2013 in Music: A Year in Review

2013 was another solid year for music that managed to slightly improve on last year on the whole. This year was very strange for me as it seemed that a lot of my favorite metal bands (Revocation, Killswitch Engage, Protest the Hero, Skeletonwitch) and hip-hop acts (Danny Brown, Big K.R.I.T, Action Bronson) released albums that delivered the goods while my favorite non-metal bands released records that were letdowns (Queens of the Stone Age, Alice in Chains, Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire.) Nevertheless there was still a lot of quality records released this year (including nice comeback records from After the Burial, Suffocation and A Day to Remember) and not a whole lot of stuff that was absolutely unbearable to listen to (only 16 albums i listened to I gave 2.5 stars or lower and only 7 got 2 or below.) Out of all the musical journeys I took this year, I will forever remember 2013 as the year that I am became a Kanye West fan thanks to his new record Yeezus. My enjoyment of Yeezus lead to me to reevaluate West's music and now his stuff is in heavy rotation on Ipod. Without further ado, here are my complete EP and LP's rankings from worst to best complete with star ratings.   

EP's:

5.Glass Cloud-Perfect War Forever (3/5)

4.Kitty-D.A.I.S.Y Rage (3/5)

3.Action Bronson-Saaab Stories (3.5/5)

2.Hundredth-Revolt (3.5/5)

1.Fallujah-Nomadic (4.5/5)

LP's:

100.Atilla-About That Life (1/5)

99.Daft Punk-Random Access Memories (1.5/5)

98.Eminem-The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2/5)

97.A Loss for Words-Before it Caves (2/5)

96.Arsonists Get all the Girls-Listen to the Color (2/5)

95.Thee Oh Sees-Floating Coffin (2/5)

94.The Weeknd-Kiss Land (2/5)

93.Kid Cudi-Indicud (2.5/5)

92.2 Chainz-B.O.A.T.S II #METIME (2.5/5)

91.Dropkick Murphys-Signed and Sealed in Blood (2.5/5)

90.Palms-Palms (2.5/5)

89.A.F.I.-Burials (2.5/5)

88.Juicy J-Stay Trippy (2.5/5)

87.Korn-The Paradigm Shift (2.5/5)

86.Bring Me the Horizon-Sempiternal (2.5/5)

85.TesseracT-Altered State (2.5/5)

84.Clipping-Midcity (3/5)

83.Vampire Weekend-Modern Vampires of the City (3/5)

82.A$AP Rocky-Long. Live. A$AP (3/5)

81.Bad Religion-True North (3/5)

80.Gorguts-Colored Sands (3/5)

79.A$AP Ferg-Trap Lord (3/5)

78.Ghostface Killah-Twelve Reasons to Die (3/5)

77.Touche Amore-Is Survived By (3/5)

76.Alice in Chains-The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (3/5)

75.Queens of the Stone Age-Like Clockwork... (3/5)

74.J. Cole-Born Sinner (3/5)

73.Dark Tranquility-Construct (3/5)

72.Reflections-Ex(i)st (3/5)

71.Northlane-Singularity( (3.5/5)

70.mr.muthafuckin' eXquire-Kismet (3.5/5)

69.Terror-Live By the Code (3.5/5)

68.R.A the Rugged Man-Legends Never Die (3.5/5)

67.Noisem-Agony Defined (3.5/5)

66.Arcade Fire-Reflektor (3.5/5)

65.Kverlatak-Meir (3.5/5)

64.Kylesa-Ultraviolet (3.5/5)

63.Volbeat-Outlaw Gentleman & Shady Ladies (3.5/5)

62.Havok-Unnatural Selection (3.5/5)

61.Doomriders-Grand Blood (3.5/5)

60.iwrestledabearonce-Late for Nothing (3.5/5)

59.Chimaira-Crown of Phantoms (3.5/5)

58.Captain, We're Sinking-The Future is Cancelled (3.5/5)

57.Within the Ruins-Elite (3.5/5)

56.Ramming Speed-Doomed to Destroy, Destined to Die (3.5/5)

55.Tyler, the Creator-Wolf (3.5/5)

54.Amon Amarth-Deciver of the Gods (3.5/5)

53.Children of Bodom-Halo of Blood (3.5/5)

52.Red Fang-Whales and Leeches (3.5/5)

51.CZARFACE-CZARFACE (3.5/5)

50.Chance the Rapper-Acid Rap (3.5/5)

49.Mac Miller-Watching Movies With the Sound Off (3.5/5)

48.The Story So Far-What You Don't See (3.5/5)

47.Last Chance to Reason-Level 3 (3.5/5)

46.Earl Sweatshirt-Doris (3.5/5)

45.Big K.R.I.T.-King Remembered in Time (3.5/5)

44.Coheed and Cambria-The Afterman: Descension (3.5/5)

43.Born of Osiris-Tommorow We Die Alive (4/5)

42.Finntroll-Bloodsvept (4/5)

41.Crossfaith-Apocalyze (4/5)

40.Vince Staples & Larry Fisherman-Stolen Youth LP (4/5)

39.Warbringer-IV: Empires Collapse (4/5)

38.Rivers of Nihil-The Conscious Seed of Light (4/5)

37.Pusha T-My Name Is My Name (4/5)

36.Defeater-Letters Home (4/5)

35.Death Grips-Government Plates (4/5)

34.Devildriver-Winter Kills (4/5)

33.Rob Zombie-Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor (4/5)

32.Fleshgod Apocalypse-Labyrinth (4/5)

31.Intronaut-Habitual Leviations (Instilling Words With Tones) (4/5)

30.Heaven Shall Burn-Veto (4/5)

29.A Day to Remember-Common Courtesy (4/5)

28.Action Bronson-Blue Chips 2 (4/5)

27.Rotting Out-The Wrong Way (4/5)

26.Counterparts-The Difference Between Hell and Home (4/5)

25.Suffocation-Pinnacle of Bedlam (4/5)

24.Death Angel-The Dream Calls for Blood (4/5)

23.Soilwork-The Living Infinite (4/5)

22.The Wonder Years-The Greatest Generation (4/5)

21.Conducting from the Grave-Conducting from the Grave (4/5)

20.After the Burial-Wolves Within (4/5)

19.Scale the Summit-The Migration (4/5)

18.Kanye West-Yeezus (4/5)

17.letlive.-The Blackest Beautiful (4/5)

16.Clutch-Earth Rocker (4/5)

15.Hatebreed-The Divinity of Purpose (4/5)

14.Anciients-Heart of Oak (4/5)

13.Misery Signals-Absent Light (4/5)

12.August Burns Red-Rescue & Restore (4/5)

11.Danny Brown-Old (4/5)

10.Run the Jewels-Run the Jewels (4/5)

9.The Black Dahlia Murder-Everblack (4.5/5)

8.Hope for the Dying-Altheia (4.5/5)

7.Skeletonwitch-Serpents Unleashed (4.5/5)

6.The Ocean-Pelagial(4.5/5)

5.Battlecross-War of Will (4.5/5)

4.Protest the Hero-Volition (4.5/5)

3.The Dillinger Escape Plan-One of Us is the Killer (4.5/5)

2.Killswitch Engage-Disarm the Descent (4.5/5)

1.Revocation-Revocation (4.5/5)

Top 10 Live Performances of 2013

10.Skeletonwitch (10/27, The Met, Pawtucket, RI):
Skeletonwitch is one those of bands I could see a thousand times and I still wouldn't get sick of them. Their music really hits the next level in a live setting thanks to their relentless energy and the flow of their setlists, which see them consistently keeping the crowd amped while barely taking time to come up for air. Few acts have the intensity and stage presence that Skeletonwitch and that's why I will continue to see them at every possible chance I get.

9.Kanye West (11/17, TD Garden, Boston, MA)
Say what you want to about Kanye West as a person, but the man knows how to put on a show. His brash demeanor and supreme confidence is especially present in his live performance. The show that he put on was an absolute spectacle thanks one of the most elaborate stage setups I've ever seen (a giant rotating mountain with various, bizarre props and setpieces that only Kanye could think of appearing throughout the night) and a setlist that captured a vast range of emotions and flowed better than just about any other setlist I've ever seen. West's live show perfectly fits his over-the-top personality and I will gladly play a pretty penny to see him again the next time he tours.  

8.Run the Jewels (8/13, Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA)
El-P and Killer Mike really are hip-hop's dream team. Both these guys are good on their own (as they demonstrated with their solo sets earlier in their evening) but when they come together as Run the Jewels, they are quite simply a force to be reckoned with. They have this battle-rap rapport with one another that makes their pairing so special. They are on the same team, but they are constantly trying to one-up each other and it gives them this really fun edge that you don't see in hip-hop very often in the modern era. Killer Mike and El-P really step up to the next level when they're on-stage together and the dynamic the two of them have together made this one of the impressive hip-hop performances I've ever seen.

