Gay Paris

Gay Paris has been describes as, “if Sabbath was injected like cortisone into Tom Waits' rump then [this] is what he would barf!” Which actually sums them up rather well. The band has recently released its first album, The Skeleton's Problematic Granddaughter, and ever since, it has spent a great deal of time playing on loop for me.

“We're bringing art back to music and rock back to rock n' roll. We're putting the Devil in a sweet red dress and heels made for cloven hooves and makin' God dance with him until they put their differences aside and make sweet, blasphemous love in plain sight. We know what the people need even if they don't want it yet.” - WH Monks, frontman for Gay Paris

My First Wife? She Was A Foxqueen!

House Fire In The Origami District

This last song, Soliloquy from Ether Station is one of my favorite songs from the album due to its somewhat hellish bluegrass/gospel sound.  

 08 Soliloquy From Ether Station by PressRecordOnline



pre-posting/post-writing edit:

Okay, I'm getting pretty tired of using this excuse, but once again, the notion of cramming an entire semester into 14 school days tends to take up a very large portion of  my time. This time around, it looks like the juggernaut of the class is a 15+ page paper. (In addition to tests and homework.) At least it's a physical class though. Still, I've spent four years in college avoiding writing papers! (At least those that weren't tied to the English Competency Exam.) I hate "forced writing". I can do it when it's on my terms, but between writers' block, and a tendency to answer questions in as few words as possible, I've never been all that great when it came to assigned papers.

Anywho, at least for now, I will have to simply reveal my gratitude for the abundance of seafood, and take my leave. Hopefully I'll be back when my workload decreases. (This may, or may not be during the summer. Given my track record thus far, I will make no more promises.) I still think I have a couple albums/bands that I really wanted to post earlier, so I might get around to posting those soon-ish, and sparse updates are always a possibility, but I have no clue when you can expect regular updates again.

Flogging Molly - Speed Of Darkness

As, I'm sure many of you know, I am a huge fan of the Irish punk band, Flogging Molly. Well, as it turns out, their newest album, Speed of Darkness, got released today. While I'm thrilled to have new Molly to listen to, I'd be lying if I said I've instantly fallen in love with it. Speed of Darkness is MUCH softer than the rest of their discography. With that being said, it's by no means bad. Quite the opposite, really. The album is filled with beautiful songs...It's just missing those fun, energetic drinking anthems that I've come to know and love.

So Sail On

The Cradle of Humankind.....I think this has become my favorite on the disk.



This Present State of Grace



There are, perhaps, two or three songs that are somewhat more energetic than what I posted, but nothing that comes anywhere close to the likes of Drunken Lullabies.

Celtic Pink Floyd

Celtic Pink Floyd is a new band that has just recently released their first, self-titled, album. As the name suggests, they perform covers of classic Pink Floyd songs with a mix of traditional Celtic and modern rock instruments. I'm not quite sure there's much more I can say about this band, other than you would truly by doing yourself a disservice if you didn't go and check these guys out.

Wish You Were Here



Another Brick In The Wall (Pt. 2)



And finally, On The Turning Away, which is just behind Wish You Were Here as my favorite on the album. After scouring teh interwebz, I FINALLY found the .mp3 available for streaming.

Let's try this again...

Okay, so as I mentioned before, I'm taking some summer classes that jam an entire semester into one month. The first one that I took was International Business, and it was an online class, which I HATE. As if weekly tests that covered six chapters each wasn't enough, we also had group projects--which were made more difficult than normal, as we never actually saw each other. Anywho, I survived. Even though I'm starting a new class on Tuesday, it's going to be a physical class, so I SHOULD be able to juggle class and this blog.

In other news, I do have a handful of new bands/albums for you all, but I think I'm going to wait until tomorrow to start posting them. For now, however, here's a couple animated videos that I found:

The Saga Of Biorn



Blood Trail

Van Helsing's Curse

I really have no clue how I came this far without posting this oddity. Van Helsing's Curse was a side project of Twisted Sister's Dee Snider. Unfortunately, they only made a single album, Oculus Infernum, which was a concept album that Wikipedia summarizes as, "[Telling] the fictional story of a young boy, orphaned after an entity murders all the adults in his town. The child then wanting revenge comes upon one of the descendants of Van Helsing and teams with him to try and put an end to the entity". They used to do live performances of the album around Halloween, but have since quit due to a "lack of demand". I don't know about you, but I would absolutely love to see something like this.

Tubular Hell



Let Me Pray



As there's only one album, and it doesn't differ very much from the above examples, I'll stop there. I suppose this won't be for everyone, but then again when do I ever post something that is?

