October In Film

October tends to start the real fall movie season after the dead month of September rolls through. Personally, there is not much this October that excites me but there are a lot of films coming out this month and there is a pretty wide variety as well. Here is my thoughts on October's films

Films I Am Excited About
2.Red(October 15)- Bruce Willis is my favorite actor of all time, so right off the bat I knew I wanted to see this film. It has an all star cast in addition to Willis including Morgan Freeman,John Malkovich,Mary-Louise Parker and Helen Mirren(playing a hitwoman, best casting ever). The trailer looks great and it has been a while since a pure action-comedy has been released.

1.Jackass 3-D(October 15)-Yes the film I am most excited for this month is Jackass 3-D. Maybe it because i'm 18 years old but Jackass just makes me laugh my ass off and this one looks like it will deliver the goods as usual. Also best use of 3-D to date, I already know they are going to pull some of the craziest stunts they have ever pulled to make full use of the 3-D.


Films I Am Unsure About
The Social Network(October 1)-I had zero intrest in seeing untill about two weeks ago when the insanely good reviews started pouring in. I don't tend to get overly excited by critical reception but this is different as it had 100% Rotten Tomatoes scores as of Tuesday. That being said, I still don't know how this works as a film even with someone as good as David Fincher directing and the trailer makes looke like an absolute snooze. The jury is still out for me on this one, Will most likely see it eventually

Let Me In(October 1)-This film looks alright but again great critical reception early on and it is the remake of Let The Right One In(which I have not seen yet). Apparently, the remake does the original justice with some critics even saying its better. I am curious to see this film and I most likely will but I am doing so with caution.

Buried(Opens Wide October 8) The concept intrests me but at the same time Ryan Reynolds trapped in a box for an hour and a half could be really bad.

Stone(October 8) I haven't seen the trailer yet but a drama with Edward Norton and Robert De Niro could be pretty damn good.

Hereafter(October 15) The trailer looks pretty dull but Clint Eastwood is one of the most brillant directors of all time. I am extremely unsure about this one.


Films There Is No Chance In Hell Of Me Seeing
Case 39(October 1)-This film has been delayed for 3 years, they shot it before Bradley Cooper made The Hangover for christ's sakes. Cooper and Rene Zellwigger both look very confused in the trailer and this film looks like absolute dog shit.

Life As We Know It(October 8)-This seems a really predictable romantic comedy drama, not really my cup of tea at all.

My Soul To Take(October 8)-Wes Craven finally jumps on the 3-D bandwagon(Note: it was a 3-D conversion job in post-production, so the 3-D should be terrible) and boy does it look it bad. Another dull looking slasher flick with a cast of unknowns. Craven should hang it up if this what he is resorting to now.

Secretariat(October 8) I love inspirational sports films but even I draw the limit sometimes and that limit is horse films. No thanks.

Paranormal Activity 2(October 22)-The first one was the worst film I saw in 2009 so I will be avoiding this sure to be shit sequel. I love how they advertise the first film to be so filled with terror when there is nothing even remotely scary about it unless you shit your pants at gusts of wind. The 2nd one looks exactly the same and you can bet I will be no where near the theater when this comes out.

Saw 3D(October 29)-The alleged final chapter of the Saw franchise. I haven't seen a Saw film since the third one and I don't really care to see this one, I have been long bored of these films.

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #66-65

66.Municipal Waste-The Art Of Partying(2007)

Muncipal Waste is gonna fuck you up! That is the phrase that is chanted frequently throughout album closer "Born To Party" and I could not possibly think of a better way to describe this record. The Art Of Partying is a non stop party thrash record. Municipal Waste just wants to have a good time and that is demonstrated with songs with titles such as "Beer Pressure" and "The Inebriator". Muncipial Waste are among the kings of the new thrash movement and The Art Of Partying is their defining piece of work.

Standout Tracks 1.Sadistic Magician 2.Beer Pressure 3.Headbanger Face Rip

65.Lacuna Coil-Karmacode(2006)

Italy's Lacuna Coil had always a lot of potential. Their first three records were all good releases and had established Lacuna Coil has a solid,consistent act. Karmacode is when they really came into their own, this record is goth-metal bliss. The dark overtones are put into play early on with opener "Fragile" with the haunting vocals of Cristina Scabbia sound even better than before. Scabbia is the standout on this entire record and her vocals are pitch-perfect and truly astonshing. Throughout the duration of Karmacode, it is become more and more evident that is Lacuna Coil's most mature,heavy and best work.
Standout Tracks 1.Fragile 2.Within Me 3.What I See

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #68-67

68.System Of A Down-Hypnotize(2005)

Hyponotize was the 2nd album System Of A Down released in 2005. Even though Hypnotize had more non-serious tracks than its predecessor Mezmerize, I find Hypnotize to be the stronger record. Both records are dazziling and prove once again why System Of A Down is such a special band. Hypnotize opens with a bang with one of my favorite System ever "Attack". "Attack" is ultimate environmental protection song done as only System Of A Down can do it. As the album progresses you get such gems as the haunting title track "Hypnotize", the heavy as shit yet strangely catchy "Stealing Society" and the face melter "U-Fig". As usual its not all serious with System Of A Down. Tracks like "Kill Rock and Roll" and "Vicinty Of Obscenity" lighten the mood with their extreme levels of strange. Hypnotize is equal parts engrossing,experimental,serious and goofy and is a triumph of a "final" record for System Of A Down.

Standout Tracks 1.Stealing Society 2.Attack 3.U-Fig

67.Eminem-The Eminem Show(2002)

By the time 2002 rolled around, Eminem was on top of the world. He had released two of the greatest rap records ever recorded with his past two and The Eminem Show continued his trend of greatness. Altough its no Marshall Mathers or Slim Shady LP, The Eminem Show is still a fucking great record. It still has the geniune emotion and Eminem's quick wit that make Eminem so great. Hell "Superman","Sing For The Moment", "Without Me" and "Say What You Say" are absolute classics but what brings this album down a little bit is the 1 or 2 misfires on this record. That being said, The Eminem is still quite the achievement and it pains to me to say that at this point in time, this is the last great Eminem record.