7.The Dillinger Escape Plan (8/3, The Palladium, Worcester, MA also saw on 4/20)
Summer Slaughter marked the fifth time (and second time of 2013) that I had seen The Dillinger Escape Plan this year and once again, they delivered the goods. The new material from One of Us is the Killer absolutely destroys in a live setting and this show marked the crazy stunt I've seen Greg Puciato pull as he jumped off the VIP balcony at The Palladium. The Dillinger Escape Plan is just the epitome of live chaos and are always a treat to see live.

6.Danny Brown (5/9), Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge, MA)
I went to a lot of hip-hop shows in 2013 and no one impressed me more than Danny Brown. He was the first rapper I'd ever seen perform his songs all the way through live, which sounds like nothing to non hip-hop fans, but a lot of rappers don't finish their songs so it was awesome see someone actually do that. More importantly, Brown had this crazy energy that just lit up the entire room and did a lot of cool improvised things to make his material pop off even more live. I don't know if it's because of his raw sound in the studio or it's just the fact that's he an incredibly-talented MC, but Danny Brown is the uncontested best live rapper I've ever seen. 
 
5.The Black Dahlia Murder (10/27, The Met, Pawtucket, RI also saw on 7/11)
Like Skeletonwitch, who opened the show for them, The Black Dahlia Murder is a veteran metal band that has made their mark in the scene with their consistently excellent live shows. This was the third time I've seen them headline (and sixth time seeing them overall) and each and every show is special. These guys always strive to step their game up and get tighter and tighter as a unit as the years go on, despite an insanely long list of lineup changes over the years. The Black Dahlia Murder are about as entertaining, precise and flat-out fun as a death band can be in a live setting.

4.Revocation (8/3, The Palladium, Worcester, MA also saw on 7/13 and 11/2)
Revocation has been one of my favorite bands for the past three or four years, but it wasn't until this year that they finally lived up to my expectations as a live act. They toured a bunch this year in support of their new album and apparently that consistent touring over the past year made them an elite live act. Their music video shoot at Great Scott in July was cool as hell due to the intimacy and sheer insanity of the crowd but the sound issues held it back from being a landmark show. Summer Slaughter stood out to me the most because it had the same raucous energy and wild crowd response as the Great Scott show, just with a great sound mix to back it up. Revocation continues to step their shit up as a live act and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see them get even better in the near future.

3.Killswitch Engage (6/8, Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Hampton Beach, NH)
Being a Killswitch Engage fan for almost 10 years now, this show was special to me. It not only marked my first time seeing them since February 2010, but it was also the first time I got to see the band perform with original vocalist Jesse Leach. Leach has absolutely rejuvenated the band and their live performances are better than ever. It was surreal hearing all of the Alive or Just Breathing material with Leach on vocals after years of hearing Howard Jones do them and he also did an excellent job with the Jones-era material. Seeing Killswitch with Leach back in the band was a dream come true and it made for one of the most enjoyable shows of the year by far.

2.Between the Buried and Me (3/14, House of Blues, Boston, MA)
Every time I see Between the Buried and Me live, it reminds me why I'm a BTBAM fanboy. Even in front of a polarizing crowd opening for Coheed and Cambria, they brought down the house with the same intensity and precision that they have at their headlining shows. The Parralax II material is just as dense and satisfying live as on-record and hearing "Selkies: The Endless Obsession" live again pretty much made my concert-going year. I've seen Between the Buried and Me eight times now and I can't wait to make it nine in February.

1. Every Time I Die (3/15, Royale, Boston, MA)
This was one of those performances that was so special that it almost didn't seem real. I had seen Every Time I Die twice before at Warped Tour 2010 and 2012, but nothing could've prepared me for just how insane they were when they headlined. The lack of a barrier brought the band and crowd energy to a level of bat-shit insanity (so much crowdsurfing and stage diving) that it had to be seen to be believed. It also helped that the setlist was incredible and loaded with a majority of my favorite tracks from their most recent record Ex Lives and the fact that Keith Buckley sounds so god damn amazing vocally. This performance from Every Time I Die was chaotic, hilarious and borderline euphoric. Not only the best performance of 2013, but one of the best performances I've ever had the pleasure of seeing.

Honorable Mentions: Coheed and Cambria (3/14), After the Burial (4/20), Darkest Hour (6/8) Mac Lethal (7/11), Rob Zombie (7/16), Machine Head (7/16) Battlecross (7/16, 11/2), The Ocean (8/3), Unearth (8/3), Death Angel (11/2), High on Fire (11/16)  

Movie Review: Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

Nine years ago, a legend of reading the news was born. In 2013, Ron Burgundy is back to deliver the news with salon-quality hair and further adds to his legacy as the greatest anchorman in the history of broadcast television.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, the long-awaited sequel to the 2004 cult classic and one of my personal favorites Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, doesn't really differ from the original (save for a setting and decade) and it's better for it. The same off-kilter randomness that made the first installment such a booming success is once again present in spades this time around. You really have to hand it to Will Ferrell and Adam McKay for keeping that unique oddball dynamic in-tact. They could've easily half-assed this sequel given how long it's been since the first one came out. Instead they took their time making it, brought back all the ingredients that made the first one work and made a second installment that does the first one proud. Beautiful one-liners are ripped off left and right and there are a few parts that had me in tears (the climax is possibly the funniest thing put on film this year.)

The one surprise that came out of Anchorman 2 was how sharp of a satire it is on the use of sensationalist journalism in the modern era. I wasn't expecting such accurate and intelligent social commentary to be present in an Anchorman film.Kudos to McKay and Ferrell for some adding some biting material mocking the hyperbole of real-world journalism amidst all the wackiness of the rest of the film.

About the only issue I had with Anchorman 2 was the rehashing of jokes from the original. There are some recurring bits that work (Brian Fantana's Sex Panther, the aforementioned climax sequence) but a majority of them either fall flat or just aren't nearly as amusing as they were the first time around. I also felt that Kristen Wiig was wildly underused. Wiig is one of the most talented comedians around right now and it kind of sucks that her abilities were pretty much kept in-check due to how little screen time her character had. While it doesn't quite reach the heights of the original, Anchorman 2 is ultimately a consistently funny and sometimes downright hysterical film that keeps the Anchorman franchise alive and well.

4/5 Stars 

Week 16 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Peyton Manning (Broncos)
It was fitting that Peyton Manning broke the single-season passing touchdown record with another excellent game. Manning threw for 400 yards and 4 TD's on the great Texans passing defense on Sunday afternoon. 2013 has been a dream season for Manning, who continues to perform at freakish levels at age 37. Manning definitely led a majority of his owners to victory this week and is probably responsible for fantasy football titles this year than anyone else.
Honorable Mentions: Andy Dalton (Bengals), Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers), Matt Ryan (Falcons)

LVP: Philip Rivers (Chargers)
Philip Rivers put up a rare dud at the worst possible time for his fantasy owners. Rivers manged only 201 yards, a TD and an INT against a Raiders defense that is absolutely horrid. Rivers surprised a lot of people (myself included) with his resurgence this season but he ended up being a disappointment when he was needed the most in the world of fantasy football. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Kirk Cousins (Redskins), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Jay Cutler (Bears), Tony Romo (Cowboys)

Running Back
MVP: LeSean McCoy (Eagles)
Huge shocker: LeSean McCoy gouged the last-ranked Chicago Bears rush defense on Sunday night. McCoy displayed his dual-threat ability throughout the entire game racking up 162 total yards and 2 TD's. McCoy has really flourished in Chip Kelly's offense and been lights-out all season long. In my eyes, he's all but a lock for a top 3 pick in next year's fantasy drafts.
Honorable Mentions: DeMarco Murray (Cowboys), Donald Brown (Colts), Joique Bell (Lions), Eddie Lacy (Packers)

LVP: Matt Forte (Bears)
With the Eagles beating the Bears senseless on Sunday night, Matt Forte really didn't have much of a chance to do anything. The normally consistent Forte only had 13 touches (9 carries, 4 receptions) for 54 yards. Even though it was mostly out of his hands, Forte's underwhelming performance still stings especially since the Eagles are a very beatable defense and he had been coming off three straight games with 100+ yards.
Dishonorable Mentions: Giovani Bernard (Bengals), Reggie Bush (Lions), Maurice Jones-Drew (Jaguars), Lamar Miller (Dolphins)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Eric Decker (Broncos)
While all 3 healthy top Broncos receivers had a good game on Sunday, Eric Decker especially delivered the goods with 10 catches for 131 yards and 2 TD's. Decker has had a huge December that more than made up for his weak November and justified his status as a weekly WR2 and confirms him a relatively-high draft choice for next season.
Honorable Mentions: A.J. Green (Bengals), Pierre Garcon (Redskins), Roddy White (Falcons), Demaryius Thomas (Broncos)

