Friday, June 29, 2012

Movie Review: Wrath of the Titans

I was one of the twelve people that liked the the Clash of the Titans remake in 2010, so naturally I was excited for the sequel Wrath of the Titans. The trailer was very promising and I was very intrigued where they were going to take the story since they were no longer working off  the source material of the 1981 film. Unfortunately, Wrath of the Titans is a step-down from it's predecessor in almost every way. Plain and simple, the story just isn't as engaging as the first one. The plot is simple (like I expected) and not executed in the greatest fashion, Zeus (Liam Nesson) is kidnapped by Hades (Ralph Finnes) and Poseidon's son Ares (Edgar Ramirez)  in attempt to drain his power to revive Kronos, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades father, which would destroy the whole world and it's up to Zeus's half-human, half-god son Perseus (Sam Worthington) to stop them.You know there's a problem when the subplot involving Zeus and Hades bickering at each other while Zeus is captured is more intriguing than Perseus's quest to rescue his father. The acting is sort of a problem here too. It's not really any of the returning actors, but Rosamund Pike and the normally great Bill Nighy are awful. Nighy is horrible as Hephaestus (stupid side note: For whatever reason he looks like Dumbledore from Harry Potter ), the god of technology, who serves as kind of a guide to Perseus on his journey. Thankfully it's only a bit part because the movie became worse every minute he was on-screen. Just like Jonathan Libesman's last film Battle: Los Angeles, This film is saved by the action. The action here is intense and the effects are stunning. About the only place where Wrath improves over Clash is in the final battle scene. The big battle end is grand and well-done not anticlimatic and disapointing like the Kraken battle in Clash. That really is enough on it's own to warrant a mild recommendation. It's far from brilliant and it's definitely worse than Clash, but Wrath of the Titans is somewhat entertaining and is able to scrape by with it's great action scenes and visual effects.

3/5 Stars

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Movie Review: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

If you had told me when I was kid learning about Abraham Lincoln that at some point during my lifetime there was going to be a movie made where he hunts and kills vampires, I would have said you were crazy. Fast forward to 2012 and we get exactly that. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter had me sold on the title alone and thankfully it didn't disappoint.  Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter delivers on what the title promises. We can get a whole movie with Honest Abe killing a bunch of vampires with an axe and it's a pretty fun ride. The actions scenes are pretty badass. Timur Bekambetov was the perfect choice to direct this and his use of super slo-mo and extreme close-ups puts the audience right in the middle of the action. This style has clearly been duplicated by a lot of people, but no ones does it better than Bekambetov. The final scene which features a Lincoln and Co. fighting a ton of vampires on a train while the tracks burn is completely awesome and Bekambetov's brilliant action direction is on full display during that sequence in particular. The title doesn't summarize the whole movie though. There is actually a surprising amount of historical accuracy in the film. It took a lot of the major events, people, and themes from Lincoln's life and just inserted vampires into them. It was interesting touch that I didn't really expect going into this film. The acting is serviceable all around as well. Benjamin Walker makes a pretty decent Lincoln and Dominic Copper and Anthony Mackie give the best performances of all as Lincoln's vampire hunting mentor Henry Sturges and Lincoln's best friend Will Johnson respectively. The only things that prevent Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter from being great are the slow start and the tone. It breaks pretty slow out of the gate and it would have benefited from better pacing during Lincoln's training scenes with Sturges. Also the tone was at times too serious. Most of the time it was fine, but sometimes it took itself way too seriously and forgot about it's over-the-top premise and tried to be a 100% stone serious film which just didn't work. Though it's far from perfect, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is an entertaining, bloody, twisted history lesson that lives up to it's amazing title.

