I downloaded it and now, I am going to review it. So here is my review of DDC's Nasty.
Track 1 is the title track, and while it gets a bit repetitive, I really liked it. Why? Because it is reminiscent of all DDC's work, from Till The Wheels Fall Off to Dead Beat. Spanky is as good as ever, and the beat is awesome, just putting that out there. While not my favorite on the record, it is a great start.
Track 2 is called iRock ft. BayBay, and if Spanky proved anything with this, it's that, you don't need to tell us that. This song could be called Untitled and we'd get the message. You get a great verse from BayBay, and Spanky takes care of the rest.
Track 3 is called This Is Anarchy ft. Jayreck, and this sounds like it could be on Your Ears Will Bleeping Bleed 2. You get Jayreck in the beginning, which is always a good thing. Spanky's verse is awesome, and I would really like to see more songs like this in the future.
Track 4 is called Go Stupid, and this one sounds like it could've been on Dead Beat considering the other songs on there. This is a song that makes you want to move (Like Red Hot Chili Peppers, but not in any other way). I do like it, but were the 10 seconds of silence at the end really necessary?
Track 5 is called Trick Treat Ft BayBay, and so much of this song is screaming, I was almost surprised when BayBay had this awesome verse in the middle of all the screaming. And while I love this song musically, I can't understand most of the lyrics, so I haven't the slightest clue what it's about, besides BayBay's verse, which doesn't provide much insight besides "Slasher Movie Soundtrack". At first BayBay's verse seems almost unnecessary in this kind of song, but then I realized it brought something different to an almost all screaming song. I was able to really enjoy this song, and still do when I listen to it again.
Track 6 was originally called Earthquake, which I believe would've been a better title, but they chose Hard Rock Sweater ft Young Chi. I think it was appropriate to have Young Chi on this song because it sounds like I'm Still Here Revamped, although it could've just as easily have been on Dead Beat (Although I'm glad it wasn't). While Young Chi didn't get his own verse, he did get a pretty kick ass part in the chorus. And Spanky was good throughout.
Track 7 is called 8OH8!, and at first I thought the entire song was going to have 9 different lyrics (oddly enough) which would've been awful, but then Spanky starts rapping, and relief. Great rap verse, although I think the electro music in the background gets a bit annoying. After that verse though, it just repeats itself. I think he should've ended it differently.
Overall thoughts: 9/10, maybe I am giving this album a little too much credit, but I just hated the lack of brand new material on Dead Beat, so I guess I was really excited to see new material that was so good, even if I do overrate it. I liked Deaf Dumb and Blind (Which I will get to), but I love this. I just hope DDC's next album isn't something like this combined with Deaf Dumb and Blind, or something dumb like that.
Oh, and in the tradition of every DDC album I have being a different genre in iTunes for some reason, I have labeled this, Goth Rock, don't ask why, I do not know.
Tune in next time, when I will review Dot Dot Curve's Deaf Dumb and Blind.
Oh, and here's a link to the download of Nasty ----> http://mediafire.com/?hocb31tbwj7nhhy
Oh, and here's a link to the download of Nasty ----> http://mediafire.com/?hocb31tbwj7nhhy
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Green Day - ¡Uno! review
Okay, so, I'm a Green Day fan. Not everyone is. Some are just a fan of Green Day to a certain point. Recently they released the first in a trilogy of albums. So here is my review of ¡Uno! by Green Day.
Track 1 is called Nuclear Family, and they immediately let you know, this is a Green Day album, with the kick-ass, in your face punk rock we've come to love and expect from Green Day. The music is great, the lyrics are great, an awesome way to start the album. What? You didn't think I was gonna say great again did you?
Track 2 is called Stay The Night and while the lyrics are nothing like Nuclear Family, the music is the same in your face punk rock we see throughout the album. However, as I said, this is a more personal song, whereas I have no idea what Nuclear Family was supposed to be about. This song is good, however if it weren't a Green Day song I'd say the rock sound doesn't fit with the lyrics.
Track 3 is called Carpe Diem, and if you don't know what that means, the other lyrics in the chorus may not make sense. It is popularly translated as seize the day. With that in mind, the rest of the chorus makes perfect sense. This song reminds me of something on Joey Ramone's new solo album, which is good, because that album is great. I wish I knew what the name meant from the beginning though.
Track 4 is called Let Yourself Go, and if you want in your face, kick ass punk rock, and the other songs didn't satisfy you, this song is for you. The lyrics would be stupid were this not a punk song, and the music fits so well with the tone of this album, being the kind of song that would give your grandmother a heart attack. I love this song, but only found out it was new weeks before the release, so I wish I had gotten more time to listen to it before the album released.
Track 5 is called Kill The DJ. Now, when Green Day first announced this song, they described it as a dance song. "Holy crap," said the pissed of little Green Day fan in my head, "this song is going to suck, big time!". However I was shocked when I actually enjoyed it. I learned two things upon listening to it for the first time. One, Green Day is incapable of making a "dance song" and two, Green Day rocks, even when they're trying not to rock. One thing I liked about it though was it was a break from songs like Let Yourself Go, or Nuclear Family.
Track 6 is called Fell For You, and Tre Cool and Billie Joe start us off with a drum beat, and rocking guitar. This however is a very personal song, and whereas with Stay The Night, I said if it weren't Green Day the personal lyrics wouldn't fit the music, these lyrics do not fit the music, period. Judging by these lyrics, this song would make more sense with music like we heard on Wake Me Up When September Ends, or The Last Night On Earth. However I'm not complaining and I'll tell you why at the end of the review. I just hope we'll get some slower songs on the follow ups.
Track 7 is called Loss Of Control, and while that name sounds like No Self Control, this is different. However for a song called Loss Of Control, this song is pretty tame. The music rocks, but judging by the lyrics, this song should be a lot faster and crazier. There's even a few seconds where there's no music at all. What the hell? This is called Loss Of Control, couldn't they at least speed it up at the end? I liked it, but I think it should've been a lot faster.
