April In Film

This is going to pretty abrevated because the spacing got really fucked up on the last one. Sorry, I am pretty busy and I won't have time to do full explanations.

Films I want to see:
3.Source Code(April 1)
2.Fast Five(April 29)
1.Your Highness(April 8)

 Films I am unsure about:
Arthur(April 8)
Scream 4(April 15)

Films I don't want to see:(but will anyways due to my goal for 2011 films)
Hop(April 1)
Insidious(April 1)
Hanna(April 8)
Soul Surfer(April 8)
Rio(April 15)
Water For Elephants(April 22)
Madea's Big Happy Family(April 22)
Hoodwinked Two! Hood Vs Evil(April 29)

Quick Movie Reviews: It's Kind Of A Funny Story and Easy A

It's Kind Of A Funny Story: This was an offbeat film. It blends comedy and drama together pretty nicely. I liked the story and it had a very real charm to it. Zack Galinfinakis shows a different of himself in a more serious role. There is some comedy to it, but it's a much more mature role and as always, he is great. At times it gets a little too indie for it's own good and Keir Gilchrist(who portrays the main character Craig) is annoying at times Though not without it's flaws, This was an enjoyable and touching film.
3.5/5 Stars

Easy A: This is going to come as a big surprise, but I actually enjoyed this film alot. I found it to be a very amusing and original film. I was expecting a bland, by-the-number romantic comedy and what I got was a sweet and surprisingly very funny flick. Emma Stone was great in the lead and her character is smart, charismatic, and funny as hell. She nailed the role and she really is a fantastic comic actress. The supporting cast added a lot too. Stanley Tucci steals the show as Emma Stone's extremely liberal dad, he has the some of the best lines whole film. Easy A was a really pleasant surprise.
4/5 Stars

The Room

I consider myself to me a consieur of bad films, specifically unintentionally hillarious films. I've been hearing for years about The Room , which is considered by many to be the absolute worst film ever made. I finally saw The Room last week and it really lived up to the hype. It's seriously one of the biggest piles of turd i've ever seen. It's an unintentional comedy gold mine. I spent most of the duration laughing out loud. It's so preposturus, over-acted and poorly written it's almost sad. If you enjoy bad films and haven't seen this, this is a must see. It's so awful and hysterical that it's a must-see.

Movie Review: Sucker Punch

As an aspiring movie critic, there are times where I disagree strongly with professional critics. On numerous occasions I've found myself on Rotten Tomatoes looking at the percentage and thinking "really that low, come on now?" I tend to be a pretty open minded moviegoer and I don't tend to find some of the nitpicking criticisms critics that some critics find. Sucker Punch is one of the biggest disagreements I have ever had with critics, I loved it.

Sucker Punch centers around Babydoll(Emily Browning). Babydoll is sent to the Lennox House for the Mentally Insane after accidentally shooting her sister while trying to her protect her for her stepfather. Upon arrival, Babydoll finds out she will be lobotomized in four days. Using her mind to escape, she comes up with a plan to escape from the Lennox House by obtaining four items: a map, fire, knife and key. Babydoll proposes the plan to her fellow patients Sweet Pea(Abbie Cornish), Rocket(Jenna Malone), Blondie (Vannessa Hudgens), and Amber (Jamie Chung) who agree to accompany in her plan to escape.

Sucker Punch is a dynamite action/adventure flick. It's a riveting piece of crazy, manic entertainment. The visuals are absolutely top-notch. During the process of obtaining each item, you are transported into a dream world. The landscapes are tremendously detailed and every single sequence is a visual feast. The action sequences are out of this world. From dragons to robots, there is a wide array of different villains and every action scene is bad-ass. Zach Snyder is one of the most talented directors in capturing action. Snyder's films never fail to impress with action and Sucker Punch continues the trend.

A lot of the reviews I read complained about it's confusing and hard to follow storyline. I am really not sure if I watched the same film as these critics. The story is not only not hard to follow, it's actually very good. I found myself transfixed by the storyline. The tone is surprisingly dark and the haunting tone is strikingly effective. It was also very original and extremely engaging. You become attached to the character's goal of freedom and their fight for survival.