3.5/5 Stars

Monday, June 25, 2012

Movie Review: That's My Boy

It's been said countless times, but Adam Sandler isn't quite what he used to be. I grew up on his classics like Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, The Waterboy, and Big Daddy. The only film of his that has even come close to his glory days since the dawn of the new millennium was The Longest Yard (I liked Funny People a lot too, it just wasn't a traditional Sandler movie). It must of have been a sign because I haven't seen one of Adam Sandler's movies in a theater since The Longest Yard and That's My Boy is easily the best work Sandler has done since then.

That's My Boy is a big return to form for Adam Sandler. Here he plays Donny Berger, a man who impregnated his teacher at age 13 and returns to his son Todd's (Andy Samberg) life after not for seeing him for years on the weekend of his wedding. Sandler's portrayal of Donny takes you back to old days where he played Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison. Donny is a likable asshole and you find yourself liking him even though it's not morally right. He's a drunk, ignorant, vulgar, pervert and much like most of the other characters in the film, you oddly love the guy. It's not just Sandler's character that marks this as a return to form, it's the fact that movie is extremely funny. The humor is vulgar as all hell and you can tell the cast had a blast making this film. The laughs keep coming, especially in the last half-hour when a surprisingly dark and utterly hilarious twist is added to the film. The supporting cast does just as well Sandler actually. The bit parts from non-actors such as Tony Orlando, Vanilla Ice, and Todd Bridges were all fantastic. Ice and Bridges do a great job at poking fun of themselves (They work at a roller rink snack shack in the film) and Orlando (the only non-actor not appearing as himself) delights as Todd's sleazy boss. It was also cool to see Sandler do an R-rated film for once. He's been almost exclusively in PG-13 films for his whole career and it was awesome to him let loose with no boundaries. That's My Boy is a crude, rude, fun, and downright hilarious film. I hope Adam Sandler will make another R-rated film in the future and continue to deliver films that are this funny and characters that are this memorable. Welcome Back old Adam Sandler, I missed you dearly.

4/5 Stars

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Quick Movie Reviews: The Adventures of Tintin, One Day, Beginners, Hop

Here are some quick reviews for the lot of films in my goal for 2011 films that I was able to knock out in the last few weeks.

The Adventures of Tintin: Not as great as some made it out to be, but it was still an exciting adventure film. It had a real old-school adventure vibe to it which was cool. Steven Speilberg gets back into his element making rollicking adventure movies. As talented and diverse a director as Speilberg is, Adventure films are where he does his best work. Even though this is animated, his signature touch for excitement, mystery, and fun is on full display It's no Indiana Jones, but Tintin should delight fans of classic adventure films and kids alike.
3.5/5 Stars

One Day: Anne Hathaway does a fine job, it's beautifully shot and I appreciated the unconventional story structure for this type of movie (Each scene happens in a different year), but this movie still fell flat. It was boring as all hell and there is zero chemistry between Hathaway and Jim Strugess. It also doesn't help that Strugess's performance is laughably bad. I was surprised at just how bad Sturgess was considering how great he was in 21 just a few years ago. It's basically a Nicholas Sparks movie for the arthouse crowd and while it's better than a Sparks movie, it maintains the shallow predictability and overblown sappiness that plague all of his film adaptations.
1.5/5 Stars

Beginners: A touching and relatively sad story that is driven by the performances of Ewan McGregor and Christopher Plummer. It definitely aimed for higher emotions and it's maybe not as powerful as it should of been, but it's so finely acted that it balances out. McGregor does his best work in years in the lead role and Plummer give yet another excellent performance (Though I can't say I agree with him getting the Oscar for this performance, He was better in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo than this). It could of have been better, but Beginners is worth seeing for McGregor and Plummer's fine work alone.
3/5 Stars

Hop: This movie made me glad the Easter Bunny wasn't real. Easily the worst kids movie I've seen in a long time. All of the characters are obnoxious (Even the normally great Russell Brand and Hugh Laurie as EB, the Easter Bunny's son, and Hugh Laurie as the Easter Bunny are annoying here) and highly unlikable. More importantly than that though is the fact that the jokes miss horribly. It couldn't even establish any sentimental value or any valuable lessons at the end.I don't even think I would have liked this if I was 8. I actually think this would have killed Easter for me If I had seen this when I was a kid. It's not funny, It's not sweet, It's just garbage.
1/5 Stars



Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Movie Review: This Means War

Who would have been thought action/romantic comedy hybrid This Means War would have been the hardest film of 2012 so far to form an opinion on? This Means War is one of those films that is immediately erased from your memory after viewing it. There is nothing particularly good or bad about it, It's just kind of there. It's empty, mindless, average filmmaking, but I didn't really hate anything about it with the exception of Chelsea Handler in a supporting role (She has to be one of the most annoying people on the planet). It's doesn't really do either action or romantic comedy well or poorly. It's only sporadically funny and the action isn't anything special, but somehow it remains mildly entertaining throughout. Probably the only thing that stood out to be while watching this was how out of place Chris Pine and Tom Hardy were in this film (Reese Witherspoon, on other hand, is right at home in this type of movie). Pine and Hardy are two of the finest rising young actors and they are both horribly miscast in their roles. Their talents are completely wasted here simply because they aren't meant to be doing silly movies like this. It was absolutely a weird experience watching and reviewing this. I can't think of the last time I was indifferent on a film, yet can't figure out why I'm giving it it's subpar rating. There are clearly going to be and (have been already) better and worse films this year, but I don't think any film will make me feel stranger after viewing than This Means War.

2.5/5 Stars

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Movie Review: The Grey

Liam Nesson being a badass once again! All jokes aside, The Grey is another action/drama film led by Liam Nesson. Nesson portrays a sniper who protects oil drillers from grey wolves in Alaska. Once the company plane gets into a crash in the middle of a blizzard, He leads a small band of survivors against the elements of the Arctic and a large pack of ruthless wolves. The Grey is a solid movie. It develops it's characters well and provides a blend of suspense and fear due to it's Arctic setting. It's a pretty intense movie and all the scenes with the wolves you almost feel like you are in danger just watching it. As I expected, Nesson anchors the movie. He is a beyond consistent actor and this movie really thrives on his strong performance in both the action and dramatic sequences. There were a few things that bugged about me The Grey. It did drag a bit during the middle, which surprised me. Writer/director Joe Carnahan (Smokin' Aces, The A-Team) tends to make non-stop exciting and entertaining movies and he really is a brilliant action director and I think he could have handled the script in the middle a little bit better. I also didn't like the preachy, Catholic, philosophical undertones. It was completely unnecessary and it took away from my enjoyment of the film (Especially at the end where it got thrown into the complete forefront of the film). It could have been better, but The Grey still succeeds as a good, intense, and suspenseful survival movie with an excellent performance from Liam Nesson.

3.5/5 Stars

Friday, June 15, 2012

Album Review: Dying Fetus-Reign Supreme

Few bands have mastered the art of brutal death metal quite like Dying Fetus. For 20 years (their debut came out in 1996, but they were formed in 1991), Vocalist/guitarist John Gallagher and a revolving door of other members (Gallagher has been joined by the same lineup of longtime bassist/vocalist Sean Beasley and drummer Trey Williams since 2007 and it's arguably the strongest lineup of musicians Dying Fetus has ever had)  have made crushing, brutal, insanely heavy music with memorable riffs and a strange amount of catchiness for death metal. Their new record, Reign Supreme, holds up as one of the best, if not the best album in their extensive catalog.

