The Boat That Rocked (Pirate Radio)

Thanks to Kenny for telling me about this movie.

Rarely anything that does not involve being with the ones I love makes me smile, let alone a movie. However, this movie had me smiling like a moron for two hours. It is one of the best feel-good movies that I have ever seen. Sure, it is not one of the best films ever, but certainly one of 2009's best. Great performances, a compelling story (based on true events), and a kick ass soundtrack, what is not to like? If you liked Almost Famous, you should definitely give this movie a chance. I am pretty sure Caribbean Cinemas won't be screening this movie in Puerto Rico anytime soon, but you can always find a way to watch it online.

It may noy be the deepest story, the characters may be a bit flat, and you would probably give two shits about the soundtrack if you are not into classic rock and roll, but it is a charming, fun movie that goes beyond any of your bullshit or musical nit-picking. I am not attempting to review this movie, as I suck when it comes to analyzing characters, plot, or anything related to film. Just watch it, you won't regret it.

Nile - Those Whom The Gods Detest CD Review

Let me be honest with you guys for a second. I never got into Nile's Eastern influenced Death Metal. I mean, I know that they are heave and technical as fuck, but I never paid much attention to their albums. Fast forward into 2009 and here we are with another Nile album full of Egyptian references and ridiculous technical prowess. Nile is one of the big names from the Relapse roster who released a highly anticipated album this year, but I could care less about hype or stupid comparisons between Nile and Morbid Angel. All I know is that this is a pretty decent Death Metal album full of unusual elements and melodies in it.

When it comes to Death Metal, I like it heavy, brutal, and dark. Nile may not have an emphasis on groove or breakdowns, but they are definitely dark and heavy. Their songs are comprised of eastern sounding scales, lots of chord progressions, and blasting, lots of blasting. Some songs have the potential to become Death Metal anthems like 4th Arra of Dagon and Kafir! with their chants and brutal riffing. If you are a fan of Nile, you may already know that this is a great album, but to someone like me, who never paid attention to their older albums, the clarity of every instrument on this album gives me the chance to immerse myself in their sound. The clarity of the drums and guitars is amazing. One of the biggest turn offs for me was how "shitty" albums like Black Seeds Of Vengeance sounded, and I hope they continue to keep recording their albums with these quality standards. The other thing that surprised me was the integration of different eastern elements to their songs, like some guy chanting in the opening track, or the use of microtones in Utterances of the Crawling Dead, adds variety to this type of Metal. All these elements make the album more sinister and evil, along with the wide variety of screams on Hittite Dung Incantation makes me miss albums like Atrocity's Hallucinations, Kataklysm's Sorcery and Gorguts' The Erosion Of Sanity. Although this is not an old school Death Metal album, the spirit of the early days is there, making anyone who is not familiar with this kind of music uncomfortable while listening to it. This is how Death Metal is supposed to sound like.

Technical Death Metal fans will be drawn to this album like stalkers to Facebook. As someone who now feels bad for ignoring this band when I first saw an ad for Black Seeds of Vengeance, I must say that this album fills the void left by many old school Death Metal bands who have released mediocre comeback albums. Those Whom The Gods Detest is punishing, brooding, evil, and that is something that has been missing from one of my beloved genres for a long time. Nile knows that Death Metal belongs in the most dark corners of the musical spectrum, devouring anyone who tries to belittle this genre for being "a bunch of growls and unintelligible noise mashed together".

Trainwreck - Of Concrete Canyons and Inner Wastelans LP Review

I have taken my sweet time to review this album, not because I did not like it, but because I've been very busy lately. I should start off by saying that this is the best Trainwreck album to date. It is an overwhelming wall of sound, epic in every sense of the word. I have listened to these six songs ever since it came out a few months ago, and it still sounds amazing. I have a short attention span when it comes to long songs, but these guys have managed to keep their songs interesting enough for a spazz like me.