Standout Tracks 1.Superman 2.Sing For The Moment 3.Without Me

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #70-69

70.Baroness-Blue Record(2009)

Unlike their previous Red Album, which took time to grow on me. I loved Blue Record right away. Blue Record takes what made Red Album great and just makes it even better. The riffs and harmonies on "The Sweetest Curse" and "Swollen and Halo" are gorgeous. Blue Record is a strangely pretty and full of the sludgey prog metal that Baroness is so good at.

Standout Tracks 1.The Sweetest Curse 2.Swollen and Halo 3.Jake Leg

69.Lazarus A.D-The Onslaught(2009)

When it comes to the "thrash revival" movement, pretty much no one does it better than Lazarus A.D. The Onslaught is one of the most impressive debuts I have heard in my entire life. This is what modern thrash should sound like and they soundly put some of the lesser new thrash acts in their place (*cough cough Evile, Gama Bomb cough cough). The Onslaught is full of sick riffs and furious solos and is a must listen for any thrash fans.

Standout Tracks 1.Thou Shall Not Fear 2.Last Breath 3.Revolution

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #72-71

72.Killswitch Engage-As Daylight Dies(2006)

Killswitch Engage is one of my favorite bands of all time. They are one of the bands that layed down the blueprints of metalcore. On their 4th record, As Daylight Dies Killswitch continues their winning formula. Howard Jones is seriously one of the best vocalists around. His clean vocals are truly astonishing and his screams are perfect. Top to bottom As Daylight Dies is extremely strong. It has many layers,slick production and in typical Killswitch fashion top-notch metal. Despite not being Killswitch's strongest album, it is still noteworthy.

Standout Tracks 1.This Is Absolution 2.Daylight Dies 3.Unbroken

71.Lamb Of God-Sacrament(2006)

Sacrament, like most Lamb Of God albums is just plain dawn awesome. Sure Lamb Of God might not be the most creative band on the planet but that doesn't make their music not fantastic. Tracks like "Walk With Me In Hell and "Descending" are fucking epic. The overall sound of these tracks are apocolyptic. In addition to these tracks, you have the always fun, R-rated sing-a-long song "Redneck" and the groovy "Foot To The Throat". Lamb Of God is one of the most consistent bands in the entire metal genre and Sacrament is no expection to that rule.

Standout Tracks 1.Walk With Me In Hell 2.Descending 3.Foot To The Throat

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #74-73

74.All That Remains-The Fall Of Ideals(2006)

All That Remains's breakthrough album is a hell of a record. The Fall Of Ideals moves at a blistering pace with tracks that are full of tight guitarwork,melodic choruses and all around intensity. All That Remains has crafted one of the essential metalcore records of the past 10 years. This is their crowning acheviement and their stepping stone to the wildly sucessful band they have become.

Standout Tracks 1.The Air That I Breathe 2.This Calling 3.We Stand

73.Avenged Sevenfold-City Of Evil(2005)

I expected some shit for putting this record on the list. Avenged Sevenfold is one of the most hated bands in the metal/hard rock scene mainly because of their image and really corny stage names. I will admit their image and stage names do both suck but their music(outside of their new record Nightmare) I enjoy. City Of Evil in particular, is an amazing record. Synster Gates's guitarwork is absoultely crazy. Tracks like "Sidewinder" and "Beast and The Harlot" are where Gates's furious fretwork is at its finest. In addition to Gates's guitarwork, the Rev puts on a damn clinic on the drums. For Avenged Sevenfold, this record is their fastest recorded to date as well as their best.

Standout Tracks 1.Sidewinder 2.Beast and The Harlot 3.Blinded In Chains

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #76-75

76.3 Inches Of Blood-Advance and Vanquish(2004)

Canada's 3 Inches Of Blood is really a hate it or love it metal band. Personally I think they are amazing and their style of old-school classic metal mixed with newer influences is truly unique and awesome. Vocalist Cam Pipes over the top yet still awesome vocals are what really carry this band along with their catchy,thrashy riffs. "Deadly Sinners" is the perfect example of what 3 Inches Of Blood is all about. Lyrics about how awesome metal is, great riff and the balance of Pipes clean,high-pitched vocals with Jamie Hooper's screaming vocals. Advance and Vanquish is full of memorable riffs,songs and over the top awesomeness.

Standout Tracks 1.Deadly Sinners 2.Destroy The Orcs 3.Revenge Is A Vulture

75.System Of A Down-Mezmerize(2005)

This record was actually the first System Of A Down record that I had ever heard. I was starting to listen to metal when this record came out when I was 13. What struck me about this record(and later the entire System Discography), was how there was different side to it. There was the goofy tracks such as "Cigaro" and "This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on This Song" to the social/political commentry tracks like "Violent Pornography" and "B.Y.O.B". The shifts from one extreme to the other and the element of surprise is something I always admire in a band. The lyrics are deep and emotional in places and witty and comical in others. System Of A Down is one of my favorite bands and this won't be the last of them on this list.
Standout Tracks 1.Violent Pornography 2.Revenga 3.Cigaro

Concert Review: BlackDiamondSkye(Alice In Chains/Deftones/Mastodon) Boston,MA September 22,2010

A brief anecdote to open with prior to my review. My friend and I got on the subway around 5:15 to head into Boston for the show. About halfway through our journey, a group of African-American dudes that are around the same age as my friend and I board the subway. My friend is also African-American and these kids begin to start smack talking us, thinking they are hilarious. They proceed to ask my friend what he is doing and he says going to the Alice In Chains concert and these kids begin to question his "blackness" and proceed to rant about how "brothers shouldn't go to rock concerts". Then they proceeded to get off the subway and me and my friend just laughed at their ignorance.Besides that odd ride in there, the rest of the night was amazing.

Mastodon went on directly at 7:00. I was extremely excited to see them again. Despite Mastodon being my favorite band of all time, their live performances are extremely scattered in quality. The 1st time I saw them in 2007, Brent Hinds was so strung out he forgot lyrics and blew solos left and right. Thankfully Mastodon brought their A-game out at this show. The setlist was fantastic. I had heard many conflicting setlists from them from the first few dates of this tour, so I really was not sure what would actually be played. The set was heavy on Blood Mountain/Leviathan material which excited me greatly because those are my two favorite records from Mastodon. Naked Burn is a great opener and was a really nice surprise. The finale of Megalodon and Blood and Thunder was epic. Megalodon is so god damn heavy live and Blood and Thunder was such an amazing surprise. The whole band was tight and Hinds nailed every solo/sounded great vocally.Best performance I have ever seen from Mastodon.

