I haven't slept well these last few nights. As a result, I've had a lot of thinking time. So, in my darkened room, I sit, covered in blankets, legs crossed, music playing, and going over the last 6 years of my life. In that time, I think I've come to a very important- and very depressing- conclusion: I don't want to be happy.
Looking back over the last 6 years, one thing rose to prominence. I realized that, in lieu of allowing myself to be happy for an extended time, I subconsciously sabotage almost everything that could make me content. From relationships to events to achievements, I never allow myself to be happy. I initially rejected metal as banal, bland, and worthless, and if you know me you know that that my discovery of metal is the turning point in my life. It changed who I am and will stay with me until I die.
I've asked myself "Why?" many times over the last few nights, and have yet to come up with a solution. Hopefully one will come soon, because I don't think my body can take another night of fitful and shallow sleep.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Idiocracy Is Right (But Not Why You Think It Is)
XKCD, one of my favorite webcomics, ran one about a month ago called "Idiocracy" after the movie. Basically, it "shows" that the movie is laughably incorrect, in that the general populous is not getting dumber; rather, the standard for "intelligent" is getting higher, dragging the "mediocre" benchmark up with it. While many of these comics are delightfully insightful, witty, or otherwise engaging, this one got me thinking, and I have my rebuttal.
Quite simply, you are correct; the standard for intelligence has gone up- quite drastically, in fact. Someone I know put it thusly; "2000 years ago, you were a fucking genius if you could read or write". The average intelligence hasn't gone up or down, but rather the perceived brilliance of individuals has become more obvious. The problem with the argument is that the requirement for average intelligence has gone up. For example, 2000 years ago, reading and writing was a skill reserved for (usually) royalty, the rich, and those who showed a great aptitude. Now, it's taught to everyone in free, public schools. Driving a car would have made Aristotle shit bricks; hell, the EXISTENCE of mechanical transport would have blown his mind.
So when someone doesn't understand why a retail worker can't materialize a Wii console out of thin air, I can see why people leap to the conclusion that people are "getting dumber". I think the real problem is a lack of good parenting. I'm a retail monkey, so I see all of it. I've seen parents buying kids candy every time they ask for it, and the ones who tell them no. I see kids that are free to run around the store, doing as they please, and I see the byproducts of this- the teens who, later in life, go around the store and knock things over, steal, hit all the "Help" buttons throughout the store, and the like.
I think parents, who often lack in "common sense" themselves, pass this inconsiderate nature onto their kids twofold. That might be the single biggest factor in the "people are getting dumber" thought movement. It makes sense, really- in the movie, the dumb people breed indiscriminately while people of intelligence wait until they are in good financial position, but wait so long that one or both become infertile. Such is the case in my scenario- social stigmas prevent intelligence from breeding. Abortion's negative stigma forces many to keep babies fathered from rape, accidents, or "that one time in Cancun". Sexual education in the nation is less effective than "pulling out", as most of the "education" is abstinence only, which has been show to be completely ineffective against teenage hormones.
In short, we as a people are not doing enough to keep people from becoming the dystopian drones that Idiocracy depicts; it will not be from lack of intelligence, but rather the wasting of it.
Quite simply, you are correct; the standard for intelligence has gone up- quite drastically, in fact. Someone I know put it thusly; "2000 years ago, you were a fucking genius if you could read or write". The average intelligence hasn't gone up or down, but rather the perceived brilliance of individuals has become more obvious. The problem with the argument is that the requirement for average intelligence has gone up. For example, 2000 years ago, reading and writing was a skill reserved for (usually) royalty, the rich, and those who showed a great aptitude. Now, it's taught to everyone in free, public schools. Driving a car would have made Aristotle shit bricks; hell, the EXISTENCE of mechanical transport would have blown his mind.
So when someone doesn't understand why a retail worker can't materialize a Wii console out of thin air, I can see why people leap to the conclusion that people are "getting dumber". I think the real problem is a lack of good parenting. I'm a retail monkey, so I see all of it. I've seen parents buying kids candy every time they ask for it, and the ones who tell them no. I see kids that are free to run around the store, doing as they please, and I see the byproducts of this- the teens who, later in life, go around the store and knock things over, steal, hit all the "Help" buttons throughout the store, and the like.
I think parents, who often lack in "common sense" themselves, pass this inconsiderate nature onto their kids twofold. That might be the single biggest factor in the "people are getting dumber" thought movement. It makes sense, really- in the movie, the dumb people breed indiscriminately while people of intelligence wait until they are in good financial position, but wait so long that one or both become infertile. Such is the case in my scenario- social stigmas prevent intelligence from breeding. Abortion's negative stigma forces many to keep babies fathered from rape, accidents, or "that one time in Cancun". Sexual education in the nation is less effective than "pulling out", as most of the "education" is abstinence only, which has been show to be completely ineffective against teenage hormones.
In short, we as a people are not doing enough to keep people from becoming the dystopian drones that Idiocracy depicts; it will not be from lack of intelligence, but rather the wasting of it.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Your Proudest Gamer Moment
An article on Gamespy recently caught my attention, and started bringing up memories of many years past. The article was about the proudest moments in gaming- those achievements that, while on paper seem rather mediocre, for those that know are badges of honor. Beating Guitar Hero II on Expert? Good. Beating "Jordan" on Expert? Better. Beating the entire game, 5-starring everything, and FC-ing the main setlist? That's a sight to see.
I saw a lot of comments from gamers relating their proudest moments. I started thinking, and I the first one that came to mind was a night to be envied on the COD4 servers. Knifing my way up from a 60-point deficit, against numerous 55's, many of them prestiged many times over, I managed to get a last-second, luck-would-have-it, once-in-a-lifetime double kill. As I knifed my way to 120, I saw a sniper lying behind a truck, face the other direction. I wanted this one to be one for the ages, so i cooked my last frag as long as I dared and bounced it off his skull. I pops as he starts to stands, and the match ends. For a short time, I was the target- the guy to go after.
Then, working later that day, I started thinking about other times an achievement in a game had ever made me proud to sit on my ass and play games. I remembered outracing my gearhead brother in Gran Turismo 3 the first night we had our first PS2. I remembered, at a LAN party, being so frustrated by a player named "Hitler" that I changed my name to "Anne Frank" and gunning for him the entire match. Seeing "Anne Frank killed Hitler" was so epic, the entire LAN went AFK for a few seconds from the sheer force of laughter.
I thought long and hard, and I finally remember my single most favorite gaming moment. I was 6 years old at the time. I had spent a good 2 hours walking with my family at one Disney park or another- I don't rightly remember which- and we stopped in to get some lunch. I ate quickly, and saw a 4-seat cluster of a Mech-game sitting in the corner. As I looked on, a kid stormed out of the booth. He looked to be about 16, so I decided I'd take a turn. I hopped in quietly, dropped in my quarters, and joined the match. Much like my COD4 story above, I quickly began an utter domination the likes of which I could never replicate in that genre of game. When the match ended, I heard banging, grunts, and sighs of disappointment from the other three booths. Pissed and wanting to see what asshole had just dominated them, they pulled back the curtain to find 6-year old me, grinning like an idiot, not even realizing how badly I had beaten them. After watching three teens' jaws drop in rapid succession, I walked away with my family, still smiling ear to ear.