Track 8 is called Troublemaker, and this almost sounds like a song the Sex Pistols would make, until the chorus, where it sounds like something I've heard before but can't picture. I do think the verses are a lot more wild than the chorus, which is weird because all the chorus is, is Billie Joe saying "Wanna be a troublemaker". This was a great song though, and I think it would be really cool if the Sex Pistols covered this.
Track 9 is called Angel Blue, and while I don't really get the lyrics, I love the song, music, and lyrics, because it sounds like a mix of Green Day that everyone likes. I really don't have much to say about this song, but I like it. That sounds lazy, but this is a hard song to evaluate.
Track 10 (and my personal favorite) is called Sweet 16. I love this song, because it's personal, emotional, and a break from the 10 other tracks of in your face punk rock. This song is also very catchy. It sticks in your head like a Beatles song. I love this song, because it sticks out in a crowd.
Track 11 is called Rusty James, and while I don't get the lyrics, the song rocks, and I like it. I will have to try to find what this song is about though, maybe I'll have more of an opinion about it.
Track 12, the final track and the first single on the album, is called Oh Love, and while this is a great personal song, and rocks, it does not feel like 5 minutes. I almost wish they had made it like Jesus of Suburbia, or 21st Century Breakdown, where it was multiple short songs in one huge song. You do get a kick ass guitar solo from Billie Joe in the middle, which is awesome. However, again, this does not feel like five minutes. It barely feels like four minutes. Some would say that's a good thing, but I love long songs, and this did not feel like one. It's very good though.
Final evaluation: 8/10; While this is a very good album, so much of it was in your face punk rock, that sometimes it would've felt unnecessary coming from anyone else, but that in your face punk is what I love about Green Day, they make it work, even when they're not trying to, like on Kill The DJ. However it is nice to have a break once in a while, and we didn't really get that on this album, so I'm still hoping for that on ¡Dos! or in the very least ¡Tre!; That is why I'm not complaining about the lack of slow songs on this album. One, because in your face punk is what Green Day is known for and two, because we still have two albums and 25 songs on the way. So I'm very pleased with ¡Uno! to say the least.
Next time : Dot Dot Curve - Deaf, Dumb and Blind EP review
Track 1 is called Nuclear Family, and they immediately let you know, this is a Green Day album, with the kick-ass, in your face punk rock we've come to love and expect from Green Day. The music is great, the lyrics are great, an awesome way to start the album. What? You didn't think I was gonna say great again did you?
Track 2 is called Stay The Night and while the lyrics are nothing like Nuclear Family, the music is the same in your face punk rock we see throughout the album. However, as I said, this is a more personal song, whereas I have no idea what Nuclear Family was supposed to be about. This song is good, however if it weren't a Green Day song I'd say the rock sound doesn't fit with the lyrics.
Track 3 is called Carpe Diem, and if you don't know what that means, the other lyrics in the chorus may not make sense. It is popularly translated as seize the day. With that in mind, the rest of the chorus makes perfect sense. This song reminds me of something on Joey Ramone's new solo album, which is good, because that album is great. I wish I knew what the name meant from the beginning though.
Track 4 is called Let Yourself Go, and if you want in your face, kick ass punk rock, and the other songs didn't satisfy you, this song is for you. The lyrics would be stupid were this not a punk song, and the music fits so well with the tone of this album, being the kind of song that would give your grandmother a heart attack. I love this song, but only found out it was new weeks before the release, so I wish I had gotten more time to listen to it before the album released.
Track 5 is called Kill The DJ. Now, when Green Day first announced this song, they described it as a dance song. "Holy crap," said the pissed of little Green Day fan in my head, "this song is going to suck, big time!". However I was shocked when I actually enjoyed it. I learned two things upon listening to it for the first time. One, Green Day is incapable of making a "dance song" and two, Green Day rocks, even when they're trying not to rock. One thing I liked about it though was it was a break from songs like Let Yourself Go, or Nuclear Family.
Track 6 is called Fell For You, and Tre Cool and Billie Joe start us off with a drum beat, and rocking guitar. This however is a very personal song, and whereas with Stay The Night, I said if it weren't Green Day the personal lyrics wouldn't fit the music, these lyrics do not fit the music, period. Judging by these lyrics, this song would make more sense with music like we heard on Wake Me Up When September Ends, or The Last Night On Earth. However I'm not complaining and I'll tell you why at the end of the review. I just hope we'll get some slower songs on the follow ups.
Track 7 is called Loss Of Control, and while that name sounds like No Self Control, this is different. However for a song called Loss Of Control, this song is pretty tame. The music rocks, but judging by the lyrics, this song should be a lot faster and crazier. There's even a few seconds where there's no music at all. What the hell? This is called Loss Of Control, couldn't they at least speed it up at the end? I liked it, but I think it should've been a lot faster.
Track 8 is called Troublemaker, and this almost sounds like a song the Sex Pistols would make, until the chorus, where it sounds like something I've heard before but can't picture. I do think the verses are a lot more wild than the chorus, which is weird because all the chorus is, is Billie Joe saying "Wanna be a troublemaker". This was a great song though, and I think it would be really cool if the Sex Pistols covered this.
Track 9 is called Angel Blue, and while I don't really get the lyrics, I love the song, music, and lyrics, because it sounds like a mix of Green Day that everyone likes. I really don't have much to say about this song, but I like it. That sounds lazy, but this is a hard song to evaluate.
Track 10 (and my personal favorite) is called Sweet 16. I love this song, because it's personal, emotional, and a break from the 10 other tracks of in your face punk rock. This song is also very catchy. It sticks in your head like a Beatles song. I love this song, because it sticks out in a crowd.
Track 11 is called Rusty James, and while I don't get the lyrics, the song rocks, and I like it. I will have to try to find what this song is about though, maybe I'll have more of an opinion about it.
Track 12, the final track and the first single on the album, is called Oh Love, and while this is a great personal song, and rocks, it does not feel like 5 minutes. I almost wish they had made it like Jesus of Suburbia, or 21st Century Breakdown, where it was multiple short songs in one huge song. You do get a kick ass guitar solo from Billie Joe in the middle, which is awesome. However, again, this does not feel like five minutes. It barely feels like four minutes. Some would say that's a good thing, but I love long songs, and this did not feel like one. It's very good though.
