Since I kinda enjoyed doing a review for The Final Frontier and what I did for the Hammock album a few months back, I think maybe I might do some more of that kind of stuff.
So expect more of that kind of stuff in the future.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Saturday, August 14, 2010
The Final Frontier.
Ok, since I promised I would do this...
Before we get on to the actual music let me start by saying that this is the most butt ugly album "art" the band has ever used... I mean dear god... it looks something you might run into in Doom (the old version).
But let's move past the windows 95 Eddie and get to the tunes..
Satellite 15 ... The Final Frontier
Wtf is the first thing that comes to mind. Heavily distorted bass, drums drenched in reverb and very unsettling guitar melodies. This intro is among the weirdest thing I've heard on a Maiden record but also one of the coolest. 4 minutes in , everything stops and the second part (The Final Froniter) kicks in. After that amazing intro, the next bit feels kinda boring. It's still a good straight forward rocker, but not even close to what I thought was coming after the build up of the intro.
El Dorado
Not much to say about this. A very business as usual Maiden song. This was the first song to be released from the album which I think was very wise. It's got everything: Steve's patented bass line, a monster of a main riff, huge soaring chorus and of course a three way guitar dual ala Smith/Murray/Gers. Like I said..business as usual.
Mother Of Mercy
A mid-tempo song that could have been on their last record. It almost has a Flight of Icarus vibe in places. It also has some seriously great guitar work.
Coming Home
It took me about 5 seconds before I knew this was a Adrian & Bruce song. Big powerful chorus that I'm sure will go down well live.
Also a very cool intro riff. Well done Mr. Smith!
The Alchemist
After a few slightly different tunes we are now back in familiar territory. This one could pretty much fit in on almost any of their previous records. Although there are no big surprise here it never gets boring. In fact it's nice to have a little breather before....
Isle Of Avalon
One of the three songs that clocks in over 9 minutes.
One of the best intros I've ever heard on a Maiden record. The first few seconds sent chills down my spine before it slowly starts building up until it finally explodes. Truly amazing stuff.
Starblind
Another Smith/Harris/Dickinson number.
A very floatly intro leads into some seriously heavy riffing. The chorus is the only thing I don't really like. It never really takes off in the way one expects.
A big surprise is the almost Led Zeppelin like bridge which seems to come out of nowhere.
All and all an ok song.
The Talisman
Starts off with some very excellent acoustic guitar work ala Janick Gers.
It has a very unsettling almost eerie feeling. No Maiden record would be complete without a nice gallop right? Well,this song does not disappoint. Great lyrics and a fantastic chorus makes this 9 minute song go by in flash.
The Man Who Would Be King
This song must have a been a bitch to learn. Just when you think you've got it figured out it does something weird you wouldn't expect. The last part has some of the coolest instrumental stuff they have done in years. Dave Murray doesn't write very many songs per album but the ones he does write are usually fucking amazing. This song is no exception.
When The Wild Wind Blows
One other key ingredient for a proper Maiden album is of course at least one Steve Harris epic.
This song, which clocks in just under 11 minutes is really Steve Harris in a nutshell.
If one needs to explain his songwriting style for someone, play them this.
Now, that doesn't mean that this song is in anyway an average Maiden epic.
This is indeed Mr Harris at his finest. A great way to close the album.
So....yeah. That's it.
My conclusion: If you are only a fan of the hits and tend to act like a whiny bitch because they didn't play The Trooper when you saw them live, you will not like this album. If you however like me find the songs that demand a little bit more from listener interesting, you are in store for 76 minutes of heaven.
Not sure how interesting this has been for most of you but hey..this only happens like once every 4 years so DEAL WITH IT BITCH!
/Beard
Before we get on to the actual music let me start by saying that this is the most butt ugly album "art" the band has ever used... I mean dear god... it looks something you might run into in Doom (the old version).
But let's move past the windows 95 Eddie and get to the tunes..
Satellite 15 ... The Final Frontier
Wtf is the first thing that comes to mind. Heavily distorted bass, drums drenched in reverb and very unsettling guitar melodies. This intro is among the weirdest thing I've heard on a Maiden record but also one of the coolest. 4 minutes in , everything stops and the second part (The Final Froniter) kicks in. After that amazing intro, the next bit feels kinda boring. It's still a good straight forward rocker, but not even close to what I thought was coming after the build up of the intro.