Why Is The Rum Always Gone? part 5

So, first thing first. You might notice a new button on the right. I have finally given in and created a Facebook page. I won't promise anything more than a cross posting of my blag, but hey, if you're one of *those people* that embrace the book of faces, then by all means start spreading my word across your unholy land.

Now, onto today's post. It's Saturday, and that means another rum-filled post! Today's rum: Blackheart spiced rum. I swear to you, contrary to what these reviews have been, I've never been a huge spiced rum fan. Alas, however, I'm still recovering from a bit of a financial ass kicking I received last summer, and spiced rum tends to be cheap. Combine that with not wanting to review something I don't currently have (As, trust me, those would be shit reviews.) and we're kinda stuck with spiced. With all that being said, I promise that I'll avoid the Captain. (Save Private Stock.) as no amount of coke will ever make that a respectable drink.

The very first thing that I should mention about this rum is that it's about $13 for a 750 mL and there's a $10 mail in rebate attached. So $3 for a bottle of 93 proof rum? I'm trying it. Period. End of story. (With rebate, that gives Blackheart a 10/5 on the Broke College Student Scale...If you can't find a bottle with a rebate, I'll give it 3.5. Maybe I'm just a bit skewed after finding out that something as cheap as Aristocrat is actually drinkable.)

As for the taste: There is some flavor (caramel apple?) that dominates all the other spices. Even when mixed, it's very prominent. When I looked up other Blackheart reviews online, this flavor, whatever it is, and the sweetness of the drink were the two largest focal points. Some people loved it, some...didn't. Since I brought up the sweetness, I might as well, talk about that next. It's definitely much sweeter than one would expect a 93 proof anything to be.When I say "sweet" I mean, "You can actually forgo the coke, if you want." That would turn many people off, but I dunno. I kinda see some potential with it as far as mixing goes. Maybe in some kind of hard cider? Dunno. (Oh, and with it being so sweet and high proof, the drunkability is going to be VERY subjective, so I'll skip that score.)

Wallpapers

Okay, so I just spent WAY more time then I should have looking at wallpapers. Then I saw that my favorite TV streaming site just uploaded the Fringe S3 finale (And the latest episode of Supernatural.) and was super-excited to watch it. But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO It's 11:49 and I have no post written. So I'm gonna take the lazy way out, and throw up some of my favorite wallpapers.

Also, I really don't wanna say that I'm going to do this again in the foreseeable future, but it did take me a while to finally narrow my collection down to these. I had *a lot* more I wanted to post.

Bal-Sagoth

Okay, I know right now that this band is going to be too heavy for some of you. While I initially disregarded them as just another black metal band, I quickly changed my attitude when I looked deeper into their lyrics. As I can not write a better description than what Wikipedia has, I'll just refer to its description of The Multiverse, in which all of Bal-Sagoth's lyrics are about.

The "Multiverse" is the alternate reality in which the lyrics of Byron Roberts are set. Based on ideas similar in concept to H. P. Lovecraft, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and especially Robert E. Howard, the Multiverse is mostly past tense, wherein Roberts describes ancient events that have already transpired. Worldwide floods, pan-galactic wars, rogue demigods, ancient empires and kingdoms, and sinister artifacts compose this alternate history of the earth. Mythical places such as Atlantis, Hyperborea, Ultima Thule, Ys, Mu and Lemuria feature prominently in the band's Antediluvian World. Additionally, many of the lyrics are set within the framework of recognizable history, with a cast of characters including historical barbarians, gladiators, corsairs and privateers, archaeologists and occult investigators whose exploits take place during recorded history from Roman times through the age of Reason, the late 19th century and early 20th century. Along with Byron's other, more science fiction oriented lyrics detailing a far future era of galactic struggle and interstellar war, the Bal-Sagoth lyrics span countless aeons and are truly epic in scope.

Oh, I should also mention that this band apparently loves REALLY long song titles. This song, for example, while being good, on its own, I knew I had to post it simply because of its redonkulously long title. This is *takes a deep breath* The Dark Liege of Chaos is Unleashed at the Ensorcelled Shrine of A'Zura Kai (The Splendour of a Thousand Swords Gleaming Beneath the Blazon of the Hyperborean Empire Part II) from their third album, Battle Magic.



Next is, The Thirteen Cryptical Prophecies Of Mu off their fourth album, The Power Cosmic.



And lastly, Shackled To The Trilithon Of Kutulu from their latest (And perhaps, last) album, The Chthonic Chronicles.



I doubt you picked up many of the lyrics that weren't spoken, which is a shame because the stories told are so brilliant. I HIGHLY recommend you find proper lyrics and the booklets with more back story and take in the entire discography in one sitting. Imagine it a black metal book on tape.

New Skindred and Turisas

So, while I was gone, Skindred's new album, Union Black got released, and Turisas made a new music video.

