tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89659392024-03-07T18:56:49.999-06:00Ryan the Angry Midget and FriendsFeaturing the Commentary of Lord Bling, Leptodactylus, CowboyLaw, and Ryan the Angry MidgetRyan the Angry Midgethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09120313107611992640noreply@blogger.comBlogger826125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-10164328589591161282013-12-27T12:51:00.001-06:002013-12-27T12:59:16.184-06:00My favorite video games of 20132013 was an odd year for the video game industry. The major triple-A games saw varying levels of success, while the independent scene grew and innovated more than ever. We went through a strange version of growing pains, as we waited for the PS4 and Xbox One to launch. I bought both consoles, and have been enjoying them for different reasons. However, I also got a new gaming laptop earlier in the year, and I played more on the PC than ever before. But what excited me most was that more developers made a conscious effort to tell worthwhile stories, in new and different ways. Of everything I played in 2013, here were my favorites! <br />
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(Disclaimer -- There are plenty of games I didn't get to put time into, so this list isn't meant to be all-inclusive. I'm not a professional critic! The format(s) I played on are in parentheses, although some games are available on more formats than what I have listed. Also, this list is my personal opinion, and does not represent my employer.)<br />
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<b>Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order):</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/far-cry-3-blood-dragon" target="_blank">Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon</a> (X360) -- An 80's action film re-skin of my favorite game of 2012. Having a button dedicated for flipping the bird? Genius.<br />
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<a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/gears-of-war-judgment" target="_blank">Gears of War: Judgment </a>(X360) -- People Can Fly took some risks with the campaign (focusing on Baird, bite-sized level sections with optional challenges built in) that I thought worked pretty well. I also had fun with the Battlefield 'Rush'-like game mode Overrun (even if the maps felt a little too small for it), and I liked playing as some of the higher-powered Locust characters.<br />
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<a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-vita/killzone-mercenary" target="_blank">Killzone: Mercenary</a> (Vita) -- The best looking handheld shooter to date, and plays pretty well too. It gives me hope for what the Vita is capable of accomplishing.<br />
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<a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/outlast" target="_blank">Outlast</a> (PC) -- I like when games set goals and accomplish them. This game has one goal: Scaring the living crap out of you. And it's super effective! I don't think I have even a full hour into it, and I will more than likely not finish it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/payday-2" target="_blank">Payday 2</a> (PC) -- A big improvement over the original in terms of friendly AI and mission variety. It's still better to play with a group of people who know what they're doing, but fortunately there's a strong community around it (and they're largely noob-friendly), so you shouldn't ever have to play alone.<br />
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<a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/rise-of-the-triad" target="_blank">Rise of the Triad</a> (PC) -- Unabashedly old-school corridor twitch shooter. I never played the 90s original, but I played enough Wolfenstein and Doom to where I enjoyed this quite a bit.<br />
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<b>My favorite games of 2013:</b><br />
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15. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/tom-clancys-splinter-cell-blacklist" target="_blank">Splinter Cell: Blacklist</a> (X360 / PC) -- The stealth aspect of the series has all but been removed, and that disappoints me. However, as a straight action game, it's still pretty good. My favorite multiplayer game mode (Spies vs. Mercs) came back, but it felt more like a cover band than the brilliant original from Pandora Tomorrow and Chaos Theory. However, the co-op levels are the real star of the multiplayer, and make it worth recommending.<br />
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14. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/surgeon-simulator-2013" target="_blank">Surgeon Simulator 2013 </a>(PC) -- Nothing I played this year had me laughing more. The bad-on-purpose controls are a thing of beauty. Probably the best $10 I spent this year.<br />
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13. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/the-swapper" target="_blank">The Swapper</a> (PC) -- A deceptively simple puzzle game on paper, but it gets brutally hard about half-way through. I still haven't finished it because I'm trying to avoid cheats / FAQs, but I'm hoping some time away will help me come at it fresh again.<br />
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12. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/killzone-shadow-fall" target="_blank">Killzone: Shadow Fall</a> (PS4) -- One of the better console launch shooters since the first Halo. Jaw-dropping graphics, a respectable story (stay after the credits!), and an enjoyable multiplayer suite (even if it feels a little slow when compared to other FPS). Multiple batches of free DLC will be coming next year, so I'll keep coming back to it.<br />
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11. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag" target="_blank">Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag</a> (PS4) -- A major improvement over the last installment. They took what was best about part 3 (the boats!), removed all of the nagging tutorials, and just hand you the keys and say 'Have fun!' I have minor complaints about some scripting and bugs in some missions, but it's nothing that we haven't dealt with in previous games in the series. I can't wait to get back on the seas and start pillaging again.<br />
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10. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/the-stanley-parable" target="_blank">The Stanley Parable</a> (PC) -- Poor Stanley. Trapped in a game. Or ... is it a game? Is it a story? Is Stanley me? Where did my coworkers go? If you love GLaDOS and her irreverent sense of humor, you should download the demo (which is a completely separate experience) and see if it's up your alley.<br />
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9. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/grand-theft-auto-v" target="_blank">Grand Theft Auto V</a> (X360) -- This is what a very talented group of developers can do when they have access to an almost unlimited amount of time and resources. Was it worth the wait? From a technical standpoint, yes. It's massive, and runs as stable as any open-world game on a console to date. However, we get three playable characters, yet not one of them is even remotely sympathetic. Each is a step back from Nico in part IV, and I found myself not wanting to spend time with any of them. Also, the online mode was hugely ambitious, but by the time they got it working properly, I'd moved on to something else.<br />
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8. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/saints-row-iv" target="_blank">Saint's Row IV</a> (PC) -- GTA V wants to be a Michael Mann film. Saint's Row IV wants to be Billy Madison. When it comes to interactive entertainment, sometimes it's more fun to light bags of dog poop on fire and leave them on Old Man Clemens' porch.<br />
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7. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/gone-home" target="_blank">Gone Home</a> (PC) -- More of an interactive short story than a game, but it invokes real and honest emotions. It's only two hours long, but it's something everyone should experience, and the less you know about it before you start, the better. <br />
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6. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/3ds/animal-crossing-new-leaf" target="_blank">Animal Crossing: New Leaf</a> (3DS) -- The most relaxing game I've ever played. It's hard to explain to people who haven't tried it. Either you get it or you don't. I got it, and put literally hundreds of hours into digging up fossils, fishing, catching bugs, selling things at the shops, etc. I finally walked away from it a couple of weeks ago, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about turning it back on so I can make snowmen.<br />
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5. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/battlefield-4" target="_blank">Battlefield 4</a> (PC, XB1) -- An improvement over the previous game in many ways. More destructibility, more vehicles, better overall map design, and more variety in the weapons and gameplay options. It makes Battlefield 3 look like a beta for this game. So why is it only #5? The constant connectivity / server issues that plague each version make it hard to defend. <a href="http://www.polygon.com/2013/10/29/5040656/battlefield-4-review" target="_blank">At least one game website went back and lowered their review scores</a> because of these issues. I still enjoy the game, and I'll be putting more time into it on multiple formats, but I really hope they fix the online stability.<br />