Deftones were up next and they are really a hit or miss band for me. Their new record Diamond Eyes is pretty damn good and I dig some stuff off of Around The Fur and White Pony. This was my 1st time seeing them and going in I had heard mixed reviews on their live show. Deftones were very good live. Chino Moreno is an absolute madman on stage. In addition to his whirlwind energy, he sounded great on vocals. I was surprised about how well songs like Rocket Skates where live. Rocket Skates is not one of my faves but live it was amazing. Deftones impressed me and I would go see them again.

Seeing a band like Alice In Chains live is just surreal to me. They are one of the most iconic bands of the past 20 years and I was getting to see them live. Alice In Chains blew me away. Will Duvall at times in a live environment sounds exactly like Layne Staley, it gave me chills. The 1-2 opening punch of Them Bones and Dam That River was insane. Both of these tracks are among my favorites and made great set openers. Alice In Chains played an eclectic mix of tracks from all their records and it made for one of the best performances I have ever witnessed. Anyone that still doubts Alice In Chains without Layne Staley is crazy. Duvall does a great job with Layne's work and he is a beyond worthy replacement.

This was seriously one of the best shows I have ever been to in my entire life. Mastodon and Alice In Chains brought down the house and Deftones were great as well. Go check out this show if hasn't already come through your city, all 3 bands are great and it was worth every penny I spent.

Scores
Mastodon 9/10
Deftones 8/10
Alice In Chains 9.5/10

Setlists
Mastodon
Naked Burn
Divinations
Crystal Skull
Colony Of Birchmen
Capillarian Crest
The Czar
Megalodon
Blood and Thunder

Deftones
Diamond Eyes
Rocket Skates
Around The Fur
Be Quiet and Drive(Far Away)
My Own Summer(Shove It)
Prince
You've Seen The Butcher
Sextape
?
Change(In The House Of Flies)
?
Engine No.9
7 Words

Alice In Chains
Them Bones
Dam That River
Rain When I Die
Again
Check My Brain
Your Decision
No Excuses
Sickman
God Am
We Die Young
Acid Bubble
Lesson Learned
Rooster
Encore
Love,Hate,Love
Man In The Box
Would?

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #78-77

78.Foo Fighters-In Your Honor(2005)

Dave Grohl is seriously one of the most talented dudes in the music industry. He can play just about any instrument and he can sing damn hell. Ever since Nirvana's disbanding after Kurt Cobain's death, Grohl's new main project the Foo Fighters have been making really good records but in 2005 they released their tightest record yet with In Your Honor. In Your Honor really showcases Grohl's talent with a wide diveristy of tracks. You got your typical bad ass Foo Fighters with songs like "DOA" and "No Way Back" and then on the opposite spectrum you the all acoustic 2nd disc with such gems as "Friend Of A Friend" and "Miracle". In Your Honor shows off all of the many sides the Foo Fighters have to offer and it is their greatest accomplishment to date

Standout Tracks 1.DOA 2.Miracle 3.No Way Back

77.Protest The Hero-Fortress(2008)

Fortress is another record that took some time to see the brillance of. The main reason I wasn't blown away at first was I found Roddy Walker's vocals to be grating. After getting adjusted to Walker's vocals, I noticed how fantastic this band and album is. Walker is a highly skilled vocalist that can hit just about every octave possible with his screaming and clean vocals. In addition to Walker, guitarist Luke Hoskin boasts some of the most impressive sweep picking I have ever heard in my entire life. "Seqouia Throne" is where the most jaw-dropping sweep picking occurs and it is truly a pleasure to here him play. Fortress is insanely complex,diverse,astonishing and I will most likely regret not putting this higher on the list.

Standout Tracks 1.The Dissentience 2.Seqouia Throne 3.Wretch

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #80-79

80.Baroness-Red Album(2007)

Red Album more than any other album on this list, took time to grow on me. At first I thought Baroness was just an above average Mastodon rip-off. How wrong I was, Red Album is highly complex and hard hitting sludge record. Red Album is not only proggy and sludgey it also a nice touch of southern rock that makes their sound really special. It may take some to hit you, but Red Album is worth the wait.

Standout Tracks 1.Rays On Pinon 2.Isak 3.Grad

79.Jedi Mind Tricks-Violent By Design(2000)

With Violent By Design, Jedi Mind Tricks ushered in a new era of underground hip hop. Their sounds was raw, sample ridden and just flat out pissed off. Vinnie Paz has one of the most unique flows around and has the sharp lyrics to match. Paz especially shines on tracks like "Heavenly Devine" and "Blood Reign". Violent By Design is one of the most unique hip hop records ever released and layed down the foundation for Jedi Mind Tricks.

Standout Tracks 1.Heavenly Devine 2.Blood Reign 3.Death March

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #82-81

82.Rammstien-Mutter(2001)

I have always found this record to be highly underrated. Mutter is what Rammstien is all about, killer German Industrial Metal that can not be duplicated. Rammstien's flair for great hooks is in full force on tracks like "Ich Will" and "Feuer Frei". This the record that turned me on to Rammstien and for good reason, its a large-scale,epic, wonderful album.

Standout Tracks 1.Feuer Frei 2.Ich Will 3.Mein Herz Brennt

81.Rob Zombie-The Sinister Urge(2001)

Rob Zombie is one of my favorite artists of all time. Even though The Sinister Urge is not Zombie's best work, its still a hell of a record. The Sinister Urge is more of a experimental sound than his 90's work but it still works extremely well. Tracks like "Never Gonna Stop(The Red,Red Kroovy) and "Scum Of The Earth" are among Zombie's best material. Even though it's a slightly different Zombie record it's almost on par with his White Zombie material and Hellbilly Deluxe.

