I believe that the title of this Player’s Option paints a decidedly different picture than what is ultimately present. Heroes of Elemental Chaos just seems like a nebulous concept, but Baker and Schwalb are able to make a capsule universe that works perfectly using 4e rules. I believe that the different classes (Sha’ir, Elementalist) can work in a wide variety of campaign settings, while exhibiting a certain difference that makes…
I Melt With You is an interesting take on the party film. While a number of these titles would just focus on the debauchery present between the main characters, I Melt With You showcases the cathartic side of these type of social meetings. Jeremy Piven, Christian McKay, and Thomas Jane unite in what seems like a normal group tying one on. By the end of the weekend, they are able…
I personally thought the choice to put 20th century tracks in A Knight’s Tale showed the utter excess and lack of tradition that the movie industry had for period pieces. I think that Air’s commission to generate a soundtrack for the recently-restored Le Voyage Dans La Lune represents an entirely different beast. This is because Le Voyage Dans La Lune is a story about a trip to the moon, while…
On Better Luck Next Life, Royal Baths are able to take strains from two distinct rock styles (the more psychedelic rock overtones of Faster, Harder with the pre-grunge workings of a Neil Young). While other bands would have problems creating their own distinct musical style separate from these two musical styles, every track on Better Luck Next Life is an ode to how the band marches to their own drummer.…
As producer and a writer for HBO’s cops and drug dealers drama The Wire, George Pelecanos managed to take what could have been yet another paint-by-numbers police show (pretty much everything since Law & Order) and helped turn it into one of the most talked about series to come on TV since The Sopranos (fans still look on with a mix of superiority and disgust when they come across someone…
Considering all of the music bio pics that have been made over the past few years there has surprisingly never been one based (yet) on Queen, one of the most outrageous stadium-filling rock bands of the 70’s and 80’s (and that’s saying a lot when you consider how outrageous those decades were for rock bands). Until that inevitable film is made, this music documentary on the British band serves as…
Exciter speed metal’s bad boys from Ottawa Canada released “Death Machine” the group’s tenth album way back in 2010 and it’s finally coming to North America almost a year and a half later. Band members are John Ricci – guitars Kenny Winter – vocals Rik Charron – drums Clammy – bass. This is a band that’s been around for a long time and have managed to keep their original style…
Seattle’s Quintet Death Metal band “BLACK BREATH” Have just finished their second LP. “Sentenced To Life” and are ready to release it on an unsuspecting public March 27th on Southern Lord Records. This is the sophomore release from them following the band’s 2010 debut album, “Heavy Breathing” Band members are Neil (Vocals) Eric (Guitar) Mark (Guitar) Elijah (Bass) Jamie (Drums) Recorded at God City Studios with Kurt Ballou, and had…
I believe that the Dynasty Warriors series has been one of the most successful in video gaming history because it takes little time to learn and bundles a tremendous amount of martial history in each level. Dynasty Warriors Next is the latest iteration in the Dynasty Warriors franchise, and it is also the first DW game that has been released for the Playstation Vita. I believe that the transfer over…
Few games have taken full advantage of the Nintendo 3DS console. There seems to be a desire for companies to cut corners and use only the lowest amounts of the console’s power; Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics, on the other hand, pushes the console to its limits. I believe that the 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics is also special because it…
There are so many different supplements currently on the market that look to take the herbs and mixtures of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), but it seems as if verifiable medical reports have proven only the effect that caffeine has in providing energy and weight loss to those that take it. Prolab has created this product and has taken caffeine from a wide variety of sources – Cocoa Extract, White Tea,…
I believe that it has taken The Duke Spirit a few years to get a proper amount of traction. This is not to say that their previous albums have been weak, but that Bruiser represents a coherent effort that exemplifies what the band is and what they want to do on their releases. Cherry Tree is the opening effort on Bruiser, and its blend of Blues and rock will appease…
Pastel Reflections is a delicate track that immediately invites listeners in to Kern’s inimitable style. With each composition building with craftsman-like precision, listeners will be touched. There needs to be nothing more than Kern’s piano to create a richness of sound that emanates through rooms. Kern’s greatest strength on Enchanted Piano is in the arrangements. Each of the album’s cuts works well as an isolated track, but they provide ample…
The sheer amount of different bands that are trying to make a name for themselves creating some variant of metal is astronomical. One would be shocked if they saw the sheer amount of flotsam that we had to wade through before picking up Psycroptic’s latest album, Inherited. I believe it is the determination of the act that makes this album so strong. Carriers of the Plague is the album’s first…
There is a sense that jazz as an art form is something that is stale and stagnant. Metta Quintet looks to challenge this conception of the genre through their Big Drum / Small World EP. This disc, which collects five distinct tracks, is the best way to familiarize oneself with the music and style of the act. Big Drum / Small World begins with From Here Onwards, an expansive effort…
Thomas is a performer that has been tirelessly doing their work for over a decade. On With Love, eir newest album, Thomas is able to reinvent eirself and keep the following 10 tracks as fresh as possible. This is done by sticking one of the disc’s most memorable tracks, Where Was I, up front and center on the release. By sticking a hook into listeners, Thomas is able to take…
FEB 24 – Newcastle (NSW) @ Club LED MAR 9 – Thornbury (VIC) @ The Prague MAR 10 – Geelong (VIC) @ The Barwon Club MAR 11 – Melbourne (VIC) @ The Cherry Bar MAR 16 – Ballarat (VIC) @ The Karova Lounge MAR 30 – Bendigo (VIC) @ The Newmarket Hotel APR 12 – Auckland (NZ) @ The Crowbar (w/Sinate) APR 13 – Palmeston Nth (NZ) @ Royal Hotel…
New Jersey’s Dark Empire returns with their third release, “From Refuge to Ruin” On March 27th Via Nightmare Records. Band members are Brian Larkin (vocals) Matt Moliti (guitars, vocals) Randy Knecht (bass) Produced by Jeremy Krull and artwork by Gustavo Sazes (Arch Enemy, Firewind, Morbid Angel) . If you were to ask me what genre they fall under it is hard to explain (progressive, power, death, and thrash) is this…
Italy’s Apocalyptic Black metal band Stigmhate is set to release their new album ‘The Sun Collapse on March 26th 2012 on Bakerteam Records. Band members are mike (guitars) VVLV (drums) marco (guitars and vocals). ‘The Sun Collapse’ was recorded and mixed between Outer Sound Studios and Destroyed Studios by Giuseppe Orlando (Novembre) and the band’s own guitarist Mike, and mastered at Hertz Studios, Poland. Artwork by Malfeitor Fabban (Aborym), is…
Brokaw the punk/stoner band from Seattle, Washington recently released their debut LP “Interiors” back on Januaury 24th. band members are G. Stuart Dahlquist (bass) Mike Henderson (vocals) Rick Troy (guitars) Rich Medic (drums) When asked about the bands name they replied “We chose the name because it’s simple yet has some very complex associations,” says Brokaw’s bass player Stuart Dahlquist. “And masculine which might reflect our music/composition process accurately.” “Interiors”…