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4. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/tomb-raider" target="_blank">Tomb Raider</a> (X360, PC) -- An almost perfect reboot of a once-great franchise. The campaign is long and yet almost never loses its pacing, and the graphics are outstanding. I did get tired of the quick-time-events ("<a href="http://www.splitreason.com/Product_Images/6378ba9f3ea3-xl.jpg" target="_blank">Press X to Not Die</a>"), but fortunately there are less of them the further you get into the game. They've announced a <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2013/11/20/tomb-raider-next-gen-reveal-teased-ports-classified/" target="_blank">next-gen version</a> coming in early 2014, and it may have me buying a third version of it.<br />
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3. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/brothers-a-tale-of-two-sons" target="_blank">Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons</a> (PC) -- I started to type a synopsis of what this game is about, and then I deleted it. Just play it. Take some time to get used to the 'two player co-op on one controller' setup, and let it draw you in. You won't regret it. The comparisons to '<a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-2/ico" target="_blank">Ico</a>' and '<a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/journey" target="_blank">Journey</a>' are valid in a lot of ways, and the last 30 minutes are some of the best in any game I've ever played.<br />
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2. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/bioshock-infinite" target="_blank">Bioshock Infinite</a> (X360, PC) -- Irrational Games had a tough path in front of them: Meet or exceed the expectations set by the greatness of the first Bioshock. I think they were successful. It's not perfect though. The gameplay is a little lacking (not much weapon variety, fewer 'Plasmid' powers than before), and the final 'boss' battle felt like a victim of a couple of bad decisions made late in development. However, the setting and graphics are one-of-a-kind and instantly iconic. The skyhook makes getting around in the levels unlike anything else you've ever played. And then there's the story, which will have you scratching your head for 99% of the game, and then that last 1% drops on you and you feel like you stood up too fast, and have to instantly get on the internet to find out just what took place. It was a real head rush of a game, even if the gameplay didn't innovate as much as I'd hoped it would.<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/the-last-of-us" target="_blank">The Last of Us</a> (PS3) -- I avoided the hype as much as possible. I tried to look at it as 'just another post-apocalyptic game'. But I knew Naughty Dog would deliver. And deliver they did. They're the best triple-A developer in the business, hands down. They understand their tools and craft better than anyone else, and while their graphics are some of the best you'll ever see on a console, they put more attention into their scripts and performances than any other. But I still wasn't fully prepared. If the Uncharted series are game versions of the Indiana Jones films, then this is Cormac McCarthy's The Road: Bleak, unforgiving, and relentless. The lengthy campaign stays impressive through almost 20 hours of gameplay, with only one or two very minor missteps, and you remain constantly in fear for Joel and Ellie's lives. The human touches that Naughty Dog bring to the game make it even more impressive. Early on, the two characters keep their distance in combat, but as the game progresses and Ellie grows to trust Joel more, she starts to huddle close to Joel when they're hiding, using him as protection. And then there's the subtle way that Joel looks at his broken watch in some cutscenes, as if he's remembering a simpler time. Most games have yet to nail this level of humanity in their characters, but Naughty Dog makes it look easy.<br />
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A lot has been said about the ending. Some loved it, and others hated it. I won't spoil it here, but I will say that I didn't like it at first. Then I slept on it, and I realized that there was no other ending that made sense for the characters. I can't say I loved it, but it's just 'right' for them. In the final chapter, you'll be doing things with the lead character that you may not agree with. However, much like a book or a movie, you ultimately have no control over what the character does. It's a story, and you're experiencing it. Whether or not the ending is emotionally satisfying to the player, it's emotionally honest to the characters, and that's what matters most. <br />
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I'll be the first to admit that not every video game is "art". However, this game is incontrovertible proof that games CAN be art. To even attempt to debate the question now is laughable.Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-47664889874724506072013-12-26T16:05:00.000-06:002013-12-26T16:33:41.940-06:00My favorite albums of 2013<div>
2012 was a great year for music, and yet somehow, 2013 topped it in many ways. A lot of new bands surprised me, and quite a few bands made comebacks that were above and beyond any expectations I had. <b>Here were my favorites:</b></div>
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15. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vertikal-Cult-Luna/dp/B00AGKHA84/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1388083448&sr=1-1&keywords=cult+of+luna+vertikal" target="_blank">Cult of Luna -- Vertikal</a>. When Isis called it a day, I was pretty bummed out. However, I wouldn't have been as bummed if I'd have known there were bands like this who could fill that gap.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/WPJoge1wDs4" target="_blank">In Awe Of</a></div>
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14. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vexovoid-Portal/dp/B00AOO5QQU/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1388083471&sr=1-1&keywords=portal+vexovoid" target="_blank">Portal -- Vexovoid</a>. The sound of pure evil. Their previous albums had the production and the theatrics, but this new album brings some memorable riffs that I didn't think they had in them.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/yRoye1Wpe2w" target="_blank">Kilter</a></div>
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13. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Migration-Scale-Summit/dp/B00CCEHYO2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388083567&sr=8-1&keywords=scale+the+summit+migration" target="_blank">Scale the Summit -- The Migration</a>. Virtuoso instrumental guitar work. These guys are consistently amazing.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/FfEpaGTPCZY" target="_blank">The Traveler</a></div>
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12. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Teethed-Glory-Injury-Altar-Plagues/dp/B00BZBIAU0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388083680&sr=8-1&keywords=altar+of+plagues+teethed" target="_blank">Altar of Plagues -- Teethed Glory and Injuries</a>. This industrial black metal album took time to grow on me. It's not an easy listen at first, but it was worth the extra effort to push through the 'idea' of what it should be and to actually appreciate it for what it is.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/jFEmemqvJ0E" target="_blank">God Alone</a></div>
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11. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Colored-Sands-Gorguts/dp/B00DPMFLRW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388083724&sr=8-1&keywords=gorguts+colored+sands" target="_blank">Gorguts -- Colored Sands</a>. A great comeback album from a death metal band that has always been better than their name lets on.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/biJCVVaHhUI" target="_blank">Colored Sands</a></div>
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10. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mbv-My-Bloody-Valentine/dp/B00BHUJ2XI/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1388083379&sr=1-1&keywords=my+bloody+valentine+mbv" target="_blank">My Bloody Valentine -- mbv</a>. Speaking of comebacks, it took 22 years for this one to release, but it lived up to my lofty expectations. No other art-rock band sounds quite like they do. Not then, and not now.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/UUc5y1NljXI" target="_blank">Who Sees You</a></div>
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9. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pelagial-Ocean/dp/B00B6BA7QO/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1388083277&sr=1-1&keywords=the+ocean+pelagial" target="_blank">The Ocean -- Pelagial</a>. The most consistent listen in their catalog, and the purest vision of who they are as songwriters. Call them prog-rock, or post-metal, or alternative ... they're all those things and more.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/ba7y1ZYFODw" target="_blank">Mesopelagic: Into the Uncanny</a></div>
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8. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Asymmetry-Karnivool/dp/B00DJYKF0O/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1388083061&sr=1-1&keywords=karnivool+asymmetry" target="_blank">Karnivool -- Asymmetry</a>. "Australia's Tool" steps away a tiny bit from the easy Tool comparisons. While not as immediately listenable as their last album (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjvtx3HMUks&list=PL6E86AD3BA50F2620" target="_blank">Sound Awake</a>), it still rewards repeated listens.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/V_E5ae9ZTwk" target="_blank">We Are</a></div>