El Dorado
Not much to say about this. A very business as usual Maiden song. This was the first song to be released from the album which I think was very wise. It's got everything: Steve's patented bass line, a monster of a main riff, huge soaring chorus and of course a three way guitar dual ala Smith/Murray/Gers. Like I said..business as usual.
Mother Of Mercy
A mid-tempo song that could have been on their last record. It almost has a Flight of Icarus vibe in places. It also has some seriously great guitar work.
Coming Home
It took me about 5 seconds before I knew this was a Adrian & Bruce song. Big powerful chorus that I'm sure will go down well live.
Also a very cool intro riff. Well done Mr. Smith!
The Alchemist
After a few slightly different tunes we are now back in familiar territory. This one could pretty much fit in on almost any of their previous records. Although there are no big surprise here it never gets boring. In fact it's nice to have a little breather before....
Isle Of Avalon
One of the three songs that clocks in over 9 minutes.
One of the best intros I've ever heard on a Maiden record. The first few seconds sent chills down my spine before it slowly starts building up until it finally explodes. Truly amazing stuff.
Starblind
Another Smith/Harris/Dickinson number.
A very floatly intro leads into some seriously heavy riffing. The chorus is the only thing I don't really like. It never really takes off in the way one expects.
A big surprise is the almost Led Zeppelin like bridge which seems to come out of nowhere.
All and all an ok song.
The Talisman
Starts off with some very excellent acoustic guitar work ala Janick Gers.
It has a very unsettling almost eerie feeling. No Maiden record would be complete without a nice gallop right? Well,this song does not disappoint. Great lyrics and a fantastic chorus makes this 9 minute song go by in flash.
The Man Who Would Be King
This song must have a been a bitch to learn. Just when you think you've got it figured out it does something weird you wouldn't expect. The last part has some of the coolest instrumental stuff they have done in years. Dave Murray doesn't write very many songs per album but the ones he does write are usually fucking amazing. This song is no exception.
When The Wild Wind Blows
One other key ingredient for a proper Maiden album is of course at least one Steve Harris epic.
This song, which clocks in just under 11 minutes is really Steve Harris in a nutshell.
If one needs to explain his songwriting style for someone, play them this.
Now, that doesn't mean that this song is in anyway an average Maiden epic.
This is indeed Mr Harris at his finest. A great way to close the album.
So....yeah. That's it.
My conclusion: If you are only a fan of the hits and tend to act like a whiny bitch because they didn't play The Trooper when you saw them live, you will not like this album. If you however like me find the songs that demand a little bit more from listener interesting, you are in store for 76 minutes of heaven.
Not sure how interesting this has been for most of you but hey..this only happens like once every 4 years so DEAL WITH IT BITCH!
/Beard
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Atonement
I feel I even now need to make for the last post being too "me me me me me!".
So here it goes.
I REALLY didn't like the movie After life.
Dear god... I mean...shit.. I usually enjoy a proper feel-bad movie but I do like them to have at least a hint of some kind of point.
I didn't think anything could ruin the experience of seeing Christina Ricci topless but somehow they succeeded where others have failed. Don't watch this...
Go watch some old Bill Murray movie instead and just thank me later.
/Beard
P.S: I do feel I've made up for the previous post and I hope we are all cool now.
So here it goes.
I REALLY didn't like the movie After life.
Dear god... I mean...shit.. I usually enjoy a proper feel-bad movie but I do like them to have at least a hint of some kind of point.
I didn't think anything could ruin the experience of seeing Christina Ricci topless but somehow they succeeded where others have failed. Don't watch this...
Go watch some old Bill Murray movie instead and just thank me later.
/Beard
P.S: I do feel I've made up for the previous post and I hope we are all cool now.
Table-hopping in a brave new world.
Two weeks left until the start of the term.
My perception of time being what it is, I feels like no time at all has passed since last august. I admittedly didn't have the best few months leading up to last fall but I recall I had a ton of ideas of lots of changes I felt I needed to make that would change that.
Like I said when I started writing this a few months back, I intend to keep this as far removed from my personal shit as possible unless there is some point to be made from me sharing something. I think I've been pretty good at that so far.
This post seems in way dangerously close to what I said I would avoid but I'll try to watch my step and hope I don't step in anything.
Like I said, I had a whole laundry list of stuff I wanted (or convinced myself I wanted) to change.
Of all those things guess how many I actually went thru with...
NONE.
A few months later, it was christmas and as per usual I found myself a few days later on new years eve thinking yet again about changes.
6 months later I have not really done anything.
