Blogcritics Author: Marty Dodge

Music Review: Judas Priest, Stone Gods, Pharaoh, Mar de Grises, Daylight Dies, and Dearestazazel

Marty Dodge — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:08:15 EDT

Synth-pop to symphonic death metal; its got to be another of Marty's review columns.
A couple of varied releases from well known bands -- or at least the members of well known bands. The rest are a selection of some of the lesser known bands whose material I get. I have to say it's rather fun to discover new emerging talent.Judas Priest: NostradamusThis much anticipated album has the entire metal community alight. Now...

Music Reviews: Paganini, Charing Cross, Battleroar, Retribution, Dantesco, Montgomery Gentry, and Ted Nugent

Marty Dodge — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:33:53 EDT

Billy Ray Cyrus, Ted Nugent and some Battleroar in the same column? Well, of course, what's wrong with that?
Another fine and diverse collection for your listening pleasure. I quite enjoy the fact my post-bag delivers such a diverse selection of music. CD ReviewsPaganini: Medicine ManIt takes a bit of getting used to vocally. However, if you stick with it, there are rewards. This is good time, laid back hard rock done rather well. Former lead singer of...

Music Reviews: Whitesnake & Def Leppard Live, Deivos, Atrocity, and Violent Force

Marty Dodge — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:10:40 EDT

Whitesnake & Def Lep delight while some of the latest batch of releases don't quite.
To celebrate the end of my chemo, almost as I slipped a few weeks, my wife and I went to see one of the big rocking gigs of summer at the Wembley Arena. It was a good way to start post-chemo life, that's for sure. We got a load of scary death metal to get through as well.Live ReviewsWhitesnake/Def Leppard Wembley ArenaFirst thing that struck...

Marty's Musical Meltdown: Man Raze, Bret Michaels, Believer, Thy Disease, Midnight Syndicate and Eddy Grant...

Marty Dodge — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:36:11 EDT

Death metal, hard rock, and a bit of reggae...just a typical Marty's Musical Meltdown then.
Real variety this time from Christian thrash to good ole reggae and a bit of fun from a Def Leppard guitarist. Man Raze: SurrealYou take a Girl, a Pistol and a Def Lep, mix a bit and see what comes out. Well one thing for sure is that it's good ranging from the fun sub-Police of "Winding Me Up" to the great "Shadow Man;"...

Music Reviews: Iron Maiden, Opeth, Puscifer, The Melvins, and Several More

Marty Dodge — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:57:37 EDT

Back with another large batch of recent releases and the forthcoming.
Back with another large batch of recent releases and the forthcoming. As my fingers aren’t totally back to full snuff, the reviews are a bit short and sweet. I aim to get the guts of the releases covered however. Iron Maiden: Somewhere Back in TimeIf you are a metal fan of a certain age, you will have these tracks in many different forms I...

PC Game Review: Larva Mortus

Marty Dodge — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:42:08 EDT

Top-down, high energy, supernatural simple RPG action with a decent plot.
This is ole' school top-down action gaming at its best. It's simple, but keeps you coming back for more. There is a plot which keeps you wanting to continue and it does not take that much oomph to run it. Think of it as a bit like Diablo II slimmed down with guns instead of swords and magic -though the game has a two-handed sword in that is quite...

Book Review: The Best Book on the Market: How to Stop Worrying and Love the Free Economy by Eamonn Butler

Marty Dodge — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:13:47 EDT

Just in time for the possible recession: a reminder of why markets work so well.
Just in time for economic worry from politicians and the media, Eamonn Butler has come out with a book to remind us of the value and beauty of the free market. Just as people start to panic and reconsider all those daft meddling ideas that have failed in the past, he is here with a simple little book of illustration to keep things in perspective.A...

Music Review: Archeon, Chainsaw, MSG, Diamond Head, Edenbridge, Brother Firetribe, and a Few More

Marty Dodge — Sat, 31 May 2008 07:30:11 EDT

A nice collection of stuff ranging from the bleak dark-wave ambiance to the 80s style hard rock.
It's been a wee bit more than a week between columns. Rest assured I have been listening to the pile of the discs sitting on my desk. I was unable to write much however because of chemo related bleeding fingers. (Typed until my fingers bled... literally.) My wife has been unable to take dictation because of a raft of auditions. Anyway here is a...

Music Review: Def Leppard, Night Ranger, Rush, Soul Doctor, Top Gun Cowboy, and Munk

Marty Dodge — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:58:11 EDT

Good stuff from Rush, Night Ranger and Def Leppard.
Yet another week and yet another onslaught of new releases. As we rapidly approach the summer there seems to be an almighty rush to release material from lots of different labels. In a curious twist, I seem to be getting a far wider variety of material than I used to ranging from the bizarre alternative to the horny throated death metal. CD...

Music Review: Casket Salesman, Animal Alpha, Hurricane, To-Mera, & Sixx AM

Marty Dodge — Sat, 3 May 2008 12:00:26 EDT

Hurricane re-releases, Sixx solo, jazz metal, and some indie-tinged rock. What's not to like?
This column always tries to give you a nice slice of what is out there; with a good variety of new and old stuff. This week we try to keep up this task. While all of the bands are hard rock, their approach is quite varied. CD ReviewsAnimal Alpha - You Pay for the Whole Seat...This lot most closely reminds me of another gothy punky heavy rock band...