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7. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Surgical-Steel-Carcass/dp/B00E0G5U4G/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1388083200&sr=1-1&keywords=carcass+surgical+steel" target="_blank">Carcass -- Surgical Steel</a>. Another comeback from a seminal death metal band, and this one washes away the poor aftertaste of their 'final' album (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Swansong-Carcass/dp/B0002JP1X0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1388092222&sr=8-2&keywords=carcass+swansong" target="_blank">Swansong</a>). Can't wait to see them tour next spring!</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/nSsrKl6HtAw" target="_blank">Captive Bolt Pistol</a></div>
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6. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Killer-Dillinger-Escape-Plan/dp/B00BXHE0CI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388082723&sr=8-1&keywords=dillinger+escape+plan+one+of+us" target="_blank">Dillinger Escape Plan -- One Of Us Is The Killer</a>. After a couple of inconsistent albums that saw them struggling to find a middle ground between poppy spaz-rock and the math-metal genre they helped create, they've finally found the sweet spot. Their best since Miss Machine.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/qgcUiM7queQ" target="_blank">One Of Us Is The Killer</a></div>
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5. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Blues-Spiritual-Beggars/dp/B00BDSRFG0/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_3" target="_blank">Spiritual Beggars -- Earth Blues</a>. The 70's never died! Their previous albums didn't feel as playful as this one, and it's all the better for it. Fuzzy production with lots of Hammond organ and cowbell. Great for long highway drives.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/tvi2V6mFlYM" target="_blank">Turn the Tide</a> / <a href="http://youtu.be/T4qeHD4Kr3Q" target="_blank">Legends Collapse</a></div>
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4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Devil-Put-Dinosaurs-Here/dp/B00BQ1D7X4/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1388082948&sr=1-1&keywords=alice+in+chains+devil+put+dinosaurs+here" target="_blank">Alice In Chains -- The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here</a>. Either I've finally put Layne Staley to rest in my mind, or this is the best full-length album they've released since Dirt.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/hmSeWqmlqYs" target="_blank">Hollow</a></div>
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3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Circle-Amorphis/dp/B00BD07SGU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388083751&sr=8-1&keywords=amorphis+circle" target="_blank">Amorphis -- Circle</a>. I first heard this Finnish band on their breakout folk metal album "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" in 1994, but I lost track of them when they started experimenting with different genres like electronica. However, if they have other albums that are as instantly catchy as this, I have a lot of homework to do. Great sing-along choruses and radio-friendly production? I'm surprised they aren't more popular.</div>
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-- Favorite Tracks: <a href="http://youtu.be/QpmL8pAXWzg" target="_blank">The Wanderer</a> / <a href="http://youtu.be/qJPUg5Lgj2E" target="_blank">Hopeless Days</a></div>
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2. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Altered-State-Tesseract/dp/B00C70FH7M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388083784&sr=8-1&keywords=tesseract+altered+state" target="_blank">Tesseract -- Altered State</a>. One of the bands that helped create the 'djent' genre goes through yet another vocalist change, and redefines their feel without losing what makes them who they are. I still miss Daniel, as his ability to float between aggressive and angelic vocals was inimitable, but Ashe is still a definite improvement over Elliot. This band continues to get bigger, and I wouldn't be surprised if they're headlining a major metal festival by the time their next album releases. </div>
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-- Favorite Tracks: <a href="http://youtu.be/get0cXOsSXg" target="_blank">Nocturne</a> / <a href="http://youtu.be/pPBTtsgIWNM" target="_blank">Retrospect</a></div>
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1. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sunbather-Deafheaven/dp/B00CCEHX5W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388082539&sr=8-1&keywords=deafheaven+sunbather" target="_blank">Deafheaven -- Sunbather</a>. Someone described this band to me as 'putting black metal, post-rock, and shoegaze in a blender". What a horrible idea, right? Then I heard Sunbather, and they've been a mainstay in my ears ever since. I'm a sucker for bands that can combine beauty with brutality, and Deafheaven might be the best at this since Opeth stopped being a 'metal' band. The shrill vocals feel oppressive, but the warmth of the production and songwriting draw you in. It just WORKS.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/ylTY9WbMGDc" target="_blank">Sunbather</a></div>
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<b>Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order):</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tipping-Point-Authority-Zero/dp/B00B361F9U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388088500&sr=8-1&keywords=tipping+point+authority+zero" target="_blank">Authority Zero -- The Tipping Point</a>. Consistently catchy.<br />
-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/g-4m0hZIDqU" target="_blank">Undivided</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Everblack-Black-Dahlia-Murder/dp/B00CCEHYY2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388088532&sr=8-1&keywords=black+dahlia+murder+everblack" target="_blank">Black Dahlia Murder -- Everblack</a>. The AC/DC of death metal.<br />
-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/vnZRJo9y_pI" target="_blank">Every Rope a Noose</a><br />
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<a href="http://cloudkickermusic.com/" target="_blank">Cloudkicker -- Subsume</a>. The best one-man instrumental prog band out there today.<br />
-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/FzlaXyEztSw" target="_blank">He would be riding on the subway...</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Earth-Rocker-Clutch/dp/B00B1ME3DQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388088760&sr=8-1&keywords=clutch+earth+rocker" target="_blank">Clutch -- Earth Rocker</a>. Who doesn't like this band by now?<br />
-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/VXIzmM1DaW8" target="_blank">D.C. Sound Attack</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Your-Love-Editors/dp/B00CZ7AL78/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388081767&sr=8-1&keywords=editors+weight+of+your+love" target="_blank">Editors -- The Weight of Your Love</a>. British indie-rock that doesn't sound like it's trying too hard.</div>
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-- Favorite Tracks: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hpKpPqLSA8" target="_blank">Sugar</a> / <a href="http://youtu.be/jQQ2gTkV-GM" target="_blank">A Ton of Love</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Thief-Living-Sacrifice/dp/B00FGTU3NE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388084206&sr=8-1&keywords=ghost+thief" target="_blank">Living Sacrifice -- Ghost Thief</a>. Christian metallers' triumphant comeback album.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/Qc812DiScXU" target="_blank">Ghost Thief</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Like-Clockwork-Queens-The-Stone/dp/B00C9U9YOW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388083820&sr=8-1&keywords=queens+of+the+stone+age+like" target="_blank">Queens of the Stone Age -- Like Clockwork</a>. Something about this record feels 'off', and I like that about it.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://youtu.be/gOXaUjGk-yY" target="_blank">I Sat By The Ocean</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vermis-Ulcerate/dp/B00DMWBSPO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388083867&sr=8-1&keywords=ulcerate+vermis" target="_blank">Ulcerate -- Vermis</a>. Not as good as their last album, but still soul-crushingly heavy.</div>
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-- Favorite Track: <a href="http://ulcerate.bandcamp.com/track/vermis-2" target="_blank">Vermis</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Wings-White-Black-Butterfly/dp/B00FRLA3KY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388084071&sr=8-1&keywords=white+moth+black+butterfly" target="_blank">White Moth Black Butterfly -- One Thousand Wings</a>. Former Tesseract vocalist brings soul to a Massive Attack-like rock group, with surprising results.</div>
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-- Favorite Tracks: <a href="http://youtu.be/58fXJzQHLlo" target="_blank">Ties of Grace</a> / <a href="http://youtu.be/-oF2dATC2no" target="_blank">Omen</a><br />
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<b>My not-so-scientific predictions for 2014:</b><br />
-- February releases from both Behemoth and Cynic will dominate my ears for most of the year, and both will end up high on my 2014 list.<br />
