Blogcritics Author: Diesel

Concert Review: Virgin Festival 2007 at Pimlico Race Course - Baltimore, MD

Diesel — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:24:15 EDT

With the success of bringing the first Virgin Festival to the United States last year, Virgin Group owner Richard Branson decided to try his luck again. The 2nd annual Virgin Festival, chalk full of various artists including the Police, the Beastie Boys, and the Smashing Pumpkins, spanned over a weekend on the Pimlico race course in Baltimore, Maryland once again.

I arrived Saturday morning after a six hour drive through the wee hours of the morning. As tired as I was, I was more excited to attend this excellent festival a second year in a row. This year the Virgin Fest took place about a month and a half earlier; last year the event took place in late September. The only problem with this was the summer heat.

With temperatures soaring almost to the triple digits I slopped sunscreen on my exposed body parts, threw on a bandanna, a hat, and prepared for the misery the sun expelled on all who attended.

The setting was very simple, there was the main stage (North Stage), a second stage (South Stage), and a DJ tent and various food, merch, and awareness vendors. Everything was at a reasonable distance within the horse race track where bands did not have their performance collide while playing at the same time. The festival was recycle friendly with various stations around the ground promoting recycling. Most stations had an attendant standing there to help distinguish the trash. To make things even more earth friendly, some of the plastic cups were not actually plastic but made of a corn substance that would decompose. If that was not cool enough there was a stand where people could win points for merch by picking up recyclable trash off the ground.

The first act I caught was Fountains Of Wayne (FOW). The only song I ever knew by these guys was “Stacy’s Mom” and I really was not expecting much. FOW put on an amazing show rifling through a set that included rock and even a little country. They were an excellent choice for an opening band as they grabbed the attention of many. I look forward to checking out their catalog now that I know they are not really a once hit wonder band. To the disappointment of many one-hit-wonder lovers, “Stacy’s Mom” was not performed and that, to me, was a bold move on their behalf.

Up next was old rockers Cheap Trick. It was great to see a band that has been around so long take the stage and rock out. Rick Neilson entertained the crowd as Robin Zander kept up with his vocals. My most memorable moment with this band was all of the guitars Rick Neilson played with. I have never seen so many unique guitars played in one performance. Rick Nelson even tried to give one away to a lucky girl in the front row but security did not like that gesture and quickly took it away.

The beautiful Amy Winehouse walked on to the stage with a very large crowd to welcome her and her beehive hairdo. She sang “Rehab” to the over heated fans but it seemed like the rest of the band had more energy than she did. It appeared as if she was not thrilled to be a part of the festival.

After Ms. Winehouse I had to take a break from the sun so I ventured back to the press area where I was greeted by friendly staff and ice cold water. I took a few minutes to cool off and get myself together before I was to interview the Beastie Boys. After waiting almost two hours and getting cut in line by John Norris of MTV, I interviewed the Beastie Boys for 7 minutes and went back to check out the festival.

A little more time passed than anticipated so I missed the performances of Incubus and indie act Peter, Bjorn, & John. Luckily I have two great friends who attended the festival with me who each took in a performance. I learned Incubus sounded great and was perfect for the hot festival and I also learned that Peter, Bjorn, & John was the surprise of the weekend as they put on a great show. I really wanted to check out Peter, Bjorn, & John but I was happy enough just to see my friend smile as he spoke of them.

I took a hike through the festival while Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals played one stage and LCD Soundsystem played the other. Both acts I do not have too much interest in so I thought it would be a great idea to see what else the festival had to offer. There was a wrestling stage that grabbed people’s attention as the masked men slammed one another into tables. Art was scattered around the field as were performers amongst the uncountable tents that featured everything from beer and food to civil rights activists and local businesses. There was plenty to see and do even if you did not want to see any of the bands at a certain moment, plus there was tons of free stuff.

The band I have not seen live since 1998 hit the North Stage, Brooklyn’s very own Beastie Boys, and just about everyone at the festival was there to witness. Although the years have passed and grey hairs can been seen, the B-Boy’s along with legendary Mix Master Mike and Money Mark put on one of the best sets of the weekend. They dug deep into their catalog cranking out old and new songs a like. They re-mixed classics and performed material off their new release The Mix Up. This made the whole 100 degree temperature worth it.

The sun finally started to set into the western sky and it cooled down enough where you were not melting. The one thing I must say about this festival that made it better than the last was the water truck. Although you would have to wait in line, free water was available so the smart concert goers were hydrated without emptying their wallets.

Fans all over the area flocked to the main stage to see the Police. After an almost 22 year hiatus the trio took stage. I myself took a seat on the grass far enough from the gathering but still close enough to listen. I was worn out and needed a break. Luckily the screens on each side were large enough that I was able to see the show from a far distance. Sting and crew played out and it sounded as I had thought it would, astonishing.