Standout Tracks 1.Scum Of The Earth 2.Never Gonna Stop(The Red,Red Kroovy) 3.Iron Head

Movie Review: The Town

Ben Affleck is a damn fine filmmaker. He has already proven that with his first film, Gone Baby Gone, but his new project, The Town, drives the point home ever further. And Affleck not only directs, he also is the lead actor.


The Town is the story of a group of bank robbers from Charlestown, Mass., led by Doug McCray (Affleck). McCray and the rest of his team, including his best friend Jem (Jeremy Renner), pull off a job at a bank in which Jem kidnaps the bank manager, Claire (Rebecca Hall), but later releases her. The situation gets far more complicated, however, when Jem finds out that she lives in the neighborhood that they do. So in an attempt to make the best of the situation, Doug asks Claire out on a date and ends up developing feelings for her.


Doug and his team's series of robberies also catches the attention of the FBI, who sends Agent Adam Frawley (Mad Men's Jon Hamm) to Charlestown to investigate. With the increased heat on his team and his new found love, Doug wants out of his line of work, a decision that does not go over well with Jem or his crime boss Fergie The Florist (Pete Postlewaithe)
The Town is a gritty, damn near perfect crime drama. Affleck's directing is astonishing. He had quite the vision for this film and it prevails on just about every level. It is just such a well-crafted and well-thought-out project. The acting is at an extremely high level, and Affleck, Renner and Hamm are all on the top of their games. But the real surprise was how good Blake Lively was in the role of Krista, Doug's ex-girlfriend who is also Jem's sister. She gives a depth and emotion to her character in the limited screen time she has, which is surprising to me because her casting was the one doubt I had going into this film, but she really stepped to the plate and proved to me she can act very well. The heist sequences are also brilliantly executed, expertly shot and very realistic.


The Town is one of the best films of 2010 so far. As a whole, it is one of the most well rounded heist films ever made, and Ben Affleck shines behind the camera. He has only two films on his directing resume, but he has shown he has a knack for filmmaking. The Town pretty much has it all: dynamite acting, great writing and directing, gorgeous cinematography, and intense action sequences. It is a fantastic film experience and a must see.

4.5/5 Stars

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #84-83

84.Incubus-A Crow Left Of The Murder...(2004)

Call me a pansy I don't care, I fucking love Incubus. It doesn't really align with most of my musical tastes but there is something about their sound that I really enjoy. A Crow Left Of The Murder is plain and simple just great music. It's somewhat heavy at times but it also has a good amount of alt rock influnces and some great ballads (no one does cheesy love songs as good as Incubus). Incubus is my guilty pleasure band and A Crow Left Of The Murder... is the guilty pleasure album of this list.

Standout Tracks 1.Talk Shows On Mute 2.Pistola 3.Megalomanaic

83.Municipal Waste-Hazardous Mutation(2005)

Now from Incubus to Virgina thrashers Municipal Waste. This record shows why Municipal Waste is one of the leading acts in the thrash revival movement. These dudes can thrash with the best of them and in half the time. Most of the tracks on here are under 2 minutes but they get the point across. Hazardous Mutation is a brillant album that should make any thrash/crossover fan giddy.

Standout Tracks 1.Mind Eraser 2.Unleash The Bastards 3.Guilty Of Being Tight

Movie Review: Devil

M.Night Shyamalan tends to be poison to a film. His legacy has completely gone to shit in the past few years, with a string of complete crap like Lady In The Water and The Happening. He is only the producer on his latest project, Devil, and I went in expecting something completely different than what it actually turned out to be.

Devil is the story of five strangers that get stuck in an elevator of a Philadelphia office building. At first, its just an inconvenience for the security guards and the people stuck; but soon after, strange things start happening and people start dying. One of the security guards, Ramirez (Jacob Vargas, who also occasionally narrates) is beginning to believe one of the people aboard the elevator is the Devil himself. As the body count rises, a detective named Bowden (Chris Messina) is brought to the scene, and the events keep getting stranger until the Devil's identity is finally revealed.

Going into Devil, I was expecting an unintentionally hilarious film. What I got was a surprisingly decent horror flick. Even though Shyamalan is only the producer, I thought this film was going to be typical Shyamalan trash, but it's not. Devil works, for the most part, because of the tension between the characters and inherent in the setting. It is has a very real aspect that is missing in most horror flicks. The script also has a couple of nice surprises thrown in it near the end that you won't necessarily see coming. On the downside, however, Devil really isn't very scary. If you are looking for a good scare, you're not going to find it here.

The script is fairly sharp and the story is pretty well thought out. Even though it is only 80 minutes long, the screenwriters are able to focus on the many different angles admirably. Shyamalan might finally be showing some improvement (though he's not completely off the hook yet). Devil is not going to be at the top of my end-of-the-year list, but it is far, far better than I thought it was going to be.
3 / 5 Stars

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #86-85

86.Between The Buried and Me-The Silent Circus (2003)

The Silent Circus is one of the finest stepping stone records ever made. Between The Buried and Me's second record is a sign of the absolute brillance that the three following albums would bring. The Silent Circus is a very raw record compared to their future release. It's still pretty complex but there are more breakdowns and core influence than prog. Still The Silent Circus is quite the accomplishment with some classic BTBAM songs (Mordecai,Destructo Spin).

Standout Tracks 1.Mordecai 2.Destructo Spin 3.Camilla Rhodes

85.The Red Chord-Fed Through The Teeth Machine(2009)

The Red Chord latest effort, Fed Through The Teeth Machine ranks among the finest material they have ever done. This brutal behemoth of a record is deathgrind bliss. Fed Through The Teeth Machine adds a touch of proggy guitar work from Mike "Gunface" McKenzie to diversify their sound even further.The Red Chord continues to make spectacular, insanely heavy music and gets ignored by most metal fans. It's truly a shame The Red Chord are the working class heroes of the extreme metal scene and are an extremely underrated band.
Standout Tracks 1.Hymns and Crippled Anthems 2.Hour Of Rats 3.Ingest The Ash

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #88-87

88.Andrew W.K-I Get Wet(2001)

When it comes to straight up fun music, no one quite does it better than Andrew W.K. I Get Wet is the epitome of a party album. I am not a partyer myself(woo hoo I'm Straight Edge) but if I did go to parties I Get Wet would be the soundtrack. Music doesn't always have to be serious to be awesome and Andrew W.K proves that.