Here is the new Turisas video, Stand up and Fight.



And here are a couple track's off of Skindred's Union Black.Between the album being so new and Warner Brothers taking down videos, I'm limited on what I can post. Anywho, here's Doom Riff.



And Cut Dem.




Also, I'm thinking that tomorrow, I'll go back to a "normal" post. I have no clue what it will be about, but I believe I've covered all the news I had.

Drinking Horn

So, way back when I first mentioned Amon Amarth, I also mentioned that I made a drinking horn with the intent to get it signed and scrimshaw said signatures in. Unfortunately, when I went to their Twilight of the Thunder God tour, a friend I brought had a test the next day and couldn't wait after the show. So, cut to a few years later, and they have a new album out, which means a new tour, and a new opportunity to get my horn signed. On Sunday, I went to Atlanta to see their An Evening With Amon Amarth show, in which they played their latest album, Surtur Rising, in full. Then played an entire second set, which was a "best of" show. (And I FINALLY got to hear Live For the Kill live. Albeit, sans Apocalyptica, but it's still one of my favorite songs.)

So, after 2+ hours waiting in line pre-show, 1.5 hours in the crowd inside waiting for the show to begin, standing through a 4 hour show, and then at least 2 more hours standing outside, I FINALLY got to meet the band and got my horn signed. I've been working on the scrimshawing for the past couple of days, and will say that after I applied the ink, I realized I should have polished the horn before getting it signed. While I sanded/polished it when I first got it, a couple years of use has put a bunch of micro scratches on it, and it's been a bitch and a half to wipe the ink out of them. As such, I'm still not completely content with it, but it's good enough as-is to post here. Oh, and also, due to space issues, I had a choice to make. One signature could have either been on a particularly thin part of horn, or on the black half. I obviously chose the latter, and since I only have india ink, I decided to try red sharpie on that one. It's not perfect, but it'll do until I can find some red ink. Below, are a few pictures. If you want to see more, you can check them out HERE. I had them labeled and sorted in an orderly fashion, but Photobucket decided not to pay very much attention to my order.

Yey! Signatures!

I more or less divided the work into four stages: Getting it signed; carving it; inking it; and polishing it. I took photos at each stage, but what the photos don't show are the 9,001 times I went back to wipe away more ink, then wiped too much and started cleaning the ink out of the carvings, then re-inking and in the process getting ink back in the microscratches, and starting the process all over. So, when a photo says, "polished", and you still see black marks, just know that if I haven't already started getting those out, I will....Anywho, here's the evolution of Johan Hegg's (the singer) signature:

This one's actually not that bad. Nothing like Fredrick's.

And finally, the finished (Well ish...kinda...not really...whatever.) product:

Also pictured: a lot of shit. Peanuts from a Puscifer show,  an oil lamp I made out of a grenade, a few picks, and a bunch more.

Random Video of the Whenever I Feel part 3

Okay, so I am, in fact, back. (And in black, nonetheless.) What more, I am going to try to start daily postings again. Since I still need to settle into my new schedule, here is another Random Video posting. Today's theme: H.P. Lovecraft.

This first one is long, but worth it.



These next two are MUCH shorter.





Also, I've been working on my drinking horn project. I'll probably give you an update about that in the next day, or two.

Why Is The Rum Always Gone? part 4

Okay, so it's the end of the month. Money's running low, and you want to get your drunk on. What do you grab? Look no further than Aristocrat RUM. Notice the emphasis on rum? That's because Aristocrat is typically known for their vodka--which is also cheap, but tastes HORRID. So when I started hearing praise for their rum, I was a bit suspicious at first. I mean $13 for a handle? That has to be some grade-A nastiness. Right? Surprisingly, no. Granted, it might not make the best sipping rum, but then again, it's a silver rum. It's not really intended to be sipped. With its clean taste, where this drink really shines is with its mixability. Whether you just want a rum and coke, or something a bit more complicated, Aristocrat's standard 80 proof rum will provide a great addition to your drink.

On the Broke College Student Scale, you'll be hard pressed to find anything cheaper that didn't eat your stomach lining. Aristocrat's Rum gets a 5/5.

As for Drunkability: The proof is nothing special, but it mixes so well, you may have to have to watch your intake, or risk loosing your pants. I'll give it a 4/5.

Steel Panther

First off, for the moment, don't expect any updates next week. I should be able to get Sunday's post out (Albeit with autopost/non-moderated comments.) but I don't think I'l be able to get any more written up. The good news, however is that pending on if I can find a job or not, I'm going to try to go back to daily posts starting on May 2nd or 3rd. Even without a job, I'll be taking summer classes, which cram an entire semester into less than a month, but I'm only going for one class/month so I don't believe it'll interfere with my blogging.