LVP: Mike Wallace (Dolphins)
The Dolphins got straight-up embarrassed by the Bills on Sunday. While the entire Dolphins offense was abysmal, Mike Wallace's 38-yard performance was the most disappointing. Wallace had looked great for 4 of the last 5 games and was facing a Bills secondary that has been getting torched by wideouts all year long. Wallace was up-and-down all season long but he has started to click with Ryan Tannehill of late and could end up having a huge year next season.
Dishonorable Mentions: Calvin Johnson (Lions), Brandon Marshall (Bears), Alshon Jeffrey (Bears), Andre Johnson (Texans)

Tight End
MVP: Julius Thomas (Broncos)
Julius Thomas was at the receiving end of Peyton Manning's record-breaking touchdown on Sunday and headlined yet another subpar week for tight ends in the NFL this year. Thomas has been the biggest surprise this year going from unknown third-stringer to top 5 tight end over the course of a single season. As long as Manning is around and excelling, Thomas should continue to put up good numbers.
Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Graham (Saints), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Jermaine Gresham (Bengals), Martellus Bennett (Bears)

LVP: Vernon Davis (49ers)
What the hell happened to Vernon Davis this week? One of the very few breakout tight ends of 2013 did not the deliver the goods this week by failing to bring in a catch this week against the weak Falcons defense. This is especially odd since Davis has been such an integral part of the 49ers offense this season and he was completely ignored by Colin Kaepernick in this game. This blemish aside, Davis has been money in 2013 and should be one of the few tight ends to go in the first 5 rounds of fantasy drafts next season.  
Dishonorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Delanie Walker (Titans), Heath Miller (Steelers), Dennis Pitta (Ravens)

Defense
MVP: New England Patriots
It's about damn time the Patriots defense woke up. After failing to deliver the goods since their triumphant performance against the Broncos last month, the Patriots defense was dominating against the Ravens on Sunday. The Patriots registered 4 sacks, 3 INT's, a fumble recovery and 2 touchdowns on the afternoon and just outright dominated the Ravens from start to finish. The Patriots defense was ultimately a middling fantasy pick this season but they certainly had moments of dominance. 
Honorable Mentions: Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams

 LVP: Cleveland Browns
Now on the other end of the spectrum: The Browns defense was coming off a strong performance against the Bears last week before going right back to their disappointing ways against the Jets this week. The Browns couldn't even muster a sack or takeaway against a team that is known to turn the ball over like it's going out of style.  The Browns defense has ultimately improved in the real game this season, but their value in fantasy football is still very little at the moment.
Dishonorable Mentions: Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, Green Bay Packers

Quick Movie Reviews: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

I wish I had time to write full reviews on both of these films but with all the albums and movies I need to catch up on by end of the year, it's just not possible. I promise I'll write full reviews on any new movie I see over the next couple of weeks. For now, here is a brief overview of my thoughts on The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire expands upon every good idea and corrects a majority of the flaws of the first installment. The first film scratches the surface of how bad things are in Panem while Catching Fire puts you right in the middle thanks to the victory tour. As Katniss and Peeta go around to the different districts, you see in great detail the distress and poverty each district is going through. I can't remember the last time a dystopian film portrayed such a state of pure devastation while also providing strikingly accurate social commentary on class divide in our current society. The ramped-up emotional backbone of the film is accentuated by the top-notch acting from the entire cast. Jennifer Lawrence outdoes her work in the first film as Katniss goes from symbol of hope to leader of the revolution. There is plenty of talent in all aspects of the film but this series wouldn't be nearly as good if Lawrence wasn't leading the charge. The supporting cast is once again headlined by Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, the boozy mentor to Katniss and Peeta and Donald Sutherland, who becomes even more sinister as President Snow, who wants Katniss dead so the Capitol can maintain their power without any threats of an uprising. The new additions certainly pull their weight as well with Phillip Seymour Hoffman chewing up his limited screen time as new games maker Plutarch Heavensbee in typical impressive fashion and Jena Malone providing a manic energy to Johanna Mason, the tribute from the District 7, that easily makes her the most interesting character to enter the fold in the Quarter-Quell. What I found to be odd about Catching Fire is that the film was at its finest when it was outside of the actual games sequences. I was completely enthralled and blown away by the first 90 minutes then the film kind of slowed down when the Quarter-Quell began. The games sequences were still cool and well-done, it's just that there was this sense of familiarity that wasn't present when the film was focused on the bigger picture outside of the actual fighting of the games. Catching Fire is one of the most dense, gripping and just plain impressive blockbusters I've seen in quite some time. Catching Fire has officially put me on The Hunger Games bandwagon and I can not wait to see how things unfold in Mockingjay.
4.5/5 Stars 
  
The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug: Well something has to happen in the third Hobbit movie... Just like An Unexpected Journey, Desolation of Smaug is essentially just filler leading up to the (hopefully) climatic final part of the trilogy. The sheer amount of dead space present in this movie is absolutely mind-blowing. You really just shouldn't try to adapt such a short, standalone book into three incredibly long films. It's completely competent filmmaking, it's just far too long and drawn-out to garner much excitement or produce anything that even resembles the level of substance that the original trilogy had. I will say Desolation of Smaug is marginally better than An Unexpected Journey thanks to the much-lauded barrel scene where Legolas gets to be a badass and take out a majority of an orc army himself. Hardcore Lord of the Rings fans will love it, I just don't really see the appeal in this franchise so far.
2.5/5 Stars 

Album Review: After the Burial-Wolves Within

Another year, another long-delayed Sumerian Records release finally seeing the light of day. Like last year with The Faceless, After the Burial has made it worth the long wait with Wolves Within.

Wolves Within is a big improvement over their last record In Dreams. In Dreams lacked much of the character, energy and complexity that their landmark second album Rareform had and Wolves Within is able to recapture most of that magic. It was pretty clear to me that the After the Burial of old was back about a minute into album opener "Anti-Pattern". The track kicks off with a nice drum fill and shortly after, the first memorable groove kicks in and it brought me immediately back to the glory days of the band. The well-integrated polyrhythms don't stop there. "Pennyweight" comes right out of the gate with one of the fattest chunk riffs I've heard in quite some time and "Parise" gives bassist Lee Foral a chance to shine with a subtle yet still punishing bass line that makes for one of the more memorable groove sections on the entire record. After the Burial had such a distinctive and infectious groove to their music and their last record was sorely missing that for the most part, so it was refreshing to see that side of the band back in the fold this time around.

The return of the groove was much appreciated but where Wolves Within really improves on its predecessor is the songwriting. After the Burial became such a standout band to me because of their guitar leads. They had the perfect blend of melody, technical proficiency and catchiness on every single song. Wolves Within has some of their most impressive guitar acrobatics and complex songwriting to-date. This band has always been able to bust out mind-numbingly fast solos but they've never had better melodic solowork than on this record. The solo on "Nine Summers" is just beautiful and "Disconnect" is one of the most well-structured songs they've ever written thanks to the striking melodies throughout and the powerful solo at the climax.

Of course it wouldn't be After the Burial without the moments of jaw-dropping speed and they deliver just that on "Of Fearful Men" and "Virga" (which features original vocalist Nick Wellner in a cool throwback to Forging a Future Self.) Guitarists Trent Hafdahl and Justin Lowe really don't get enough credit in the metal realm for how talented they are. They can rip through solos with the best of them as well as write some of the most dense and stunning melodic riffs in the whole scene right now.

Wolves Within is exactly the bounceback record that After the Burial needed. The punishing grooves, incendiary solos, powerful vocals (major props to Anthony Notarmaso for his performance on this record, he continues to improve on each release he's been featured on) and gorgeous melodies that made them one of the best young bands out there are back in full force. Wolves Within just seems a lot more natural and fluid than In Dreams was. They are in their element when they're creating groove-heavy deathcore with flourishes of progressive riffing and speedy solowork, not screwing around with clean vocals and keeping the restraints on their twin-guitar attack. Wolves Within has me excited to see where the band goes from here and gives them their rightful spot back at the top of the Sumerian Records/deathcore heap.