Sucker Punch is a great ride. It's a brilliant action/adventure that is also a whirlwind fantasy with remarkable landscapes. This is a creative,dark, and really original film. Zach Snyder continues to impress me and he is one of my favorite directors in Hollywood. The man is a visual genius and he brings a sensational artistic vision to all of his projects. Sucker Punch is a highly underrated film and another piece of action bliss from Zach Snyder.

4.5/5 Stars

Movie Review: The Lincoln Lawyer

I will admit, I was a bit skeptical going into The Lincoln Lawyer. Even with a lot of positive feedback, I wasn't sure if this film would be any good. The Lincoln Lawyer proved me dead wrong, it's a rock-solid legal drama.

The Lincoln Lawyer focuses on Los Angeles defense attorney Mickey Haller (Matthew McConaughey). Haller bases his operations out of a Lincoln Continental and mostly lands mid-level cases. That changes when Haller lands the highest profile case of his career defending the son of a Beverly Hills mogul Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe). Roulet is being accused of brutally beating a prostitute. At first, Haller thinks Roulet is innocent and believes this case will be an easy victory for his client. As times goes on, more evidence comes out that turns the case substantially and makes it a highly complex and dangerous case. Not only could Roulet be guilty in this case, he might have committed several similar crimes in the past.

The Lincoln Lawyer is a smart and very entertaining legal drama. The film keeps you engaged throughout with a very intelligent screenplay filled with twists and turns. The numerous twists and turns really add this lingering suspense throughout the film. It has this old-school legal drama feel to and that was a really refreshing touch. The acting across the board is great. This is the single best performance of Matthew McConaughey's career. I don't tend to be a big fan of McConaughey, but here he is charismatic and really does a great job. Ryan Phillipe is in top form as well. He creates a really menacing and deceptive character that is sickeningly evil.

The Lincoln Lawyer is a very good flick. It's very smart and well-written. There is a good amount of suspense, twists, and intense courtroom scenes that keep the viewer on the edge of their seat. The premise might not be the most original thing ever, but the execution is very good. The cast is really fantastic. Everybody involved is at the top of their game and the acting really enhances the film to the next level. The Lincoln Lawyer is a piece of old-school entertainment and a true crowd-pleaser. The best film of 2011 so far.

4/5 Stars

Album Review: Rise Against-Endgame

Rise Against, in my opinion, is the best punk band of their generation. They picked up where the previous generation of punk legends like Bad Religion left off. They were a band with an agenda and they got their strong political message across with some fantastic punk rock. After their mastepiece The Sufferer and The Witness, Rise Against has taken a step decline in quality and started to stray away from their punk sound. Endgame is the nail in the coffin for Rise Against's punk roots.

Endgame is a huge dissapointment. The punk sound that made Rise Against so good in the first place is just about abandoned. Album opener "Architects" just made me sad. It's a heavy handed emo piece of shit. I honestly couldn't believe my ears. I didn't think Rise Against would make anything like this. It's really uncharastic of their sound and it's by far the worst song they have ever made. The rest of the album isn't quite as bad as "Architects", but it doesn't really bring much to the table. Endgame is a pretty boring record. Most of the tracks really sound the same. There is little to no varation between tracks. On top of the repetiton, it's just doesn't sound like Rise Against. I have no problem with progession or varation in sound, it's just when you completely abandon your roots and start make formulaic music it aggrevates me.

Endgame is a big letdown. It's not at all what I have come to expect from Rise Against. Gone is the great punk rock of old Rise Against and it's been replaced a by the numbers rock sound that is pretty boring. It's really a shame to see Rise Against turn into this. They were the best punk band around now and they are defintely in a slump. Endgame is a fall from grace for Rise Against.

2/5 Stars

Album Review: Born Of Osiris-The Discovery

Born Of Osiris has really outdone themselves on The Discovery. Their first two pieces of work The New Reign and A Higher Place were both albums that I enjoyed thoroughly. Lets just say, The Discovery blows the doors off of their previous work.