Anywho, on to today's band. I figured I'd wrap up my comedy-themed week with Steel Panther. (I really wanted to go with Richard Cheese, but I've already covered him.) Steel Panther is a spoof of 80's glam metal bands. They have released three studio albums, one of which I haven't been able to track down. (Hey, That's What I Call Sludge! Vol. 1) For obvious reasons, I won't be covering that album.

Their first album, Hole Patrol, was first released in 2003, when the band went by Metal Skool. It was then re-released in 2005 with a few changes. I don't believe there are any changes in this song, Stripper Girl, between the two releases.




The next album of theirs that I have is Feel The Steel. This is the opening track, Death To All But Metal.




Finally, since I'm only covering two albums, I figured I'd post two songs from Feel The Steel. This is Comunity Property.

Stephen Lynch

So, since I posted a humor band on Monday, I thought I would continue that theme today. Stephen Lynch is a singing comedian that has had a number of Comedy Central specials. He has also put out four albums, and a live DVD. I will say that as far as content goes, he seems to gravitate toward controversial subjects. Personally, I love him, but in today's age, I can see someone getting mad at him.

Oh, when available, I'll post the versions from his DVD, Live at the El Ray, because, you know, "Yey video!".

To start things off, here's Priest, from his freshmen album, A Little Bit Special.



Since I mostly talk about metal bands, I had to include this one. This is, What if that Guy from Smashing Pumkins Lost His Car Keys?, from his second album, Superhero.



As that one is so short, and I love this song, here's another from Superhero. This is Talk to Me.



Next is Baby, from The Craig Machine.



This final track is the title track from his latest release, 3 Balloons. Personally, I don't think this album lives up to his others. For one, I just don't think the songs are as funny. But also, he swapped a live audience for the studio with more instruments and mastering. Sure it SOUNDS better, but I think the live effect really adds something. Anywho, here's the song:

Psychostick

First of, sorry for the lack of Sunday update, and late Monday update. I had a Volbeat concert on Saturday night, and didn't get back until around 4:00 AM. And while we're speaking of missed updates, I have now moved from "Hey, I'm busy." to finals week. Then next week, I'm going on vacation. So I *THINK* I can manage to get four updates out this week. I'm not entirely sure if I can do school work + finals + looking for a job + this week's updates + four more updates for some autopost action while I'm gone next week. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

So, onto today's band: Psychostick. I'll be honest. Today's choosing process was just to hit play all, random and choose the first band that I haven't talked about. With that being said, it's definitely a fitting band for this blog. Psychostick is a heavy metal band that has combined humor into all of their songs. They have released two albums and an EP. And according to Wikipedia, they also have a new album, Space Vampires VS Zombie Dinosaurs in 3D set to be released in August.

This first track, BEER!!!, is from their 2004 album, We Couldn't Think of a Title. It helped kick off their popularity when it became a #1 single on XM Radio's Liquid Metal show for seven weeks.



This next track, Doom to the World/Holiday Hate, is from their holiday EP, The Flesh Eating Roller Skate Holiday Joyride.



And finally, an ode to college life, The Hunger Within, from their latest release, Sandwich.

ProgPower Update

So, as I'm sure many recall, I have mentioned ProgPower a number of times in the past. Well, on Tuesday, Arcturus decided that despite agreeing to play at the festival a year in advance, they are now dropping out. Below is their official statement, but I read on the PP forums that more is going to said at some point. If that point is soon, I'll edit this post with the updated info.

Arcturus have issued the following statement regarding their cancellation:

“Arcturus still suffer from hibernation sickness, and due to outdated parts we deeply regret to inform you: We are canceling Progpower USA. This lack of maintenance is entirely our own fault, and sincere apologies go out to the promoter and all ticket holders, especially those of you who had planned to travel far..”

ProgPower USA Promoter, Glenn Harveston, adds:

“I have no idea what the hell that statement means. I’m not going to try and figure it out either, as I have wasted enough time and effort on that “band” already. In the meantime, I would like to personally thank Ihsahn for taking the slot. His professionalism in this situation is greatly appreciated.”

That last bit there that Glenn said...That was part of him announcing that on incredibly short notice, he was able to get Ihsahn from Emperor to do a US exclusive show in lieu of Arcturus. As disappointed as I am that Arcturus won't be performing, I am that glad that they were replaced by another act that I will likely never get another chance to see. For those that don't know Ihsahn, here are a few tracks from his solo albums:

Here is Astera Ton Proinon from The Adversary.



Threnody from angL.

And On the Shores from his latest album, After. I'm REALLY hoping he brings this Sax player with him.