Even though the festival was promoting clean air and recycling the grounds were trashed thanks to the ever caring fans who just could not make it to one of the recycling stations. Thankfully there were crews cleaning up the area to prep for the next afternoon.

I gathered my friends and headed to Motel 6 so we could finally get some sleep, or so I thought. Thanks to modern day technology our credit card room key did not work on our room, so our sleep was delayed for a couple of hours until another room was assigned to us… another room with only one bed… that had a gaping hole in the side of it.

Sunday morning, back to the Pimlico race course where day two was about to start. The temperatures were not as hot as the previous day, but still not the most comfortable. There was also a threat for rain and thunderstorms and it could be felt in the air.

I opted to skip out on Aiden and Matisyahu (who actually stole most of the day’s crowd) on the South Stage so I could see Regina Spektor play the North Stage and I am so happy I did. She emerged on stage with a fake stuffed snake wrapped around her neck, smiling as the fans cheered for her. Her performance was beautiful. Performing solo she and her trusty piano played such songs as “On The Radio” and “That Time” while the fans sang along. I was very impressed with her singing abilities and look forward to seeing her live again sometime soon.

Since I had not checked out the Dance Tent I thought I might as well see what was inside. Dieselboy & Andy C. were both pumping out drum and bass techno beats to the crowd in the tent. It was like an inferno in there so after two minutes I decided it was best to venture off and stray away from the rave tent.

Instrumental rock band Explosions In The Sky gathered a nice size crowd at the South Stage as they played through their almost one hour set. Most of the crowd including myself just stood there in a trance as they rocked out.

Panic At The Disco took the North stage but I was not too interested in them as Bad Brains were to take the South Stage. I still do not understand why they got to share the same stage at the Beastie Boys and the Police. There was not even that big of a crowd watching them. After a couple of songs I headed to the other side of the race track only later to find out that Panic At The Disco covered “The Weight” by The Band. I wish I would have stuck around to hear that.

Washington D.C.’s Bad Brains were another one of the bands I wanted to see the most at the festival. Seeing their live performance made my day. Playing “I Against I” was just one of the treats they offered the huge crowd as well as starting up the first mosh pit at the festival. For being half a century old, HR and crew did an excellent job playing through old and new songs, I myself was most excited to hear "Banned in D.C."

There is no doubt in my mind that the Wu Tang Clan who hit the South Stage should have been on the Main Stage. I still have no idea who thought that they should appear on the smaller stage. Everyone on the grounds seemed to show up to see the Wu perform, including Virgin Group owner Richard Branson. Minus ODB, all of the original members of the Wu Tang Clan took stage after the fans waited over 20 minutes. With some minor microphone problems the boys treated all attendees to some hip hop haven. Fans of all ages threw up the “W” with their hands in approval. I heard "C.R.E.A.M." live, life does not get much better than this...

Towards the end of the notorious Wu Tang Clan show the rain started to fall fro the sky. It was not heavy yet but enough to have other fans slowly take cover for fear they would eventually get drenched, and that they did.

Previously I took a moment to talk to my friends about the plans for the rest of our evening after the Wu Tang Clan. We all agreed we had taken in enough for the weekend and chose to opt out seeing Velvet Revolver, and both festival closers 311 and Smashing Pumpkins. It may not have been the most wise decision but it was a smart one as we were all tired and wanted to hit the road and go home. The dry dusty race track slowly turned into a sloppy muddy mess as we packed up the vehicle.

The festival, without a doubt, was more entertaining than last year's as there were twice the amount of bands and more interactive activities. The crowd seemed happier and fuller. The food was in fact not too pricey as compared to other festivals I attended and included one of my new favorites, crab cake sandwiches. I did stay away from drinking alcohol because we all know what happens when you drink too much… you forget most of the show. I myself wanted to take in as much as I could and not forget anything. This year's Virgin Festival is going to be a tough act to follow and I am looking forward to seeing what is in store for the Virgin Fest in 2008.

Diesel is not his real name. There is nothing "diesel" about Diesel. Living the American dream by feeding off of Guinness and Chipotle, this former punk rock super hero has finally slowed down a little and accepted the fact that he is a better listener of music than a performer. He resides in the marshmallow ghetto by Akron, OH.

Concert Review: Van's 'Lucky 13' Warped Tour - Cleveland, OH 08/02/2007

Diesel — Sat, 4 Aug 2007 09:36:59 EDT

Has it already been 13 years since the Warped Tour first came through? What started as an almost experiment of a festival featuring mostly punk rock and ska acts with skateboarding has turned into an event kids talk about all year featuring all genres of music including hardcore and hip-hop. As the years have passed the line ups have increased with some bands returning many times over. It is also now the longest running festival in America.