Final evaluation: 8/10; While this is a very good album, so much of it was in your face punk rock, that sometimes it would've felt unnecessary coming from anyone else, but that in your face punk is what I love about Green Day, they make it work, even when they're not trying to, like on Kill The DJ. However it is nice to have a break once in a while, and we didn't really get that on this album, so I'm still hoping for that on ¡Dos! or in the very least ¡Tre!; That is why I'm not complaining about the lack of slow songs on this album. One, because in your face punk is what Green Day is known for and two, because we still have two albums and 25 songs on the way. So I'm very pleased with ¡Uno! to say the least.
Next time : Dot Dot Curve - Deaf, Dumb and Blind EP review
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Triple Threat movie review - The Amazing Spiderman, The Dark Knight Rises, and Ted
Okay, so I've been seeing a lot of movies recently, and I thought I'd review a few of them.
The first is The Amazing Spiderman.
This is the first reboot film directed by Marc Webb and stars Andrew Garfield as Spiderman.
I really liked this movie, although for a movie called The Amazing Spiderman, it doesn't follow the comic very well. It's more of a reboot of the entire story. The problem with rebooting Spiderman or any movie is that the fans are always going to compare it to the original. I've compared this film to the Sam Raimi film, and I noticed that this one did not feel like an origin story. It felt a lot more like a sequel, whereas the first Sam Raimi film felt very much like an origin story. A few problems I had were that Peter Parker didn't frequently wear glasses. In the Sam Raimi film (and I believe the comics) Peter Parker wore glasses, but once he became Spiderman they became unnecessary. Also, Flash Thompson, Peter Parker's school bully and Spiderman superfan, was too nice to Peter in this. Also it was never really clear whether or not Peter caught the man who killed Uncle Ben (possible plans for his character in a sequel?). Despite this, it was fun to watch and had a great Spiderman VS Lizard scene in the climax. I give this film a 8/10 despite the problems, however I do hope the sequel is better.
Now for The Dark Knight Rises, it starts out with people at Harvey Dent's funeral, and then people bringing hostages on a plane, which you don't understand until you realize one of them is Bane, he destroys the plane but saves Dr. Leonid Pavel for as of yet unknown reasons. You then see Commissioner Gordon looking at a speech telling the truth about Harvey Dent, which he decides not to read yet. You then see Selina Kyle stealing Martha Wayne's pearls. She then proceeds to kidnap a congressman. Later while Gordon is chasing who he believes to be the kidnappers, he is captured by Bane who takes his speech (remember this). Gordon then escapes into the water, and is rescued by John Blake, who takes him to the hospital. Gordon then proceeds to promote Blake to detective.
Bruce Wayne then returns to the Gotham public, then Bane attacks the stock exchange and Batman returns to Gotham. Bruce Wayne then returns to Wayne Enterprises, and correctly suspects that John Daggett has hired Bane to help him take over Wayne Enterprises. Bruce Wayne gives control to businesswoman Miranda Tate, and Bane proceeds to kill Daggett. Selina Kyle then leads Batman to Bane, who proceeds to cripple Batman (after revealing he's been using Daggett's construction firm to plant explosives), and he brings batman to a foreign prison that is inescapable. Batman later learns that Ra's al Ghul had a child, and Bruce believed that child to be Bane. Meanwhile Bane lures most of Gotham's police force underground and detonates the explosives. He then destroys most of Gotham's bridges, turning Gotham into an isolated city state. Any escape attempts would result in the detonation of the Wayne Enterprises fusion core which had been converted into a nuclear bomb by Dr. Pavel, who Bane killed. Bane releases the prisoners locked up under the Dent act, and reveals the circumstances surrounding Dent's death through Gordon's speech. The rich and powerful are sentenced in a show trial by Jonathan Crane, and are sentenced to either exile or death (victim's choice). If they choose exile they have to try to cross the thin river ice and usually fall through. If they choose death, well, you get the idea. After the special forces fail, Gotham is blockaded and descends into anarchy. Bruce Wayne escapes the prison and returns to Gotham as Batman. He receives the help of Gordon, Lucius Fox, John Blake, Miranda Tate, and Selina Kyle. He is about to kill Bane, but is then stopped by Miranda Tate who is revealed to be Talia al Ghul, the child of Ra's. Bane is then revealed to be her protector, and her plan to destroy Gotham is revealed. Gordon blocks the bomb's ability to be remotely detonated, and Talia escapes to detonate the bomb. Selina Kyle then saves Batman by shooting and killing Bane using the Batpod. Batman then chases down Talia in an aircraft called the Bat. Talia is killed when her truck falls of a bridge, but claims that the bomb cannot be stopped. Batman plans to sacrifice his life by using the Bat to fly the bomb over the water. Gordon tries to stop him claiming Gotham will want to know the identity of their hero. Batman hints to his identity, and Gordon is surprised to figure out Bruce Wayne is Batman. Batman then proceeds with his plan and is presumed dead. Later, Batman is given a statue and Bruce Wayne is given a funeral. Lucius Fox discovers that the autopilot was fixed months ago by Wayne. Later, Alfred, on his vacation, sees Bruce and Selina together alive in a cafe. John Blake, who's full name is revealed to be Robin John Blake, is given coordinates to the batcave and enters the cave, ending the movie.
I enjoyed this movie very much. I give it 9/10 only because there was not enough Batman screen time.
And now for Ted. I will give a link to the plot at the end of the review. The whole film was very Family Guy-esque, and you could tell it was a Seth Macfarlane film. I like this movie because it takes the classic idea of a child's Christmas wish coming true, and turns it into a hard-r comedy. There were also a lot of Family Guy actors, besides Seth Macfarlane, there was Mila Kunis as the girlfriend, Alex Borstein as Johnny's Mother, Patrick Warburton as Guy, Mike Henry had a cameo, and Patrick Stewart from Start Trek: TNG, X-Men, and of course American Dad narrated. My problem is that besides the Teddy Bear part, it was a typical comedy, relationship, conflict breaks them up, getting back together at the end, could double as a romance. But I laughed, and I really liked it. 9/10.