Also, in case anyone is interested, the new schedule is as follows:

- PROGPOWER USA XII DAY 1 -
Friday September 16, 2011
Creation's End - (USA) - 2:30-3:15
Darkwater* - (Sweden) - 3:45-4:30
Voyager - (Australia) - 5:00-6:00
Eldritch* - (Italy) - 6:30-7:30
Mob Rules* - (Germany) - 8:00-9:00
Ihsahn* - (Norway) - 9:30-10:45
Sanctuary - (USA) - 11:30-close

- PROGPOWER USA XII DAY 2 -
Saturday September 17, 2011

Haken* - (UK) - 3:00-4:00
While Heaven Wept - (USA) - 4:30-5:30
Red Circuit* - (Germany) - 6:00-7:00
Labyrinth* - (Italy) - 7:30-8:30
Dream Evil* - (Sweden) - 9:00-10:15
Therion* - (Sweden) - 11:00-close

and

- PROGPOWER USA KICK-OFF -
Thursday September 15, 2011

Doors - 6:00
Powerglove - 7:00-7:30
Vanden Plas* - 8:00-9:30
Evergrey (Playing “In Search of Truth” in its entirety exclusively) - 10:00-close

- PROGPOWER USA MIDWEEK MAYHEM -
Wednesday September 14, 2011
Evergrey (Acoustic Show)
Metal Karaoke

*U.S. exclusive appearances



And, as with all my other posts mentioning ProgPower, if you, or anyone you know, decides to go, PLEASE get in contact with me. We can both win free Gold Badge/VIP tickets for life.

Mixes and Mashups

So, a while back I was on Stumble Upon, and found THIS. While I can't say all of his stuff is exactly my cup of tea, I will say that this man is quite talented, and there are more than a few tracks that I have fallen in love with. Here's a few of those. This first one, especially, I haven't been able to get out of my head for the past few days.

The Beatles Vs Nine Inch Nails - Lets All Cum Together On Her Face
 The Beatles Vs Nine Inch Nails - Lets All Cum Together On Her Face (mix\mashup) DJ Zebra by Mixes and Mashups #1

Rage Against The Machine VS Electric Six - No To The Gay Bar Idea

 Rage Against The Machine VS Electric Six - No To The Gay Bar Idea (Dj English Pete) by Mixes and Mashups #1 

Black Sabbath vs Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Ozzy Love

 Black Sabbath vs Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Ozzy Love (Rock Mashup) Wax Audio by Mixes and Mashups #11 

And, as much as I hate rap, I have to admit that this (And a few other mixes) sound great...

Ludacris Vs Nine Inch Nails - The Shaky Hand That Feeds Your Fantasy

 Ludacris Vs Nine Inch Nails - The Shaky Hand That Feeds Your Fantasy (Rock Hiphop Mix) by Mixes and Mashups #3 

Mastodon

Mastodon is a band from Atlanta, GA that is known for their sludgy sound and crazy time signatures. Also, all, but one of their albums are concept albums (And even the one that doesn't have an overall story does have a theme.) so, of course I'm drawn to them because of that. Lastly, if harsh vocals bother you, then you'll be glad to hear that with every album, their sound has become cleaner, and more melodic.

All four of Mastodon's albums have an elemental theme to them. Their first CD, Remission, is their "fire" CD. This is, March of the Fire Ants, off that album.



This is Seabeast, from their second album, Leviathan, which is a concept album based on Moby Dick. As such, it is their "water"album.



This next track is Sleeping Giant, from their third album, Blood Mountain, (Ahem..."Earth") which is about, a guy climbing a mountain, looking for the Crystal Skull, and he gets lost, and weird shit starts happening.



Their latest album, Crack the Skye has a VERY in depth and convoluted story about a paraplegic that has been playing around with astral projection, and one day his soul travels too far, and it gets lost. Then he somehow gets possessed by Rasputin, or something, then they go to Hell....Like I said, very convoluted. Great album, just has a very weird story.Oh, and the theme is apparently "Air".


See more from Videos on rocktube.us


And simply because I mentioned it briefly, in the past, I thought I'd post this setlist that I got when I saw them co-headline a show with Dethklok. (Also pictured: my Ross the Boss setlist, DragonCon 2010 badge (With personal information, ergo the black out) and the tip of my deer skull/drinking horn stand.)

Why Is The Rum Always Gone? part 3

So, now that I've switched over to posting four times a week, instead of seven, my weekly EtOH reviews will be on Sundays instead of Saturdays. This week's review: Mount Gay Vanilla Rum. Much like Daniel Craig, and his portrayal of Bond in Casino Royal, I am a big fan of Mount Gay rum. Yes, it has a funny name, but the brand is known for producing outstanding golden rum.