-- The new album from Skyharbor will release in the fall, and will be my #2. I didn't hear their 2012 debut (<a href="http://youtu.be/8xhnzvlgAsQ" target="_blank">Blinding White Noise</a>) until this year, but they have my full attention now.<br />
-- The new album from <a href="http://youtu.be/rNSPXI7wrTI" target="_blank">Anathema</a> will release in the summer, and will be my #1 for the third straight release of theirs.</div>
Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-85594512061398630492013-12-26T12:01:00.003-06:002013-12-26T12:01:51.837-06:00My favorite movies of 2013So here we are. Another year gone! And for the first time since the blog began in 2004, I'm not doing an actual 'top films' list. I saw 50 films that were released this year, which is up from last year's 36, but there are still SO many I didn't get to see. On top of that, I can't say I saw 10 films that I enjoyed enough to recommend. That doesn't mean this year sucked for film; perhaps I was watching the wrong ones! But when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Bad" target="_blank">a TV show</a> put every film I saw to shame, it makes doing a year-end list a moot point in my eyes. Having said that, here are a few movies I saw this year (in alphabetical order) that deserve some praise:<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535109/" target="_blank">Captain Phillips</a> -- Greengrass turns down the 'shaky cam' and turns up the tension. Over two hours just flew by. Even though I knew how it was going to end, it was still very enjoyable. The final few minutes were improvised on the set, but might be the most powerful moments in the film.<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1454468/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Gravity</a> -- The best technical exercise I've seen in years. The opening shot is marvelous (even if it's a little too dependent on CGI trickery). I still think that <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0206634/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Children of Men</a> is Cuaron's best film, but this might be the most intense 90 minutes I've spent in a theater.<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1245492/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">This Is The End</a> -- My favorite 'dumb comedy' of the year. The stars play amped-up parodies of themselves, and you can't help but laugh at how much fun they have with the script and setting. <br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2084989/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Upstream Color</a> -- Arthouse for the sake of arthouse. Hard to recommend to anyone other than the nerdiest of film nerds. The plot is almost impenetrable, but boy is it beautiful. I'd be scared to see what Carruth could accomplish with a real Hollywood budget. It's no <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390384/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">Primer</a>, but I still couldn't take my eyes off of it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1588173/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Warm Bodies</a> -- One of the better mainstream teen comedies I've seen in a while, and it managed to do something a little different with the zombie genre too. It possesses a gory heart of gold, and was a lot better than the trailers let on.<br />
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Films from 2013 that I still really want to see (in alphabetical order):<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2024544/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">12 Years A Slave</a><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2375605/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">The Act of Killing</a><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2017038/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">All Is Lost</a><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1800241/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">American Hustle</a><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790636/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Dallas Buyers Club</a><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2334649/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Fruitvale Station</a><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Her</a><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2042568/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Inside Llewyn Davis</a><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1821549/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">Nebraska</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993846/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">The Wolf of Wall Street</a></div>
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Safe Prediction for 2014 -- The Raid 2 will kick every single ass.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/3MuXrN8L9ro?rel=0" width="640"></iframe>Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-58207360795013588402013-10-22T15:08:00.003-05:002013-10-22T15:08:48.767-05:00Rethinking "Rehab" at T+7 yearsOn October 30, 2006, Amy Winehouse released what would be her seminal album, Back to Black. It remains, to this day, her best-known work, and an excellent case can be made that it is her best artistic work. Listening to the album today provides some context for our current great female Brit vocalist, the slightly less slender, equally bluesy Adele. The undeniable, inescapable prime meridian in Back to Black is not actually its title track (although "Back to Black" remains an excellent work, every bit as simultaneously familiar and groundbreaking now as in 2006), but rather "Rehab."
For our purposes, it suffices to summarize "Rehab" simply: the song explains in detail why Amy Winehouse will not be going to rehab. It is equally important to preserve the song, for a moment, in the cultural context in which it was released. In 2006, there were some rumors that Winehouse might have a more than passing familiarity with the sort of reality enhancing substances commonly enjoyed by members of the artistic class. If you bought the album, you probably also knew somebody who knew somebody who had been to a Winehouse performance that she allegedly (1) arrived extremely late to, (2) left before the natural conclusion of, (3) did not seem to be in her right mind during, or (4) some or all of 1 through 3. And so “Rehab” was consumed in the contemporary cultural context that Winehouse likely had a recreational drug habit that rated somewhere between “heavy recreational” and “marginally serious.” And in that context, her fans were all too happy to accept, agree with, and sing harmoniously along with her litany of reasons why she neither needed nor would be accepting any trips to Hazelden.
Of course, the problem with this story is that, like a Leonardo DiCaprio/Kate Winslet historio-romantic vehicle, we all know how the story actually ends. We know now that the story ends with Winehouse’s dead body being removed from her London apartment following an overdose that had become essentially a foregone conclusion for more than year before the actual event. Perhaps the only surprise was that it was alcohol, and not one of its more powerful cousins, that ultimately caused her death. And knowing what we know perfects the question: do we now feel differently about the song than we did back in 2006? Should we feel differently?
Answering that question takes us inescapably into the discussion of how we consume, in every sense of the word, celebrity in our post-post-post-modern culture. Any fan of “The Real Housewives of….” ought to be solidly of the view that our enjoyment of “Rehab” should be in no way diminished or adjusted solely because we happen to be rooting for the destruction of its author. Celebrity, thusly viewed, is like ink: we use it for its purpose, understanding that in using it, we exhaust its vessel, which is discarded when it holds nothing more that we want. Understanding that point of view requires neither approbation nor censure; this is simply how some people feel.
What is more interesting is exploring the mindset of those who feel repulsed by the notion that we should be okay with using and discarding our celebrities. After all, they would have us understand, these are human beings! How could we be so careless? A hundred arguments could be made on either side, and other writers have made them with greater or lesser skill. Rather than exploring what ought to be, let us take a moment to acknowledge what is. At the moment, our culture of celebrity rewards the fleeting, fast-burning, and destined for impact. That is the world of the actual, even if some may not believe it is ideal.
But if we step back to 2006, we might also find reason to judge ourselves a bit more harshly than we’d like. It’s not as if Winehouse met her end by falling drunkenly in front of a bus. She eventually died in exactly the way many of her fans (at either end of the scale of engagement) realized she might. It was neither unforeseen nor unforeseeable. Any slightly informed listener humming along to “Rehab” in 2008 could have told you there was a better-than-passing possibility that Winehouse would be joining the ranks of Hendrix or Cobain. And if that didn’t diminish our enjoyment of the song then, then what right do we have to feign indignance and say it bothers us now? All that has happened is the occurrence of what we had good reason to expect would occur. If we were truly such good Samaritans, shouldn’t we have tut-tutted the song during the Bush years? And of course, with only a few exceptions, we didn’t. We were unconsciously ready to consume that celebrity, for as long as the ink still flowed.