Well, I will not be doing another movie review for a while, although I may review the remake of Total Recall. That's a wrap.
Ted on wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_(2012_film)
The first is The Amazing Spiderman.
This is the first reboot film directed by Marc Webb and stars Andrew Garfield as Spiderman.
I really liked this movie, although for a movie called The Amazing Spiderman, it doesn't follow the comic very well. It's more of a reboot of the entire story. The problem with rebooting Spiderman or any movie is that the fans are always going to compare it to the original. I've compared this film to the Sam Raimi film, and I noticed that this one did not feel like an origin story. It felt a lot more like a sequel, whereas the first Sam Raimi film felt very much like an origin story. A few problems I had were that Peter Parker didn't frequently wear glasses. In the Sam Raimi film (and I believe the comics) Peter Parker wore glasses, but once he became Spiderman they became unnecessary. Also, Flash Thompson, Peter Parker's school bully and Spiderman superfan, was too nice to Peter in this. Also it was never really clear whether or not Peter caught the man who killed Uncle Ben (possible plans for his character in a sequel?). Despite this, it was fun to watch and had a great Spiderman VS Lizard scene in the climax. I give this film a 8/10 despite the problems, however I do hope the sequel is better.
Now for The Dark Knight Rises, it starts out with people at Harvey Dent's funeral, and then people bringing hostages on a plane, which you don't understand until you realize one of them is Bane, he destroys the plane but saves Dr. Leonid Pavel for as of yet unknown reasons. You then see Commissioner Gordon looking at a speech telling the truth about Harvey Dent, which he decides not to read yet. You then see Selina Kyle stealing Martha Wayne's pearls. She then proceeds to kidnap a congressman. Later while Gordon is chasing who he believes to be the kidnappers, he is captured by Bane who takes his speech (remember this). Gordon then escapes into the water, and is rescued by John Blake, who takes him to the hospital. Gordon then proceeds to promote Blake to detective.
Bruce Wayne then returns to the Gotham public, then Bane attacks the stock exchange and Batman returns to Gotham. Bruce Wayne then returns to Wayne Enterprises, and correctly suspects that John Daggett has hired Bane to help him take over Wayne Enterprises. Bruce Wayne gives control to businesswoman Miranda Tate, and Bane proceeds to kill Daggett. Selina Kyle then leads Batman to Bane, who proceeds to cripple Batman (after revealing he's been using Daggett's construction firm to plant explosives), and he brings batman to a foreign prison that is inescapable. Batman later learns that Ra's al Ghul had a child, and Bruce believed that child to be Bane. Meanwhile Bane lures most of Gotham's police force underground and detonates the explosives. He then destroys most of Gotham's bridges, turning Gotham into an isolated city state. Any escape attempts would result in the detonation of the Wayne Enterprises fusion core which had been converted into a nuclear bomb by Dr. Pavel, who Bane killed. Bane releases the prisoners locked up under the Dent act, and reveals the circumstances surrounding Dent's death through Gordon's speech. The rich and powerful are sentenced in a show trial by Jonathan Crane, and are sentenced to either exile or death (victim's choice). If they choose exile they have to try to cross the thin river ice and usually fall through. If they choose death, well, you get the idea. After the special forces fail, Gotham is blockaded and descends into anarchy. Bruce Wayne escapes the prison and returns to Gotham as Batman. He receives the help of Gordon, Lucius Fox, John Blake, Miranda Tate, and Selina Kyle. He is about to kill Bane, but is then stopped by Miranda Tate who is revealed to be Talia al Ghul, the child of Ra's. Bane is then revealed to be her protector, and her plan to destroy Gotham is revealed. Gordon blocks the bomb's ability to be remotely detonated, and Talia escapes to detonate the bomb. Selina Kyle then saves Batman by shooting and killing Bane using the Batpod. Batman then chases down Talia in an aircraft called the Bat. Talia is killed when her truck falls of a bridge, but claims that the bomb cannot be stopped. Batman plans to sacrifice his life by using the Bat to fly the bomb over the water. Gordon tries to stop him claiming Gotham will want to know the identity of their hero. Batman hints to his identity, and Gordon is surprised to figure out Bruce Wayne is Batman. Batman then proceeds with his plan and is presumed dead. Later, Batman is given a statue and Bruce Wayne is given a funeral. Lucius Fox discovers that the autopilot was fixed months ago by Wayne. Later, Alfred, on his vacation, sees Bruce and Selina together alive in a cafe. John Blake, who's full name is revealed to be Robin John Blake, is given coordinates to the batcave and enters the cave, ending the movie.
I enjoyed this movie very much. I give it 9/10 only because there was not enough Batman screen time.
And now for Ted. I will give a link to the plot at the end of the review. The whole film was very Family Guy-esque, and you could tell it was a Seth Macfarlane film. I like this movie because it takes the classic idea of a child's Christmas wish coming true, and turns it into a hard-r comedy. There were also a lot of Family Guy actors, besides Seth Macfarlane, there was Mila Kunis as the girlfriend, Alex Borstein as Johnny's Mother, Patrick Warburton as Guy, Mike Henry had a cameo, and Patrick Stewart from Start Trek: TNG, X-Men, and of course American Dad narrated. My problem is that besides the Teddy Bear part, it was a typical comedy, relationship, conflict breaks them up, getting back together at the end, could double as a romance. But I laughed, and I really liked it. 9/10.
Well, I will not be doing another movie review for a while, although I may review the remake of Total Recall. That's a wrap.
Ted on wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_(2012_film)
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Linkin Park Living Things review!!!
Hey guys,
So here it is, my review of Linkin Park's 5th album, Living Things.
The first track is called Lost In The Echo, and what a way to start an album. Rap verse from Mike Shinoda, chorus from Chester, and even some screaming in there. This song could be on Meteora. The guitar and drums were great. A great way to start.