Reign Supreme brilliantly combines the more straight-forward groove-based sound of early Dying Fetus with the more tech-death sound explored on the last couple Dying Fetus albums. This combination in sound makes Dying Fetus pack even more of a wallop than usual. I was even surprised by how heavy this album was, even for Dying Fetus who is one of the heaviest bands I've ever heard. Dying Fetus wastes little time in showing you just how this good this album will be. "Invert the Idols" starts the album with a just over two minute blast of crushing brutality. If you want know exactly what Dying Fetus is about, Listen to that song and it will leave a lasting impression. The blast beats, alternating pig-squealing from John Gallagher (no one does it better) and high-pitched screams from Sean Beasley), and excellent blend of groove and technical guitar work that have been a staple for Dying Fetus since their inception. After this, the album blasts through the three previously released songs "Subjected to a Beating", "Second Skin" and "From Womb to Waste" which offer more of the same great brutal death metal. Where Reign Supreme really becomes special though is the second half. The riffs on every song are just spectacular and the breakdowns are a lot more memorable than on the first half. "In the Trenches" is a contender for my favorite Dying Fetus song. The riff is fantastic and  it's damn near impossible to not headbang to and the breakdowns are punishing. I don't tend to go in mosh pits, but I have feeling if I saw "In the Trenches" live it potentially drive me into a pit. "Devout Atrocity" and "Revisionist Past" reminded me heavily of the strongest material from Descend Into Depravity with their fast, sweep-filled guitar sections and "The Blood of Power" closes out the album nicely with the slowest song on the album (it even contains an almost progressive solo, which was unexpected to say the least.)

Reign Supreme is at least Dying Fetus's best effort since Destory the Opposition, It might even be the best of their career. The intensity of their music has been turned up yet another notch and Dying Fetus's signature formula of brutality, memorable riffs, and crushing breakdowns is still very much in tact and effective as ever. Dying Fetus is probably at the top of the heap when it comes to old-school death metal bands recent efforts and Reign Supreme proves that point ever further.
4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.In the Trenches
2.Invert the Idols
3.Revisionist Past

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

NBA Final Prediction

After two grueling, hard-fought conference final series, it's time for the NBA Finals. This years final presents a very intriguing matchup between the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Could this be the year Lebron James finally gets a title?  Or could this be the year Kevin Durant and the young gun Thunder become an elite team and secure a title in their first trip to the Finals?

My Prediction is: Thunder over Heat in 7
This is a very-close matchup, but I like the Thunder overall. The primary reason is the depth this team has. Clearly Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are the two biggest threats, but when you have guys like James Harden, Nick Collison, and Derek Fisher coming off the bench it bolsters the team big time. The Thunder also have a huge paint presence as well with Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins. With a banged-up Chris Bosh and lack of other quality big men, the Heat could suffer big time in the paint. The Thunder's inside game could very well prove to be the X-factor in the series. As good as the Heat are and the stellar play of Lebron James of late, I don't think they can pull it out. James can't do it my himself and he's going to have other players besides Dwayne Wade step up if they are going to win a title. Chris Bosh is also still a question mark. Clearly they are a better team when he is in there, but with him being injured and the Thunder having a young roster more suited to shutting him down on both ends of the floor opposed to the Celtics old, seasoned roster could make him a complete non-factor. The Heat's lack of depth very well could be their downfall as a team once again. Not ruling out that the Heat couldn't win it all this year and it should be a tight, competitive series, but I think the Thunder's speed, depth, and unselfish brand of basketball will be too much for the Heat to overcome.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Concert Review: Worcester Deathfest-- Worcester, MA-- June 10th, 2012

Yesterday marked the first annual(?) Worcester Deathfest at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts. The lineup consisted of mostly local bands from the New England area with national acts such as Six Feet Under, Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Revocation, and Fit For An Autopsy throw in for good measure. It started off a little bit slow, but once the big bands played, it got fucking awesome.

The show started at 1, but my friend and I got there around 3 (Useless fact: This marked the first time I had ever bought tickets to a show at the door.)  The first band I caught was Sirens of Povaliga. I only saw their last three songs, but they were horrible. Incredibly generic metal/death core with an abysmal vocalist. The drummer wasn't bad, but the rest of the band was just sloppy. They looked like they were really young kids though (Easily younger than me, so I would guess 17 or 18), so I will cut them a break. Hopefully they improve because right now they're atrocious.