So I'd like to know from you, the readers; What's your favorite gaming moment? What made you stand up and want to proclaim your badassery to all you can see? What moment of self-accomplishment cements your place in the Halls of Gaming? What's your story?
I saw a lot of comments from gamers relating their proudest moments. I started thinking, and I the first one that came to mind was a night to be envied on the COD4 servers. Knifing my way up from a 60-point deficit, against numerous 55's, many of them prestiged many times over, I managed to get a last-second, luck-would-have-it, once-in-a-lifetime double kill. As I knifed my way to 120, I saw a sniper lying behind a truck, face the other direction. I wanted this one to be one for the ages, so i cooked my last frag as long as I dared and bounced it off his skull. I pops as he starts to stands, and the match ends. For a short time, I was the target- the guy to go after.
Then, working later that day, I started thinking about other times an achievement in a game had ever made me proud to sit on my ass and play games. I remembered outracing my gearhead brother in Gran Turismo 3 the first night we had our first PS2. I remembered, at a LAN party, being so frustrated by a player named "Hitler" that I changed my name to "Anne Frank" and gunning for him the entire match. Seeing "Anne Frank killed Hitler" was so epic, the entire LAN went AFK for a few seconds from the sheer force of laughter.
I thought long and hard, and I finally remember my single most favorite gaming moment. I was 6 years old at the time. I had spent a good 2 hours walking with my family at one Disney park or another- I don't rightly remember which- and we stopped in to get some lunch. I ate quickly, and saw a 4-seat cluster of a Mech-game sitting in the corner. As I looked on, a kid stormed out of the booth. He looked to be about 16, so I decided I'd take a turn. I hopped in quietly, dropped in my quarters, and joined the match. Much like my COD4 story above, I quickly began an utter domination the likes of which I could never replicate in that genre of game. When the match ended, I heard banging, grunts, and sighs of disappointment from the other three booths. Pissed and wanting to see what asshole had just dominated them, they pulled back the curtain to find 6-year old me, grinning like an idiot, not even realizing how badly I had beaten them. After watching three teens' jaws drop in rapid succession, I walked away with my family, still smiling ear to ear.
So I'd like to know from you, the readers; What's your favorite gaming moment? What made you stand up and want to proclaim your badassery to all you can see? What moment of self-accomplishment cements your place in the Halls of Gaming? What's your story?
Monday, June 15, 2009
Pokemon, and a format change
Alright, so for some time now I've been writing for Defenders of the Hate, a metal-themed blog. Since redundancy is a pet peeve of mine (as is the phrase "pet peeve", oddly) I've decided to make this blog a bit more personal-though oriented, like our friends over at Negative Zen and Eye of the Ages. That said...
I love Pokemon. Inside, I'm an obsessive-compulsive 6-year old who's just "Gotta' Catch 'Em All!". I'm not the rabid Pokefan who buys game systems based on having a Pokemon game in their library, nor am I the one who knows all 493 by heart and sleeps next to a giant plush Pikachu (even though I totally have one).
I recently began playing them again, and I will go on record as saying they are one of the best game series' ever created. Based on a typical set of criteria for any game-review site, they were legendary for their time. The visuals were simple at first, and never strayed too far from that. The "helicopter-style" top down view is iconic, and provides a simple interface for all ages. The plot is simple- become the best Pokemon Trainer in the world. The world is expansive, even by some console standards of the time. With each successive generation, new Pokemon were added, new challenges, new worlds, and new ways to interact with the world.
But what I always wished for was a console-based Pokemon game. The logic is profoundly simple- do exactly what you did with the GBC/GBA/DS versions, only on a much more grand scale. Pokemon Stadium was a promising start, but that didn't quite cut it. Think about the possibilities! Full-animation 3-d battles, real-time action, and no more 4-move caps for all pokemon. The previous versions have shown that a 20-30 hour STORY mode is possible on a cartridge; imagine what a DVD or a Blu-Ray could do. Next gen graphics show Blaziken actually kick the shit out of a Graveller, instead of just moving toward him menacingly. No more "harware limitations"; go balls out and give fans what they want.
And that opens up another question, one that recently sprung up in the wake of World of Warcraft's domitation of online gaming: why not make a Pokemon MMO? The money to be made there is impossibly large. Pokemon seems like the perfect base for this- the story is about becoming the best in the world, so prove it! Fight people from all over the world! The possiblities are insane! So why haven't they done it?
Because they have fallen into the "Sports Game Redundancy Loop". Essentially, they update the roster (Pokedex) and add a few new features (Secret Base, tag-team fights), and sell it as a unique game. You've just cut the cost of production by half (using code from a prior game as a base) and made a killing from fans who want to see what new Pokemon they can catch.
Will we ever see a console RPG or an MMO from the Pokemon Universe? Possibly. If either project gets a green-light, the fans will go ape-shit for it, because it could represent a new era for Pokemon games. No more hadheld battles; nay, a 1080p bout between a team of Pokemon would be the proper way to see two trainer compete. The likelyhood? Slim, because the update method is almost fool-proof. If you have a formula, just keep adding minor, inconsequential details to it and make millions.
But a guy can always hope, right?
No, no he can't, because there's no TM for hope.
I love Pokemon. Inside, I'm an obsessive-compulsive 6-year old who's just "Gotta' Catch 'Em All!". I'm not the rabid Pokefan who buys game systems based on having a Pokemon game in their library, nor am I the one who knows all 493 by heart and sleeps next to a giant plush Pikachu (even though I totally have one).
I recently began playing them again, and I will go on record as saying they are one of the best game series' ever created. Based on a typical set of criteria for any game-review site, they were legendary for their time. The visuals were simple at first, and never strayed too far from that. The "helicopter-style" top down view is iconic, and provides a simple interface for all ages. The plot is simple- become the best Pokemon Trainer in the world. The world is expansive, even by some console standards of the time. With each successive generation, new Pokemon were added, new challenges, new worlds, and new ways to interact with the world.
But what I always wished for was a console-based Pokemon game. The logic is profoundly simple- do exactly what you did with the GBC/GBA/DS versions, only on a much more grand scale. Pokemon Stadium was a promising start, but that didn't quite cut it. Think about the possibilities! Full-animation 3-d battles, real-time action, and no more 4-move caps for all pokemon. The previous versions have shown that a 20-30 hour STORY mode is possible on a cartridge; imagine what a DVD or a Blu-Ray could do. Next gen graphics show Blaziken actually kick the shit out of a Graveller, instead of just moving toward him menacingly. No more "harware limitations"; go balls out and give fans what they want.