I've tried their flagship Eclipse and Extra Old rums in the past, so when I decided I was in a vanilla mood one day, and saw that Mount Gay makes a vanilla rum, I decided to give it a try. I was certainly not disappointed. At $15 for 750 mL of 64 Proof rum, it won't exactly break the bank. (I'll give it a 3.5/5 on the Broke College Student scale. It's by no means expensive, but for only coming in a 750 mL bottle, it's not "cheap".) The first thing I noticed when I opened the bottle was the smell. It was like a vanilla bean shot out of the bottle, and punched me in the face. Which, worried me for a second as I'm not aware of many other drinks that are "flavored", taste good, and carry a punch. Typically, in my experience, these things fall in one of two categories: They are either, thick, sugary and full of flavor, or they're jet fuel with a drop of extract. To my surprise, however, when I took a sip, it actually tasted good, brought a lot of flavor, and had a real nice burn.

I can't speak on how well it mixes as it didn't take long for a friend and me to kill the bottle off, but it's high enough proof, (and provides that burn) that I believe with a bit of expermination, it could contribute to some great drinks.

On one last note, I will say that this is perhaps not the manliest of drinks, but fuck it. I wasn't going for manly. I was going for vanilla. If it bothers you that much, add 5 parts Everclear, and 2 parts grizzly bear blood to your drink.

Rob Zombie

Since my recent posts have been really obscure bands, I thought I would post one that more of you have likely heard. Rob Zombie was the founding member of White Zombie (Which, in an attempt to squeeze another post out of my music collection, I'll cover later.) and in 1998, the band broke up and he perused a solo career. Since then, he has also started directing movies.

So, to kick off the music, I thought I'd post Call of the Zombie/Superbeast, from his first solo album, Hellbilly Deluxe . To this day, Call of the Zombie is still one of my favorite intros for an album.




I figured I would skip his remix and live albums, as well as the compilation CDs. By doing so, I am able to cover all four of his main albums. As such, here is a sample from The Sinister Urge, Feel So Numb.



Next is The Lords of Salem, from his third album, Educated Horses. Also, for those of you that like his movies, he has announced that his next movie will be based on this song.



As Rob Zombie is an act that if you ever get an opportunity to see live, you should take, I had to post some kind of live footage. I was actually able to see him last October with Alice Cooper and Murderdolls on the Gruesome Twosome tour. I thought about posting some footage from that show, but I found a professionally recorded video that was released on his latest album, Hellbilly Deluxe 2. This is, Mars Needs Women.



And, just because I didn't find a way to work it in above, here is his smoking hot wife, Sheri Moon Zombie.

Mmmmmmmmmmm..........Zoooooombiiiieeee.

Light Post

As a reminder: I am moving to updating on Mon/Wed/Fri/Sun for the time being. I thought about skipping today, as I made a post yesterday, but I saw a couple small things, and thought I'd share them with you.

First up, Skindred released a new music video for a song off their upcoming album, Union Black. This is Warning featuring Jacoby Shaddix from Papa Roach.



In other, sadder news, Scott Colombus, the former drummer for Manowar and Ross The Boss died on Monday morning. Last I checked, they have not said how he died. You can read more about it HERE. (Like I said though, there's not really any additional details.)

Dead Man's Bones

First off, I was planning on spacing the super off the wall bands out, but this post was mostly typed, and I needed to get something out. And, speaking of needing to get stuff done, as some of you might have noticed, I was just starting to get back to normal yesterday. Well, it turns out that I have a lot more work that I have to complete now...and then I have finals...and then a vacation. So this whole month is going to be busy. I've tried to maintain daily postings, but I don't know if I can keep that up right now. For now, expect a new post every other day. I'll crank out Tues/Thurs/Sat posts if I can get to them. This will also give me more time to get back to all of you on my "off-days". *EDIT* AAAAND as this is being posted on Tues, there may or may not be a Wed post....It'll be a SIR-PRIZE!

Okay, so here's one that I'd be very suprised if anyone had heard of. Dead Man's Bones is a band started by actor Ryan Gosling and his friend Zach Shields with the Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir from Los Angeles, California. They only have one self-titled album out.

If you haven't learned by now, I love anything that's odd. A children's choir singing a Halloween themed album is nothing, if not odd. Now the question is, "Is it good?" Well, I certainly liked it enough to post it, but I'll let you decide if you want to actually seek it out, or not.

First up is Loose Your Soul, from their only album, the self-titled, Dead Man's Bones.



And then there's also My Body's A Zombie For You.



I'm going to stop there as there's not that much diversity on this album. If you like these, then you'll like the rest. If it brings back repressed memories of your Kindergarten musical that your parents forced you to participate in, then there's nothing I can really post to change your mind.