4/5 Stars
Standout Tracks
1.Nine Summers
2.Disconnect
3.Parise             

Week 15 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Nick Foles (Eagles)
Even in a down week for the Eagles, Nick Foles delivered the goods. Foles started off slow in the first half but went on to gouge the Vikings in the second half in route to a 428-yard, 3 TD performance. Foles also added 41 rushing yards and a 2 point-conversion to secure his spot as the number 1 fantasy quarterback of week 15. Foles continues to deliver in his breakout season and should be a high quarterback choice in next year's drafts.
Honorable Mentions: Alex Smith (Chiefs), Ryan Tannehill (Dolphins), Drew Brees (Saints), Jay Cutler (Bears)

LVP: Matt Ryan (Falcons)
2013 has just not been Matt Ryan's year in both fantasy and real football. Ryan looked to be in-store for a big outing against the sinking ship otherwise known as the Redskins on Sunday but that didn't end up working out. Ryan wasn't totally awful but his fantasy owners certainly expected more than 210 yards and a TD on a defense that is as awful as the Redskins are. Owners should consider other options like Kirk Cousins, Ryan Tannehill or Ryan Fitzpatrick this week as Ryan as the misfortune of going against the great 49ers secondary in San Fransisco this Monday night.
Dishonorable Mentions: Peyton Manning (Broncos), Phillip Rivers (Chargers), Cam Newton (Panthers), Matthew Stafford (Lions)

Running Back
MVP: Jammal Charles (Chiefs)
Jammal Charles's number on Sunday didn't even seem real. Charles hung 5 TD's on the Raiders (the Raiders also allowed the Doug Martin's record performance last season and Nick Foles's 7 TD, 158.3 passer rating performance earlier this year) and managed to get 195 of his 215 total yards in the passing game. Yes that's correct a running back did most of his damage catching passes. I was skeptical about how Jammal Charles would perform this year due to his injury history and Andy Reid's heavy workload on running backs but I was proven dead wrong. Charles's 18 total TD's and almost 1,700 all-purpose yards has made him a fantasy stud all year long and he's the current top contender for the top overall pick in 2014 fantasy drafts.  
Honorable Mentions: Eddie Lacy (Packers), DeAngelo Williams (Panthers), Rashad Jennings (Raiders), DeMarco Murray (Cowboys)

LVP: Alfred Morris (Redskins)
Alfred Morris just can't a break these past couple weeks. Morris seemed like he was in for a huge game with RG3 out and a friendly matchup with the Falcons. Morris did end up running for 95 yards but fumbled twice and didn't get in the endzone. Morris has been the lone bright spot for the Redskins this year but even he has been stumbling of late. Morris gets another chance to redeem himself this week against another awful defense in the Cowboys.
Dishonorable Mentions: LeSean McCoy (Eagles), Shane Vereen (Patriots), BenJarvus Green-Ellis (Bengals), Andre Brown (Giants)

Wide Receiver
MVP: DeSean Jackson (Eagles)
DeSean Jackson was the beneficiary of the Nick Foles's second-half explosion against the Vikings on Sunday. Jackson had 191 yards and a touchdown on-the-day and once again got to show off his incredible deep-threat abilities. Jackson has been one of the biggest steals of 2013 and has more than solidified himself as a weekly strong WR2/borderline WR1 play.
Honorable Mentions: Greg Jennings (Vikings), Julian Edelman (Patriots), Pierre Garcon (Redskins), Dez Bryant (Cowboys)

LVP: Andre Johnson (Texans)
Last time Andre Johnson played the Colts, he put up 229 yards and 3 TD's and had a major impact on the game. This time around Johnson was a complete nonfactor picking up just 16 yards on the afternoon. Johnson has made the best out of the quarterback insecurity the Texans have had this season but this has also led to him putting some stinkers along the way. If his quarterback can get him the ball, Johnson certainly has bounceback potential against the Broncos middling secondary this week.
Dishonorable Mentions: Demaryius Thomas (Broncos), Eric Decker (Broncos), Roddy White (Falcons), Steve Smith (Panthers)

Tight End
MVP: Vernon Davis (49ers)
Vernon Davis continues to make his mark as an endzone magnet with a flair for the big play getting 52 of his 79 yards on a bomb TD pass from Colin Kaepernick in the first half. Davis has been one of the few consistent performers at tight end this season and should continue to deliver the goods as long as he's healthy.
Honorable Mentions: Jason Witten (Cowboys), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Delanie Walker (Titans), Greg Olsen (Panthers)

LVP: Charles Clay (Dolphins)
Fresh off 2 huge games, Charles Clay had a major setback against the Patriots. Clay was held to only 1 reception for 6 yards on the day. It was a huge catch for the team and led to their game-winning drive, but if you started him this week in fantasy, you were certainly expecting a lot more especially since the Patriots had been slaughtered by Jordan Cameron the week before.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jimmy Graham (Saints), Antonio Gates (Chargers), Jordan Cameron (Browns), Coby Fleener (Colts)

Defense
MVP: Seattle Seahawks
This is the type of stifling defense you've come to expect from the Seahawks. The Seahawks got their first shutout of the season on the Giants on Sunday. They punctuated the shutout by picking off Eli Manning 5 times and sacking him 3 times. If anyone was questioning if they were the best defense in the league, this should answer your question. 
Honorable Mentions: Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, San Fransisco 49ers

LVP: New Orleans Saints
The improving Saints defense has not looked worse all year than they did against the Rams on Sunday. They picked up zero sacks or takeaways and allowed a bevy of big plays to an offense that is not really that frightening. It doesn't get any easier for the Saints as they travel to Carolina this week to face Cam Newton and the high-flying Panthers offense. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals 

Week 14 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Josh McCown (Bears)
The show that Josh McCown put up last night against the Cowboys was just a spectacle. McCown led the team to a score on every single drive of the game and was involved in all 5 touchdowns the Bears scored (4 passing, 1 rushing.) Save for a mediocre performance against the Rams a couple weeks ago, McCown has been fantastic in relief of Jay Cutler. With Cutler back at practice and very much in the mix to start on Sunday against the Browns, this may be McCown's last fantasy hooray of the season and if it was, he certainly went out with a bang.
Honorable Mentions: Andrew Luck (Colts), Peyton Manning (Broncos), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Drew Brees (Saints)

LVP: Matthew Stafford (Lions)
Yes the conditions were terrible but that still doesn't fully excuse Matthew Stafford's underwhelming performance on Sunday against the Eagles. Stafford wasn't really using his check downs and kept trying to do too much with limited visibility leading to a 148 yard-performance with no touchdowns on the day. Stafford should do a lot better in his home sweet dome at Ford Field when the Lions take on the Ravens on Monday.   
Dishonorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Colin Kaepernick (49ers), Robert Griffin III (Redskins)

Running Back
MVP: LeSean McCoy (Eagles)
LeSean McCoy continued his monster 2013 campaign with arguably his most impressive performance of the season. McCoy picked up 217 yards and two touchdowns in a full-on blizzard against the Lions on Sunday. McCoy wasn't just running up the gut either, he was cutting and juking in eight inches of snow. McCoy continues his reign as the top fantasy running back and faces about as favorable of a schedule as you can have in the last 3 games against the porous run defenses of the Vikings, Bears and Cowboys.
Honorable Mentions: Jammal Charles (Chiefs), Shane Vereen (Patriots), Ryan Matthews (Chargers), Matt Forte (Bears)

LVP: Alfred Morris (Redskins)
With the Redskins getting absolutely smoked right out of the gate against the Chiefs, there really wasn't much of a call for Alfred Morris to run the ball. Morris only picked up 31 yards on a measly 12 carries. Morris will get a chance to redeem himself against an awful Falcons defense on Sunday. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Ben Tate (Texans), Andre Brown (Giants), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Le'veon Bell (Steelers)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Josh Gordon (Browns)/Marques Colston (Saints)
After having no ties all season, there's now been two straight weeks with a tie at a given fantasy position. Josh Gordon, who has been lights out for the past month, put on another show against the Patriots on Sunday punctuated by an 80-yard touchdown. On the exact opposite side of the spectrum, Marques Colston snapped a giant cold streak with his 125-yard, 2 touchdown performance against the Panthers. This was easily Colston's best performance of the year and will hopefully lead to a turnaround after being relatively quiet for much of the season.
Honorable Mentions: Antonio Brown (Steelers), Cordarrelle Patterson (Vikings), Keenan Allen (Chargers)

LVP: Torrey Smith (Ravens)
The most consistent piece in the Ravens offense did not deliver the goods this week. Smith was held in-check by a weak Vikings secondary managing only a single catch for 11 yards and a 2 point conversion score on the day. Smith has another beatable matchup on Monday against the Lions and is still a great WR2 or WR3 play for any team that is fortunate enough to be alive in the playoffs.
Dishonorable Mentions: Calvin Johnson (Lions), Victor Cruz (Giants), Harry Douglas (Falcons), Kendall Wright (Titans)

Tight End
MVP: Charles Clay (Dolphins)
Charles Clay has made a strong resurgence the past few weeks after being quiet for quite a while after his hot start in September. Clay scooped up 97 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers on Sunday. There's a real nice chemistry between Clay and Ryan Tannehill right now and that's more enough of a reason to keep playing him. Clay faces a Patriots defense on Sunday that is very-banged up and just got torched by Browns TE Jordan Cameron this past week.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Cameron (Browns), Jimmy Graham (Saints), Garrett Graham (Texans), Jermaine Gresham (Bengals)