Of Concrete Canyons and Inner Wastelands is one of the most cathartic albums I have heard this year. It is relentless, heavy, fast,. but now, the guys have incorporated more adventurous riffs and leads here and there to accentuate the overall heaviness and chaos these guys are known for. Songs like The Dead next Door, Less Than Nothing, and Mistakes and Misdirections will leave your jaw on the floor. These are intense, manic songs filled with anger and desperation. They are dynamic, but they do not waste five minutes in a pretentious crescendo like most "Post-Metal" bands, or Neurosis rip-offs as I like to call them. And while these songs maintain the organic sound of their previous efforts, you can hear more guitar interplay in these songs, and the drumming is so pulse pounding, you can feel those toms and bass drum kicks beating your chest in if you crank this album up. And I think this album should be played at deafening levels in order to enjoy it to the fullest. Its dirty mix, along with the heavy riffing, makes it one of the heaviest aural experiences of the year.

I could keep going on about how great this album is, but you need to experience this album for yourself. If you think that Isis or any of the bands who have "ocean related" names are the ones who are redefining heavy music nowadays, you are a retard. Trainwreck will prove you wrong and teach you how it's done. They are one of the best bands to ever come out of Germany, and should appeal to fans of Ekkaia, Ghostlimb, or even stuff like Triac or Uphill Battle.

Hit them up on My Space by clicking here.

You Will Move mentioned on Comadre's My Space blog.

Thanks to Kenny Gabe for mentioning my shitty blog on his band's blog. Also, check the rest of the blogs mentioned. There is a lot of awesome stuff there.

Click here to see the blog entry.

Vitriol Records

The portal to everything Graf Orlock/GhostLimb/Dangers and then more. You can buy almost everything related to those bands, get the latest info on shows, new releases, and all that shit over there, and more. Also, there are a few movie reviews and articles that are more interesting that any of the shit featured on this blog.

Get your fix here.

Burnt By The Sun - Heart Of Darkness CD Review

As a fanboy, I really had a hard time dealing with this album. A part of me, the naive, noisy Metal loving me, wants to worship this album and call it the best album ever made. As soon as the hype cooled off, my most jaded side said "meh, it could have been a lot better." Maybe I am being biased and I just wanted this album to improve on what they did on Soundtrack To The Personal Revolution, but sometimes I do like to think that they should have done that.

Let's get something straight: Heart Of Darkness is not a bad album by any means. It is an admirable effort from Burnt By The Sun after six years (if you don't count the BBTS/Car Bomb split), but it lacks the charm of their past releases. The album starts with Inner Station, which is one of the best songs from the album. While it's slower than songs like Dracula With Glasses, its pretty heavy and full of grooves. While I do miss some of the intensity and dissonance of their earlier efforts. Dave Witte's performance, which has been one of the highlights of BBTS, is certainly tamed this time. he's not blasting a lot these days , but he compensates with some syncopated fillsm non-stop double bass drumming, and interesting fills here and there. John Adubato Still has his trademark chunky sound, which is nice, but some of those riffs seem half-assed, like the intro to F-Unit, which sounds like a recycled riff from the Luddite Clone split. Mike Olender still sounds like a maniac, and his lyrics continue with the same socio-political themes he is known for. Ted Patterson still delivers his spider-like bass lines, although I do miss his more "out there"approach to bass playing from the Human Remains days. Newcommer Nick Hale did not write any songs on this album, but he complements Adubato, making everything sound a lot fuller.

As an unit, they sound as tight and heavy as a van full of Jenny Craig customers, but the album leave sme unsatisfied. Maybe I was expecting a wilder, noisier album, especially after listening to that preview on the BBTS/Car Bomb split. Songs like There Will Be Blood, The opening track, and Goliath deliver the goods, but sometimes the album tends to drag a bit, making it less interesting for the listener. This album did not suffer from the kind of hype surrounding the new Coalesce album, but to those fans who were expecting the definite Burnt By The Sun album, considering this is their last album, will be left unsatisfied. Still, it is a pretty heavy album that deserves a listen if you are into newer bands like the_Network, Phoenix Bodies, or Gaza.

So, I went to see Hirax last night..

Sweet baby Jesus.