And that opens up another question, one that recently sprung up in the wake of World of Warcraft's domitation of online gaming: why not make a Pokemon MMO? The money to be made there is impossibly large. Pokemon seems like the perfect base for this- the story is about becoming the best in the world, so prove it! Fight people from all over the world! The possiblities are insane! So why haven't they done it?
Because they have fallen into the "Sports Game Redundancy Loop". Essentially, they update the roster (Pokedex) and add a few new features (Secret Base, tag-team fights), and sell it as a unique game. You've just cut the cost of production by half (using code from a prior game as a base) and made a killing from fans who want to see what new Pokemon they can catch.
Will we ever see a console RPG or an MMO from the Pokemon Universe? Possibly. If either project gets a green-light, the fans will go ape-shit for it, because it could represent a new era for Pokemon games. No more hadheld battles; nay, a 1080p bout between a team of Pokemon would be the proper way to see two trainer compete. The likelyhood? Slim, because the update method is almost fool-proof. If you have a formula, just keep adding minor, inconsequential details to it and make millions.
But a guy can always hope, right?
No, no he can't, because there's no TM for hope.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
inFamous- a Sucker Punch Production
Haven't been on here in a long time... Sorry 'bout that. I've been busy plugging away over at Defenders, and haven't really thought about this blog in some time. Oh well, here goes- what has been consuming my time over the last 4-5 days? inFamous, a game by cult favorite developers Sucker Punch.
For those unfamiliar with Sucker Punch, they have a very small library of games, so I don't blame you. They made the surprisingly awesome Sly Cooper series, a trilogy about a raccoon descending from a line of raccoon thieves- the first game is all about getting back your family's book of thieving secrets, the aptly titled Thievius Raccoonus. A childish premise, but quirky and entertaining no less. SP has been inactive until recently, when they declared the development of inFamous, a superhero game in the same vein as Fable, in that you get to choose between good and evil based on what actions you chose throughout the game.
You are Cole MacGrath, a bike messenger in Empire City. After unwittingly delivering a bomb to the heart of the Historic District of Empire City, you wake up with superpowers based around electricity. Starting out, you can survive large falls (in essence, you can't die from jumping off a building), shoot bolts of lightning from your hand, cause a "Shockwave" (a concussive blast that can flip cars and send people flying) and draining electricity from any source of power- a lamp post, parked cars, or one of the power lines that litter the city. Eventually, you learn how to snipe (Precision), grind on power lines and railroad tracks (Induction Grind) and, my personal favorite, fire massive rockets of electricity that cause spalsh damage, plus an extra spalsh if the guys happens to blow up. Many more are unlockable, from offensive to defensive, and each carries it's own role in the game.
I am a man impressed by details, and one that stuck out is that they explained everything. EVERYTHING. Cole can climb buildings like Spiderman. Why? He was into "urban exploration" before the blast. He can also jump over cars, climb just about anything in the city, and sprint for miles without stopping. They provided a semi-logical explanation for his powers, and even made getting new powers a plausible experience. The city's power grid is almost entirely out, and by re-connecting high-voltage underground transformers (by hand) your powers increase from the sheer force of energy flowing through you.
Plot: 10
The story is excellent, in my opinion. Betrayal, love, time-travel- all your basic plot-points are covered. The story is told through short cuts scenes and scripted gameplay, a'la Half-Life. Appropriately, the cut scenes are more like a comic panel than movies (in most cases) and are well drawn. It has enough twists that you may not see these things coming. Also, the plot goes one of two ways, depending on the path you choose (Good or Evil).
Graphics: 10
Solid graphics, without the ridiculous amount of bloom found in EVERY GAME nowadays. Even for a 720p game it still looks great. Cole actually changes appearance depending on the path chosen, and noticeably too. The lightning powers are awesome to look at, and the explosions are nice as well.
Sound: 9
Good to see they didn't sell-out and put T.I. as the sole soundtrack. Very atmospheric, changes with the circumstances, and never overbearing. The voice-acting is good (not notable, but sufficient). Essentially, the standard you've come to expect with next-gen consoles.
Mechanics: 8
Don't get me wrong; on the whole, the game plays smoothly. There are just a few points around each district that glitch horribly. For example, you lose the ability to walk in any direction but off a building, or you might find that walking through certain walls is not a problem for the Human Lightbulb. It's more of a nuisance than anything, but otherwise the game is superb. The aiming is great, the platforming is great, just the random glitches.
Atmosphere: 10
Do I feel like a superhero when playing this- kind of. Does Cole seems to be aware of his surroundings? Yes. Are people in the city aware of Cole? Yes. Does this feel like a city where a superhero might be needed? Yes. Problem solved.
Overall Experience: 9
Worth the $60, but not without flaws. A must have for current PS3 owners, but not a reason to buy the system itself.
For those unfamiliar with Sucker Punch, they have a very small library of games, so I don't blame you. They made the surprisingly awesome Sly Cooper series, a trilogy about a raccoon descending from a line of raccoon thieves- the first game is all about getting back your family's book of thieving secrets, the aptly titled Thievius Raccoonus. A childish premise, but quirky and entertaining no less. SP has been inactive until recently, when they declared the development of inFamous, a superhero game in the same vein as Fable, in that you get to choose between good and evil based on what actions you chose throughout the game.
You are Cole MacGrath, a bike messenger in Empire City. After unwittingly delivering a bomb to the heart of the Historic District of Empire City, you wake up with superpowers based around electricity. Starting out, you can survive large falls (in essence, you can't die from jumping off a building), shoot bolts of lightning from your hand, cause a "Shockwave" (a concussive blast that can flip cars and send people flying) and draining electricity from any source of power- a lamp post, parked cars, or one of the power lines that litter the city. Eventually, you learn how to snipe (Precision), grind on power lines and railroad tracks (Induction Grind) and, my personal favorite, fire massive rockets of electricity that cause spalsh damage, plus an extra spalsh if the guys happens to blow up. Many more are unlockable, from offensive to defensive, and each carries it's own role in the game.
I am a man impressed by details, and one that stuck out is that they explained everything. EVERYTHING. Cole can climb buildings like Spiderman. Why? He was into "urban exploration" before the blast. He can also jump over cars, climb just about anything in the city, and sprint for miles without stopping. They provided a semi-logical explanation for his powers, and even made getting new powers a plausible experience. The city's power grid is almost entirely out, and by re-connecting high-voltage underground transformers (by hand) your powers increase from the sheer force of energy flowing through you.
Plot: 10
The story is excellent, in my opinion. Betrayal, love, time-travel- all your basic plot-points are covered. The story is told through short cuts scenes and scripted gameplay, a'la Half-Life. Appropriately, the cut scenes are more like a comic panel than movies (in most cases) and are well drawn. It has enough twists that you may not see these things coming. Also, the plot goes one of two ways, depending on the path you choose (Good or Evil).