At $40 a ticket there were some complaints coming from the wallets of kids waiting in line at the ticket booth, but not too many as the show was practically sold out.

Keep in mind there were 10 stages throughout the festival area so it was impossible to check out every single band. I wish I could clone myself and do so but I am not that intelligent. All of the performances lasted an average of 30 minutes and that was understandable as there were almost 90 bands spread around. I took everything in stride checking out what was before me and then moved on.

I could hear Ohio’s Hawthorne Heights playing the Lucky Stage. High pitched screams filled the area as the emo-screamo band played through a quick set featuring songs off both of their albums. Not exactly my style but they sounded good.

I had heard great things about the London hardcore act Gallows so I ventured to the Hurley stage to check them out. When they took stage I heard singing but could not see a singer anywhere. I moved up close to get a better look and there he was, Frank Carter, signing his heart out in the middle of the pit with the fans. After one of the tracks he stated that they got paid a lot of money and that everyone should buy their CD so the band could make more money.

They blew through their set but not without inciting the largest circle pit I have ever seen. The kids were basically doing laps around the soundboard area as they covered a Black Flag song. This was the highlight of my day. I made a note to myself to go buy their CD next time I go shopping.

I decided to hang out at the Hurley stage to check out the Unseen. They hit the stage and blew through a few songs before rocking out to a cover of the Rolling Stones “Paint It Black”. I have heard some interesting covers in my life but this was by far the best one I have heard live. I found it funny as most of the kids in the crowd had a look of confusion on their faces as they maybe heard the original when their parents played it but still could not decipher if it was an Unseen song or not.

The atmosphere soon changed as the skies turned gray. Raindrops slowly starting falling on to the skillet like pavement. Most of the fans thought of it as a cool refreshing break to the close to 95 degree heat that had been torturing us all.

Everyone was wrong. There was a line-up change at about 3:20 pm.

Without warning the winds picked up and the rain started coming down hard. Fans of all ages ran in horror to the main amphitheater tent. Once that filled up fans were going everywhere possible for cover some even found dangerous cover under the bridges that span across the area. Lightning struck around with some bolts hitting a little too close for comfort. A couple of times the strikes of lightning hit so near that petrified screams would erupt as well as cheers of approval. Crazy kids.

Hail started pelting the ground and the rain seemed to double in intensity. I was about one fourth of the way inside the tent and I was still getting soaked. At one time the wind gusted so hard that the blow-up stage schedule that is a good 20 feet tall blew over on some of the merch stands. When all of the fans saw this happen they erupted in cheers of approval. I along with the rest tried to enjoy myself, but it was hard to when you are stuck outdoors in a storm that looks to have no end.

The winds calmed down and it looked as if the rain was going to let up but I was dead wrong. Minutes later the rain picked up as did the wind. I think Mother Nature just needed to catch her breath. Lightning continued to strike around the area and scare the younger concert attendees as the wind destroyed the festival grounds.

There was a moment during one of the gusts of wind I thought I was in a tornado. As I looked towards the concession stands all I saw was white. The sounds of the wind were just brutal as it blew the rain horizontally. I looked around the tent-like amphitheater and watched the wind destroy one of the fabric screens right on the stage. Again cheers roared on throughout the area. Mother Nature just performed at the Warped Tour Cleveland. No encore please, we have had enough.

I can not say I enjoyed being crammed like sardines in that tent but I consider myself a fortunate fan. Once the storm let up I made my way to the press tent as I was supposed to interview MxPx at 5pm. As I looked around the parking lot area turned festival grounds, all I saw was destruction. Tents and merch booths were scattered along the grounds. The fans looked dismayed as they tried to recap what had just happened. I felt like they should have called for a state of emergency just by the looks of what surrounded me. It looked as if the festival had come to an early ending.

I walked to the press tent on the outskirts of the area only to see that it was no longer there. There were some people in a garage next to where the tent had resided so I poked my head in to ask if interviews would continue. I already knew the answer but it did not hurt to ask so I wished them all a better day and walked back towards the festival grounds.

I ran into the drummer of a band called Downtown Brown. He was rinsing off in a puddle still possibly shook up from what just happened. He introduced himself to me as Benny and shared his storm experience. He along with his band mates were caught in the storm in the Hot Topic tent along with others. He said at one time the wind tried to pick the tent up and everyone grabbed a part of the tent and tried to keep it from flying away. Regretfully, the poles on the tent were rather slippery and one of the band mates lost his grip on the pole and it swung over and stuck a guy in the forehead. Benny did not think it was life threatening but there were some pissed off people in that tent after that happened.