On saturday night, I saw Iron Maiden (one of my all time favorite bands. This gig marked my 13th time seeing them live) play here in Stockholm. This gig was ten years almost to the day (ok like 2 months off but fuck you..it's not like any of you would ever know I was off if I hadn't just mentioned it.) that I saw them back in 2000. As I was standing in the front row waiting for them to start, I happened for whatever reason to look down at my t-shirt.
I bought that shirt the day of the gig in 2000.
I remember thinking about that the night before but it hadn't really hit me all the weird shit that has happened to me since that warm night in june ten years ago.
Most of it has been good. Some of it not great and a very small part really bad.
Both me and the t shirt do look slightly more worn now which I think is a good thing.
As anyone who is a fan knows, a Maiden shirt looks best after it has been worn in.
This of course got me thinking about the new term ahead, all the stuff that will be different and all the new challenges that will require me to be or least think differently than in the past in one way or another.
It also dawned on me all the changes going on around me with people in my extended family.
People are changing cities, getting married, having kids, starting new jobs and all sorts of other stuff.
It should be said right off the bat that I really really admire the people around me and all the various changes they have made. People are doing shit I would have not thought they could be capable of just a few years ago. This is of course fucking awesome and I wish them all the best.
What I really realized was the reason why I feel compelled to change things even though I obviously make no effort to do so: Everyone else is doing something new so I guess I should to.
Really silly when one looks at it like that.
That really isn't me at all. When I go out drinking, I find a place I like, sit down and stay there til I feel like moving, perfectly content watching other people table hop all night. If you like doing that, do it!
I don't.
I find a a nice comfy barstool and stay there until either until I feel like being somewhere else or I feel all partied out and wanna go home.
So as I look thru my calender for the fall which even in the second week of august is filling up pretty damn quick I am not all nervous or fearing the giant task that these next few months (at least) will bring. Some of the stuff I have to do I'm sure is quite frankly beyond what I at least today can handle..some big changes are indeed coming. Having said that...
I am not partied out, I don't want to be somewhere else and I'm not ready to go home yet.
The geeky 17 year old kid in the front row wearing that Iron Maiden shirt will almost without doubt in ten years be a geeky 37 old wearing the same damn t shirt, just as excited to hear the same damn songs one more time.
/Beard
P.S: Yes I know...sorry. Next time I'll write something mean about some politician or maybe midgets.
Ten years ago.
A few days ago.
My perception of time being what it is, I feels like no time at all has passed since last august. I admittedly didn't have the best few months leading up to last fall but I recall I had a ton of ideas of lots of changes I felt I needed to make that would change that.
Like I said when I started writing this a few months back, I intend to keep this as far removed from my personal shit as possible unless there is some point to be made from me sharing something. I think I've been pretty good at that so far.
This post seems in way dangerously close to what I said I would avoid but I'll try to watch my step and hope I don't step in anything.
Like I said, I had a whole laundry list of stuff I wanted (or convinced myself I wanted) to change.
Of all those things guess how many I actually went thru with...
NONE.
A few months later, it was christmas and as per usual I found myself a few days later on new years eve thinking yet again about changes.
6 months later I have not really done anything.
On saturday night, I saw Iron Maiden (one of my all time favorite bands. This gig marked my 13th time seeing them live) play here in Stockholm. This gig was ten years almost to the day (ok like 2 months off but fuck you..it's not like any of you would ever know I was off if I hadn't just mentioned it.) that I saw them back in 2000. As I was standing in the front row waiting for them to start, I happened for whatever reason to look down at my t-shirt.
I bought that shirt the day of the gig in 2000.
I remember thinking about that the night before but it hadn't really hit me all the weird shit that has happened to me since that warm night in june ten years ago.
Most of it has been good. Some of it not great and a very small part really bad.
Both me and the t shirt do look slightly more worn now which I think is a good thing.
As anyone who is a fan knows, a Maiden shirt looks best after it has been worn in.
This of course got me thinking about the new term ahead, all the stuff that will be different and all the new challenges that will require me to be or least think differently than in the past in one way or another.
It also dawned on me all the changes going on around me with people in my extended family.
People are changing cities, getting married, having kids, starting new jobs and all sorts of other stuff.
It should be said right off the bat that I really really admire the people around me and all the various changes they have made. People are doing shit I would have not thought they could be capable of just a few years ago. This is of course fucking awesome and I wish them all the best.
What I really realized was the reason why I feel compelled to change things even though I obviously make no effort to do so: Everyone else is doing something new so I guess I should to.