LVP: Antonio Gates (Chargers)
Antonio Gates had a quiet day amidst the Chargers manhandling of the Giants on Sunday managing 50 yards on 4 catches. Gates has been really quiet of late scoring just 1 touchdown and eclipsing 60 yards once over the past five games. Gates does have a solid matchup against the Broncos on Thursday but he's by no means a must-start at this point in time. 
Dishonorable Mentions: Greg Olsen (Panthers), Coby Fleener (Colts), Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), Ladarius Green (Chargers)

Defense
MVP: Kansas City Chiefs
Well safe to say The Chiefs defense woke up after struggling for the past 3 games. The Chiefs managed 6 sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and two kick return touchdowns in their absolutely pounding of the Redskins on Sunday. The Chiefs have a good shot at an encore performance against the struggling Raiders offense this week.
Honorable Mentions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, New York Jets

LVP: New England Patriots
The Patriots did not bring their A-game on defense at all on Sunday. They managed only 1 sack and picked up no takeaways on the lacklusterBrowns offense. This marks two weeks in a row that the Patriots defense has failed to perform with really easy matchups. They have another creampuff matchup this week against the Dolphins, which certainly has potential for big points but based on their play the last couple weeks is far from a lock. 
Dishonorable Mentions: St. Louis Rams, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals 

Top 10 Biggest Surprises of the 2013 NFL Season

It's been a wild NFL season so far and there's still 3 weeks of the regular season and the entire playoffs to-go. Although it may be a bit premature, here are my picks for the 10 biggest surprises of the 2013 NFL season to-date.

10.The second-year dominance of Alshon Jeffrey: The Bears drafted Alshon Jeffrey in the second round of the 2012 draft with the hope he could break out and make their passing game more dynamic. His rookie year was plagued by injuries and immaturity that really prevented him from making an impact. 2013 has been a giant step forward for Jeffrey and he's been a borderline top 10 overall receiver this season. He's already put up over 1,000 yards on the year and ranks 7th in the league in receiving yards ahead of such veteran heavyweights as Dez Bryant, Vincent Jackson and his teammate Brandon Marshall. Jeffrey has proven to be a viable deep threat with a great set of hands and big-play capability (look no further than his acrobatic touchdown in double-coverage last week against the Vikings.) Jeffrey's strong 2013 campaign and been a big reason why the Bears offense have suddenly become one of the most impressive in the league.

9.Hakeem Nicks's lackluster season: 2013 looked to be a comeback season for Hakeem Nicks. His 2012 season was tainted by lingering injuries that kept him off-the-field for numerous games and consistently hobbled when he was on-the-field. Nicks was healthy going this year and has remained that way for much of the season yet his numbers are still disappointing. Nicks has put up 789 yards on the year, but 391 of those came in 3 games against bottom 5 secondaries in the Cowboys, Eagles and Chargers. Nicks has failed to reach the endzone all season and has consistently dropped a ton of passes. Nicks's inconsistency almost assures he'll be leaving the Giants in free agency and with his poor play the past two seasons, it's going to be hard to justify any team throwing a multi-year, top-dollar contract at him.

8.Torrey Smith emerging as a legitimate number 1 wideout: Prior to this year, Torrey Smith was seen as a strictly deep-threat compliment to a top wideout. This year Smith proved that he can be that top wideout and do anything that's called upon him. Smith had a huge role to fill with the departure of Anquan Boldin and absence of tight end Dennis Pitta with a major hip injury (Pitta finally returned to the lineup yesterday) and Smith more than lived up to the task. His play has been one of the few bright spots on a god-awful Ravens offense and the biggest reason they are still in the thick of the playoff hunt.

7.New Orleans Saints defense: Rob Ryan inherited a defense that allowed the most yards in a single-season in NFL history and turned them around swiftly. Their passing defense went from being league-worst to an elite unit that currently ranks 3rd in the league thanks to free-agent pickup Keenan Lewis and rookie safety Kenny Vaccaro. Their rushing defense isn't quite as strong but is certainly improved from a unit that was gouged week-in and week-out last year. It also helps that Cameron Jordan is quickly becoming one of the most feared pass rushers in the league and offenses are starting to have to game-plan around him giving opportunities for other young players like Junior Gallette and Akeem Hicks to get to the quarterback. Ryan deserves a lot of credit for turning this defense around into a respectable overall unit with dominant aspects.

6.C.J. Spiller's struggle to breakout as the feature back: Anyone who watched C.J. Spiller in 2012 will tell you that he had everything you wanted in a feature back: Explosive speed, great vision, a healthy yards per carry average carry (6.0) and an ability to make defenders miss. Well 2013 Spiller picked up the role of sole feature back for the Bills and hasn't really proven that he's up to the task. While he has shown flashes of the dominance he had in 2012, Spiller has mostly struggled to get things going in 2013. In fairness to Spiller, he has been a bit banged-up for much of the season but that still doesn't explain his early struggles before he tweaked his ankle against the Ravens in Week 4. I still believe that Spiller can handle the duties of being the top-back, it just hasn't worked out this year.

5.Josh Freeman: Chalk this up as the most confusing and sudden downfall of a player in 2013. Just one year removed from a 4,000 yards season and going into a contract year, Josh Freeman opened the 2013 with a string of 3 horrible starts, was then benched for rookie Mike Glennon and the Buccaneers cut him in early October. Freeman was then snatched up by the Vikings just 3 days later and after only 1 start against the Giants in which once again he looked awful, he's been a healthy scratch every week (save for week 8 against the Packers which he missed with concussion-like symptoms) on a team where the other two quarterbacks on the roster are Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel. This 2013 debacle has all but assured Freeman will not be a starter in the league again and will have trouble finding a new home this offseason even in a reserve role.

4.2012 NFC Playoff teams blowing it in 2013: I can't recall the last time so many powerhouses have all fell from grace in the same season. The Redskins, Falcons, Vikings and to a lesser extent, Packers have all stumbled after achieving great success in 2012. Whether it be injuries (Falcons, Packers) lack of playmakers (Vikings) or just complete and total disarray in the locker room (Redskins) all of these teams have grossly underachieved and save for the Packers who are still in the mix, fell way short of the playoffs this year.

3.The failure of Trent Richardson: When the Browns traded Trent Richardson to the Colts on September 18, the entire football world was in shock. The Browns had just spent the number 3 overall pick on him in 2012 and he seemed bound for success with new offensive coordinator Norv Turner. At time, a lot of people (myself included) thought the trade was very stupid on the Browns part. Now it looks like quite the opposite with the Browns holding  two first-round picks in next year's draft and getting rid of a potential stinker like Richardson in the process. To put it lightly, Richardson has not lived up to his billing as the league's next elite running back. With both the Browns and Colts this year, he hasn't been able to get anything going and has looked sluggish on just about every play. I understand that it's hard to be inserted into a new offense in the middle of the year, but Richardson wasn't doing anything with the Browns either. It's only the second year of Richardson's career and there is more than enough time for him to turn things around, but so far it's not looking good for his success as an NFL running back.

2.The Houston Texans collapse: I'll be the first to admit I wasn't that high on the Texans going into this season. They finished last season with a thud and I didn't have super-high expectations for them going into this season. That being said, I didn't expect the results to be anywhere near this disastrous. How they've lost 11 straight games after opening the year 2-0 is mind-blowing. This is a team that's current (healthy) roster includes the reigning defensive player of the year J.J. Watt, future hall-of-fame wideout Andre Johnson and a lockdown corner in Jonathan Joesph and they can't manage to secure a win for 11 CONSECUTIVE GAMES?!?!?!?! The funny part is on-paper this team isn't that bad. They rank in the top-half of the league in every major stat category except for rushing defense and even boast the second-ranked passing defense. The thing is that they just keep losing close games and can't take control of a game when it matters most. Aside from three early blowout losses to the Rams, Ravens and 49ers, this is a team that loses by single digits every week (five of their last eight losses have been by 3 points or less.) Really the only major problem this team has is at quarterback. Matt Schaub was a turnover machine before going out with an injury in Week 5 against the 49ers and while Case Keenum has shown some promise in relief, he hasn't been consistent enough to be a permanent solution at quarterback. They have suffered some key injuries to tight end Owen Daniels, linebacker Brian Cushing and running back Arian Foster, but those guys going down honestly hasn't been the knockout punch for this team. The Texans have competent backups at running back and tight end who have filled-in nicely and they managed to make the playoffs last year when Cushing went down for the year early on. Would they be in better shape if these guys were healthy? Absolutely. It's just that their absence is not the reason the Texans are stumbling so hard this season. 2013 is a huge and wildly unexpected setback for the Texans but they have enough talent in-place to turn things around rapidly if an effective quarterback is inserted into the system.