Once I finished talking to Benny I walked towards the 13 Stage where Coheed & Cambria were to perform. There were tons of fans waiting for the show to go on. I thought it was great to see these kids brave it out and stick around. The storm was gone and the sun was back out blessing us with its warmth.

The founder of the Warped Tour Kevin Lyman came to the stage. Most people had no idea who he was until he said 13 years ago he started this "thing". People went silent at the Godfather of Warped told the fans that “this storm is now in the top 5 worse storms of Warped Tour history”. He thanked everyone for sticking around, apologized for some of the bands not being able to perform. Kevin Lyman then stated that everyone could take their water soaked ticket stubs to any other Warped Tour this year and it would grant them admission since the storm pretty much ruined the Cleveland show.

The storm had knocked out the power everywhere so almost all merch tents packed their stuff up and called it a day and I did not blame them for doing so. Thankfully, there were two back-up generators that could power up the Lucky Stage and the 13 Stage. The festival was to continue but not as planned.

Coheed and Cambira took the stage to a large crown of fans. Claudio Sanchez and company commented on the storm and played 30 minutes worth of technical music to the crowd. Coheed is always welcome to rock out in my ears. They were just amazing.

Moving on, I ventured back to the Lucky Stage where Pepper was playing their 311 like music to their fans. I had heard a couple of their songs in the past and they did not do anything for me, so I just hung out in the shadows and kept cool.

I continued the trend as Underoath took the stage and played out to their fans. For the type of day everyone had the kids were still moshing, dancing, and having the time of their lives. I myself was becoming hungry and was getting a tad grumpy. Am I getting too old for this? I hope not.

Alkaline Trio followed Underoath as the sun started to set in the western sky. They played a couple of new tracks and a couple of old. It was nice to see them rocking out doing what they do best.

In the background I could hear what I thought might be MxPx playing to some cheering fans. I was really happy that no one threw in the towel due to the storm. After all the hell everyone went through it appeared as if everyone just shrugged their shoulders and went on with life.

Finally the band that most everyone there came to see was up. Bad Religion arrived on stage and the amphitheater erupted with cheer. Lead singer Greg Gaffin joked with the crowd that he heard there was a bad storm as he was watching CNN in his air conditioned limo sitting at the hotel. He then informed everyone that there were only two stage lights (because of the generators) and told everyone to enjoy the show. They rifled though songs off their new album as well as treated the fans to some classics. It was nice to see the veterans close out the show but I felt as if it was short lived.

It still amazes me that this was year 13 for the Warped Tour. I was a young punk kid in 1996 when I attended my first Warped Tour at a gravel coated parking lot. The bands were my idols and I was just so happy to be there.

Not a lot has changed since then spite the increase in attendance and the ever growing lineup. The good feeling you have when you walk around the festival is still there no matter how old you are. I can not say my body agrees with that as by the end of the evening my feet were killing me and I wanted to take a nap, but I can not speak for all who attended. The day was full of bands and some crazy weather and was undeniably a festival I will never forget.

Music Review: The Confession - Requiem

Diesel — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 23:48:23 EDT

The Confession may be an unfamiliar name in the music scene but with their debut album Requiem things are going to change. These guys are not metal-core, hard-core or anything-core. They are rather, more of a solid rock and roll band that leans away from the untranslatable screaming vocals (for the most part), to focus more on solid guitar technique and drumming. Longtime friend M. Shadows of the infamous Avenged Sevenfold has lent a hand to the quintet and produced the CD.

Imagine Skid Row tousled with the likes of Velvet Revolver, but with twin guitar solos that are actually not irritating and you have yourself The Confession. The eleven track CD is more laid back than that of M. Shadow's band and I can see a lot of attention being captured because of it. I can sense a little bit of Avenged in some of the tracks, but not to the point where I would think that they have copied their style.

The opening track scared me for a second because the intro rubbed off as Dragonforce. But as soon as the lead singer started to sing "Burn The Virgin," I calmed down and enjoyed the song. The dual guitar solos, bass lines, and crisp drumming kept the song flowing well, causing this to be one of my favorite tracks on the disc. The singer almost reminds me of the lead singer of Roses Are Red at times with his vocal range.

"Time Is Gone" does kind of sound like an Avenged song -- especially the singing -- but it was still a good song. Other tracks "Jealousy" and "No Angel" are actually tracks off their first EP. Since I have not heard the originals I really can not compare them, but "Jealousy" was a harder treat.