Untombed was up next and they were easily the best local band of the day (That I saw at least, I later found out that the better local bands were playing upstairs). Pretty sick brutal death metal with two great vocalists. In the vein of Dying Fetus, they had one vocalist who did higher-pitched screams and one vocalist who did guttural pig squeals. The guy who did the pig squeals was especially good. They also had some pretty sick riffs and they got the first pit of the day started. One of the best local bands I've seen and I would definitely check out their stuff further.

Dynstery hit the stage after that. They have picked up a decent following around here, so I figured I would give them a shot. My buddy said it best right after they played "Once I saw the vocalist was wearing a Rose Funeral shirt, I knew it wasn't going to be good". They weren't deathcore, just pretty bad brutal death metal. They sounded like a C-grade Pathology ripoff (which isn't saying much considering Pathology is mind-numbingly average). Every song sounded the same and every asshole in the building came out during their set. I spent most of the time watching the pit because of how hilarious/sad the hardcore dancing. Pretty weak band and I definitely don't want to see them again.

Conforza was the next band and they were weird as hell. They played a mix of deathcore, progressive metal, and grindcore. This made for some interesting moments, but some others just fell flat.  Their vocalist was alright and they definitely had some talent (especially guitar-wise), but their sound wasn't cohesive enough to work. I love bands with experimental sounds, but this experimentation wasn't fully developed and seemed kind of forced. With some direction and better songwriting, This band could be really good. Not bad, but not anything special either.

Nemecide was the last local band I watched and good lord were they bad. They had have one of the worst vocalists I've ever heard. His high-pitches were ear-shattering and drove me out of the building real fast. Didn't watch too much of their set, but I saw enough for them to make a lasting negative impression on me.

After going outside for a little bit, It was time for the first signed, national act, Vatnett Viskar, to play. They are a atmospheric black metal (aka hipster black metal)/sludge band from New Hampshire. This was the first time I had ever heard of them and they were alright overall. I am not normally big on hipster black metal (i.e Wolves in The Throne Room, Deafhaven, Altar of Plagues) and they didn't do much to change my mind. There were a few cool parts (mostly in set closer "Barren Earth") and the sludge aspect made them a little bit different than their hipster black metal peers, but I was primarily bored. There's just something about this style of metal that I can't get excited about. Not my bag really, but certainly not awful. I wouldn't be surprised if they were as acclaimed as the aforementioned Wolves in the Room and Deafhaven some day.

Fit For An Autopsy played next and they were the first band of the day to get a great crowd reception and deservedly so, they were pretty good. I was surprised it took me so long to see them actually. They are from New Jersey, but they play around New England all the time. Nate Johnson really makes this band enjoyable. His vocals set them apart from other by-the-numbers deathcore acts. He is also a good frontman and got the crowd into it without acting like a faux-tough guy like some other deathcore bands (**cough cough Oceano**). Definitely a solid performance and this is a deathcore act I get behind for sure.

Boston's own death/thrash gods Revocation were up next and as expected, They destroyed. I was stoked to finally hear stuff off of Chaos of Forms live and the setlist was awesome. Watching such a great guitar player like David Davidson play is such a pleasure. The fact that he can hit the solos to "Dismantle the Dictator", "Conjuring the Cataclysm" and "No Funeral" flawlessly live is awe-inspiring. Besides being an incredible guitar player, he is a great frontman too. His between song crowd banter is hillarious. When he was introducing "Conjuring the Cataclysm" he was talking about the song was about awkening demons, partying with them, and having one of the hot female demons finger your peehole (and you enjoying it, though you're not sure why). The entire crowd was in uproarious laughter almost every time he said anything in between songs. I'm legitimately ashamed this was only my second time seeing Revocation since they are one of my favorite bands and they are from Massachusetts. Hopefully I can catch them again soon (They are coming back on the Shockwave Festival in July, but I'm not sure If I'm going to go to that.)