The second track is called In My Remains, and you could immediately hear some of the electronic elements from A Thousand Suns. Chester's voice when he started singing was full of emotion and it blew over when the chorus hit. Then it slows down and Mike Shinoda (who has an amazing voice for a rapper) starts singing amazingly, and then Chester rocks it.
The third track, and lead single is called Burn It Down, and Chester starts out with that same emotion, backed by the electronic elements from A Thousand Suns, and then rocks the chorus. Then, surprise, surprise! In the bridge we get an awesome rap verse from Shinoda! Something we hadn't seen in a lead single since Meteora, and this verse sums up the song in one awesome verse. And then Chester takes us out with a chorus.
The fourth track is called Lies Greed Misery, and it is one of the best songs on the album in my opinion. It starts out with an awesome rap verse from Mike Shinoda, and then Chester rocks the chorus. After another verse and chorus, Chester slows it down and screams his head off (awesome)! All the while, awesome guitar, and fast drumming.
The fifth track is called I'll Be Gone, and while very emotional and slow, it still rocks! Guitar from Mr. Delson to start out, followed by slowing down for Chester's emotional voice. Then the drums bring us in to Chester's rocking chorus. The whole thing could've been instrumental, and you would still feel the emotion that Chester only intensifies.
The sixth track is called Castle Of Glass, and it's one of the few songs dominated by Mike's singing voice. He does great, especially considering he's a rapper. The harmonies on the chorus were amazing, and you could feel the emotion. The guitar was full of feeling as well, and the drums intensified that feeling.
The seventh track is called Victimized, and while less than two minutes, it rocked, with Mike singing, Chester screaming, and a rap verse! The instruments were fantastic as well, heavy when necessary, and soft when needed. Possibly my favorite song less than two minutes.
The eighth track is called Roads Untraveled, and it is easily one of my favorite Linkin Park songs, despite being slow. It's about how you can't change the past, so don't try to. Mike and Chester are so emotional in their voices you can feel it, because any human being can relate to this song. The drums and piano intensify that feeling. It's one of those songs that someone might cry to.
The ninth track is called Skin To Bone, and this one could easily be on A Thousand Suns. The electronic based keyboard, the awesome lyrics, and Mike's emotional harmonies with Chester really make this song great. I could easily see this in a music video.
The tenth track is called Until It Breaks, and Mike starts out rapping amazingly. This song probably has the least Chester time, considering he only has one short part, still awesome though. It's these kind of songs that make me wish that Mike rapped a lot more. The guitar is great, and the drums intensify Mike's rapping. And then, surprise surprise, a slow verse from guitarist Brad Delson, which I thought was good for a change, but I wouldn't like to see it become a regular thing.
The eleventh track is an instrumental called Tinfoil, and sort of an intro to track twelve.
Track Twelve is called Powerless, and this one easily makes it's way into my favorite Linkin Park songs. Chester starts out backed by Piano, sounding incredibly emotional, and the chorus only intensified that emotion. The song then starts to build up leading to the guitar in the bridge, which rocked. Then Chester takes us out with a chorus, rocking it, ending with a bang. An incredible way to end an incredible album.
Overall, I would say this is the best Linkin Park album yet. The first two were great, but a lot of the songs sounded the same. Minutes To Midnight did not have nearly enough rap, and A Thousand Suns, was sort of half album, half short instrumental. This one took the good from each of their first four albums and turned it into a masterpiece. You could hear Hybrid Theory, Meteora, A Thousand Suns, and even some Minutes To Midnight. Linkin Park has made their mark as a rock band, and proved themselves as the artists they are. I would hate to be the fan that stopped listening when Catalyst came out. Overall, Living Things, 10/10, and I am not sucking up to them, it was really that good. But don't take my word for it, buy it yourself, you'll see what I mean.
So here it is, my review of Linkin Park's 5th album, Living Things.
The first track is called Lost In The Echo, and what a way to start an album. Rap verse from Mike Shinoda, chorus from Chester, and even some screaming in there. This song could be on Meteora. The guitar and drums were great. A great way to start.
The second track is called In My Remains, and you could immediately hear some of the electronic elements from A Thousand Suns. Chester's voice when he started singing was full of emotion and it blew over when the chorus hit. Then it slows down and Mike Shinoda (who has an amazing voice for a rapper) starts singing amazingly, and then Chester rocks it.
The third track, and lead single is called Burn It Down, and Chester starts out with that same emotion, backed by the electronic elements from A Thousand Suns, and then rocks the chorus. Then, surprise, surprise! In the bridge we get an awesome rap verse from Shinoda! Something we hadn't seen in a lead single since Meteora, and this verse sums up the song in one awesome verse. And then Chester takes us out with a chorus.
The fourth track is called Lies Greed Misery, and it is one of the best songs on the album in my opinion. It starts out with an awesome rap verse from Mike Shinoda, and then Chester rocks the chorus. After another verse and chorus, Chester slows it down and screams his head off (awesome)! All the while, awesome guitar, and fast drumming.
The fifth track is called I'll Be Gone, and while very emotional and slow, it still rocks! Guitar from Mr. Delson to start out, followed by slowing down for Chester's emotional voice. Then the drums bring us in to Chester's rocking chorus. The whole thing could've been instrumental, and you would still feel the emotion that Chester only intensifies.
The sixth track is called Castle Of Glass, and it's one of the few songs dominated by Mike's singing voice. He does great, especially considering he's a rapper. The harmonies on the chorus were amazing, and you could feel the emotion. The guitar was full of feeling as well, and the drums intensified that feeling.
The seventh track is called Victimized, and while less than two minutes, it rocked, with Mike singing, Chester screaming, and a rap verse! The instruments were fantastic as well, heavy when necessary, and soft when needed. Possibly my favorite song less than two minutes.
The eighth track is called Roads Untraveled, and it is easily one of my favorite Linkin Park songs, despite being slow. It's about how you can't change the past, so don't try to. Mike and Chester are so emotional in their voices you can feel it, because any human being can relate to this song. The drums and piano intensify that feeling. It's one of those songs that someone might cry to.