The Discovery is the most mature Born Of Osiris record to date. The music is much more complex, technical and progressive. It's pretty amazing the growth Born Of Osiris is able to pull off from album to album. The music has advanced greatly on each record and The Discovery is easily the most musically complex Born Of Osiris record to date. Born Of Osiris wastes no time impressing the listener with the albums opening one-two punch of "Follow The Signs" and "Singularity". "Follow The Signs" starts off with fast guitarwork, much improved drumming and catchy synths. You can notice the advancement immediately. "Singularity" is even better. The immense keyboards and the fantastic guitar soloing are able to create this epic sound that sticks throughout the record. The overall musicianship has improved tremendously, especially the guitars and keyboards. The addition of guitar player Jason Richardson (ex-All Shall Perish) has really enhanced the guitarwork,The solos are amazing. "Recreate" and "Behold" contain what are easily some of the best guitar solos I've heard in recent memory. The synths are also epic. The experimentation with hip-hop style beats and music-box style keyboards really add this fascinating dynamic to Born Of Osiris's sound. The keyboard melodies are gorgeous,haunting, and memorable. The production is also much improved. A Higher Place had muddled drums that got lost in the mix and the sound wasn't that clear. The Discovery benefits from crisp production and the mix sounds great this time around.

The Discovery is easily the best work from Born Of Osiris. They are able to make a tremendous leap forward in their sound. It's a far more complex,fast,progressive, and mature sound than their previous material. Every song is great and has their own set of unique benefits. The overall musicianship across the board is improved greatly. The addition of Jason Richardson has payed off big time, the guitarwork is outstanding. The Discovery has set the bar insanely high for Born Of Osiris's peers. Their deathcore sound is still in place, but they are able to add so many refreshing and interesting things to the sound. The Discovery is deathcore perfected.

4.5/5 Stars

Standout Tracks

1.Recreate

2.Automatic Motion

3.Singularity

Album Review: Amon Amarth-Surtur Rising

Amon Amarth is the epitome of consistency in metal. Throughout their long career, Amon Amarth has made quality record after quality record. Their latest effort, Surtur Rising is yet another great record.



Surtur Rising is an epic record. Amon Amarth has always demonstrated an epic sound and Surtur Rising keeps it in place. "Tock's Taunt: Loke's Treachery Part II" is easily one of the most epic tracks Amon Amarth has ever recorded. The riff is absolutely fucking amazing and it makes you feel like you are in the middle of a viking battle. In addition to the slower paced epic tracks that they are known for, Amon Amarth throws in a lot of faster tracks, which was kind of surprising. The best of the faster tracks "A Beast Am I" is a five minute rager that moves at a breakneck speed with a great riff and is a just plain badass song. Another surprise on Surtur Rising is the cover of System Of A Down's "Aerials" that closes out the album. The cover is excellent and I really dug the way Johan Hegg's vocals sounded on this track. It is one of the better cover tracks I've heard and Amon Amarth really made it their own.



Amon Amarth has done it again. I didn't enjoy Surtur Rising as much as their previous two records With Oden On Our Side and Twilight Of The Thundergod , but it's still quite good nonetheless. Amon Amarth's records are all pretty similar, but they never fail to be badass. Johan Hegg is still one of the best extreme vocalists around and the songwriting and riffs are always awesome. Amon Amarth has stuck to their heavy yet melodic sound throughout their career and they continue to make great records.

4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Tock's Taunt: Loke's Treachery Part II
2.A Beast Am I
3.Slaves Of Fear

Concert Review: Dropkick Murphys, Boston,MA, March 18th, 2011

What a fucking show. There is nothing like seeing the Dropkick Murphys in Boston.

Got to the House Of Blues at 6:30 and the opening band The Parkington Sisters were already playing. They were a folk group from Cape Cod. They consisted of mainly violin and cello players. They were definitely talented, I just didn't dig their sound. I was pretty damn bored throughout the set. The only highlight is when Ken Casey from the Dropkick Murphys came out and did a song with them.

Death Before Dishonor was up next. I was pretty surprised they were there. They are a Boston hardcore band who I have heard of before, but never listened to. I really enjoyed their set, but let's just say I was one of the few. Most of the crowd was really confused at what they were witnessing. Really good Boston hardcore and I would really like to see them again with a better crowd.