Graphics: 10
Solid graphics, without the ridiculous amount of bloom found in EVERY GAME nowadays. Even for a 720p game it still looks great. Cole actually changes appearance depending on the path chosen, and noticeably too. The lightning powers are awesome to look at, and the explosions are nice as well.
Sound: 9
Good to see they didn't sell-out and put T.I. as the sole soundtrack. Very atmospheric, changes with the circumstances, and never overbearing. The voice-acting is good (not notable, but sufficient). Essentially, the standard you've come to expect with next-gen consoles.
Mechanics: 8
Don't get me wrong; on the whole, the game plays smoothly. There are just a few points around each district that glitch horribly. For example, you lose the ability to walk in any direction but off a building, or you might find that walking through certain walls is not a problem for the Human Lightbulb. It's more of a nuisance than anything, but otherwise the game is superb. The aiming is great, the platforming is great, just the random glitches.
Atmosphere: 10
Do I feel like a superhero when playing this- kind of. Does Cole seems to be aware of his surroundings? Yes. Are people in the city aware of Cole? Yes. Does this feel like a city where a superhero might be needed? Yes. Problem solved.
Overall Experience: 9
Worth the $60, but not without flaws. A must have for current PS3 owners, but not a reason to buy the system itself.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Concert Preparations: Compiling the Perfect Playlist
With the first in our concert trilogy fast approaching (2 days out as of post), I need to kick into prep mode. There are certain things I make sure are set- rides, tickets, and homework, among other things. Entertainment it key as well, namely the music for the ride up and back. Last thing we need is a boring ride up, or the driver falling asleep from Thrash Deprivation. I sat down about 3 hours ago and meticulously crafted a playlist based heavily around bands we will be seeing, along with bands that are sonically comparable. Here it is.
(a * denotes a band on the bill for any of the 3 shows currently on the radar)
Accept- Balls to the Wall
Airbourne- Running Wild
Alice in Chains- Dirt, Facelift
Amon Amarth- Discography
Annihilator- Alice in Hell, Never Neverland, Metal, The Best of: Annihilator
Anthrax- Spreading the Disease, Among the Living, State of Euphoria, Persistence of Time
Anvil- Metal on Metal
Arch Enemy- Wages of Sin, Anthems of Rebellion, Rise of the Tyrant, Doomsday Machine
*As I Lay Dying- Discography
Atheist- Discography
At The Gates- Slaughter of the Soul
Austrian Death Machine- Discography
Bathory- Bathory, Under the Sign, The Return..., Blood Fire Death, Nordland I & II, Octagon
Behemoth- Demigod, Satanica, Thelma 66.6, Zos Kia Cultos
*Belphegor- Blutsabbath, Bondage Goat Zombie, Goatreich-Fleshcult, Lucifer Incestus,
Black Sabbath- Paranoid, Heaven and Hell, The Mob Rules, Dehumanizer
Blind Guardian- A Twist in the Myth
Bloodbath- Discography
Blue Oyster Cult- Agents of Fortune, The Revolution By Night
Bolt Thrower- Warmaster
Bootsy Collins- Back in the Day: The Best of Bootsy
Buckethead- Crime Slunk Scene, Buckethead and Friends: Enter the Chicken, Decoding the Tomb of the Bansheebot, Population Override
Celtic Frost- Morbid Tales
Chrome Division- Discography
Dark Angel- Time Does Not Heal, Darkness Descends
Dark Tranquility- The Gallery, Damage Done, Haven
Death- Human, Individual Thought Patterns, Scream Bloody Gore, The Sound of Perserverance
Death Angel- Killing Season
Deep Purple- Shades (Disc 2)
Demolition Hammer- Tortured Existence
Demons & Wizards- Discography
Destruction- D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N, The Antichrist,
Dethklok- The Dethalbum (Special Edition)
Dio- Holy Diver, Last In Line
Dragonlord- Discography
Dublin Death Patrol- D.D.P 4 Life
Ensiferum- Discography
*Epicurean- A Consequence of Design, V.II R.VI
*Exodus- Bonded by Blood, Shovel Headed Kill Machine
Evile- Enter the Grave
Faith No More- The Real Thing
Fastway- Fastway
Finntroll- Nattfodd
*God Forbid- IV: Constitution of Treason
Gojira- The Way of All Flesh
The Haunted- the Haunted Made Me Do It, Versus
Headhunter- Parasite of Society
High on Fire- Discography
Iced Earth- Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Tribute To The Gods, The Glorious Burden
In Flames- Colony, Clayman, Jester Race/Black Ash Inheritance
Iron Maiden- Number of the Beast, Powerslave, Piece of Mind
Judas Preist- British Steel, Screaming for Vengeance, Painkiller, Jugulator
Kalmah- Discography
Kamelot- Dominion, Eternity, The Fourth Legacy, Karma, Seige Perilous
Kataklysm- In the Arms of Devestation, Prevail, Sorcery/Mystical Gate
King Diamond- Abigail, Them, Voodoo
*Kreator- Coma of Souls, Endless Pain, Enemy of God, Extreme Aggression, Hordes of Chaos, Pleasure to Kill, Terrible Certainty
Lacuna Coil- Comalies, Karmacode, Unleashed Memories
*Lamb of God/Burn the Priest- Discography
*Lazarus A.D.- The Onslaught
Led Zeppelin- Early/Latter Days, Led Zeppelin II
Lordi- Deadache, The Arockalypse
Marilyn Manson- Antichrist Superstar
Megadeth- Countdown to Extinction, Hidden Treasures, Killing is My Business... And Business Is Good!, Peace Sells... But Who's Buyin'?, Rust in Peace, So Far, So Good... So What?, United Abomination, Youthanasia
Mercenary- 11 Dreams
Mercyful Fate- Melissa, Don't Break the Oath, The Beginning
Metallica- Kill 'Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master of Puppets, ...And Justice For All
Michael Schenker Group- Michael Schenker Group
Morbid Angel- Alters of Madness, Blessed Are The Sick, Covenant, Domination
*Municipal Waste- Discography
Nailbomb- Point Blank
Necrophagist- Discography
Obituary- Slowly We Rot, The End Complete, Xecutioner's Return, World Demise
Paul Gilbert- Solo Discography
Possessed- Seven Churces
Primus- They Can't All Be Zingers
Rainbow- Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Rising, Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
Riot- Thundersteel
Sabbat- History of a Time to Come, Dreamweavers
Scar Symmetry- Discography
Sepultura- Roots, Chaos A.D., Arise, Beneath the Remains, Schizophrenia
Shadows Fall- The War Within
Sigh- Hangman's Hymn
Slayer- Hell Awaits, Reign in Blood, South of Heaven, Seasons in the Abyss
Sodom- Agent Orange, Code Red, M-16, Persecution Mania, Masqeurade in Blood
Strapping Young Lad- Alien, City, The New Black
*Testament- Discography
*Unearth- The March
Venom- Black Metal
*Warbringer- War Without End
Wintersun- Winter Madness
Zimmer's Hole- Discography
Comment with any Suggestions!