Standout Tracks 1.Party Hard 2.Ready To Die 3.Girls Own Love

87.Unearth-III: In The Eyes Of Fire(2006)

III: In The Eyes Of Fire is when Unearth cemented their place as one of my favorite bands. Even 4 years later, this record still fucking slays. From the firecracker intro of "This Glorious Nightmare" to the doomy finale "Big Bear and The Hour of Chaos", Unearth puts together a collection of memorable riffs, fast drums and the unique vocals of Trevor Phipps. III: In The Eyes of Fire is an absolute monster of an album.

Standout Tracks 1.This Glorious Nightmare 2.Giles 3.This Time Was Mine

Album Review: Volbeat-Beyond Hell/Above Heaven

Denmark's Volbeat came onto my radar with their last album 2008's "Guitar Gangsters and Cadailac Blood". It was an eclectic mix of country,metal and pure rock and roll. I really loved their sound from the beginning and I was anxious for their new record Beyond Hell/Above Heaven to be released. Beyond Hell/Above Heaven sticks to Volbeat's formula very nicely.

Beyond Hell/Above Heaven does sound like older Volbeat records but their sounds remains fresh. Despite the similar sound, Volbeat does have some heavier than normal tracks on this record. The Slayer style of riffing on "Who They Are" was a really nice surprise and "Evelyn" rocks a guest spot from Barney Greenway of Napalm Death.In additon to Greenway, Volbeat brought in Millie Petrozza of Kreator and Michael Denner of Mercyful Fate in as guest artists. It is fucking awesome that Volbeat assembled this team of metal legends for guest spots. It's not all heavy though, Volbeat shows off their slower, country side quite a bit on this record. Songs like "A Better Believer" and "Being 1" are just as good as some of the heavier stuff on here. Vocalist Michael Poulsen sounds just as good as ever, it seriously amazes me how good his voice is. Poulsen has one of the best voices currently in the metal genre.

Beyond Hell/Above Heaven is a great record. Volbeat stuck to their guns and made a record that stays true to them but still sounds fresh and not rehashed. Volbeat is one of the most unique bands in the metal scene right now and it's great to see a band with so many different influnces succeed. Beyond Hell/Above Heaven is like Slayer,Johnny Cash,Elvis,Pantera and Metallica were all put into a blender. This record is a contender for my top 10 of the year so far, it's that good.

4/5 Stars

Standout Tracks

1.Who They Are

2.7 Shots

3.Evelyn

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #90-89

90.Darkest Hour-Deliver Us(2007)

Washington D.C metal act Darkest Hour was pretty deep into their career when they released Deliver Us. They had been around for about 12 years and had already released 4 studio albums. Deliver Us was special for Darkest Hour though, it redefined their sound and finally brought out the elite level of music that Darkest Hour was capable of making. From Deliver Us's opening track "Doomsayer(The Beginning Of The End)" with its acoustic intro and melodic yet heavy guitarwork, you know your in for a hell of an album. The whole album is a near perfect blend of thrash,melodic death metal and metalcore.Darkest Hour hit a home run with Deliver Us and it is without a doubt the strongest material they have ever made.

Standout Tracks 1.Doomsayer(The Beginning Of The End) 2.A Pardox To The Flies 3.Demon(s)

89.Amon Amarth-With Oden On Our Side(2006)

If there is one thing Amon Amarth has in common with the book/film series Lord Of The Rings which they are named after, it would be the fact that they are epic as hell. With Oden On Our Side is some of the best melodic death metal you will ever hear. Amon Amarth blends its signature guttral-vocal style with some amazing melodic riffing. "Under The Northern Star" and "Cry Of The Black Birds" are personally my two favorite Amon Amarth tracks of all time, these tracks are absoultely epic melodic death metal that makes you feel like you are in the middle of some kind of Viking battle. Plain and simple With Oden Our Side, kicks a whole lot of ass.

Standout Tracks 1.Under The Northen Star 2.Cry Of The Black Birds 3.Gods Of War Arise

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #92-91

92.Rise Against-The Sufferer and The Witness(2006)

In a genre that in my eyes is pretty much dead, Rise Against are gods. Their pissed off style is refreshing in comparison to the middle of the road punks bands that came out around the same time as them. The Sufferer and The Witness is one of the most infectious punk records I have ever heard. There are some many great hooks to match the aggresion in which they are given at. Another element that I love about this record is how great the lyrics are. Frontman Tim Mcllarth was always great with lyrics, but The Sufferer and The Witness is where his most personal and politically charged lyrics are written. The Sufferer and The Witness is what modern pure punk rock bands should strive to be.

Standout Tracks 1.Ready To Fall 2.Drones 3.Behind Closed Doors

91.Madvillain-Madvillainy(2004)

Madvillain consists of rapper MF Doom and producer Madlib. MF Doom is one of my favorite rappers of all time was born to make music with Madlib. Madlibe is just as experimental as Doom is, Madlib loves strange beats and samples. There is so much going on here that will take multiple listens to digest, but when MF Doom's extremely intelligent lyrics and Madlib's array of beats from all over the board sink in, its fucking wonderful. Madvillainy is the single most experimental hip-hop record I have ever heard and it is a delight to listen to these two musical geniuses come together.

Standout Tracks 1.Accordion 2.Money Folder 3.Rhinestone Cowboy

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #94-93

94.Pantera-Reinventing The Steel(2000)

(Edit:I confused the year in which The Great Southern Trendkill came out with Reinventing The Steel. I am aware the image is wrong as well, I apolgize for the mistake).

With Reinventing The Steel, Pantera came to the end of an era. Though it was no Vulgar Display Of Power or Far Beyond Driven,Reinventing The Steel is a great record to close the legacy of Pantera on. "Goddamn Electric" is among one of the strongest Pantera tracks ever made and Phil Anselmo sounds extremely good on this record. Reinventing The Steel is a memorable,groovy vintage Pantera record and a fitting swan song for one of the most iconic American metal bands of all time.