Against Me! was up next. I saw Against Me! four years ago opening for Mastodon(easily the strangest lineup I have ever seen) and they were pretty good. They were better last night than the first time I saw them. They have pretty solid energy and it looked like they are having a good time on stage. Against Me! doesn't really waste time on stage, they move from song to song at a relentless pace only stopping at the very end to thank the crowd. They were a bit repetitive at times, but they were fun overall. I wouldn't mind seeing them again, I had a good time during their set.

Dropkick Murphys were insane. The entire crowd was going apeshit. Everybody was singing along, jumping around and having a good time. The crowd was far less violent then I thought it would it be. I expected utter chaos when it came to the mosh pits, but the pits were actually fairly tame. The Dropkicks performance was great. They had a ton of energy and they really got the crowd amped up. Another thing I enjoyed was the special guests they had come on stage. Irish Step Dancers came out during a couple of songs as well as a fleet of bagpipers on certain songs. After leaving the stage after "Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced", they pulled the biggest surprise of the night. For the encore they brought out Bruce fucking Springsteen. That's right Bruce Springsteen. I am not really a fan of Bruce Springsteen, it was just really cool to see him play with the Murphys in a club venue. Springsteen played with them for three songs, including a cover of his song "Badlands". They closed out their over 90 minute set with "Skinhead On The MBTA" and "Boys On The Docks" A great show and an awesome first show of 2011.

Scores
The Parkington Sisters 3/10
Death Before Dishonor 8/10
Against Me! 7.5/10
Dropkick Murphys 9/10

Setlists

Death Before Dishonor included:
Never Again
Break Through It All
Boston Belongs To Me

Against Me! included:
Pints Of Guinness Make You Strong
New Wave
Don't Lose Touch
I Was A Teenage Anarchist
White People For Peace
Thrash Unreal
Sink,Florida,Sink

Dropkick Murphys:(Slightly out of order in the middle, but the songs are correct)
Hang Em' High
Captain Kelly's Kitchen
Barroom Hero
Never Alone
The Gang's All Here
Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya
Deeds Not Words
The State Of Massachusetts
Sunday Hardcore Matinee
Curse Of A Fallen Soul
The Fields Of Athenry
Going Out In Style
Cruel
The Dirty Glass(w/one of The Parkington Sisters)
Citizen C.I.A
Take Em' Down
Broken Hymns
The Auld Triangle
The Irish Rover
Kiss Me I'm Shitfaced
Encore:
Peg O'My Heart(w/Bruce Springsteen)
Badlands(Bruce Springsteen cover) (w/Bruce Springsteen)
I'm Shipping Up To Boston(w/Bruce Springsteen)
Skinhead On The MBTA
Boys On The Docks

Quick Movie Reviews: Red and Let Me In

Red: Great fun. Red is very entertaining and throws in some good bits of comedy. The cast is fantastic. The veteran actors work well of each other and there is a great chemistry between them. John Malkovich steals the show as the manic,paranoid agent that was fed drugs throught his FBI career. He has the best lines of the film and perfectly captures the roles luancy. A very good action film.
4/5 Stars

Let Me In: Let Me In is one of the rare great horror remakes. I would actually say Let Me In is on par with the original, maybe even better. Let Me In is able to capture the emotion and tone of the original. It's not your typical horror film, it's also a story about friendship and love. The acting from the young leads is fantastic. Chole Moretz and Kodi Smith McPhee both have long careers ahead of them and I can absoultely see them joining Hollywood's elite. Let Me In is the best horror film I have seen in years.
4/5 Stars

Album Review: Dropkick Murphys-Going Out In Style

Welcome back Dropkick Murphys! Boston's own Celtic Punk masters return with Going Out In Style return with their first release since 2007's The Meanest Of Times. In typical Dropkick Murphys fashion, Going Out In Style is a rousing good time.