In the end, the aforementioned “Real Housewives” viewers may simply be the most enlightened of us all. They have achieved enough self-awareness to admit where they stand. If we insist now on a cultural rethinking of “Rehab,” it may have more to do with trying to convince ourselves that we aren’t the people we are, than with making any improvements going forward. Rationalizing our actions can be the most powerful addiction of all.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-48693035001696705062013-09-01T22:06:00.002-05:002013-09-01T22:06:56.151-05:00Only four episodes of Breaking Bad left<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: black; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MINOR SPOILERS BELOW</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not sure what else to say about tonight's episode, other than I now see light at the end of the tunnel. It makes perfect sense to have Jesse squaring off against Walter in the final reel, so to speak. But as is typical with this show, it'll happen in a way that none of us could possibly predict. I almost wish we didn't have the flash forwards of his 52nd b-day at Denny's, and his return to the house for the ricin. Right now, I'm feeling that the less I know, the better.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I fucking love this fucking show so fucking much. I'm going to cry when it's over. And it'll be that selfish cry from a funeral of a dead relative that I care more about my loss than their death. It's gonna be ugly. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OR, more likely, I'll be completely numb when it's over, in utter disbelief. And it'll hit me when I wake up the next morning: "There will never be another 'new' episode of Breaking Bad to look forward to". And I'll try to console myself by saying, "New Sherlocks coming up soon!", as if that will make up for it. As much as I'll want it to, it won't.</span></div>
Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-179046134247333032013-02-27T14:36:00.000-06:002013-02-27T14:36:56.241-06:00Reflections on More than a Decade of GTA IIIIn December of 2001, one of my friends from law school came back to Minneapolis because his girlfriend (also a law school classmate) was in a wedding. Who gets married in Minneapolis in December is another question, but the important thing was, my friend wasn't in the wedding, and didn't know these people. So, he was free from obligations, whereas his girlfriend was the maid of honor. He planned to spend the time catching up with his friends in the Twin Cities, and I was lucky enough that he started by visiting me. The rest of his friends didn't end up getting so lucky...<br />
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When John showed up at my apartment, he had two things with him that I hadn't seen before: a PS2 and a copy of GTA 3. What happened over the next four days was both awesome and really depressing. John didn't spend time catching up with his many friends back in the Twin Cities. Because he and I sat in the living room and played GTA 3. For four days straight. Just passing the controller back and forth when we died, and taking turns running missions and killing people and playing taxi and baseball batting hookers and laughing when the people in Chinatown said "is it dragon breath?" And it's not like we were two stoned college sophomores. We were 25 year old adult lawyers who had real jobs.<br />
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Several months ago, I was thrilled to find out that Rockstar released GTA 3 as an Ipad game (hint hint), and spent a few hours playing it (some controls customization is needed, otherwise the game works great). It then dawned on me that, since I have a PS2 and a copy of the game, I could just play the game for real. Which I did. Blending my reflections from those snowy days in my apartment living room with my recent views on the game, here's what I've come up with.<br />
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First, you really can't overstate the impact GTA 3 had when it first came out. I bought a PS2 the day after John left. Just to I could play the game. Maybe there were other quasi-sandbox games that came out first, but GTA 3 was the first time general, non-hard-core gamers like me saw a game where you could just do....whatever the hell you wanted to do. AND PEOPLE DID. There were people who just played freaking taxi. People rode the subway just to stare out the window at the animated city flashing by. And if you find someone who says they never stood on the balcony at Kenji's Casino and sniped people until the helicopter showed up, and then RPG'd helicopters until the army showed up, well...they're either lying or they've never truly lived. Here's the thing: us mere civilians never even knew a game could be this way. All the games we knew had a point. Hell, the point for most games we've played was either Go Right or Go Up. When the bad guys steal your girlfriend at the beginning of Double Dragon, it had never occurred to us that the right reaction might be to go into the store next door and steal some shit, then jump down into the sewers and see how many rats we could kill. No. The Game Was A Mission. You Played The Game By Doing the Mission. Now you get GTA 3. And, like the world's nicest dungeon master, GTA 3 just said: what do you want to do today? Mind = blown.<br />
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Second, GTA 3 gets something really basic and fundamental right that so many games spend so much money getting wrong: I am not looking for realistic physics in my shoot-em-up game. If you have the ability, go spend a half-hour playing GTA 3. And pay attention to how the fast cars handle (the Yakuza Stinger is my favorite go-to car for missions, because it's fast as hell and it can take a LOT of abuse). Put mildly, the physics engine for car performance isn't realistic at all. But it IS awesome as hell. The only way you can screw up when driving is if you try to drive like a normal human being. You'll turn right into the wall on the inside of that curve. But, if you floor it, wait for the last minute, then jam on the parking break and slam into the turn, you'll breeze right through. Worst case scenario, you'll smack the rear panel on the outside of the turn, which will help you complete the turn properly. If I wanted realistic driving physics, I'd go with GT 3 (or 5 or 7 or whatever). Not a game where you lob molotov cocktails at drug-addicted maniacs who are running towards you with bombs strapped to their chests.<br />
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Third, music. Music. Oh man. Jump in a car, and the first thing you check is: what's on the radio? Ain't listening to that Double Clef FM classical music bullshit. Where's Game FM? GTA 3 has Royce da 5-9 rapping on it. It's not just that the music became such an imbedded part of the game, it's that (once again) the notion that you were in control of a full musical palate and could choose how the game sounded was....just....not something we had ever considered before. It's not that I hated the music to Super Mario Bros. (even after Dane Cook pointed out that the lyrics to the World 1-2 music are "Penis penis penis......penis penis penis....") (also, admit that you just sang that in your head in turn). But choice itself is a powerful aphrodisiac. And it led to this: you would get in your car HOPING that the radio was set for a particular station, and HOPING that a particular song would be on. In a fake car. In a fake world. In a fucking shooing game. Developers talk about immersion. How's that for immersion?<br />
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Now, GTA 3 also features some of the most embarassingly performed voice overs in history. By talented artists! Michael Madsen has to physically wince when he hears some of his lines as Tony. Joe Pantoliano does a solid job. Kyle MacLaughlin does an awesome job. And Robert Logia is Robert Logia.<br />
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Look, I'd stick around and write more, but I gotta go. It's been almost an hour since I last played GTA 3, and my hands are shaking. Stay cool.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-8702106412422760792012-12-29T23:26:00.000-06:002012-12-29T23:44:32.255-06:00Lord Bling's Top Games of 20122012 was a great year to be a gamer! So many big releases lived up to (or exceeded) expectations, and many smaller titles surprised me too. Ranking this year's list was tough, especially picking a #1. Too much goodness! So let's get to it. Links will go to random retail sites, and the listed format is where I played each game.<br />
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(Disclaimer: While I work in the video game industry, I'm not a professional critic. There are plenty of games I didn't get to play, so this list isn't meant to be all-inclusive. Also, these are just my personal opinions, and are not representative of my employer.)</div>
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<b>Honorable Mentions</b> (in alphabetical order):</div>
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<a href="http://www.gamestop.com/xbox-360/games/binary-domain/88751" target="_blank">Binary Domain</a> (X360) -- Cover-based shooters are a dime a dozen these days, but this one was better than most. Very good story, well-written characters, and the squad 'trust' system was a nice addition.</div>
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<a href="http://www.moddb.com/mods/black-mesa" target="_blank">Black Mesa</a> (PC) -- This free mod was over seven years in the making, but worth the wait. No matter how many times you may have played through the original Half-Life, they tweaked just enough to make it feel fresh. Mod DB even named it 'Mod of the Year', topping the mighty Day Z. </div>