(a * denotes a band on the bill for any of the 3 shows currently on the radar)
Accept- Balls to the Wall
Airbourne- Running Wild
Alice in Chains- Dirt, Facelift
Amon Amarth- Discography
Annihilator- Alice in Hell, Never Neverland, Metal, The Best of: Annihilator
Anthrax- Spreading the Disease, Among the Living, State of Euphoria, Persistence of Time
Anvil- Metal on Metal
Arch Enemy- Wages of Sin, Anthems of Rebellion, Rise of the Tyrant, Doomsday Machine
*As I Lay Dying- Discography
Atheist- Discography
At The Gates- Slaughter of the Soul
Austrian Death Machine- Discography
Bathory- Bathory, Under the Sign, The Return..., Blood Fire Death, Nordland I & II, Octagon
Behemoth- Demigod, Satanica, Thelma 66.6, Zos Kia Cultos
*Belphegor- Blutsabbath, Bondage Goat Zombie, Goatreich-Fleshcult, Lucifer Incestus,
Black Sabbath- Paranoid, Heaven and Hell, The Mob Rules, Dehumanizer
Blind Guardian- A Twist in the Myth
Bloodbath- Discography
Blue Oyster Cult- Agents of Fortune, The Revolution By Night
Bolt Thrower- Warmaster
Bootsy Collins- Back in the Day: The Best of Bootsy
Buckethead- Crime Slunk Scene, Buckethead and Friends: Enter the Chicken, Decoding the Tomb of the Bansheebot, Population Override
Celtic Frost- Morbid Tales
Chrome Division- Discography
Dark Angel- Time Does Not Heal, Darkness Descends
Dark Tranquility- The Gallery, Damage Done, Haven
Death- Human, Individual Thought Patterns, Scream Bloody Gore, The Sound of Perserverance
Death Angel- Killing Season
Deep Purple- Shades (Disc 2)
Demolition Hammer- Tortured Existence
Demons & Wizards- Discography
Destruction- D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N, The Antichrist,
Dethklok- The Dethalbum (Special Edition)
Dio- Holy Diver, Last In Line
Dragonlord- Discography
Dublin Death Patrol- D.D.P 4 Life
Ensiferum- Discography
*Epicurean- A Consequence of Design, V.II R.VI
*Exodus- Bonded by Blood, Shovel Headed Kill Machine
Evile- Enter the Grave
Faith No More- The Real Thing
Fastway- Fastway
Finntroll- Nattfodd
*God Forbid- IV: Constitution of Treason
Gojira- The Way of All Flesh
The Haunted- the Haunted Made Me Do It, Versus
Headhunter- Parasite of Society
High on Fire- Discography
Iced Earth- Framing Armageddon: Something Wicked Part 1, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Tribute To The Gods, The Glorious Burden
In Flames- Colony, Clayman, Jester Race/Black Ash Inheritance
Iron Maiden- Number of the Beast, Powerslave, Piece of Mind
Judas Preist- British Steel, Screaming for Vengeance, Painkiller, Jugulator
Kalmah- Discography
Kamelot- Dominion, Eternity, The Fourth Legacy, Karma, Seige Perilous
Kataklysm- In the Arms of Devestation, Prevail, Sorcery/Mystical Gate
King Diamond- Abigail, Them, Voodoo
*Kreator- Coma of Souls, Endless Pain, Enemy of God, Extreme Aggression, Hordes of Chaos, Pleasure to Kill, Terrible Certainty
Lacuna Coil- Comalies, Karmacode, Unleashed Memories
*Lamb of God/Burn the Priest- Discography
*Lazarus A.D.- The Onslaught
Led Zeppelin- Early/Latter Days, Led Zeppelin II
Lordi- Deadache, The Arockalypse
Marilyn Manson- Antichrist Superstar
Megadeth- Countdown to Extinction, Hidden Treasures, Killing is My Business... And Business Is Good!, Peace Sells... But Who's Buyin'?, Rust in Peace, So Far, So Good... So What?, United Abomination, Youthanasia
Mercenary- 11 Dreams
Mercyful Fate- Melissa, Don't Break the Oath, The Beginning
Metallica- Kill 'Em All, Ride The Lightning, Master of Puppets, ...And Justice For All
Michael Schenker Group- Michael Schenker Group
Morbid Angel- Alters of Madness, Blessed Are The Sick, Covenant, Domination
*Municipal Waste- Discography
Nailbomb- Point Blank
Necrophagist- Discography
Obituary- Slowly We Rot, The End Complete, Xecutioner's Return, World Demise
Paul Gilbert- Solo Discography
Possessed- Seven Churces
Primus- They Can't All Be Zingers
Rainbow- Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Rising, Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
Riot- Thundersteel
Sabbat- History of a Time to Come, Dreamweavers
Scar Symmetry- Discography
Sepultura- Roots, Chaos A.D., Arise, Beneath the Remains, Schizophrenia
Shadows Fall- The War Within
Sigh- Hangman's Hymn
Slayer- Hell Awaits, Reign in Blood, South of Heaven, Seasons in the Abyss
Sodom- Agent Orange, Code Red, M-16, Persecution Mania, Masqeurade in Blood
Strapping Young Lad- Alien, City, The New Black
*Testament- Discography
*Unearth- The March
Venom- Black Metal
*Warbringer- War Without End
Wintersun- Winter Madness
Zimmer's Hole- Discography
Comment with any Suggestions!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Hypocrisy and the High School Mind
Hypocrisy is everywhere; everyone has been guilty of it at some point. However, this bugs me a little bit, and I need to get it of my chest.
Our school has a fairly loose dress code, but there are a few rules that I personally refuse to abide by, due to a lack of coherent reasoning behind them. Namely, the wearing of camouflage is banned district-wide, due to "encouraging militant and/or gang activity". That would make sense, if we weren't a 97% white school situated firmly between a long row of fast food joints and Suburbia. I'm not racist, so don't take my comments as such. If we were a 50% white, 50% black school, the likelihood of crime or violence would be much greater, more so if we were an inner city school. But what do our administrators hope to prevent with not allowing camo?
It's supposed to be the "banning of wearing 'colors'", if I'm not mistaken. Essentially, they are wanting everyone to stop wearing camo because that's a traditionally militant symbol. The funny thing is, we don't get in trouble for wearing all black. If the teachers see a group of students wearing black outfits with evil-looking designs or something of the sort, not a word is spoken. I'd think that would be the first thing on the chopping block after Columbine. Yet camo is banned. What if it's not a military pattern? What if it is hunting pattern, like Mossy Oak Breakup? That's not militant, it's hunting. (By the way, no popular company/department store sells a military camouflage pattern.)
The next one is the wallet chain. I wear one roughly 2 feet long all the time. If a teacher asks me to put it in my pocket, I do. But I will not take it off. Teachers haven't told me to take it off this year. Yet today, I got stopped by an administrator for the camo and got yelled at for the chain as well. I'm not a troublemaking student by any means, but I will fight this just for the hell of it.