1. Nick Foles: The emergence of Nick Foles this year has been nothing short of stunning. We got a decent sample of what this kid could do last year when he came in relief of Michael Vick. While he wasn't bad, there certainly wasn't anything striking about Foles's performance on-the-field last year. Foles once again came into the fold this year when Vick went down with an injury except this time Foles was incredibly impressive. Foles tied the all-time single game touchdown record with 7 TD's against the Raiders and managed to throw 19 TD's before hurling his first INT of the year against the Lions yesterday. Foles has just looked really sharp and patient with his throws since coming into the lineup this year. While Vick seemed like the more obvious to choice run Chip Kelly's high-powered offense, it's Foles that has really made it pop and the team has really thrived behind his play. Foles's 2013 season has made Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie's plea in early November that the team needed "a franchise quarterback" seem completely ridiculous. Mr. Lurie, you've found your franchise quarterback and you already had him on your roster. From backup quarterback to potential MVP candidate: Nick Foles has strung together the most surprisingly successful season out of anyone in the NFL in 2013. 

Quick Movie Reviews: Dallas Buyers Club, Ender's Game, Thor: The Dark World, The Heat, The Conjuring

Dallas Buyers Club: Certainly a solid film, but nowhere near as good as I expected it to be. The whole film I was watching this I kept expecting it to turn into something special, but it never did. The only thing that really impressed me about Dallas Buyers Club was the performance of Matthew McConaughey. McConaughey is lights-out as the main character Ron Woodard, a homophobic electrician that is diagnosed with AIDS in 1985. McConaughey is able to capture Woodard's transformation from drug-addicted prick who is in denial of his disease to his formation of a network to help his fellow AIDS victims receive experimental drugs from around the world that aren't approved from the FDA as well as his changing of attitude towards homosexuals after befriending and eventually going into business with a transgender female named Rayon(Jared Leto) It really is amazing the transformation McConaughey has been able to make as an actor in the past few years. This guy went from being laughed at for starring exclusively in low-grade romantic comedies (Fool's Gold, Ghosts of Girlfriend's Past) to being one of the most lauded-actors in all of Hollywood in seemingly no time at all. An Oscar nomination is almost certainly in his future for his work here and it's well-deserved, McConaughey carries this film on his back. The rest of the film aside from McConaughey really could've been so much better and it resulted this being a somewhat aggravating watch for me. I fully understand why this film is being so acclaimed, I just personally didn't feel this was film was anything truly spectacular. There is an incredible film to be made from Woodard's story, but Dallas Buyers Club isn't it.
3.5/5 Stars

Ender's Game: Flawed in its execution and there are a few unintentionally hilarious moments/bad performances, but it's ultimately far too entertaining to be bad. I was consistently engaged throughout and Asa Butterfield makes Ender a really likeable hero. I'm still a bit confused why I liked as much as I did since there is nothing really all that special or noteworthy about it. Perhaps I'm going insane really early in life.
3.5/5 Stars

Thor: The Dark World: You know exactly what you're getting into with a Marvel movie most of time, which is about the best and worst thing I can about Thor: The Dark World. There's a sense of familiarity to the whole film, but it still manages to get the job done anyways thanks to how well oiled of a machine Marvel is at this point in time. Where the first film was a fish out-of-water tale for Thor on earth, this film is focused almost soley on Asgard. Basing this film on Asgard was a nice touch and saves it from being a complete retread of the first film. The scenery of Asgard is stunning and the filmmakers are able use this striking background to stage some fantastic action sequences. While I enjoy the first film more overall, I will say that the action in this installment is superior. Of course it wouldn't be a Thor film without a slew of entertaining performances. Chris Hemsworth is spot-on with the cheesiness of the title character, Tom Hiddleston continues to make Loki the most intriguing villain in the entire Marvel universe stealing every single scene he is in and Stellan Skarsgard is hilarious as the whackjob scientist that Thor's human girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) works for. If you don't like Marvel superhero films, this certainly won't change your mind. But if you're down with the Marvel formula and aren't looking for the next game-changer in the genre, Thor: The Dark World more than gets the job done.
4/5 Stars     

The Heat: Mellisa McCarthy apologizes for the turd that was Identity Thief from earlier this year with the perfect showcase for her comedic chops in The Heat. McCarthy is a comedic tour-de-force here being the catalyst for a vast majority of the many laughs the film has to offer. McCarthy really is something special and it's awesome to see someone that is so funny achieve the level of success she has in the past few years. Sandra Bullock kind of takes a back seat to McCarthy, but still does a pretty good job in the straight role and does shine when she gets her opportunity to show off her comedic skills at the end of the film. It was also good to see that Michael McDonald from MAD TV is still alive. I thought he may have died since he hasn't appeared in anything since the Bush administration. The Heat is easily one of the strongest comedies of 2013 and I hope they go through with making the heavily-rumored sequel.
4/5 Stars


The Conjuring: Director James Wan goes back to the supernatural horror genre and actually learned from the mistakes he made with Insidious to make a quality horror flick with The Conjuring. The Conjuring make use of the same strengths established in the first half of Insidious by developing an eerie atmosphere and a whole lot of suspense. Nothing's popping out, just good old-fashioned tension for most of the first hour of the film. Thankfully The Conjuring doesn't go off-the-rails like Insidious did in the latter stages. The second half isn't quite as strong as the first here either as it resorts to exorcism-film cliches, but it's still competent and doesn't destroy the momentum the first half built. It also helps that The Conjuring develops its characters and isn't just an empty excuse for people to get possessed/murdered. The film spends time with the family who is getting effected by the haunting and the paranormal investigators who are brought into stop it. The Conjuring is by no means a revelation for the horror genre, but it gets the job done in a haunted house subgenre that tends to squander its good ideas with a whole lot of ridiculous ones. The Conjuring's near-complete avoidance of venturing into the territory of stupidity is a huge victory for everyone involved and shows that the haunted house film may actually have some life left in the tank.
3.5/5 Stars

 

The Curse of the Chicago Bears

Another year, another season of optimism that has rapidly turned to disappointment for the Chicago Bears.

In my 8 or so years of being a Chicago Bears fan, it seems like every time things are going well and the team is looking like a  contender, it all rapidly falls apart. Ever since the 2010 NFC Championship run, the Bears appear to be cursed. I know it sounds like I'm just a bitter fan that's sick of my team losing but hear me out. Here's a rundown of the events of the last few seasons since that dreaded NFC Championship Game loss in 2010 that lead me to believe the Bears are cursed.

2010: All things are going well enough in the 2010 NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers. The Bears are able to recover from a 14-0 halftime deficit and the loss of quarterback Jay Cutler in the third quarter to make it a one-score game. The defense was making plays including a momentum-shifting pick 6 by Brian Urlacher and somehow quarterback Caleb Hanie has weathered the storm and brought the team back to life. The defense had made another huge stop and Hanie was driving them down the field and made two huge third-down conversions to keep the game-tying drive alive. Just when it looked like the Bears were going to tie things up, Hanie throws an absolute stinker right into the hands of Packers cornerback Sam Shields. Shields's interception clinched the Packers 21-14 victory and sent them to the Super Bowl. To make Bears fans feel even worse, the Packers went onto to defeat the Steelers to win their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history. It was absolutely sickening to watch the Bears arch-rival hoist the Lombardi when the Bears were so close to getting there themselves.

2011: Once again all is well with the Bears for most of the season. The team recovered from a 2-3 start to win five straight games and appeared on the cusp of a second straight NFC North title. Then Jay Cutler broke his hand at the end of a victory against the Chargers in Week 11 and missed the remainder of the season sending the team into disarray. Two weeks later, running back Matt Forte was also lost for the season with a severe knee sprain. With their top 2 offensive weapons gone and Caleb Hanie starting at quarterback, the team suffered immensely. The 4 games Hanie started in a Bears uniform were amongst the most painful games I've ever seen in my entire life. Not only did Hanie play awful and turn the ball over like crazy, the team caught some of the unluckiest breaks in recent football history when he was starting. The loss at the Chiefs was caused by a bad hail mary tip from Brian Urlacher that landed right into the hands of Chiefs wide receiver Dexter McCluster for the only touchdown of the game. That loss somehow got topped by their loss at the hands of the Broncos the following week. The Bears had the ball with under 2 minutes left and just had to kill the clock to win the game. For whatever reason, running back Marion Barber decided to run out of bounds with 1:55 left on 2nd down and long with the Broncos having no timeouts left. After failing to convert for a first down and being forced to punt, Tim Tebow makes a few nice plays to get the Broncos into Bears territory and Matt Prater somehow nails a 59-yard field goal to send the game into overtime. As an encore for his fourth-quarter mishap, Barber decided to fumble on a run that should've been a huge gain. Barber's second mistake led to another 50+ yard Matt Prater field goal for the Broncos to win the game. By the time the team inserted Josh McCown into the lineup to replace Hanie after 4 straight losses, it was too late to salvage the season. The Bears finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs.