Really silly when one looks at it like that.
That really isn't me at all. When I go out drinking, I find a place I like, sit down and stay there til I feel like moving, perfectly content watching other people table hop all night. If you like doing that, do it!
I don't.
I find a a nice comfy barstool and stay there until either until I feel like being somewhere else or I feel all partied out and wanna go home.
So as I look thru my calender for the fall which even in the second week of august is filling up pretty damn quick I am not all nervous or fearing the giant task that these next few months (at least) will bring. Some of the stuff I have to do I'm sure is quite frankly beyond what I at least today can handle..some big changes are indeed coming. Having said that...
I am not partied out, I don't want to be somewhere else and I'm not ready to go home yet.
The geeky 17 year old kid in the front row wearing that Iron Maiden shirt will almost without doubt in ten years be a geeky 37 old wearing the same damn t shirt, just as excited to hear the same damn songs one more time.
/Beard
P.S: Yes I know...sorry. Next time I'll write something mean about some politician or maybe midgets.
Ten years ago.
A few days ago.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Return Of The Son Of The Sequel Of The Return Of The Revenge RIdes Again ... III!
To quote Jay Leno and his opinion on hollywood:
"We have three CSI series, twenty Star trek movies and TWENTY TWO James bond movies.This town is BUILT on new and innovative ideas!"
That might not have been the exact words but I think I got the key points in there.
Sequels are indeed odd little creatures aren't they? It seems that if a film does any bit of business, a follow-up is already being planned even before you have a chance to leave the movie theater. Actually no that's not true. These days, the film doesn't even have to do well or even really have any fans. Whether you want it or not, you are damn well gonna get another "not another movie".
I am, to some degree not really complaining. In my opinion if you like something why wouldn't want more of it?
Some people maintain that some movie franchises and tv series have been ruined by new additions that are not as strong as the film/season before it.
I agree that just because the first two films or seasons are great does not really mean everything that comes after will be gold.
My name is Earl is one of my favorite series.
First season: Great!
Second season: Fantastic!
Third season: WOW!
Forth season: Complete shit...
You know what my trick is? When watching the series, I just go ahead and don't watch the last season. As it turns out it's not very hard to not watch something.
Sci-fi is a very interesting thing as far as sequels are concerned.
Of course we have Star Wars which I think I'll leave alone because it's just far to obvious.
Star Trek however... I as you might know hail from U.S. where there are far more trekkies than here in Sweden.
I recall a party I was at a few years ago. Since I'm a kinda weird looking guy with dreads and a long beard, the christian republican chicks weren't going for me anyway so I decided to spend my time getting very drunk and listening to an exciting debate about the latest Star trek film.
What really struck me as interesting is the fact that in spite of being huge fans of the franchise they don't really seem to like it very much. They spent at least an hour talking about the various apparently very obvious shortcomings in the new film and also what was wrong with like the last TEN of them.
Seems like the joy of being a fan is this case is bitching about the thing one is supposedly a fan of...hmm.
I realize now that my original idea behind this post has been lost... Sorry, here's what I am trying to get it to:
I just watched the second film in the Millennium series called Flickan Som Lekte Med Elden .
A pretty decent and entertaining film all and all.
So what's gonna happen now?
Hollywood is taking it and making a more Hollywood friendly version.
I fucking hate when this happens.. We've have had like TWO swedish films that have really done well and both of them are being turned into a big Hollywood productions.
I see this happen all the time with films from other countries of course. I think I even recall some british film from a few years back that for some reason someone felt compelled to make an "american" version of..
To any american readers: You do know it's the same language right?
The two latest victims are of course
Låt den rätte komma in (which is now called "Let me in")
and
Män som hatar kvinnor(which is now "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo)
Hollywood is the the shitty cover band of the film industry. You know, the kind that plays way too loud and pretend to actually be the band they are covering.
But to be fair, we are actually getting yet another Zoolander so they're not all bad..
Sequels/reboots/remakes I could do without but regardless to my feelings are indeed on their merry way or already upon us:
Scream 4 (Enough said)
Nightmare On Elm Street (wtf is wrong with Robert Englund? Bring him back!)
Superman (For fucks sake.. pick a guy and just run with it!)
Friday The 13th 2 (but really it's a follow up to 2009s reboot of the series.. I think I have made my point)
Spider-Man ( Oh come on! The last one just came out three years ago... why do a reboot?)