One thing every administrator failed to notice was the fact that my new Watchmen t-shirt has a photo of The Comedian on it, holding a sniper rifle, with a flask sitting on a foreground table. Not a single person metioned it.
The administrator that originally busted me for it was in the office, and I was making copies in there. She came up and asked me how many people had also talked to me about the shorts. When I told her "None whatsoever", she looked appaled. She brought in another vice principal to see, an with both of them there, I said this:
"Well, no one has talked to me other than you about the shorts and the chain, but it seems like you didn't notice the most egregious violation I'm wearing. My shirt clearly shows a man holding a rifle, pointed out the window at a crowd. There is also a flask sitting on the table near my waistline. Not to mention, not a single person in over three weeks has noticed that I wear my (I pull back my hair to show) headphones all day long."
Their collective looks of shock were priceless. Honestly, so worth it. They were speechless, so much so that all they could do was walk back to their offices, heads slightly hung in unadmitting shame.
I will be wearing the shorts again next week.
Our school has a fairly loose dress code, but there are a few rules that I personally refuse to abide by, due to a lack of coherent reasoning behind them. Namely, the wearing of camouflage is banned district-wide, due to "encouraging militant and/or gang activity". That would make sense, if we weren't a 97% white school situated firmly between a long row of fast food joints and Suburbia. I'm not racist, so don't take my comments as such. If we were a 50% white, 50% black school, the likelihood of crime or violence would be much greater, more so if we were an inner city school. But what do our administrators hope to prevent with not allowing camo?
It's supposed to be the "banning of wearing 'colors'", if I'm not mistaken. Essentially, they are wanting everyone to stop wearing camo because that's a traditionally militant symbol. The funny thing is, we don't get in trouble for wearing all black. If the teachers see a group of students wearing black outfits with evil-looking designs or something of the sort, not a word is spoken. I'd think that would be the first thing on the chopping block after Columbine. Yet camo is banned. What if it's not a military pattern? What if it is hunting pattern, like Mossy Oak Breakup? That's not militant, it's hunting. (By the way, no popular company/department store sells a military camouflage pattern.)
The next one is the wallet chain. I wear one roughly 2 feet long all the time. If a teacher asks me to put it in my pocket, I do. But I will not take it off. Teachers haven't told me to take it off this year. Yet today, I got stopped by an administrator for the camo and got yelled at for the chain as well. I'm not a troublemaking student by any means, but I will fight this just for the hell of it.
One thing every administrator failed to notice was the fact that my new Watchmen t-shirt has a photo of The Comedian on it, holding a sniper rifle, with a flask sitting on a foreground table. Not a single person metioned it.
The administrator that originally busted me for it was in the office, and I was making copies in there. She came up and asked me how many people had also talked to me about the shorts. When I told her "None whatsoever", she looked appaled. She brought in another vice principal to see, an with both of them there, I said this:
"Well, no one has talked to me other than you about the shorts and the chain, but it seems like you didn't notice the most egregious violation I'm wearing. My shirt clearly shows a man holding a rifle, pointed out the window at a crowd. There is also a flask sitting on the table near my waistline. Not to mention, not a single person in over three weeks has noticed that I wear my (I pull back my hair to show) headphones all day long."
Their collective looks of shock were priceless. Honestly, so worth it. They were speechless, so much so that all they could do was walk back to their offices, heads slightly hung in unadmitting shame.
I will be wearing the shorts again next week.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Concert Month: A Preview
Alright, so all last year I bitched about how few good shows came around here: Gigantour (April) was in Louisville, Behemoth (May) @Bogarts in town, and Children of Bodom (Sept./Oct, I think) was in Columbus. And that was about it. It sucks being a metalhead resident to Cincinnatio, due to an unspoken "Fuck playing near Ohio- Cleveland sucks enough, fuck the rest of them" pact taken by most notable bands. Matal Masters was closest in Philly and Cleveland, and Iron Maiden was in Cleveland as well, a show only our devoted Maiden fan Jake went to.
This year is looking right the hell up, folks. Great shows, both festival and headlining tours, are headed within 150 miles of the good 'ol Nati. First up, we have the month of April. Headlining at the Madhatter across the river, Napalm Death are tearing up the (513) with support from Kataklysm, Toxic Holocaust, and Trap Them. That's the 13th. Then, one week later on the 21st, the No Fear Energy Tour hits Columbus- HARD. Lamb of God headlining to support Wrath, As I Lay Dying, Children of Bodom, God Forbid, and Municipal Waste supporting. This is a can't-miss-show for me, because I love LoG and MW, and the rest will be fun to see live.
May rolls through, and hits us like a brick. Back to back are Paganfest and Testament, both in town, both amazing live shows. I love Testament, and I love the Paganfest lineup this year. Then the Thrash show to end all Thrash shows: German legends Kreator are playing over Exodus, Belphegor, and newcomers Warbringer. If you haven't checked them out, I give my highest recommendations to fans of old-school thrash records like Darkness Descends and Bonded by Blood. Their debut was one of my top picks for 2008, and their new album due out this year shouldn't disappoint.
Alright, barring some scheduling conflicts, I can hit most of the shows listed, and I'm psyched as hell for them. If any locals are reading this blog and thinking of attending, comment of what shows you'll be seeing. I may see you there.
This year is looking right the hell up, folks. Great shows, both festival and headlining tours, are headed within 150 miles of the good 'ol Nati. First up, we have the month of April. Headlining at the Madhatter across the river, Napalm Death are tearing up the (513) with support from Kataklysm, Toxic Holocaust, and Trap Them. That's the 13th. Then, one week later on the 21st, the No Fear Energy Tour hits Columbus- HARD. Lamb of God headlining to support Wrath, As I Lay Dying, Children of Bodom, God Forbid, and Municipal Waste supporting. This is a can't-miss-show for me, because I love LoG and MW, and the rest will be fun to see live.
May rolls through, and hits us like a brick. Back to back are Paganfest and Testament, both in town, both amazing live shows. I love Testament, and I love the Paganfest lineup this year. Then the Thrash show to end all Thrash shows: German legends Kreator are playing over Exodus, Belphegor, and newcomers Warbringer. If you haven't checked them out, I give my highest recommendations to fans of old-school thrash records like Darkness Descends and Bonded by Blood. Their debut was one of my top picks for 2008, and their new album due out this year shouldn't disappoint.
Alright, barring some scheduling conflicts, I can hit most of the shows listed, and I'm psyched as hell for them. If any locals are reading this blog and thinking of attending, comment of what shows you'll be seeing. I may see you there.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Scapegoating: In Reply
(This post is a response to The Mosh Pit's post about censorship.)
I must wholeheartedly disagree with you, Garrett. I don't see censorship as a major concern in today's more tolerant, liberal society. The far more important issue is that of constant scapegoating of vaguely controversial media, like music, movies, and video games. However, even that is coming to a bit of a finality. Still though, it is far worse for fans of these media than censorship because the majority of censorship comes from this baseless blame.