Dying Fetus was on next and they never fail to impress. This marked my third time seeing them and it felt like I had never seen them before. It almost seems like I keep forgetting how great their live show is because every time I see them I am surprised by how awesome they are. Their music is just so damn heavy and enjoyable live. The set mixed staples such as "Praise the Lord", "Homicidal Retribution" and "One Shot, One Kill" with new material from their upcoming record Reign Supreme (Which is fucking awesome, expect a review from me later this week) and even a deep cut with "Fornication Terrorists". Dying Fetus was brutal death metal perfection as always and I hope their headlining tour later in the year has a sick lineup and comes through here.

Suffocation closed out the night for me and they put on possibly the best show of the night (It's a toss-up between them and Dying Fetus). I saw them the last time they played here in October 2010 on Rock and Shock and they were even better this time. Their style of old-school death metal is so heavy and incredible in a live environment. Every song crushes just as much as the last one and their set was relentless in intensity. I was so glad to see them again after the break-up rumors and Frank Mullen's brief reprieve from the band on their European tour in the spring. Frank Mullen was in top-form vocally and banter wise. Mullen is seriously one of the best funniest frontmen in metal. His anecdotes and jokes are just hillarious. Topics for this show included him playing a lumberjack and killing hippie zombies in a low-budget horror movie, Catholic television preachers, and best of all, the start of the zombie apocalypse in Miami (were he dropped the line of the night with "the government tries to tell you it was bath salts. Well I put bat salts in my bathtub and I felt pretty good, I didn't feel like eating flesh.) I also have great news: Frank Mullen confirmed on-stage that they are recording a new album in late August and should be out next year (He announced the title as well, but I don't remember the name). Epic performance from Suffocation and it was badass to see these death metal pioneers again.

I didn't stay for The Chris Barnes Zoo Animal Experience (aka Six Feet Under), so I don't have a setlist from them. Following the two heaviest live bands I've ever seen (Dying Fetus and Suffocation) and an amazing band like Revocation, is a really hard task plus Six Feet Under is fucking awful so I wasn't go sit through them again if I didn't have to.

Scores:
Sirens of Povaliga 2/10
Untombed 7.5/10
Dynstery 3/10
Conforza 6/10
Nemecide 2/10
Vatnett Viskar 5.5/10
Fit For An Autopsy 7/10
Revocation 9/10
Dying Fetus 9/10
Suffocation 9/10

Setlists:
Vattnet Viskar:
Weakness
?
Barren Earth

Fit For An Autopsy:
The Jackal
The Consumer
The Colonist
The Juggernaut
The Wolf
The Conquerer


Revocation:
Reanimaniac
Unattained
Harlot
Dismantle the Dictator
Conjuring The Cataclysm
No Funeral

Dying Fetus:
Praise the Lord (Opium of the Masses)
Homicidal Retribution
From Womb to Waste
One Shot, One Kill
Shepherd's Commandment
Fornication Terrorists
Invert the Idols
Your Treachery Will Die With You
Kill Your Mother, Rape Your Dog

Suffocation:
Thrones of Blood
Effigy of the Forgotten
Catatonia
Pierced From Within
Liege of Inveracity
Abomination Reborn
Funeral Inception
Mass Obliteration
Cataclysmic Purification
Devoid of Truth
Infecting the Crypts

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Movie Review: Piranha 3DD

Out of all the reviews I've ever written, none has more confusing, fun to write, or gotten a stronger reception from people I know than my review for Piranha 3D in August 2010 (If you would like to read it here is the link  http://maitlandsmadness.blogspot.com/2010/08/movie-review-piranha-3-d.html ) . It's infamous for being the only movie I've ever seen that I didn't give a legitimate rating to. Fast forward two years and we have a sequel to that baffling film and it doesn't disappoint in the slightest.