Going Out In Style is similar to other Dropkick Murphys records, but that is no way shape or form a bad thing. This is yet another blast of Celtic Punk that sounds like no one else. Their sound is still fresh and exciting. Going Out In Style starts off with the classic Dropkick Murphys party vibe, "Hang Em'High" and "Going Out In Style" are great tracks. They are catchy as hell and all about having a good time. Going Out In Style also contains some great ballads in "Cruel" and the traditional Irish song "Peg O' My Heart". Dropkick Murphys write easily some of the best ballads in all of music. Most ballads tend to be bland and horribly uninteresting, The Dropkick Murphys inject them with real emotion and their unique instrumentation. Another big plus is the interesting stories they tell with their lyrics. "Sunday Hardcore Matinee" tell a rather fascinating story about seeing old-school hardcore punk bands like Agnostic Front and Bad Brains. I found the story to be quite engaging and it's a unique lyrical subject that was very interesting.

Going Out In Style is another good one from the Dropkick Murphys. They have the uncanny ability to make fun yet meaningful and engaging songs. Their sound is still diverse and enjoyable as ever. Going Out In Style is another quintessential Dropkick Murphys record that should satisfy every fan of the band.

3.5/5 Stars

Standout Tracks

1.Going Out In Style

2.Peg O' My Heart

3.Sunday Hardcore Matinee

Movie Review: Battle: Los Angeles

The alien invasion genre has made a bit of a comeback in the past couple years. Recent entries to the genre have varied from brilliant(District 9) to terrible (Skyline, in fairness I haven't seen it, but I have heard horrible things.) Battle: Los Angeles falls smack dab in the middle when comes to alien invasion films.

In August 2011, suspicious meteors enter the earth's atmosphere. The military is confused at the presence of these meteors. They are like nothing they have seen before. Before long, the earth's major cities are being attacked by aliens. Los Angeles is the last major city standing in California and it's up to Marine Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) and his platoon to stop the alien force and save the city of Los Angeles.

Battle: Los Angeles is a decent movie. It mainly works due to the action sequences. The action sequences are intense and pretty suspenseful. You feel like you are in the middle of this intergalactic war. The shaky camera works really well here. Shaky Cam really varies in effectiveness, it works wonders here due to the complete chaos of the alien invasion. The acting is decent as well. The movie is mainly focused on the action, but Aaron Eckhart especially does a pretty good as the lead.

What prevents Battle: Los Angeles from being great is the script. There is a ton of plot holes. Next to nothing is explained and everything just happens way too fast. On top of the plot holes, there is a ton of corny dialogue. I mean some of the lines are so cheesy you can't help but laugh out loud. I don't get how a professional screenwriter could think these were good lines, the dialogue is mind-numbing.

Overall Battle: Los Angeles is worth seeing. It has some flaws in the script, but it still manages to be a pretty decent movie. It's entertaining and the intensity of the action scenes make for up the lesser moments. Battle: Los Angeles is nothing special, but it should please fans of the alien invasion genre.

3/5 Stars

Album Review: The Human Abstract-Digital Veil

The Human Abstract has gone through a bit of change recently. They picked up a new vocalist and saw the return of founding guitarist A.J Minette since the release of their last album, Nocturne in 2008. The member change has not seemed to effect them much. Actually I would say it's quite the contrary. The various member changes help make Digital Veil their best work to date.

Digital Veil keeps The Human Abstract's staple sound in place, it just improves on it. There is plenty of technical, complex musicianship on display throughout the album. The guitarwork, in particular, is very impressive. "Complex Terms" and "Faust" are basically guitar clinics that won't fail to blow your mind. The blend of progressive and technical riffing is spectacular. The Human Abstract is at their best when laying down instrumental sections. The songwriting is absolutely amazing. They create an almost dream-like atmosphere that captivates the listener with their highly impressive musicianship.

Where Digital Veil loses a bit of steam is with the vocals. The screaming vocals are fine, it's more so an issue with the clean vocals which become grating at times. The main track where the clean vocals are an issue is "Antebellum". "Antebellum" is a pretty dull song with nothing really interesting going on in the seven minute duration of the track and the clean vocals become kind of annoying. Don't get wrong, the clean vocals work pretty well for most of the album, "Antebellum" is pretty much the only the place where they become boring.