See, the art of scapegoating is essentially a means of deflecting blame to someone/thing/where else. For example, rather than admit their fault in the shambles they called an economy, post-WWI Germans were eager to blame someone else. Hitler came forward, spouting off about the Jews' supposed control of the banks and all the world's money and claimed conspiracy. Thus, in the minds of common Germans, the concentration camps were at worst a neutral issue in their minds; an "out of site, out of mind" policy, if you will. Things have changed in Germany, but the example remains as relevant as ever.
Parents began straying from traditional punishment-based parenting around the 60's and 70's, in an effort to "not become their fathers". However, once is came to punishing their kids for ill behavior, they were unwilling to take necessary measures. Their unwillingness culminated during their children's teen years, when the lack of punishment for misdeeds resulted in children everywhere (in the U.S.) taking an attitude of "You can't punish me". Teachers everywhere lost faith in humanity, parents lost control of their kids, and politicians looked (like they commonly do) for a way to spin a negative into a positive. In comes, first, heavy metal.
What could be easier to blame than a music teaching kids to question the world as it is handed to them? "We're Not Gonna Take It". "You've Got Another Thing Comin'". The "KISS Army". These kids are obviously the scum of the Earth, and violate every human right known to man... right?
Except that they dont. In fact, they go with tradition: when your reality sucks, do what you can to positively alter it. History supports me on this, many times over. Being American (and not having ever taken a serious World History class [not my choice, by the way]) I think I'll use American History to support.
Reality: A king 3000 miles away is taxing the shit out of everything you buy, making arbitrary rules just because, and making YOU pay for wars you aren't fighting.
Alteration: Form your own country after fighting your American ass off for it.
Reality: Economic sinkhole just opened up and swallowed the world market.
Alteration: Join a growing war that we (thanks to an attack on our soil) have a stake in, convert factories and such at home into a war economy, make money, end war by using history's first true "Super-Weapon".
But, of course, the blame is on metal, simply because it talks about issues politicians would rather we were in the dark about. The music isn't aggressive, it's violent. The lyrics aren't political, they're anti-government. The appearance isn't about evoking a good fear in fans or about attracting attention to increase record sales, it's about worshiping Satan. Everything is twisted, everything is distorted, and everything about us is EVIL.
Video games come along and, with each generation of consoles becoming "more realistic", the blame shifts to them. Jack Thompson made his entire law career (which is over now) on fighting video games. Suddenly, in ten years time, games go from cute little hedgehogs and plumbers to unstoppable killing machines and psychotic serial killers. Suddenly, they aren't games anymore; there is no entaertainment value to them. Now, according to politicans, they are "murder simulators". They are "death trainers". Rather than provide a means of stress release in a controlled, implication-free environment, they teach that the real world is just as the game world- without law, order, or punishment.
In this Digital Age when an artist can attract an audience no matter how controversial their work, censorship is not the problem. Blaming real world problems on entertainment media instead of accepting that the true nature of these problems lies with how children are raised is the REAL issue.
I must wholeheartedly disagree with you, Garrett. I don't see censorship as a major concern in today's more tolerant, liberal society. The far more important issue is that of constant scapegoating of vaguely controversial media, like music, movies, and video games. However, even that is coming to a bit of a finality. Still though, it is far worse for fans of these media than censorship because the majority of censorship comes from this baseless blame.
See, the art of scapegoating is essentially a means of deflecting blame to someone/thing/where else. For example, rather than admit their fault in the shambles they called an economy, post-WWI Germans were eager to blame someone else. Hitler came forward, spouting off about the Jews' supposed control of the banks and all the world's money and claimed conspiracy. Thus, in the minds of common Germans, the concentration camps were at worst a neutral issue in their minds; an "out of site, out of mind" policy, if you will. Things have changed in Germany, but the example remains as relevant as ever.
Parents began straying from traditional punishment-based parenting around the 60's and 70's, in an effort to "not become their fathers". However, once is came to punishing their kids for ill behavior, they were unwilling to take necessary measures. Their unwillingness culminated during their children's teen years, when the lack of punishment for misdeeds resulted in children everywhere (in the U.S.) taking an attitude of "You can't punish me". Teachers everywhere lost faith in humanity, parents lost control of their kids, and politicians looked (like they commonly do) for a way to spin a negative into a positive. In comes, first, heavy metal.
What could be easier to blame than a music teaching kids to question the world as it is handed to them? "We're Not Gonna Take It". "You've Got Another Thing Comin'". The "KISS Army". These kids are obviously the scum of the Earth, and violate every human right known to man... right?
Except that they dont. In fact, they go with tradition: when your reality sucks, do what you can to positively alter it. History supports me on this, many times over. Being American (and not having ever taken a serious World History class [not my choice, by the way]) I think I'll use American History to support.
Reality: A king 3000 miles away is taxing the shit out of everything you buy, making arbitrary rules just because, and making YOU pay for wars you aren't fighting.
Alteration: Form your own country after fighting your American ass off for it.
Reality: Economic sinkhole just opened up and swallowed the world market.
Alteration: Join a growing war that we (thanks to an attack on our soil) have a stake in, convert factories and such at home into a war economy, make money, end war by using history's first true "Super-Weapon".
But, of course, the blame is on metal, simply because it talks about issues politicians would rather we were in the dark about. The music isn't aggressive, it's violent. The lyrics aren't political, they're anti-government. The appearance isn't about evoking a good fear in fans or about attracting attention to increase record sales, it's about worshiping Satan. Everything is twisted, everything is distorted, and everything about us is EVIL.
Video games come along and, with each generation of consoles becoming "more realistic", the blame shifts to them. Jack Thompson made his entire law career (which is over now) on fighting video games. Suddenly, in ten years time, games go from cute little hedgehogs and plumbers to unstoppable killing machines and psychotic serial killers. Suddenly, they aren't games anymore; there is no entaertainment value to them. Now, according to politicans, they are "murder simulators". They are "death trainers". Rather than provide a means of stress release in a controlled, implication-free environment, they teach that the real world is just as the game world- without law, order, or punishment.
In this Digital Age when an artist can attract an audience no matter how controversial their work, censorship is not the problem. Blaming real world problems on entertainment media instead of accepting that the true nature of these problems lies with how children are raised is the REAL issue.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
I have a twitter Now.
Yeah. So, not much to this one... I have a Twitter now. check it out: www.twitter.com/thetompkins
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wisdom Teeth, Delta Blues, and Droogies
Okay, so for my first major surgery in 4 years, I have three (luckily not yet impacted) wisdom teeth removed today and well, it wasn't as bad as everyone seems to thing it is. I took some Valium about a half an hour before my appointment, and was drowsy on my on my way there (I was driven, don't worry). I got there, and the went through the mandatory "Are you nervous? Do you need me to numb where I'm gonna place the IV?" thing and went into the operating room. The last thing I remember was the nruse saying something to the effect of "You're going to start feeling more and more relaxed until yo-".