The album's title track "Requiem" was almost a Queensryche homage even if it was not meant to be. The acoustic entrance to the song with the gentle singing called to mind past bands of yesteryear. The piano was melodic, with an overall gloomy feeling -- as it should be, seeing as the song was dedicated to a friend who left this earth far too early.

"The Rise And Fall" turned out to be one of the heavier tracks on the album. The drumming again was vicious, and the guitars were entertaining. Closing track "No Angel" did not let the CD end on a light note. The dual singing and busy music styles that ended the CD left me wanting more.

Look for these guys on this years Warped Tour -- I know I will. I am hoping that they can grab the interest of all the little scenesters and show them that it's ok to open your musical tastes beyond Hawthorn Heights.

If you still have love for the eighties guitar solos, and are looking for something different from the norm, you should check these guys out. I cannot guarantee that they'll be sporting the look of the Iron Maiden days, but they do convey some of those sweet, sweet, guitar solos you once banged your head to.

Concert Review: Counting Crows, Live, & Collective Soul at the Classic Park Stadium in Eastlake, OH - 7/24/2007

Diesel — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 09:19:21 EDT

It turned out to be the perfect Tuesday evening for a concert featuring three rock bands from the 90s. On the way to see the Triple Play Series featuring the Counting Crows, Live, and Collective Soul at Classic Park stadium in Eastlake, OH, the rain threatened to ruin the evening but quickly subsided by the time I parked the vehicle.

As I walked through the parking lot to the overpass bridge my wife overheard a scalper state that the tickets were now buy one get one free. In my head I was agitated because I dropped $50 a ticket to see 3 bands that I used to adore when I was in high school. The ticket prices were dropped in an attempt to get more last minute fans to attend. Spending the extra dough did not matter though. My wife loves the Counting Crows and that was the whole reason I was there; to treat her and myself to a nice evening of music.

Collective Soul started the show with the sun shining and clearing skies. They sounded great and the crowd approved of such hits as “The World I Know“ and “December“. They really have not seemed to have lost their touch, the music was on point and the vocals seemed as strong as ever. They announced they were working on new material and I witnessed a couple fans twitch in excitement. Where as I am not a huge fan of the band I did enjoy their performance and soon it was over as they waved to their fans while exiting the stage. What I did not think was nice was the time they took the stage, 6:30 pm. The sun was still shining by the time their set list was complete.

Next up was Live. The York, Pennsylvania band took to the stage to the adoring fans most of which were introduced to them in the 90s. “I Alone” and “Lightning Crashes” seemed to bring the most out of the fans. Moms and Dads who used to rock out to them before they got married and had a mortgage threw their fists in the air showing their approval throughout the set. Live sounded fine until they covered Johnny Cash’s “I Walk The Line”. I really wish they would not have done that. It was a nice thought to cover such a song, but I feel as if they butchered the hell out of it. The fans did not seem to mind though, but I think that is because 80% of them had a few too many in them.

Academy Award winning Counting Crows emerged and the fans went wild. Adam Duritz and crew blew through some classic songs including “Long December” and “Mr. Jones “. Fans were told that a deluxe edition of August And Everything After would be released with b-side and a live CD this summer. Fans were also treated to a new song “Washington Square” that had not performed live yet and the attendees at Classic Park were the fist to hear it. I am looking forward to that album now after hearing the song. Their new CD is slated to be released in November.

Upon the end of the performance Adam Duritz thanked the fans and also Collective Soul and Live for joining them on their stadium tour. He admitted that they enjoyed touring with them and were having a great time. Adam Duritz also said that the Counting Crows were back and the fans would be seeing a lot more of them this year.

The show may not have been sold out by any means but it was a night to remember. There were open seats all along the stadium and the standing area was just not that crowded but the three bands still gave it their all. It was nice to see the families with their kids attend the concert thanks to the 12 and under free offer. I also got a kick out of the college kids and middle aged fans that were pounding down drinks like it was their job until they started walking almost sideways. It was a good night thanks to the popular bands of the 90s… and alcoholic beverages.

Music Review: Glenn Danzig - The Lost Tracks Of Danzig

Diesel — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 09:07:28 EDT

At last, after a couple of setbacks, The Lost Tracks Of Danzig has been set free to the fans around the world on a 2CD set. Featuring unreleased tracks from Danzig’s self titled band, the collection spans from their first album from 1987, Danzig, all the way through 2004’s Circle Of Snakes. The songs were not necessarily cut from any of the albums according to Danzig; they just did not fit in at the time. In all, there are 26 theoretically brand new songs on this album that has been released under Evilive Records.

Just about any music lover out there has heard the name Glenn Danzig. He has been in the music business for about thirty years now and is going strong. Punk rockers adore him as one of the original members of the famed Halloween punk act The Misfits. Metal heads worship him in the departed Samhain and of course in the band Danzig. He has a voice like no other.