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<a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/730/" target="_blank">Counter-Strike: Global Offensive</a> (PC) -- If it ain't broke, don't fix it! A respectable update to a classic. Gun games never get old.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Diablo-III-Standard-Edition-Pc/dp/B00178630A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356831859&sr=8-1&keywords=diablo+3" target="_blank">Diablo 3</a> (PC) -- Series veterans had a lot of complaints, but as a noob, I found a lot to like. Now if they'd only add PvP...</div>
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<a href="http://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/219150/" target="_blank">Hotline Miami</a> (PC) -- Super Meat Boy combined with an 80's serial killer movie. Original and disturbing. With tighter controls, it could've ended up in my top 15.</div>
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<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/plague-inc./id525818839?mt=8" target="_blank">Plague Inc.</a> (iOS) -- I don't usually get into simulation games, but this one grabbed me. Infect the world!</div>
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<a href="http://www.gamefly.com/Download-Spec-Ops-The-Line/5004056/" target="_blank">Spec Ops: The Line</a> (PC) -- The story dares to ask questions about the nature of war and how it affects the human psyche. A war-torn Dubai makes for an unforgettable setting, and the squad mechanic works surprisingly well.</div>
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<a href="http://us.playstation.com/psvita/games-and-media/psv-treasures-of-montezuma-blitz.html" target="_blank">Treasures of Montezuma Blitz</a> (PS Vita) -- Addictive free-to-play puzzle game has caught a lot of my free time this year. It launched slowly, but patches improved it immensely. If you have a Vita, you should be playing this.</div>
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<b>Top 15 List</b></div>
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15. <a href="http://www.gamestop.com/xbox-360/games/the-darkness-ii/90185" target="_blank">The Darkness II</a> (X360) -- I was a big fan of the original. It had one of the better stories you'll find in this generation. I didn't know what to think when they announced a sequel, from a different developer, and in a cel-shaded graphic style, but they did a commendable job. It looks and plays great, and the story is solid (if not quite as strong as the first game).</div>
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14. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sonic-All-Stars-Racing-Transformed-Xbox-360/dp/B008OQTRYW/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1356833357&sr=1-1&keywords=sonic+all+star+racing+transformed" target="_blank">Sonic & All-Star Racing Transformed</a> (X360) -- Even better than the past few Mario Karts. Nice variety in the gameplay for the driving, boating, and flying sections. A good amount of depth in the campaign, and full online support on all platforms. You don't have to be a Sega fan to enjoy it either!</div>
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13. <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/trials-evolution/" target="_blank">Trials: Evolution</a> (X360) -- 'More Trials' is really all they had to deliver, and that's what we got. It kept me up well past bedtime for weeks. The controls are still satisfying, and the challenge of the later levels is still heart-explodingly difficult. </div>
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12. <a href="http://www.gamestop.com/xbox-360/games/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-future-soldier/77068" target="_blank">Ghost Recon: Future Soldier</a> (X360) -- I liked this more than the previous two Advanced Warfighters. While it doesn't have much in common with the original Ghost Recon games, the pacing is better and it's much more polished. The multiplayer doesn't reinvent the wheel, but the three squad classes have a nice variety and balance.</div>
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11. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dishonored-Xbox-360/dp/B005C2D2MO/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1356836446&sr=1-1&keywords=dishonored" target="_blank">Dishonored</a> (X360) -- An exceptional blend of Thief and Bioshock. The story was good up until the final act. One of the better debuts this year, and I'm very interested to see what they'll do in the inevitable follow-up.</div>
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10. <a href="http://www.gamestop.com/xbox-360/games/halo-4/91448" target="_blank">Halo 4</a> (X360) -- Halo Reach was a respectable swan song for Bungie, but I think this debut from 343 Industries is the better game. The story was the best since the original, and the graphics prove that the Xbox 360 still has some tricks up its sleeve. </div>
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9. <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/200510/" target="_blank">XCOM: Enemy Unknown</a> (PC) -- I have never liked turn-based strategy games. And yet, I really like this turn-based strategy game a lot. It helps that it's squad-based, and that they don't have you micromanaging every little detail. I haven't put nearly as much time into this as I'd like, but that won't last long.</div>
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8. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Call-Duty-Black-Ops-Xbox-360/dp/B007XVTR3K/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1356837578&sr=1-1&keywords=black+ops+2" target="_blank">Call of Duty: Black Ops 2</a> (X360) -- The best game Treyarch has ever made, and definitely the craziest. Futuristic weapons (wrist-fired grenades, weapon sights that see through walls), a 'play-as-the-bad-guy' cut scene that turns into a machete massacre, a floating ocean city, 80's flashbacks of firing RPGs from horseback, Michael Rooker with spikey hair .... it's unapologetically insane, and the most fun I've had with a CoD game in five years.</div>
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7. <a href="http://www.gamestop.com/xbox-360/games/forza-horizon/102381" target="_blank">Forza Horizon</a> (X360) -- I haven't been drawn into a racing game since Test Drive Unlimited and Burnout Paradise. Both of those were huge open-world games that were more arcade than simulation. This game is more sim than either of those, but is forgiving enough. It's relaxing to just drive around and see the sights, and when you want to actually race, it's a challenge but not punishing. (*FYI: I didn't get to play Need for Speed: Most Wanted, but reviews say it's a lot like Burnout Paradise (same devs) so that one may have ended up near this slot too).</div>
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6. <a href="http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Mark-of-the-Ninja/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258411228" target="_blank">Mark of the Ninja</a> (X360) -- The best pure stealth game I've played in years. Playing it felt like the developers spoke to me beforehand, because they somehow knew what I've always wanted in a game like this. The Tenchu games came close, but this is true Ninja Heaven.</div>
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5. <a href="http://www.gamestop.com/ps3/games/journey/99281" target="_blank">Journey</a> (PS3) -- Probably the best $15 you can spend this year. It contains not a single word of dialog, and yet inspires more emotion than almost every other game I've ever played. Until Fumito Ueda can finally deliver The Last Guardian, I'll be playing through this again.</div>
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4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mass-Effect-3-Xbox-360/dp/B004FYEZMQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1356839045&sr=1-1&keywords=mass+effect+3" target="_blank">Mass Effect 3</a> (X360) -- Even though the story juggled the ball a bit near the goal line, the sheer level of scope and imagination on display is undeniable. In these three games, Bioware accomplished something that we may never see again in this industry. They even added a PvE multiplayer mode, and it was a lot more fun than anyone expected. </div>
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3. <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/207610/" target="_blank">The Walking Dead</a> (PC) -- If video games ever expand into a larger art form, we may look back on this as one of the turning points. Even though it's more of an interactive novel than a traditional game, Lee and Clementine are the most 'real' characters in any game I've ever played. Struggling for their survival will have you making moral choices that you'll think twice about, and then you'll second-guess those choices after the fact. By the end of the final episode, I was an emotional wreck. This game had me excited for what this medium can eventually become.</div>
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2. <a href="http://www.gamestop.com/xbox-360/games/borderlands-2/92826" target="_blank">Borderlands 2</a> (X360) -- The first Borderlands was a revelation, and scratched an FPS/RPG hybrid itch most didn't know they had. While the sequel doesn't take many risks, it delivered an even better experience than the first. The minor tweaks made to the user interface, the quest delivery, the skill trees, the NPC dialog, the hub world -- all were improvements. The levels feel bigger, and the score from the always-amazing Jesper Kyd was great too. The 'True Vault Hunter' mode and the upcoming DLC guarantee I'll be playing this well into the next year.<br />
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<i>DRUM ROLL.........</i></div>