Digital Veil is The Human Abstract's best album to date. The instrumentation and songwriting is fantastic. The levels of musicianship are off the charts and it is an absolute joy to listen these guys play. They are able to create such a diverse sound with the overall complexity and ambition of their sound. The Human Abstract is a band just beginning to hit their stride. When they hit that stride watch out, The Human Abstract is one album away from a masterpiece.

4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Complex Terms
2.Faust
3.Patterns

Upcoming Posts

I have been busy with some schoolwork in the past few days. I have reviews in the works for the new Dropkick Murphys and Human Abstract albums. These reviews should be up by Saturday. I also hope to see Battle: Los Angeles this weekend, so keep an eye out for that review. As always, thank you for reading my blog.

Chris Maitland

Album Review: Children Of Bodom-Relentless Reckless Forever

I learned a valuable lesson, don't underestimate Children Of Bodom. Despite Children Of Bodom being one of my favorite bands, my expectations for Relentless Reckless Forever were really low. Coming off their middling last effort Bloodrunk and the awful first single "Was It Worth It?", I had pretty much written off Relentless Reckless Forever. Let's just say, I fucked up big time. Relentless Reckless Forever is a damn fine record.

Children Of Bodom doesn't waste any time silencing their critics(myself included). Album opener "Not My Funeral" is a blast of the vintage Children Of Bodom sound that got in lost in the fold on Blooddrunk. "Not My Funeral" is a face-melter of an opener. I spent the entire duration of the track thinking "Holy shit! Children Of Bodom is back." "Not My Funeral" is just the beginning of the sheer feeling of pleasant surprise that I felt while listening to Relentless Reckless Forever. Most of the albums moves at a blistering pace(especially the under 3 minute blast of pure speed that is album closer "Northpole Throwdown") with Alexi Laiho's mesmerizing guitar playing mixed with the always delightful keyboard work from Janne Wirman. The guitar/keyboard interplay is one of the main reasons Children Of Bodom's sound is so effective and it was what the last two records were severely lacking. It's not really Children Of Bodom without the crazy and incredibly impressive duel soloing and Relentless Reckless Forever brings it back.

Another things that impressed me about Relentless Reckless Forever was the resurgence of Alexi Laiho's vocals. On Blooddrunk, he sounded like shit. On Relentless Reckless Forever, he sounds far better and healthier. In a recent interview I read, he was discussing his cutdown in drinking and partying. I think this was a great choice. Years of hard partying was taking a severe toll on his music and his cutdown pays dividends on this album.

Relentless Reckless Forever eviscerated my expectations. Outside of the fucking horrible "Was It Worth It?", Children Of Bodom really made the grade on this record. Children Of Bodom's return to the sound of their earlier records was a spectacular choice. The earlier albums were easily the best of their career and are the reason Children Of Bodom is one of my favorite bands. Relentless Reckless Forever is a return to form for Children Of Bodom. Although it's not quite up to the quality of their first four albums, it's a fucking killer throwback to the glory days of the band.

4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Not My Funeral
2.Northpole Throwdown
3.Roundtrip To Hell and Back

Album Review: Protest The Hero-Scurrilous

Canada's Protest The Hero, in my eyes, is one of the most underrated bands in all of metal. In 2008, they released the absolutely spectacular Fortress. Fortress was a severely underrated and overlooked record that didn't get anywhere near the acclaim it deserved. Their latest release, Scurrilous, is every bit as good as Fortress and will hopefully get them the respect they deserve.

Scurrilous takes Protest The Hero's sound in a slightly different direction. There is definitely more of a progressive vibe to the record with an enhanced focus on clean vocals and melody. That being said, Protest The Hero's main goal is still to kick your ass and Scurrilous does just that. Album opener "C'est La Vie" gets the album off to a running start out of the gates. ""C'est A Le Vie" is an infectious,catchy masterpiece that will instantly get stuck in your head and demands repeat listens immediately. "C'est La Vie" is far from the lone highlight on Scurrilous. The entire album is a standout, every track is very close in terms of quality. Protest The Hero is able to make every song excellent by keeping things interesting with their off-the-charts level of musical precision. Just as impressive as the musicianship, is the manic level of energy the songs are delivered at. From the spastic scat screaming on "Tapestry" to the sarcastic,satirical tone of "Sex Tapes", every song is full of non-stop energy and fun.