Stolen Babies

Okay okay...Time for a "real post". I might eventually post some videos/pictures from the Avalanche Tour that I went to see, but I dunno. It was a good show. I'm glad I saw it. I'm REALLY glad I saw it for free. But I'm not sure I can turn a review into a full post. So, for now let's move on to yet another band that I doubt many, or perhaps, even any of you have heard of...

Stolen Babies is a band that is in the same vein as Diablo Swing Orchestra (Who is working on a new album by the way.) According to Wikipedia, they are, "an American avant-garde metal band with significant influences from dark cabaret". Unfortunately, I have not been able to find their demos or EP. As such, I can't post any tracks from those.

What I CAN post examples of, however, is their one and only full length album,There Be Squabbles Ahead. This is Push Button, one of the tracks off that album.



Next is Lifeless, from the same album.



And finally, I found this track from an upcoming album. I couldn't find any more details on when it will be released. This is Splatter!



Also, it has come to my attention that two of the members, Gil and Rani Sharone have played various instruments with Maynard James Keenan in Puscifer. I would post some examples, but I can't find any specifics.

Just got back from Stone Sour...

It's official. The next metal show I go to, I will be bringing along with me, a pair of tin snips and a plastic bag. Every extended thumb I see, I'm going to collect.

See this? This is the infamous "devil's horns", or "sign of the horns". The universal hand gesture for, "ROCK THE FUCK ON!". While he didn't "invent" the gesture, Ronnie James Dio is typically cited as the source it's popularity in the metal scene. As you can see in the picture, the correct way to "throw the horns" is by first, extending your arm out. You then extend your pinky, and index finger, making sure your middle and ring fingers remain down. Finally, you move your thumb ON TOP OF THESE TWO FINGERS. 

What you DO NOT do, is this. The gesture shown on the left is American Sign Language for, "I love you". Sure, you might love the band performing, but that does NOT give you the right to extend your thumb. When you do that, you loose any hope of looking cool, and instead get moved into the "drunk bitch that shouldn't be here" category. You don't want to be in that category, do you? If you need to think before you answer, then perhaps it will help if I also remind you that from now on people in this category will no longer have a thumb that they can erroneously extend. It's simple. If you want to be able to hold that beer that you keep drenching people in, then all you have to to is fold your thumb. Just think of all the fun games of Thumb of War you'll miss out on if you don't.

Just as a disclaimer, I may or may not get around to updating this post with an actual review. If I don't, then consider my official review as: "It was good." For now, I'm setting this to autopost at 12:01 on Sunday. If you're seeing this disclaimer, it means I'm still doing piles and piles of busywork for my fucktarted teacher, who that I hope with every ounce of my being that he gets fired. Seriously, the fact that his molecules are even on our plane of existence is pissing me off.

Why Is The Rum Always Gone? part 2

Okay, so it's REALLY starting to piss me off that I've "misplaced" so many photos off my phone. I TOTALLY made a lamp like this a few months ago. (Except, instead of having a brown substance inside, mine had a second, smaller bulb inside that you could choose to also turn on.....It also had a skeletal pirate finger puppet on the top of the lamp.) Luckily, someone else had the same, brilliant idea as me, and I was able to find this photo from HERE. And before you ask why I don't just take another photo....Well, I took it apart because the shade moved around too much. I need to take it to my parent's house where I can repair it.

Anywho, so this week's WRAG segment is going to be about Captain Morgan's Private Stock. Now, before you rum drinkers get on your soapboxes about spiced rum, let me say that there ARE a few good ones out there. This is, in my opinion, one of them. Give me enough coke, and no choice, and I'll drink regular Captain Morgan. Give me a bottle of Private Stock, however, and I may very well, kill the bottle before the night's over.

At $20* for 750 mL, it gets a ranking of about 2/5 on the Broke College Student scale. If it wasn't so damn tasty, and if I could bring myself to ever mix it, it might last longer than a single night. Alas though, I can never allow myself to commit such heresy. (The only thing you should ever mix this drink with is a few ice cubes.) If you can make it go a bit further though, then go ahead and add another half point to that score.

On the drunkability scale, I'll give Private Stock a 4/5. At 80 proof, it's not exactly light on the feel good juice. Combine that with the great aroma and taste of vanilla and molasses, and you may very well wind up drinking more than you intended.

*Like I said, last week, Your Millage May Vary. (YMMV)

edit before I crash.....I'm still not "back". Hopefully I can finish my work sometime today. In other news, autopost is awesome.

Random Video of the Whenever I Feel part 2

I tried to avoid this, I really did. But once I saw this spoof, I couldn't stop myself. Also, you know a video has officially gone viral when your teacher has found it, and is excited to show it to the class. (Not a spoof. The original...Which I will not subject anyone here to.)