Glenn Danzig is admired by emo kids, metal heads, and punk rockers alike. He may be dark and mysterious and look like a metal Elvis, but Danzig is a popular guy. He’s not only written punk rock and metal songs but has composed classical music. To my astonishment he has even written music for Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison. He is really more than most people see him as.

Numerous videos have been featured on the internet of his bad temper and mishaps. Not only is he a musician, but he is a comic book publisher, a photographer, and even a martial arts expert. He has even gone so far as to appearing on an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force (“Where’s my eff’n ro-bit?”). Love him or hate him, he is an icon in the music world.

Starting off the collection is “Pain Is Like An Animal.” I do not understand why it took so long to release this song. It is Danzig all the way from the singing to the background vocals and is one of my favorites in the entire collection. I can even hear a little bit of the Misfits style on it.

On the other hand, “When Death Had No Name (1st Version)” was just not keeping my attention. The song reminded me of something I might hear at a high school rock off but with Danzig singing of course. A couple tracks later though is the 1992 version of “When Death Had No Name” and my opinion of the song changed completely. The ’92 version is amazing and may be one of the best tracks on this collection.

The acoustic “Come To Silver” was actually written for Johnny Cash to perform and after you finish listening to it you can agree that the song suited The Man In Black. I was unsure of the song at first thinking that Danzig should stick to metal, but the song sinks into your mind with ease. Danzig sang ever so clearly you are almost in shock!
The Germ’s cover “Caught In My Eye” was interesting. I much prefer the original of course, but I don’t see this as a butchering of a classic. The cover of David Bowie’s “Cat People,” though, was just awesome.

Closing track “Unspeakable (Shango Mix)” was just different. The song reminded me of something Pop Will Eat Itself might have done back in the 90’s. The song is a remix, and I know this, but really not the way the collection should have ended.

I am more engrossed towards Danzig in the Misfit years so overall I was not overly impressed with the collection but I did enjoy what was presented. The 2CD set is full of Danzig songs that are more hits than misses, more so on disc one over disc two. I can understand why some of the tracks were not put on any specific album but any Danzig fan out there is going to be able to find at least a few tracks on The Lost Tracks Of Danzig that will spark their interest.

Nintendo DS Review: Death Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom

Diesel — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 19:33:54 EDT

Death Jr. And The Science Fair Of Doom, developed by Backbone entertainment, is an all-new adventure on the Nintendo DS. The Konami released game is the third in a series featuring Death Jr. (DJ), the son of the grim reaper.

The Death Jr. series originally started on the Sony PSP (Death Jr. - released 2005 and Death Jr. II: Root Of Evil - released 2006) and now has made way to the dual screen wonder made by Nintendo. The series was highly anticipated upon the original release, in fact I remember my friends talking about it. Sadly once Death Jr. was released on the PSP, nothing was further mentioned. This goes with this release as well, it's nothing special once you get into the first mission.

The story to the game is just like a Saturday morning cartoon. Thanks to DJ and his silly looking gothic friends, the evil Moloch has been released and needs to be stopped. If it weren't for the joined-by-the-head twins Smith and Wesson and their strange science experiment, none of this would ever have happened. With help from his friend Pandora, who is kind of stuck in the afterworld thanks to the experiment gone wrong, DJ is in for an interesting adventure.

The game looked promising once I turned on my DS and started a new game. The 3-D graphics look really nice on the two screens but once I actually started playing the game I was bothered with the side scrolling movement. There was a ton of dialog at the beginning of the game, which resulted in me pressing the "A" button as fast as I could.

Using the touch screen during game play became confusing at times resulting in me trying the first level over and over until I could master the "slingshot" effect. I could not for the life of me figure out how to get Pandora to hold the souls. Switching between DJ and Pandora during the adventure was nothing new and at times rather annoying.

The weapons were not very impressive either. Throughout the game you mainly use your scythe and also have the option to use the pistols, a shotgun, and C4 hamsters. The scythe proved to be the most effective weapon and the pistols were worthless. The scythe could be used to grab on to edges or moving platforms where you could then pull yourself up but when I did this I brushed up against an enemy and to my surprise I was not harmed. Can you say glitch?

The game may be more entertaining to the younger crowd, as the dull humor did not even come close to making me smile. I felt too old playing it. The enemies were not difficult to defeat thanks to the button smashing moves. Overall I did not find the game too much of a challenge and was disappointed. I have not seen too many adventure games for the DS that kept my attention and I really thought Death Jr. And The Science Fair Of Doom was going to.