The ninth track is called Skin To Bone, and this one could easily be on A Thousand Suns. The electronic based keyboard, the awesome lyrics, and Mike's emotional harmonies with Chester really make this song great. I could easily see this in a music video.
The tenth track is called Until It Breaks, and Mike starts out rapping amazingly. This song probably has the least Chester time, considering he only has one short part, still awesome though. It's these kind of songs that make me wish that Mike rapped a lot more. The guitar is great, and the drums intensify Mike's rapping. And then, surprise surprise, a slow verse from guitarist Brad Delson, which I thought was good for a change, but I wouldn't like to see it become a regular thing.
The eleventh track is an instrumental called Tinfoil, and sort of an intro to track twelve.
Track Twelve is called Powerless, and this one easily makes it's way into my favorite Linkin Park songs. Chester starts out backed by Piano, sounding incredibly emotional, and the chorus only intensified that emotion. The song then starts to build up leading to the guitar in the bridge, which rocked. Then Chester takes us out with a chorus, rocking it, ending with a bang. An incredible way to end an incredible album.
Overall, I would say this is the best Linkin Park album yet. The first two were great, but a lot of the songs sounded the same. Minutes To Midnight did not have nearly enough rap, and A Thousand Suns, was sort of half album, half short instrumental. This one took the good from each of their first four albums and turned it into a masterpiece. You could hear Hybrid Theory, Meteora, A Thousand Suns, and even some Minutes To Midnight. Linkin Park has made their mark as a rock band, and proved themselves as the artists they are. I would hate to be the fan that stopped listening when Catalyst came out. Overall, Living Things, 10/10, and I am not sucking up to them, it was really that good. But don't take my word for it, buy it yourself, you'll see what I mean.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Linkin Park Living Things live Berlin Concert Movie review!
Hey guys,
So I usually don't do movie reviews because with album reviews, I can listen over and over and really evaluate them. Movies either you only watch once, or watch a few times. The point is, a movie review is much more difficult. However, when I heard that the Linkin Park concert movie Living Things was coming to my theater, I knew I had to see it, and review it. So here it is, my review of NCM Fathom's Linkin Park Living Things.
Me and my brother got there early and there was a half hour preshow that was basically Linkin Park youtube footage, combined with an LPU promo, and the music videos for Waiting For The End and The Catalyst. I just wish they didn't repeat it afterwards. Then the show started with The making of the Burn It Down music video. There was lots of interesting behind the scenes footage, but some of it was just the band members screwing around, which I'm not going to complain about, because I laughed. Then the Burn It Down music video started playing, letting us watch their hard work come to life. Then the concert. They opened with Faint and it rocked! They played Papercut, which isn't usually in their live shows, and to tell the truth, there was a lot of Hybrid Theory for a Living Things movie. They did, however, play Lies Greed Misery, followed by a rap verse from Until It Breaks (the third to be exact), which left me surprised they didn't play Burn It Down. They played a lot from A Thousand Suns, and even played a medley of Leave Out All The Rest, Shadow Of The Day, and Iridescent, set to the tune of Iridescent. Did I mention at one point (I forget which song) Mr. Hahn had a badass turntable solo? They closed with Bleed It Out, but then, surprise surprise! Right in the middle of Bleed It Out they did a cover of Sabotage by The Beastie Boys, and Chester killed it. They closed with the end of Bleed It Out, leaving me blown away. I was glad to see they played songs from every era of LP and it wasn't dominated by one particular album. I would like to point out they dressed so normal for rock stars. They wore button up shirts, jeans, converse, and that's it. No weird stuff (well, Chester had stretched ears, but that doesn't really count). Also, Chester can still scream like a pro. One part I laughed at was one of the fans had purple hair. The fact that so many people showed up to an LP concert in Germany, shows that LP has made their mark as a rock band and has broken the language barrier, reaching out to fans who can't even understand a word they say. I really enjoyed it, despite the fact that the woman behind me was screaming like it was a real concert (some of it justified, other times, uncalled for). Overall, I give this movie a 10 out of 10, and that is not sucking up to them. Keep on rocking Linkin Park, I will be reviewing Living Things very soon.
So I usually don't do movie reviews because with album reviews, I can listen over and over and really evaluate them. Movies either you only watch once, or watch a few times. The point is, a movie review is much more difficult. However, when I heard that the Linkin Park concert movie Living Things was coming to my theater, I knew I had to see it, and review it. So here it is, my review of NCM Fathom's Linkin Park Living Things.
Me and my brother got there early and there was a half hour preshow that was basically Linkin Park youtube footage, combined with an LPU promo, and the music videos for Waiting For The End and The Catalyst. I just wish they didn't repeat it afterwards. Then the show started with The making of the Burn It Down music video. There was lots of interesting behind the scenes footage, but some of it was just the band members screwing around, which I'm not going to complain about, because I laughed. Then the Burn It Down music video started playing, letting us watch their hard work come to life. Then the concert. They opened with Faint and it rocked! They played Papercut, which isn't usually in their live shows, and to tell the truth, there was a lot of Hybrid Theory for a Living Things movie. They did, however, play Lies Greed Misery, followed by a rap verse from Until It Breaks (the third to be exact), which left me surprised they didn't play Burn It Down. They played a lot from A Thousand Suns, and even played a medley of Leave Out All The Rest, Shadow Of The Day, and Iridescent, set to the tune of Iridescent. Did I mention at one point (I forget which song) Mr. Hahn had a badass turntable solo? They closed with Bleed It Out, but then, surprise surprise! Right in the middle of Bleed It Out they did a cover of Sabotage by The Beastie Boys, and Chester killed it. They closed with the end of Bleed It Out, leaving me blown away. I was glad to see they played songs from every era of LP and it wasn't dominated by one particular album. I would like to point out they dressed so normal for rock stars. They wore button up shirts, jeans, converse, and that's it. No weird stuff (well, Chester had stretched ears, but that doesn't really count). Also, Chester can still scream like a pro. One part I laughed at was one of the fans had purple hair. The fact that so many people showed up to an LP concert in Germany, shows that LP has made their mark as a rock band and has broken the language barrier, reaching out to fans who can't even understand a word they say. I really enjoyed it, despite the fact that the woman behind me was screaming like it was a real concert (some of it justified, other times, uncalled for). Overall, I give this movie a 10 out of 10, and that is not sucking up to them. Keep on rocking Linkin Park, I will be reviewing Living Things very soon.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Upcoming Reviews 2012
Marilyn Manson - Born Villain
Deuce - Nine Lives
Nightwish - Imaginaerum
Black Veil Brides - We Stitch These Wounds
Black Veil Brides - Set The World On Fire (maybe)
Brokencyde - I'm Not A Fan, But The Kids Like It
Brokencyde Will Never Die
Brokencyde - Guilty Pleasure (maybe)
Dragonforce - The Power Within
My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: The True Lives Of Fabulous Killjoys
Hollywood Undead - American Tragedy
Hopefully Linkin Park - Living Things
Linkin Park - Burn It Down music video review
Concert review
(more coming soon)
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Dot Dot Curve - Dead Beat Review
So I recently acquired the new Dot Dot Curve album, Dead Beat (it took a lot of mission impossible type stunts), and I'm ready to review it. Please note that I will not give my opinion on songs I already reviewed.