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1. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Far-Cry-3-Xbox-360/dp/B0050SYV70/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1356840790&sr=1-1&keywords=far+cry+3" target="_blank">Far Cry 3</a> (X360) -- I punched a shark in the face.</div>
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Just when I thought I was burned out on open-world games, this one delivered more 'holy crap' moments and genuine laughs than anything else I played this year. It made me feel like the star of an action movie. The first two Far Cry games were ambitious but uneven. This one corrects all the wrongs, and has a blast doing it.</div>
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The tagline of 'Skyrim with guns' isn't too far off. While there are many ways to get around the massive island (cars, jeeps, jet skis, patrol boats, ziplines, hang gliders, wingsuits), exploring on foot while hunting was just as much fun. The "L.A. trust-funder turns into jungle mercenary" story is enjoyable (especially by normal shooter standards, even if it starts to tail off near the end), and the voice acting is stellar. The side missions are varied too, and are short enough to not overstay their welcome. </div>
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The AI is fairly random, which leads to some memorable moments. Sometimes while trying to capture a base, I spotted a caged animal inside. You can shoot the cage door lock and let the animal out, and it will distract the bad guys. At one point, I was observing a base through my camera when a black bear came out of the jungle and started attacking everyone. Instead of firing at them, I just watched as they screamed in horror and tried to kill it, and failed. The bear ripped every one of them apart, and then I got credit for capturing the base. I was in the right place at the right time. And I couldn't stop laughing.</div>
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Besides a lengthy campaign, and tons of post-game exploration and side missions, there is also a decent co-op campaign, a full competitive multiplayer, and a map editor. It's not all perfect though. The graphics on Xbox aren't as sharp as I'd like, but I suppose it's a fair trade for drawing such a huge open map. The multiplayer feels a little floaty when compared to other AAA shooters. However, I think the biggest omission is not being able to start a "New Game Plus" and carry your unlocked perks and weapons over into a new game. But, these are all minor complaints in my book. It's the most fun I had with a game this year.</div>
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Also, did I mention that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkdyO-zgQyI" target="_blank">I punched a shark in the face</a>? Top that, 2013.</div>
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Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-58483861525103627372012-12-27T11:33:00.001-06:002012-12-27T11:36:03.316-06:00Lord Bling's Top 15 Albums of 2012<div class="tr_bq">
I usually do a Top Ten album list, but it's been a really good year for the music I listen to, so I figured I'd expand it to 15. Like usual, if you're not into metal, a good part of this list won't pertain to you, but stick around and you might find a few surprises.</div>
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(Band names link to Wikipedia. Album names link to Amazon.)<br />
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15. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Corrosion" target="_blank">Storm Corrosion</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Storm-Corrosion/dp/B007UWH3O2/ref=sr_shvl_album_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1356623332&sr=301-2" target="_blank">self-titled</a>. The prog-rock super group brought it mellow and dark. Nothing like Opeth or Porcupine Tree, but fans of both will appreciate it. Great for overcast weather. Favorite Song (and possibly best video of the year?): <a href="http://youtu.be/manW5v-AR7U" target="_blank">Drag Ropes</a><br />
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14. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Converge_(band)" target="_blank">Converge</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-We-Love-Leave-Behind/dp/B009G3TNIM/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_title_0" target="_blank">All We Love We Leave Behind</a>. How does these guys still do it? Over 20 years of consistently great (and more importantly, relevant) hardcore? They continue to amaze me. Favorite Song: <a href="http://youtu.be/ncyUDtp_rJk" target="_blank">Sadness Comes Home</a><br />
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13. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toadies" target="_blank">Toadies</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Play-Rock-Music/dp/B008KTF8K0/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356623655&sr=301-1" target="_blank">Play.Rock.Music</a>. Gritty southern rock is a consistent listen throughout. Their strongest overall album since Hell Below Stars Above. Favorite Song: <a href="http://youtu.be/0lqVcT1eZTM" target="_blank">We Burned the City Down</a><br />
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12. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testament_(band)" target="_blank">Testament</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Roots-of-Earth/dp/B008MJC6ZS/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356623912&sr=301-1" target="_blank">Dark Roots of Earth</a>. A band that deserved to be mentioned in the same breath as the Big Four. They're still writing music that's better than anything those four bands have released in years. Favorite Song: <a href="http://youtu.be/gpNMyoO37vo" target="_blank">Native Blood</a><br />
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11. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napalm_death" target="_blank">Napalm Death</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Utilitarian/dp/B008Z7M5F8/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_mus?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1356624152&sr=1-1&keywords=napalm+death+utilitarian" target="_blank">Utilitarian</a>. Having grown up with this band, I'd kind of grown out of them in the past decade. Then I saw the album was on sale for $5 on Amazon and I bought it, and I'm really glad I did. In fact, it has me wondering what I've missed over the past decade. Favorite Song: <a href="http://youtu.be/dWghSUl_bGs" target="_blank">Errors in the Signals</a><br />
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10. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deftones" target="_blank">Deftones</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Koi-No-Yokan-Explicit/dp/B009YU6FJM/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_mus?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1356624418&sr=1-1&keywords=deftones+koi" target="_blank">Koi No Yokan</a>. This one didn't grab me as instantly as their last two, but it's still a strong record. I'm glad they're still plugging away, and hopefully Chi can make it back to them someday. Favorite Song: <a href="http://youtu.be/67oBykAKUuk" target="_blank">Entombed</a><br />
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9. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylosis" target="_blank">Sylosis</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Monolith/dp/B009B0DO1C/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_mus?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1356625486&sr=1-1&keywords=sylosis+monolith" target="_blank">Monolith</a>. Probably their best overall album, even if it lacks a true 'home run' song like <a href="http://youtu.be/eBxajmmJfvU" target="_blank">Empyreal</a>. If you're a fan of Lamb of God, this will be your new favorite band. Favorite Song: <a href="http://youtu.be/ydCg1TTzKJs" target="_blank">What Dwells Within</a><br />
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8. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periphery_(band)" target="_blank">Periphery</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Periphery-II/dp/B008FXNKN8/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_mus?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1356624619&sr=1-1&keywords=periphery" target="_blank">II: This Time It's Personal</a>. Not as strong as their debut, but that one came from out of nowhere so expectations were higher here. The technical prowess is there (of course), but the biggest gain has to be Spencer's vocals. He really upped his game, and pulls it all off live too. Favorite Song: <a href="http://youtu.be/6POFR3m7BEg" target="_blank">Scarlet</a><br />
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7. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_Bomb_(band)" target="_blank">Car Bomb</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/w-Explicit/dp/B009LRNPAA/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1356626405&sr=1-1&keywords=car+bomb" target="_blank">w^w^^w^w</a>. Left for dead years ago, these math metal survivors returned with an album so important, it could not be ignored. This is the kind of music Dillinger Escape Plan used to make, before they started listening to the hype about themselves. Favorite Songs: <a href="http://youtu.be/xUCk_kxFUHg" target="_blank">Finish It</a> / <a href="http://youtu.be/iIXp0CtkU2E" target="_blank">Lower the Blade</a><br />
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6. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_Horns_7_Eyes" target="_blank">7 Horns 7 Eyes</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Throes-of-Absolution/dp/B009S1DT6Y/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_mus?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1356625871&sr=1-1&keywords=7+horns+7+eyes+-+throes+of+absolution" target="_blank">Throes of Absolution</a>. The only debut album on my list comes from a Christian prog/tech/death band. Wholly deserving of all the praise it received in the metal underground in the months leading up to its release. I can't wait to see what they do for an encore. Favorite Song: <a href="http://youtu.be/7tyBXzGvDoo" target="_blank">Cycle of Self</a><br />