Standout Tracks 1.Goddamn Electric 2.Revolution's My Name 3.Death Rattle

93.Machine Head-The Blackening(2007)

Machine Head had been on a severe slump untill The Blackening. They had a terrible nu-metal run and where trying to prove their harshest critics wrong. The Blackening went beyond silencing their critics, it blew them away. The Blackening is the best Machine Head record to date. The songs are long but they are epic and intresting. "Clenching The Fists Of Dissent" and "Halo" are two of the most ambitious Machine Head tracks ever recorded and they are absoultely killer tracks. The guitarwork from Phill Demmel is the real standout on this record. He runs through a wide array of guitar solos that are sure to make your jaw drop. The Blackening is a fantastic and very memorable record and a career-defining record for Machine Head.

Standout Tracks 1.Halo 2.Clenching The Fists Of Dissent 3.Beautiful Mourning

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #96-95

96.Arch Enemy-Doomsday Machine(2005)

Angela Gossow and the Sweedish melo-death army known as Arch Enemy sixth album(third with Gossow on vocals) is the heaviest, fastest record they have ever made. Doomsday Machine is chock full of brutal tracks that aim for the throat and don't hold back. Angela Gossow has never sounded beter and The Arnott brothers, as usual never cease to amaze me with their thrash-influenced guitar work. Their guitarwork is particularlly impressive on the album's notable tracks "My Apocalypse" and "Nemesis" (the latter which is going to be featured in the new Guitar Hero game, and for those who don't know Arch Enemy be prepared for a challenge). It's been 5 years since this record has come out but the sound is still fresh and it has held up extremely well over time.

Standout Tracks 1.My Apocalypse 2.I Am The Legend/Out For Blood 3.Nemesis

95.Nas-Untitled(2008)

Nas caused quite a stir with this record before it was even released. He intended to use the N-word as the album title but the record label would not let him. Nas agreed to leave it Untitled but in the press he still refers to as its original title and kept the cover. This is a very powerful album and I have so much respect for Nas as an artist. In a time where most mainstream hip hop artists sell out and lose focus of their career, Nas raps with intelligence about things he has a problems with in the world such as racisim and poverty.This is not an easy record to listen to, but if you give it a chance and disgest it properly, you will see what a powerful and excellent record it is.

Standout Tracks 1.America 2.N.I.G.G.E.R(The Slave and The World) 3.We're Not Alone

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #98-97

98.Atmosphere-When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold(2008)

Atmosphere is one of the most gifted hip-hop acts around. His most recent effort in a string of masterpieces, When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold reenforces that point. Tracks like "Shoulda Known" and "Wild Wild Horses" are among the best hip hops songs ever recorded. This record is full of many diverse and intresting beats, brillant lyrics and great flow from lead rapper Slug. Atmosphere is one of the most consistent and brillant musical acts around right now and are one of the very few artists that are breathing life into the otherwise dead hip hop/rap genre, a bit of foreshadowing this won't the first apperance from Atmosphere on this list.

Standout Tracks 1.Wild Wild Horses 2.Shoulda Known 3.In Her Music Box

97.Chimaira-The Impossibilty Of Reason(2003)

The Impossibillty Of Reason is the piece of work Chimaira has ever done. Its groovy, heavy and all of the songs are memorable. Rob Arnold's guitar work is put on display throughout the album, his lightning-quick fretwork and knack for groovy riffs is just fantastic. This is the album that put Chimaira on the map and is essential part of their current postion in the metal scene.

Standout Tracks 1.Pictures In The Gold Room 2.The Dehumanizing Process 3.Power Trip

Movie Review: The American

Note: This review is not my own, my friend and editor from ReelSociety.com is the author of this review.

Review By Patrick Hodges

George Clooney has turned in some dazzling dramatic performances over the years - Michael Clayton and Syriana immediately spring to mind - and the reason that he has left his mark on those roles was because of his ability to don the garb of whatever role he's in, making us forget for a short time that's he's one of the most famous thespians on the planet. His characters are invariably multi-faceted, deeply layered, and easily relatable. So the idea of him playing an assassin was a tantalizing thought, and I thought that The American would be yet another in long string of triumphs. Sadly, This was not the case

The pitfall that so often sinks dramas like this is that the plots tend to be overly complicated, and come off as contrived or convoluted. The problem with The American was exactly the opposite - the plot was so simple, the whole script comes off as lazy. Attempts to give the story or the characters much depth were few and far between, and by the end, all I could do was shake my head and say, "Was that it?"

Clooney plays Jack, to whom we are introduced as he is shacked up in a remote cabin with a young woman in the snowy wilderness of Sweden. The happy couple come under attack from gunmen during a morning stroll. Jack dispatches both of his would-be killers, but now that his girlfriend has learned his true line of work, he is forced to silence her as well. This scene is quick and brutal, and it ends up taking an emotional toll on Jack, as we soon learn.

He is sent by his contact (Johan Leysen) to lay low in a small village in the Italian countryside, where he is to complete his next assignment: to assemble an assassin's rifle for a mysterious woman named Mathilde (Thekla Reuten). Posing as an American photog, he makes the acquaintance of a local priest (Paolo Bonacelli), who suspects what we already knew - that Jack is not all that he seems - and a beautiful prostitute named Clara (Violante Placido), with whom Jack commits the cardinal sin for those in his profession, by developing real feelings for her. As Jack makes the decision that this latest job will be his last, we already know that it won't be that simple... it never is.

The cinematography for this film is outstanding. There are fantastic shots aplenty of the gorgeous Italian landscape, as well as aerial and street views of the quaint, cobblestoned streets of various rustic Italian villages. The vistas are so beautiful to look at, we almost forget that there is a drama unfolding... almost. Make no mistake - The American is not your typical "assassin" movie. Though there are a few minutes of action, it's nothing on the level of, say, the Bourne movies. The panoramic views come at the expense of any truly meaningful dialogue, and as a result, there is very little character development. We can see that Clara, the "hooker with a heart of gold" is succeeding in melting the ice around Jack's cold, emotionless, all-business heart, but those signs come too close to the film's climax to really be very satisfying.