Track one is an intro called Lost My iPhone, and it was weird, but DDC always has weird intros, however, considering the lyrics in this one, the next one will probably just be too weird.
Track two is called Where's My Pants, and I already talked about this one in my review of Pound Sign EP, which I will post a link to at the end.
Track three is called Zoom!, and it sounds like if Skrillex did Rocketship to the moon. If you know who Skrillex is, you'll get the reference.
Track four is called Bologna, and I already reviewed it.
Track five is called What Happened!? (The first really new song on the album), and I like it. The beat's good, the lyrics are good, my only real complaint is that the lyrics sound like a generic party song.
Track six is called seXXX, which is like Zoom!, but with Yea I'm The Sex, and they managed to drag it out to three minutes and twenty seconds, oh, and they actually used a full verse.
Track seven is called David Banner, and I already reviewed it.
Track eight is called StonerBoySwag, and I thought, did they really put that song on this album, but I soon found out, it's another remix, but they dragged it out to four minutes and thirty-six seconds.
Track nine is called Right Now, and I already reviewed it.
Track ten is called POPbottles, and basically, it's like Zoom!, but with Boys Pop The Bottles.
Track eleven is called Vampire ft. N!tro, and I already reviewed it.
Track twelve is called FreakGeekWithStretchedEarl0bes, and I already reviewed it.
Track thirteen is called PocketFullOfChange, and it's something I really would've liked to see on I'm Still Here, because it sounds like something that would be on that album, and it's really good. Great rapping, great beat, and some screaming too.
Track fourteen is called TearThisPlaceUp and it's like Zoom!, for what seems to be FreakGeekWithStretchedEarl0bes.
Track fifteen is called Tampax and I haven't reviewed this, but it isn't brand new. Now, this sounds like something that would be in a rap movie's soundtrack... only with gross subject matter. I like the rap verses, and the beat, but the chorus and the name, are kinda gross.
Track sixteen is called WTFamIthinking ft. Baybay, and it starts out with others joined in, and Baybay starts rapping, pretty good, and then chorus (who is that?), and then a Spanky verse, which sounds like a typical spanky verse. Overall this song was too short to be really good, but for what it was, I liked it.
Track seventeen is a remix of Rocketship to the moon, (a full one), and it starts out leaving you thinking WTF? It sounds like spanky's singing in a cave, considering the echo. It's basically a long Zoom!.
The eighteenth and final track is a remix of Yea I'm The Sex, and the beat sounds like it was made for a pop singer, but then gets better.
Overall, I was a little disappointed with Dead Beat, because it was basically an EP filled up with remixes, and songs we've heard a hundred times. But I don't blame Spanky, I believe that the fans are to blame. They wanted Dead Beat, and they wanted it now. But the thing is, Spanky can't release an album quickly for you and still make it good. If I had to choose, I'd wait and get a better album. And because we were so impatient, we got this. Thanks a lot, DDC fanbase.
Well, I'm glad this review is over, and I look forward to reviewing Marilyn Manson's Born Villain, and Linkin Park's Living Things, among other albums this year.
Oh, and BTW, here's the links to the reviews of songs off this that I already reviewed:
Pound Sign EP:
http://clockworks2.blogspot.com/2012/04/revenge-of-pound-sign-ep-review.html
Smiley Mixtape (incomplete due to early release):
http://clockworks2.blogspot.com/2011/08/dot-dot-curve-smiley-mixtape-review.html
Track one is an intro called Lost My iPhone, and it was weird, but DDC always has weird intros, however, considering the lyrics in this one, the next one will probably just be too weird.
Track two is called Where's My Pants, and I already talked about this one in my review of Pound Sign EP, which I will post a link to at the end.
Track three is called Zoom!, and it sounds like if Skrillex did Rocketship to the moon. If you know who Skrillex is, you'll get the reference.
Track four is called Bologna, and I already reviewed it.
Track five is called What Happened!? (The first really new song on the album), and I like it. The beat's good, the lyrics are good, my only real complaint is that the lyrics sound like a generic party song.
Track six is called seXXX, which is like Zoom!, but with Yea I'm The Sex, and they managed to drag it out to three minutes and twenty seconds, oh, and they actually used a full verse.
Track seven is called David Banner, and I already reviewed it.
Track eight is called StonerBoySwag, and I thought, did they really put that song on this album, but I soon found out, it's another remix, but they dragged it out to four minutes and thirty-six seconds.
Track nine is called Right Now, and I already reviewed it.
Track ten is called POPbottles, and basically, it's like Zoom!, but with Boys Pop The Bottles.
Track eleven is called Vampire ft. N!tro, and I already reviewed it.