2012: Out of all the Bears recent misfortunes, this one stung the most. The Bears lost six games to playoff teams including the NFC champion San Fransisco 49ers and miss the playoffs thanks to the Minnesota Vikings tiebreaker over them. There was really no excuse for missing the playoffs last season. The team was relatively healthy, they finally got a star receiver in Brandon Marshall and the defense had a +20 turnover margin. They just didn't finish games when they needed to against quality opponents and that ultimately led to their second straight promising season squandered. At the end of the season, they let go of head coach Lovie Smith after nine seasons, three playoff appearances and the second Super Bowl appearance in team history in 2006.

2013: The Bears went in a different direction with the hiring of new coach Marc Trestman. Trestman, who had spent the previous five years coaching in the Canadian Football League, was an offensive-minded coach brought into the fix the paltry Bears offense. Trestman has definitely succeeded in turning around the Bears offense, who are now the scariest they've been in a long time. Second-year wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey has emerged as an absolute star this season giving the Bears a deadly 1-2 wideout punch alongside Marshall, Matt Forte has been rock-solid per usual, the long-suffering offensive line is now incredibly effective thanks to new left tackle Jermon Bushrod and rookie guard Kyle Long and Josh McCown has been surprisingly lights-out replacing the injured Jay Cutler. Of course in typical Bears fashion now that the offense is clicking, the defense is in completely disarray. It's completely disheartening to watch a defense that had been dominant for so long under Lovie Smith fall to shambles the season after he is fired. The defense was perfectly fine for the first few games before the mighty injury bug struck in full force. Top contributors defensive tackle Henry Melton, inside linebacker D.J. Williams and cornerback Charles Tillman are out for the season and outside linebacker Lance Briggs has been out since late October with a shoulder injury and isn't expected to return until next week against the Browns at the earliest. The guys that are out there right now haven't really gotten the job done in the absence of their star players. The defense is 28th in sacks (14), 28th in points allowed per game (27.7) and worst of all, they have the dubious honor of having the weakest rushing defense in the entire league. The defensive woes are the main reason the team has dropped 6 of their last 9 games after their 3-0 start.

Not all is lost for the 2013 Bears going into the last 4 games. They are 6-6 and in second place in the NFC North and two games behind the 49ers for the final wild card spot going into this weekend's games. The problem is that recent history is entirely against them and more importantly, their defense can't stop anyone right now. If the team can outlast the Cowboys on Monday night and pick up a victory in two weeks over the rapidly-rising Philadelphia Eagles, I'll change my tune, but for now my outlook is pretty pessimistic. This whole phase they're going through where they start off so well then blow it down the stretch is getting really aggravating. They're so close to reaching the promised land and when they're about to get there, something goes wrong whether it be injuries or just failing to capitalize in key situations in big games or a combination of the two. The team certainly has the talent to reach the playoffs and I like a lot of the things Trestman has been doing this season (save for leaving Jay Cutler in for too long after he tweaked his ankle against the Lions in Week 10 and last week's kicking the field goal on second down and missing in overtime against the Vikings,) they just need to play more consistently and overcome their injuries on defense and makes some key stops when called upon. Please Bears, I beg you to prove me wrong in 2013 and put an end to this seemingly annual late-season disappointment.   

The Magic of the New England Patriots

Texans defensive end Antonio Smith had a solid point with his accusations of cheating against the Patriots after his team's 34-31 loss on Sunday.

It does seem fishy that the Patriots play so poorly in the 1st half then come out firing on all cylinders in the second half. It does seem fishy that every time their backs are completely against the wall, they play their way back into the games and at worst, lose by single digits. Foul play must be involved right? Such consistent major comebacks have to be because of filming or some other type of inside insight? As hard as it is to comprehend, that's just how this team operates. No one knows why and it surely doesn't make any sense how a team frequently can go from sluggish to completely dominant in the course of a single game, but that's the way things are in New England.

If you look at the 2013 New England Patriots, it's nothing short of a miracle that they are 9-3. Tom Brady has the weakest supporting cast around him during his entire 13-year tenure with the team. It has been said countless numbers of times, but the receiving corps is a huge step back from what they've had in years past. Going from having multiple elite options for so many years in a row to only having 1 (Rob Gronkowski) is a huge blow for a team to take. Prior to Gronkowski's return, it was downright painful to watch their receivers operate. Rookies Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins made some plays, but were dropping passes left and right, Danny Amendola gets hurt right out of the gate and Julian Edelman, while displaying solid hands and sharp route-running, got brought down as soon as he caught the ball. Things have gotten better since Gronkowski returned, but none of the receivers aside from Edelman, have been anywhere near consistent all season.

Defensively it's somehow even more bleak. Outside of a solid pass rush led by second-year defensive end Chandler Jones and grinding veteran Rob Ninkovich, this is a unit that has shown pratically no signs of life this season.  The two anchors of the unit, nose tackle Vince Wilfork and outside linebacker Jerod Mayo, are out for the season. The run defense, who ranked 9th in the league last year, has suffered considerably without Wilfork and Mayo in the lineup. The unit is now ranked 31st in the league and is geting absolutely manhandled every week. As an indicator for just how poor their rush defense is look at their performance against the Texans last week: The team allowed 4 rushing touchdowns to a Texans team who had only put up 2 rushing touchdowns in the first 11 games of the season. The most alarming part of this is that they really haven't faced an elite running back all season. The carnage a guy like Marshawn Lynch, Adrian Peterson or LeSean McCoy could put up on this depleted run defense is truly horrifying to think about.

The passing defense intially began the season as a very efficient, if not borderline dominant unit, but has since become vulenarable due to a wide-sweeping injury problem. Cornerback Aqib Talib- who is easily the most gifted defensive back the Patriots have- is battling a hip injury that has slowed him down considerably and taken away his early-season dominance against top-flight receivers. Injuries have also slowed down cornerback Kyle Arrington and safety Steve Gregory and kept other starting corner Alfonzo Dennard out of the lineup for the past few games. Veteran safety Devin McCoruty has looked good all year and rookies Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon are playing hard, but they aren't exactly striking fear in their opponents.

So with all the problems the team has how are they staying afloat? The answer to that question is simple: Tom Brady. Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Nick Foles have been the most dominant quarterbacks statistically this year, but realistically Brady should be the MVP of 2013 because of what he's been able to do with the team that's surrounding him. His leadership and ability to get the most out of his players- regardless of the talent level or situation that is presented is the sole reason this team is doing so well. Bill Belichick is an undeniably brilliant coach, but even he couldn't do anything with the current roster if Brady wasn't at the helm. This isn't the 2008 team where the strength of the supporting cast could still win games without Brady. The 2013 Patriots would be hanging out with the Bills at the bottom of the AFC East if Brady was out this season.

The most amazing thing about Brady this year is that his numbers haven't been that impressive for much of the year (he has heated up over the past month though.) He's been recovering from poor starts and grinding out victories by making plays when it matters most.

The Broncos game is a prime example of the damage Brady has been doing this season. Brady and his offensive cohorts came out and played as bad of a first half as you can play in the game of football. The second half they were more polished and dominant than they had looked all season. Brady capitalized on his opportunities and led the team downfield with ease each time he was given the ball in the second half. It honestly wasn't fair watching Brady pick apart a defense with such ease especially when the same defense had obliterated him in the previous half. Brady coming through in big situations and leading comebacks is nothing new, its just more impressive this season given that he doesn't have a barrage of weapons to go to when a big play needs to be made.

Brady has also done a tremendous job adjusting to receiving more pressure when it arrives. Injuries/age on the offensive line has forced the usually elite offensive line of the Patriots to allow more pass-rushers to get to Brady. In the past, Brady got rattled as soon as he got a hit few times. This season, he's been able to survive games where he is getting pressured and hit. The Saints and Dolphins both got to Brady repeatedly and he led the team to comeback wins in both of those games. There are still times where Brady gets flustered when hit, but he has greatly improved his poise after taking shots from defenders. Brady, more than ever, is the ring leader of this offense and his command and patience this season has been nothing short of astonishing. 2013 year may not be a career year for Brady, but I can say with complete confidence that I've never been more impressed with his play.

Another key factor in the 2013 Patriots success is their defense stepping up when it needs to. As I stated earlier, this is not a scary defense. You can run all over them and now thanks to injuries, you can throw on them too. That being said, it seems like they almost always make a play when they need to. This is a defense that has gotten a takeaway in all but 1 game this season (The Panthers snapped the Patriots streak of 36 straight games with a takeaway.) Their 4 takeaways in the second half of the Broncos game was the catalyst for the offense to put up the onslaught of points that they did in the second half. The same thing happened against the Dolphins in October. The offense looked horrific in the first half and with the Dolphins in complete control and starting the second half with the ball, the defense needed to make a play to make sure things didn't get out of the hand. On the second play of the drive, Rob Ninkovich stripped quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the Patriots punched in a touchdown on the ensuing possession that started a comeback that led to a 27-17 victory. This defense is far from elite from a talent standpoint, but they are certainly opportunistic and that's just as, if not more important than having a stout defense.