The best part of the game, I thought, was the mini games - however in order to get to those you have to finish the actual game. The two mini games consisted of Reaper Ricochet, a mixture of the classic Breakout for the Atari and also Pong. Instead of a ball you used a hamster to break what looked like tombstones, not too unique if you ask me but fun. The other mini game was called War, a typical battle between players. Regretfully if you wanted to play these mini games with your friends on their DS's they would need a copy of Death Jr. as well.

I do not recommend this game to anyone looking for a challenge. This game could very well be the "death" of the series. It looked so promising, too. I am thinking that the focus was too much on the graphics instead of the game play. This experiment of a game was without a doubt not even close to being the runner in this science fair.

Death Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom is rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) by the ESRB for Animated Blood, Cartoon Violence, Crude Humor, Mild Language.

Music Review: Death Before Dishonor - Count Me In

Diesel — Wed, 4 Jul 2007 09:33:29 EDT

Boston hardcore act Death Before Dishonor are back after two years of hardcore touring with an all new powerful album Count Me In. Perhaps one of the better hardcore bands out there this year, they have created a heavier, harder CD with plenty of crew vocals to accompany the blaring guitar riffs. This album compares to fellow hardcore bands Hatebreed, Blood For Blood, and even reminds me of Earth Crisis. This is their first full length release under Boston's own Bridge Nine Records.

The opening intro is a nice initiation to the title track "Count Me In". The course heavy screaming is accompanied by the crew vocals singing lyrics that are very personal but seem like they were written very quickly. Overall the track is fierce and really a great tune to start out the CD.

While listening through the album I could not help but think how some of the guitar riffs seemed recycled at times but it is nothing to get discouraged over. The mixture of hardcore and punk proved a nice element to the entire album. The crew vocals really made some of the songs more powerful, especially in "Break Through It All" and "See It Through". "Infected" was another track that was nice and intense, kind of made me want to throw down at times.

Amusingly the final track is a cover/parody of Cock Sparer's "England Belongs To Me" simply titled "Boston Belongs To Me". A little messy from the original version, I can sense the fun that this hard working band had when recording it. The track was also my favorite track to listen to on this thirteen track disc.

Hardcore may not be what all the kids are into today but by no means is hardcore a dead style of music. In fact, I think it's a good thing that hardcore has not become terribly mainstream like punk and hip hop have. Death Before Dishonor has no trouble cranking out hard heavy music perfect for any hardcore junkie out there. It's nice to see bands continue to carry the hardcore torch and keep the trend alive. Death Before Dishonor is no exception. Count Me In is a perfect definition of what hardcore should sound like.

Music Review: Silverstein - Arrivals And Departures

Diesel — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:06:40 EDT

Post Hardcore gang Silverstein is back with an all new album, Arrivals And Departures. Conceived in Ontario in 2000, the five piece act has formed a more mature sounding CD that has been declared one of AP Magazine’s highly anticipated releases of 2007. Having toured the world and gaining much popularity in Canada, the boys went back to the studio and put forth a new album. Released under Victory Records, Silverstein proves that the long wait was well worth it.

It’s been a while since I had heard from Silverstein and I forgot how much I enjoyed their style. Imagine a course mixture of style ranging from heavy Atreyu like screaming to catchy Blink 182 pop punk singing and you have yourself Silverstein. Their music gets heavy enough for you to feel like a tough guy and also has a lighter melodic sound that shows that you still care. The lyrics are of sing-a-long quality and the guitar riffs are the kind you feel like you already know upon hearing them.

I would like to mention how awesome the artwork is in this CD. Artist Martin Wittfooth once again has created a great artwork for the band. I love it, especially the train.

My attention was instantly captured upon hearing “Sound Of The Sun”, a powerful introduction to the CD. The raspy loud screaming is followed by appealing pop punk vocals. The song is not too heavy and not too mainstream making for a great start to the eleven track CD.

The beginning of “If You Could See Into My Soul” sounds like it is going to be a indie dance track but soon changes with the screaming and singing scuffle. “Worlds Apart” is more of an anthem rather a song. It’s a little slower and holds a lot of emotion.

My favorite track on the CD is “My Disaster”. The song is so full of hardcore, screamo, and punk that I was wowed upon listening to it. I love the combination of group vocals along with the guitars. It will be one of those songs I play over and over when I want to hear something heavy. Other tracks to check out are the fairly emo “Still Dreaming” and the punk rock love ballad “True Romance”.

Silverstein is going to rule the charts with this release this summer. I find it remarkable that they created this album in just a few months upon finishing up a tour. None of the songs are sloppy and they maintain their sound. If you are into Senses Fail, Taking Back Sunday, or even Bayside, you will like this CD. Sure not everyone is into this type of music but for those who are, you are in for a treat. In support of this new release they will be on tour with Rise Against and other special guests; a tour not to be missed. I know I’ll be there.