Director Anton Corbijn has got a lot of talent as a director, and a lot of promise. But if we're going to use The American as a yardstick, he's a lot more like Terence Malick than Paul Greengrass. It's a well-acted, well-shot story, and Clooney does the best he can to make Jack his own, but there's simply not enough STORY to get completely engrossed in. If more time had been spent on character development and less on the Italian travel brochure, this would have been a much better film. As it is, however, it is merely okay.
2.5/ 5 stars

Best Albums Of The Decade(2000-2009): #100-99

Today I am going to start my list of what I believe to be the 100 best albums of the past decade. There were a lot of brillant pieces of work that have been released in the past 10 years and the list was extremely hard to make. My plan is to unveil the list with 2 albums per day with brief write-ups included. I love any comments and I hope you enjoy the list! Without further ado here is number 100 and 99.

100.Cannibal Corpse-Kill(2006)

One of the pioneering acts of death metal made one of their finest albums ever well into their 2nd decade. Tracks like "Murder Worship" and "Make Them Suffer" are easily on the level of their earlier classics and show what death metal is all about. Kill is brutal, no bullshit death metal at its peak level and is the defining 2000's era Cannibal Corpse record.

Standout Tracks 1. Murder Worship 2.Make Them Suffer 3.Death Walking Terror

99.Korn-Take A Look In The Mirror(2003)

Korn's defining era was the 1990's. They pioneered the sound that would later inspire a plethora of copycats and spawn the dreaded term "nu-metal". Korn was coming of 2002's Untouchables which was decent but a huge letdown after their amazing 90's material. 2003's Take A Look In The Mirror brought back their old-school sound and made a great record. Take A Look In The Mirror is the last Korn record to feature the original lineup and it shows. It is the last Korn record that I would consider to be fantastic, there are a lot of Korn classics on this record. Take A Look In The Mirror is the best non-90's Korn album by leaps and bounds.

Standout Tracks 1.Did My Time 2.Deep Inside 3.Right Now

Movie Review: Repo Men

A quick note before I get started, I have been meaning to write this review for the past week I just haven't gone around to it. The combination of writing a couple reviews for newer releases, finishing Season 2 of Sons Of Anarchy and preparing for the start of college have prevented me from writing this review. Without further ado(and rambling), Here is my review for Repo Men.

Repo Men centers around two "repo men" named Remy (Jude Law) and Jake (Forest Whitaker). Remy and Jake are employed by The Union, who are the largest distributors of artifical organs. When someone can't pay for their organ, The Union sends Remy and Jake out and they take the organ back. Remy and Jake are the best Repo Men The Union has. At his wife's request Remy decides to transfer to Sales. The request is accepted by his boss (Liev Schriber), under the condition he does one final repo. At his last job Remy is shocked by a defibulator which causes his heart severe damage and puts him into a coma. Upon waking from his coma he is informed by the doctors that they had to put an artifical heart into him. Remy, unable to pay for the expensive organ goes on the run from the Union.

Repo Men is actually a good film. I went with pretty low expectations due to the horrendous feedback, but I came out pleasantly surprised. The storyline is original and stays interesting throughout (It also has a couple of nice twists to keep it fresh) . It is also pretty well-acted across the board. Jude Law tends to be a pretty weak actor but he adds some depth to Remy that you wouldn't tend to expect from him. Forest Whitaker doesn't give one of his better performances here but he still does a pretty good job as Jake, the far less complex character of the two leads. Repo Men is not without its flaws though. It does have a few big plot holes and at times the story can be pretty dumb.

Repo Men is a pretty solid film from top to bottom. Despite its flaws, its a gory-scfi opus I can see becoming a cult classic in the coming years. Repo Men is flashy, bloody and surprisingly enjoyable.

3.5/5 Stars

My Fantasy Football Teams

It is the magical time of year for Fantasy Football. I am quite busy with teams this year, I have 3 of them and the drafts for all 3 where this weekend. Here is how I panned out for rosters.


League#1 My league with my friends.
League Name: Jaxson
Team Name: JayCutlerMVfuckingP

Starting Lineup
QB-Peyton Manning
WR-Reggie Wayne
WR-Chad Ochocinco
WR-Dez Bryant
RB-Frank Gore
RB-Jamal Charles
TE-Dallas Clark
K-Robbie Gould
DEF-New York Jets

Bench
QB-Jay Cutler
WR-Percy Harvin
RB-Matt Forte
TE-John Carlson
K-Ryan Succop
DEF-Chicago


League#2 My league with the good people over at MetalSetlists.com
League Name: MetalSetlists.com
Team Name: Iron Tusk

Starting Lineup
QB-Peyton Manning
WR-Brandon Marshall
WR-DeSean Jackson
WR-Dez Bryant
RB-Arian Foster
RB-Matt Forte
TE-Dallas Clark
K-Rob Bironas
DEF-New York Jets

Bench
QB-Josh Johnson(have a pending move to drop him for Matt Cassell)
WR-Steve Breaston
WR-Antonio Bryant
RB-Marion Barber
TE-Dustin Keller
K-Rian Lindell


League#3 My league with a couple of my cousins and one of my cousin's co-workers.
League Name: The Player's League
Team Name: Brett Favre=Whore

Starting Lineup
QB-Kevin Kolb
WR-Brandon Marshall
WR-Miles Austin
WR-Dez Bryant
RB-Ray Rice
RB-Jahvid Best
TE-Vernon Davis
K-Stephen Gostkowski
DEF-New York Giants

Bench
QB-Alex Smith
WR-Devin Aromashdu
WR-Austin Collie
RB-Ahmad Bradshaw
TE-Heath Miller
K-Rian Lindell


I am satisfied with my team's for the most part with the exception of the quarterbacks on my 3rd team and my running backs on my 2nd team. Hopefully these players surprise me and can be productive, but as of right now I am little iffy on them.

Movie Review: Machete

2007's Grindhouse fake trailers introduced us to the character of Machete. It was an extremely hilarious bit centered around Danny Trejo as Machete who was a vigilante going after the people that betrayed him. Three years later, Machete has been transformed into a full-length film and director Robert Rodriguez has knocked it out of the park.