Track twelve is called FreakGeekWithStretchedEarl0bes, and I already reviewed it.
Track thirteen is called PocketFullOfChange, and it's something I really would've liked to see on I'm Still Here, because it sounds like something that would be on that album, and it's really good. Great rapping, great beat, and some screaming too.
Track fourteen is called TearThisPlaceUp and it's like Zoom!, for what seems to be FreakGeekWithStretchedEarl0bes.
Track fifteen is called Tampax and I haven't reviewed this, but it isn't brand new. Now, this sounds like something that would be in a rap movie's soundtrack... only with gross subject matter. I like the rap verses, and the beat, but the chorus and the name, are kinda gross.
Track sixteen is called WTFamIthinking ft. Baybay, and it starts out with others joined in, and Baybay starts rapping, pretty good, and then chorus (who is that?), and then a Spanky verse, which sounds like a typical spanky verse. Overall this song was too short to be really good, but for what it was, I liked it.
Track seventeen is a remix of Rocketship to the moon, (a full one), and it starts out leaving you thinking WTF? It sounds like spanky's singing in a cave, considering the echo. It's basically a long Zoom!.
The eighteenth and final track is a remix of Yea I'm The Sex, and the beat sounds like it was made for a pop singer, but then gets better.
Overall, I was a little disappointed with Dead Beat, because it was basically an EP filled up with remixes, and songs we've heard a hundred times. But I don't blame Spanky, I believe that the fans are to blame. They wanted Dead Beat, and they wanted it now. But the thing is, Spanky can't release an album quickly for you and still make it good. If I had to choose, I'd wait and get a better album. And because we were so impatient, we got this. Thanks a lot, DDC fanbase.
Well, I'm glad this review is over, and I look forward to reviewing Marilyn Manson's Born Villain, and Linkin Park's Living Things, among other albums this year.
Oh, and BTW, here's the links to the reviews of songs off this that I already reviewed:
Pound Sign EP:
http://clockworks2.blogspot.com/2012/04/revenge-of-pound-sign-ep-review.html
Smiley Mixtape (incomplete due to early release):
http://clockworks2.blogspot.com/2011/08/dot-dot-curve-smiley-mixtape-review.html
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Lana Del Ray SNL performance - WTF?
I remember watching the recent SNL episode with Daniel Radcliffe hosting and loving it. However I skipped over the Lana Del Ray performance which is what I usually do if I don't know the artist or don't like them. In this case it was don't know. However, after hearing that the critics said she was terrible I decided, "That's it, the next time it comes on, I am watching Lana Del Ray. And I watched it a few minutes ago and I cannot for the life of me understand why people thought she was so bad. I mean of course she wasn't good, but no pop star is, and she was good for a pop star. She was better than me when I sing in the car and a delirious friend says, you should be on TV and I make the cut because Rage Against The Machine didn't show up. Just kidding, for a pop star, she was very good, and I have no idea why people think she was so bad. I'll be doing another review soon (possibly a follow-up to the Pound Sign EP review).
Friday, April 20, 2012
Revenge Of The... Pound Sign EP review!
Hey Guys, I know it's been a while since I've done a review on anything, but I haven't had much good stuff to review. However, 2012 is the year. Every so often there is a year where every artist you love releases an album, and for me, it's 2012. Now I know I'm late on this one, but I'm reviewing it off YouTube cuz I have no money to spend on iTunes, so here is my review of Pound Sign EP by Dot Dot Curve.
The first track is called Right Now, and I don't know who the guys at the beginning are, but I wanna hear more from them. Spanky is great in screaming and rapping, and it's more fast and upbeat than say, Fruit Rolled Up. The only problem I can see(hear) is that it ended too soon.
The second track is called Vampire Ft. N!tro, and it seems like another one of those where N!tro has a rap verse at the beginning, and the artist starts, but it's almost all N!tro. Also, since when does N!tro sing? This reminds me of What The Future Holds in the way that it should be on the featured artist's album, and not DDC.
The third track is called Where's My Pants? which seems to be the big one, and it starts out pretty good, but is too long. This one is more crunk than core and is a throwback to I'm Still Here, except more extremely hip hop. Also I do believe it was dragged out too long. In fact, I don't remember a single scream in this song, which only happened in Stoner Boy Swag, as I remember. Good, but not great.
The last song is called Bologna, and this one is fantastic. It gets you interested in the beginning, and just gets better. This is definitely my favorite on the EP. The combination of Spanky's rap, screaming, and the sick beat, create the kind of song, you don't want to end. This one definitely was a great way to end the EP. My only criticism, is that the repeated "I be goin' ham!" gets the slightest bit annoying.
Well another review done, I have no idea what I'll review next (hoping for Born Villain by Marilyn Manson), so stay tuned.
The first track is called Right Now, and I don't know who the guys at the beginning are, but I wanna hear more from them. Spanky is great in screaming and rapping, and it's more fast and upbeat than say, Fruit Rolled Up. The only problem I can see(hear) is that it ended too soon.
The second track is called Vampire Ft. N!tro, and it seems like another one of those where N!tro has a rap verse at the beginning, and the artist starts, but it's almost all N!tro. Also, since when does N!tro sing? This reminds me of What The Future Holds in the way that it should be on the featured artist's album, and not DDC.
The third track is called Where's My Pants? which seems to be the big one, and it starts out pretty good, but is too long. This one is more crunk than core and is a throwback to I'm Still Here, except more extremely hip hop. Also I do believe it was dragged out too long. In fact, I don't remember a single scream in this song, which only happened in Stoner Boy Swag, as I remember. Good, but not great.
The last song is called Bologna, and this one is fantastic. It gets you interested in the beginning, and just gets better. This is definitely my favorite on the EP. The combination of Spanky's rap, screaming, and the sick beat, create the kind of song, you don't want to end. This one definitely was a great way to end the EP. My only criticism, is that the repeated "I be goin' ham!" gets the slightest bit annoying.
Well another review done, I have no idea what I'll review next (hoping for Born Villain by Marilyn Manson), so stay tuned.
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