Music Review: Ladybirds - Reginal Community Theater

Diesel — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 09:28:24 EDT

Collaborative pop project Ladybirds have released their debut CD Regional Community Theater under Creep Records. The band is fronted by close friends Tyler Pursel, the keyboardist of Gym Class Heroes, and Teeter Sperber of the little unknown band that you would know is cool if you were really emo act Ley Royal Scam. Other contributors include Max Blemis of Say Anything, Justin Johnson of The Danger O’s, and Matt Pryor of The Get Up Kids.

Think of Cyndi Lauper meeting The Faint and you have yourself the “Electro-tacular Cheese-pop Teffific-ness” sounds of Ladybirds. It’s overly poppy, emo supreme, and you can, without a doubt, shake your booty to it. This CD is for the teens out there who like the more upbeat scene music and know how to have a good time.

Opening track “Slice Our Hands (We Are Blood Sisters)” scared me for a second as it sounds like the teeny bop pop rock I so like to ignore. My initial impression changed though after listening to “The Brown And Red Divide”. The song was still a tad on the teenie bop side but strays toward a nice catchy indie rock song.

My choice track on the CD was “Maxim And The Headphone Life” as it has the musical melody that reminds me of a Nintendo 8-bit video game from the 80s. The dueling vocals of Teeter and Maz Blemis work well on this track. I can see it getting a lot of attention this summer. Disappointedly though “Shark Party” again is a full blown teenie bop song that should appear in a Disney movie about twin sisters being reunited in the big city.

The title of “Oh No! The Unicorns Are Knife Fighting Again” won me over alone. Seriously, where do these kids come up with these track titles? The emo pop track itself was fun and once more sounded musically like The Postal Service. Another track to check out is “Cooper, Thanks For The Birds”. The distorted singing accompanies the piano ever so well. Album closer "You Are The Torro King" was experimental yet a nice way to end the eleven track CD.

I admit I am not one who smiles a lot and maybe that is why I found this CD at times a little too happy for me. The background music replicates a lot of the dance-pop-rock out there but is unique in its own way, thanks to Tyler’s ability to create such fun beats. Teeter has an amazing voice that seems to become friends with you once you hear it for the first time. I really am surprised that I have not heard her name before as it is just screaming for fame. Overall Regional Community Theater is a great CD to listen to especially if you are still in high school (or wish you still were) and agree that emo does not always have to be sad.

Music Review: The Junior Varsity - Cinematographic

Diesel — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 23:45:40 EDT

The Junior Varsity is back with an all new album Cinematographic under the Victory Records imprint. The Chicago fivesome still turn out the same pop/alt-rock they have become known for here. But this album definitely shows a little maturity in terms of the band's sound. After a non-stop, almost two year tour for their last Victory release Wide Eyed, the band finally started writing new tracks for this twelve song CD. This marks their third full length release since the bands conception in 2002.

When you think of the reality of being a rock star, this band can recount many bad memories towards achieving that goal. There have been the robberies - most notably, the theft of a lot of their merch and personal property on the eve of a UK tour. They also had their share of bad shows and experienced financial misery.

Though there has been a band lineup change, the band have managed to get past the bad and focus on the good. The band knew they had something that would help them, determination. Still a young band in the scene, they have gotten past high school, and have now focused on adulthood.

On this album, the opening track "I Went Blind" contains a little more alt-rock ala Taking Back Sunday making for a nice introduction to the album. I could easily see this track getting some radio play. "The Sky" sounds like more of an indie-rock song with a catchy chorus. Then there is "St. Louis," where strangely the vocals remind me of They Might Be Giants in some areas. Still, the song upholds it's specialty as typical alt-rock music .

"The Greatest" not only has exceptional lyrics, but also is a well rounded song. I like everything about this song. It's got a style to it, where the second you listen you want to hear it again because you feel as if you missed something.

My favorite track on this CD is the self-titled "Cinematographic". It's a lot different from the other tracks. There is saxophone, which makes it sound all so classy while accompanying the bittersweet vocals. Other notable tracks on this disc are the indie-rock like song "Lungs," and the closing track "Under The Radar".

There is a lot of pop-rock out there I can do without. The Junior Varsity have managed to put out an album that is pop-rock done a little differently. All of the songs capture your attention with the charming vocals, and hold musical synchronization that promises not to annoy you. I have heard their last release Wide Eyed and I can definitely see the difference in the two albums. The Junior Varsity continues to grow up physically and musically, and I hope to see them grab a lot of attention with this album.