The Patriots may not be a force on-paper, but if you watch them play you'll see why they are such a scary team. It's not always about impressive stats in football. Coming through in the clutch and having tenacity are essential to succeed in the NFL and the Patriots have both of those in spades. With their favorable schedule in the last 4 weeks, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see the Patriots clinch homefield advantage. Wherever the Patriots land in the chaos of playoff seeding, it should be interesting to see just how far this magical and seemingly unflappable 2013 Patriots team will go. No one knows how the Patriots magic works, they just know that it does work regardless of the circumstances.

Week 13 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers

Quarterback
MVP: Peyton Manning (Broncos)
Peyton Manning recovered from 2 early picks to have his most impressive outing since his 7 TD performance on opening day against the Ravens. Manning carved up the suddenly-vulenrable Chiefs secondary for 403 yards and 5 TD's. Manning's numbers this year have been completlely absurd and owners should be giddy with how easy his schedule is during the fantasy playoffs (except if your league's playoffs start this week, Manning is going against the stingy Titans secondary who have allowed the 3rd least amount of fantasy points to quarterback this year.)
Honorable Mentions: Cam Newton (Panthers), Nick Foles (Eagles), Alex Smith (Chiefs), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

LVP: Tony Romo (Cowboys)
Tony Romo owners certainly wern't thankful for his performance on Thanskgiving against the Raiders. Romo managed to only put up 1 TD on an awful Raiders secondary while DeMarco Murray ran in for 3 scores to give the Cowboys the win. Romo has played far better this year than the past couple, but he is still going to put up some stinkers in good matchups and this week was one of them.
Dishonorable Mentions: Andy Dalton (Bengals), Eli Manning (Giants), Drew Brees (Saints), Andrew Luck (Colts)

Running Back
MVP: Ben Tate (Texans)/DeMarco Murray (Cowboys)
For the first time this year, there was a tie for top fantasy player at a given position. Ben Tate and DeMarco Murry both ripped off 102 total yards and 3 redzone TD's, paying considerable dividends as RB2 plays this week.
Honorable Mentions: Reggie Bush (Lions), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), C.J. Spiller (Bills)

LVP: Eddie Lacy (Packers)
This week was odd as just about every running back that had a good matchup this week at least put up respecatable numbers. This left Eddie Lacy, who had a brutal matchup against the Lions, as the weakest running back play of the week. Lacy got all but completely shut down with 39 total yards in a game where the Packers did next to nothing right.
Dishonorable Mentions: Frank Gore (49ers), Chris Ivory (Jets), Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), Ray Rice (Ravens)

Wide Receiver
MVP: Eric Decker (Broncos)
Eric Decker was the beneficary of Peyton Manning's huge game against the Chiefs reeling in 8 receptions for 174 yards and 4 TD's on the day. This was great news for anyone who owns Decker since he's been really quiet since his last big game against the Colts over a month ago. With the Broncos seemingly endless rotation in the passing game, Decker is not an elite option moving forward. That being said, he still has enough upside and a favorable schedule to warrant playing as an WR3/FLEX.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Gordon (Browns), Alshon Jeffrey (Bears), Brian Hartline (Dolphins), Calvin Johnson (Lions)

LVP: Brandon Marshall (Bears)
With Alshon Jeffrey's insane game against the Vikings on Sunday, Brandon Marshall was kept relatively in check picking up just 4 catches for 45 yards. This statline is just a small blemish on what has been another great year for Marshall. He has a huge chance at a bounceback game against the Cowboys bottom-ranked secondary on Monday night.
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordy Nelson (Packers), Antonio Brown (Steelers), Stevie Johnson (Bills), Steve Smith (Panthers)

Tight End
MVP: Rob Gronkowski (Patriots)
With Jimmy Graham stealing all the spotlight this year, it was fitting that Rob Gronkowski made some noise this week. The Texans did a good job containing Gronkowski for much of the game, but they allowed him to make big plays, including a 50-yard reception in the third quarter and a 23-yard touchdown in the first quarter that led to Gronkowski putting up a great statline.
Honorable Mentions: Vernon Davis (49ers), Brandon Myers (Giants), Tony Gonzalez (Falcons), Jimmy Graham (Saints)

LVP: Martellus Bennett (Bears)
The Black Unicorn was also a casuality of Alshon Jeffrey's monster game, picking up just 2 catches for 14 yards. Bennett has been slumping for the most part of late. I don't know if its Josh McCown stepping in at quarterback for the injured Jay Cutler or just the play of Marshall or Jeffrey, but Bennett is nowhere near as good of a play as he was earlier in the season. He's still a low-end TE1 moving forward, but can definitely be benched if you find a better option
Dishonorable Mentions: Jordan Cameron (Browns), Jason Witten (Cowboys), Garrett Graham (Texans), Antonio Gates (Chargers)

Defense
MVP: Detroit Lions
Saying the Lions defense did well against the Packers this week would be the gross understatement of the century. The Lions picked up 7 sacks (including a safety,) 2 fumble recoveries and an INT in the Thanksgiving beatdown.
Honorable Mentions: Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers

LVP: Cleveland Browns
The Browns are just aggravating. Their defense all of a sudden isn't getting the job done and they have had cakewalk matchups the past few weeks. The Browns picked up 2 sacks and an interception on what was supposed to be a defensive massacre against the Jaguars on Sunday. This marks three straight weeks the Browns defense has blown it and until they show signs of life, they aren't worth rostering.
Dishonorable Mentions: Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals   

December in Film

December wraps up the 2013 film season with arguably the most intriguing slate of films of the year. Here are my thoughts on the crop of releases on the docket for December.

Films I want to see:
9.The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug (12/13) : The first Hobbit film bored me to tears, but I'm too much of a fan of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy to write this series off after the first film. This installment allegedly has much more action than the first one, which will hopefully make me a lot less inclined to take a nap during this than the previous film.

8.The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (12/25): The concept and Ben Stiller's track record as a director is enough to get me to overlook the overly artsy vibe the trailers give off.

7.47 Ronin (12/25):  It looks completely ridiculous,  it's going to be a huge box office bomb, and yes I'm going to see it anyways. If you're a B-movie connoisseur like myself, a film where Keanu Reeves is playing a samurai just demands to be seen.

6.Grudge Match (12/25):Speaking of movies that need to be seen to believe... A film where Robert De Niro and Sylvester Stallone play retired boxers who get in the ring to fight each other 30 years after their last bout. Throw in the fact that their handlers are played by Kevin Hart and Alan Arkin respectively only adds to the potential comedy value of this film.

5.Out of the Furnace (12/6): Early buzz has been very good and the cast including Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck and Willem Dafoe is very talented.

4.Inside Llewyn Davis (12/6 limited,12/20 wide):I'm not a fan of folk music and the trailers haven't really done much for me, but the Cohen Brothers at the helm are enough for me to cancel out both of those deterrents.

3.The Wolf of Wall Street (12/25):Martin Scorcese doing a satirical film starring Leonardo DeCaprio, Jonah Hill and Matthew McConaughey about a group of corrupt stock brokers in the 90's and their life of excess? Sign me up.

2.American Hustle (12/18): Director David O. Russell is on a hot streak of late with The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook, which are two of my favorite films of the past few years. American Hustle has all the potential to be another triumph for Russell as he reteams with four of the actors (Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence) who were key factors in why his last two films were so special and adding other talented actors like Jeremy Renner and Louis C.K. to the fold. My anticipation has been building since the release of the striking teaser trailer came out in August and I really hope this film is as amazing as it sounds on-paper

1.Anchorman: The Legend Continues (12/18): I never though I'd see the day where this film was actually produced. Anchorman is one of my favorite comedies of all-time so my excitement level for this is absolutely through the roof. The trailers have been hysterical and the new cast additions including Kristin Wiig, James Marsden and Harrison Ford should only add to the wackiness. I'm not expecting it to be as good as the first one, but I have no doubt that Will Ferrell and Adam McKay will craft a quality sequel to the film that put them on the map.

Films I'm not sure on:
Saving Mr. Banks (12/13 limited, 12/20 wide): There is a lot of talent involved with this film, but the story of how Mary Poppins was created doesn't really seem that intriguing to me.

Films I have zero interest in:
Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas (12/13): Good to know Larry the Cable Guy is still getting work, you're doing a great public service Tyler Perry.

Walking with Dinosaurs (12/20): The effects are certainly impressive, I'm just not really the target audience for this.

Believe (12/25):Another Justin Bieber documentary, no thanks.