Piranha 3DD uses the same formula as it's predecessor. That formula of course is copious gore, nudity, and camp. That formula is exactly what makes Piranha 3DD such a success. It's so fucking over-the-top and insane that it's just a shitload of fun. This one amps up the absurd humor (at the expense of having slightly less gore) and it makes for some completely fucking hilarious scenes. The cameos in this one just push it over the edge laugh-wise. Gary Busey, David Hasslehoff, and Christopher Lloyd (reprising his role from the first one) make appearances and they are epic to say the least. Hasslehoff, who appears as himself, almost steals the show, if it wasn't for Ving Rhames returning as Deputy Fallon. It's funny throughout, but the ending scene is just glorious. It reaches the peak of it's gory fun during the climax and it's just so insanely entertaining you want to watch on a loop.When the piranhas get unleashed on the water park all hell breaks loose and the laughs just keep coming (much like the wet t-shirt contest scene in the first one). Just watching Ving Rhames blow up piranhas with a shotgun leg and Hasslehoff make a slo-mo rescue as lifeguard makes this worth a watch. Clearly it's not for everyone for the aforementioned reasons and you have to know what your getting into to enjoy this. It's the epitome of a niche audience due to the sick sense of humor that is the driving force behind the film.  I don't get the really negative reception for this. It's just like the first one except crazier. Piranha 3DD is great B-grade comedy/horror and I can almost assure if you liked the first one, you'll enjoy this one as well.

4/5 Stars


Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Album Review: Whitechapel-Whitechapel

Tennessee deathcore titans Whitechapel have owned the genre (from a popularity standpoint) for years now. When it comes to straight-up deathcore, no one really does it better than Whitechapel. Their last record A New Era of Corruption took them more into a more death metal direction while still remaining deathcore. Their new self-titled release is a bit unusual, but still good. They still retain their deathcore elements while taking their music in yet another different direction.

Whitechapel is going to alienate some hardcore fans of the group (I've already heard some kids around the internet complaining that it's not heavy enough), which is kind of stupid considering their music hasn't changed drastically since the start of their career. They are absolutely still deathcore, they just have a more polished and diverse sound now. Album opener "Make It Bleed" is a perfect example of the new Whitechapel at work. The songs starts with a lengthy piano intro and seamlessly transitions into a fast, straight-up death metal assault with a sweet riff and solo. "Make It Bleed" instantly became my favorite Whitechapel song. The album shifts in tone on almost every song from start to finish. The biggest surprise is "Hate Creation", which is a nu-metal meets deathcore chugfest with a progressive sounding solo which sounds really weird (especially for Whitechapel), but it's actually pretty good. There is still quite a bit of old-school deathcore tracks on this album like the great "(Cult)rualist" and "Section 8" (which also appeared on last years Recorrupted EP) and some technical death metal-esque sounding tunes as well ("Dead Silence", "Faces"). The one constant throughout the album with the shifts in style is the solid songwriting and great vocals from Phil Bozeman. Whitechapel has come so far as a band in the songwriting department since The Somatic Defilement it's not even funny. This isn't exclusively a breakdown orgy like their first album. Their guitarists mix things up a lot more and have become much more of a dynamic unit since then. Vocally, Phil Bozeman steps up yet again. He is what really makes this band standout amongst other deathcore acts. His low-screams are still as devastating as ever and he is just perfect for this style of metal.

Whitechapel has made another solid, yet not fantastic album with Whitechapel. They try some new things by adding elements of tech-death, progressive, and even nu-metal to their trademark sound. I appreciate them thinking outside the box a little bit and going some directions that hadn't previously explored with their music. Phil Bozeman is still as good as a vocalist as there is in deathcore and their music is still heavy, mosh-pit material. Some of the more stubborn Whitechapel fans think they have gone soft, but I disagree. This is some of the best material they have done so far and I think this band will continue to flourish the more they progress as a band.