Also, I know last week's Why is The Rum Always Gone? was posted on Sunday, but that was my mistake. I meant for it to be posted on Saturday. So, you'll have that to look forward to tomorrow.

AND.....One more thing. I keep thinking about how short this post is, so I decided to also throw this song your way. I've thought about posting it before, but this is sadly the only song of hers that I have, so I couldn't make a full post out of it. This is Flip Grater's Be All And End All. I heard it in some awful zombie movie that I immediately got rid of. I'm only glad that I wasted my time and money on it because I found this song.



One last edit:

I was swamped with homework yesterday, and it doesn't look like it's gonna be much better this weekend. (And that free concert isn't really helping.) So, I promise I'll eventually get to all of your blogs, and all that, but it might take a while.

HammerFall

HammerFall is a power metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden. I actually saw these guys play ProgPower last year. I have to say that they put on a really good set. If any of you play WOW, Samwise Didier, the guy that painted several of their album covers, is also the Art Director of Blizzard Entertainment. As tribute to the band, in the game, there is a Horde town in the Arathi Highlands zone named Hammerfall.

I'm afraid that this will be a band that won't win anyone over if they aren't already a power metal fan. If that's you, then you should know that there will probably be something completely different tomorrow.....However if you DO like power metal, and are thinking about going to ProgPower this year, PLEASE read that post that I keep linking and get in contact with me....And yes, I will continue to whore this out every time the opportunity presents itself. I want to win free Gold Badge/VIP tickets to ProgPower for life!

First up is Blood Bound from one of their best albums, Chapter V (Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken).



Next is the title track from their 2000 album, Renegade.



And here's A Legend Reborn, which is another song off of Renegade.



And finally, here is Any Means Necessary, from their 2009 album, No Sacrifice, No Victory.



Actually, I was going to end it there; but I just saw that they're planning on releasing a new album, Infected, in May. This is the first single, One More Time. Personally, I'm not too impressed. I'm hoping the rest of the album is better.

GWAR

GWAR is a heavy metal band that has been around since the mid 80s. They are most known for their outlandish outfits and insane stage shows. They have gone through MANY band members over the years, but for the most part, the characters that are portrayed have stayed the same.

According to the GWAR mythos, GWAR was created over 100 billion years ago by the Master of All Reality. An ultra-elite group of warriors gathered from the lowest dregs of filth, the group raped and pillaged their way across the universe and finally arrived on Earth. Once on Earth they killed the dinosaurs, created Stonehenge to use as a croquet court, and sunk Atlantis. Displeased by their actions, the Master banished GWAR to Antarctica, where they lay entombed in ice for millions of years, until a hole in the ozone layer (caused by excessive use of hair spray by poofy-haired 1980s rock stars) released them from their icy prison in 1985. Free to roam the Earth once more, GWAR returned to their goal of world domination-this time as a rock band. Their most recent adventures have involved getting killed, and taking over Hell. (Beyond Hell), then raising a zombie army to take over Earth (Bloody Pit of Horror).

Here's one of my favorite songs by them, Penguin Attack. Also, since it's a live video, it will give you a taste of their shows....As for the content. Well, the above paragraph should clue you in a bit on what's in store.



Next is a cover they did a few years ago of Alice Cooper's School's Out. This video, like most of their material, makes me lol every time I see it.



Next is an obviously dated video, Fucking An Animal. The quality might be a bit low, but it's still an hilarious video.



And lastly, here is Zombies, March! from their latest album, Bloody Pit Of Horror.

Sucker Punch soundtrack

So on Saturday, I went to see Sucker Punch with some friends. My eyes were about 10 inches in diameter, and my jaw was on the floor for the entire movie. It is nothing less than two hours of pure, concentrated awesomeness squeezed onto film. I don't want to say too much about it, because part of the fun is wondering what craziness is going to appear next.

What I WILL talk about is the soundtrack. Every song in the movie is a remix. (And really good ones, if I don't say so myself.) Also, I realize that one reason I liked the soundtrack so much is because it did such a great job enhancing the movie.....Which doesn't transfer over to this post at all. So, I should say that while I do like the songs by themselves, they are obviously much better in the movie.

First is Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) by Emily Browning

Next is White Rabbit by Emiliana Torrini

And lastly, Where Is My Mind? by Yoav featuring Emily Browning



And while I'm typing this, I'm noticing that there is a pattern between Zack Snyder (The director) and awesome soundtracks. I haven't seen the Owl movie he did recently, but all of his other movies have great soundtracks. Dawn of the Dead had Johnny Cash's When the Man Comes Around, and Richard Cheese's cover of Down With The Sickness. Watchmen had Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A Cangin'. And 300's score was simply epic as hell.

I promise tomorrow I'll get a metal post up. I've just had this album playing in my head all day long.