Scurrilous is another brilliant record from Protest The Hero. It combines the best elements from their first two records to make their best record to date. Roddy Walker has never sound better and the guitarwork, as always, is top-notch. It's a super catchy yet heavy and punishing record. Scurrilous is the best album of 2010 so far and it's the first album of the year that is a pretty much a lock for (at least) my top 10.

4.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.C 'est La Vie
2.Tapestry
3.Tongue-Splitter

Album Review: Scale The Summit-The Collective

Texas instrumental prog rockers Scale The Summit first caught my attention early last year when I saw them open for Between The Buried and Me. I was really impressed by their brilliant musicianship and songwriting skills. I checked out their first two albums, Monument and Carving Desert Canyons and was blown away by them. The Collective is another breathtaking entry from Scale The Summit.

The Collective, much like it's predecessors, has the special quality of being able to create a landscape with their music. I have heard a good deal of instrumental music and very few bands can do that. Scale The Summit's songs are like an adventure with many twists and turns. The Collective has a march darker tone as a whole. This is evident from album opener "Colossal". "Colossal" starts off with a slow, dark riff and as the song progresses, it maintains this truly haunting vibe. As The Collective continues on, Scale The Summit continues to throw some awe-inspiring twists and turns. Such as the eerie, pretty "The Levitated" and"Gallows", which is the heaviest Scale The Summit song to date.

The Collective as a whole is able to build this peaceful yet chilling atmosphere. It's truly amazing what these four guys can do with melody. The moods they create with their music are unreal and you feel like you are on a musical adventure. Scale The Summit's astonishing musicianship and knack for gorgeous melodies, makes The Collective a musical journey you won't forget.

4/5 Stars

Standout Tracks

1.Gallows

2.The Levitated

3.Blue Hills

March In Film

March is the month where the bigger and better films start to come out. Studios get out of the typical post-Oscar dead period of the first two months of the new year and begin to release some higher-proflie movies. This March, has some releases I am quite excited for and quite a few that I have no intrest in.

Films I Want To See
3.Battle: Los Angeles(March 11)-This is teetering on the line of me wanting to see it and being unsure about it. Despite my concerns about the director, Jonathan Libesman(he previously directed Darkness Fall and Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning), I want to see this. The second trailer is pretty damn cool and it convinced me this could be good. This could be a pretty nuts alien movie.

2.Paul(March 18)-I am a huge fan of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, it delights me to see them in another. The trailer is very funny and the concept is hilarious. The all-star cast is amazing and there is a huge amount funny and talented people in this.

1.Sucker Punch(March 25)-This is actually my most anticipated before the summer. I am going to be honest, I am a Zack Snyder fanboy. The trailer is amazing, the concept is very interesting and the action looks fantastic. Snyder hasn't disappointed me in the past and this looks to be another hit.

Films I Am Unsure About
The Adjustment Bureau(March 4)-The trailer is alright, but the long delay is disheartening.

Limitless(March 18)-I will say the plotline could be cool, it hasn't really been done before. I have no issue with the cast. My only reasons for concern is the script might turn out to be really shitty. We'll have to wait and see how it turns out.

The Lincoln Lawyer(March 18)-This is another movie that could seriously could either way. The could either be a great legal drama or Matthew McCounaghey could drag it down.

Films I Have No Interest In Seeing(although I will see anyways due to my goal for 2011 films)
Rango(March 4)-Personally, I think looks like shit. It seems like a kids movie that's not for kids and I have feeling this will be a really weird and disjointed film.

Beastly(March 4)-Long delayed Twilight rip-off? No thanks.

Take Me Home Tonight(March 4)-Plain and simple, doesn't look funny.

Mars Needs Moms(March 11)-One look the cringe-inducing title and I instantly knew I would have zero interest in it. The trailer is also pretty weak.

Red Riding Hood(March 11)-I can't even believe this is real. It looks an update of Little Red Riding Hood for Twilight Fans(the director of the first Twilight film, Catherine Hardwicke, explains that).

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid 2: Roderick Rules-I haven't seen the trailer for this, but the original looks really stupid.