Machete is a Federal Agent from Mexico that goes to the United States after having his wife and daughter murdered by drug lord Torrez (Steven Seagal). He has taken up shop working as a day laborer and has gotten out of the killing game. Machete is later dragged back into killing when he is approached by Michael Booth (Jeff Fahey) and offered $150,000 to kill corrupt senator John McLaughlin (Robert De Niro), who has extreme measures to enforce immigration on the Mexican Border. Machete is soon double crossed and finds out Booth is working with McLaughlin and Machete soon goes on the run. Machete teams up with Luz (Michelle Rodriguez), Customs Agent Sartana (Jessica Alba) and his priest brother (Cheech Marlin) to take down McLaughlin and Booth, and expose them for the frauds that they are.



Machete is a great piece of B-movie fun. Robert Rodriguez is in his element making grindhouse features like Machete. Rodriguez packs Machete full of insane violence, hilarious dialogue, nudity and over the top cheese. Machete even has a message about illegal immigration. Danny Trejo is the ultimate bad-ass in this role. He is a quiet killer who hacks up the bad guys like nobody's business, has sex with Michelle Rodriguez, Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Alba in the same movie (lucky bastard) and delivers brilliant quotes throughout. In addition to Trejo, the cast has plenty of standouts including De Niro who is hillarious as the Senator and Don Johnson has an insane Border Patrol officer. Steven Seagal is his usual corny, stone-faced self and proves once again that he is one of the worst actors ever, but that's why I love Seagal.



If you are looking for a good hack and slash B-movie with entrails, boobs and humor galore then Machete is for you. Robert Rodriguez is seriously one of the finest directors around right now and he needs to get around to making Sin City 2 to solidify that even further. Machete is a damn fine film and has a slot in my top 10 of 2010 locked up.
4/5 Stars

Album Review: Disturbed-Aslyum

Disturbed has never been a band that breaks any mold. They make enjoyable, radio-friendly, hard rock/metal that really doesn't take any risks. Asylum doesn't really stray from the patented Disturbed mold too much but it is enough for me to not enjoy Asylum has much as their past efforts.

The biggest difference between Asylum and earlier Disturbed records is how melodic and dark this record is. The melodic and dark tones are very similar sounding though and at times this record completely blends together and can become quite boring. The heavy sections are still present but they are not as prevelent as they have been in the past. The one big postive about the melodic sections though is David Draiman can show off his vocal skills. Draiman is in top form here and saves some of the songs that would have been tedious otherwise. Thrown in with the mostly more melodic tracks is some good vintage sounding Disturbed. Tracks like "My Child" and "The Animal" work very well because it gives guitarist Dan Donegan a chance to show off his skill and Draiman to use make his trademark noises. If the majority of Asylum was like these two tracks, I think Disturbed who have made a memorable record.

Aslyum is a dissapointment for sure especially coming off 2008's "Indestructible",which was their best effort since defining album"The Sickness". There is too many filler tracks for it to be memorable. I can appreciate the darker themes and lyrics but the dreary sound of most of the album becomes tedious. Aslyum has its moments and as a whole its a pretty decent record but overall it is not one of Disturbed's better pieces of work.

3/5 Stars

Standout Tracks

1.The Animal

2.My Child

3.Aslyum

NFL Preview-NFC West

The NFC West is a terrible division. A majority of this conference is in the rebuilding stage and really don't have the pieces in place to suceed in the league as of right now. I honestly don't see a legitimate contender for a title in this divison and in all honesty I think this is the only division in the entire league I can say that about.

Arizona Cardinals-The Cardinals took a huge hit when Kurt Warner retired. They lost not only a future Hall Of Fame quarterback but a great leader and the glue of this offense. Currently they are dealing with another dillema in the form of Matt Leinart complaining about losing the starting job. I think coach Ken Wisenhunt's descision to start Derek Anderson over Leinart is a great pick. Anderson is a better quarterback and had a great year in 2008. Leinart hasn't been effective since his days at USC. Even with Anderson under center, I still don't like the Cardinals chances this year. They had key other key losses on both sides of the ball including Anquan Boldin,Antrell Rolle and Karlos Dansby. All three of them contributed alot to to the team and there prescene will be sorely missed. The Cardinals only hope for success is if young players like Steve Breaston and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie step up to fill the gaps left by the veterans.

San Fransisco 49ers-The 49ers are going to win the NFC West in a landslide. Mike Singletary's team might not be elite but they have talent and have the edge of being extremely well coached in a weak division. Frank Gore is going to have a monster year. He is a tremendous talent and the most underrated running back in the league. Brian Westbrook's veteran prescene in the running game is another asset to the team. The 49ers also have a stingy defense with a ton of talent on it including Patrick Willis who is an elite linebacker who's play benefits all the players around him. The only big question mark for them is how well Alex Smith can play. Smith has been iffy throughout his NFL career and unless he steps up the 49er's are going to not contend for a Super Bowl.

Seattle Seahawks-The Seahawks made a gutsy move hiring college football icon Pete Carroll has their new head coach. Carroll had a dynasty with USC but he has not done anything noteworthy in the NFL. I really don't think that will change anytime soon. Plain and simple the Seahawks suck. They have good linebacks and wide recivers/tight ends besides that everything is in disarray. Carroll already has proved he has no clue what he is doing trading away draft picks for Charlie Whitehurst as the quarterback of the future. Whitehurst has been a 3rd string quarterback on the Chargers his entire career and they gave up valueable draft picks in order to secure him. There is a small array of hope rookie wideout Golden Tate has been impressive in the pre-season and Aaron Curry has enmorous talent and could be a serious threat in the future. The Seahawk are still a flawed team and should be in the NFL's basement for a long time.

St.Louis Rams-The Rams are the laughing stock of the NFL. Nothing tends to go right with them and there whole team is based around running Steven Jackson. There number 1 pick this year puzzled me. I don't think Sam Bradford is going to amount to much of anything. The Rams are going to have another disastrous year and there really isn't much else to say.

Predictions for the NFC West
1.San Fransisco 49ers(9-7)
2.Arizona Cardinals(6-10)
3.Seattle Seahawks(4-12)
4.St.Louis Rams(1-15)