Evil Dead ( Why tamper with perfection? I should point out that it is Sam Rami doing the reboot. So he is remaking he own movie...)
Dracula ( think this story has been..excuse the bad joke, done to death)
Yet another ...Of The Dead ( I know he invented the genre but that doesn't mean you can't screw up)
Titanic 3-D ( This idea really is ten types of stupid..)
Macgyver (NO! JUST NO! LEAVE IT THE FUCK ALONE!)
Magnum P.I. ( See above)
I am however looking forward to the Highlander and Pet Sematary remakes.
They have a chance of working.. maybe. I dunno.
That's it for now. I'm off to watch Schindler's List II
"We have three CSI series, twenty Star trek movies and TWENTY TWO James bond movies.This town is BUILT on new and innovative ideas!"
That might not have been the exact words but I think I got the key points in there.
Sequels are indeed odd little creatures aren't they? It seems that if a film does any bit of business, a follow-up is already being planned even before you have a chance to leave the movie theater. Actually no that's not true. These days, the film doesn't even have to do well or even really have any fans. Whether you want it or not, you are damn well gonna get another "not another movie".
I am, to some degree not really complaining. In my opinion if you like something why wouldn't want more of it?
Some people maintain that some movie franchises and tv series have been ruined by new additions that are not as strong as the film/season before it.
I agree that just because the first two films or seasons are great does not really mean everything that comes after will be gold.
My name is Earl is one of my favorite series.
First season: Great!
Second season: Fantastic!
Third season: WOW!
Forth season: Complete shit...
You know what my trick is? When watching the series, I just go ahead and don't watch the last season. As it turns out it's not very hard to not watch something.
Sci-fi is a very interesting thing as far as sequels are concerned.
Of course we have Star Wars which I think I'll leave alone because it's just far to obvious.
Star Trek however... I as you might know hail from U.S. where there are far more trekkies than here in Sweden.
I recall a party I was at a few years ago. Since I'm a kinda weird looking guy with dreads and a long beard, the christian republican chicks weren't going for me anyway so I decided to spend my time getting very drunk and listening to an exciting debate about the latest Star trek film.
What really struck me as interesting is the fact that in spite of being huge fans of the franchise they don't really seem to like it very much. They spent at least an hour talking about the various apparently very obvious shortcomings in the new film and also what was wrong with like the last TEN of them.
Seems like the joy of being a fan is this case is bitching about the thing one is supposedly a fan of...hmm.
I realize now that my original idea behind this post has been lost... Sorry, here's what I am trying to get it to:
I just watched the second film in the Millennium series called Flickan Som Lekte Med Elden .
A pretty decent and entertaining film all and all.
So what's gonna happen now?
Hollywood is taking it and making a more Hollywood friendly version.
I fucking hate when this happens.. We've have had like TWO swedish films that have really done well and both of them are being turned into a big Hollywood productions.
I see this happen all the time with films from other countries of course. I think I even recall some british film from a few years back that for some reason someone felt compelled to make an "american" version of..
To any american readers: You do know it's the same language right?
The two latest victims are of course
Låt den rätte komma in (which is now called "Let me in")
and
Män som hatar kvinnor(which is now "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo)
Hollywood is the the shitty cover band of the film industry. You know, the kind that plays way too loud and pretend to actually be the band they are covering.
But to be fair, we are actually getting yet another Zoolander so they're not all bad..
Sequels/reboots/remakes I could do without but regardless to my feelings are indeed on their merry way or already upon us:
Scream 4 (Enough said)
Nightmare On Elm Street (wtf is wrong with Robert Englund? Bring him back!)
Superman (For fucks sake.. pick a guy and just run with it!)
Friday The 13th 2 (but really it's a follow up to 2009s reboot of the series.. I think I have made my point)
Spider-Man ( Oh come on! The last one just came out three years ago... why do a reboot?)
Evil Dead ( Why tamper with perfection? I should point out that it is Sam Rami doing the reboot. So he is remaking he own movie...)
Dracula ( think this story has been..excuse the bad joke, done to death)
Yet another ...Of The Dead ( I know he invented the genre but that doesn't mean you can't screw up)
Titanic 3-D ( This idea really is ten types of stupid..)
Macgyver (NO! JUST NO! LEAVE IT THE FUCK ALONE!)
Magnum P.I. ( See above)
I am however looking forward to the Highlander and Pet Sematary remakes.
They have a chance of working.. maybe. I dunno.
That's it for now. I'm off to watch Schindler's List II
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