3.5/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Make It Bleed
2.Dead Silence
3.(Cult)rualist


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Movie Review: Underworld: Awakening

The Underworld franchise is pretty much the go-to series for action/horror hybrids in the 2000's. They deliver on everything the terrible Resident Evil movies try to be. Entertaining action/horror movies with a female heroine kicking a whole lot of ass with some story and plenty of blood and gore thrown in for good measure. The latest installment (fourth overall, third of the original series) Underworld: Awakening focuses more on the action and less on the vampire/werewolf mythology and it still works well after all these years. At 88 minutes, it's brisk, relatively brainless fun that doesn't outstay it's welcome. The gore is way turned up in this one opposed to the previous installments. Almost every scene contained some kind of dismemberment or gallons of spraying blood. It was good to have Kate Beckinsale return to the franchise. Rhona Mitra did a pretty decent job in the prequel Rise of the Lycans, but the Underworld franchise is based around Beckinsale as Selene. The rest of the characters are kind of throwaway (with the exception of Michael Ealy as the human cop that assists Selene who is pretty interesting and unexpected for this series.), but that's not really a problem in a movie like Underworld. The focus is solely on Selene now after the events of the first two and every other character is just kind of there. Underworld: Awakening is another worthy entry in the franchise. It's entertaining and loaded with action and gore. Though it comes with less story than in past installments, It's still worth the ride if a fan of the series or are looking for a simple, fun action movie.

3.5/5 Stars 

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Movie Review: Men In Black III

As a kid growing up in the late 90's/early 2000's, Men in Black was an essential movie in my childhood. The first one was one of my favorites movies as a kid and I have a lot of fond memories of the series. Ten years after the second installment, Men in Black is back and it does the original justice.

Men in Black III is the perfect redemption for the disappointing second installment 10 years ago. It hits all the right notes and brought back a similar feeling that I had while watching the first one as a kid. It went back to the basics of the series that the second one was lacking. The story was simple and effective and it never came off as corny or stupid. The humor was good and it blended well with the action. It wasn't the driving force behind the movie like the second one (which is a big reason why the second one was such a letdown). It was great to see Will Smith back on the big screen after a four-year absence, but the real star of Men in Black III is Josh Brolin. He was pitch-perfect as the young Agent K. On top of looking like a younger Tommy Lee Jones, he got everything else about him down to a T. Whoever did the casting on this movie deserves a gold medal for putting Brolin in this role. Another thing that brought Men In Black III back the roots of the series was a good villain. Jermaine Clement's turn as Boris the Animal was unlike anything he's ever done before. As a fan of his work, it was cool to see him take on something so different than what he's used to doing. He wasn't as good as Vincent D'Onofrio in the original, but he was a much better villain than Lara Flynn Boyle and Johnny Knoxville in the second one. The best thing about Men in Black III though was the ending. It's unexpected and actually really touching. Emotional depth was the last thing expecting watching this movie, but the ending has it and it really wraps up the franchise extremely well.  Men in Black III was ultra nostalgia and I loved every minute of it.

4/5 Stars

Friday, June 1, 2012

Movie Review: Man on a Ledge

 Despite it's stupid and obvious title that pretty much describes the whole plot,  Man on a Ledge is a pretty good movie. It certainly doesn't reinvent the wheel, you could even call it pedestrian, but it still manages to work. It takes a bit for to get going with a so-so first half while it sets up the story, Thankfully it picks up a lot in the second half. There is some unexpected, well-written twists that really spice the story up and keep the audience into it. The last half-hour is actually great once the multiple plots converge. The ensemble cast does a serviceable job with the standouts being Elizabeth Banks and Jamie Bell (who easily has the most fun with the material). Some of the characters were really underdeveloped (most importantly the villain played by Ed Harris) which prevented this from becoming a truly great thriller. It's not flawless, but Man on a Ledge is a solid, entertaining thriller.

3.5/5 Stars