Out cold.
I wake up at home,mouth stuffed with gauze, with only a minor headache and an insatiable craving for Vanilla pudding. Thankfully, one of the foods you're allowed to eat is in fact soft pudding, so lucky me. I started watching American Psycho, and it is a spectacular movie in much the same vein as Metamorphosis, a novella we recently read in AP English. I finished it, and watched possibly my favorite dystopian future movie ever, A Clockwork Orange. An adaptation of Anthony Burgess' legendary cult novel, it is by far one of the most twisted movies ever. Hell, less than 30 minutes in, Burgess/Kubrick manage to work in two completely logical rape scenes (I say logical in the sense that they don't fee forced in any way). I recommend both movies it you like twisted storytelling at its finest.
One other thing I did do in preparation was to download some eerie music to accompany my downtime- namely Blue Oyster Cult, The Sword, and Robert Johnson, the most legendary bluesman ever. With only one known song stretching over 2:59, his 29 original recordings are must-haves for aspiring blues guitarists. In general his music is above anything I have ever heard in terms of feeling, soul, and that sense of "He poured his heart into this song" that accompanies blues like a shadow.
It's been about 14 hours since the surgery itself and, other than a dull ache in my lower jaw and one loose stitch end on my top left, I'm actually feeling back to fairly normal.
Gods of Metal, grant me a way of convincing my parents that going to two concerts in Louisville two school nights in a row is a good idea?
(Post- publish: I apologize for the numerous grammatical mistakes in my last post, but the sedative hadn't quite worn off yet.)
Out cold.
I wake up at home,mouth stuffed with gauze, with only a minor headache and an insatiable craving for Vanilla pudding. Thankfully, one of the foods you're allowed to eat is in fact soft pudding, so lucky me. I started watching American Psycho, and it is a spectacular movie in much the same vein as Metamorphosis, a novella we recently read in AP English. I finished it, and watched possibly my favorite dystopian future movie ever, A Clockwork Orange. An adaptation of Anthony Burgess' legendary cult novel, it is by far one of the most twisted movies ever. Hell, less than 30 minutes in, Burgess/Kubrick manage to work in two completely logical rape scenes (I say logical in the sense that they don't fee forced in any way). I recommend both movies it you like twisted storytelling at its finest.
One other thing I did do in preparation was to download some eerie music to accompany my downtime- namely Blue Oyster Cult, The Sword, and Robert Johnson, the most legendary bluesman ever. With only one known song stretching over 2:59, his 29 original recordings are must-haves for aspiring blues guitarists. In general his music is above anything I have ever heard in terms of feeling, soul, and that sense of "He poured his heart into this song" that accompanies blues like a shadow.
It's been about 14 hours since the surgery itself and, other than a dull ache in my lower jaw and one loose stitch end on my top left, I'm actually feeling back to fairly normal.
Gods of Metal, grant me a way of convincing my parents that going to two concerts in Louisville two school nights in a row is a good idea?
(Post- publish: I apologize for the numerous grammatical mistakes in my last post, but the sedative hadn't quite worn off yet.)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
More Things That Piss Me Off
All right. Here we go again. I will start this off clearly explaining who is pissing me off this time.
FUCK YOU BLACK TIDE. FUCK YOU.
FUCK YOU BLACK TIDE. FUCK YOU.
Ok, why am I angry at Black Tide? Well, it's novelty hyping bullshit. For some reason, people (namely the mainstream) attribute teens (or worse, pre-teens) playing instruments to being ROCK GODS!!!!!
And clearly, they are not.
Now, I'm all for new talent breaking the mid-20's mold, but that's the problem. With age comes experience, at least in this case. Most metalheads (because that is the genre I will be focusing on) start playing somewhere between 12 and 18- right about when they start LISTENING to metal. Thus, when they hit 25, they can have anywhere from 7-13 years of experience under their belts. Gabriel from Black Tide (lead vocals/guitars) isn't even legal yet (according to Wiki ATOW, 16 be the age).
They got kicked off the Jager stage at Ozzfest BECAUSE of their age.
Now... the meat of the problem: their medocrity. (Disclaimer: Gabriel IS A BETTER player than I am. No question there, but I've only been playing for 4 months.) I'm saying that, for the level of critical praise they recieved (3.5/5 from AllMusic, positive Kerrang! and Blabbermouth reviews) they aren't that good.
I like a good novelty act now and again, but to keep me interested you need to have a lot of talent to back up the hype. Kittie is a good example, but they petered out. Girlschool is fantastic. Lordi is hilarious, but they can throw out some of the best hooky riffs in the business. Black Tide accomplishes no such feat. See, they tried to break into Thrash Metal, a predominately Old-Guard dominated genre. Mistake. Then, they recorded what can only be described as fitting the music store label of "Pop-Rock". Mistake. Then, they recorded a shirtless, campy "Sk8r" video for Shockwave, their first single. MISTAKE. Either go all-out camp (Lordi) or go badass (Warbringer). Half-ass it and pay the price.
Stop now. Seriously, it's been established that people trying to stray too far from the metal genre (while still calling yourself metal and fanbasing metalheads) are shot down in miserable balls of flames.
And clearly, they are not.
Now, I'm all for new talent breaking the mid-20's mold, but that's the problem. With age comes experience, at least in this case. Most metalheads (because that is the genre I will be focusing on) start playing somewhere between 12 and 18- right about when they start LISTENING to metal. Thus, when they hit 25, they can have anywhere from 7-13 years of experience under their belts. Gabriel from Black Tide (lead vocals/guitars) isn't even legal yet (according to Wiki ATOW, 16 be the age).
They got kicked off the Jager stage at Ozzfest BECAUSE of their age.
Now... the meat of the problem: their medocrity. (Disclaimer: Gabriel IS A BETTER player than I am. No question there, but I've only been playing for 4 months.) I'm saying that, for the level of critical praise they recieved (3.5/5 from AllMusic, positive Kerrang! and Blabbermouth reviews) they aren't that good.
I like a good novelty act now and again, but to keep me interested you need to have a lot of talent to back up the hype. Kittie is a good example, but they petered out. Girlschool is fantastic. Lordi is hilarious, but they can throw out some of the best hooky riffs in the business. Black Tide accomplishes no such feat. See, they tried to break into Thrash Metal, a predominately Old-Guard dominated genre. Mistake. Then, they recorded what can only be described as fitting the music store label of "Pop-Rock". Mistake. Then, they recorded a shirtless, campy "Sk8r" video for Shockwave, their first single. MISTAKE. Either go all-out camp (Lordi) or go badass (Warbringer). Half-ass it and pay the price.
Stop now. Seriously, it's been established that people trying to stray too far from the metal genre (while still calling yourself metal and fanbasing metalheads) are shot down in miserable balls of flames.
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