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5. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_Destroyer" target="_blank">Pig Destroyer</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Book-Burner/dp/B009L333HO/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_mus?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1356626714&sr=1-1&keywords=pig+destroyer" target="_blank">Book Burner</a>. Their best album since Prowler in the Yard. Don't listen to this band while you're driving, or you'll end up with a few speeding tickets. Favorite Song (and a close second for best video of the year): <a href="http://youtu.be/d6dycCqqZS0" target="_blank">The Diplomat</a><br />
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4. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Faceless" target="_blank">The Faceless</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Autotheism/dp/B008WAN1YM/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_mus?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1356626960&sr=1-1&keywords=faceless+autotheism" target="_blank">Autotheism</a>. This one took a long time to grow on me. While the tech-death parts still exist, they injected a lot of Between the Buried and Me / Devin Townsend-like progressive rock into the songwriting. This may have upset some of their long-time fans, but I actually think it works better than anything else they've ever written. Favorite Song: <a href="http://youtu.be/S6ggyvN7hYc" target="_blank">Emancipate</a><br />
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3. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devin_Townsend_Project" target="_blank">The Devin Townsend Project</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Epicloud/dp/B008XTWYN6/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_mus?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1356627252&sr=1-1&keywords=epicloud" target="_blank">Epicloud</a>. While not as poppy as his 'Dev Leppard' comments hinted, it still brings enough 'catchy' to warrant the tag. His lyrics have become more hopeful over the years, but without being too 'soft'. This is his finest solo album since Infinity. Favorite Songs: <a href="http://youtu.be/lGgJ-AijFw8" target="_blank">Liberation</a> / <a href="http://youtu.be/StSalE00cAA" target="_blank">Grace</a><br />
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2. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle_Decapitation" target="_blank">Cattle Decapitation</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Monolith-of-Inhumanity/dp/B007PUPAS0/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_mus?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1356627684&sr=1-1&keywords=monolith+of+inhumanity" target="_blank">Monolith of Inhumanity</a>. A concept album about how humanity is slowly killing itself, set to music that sounds like the end of the world. Travis Ryan has proven himself to be the best vocalist in extreme music today, by combining guttural and melodic in a way that only Mike Patton could have dreamed of. Metal album of the year. Favorite Song: <a href="http://youtu.be/tfjQUYtSmHw" target="_blank">Your Disposal</a><br />
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1. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anathema_(band)" target="_blank">Anathema</a> -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Weather-Systems/dp/B007IJDXFK/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_mus?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1356628496&sr=1-1&keywords=anathema+weather+systems" target="_blank">Weather Systems</a>. They've done it again. Last year, they released "We're Here Because We're Here" in the US, and I named the 'Pink Floyd-on-downers' prog-rock record my top pick of 2011. Now we get this, which is more subtle, but reveals itself to be the better record with repeated listens. Their lyrics continue to revolve around dealing with the loss of loved ones, and the last thoughts people have before passing on. It has moments of darkness, but still manages to feel hopeful, and extracts emotions out of me unlike any other band I've ever heard. Favorite Songs: <a href="http://youtu.be/YDsMpOM4uAU" target="_blank">Untouchable Pts 1 & 2</a> / <a href="http://youtu.be/nJMKFHfxNBU" target="_blank">Lightning Song</a> / <a href="http://youtu.be/OfzFSXYH3GA" target="_blank">The Lost Child</a><br />
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"I've never seen a light that's so bright</div>
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The light that shines behind your eyes</div>
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I had to let you go</div>
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To the setting sun</div>
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I had to let you go</div>
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To find your way back home"</div>
Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-64269938636223436322012-12-26T22:03:00.000-06:002012-12-27T17:44:37.538-06:00Lord Bling's favorite movies of 2012This year's top movie list will be less valuable than ever, for two reasons: 1) I only saw 36 films. Considering I used to see well over 100 (as part of my job), I can't really be considered anything of an expert anymore. 2) There wasn't anything I saw that screamed out 'classic', or even what I would deem to be a 'four-star' film. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_of_Arabia_(film)" target="_blank">The best film I saw in 2012 was made 50 years ago</a>, but that doesn't exactly qualify for this list.<br />
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Like last year, I won't rank what I saw, but will list them in alphabetical order instead:<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_Valor" target="_blank">Act of Valor</a> -- The acting is pretty bad, and you can see the ending coming a mile away. However, the acting is bad because the performers are actual Navy SEALs. The attention to detail was better than any military film I've seen since Black Hawk Down, and the action is edited very well. Plus (SPOILER ALERT!), with both of my grandparents having been given military funerals, I'm a sucker for them.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argo_(2012_film)" target="_blank">Argo</a> -- Affleck's best film so far. Just the right amount of humor. However, it made me wish for a documentary about the topic.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_(2012_film)" target="_blank">The Avengers</a> -- Even more fun than I'd hoped. Perfect escapist entertainment. If you can accept that they have a flying aircraft carrier, you can accept a couple of minor plot issues.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Django_unchained" target="_blank">Django Unchained</a> -- A love letter to spaghetti westerns, set in the era of American slavery. The first half is brilliant. The second half isn't quite as strong, and plays as a long slow burn with a semi-satisfying conclusion. However, I'll take a 'decent' Tarantino film over most directors' best works. <br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_(2012_film)" target="_blank">Flight</a> -- The script is just so-so, and feels a little too 'movie of the week' in the final reel. However, Denzel is brilliant, and the crash sequence is flawlessly edited.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_grey" target="_blank">The Grey</a> -- Carnahan's best film by far. Bleak and unforgiving. Liam Neeson delivers the gravitas.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looper_(film)" target="_blank">Looper</a> -- Hollywood has done time travel to death, but this finds a way to bring something new to the genre. It had me thinking quite a bit afterwards. It's not as good as you've heard, but still better than most.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus_(film)" target="_blank">Prometheus</a> -- I like when science fiction dares to ask questions, even when they don't make a serious effort to answer them. Gorgeous visuals, but they come with a flawed script and one-dimensional characters. Hopefully the impending sequel will improve upon it.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot_and_frank" target="_blank">Robot & Frank</a> -- What a great surprise this little film was! It could've turned out a disaster, but Langella is perfectly understated, and you believe every moment he spends with the robot. It's sweet without feeling like it's trying to be.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21_Jump_Street_(film)" target="_blank">21 Jump Street</a> -- I did NOT see this one coming, but I laughed more during this film than anything else I saw this year. Raunchy but with a good heart underneath it all. Hill and Tatum have great timing, and the script pokes lots of fun at the premise. We're in on the joke, and it's all the better for it.<br />
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What were your favorite films this past year? Which ones did I miss? Let me know how much of an idiot I am in the comments!<br />
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EDIT! I've been reminded that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Raid:_Redemption" target="_blank">The Raid: Redemption</a>, while technically first released overseas in 2011, was released in the U.S. in 2012, and that puts it in this year. It was one of the best 'pure' action films I've seen in a long time, with brilliant fight editing and choreography. I've seen it three times already and could watch it again right now. Definitely Top Ten material!Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-40627406138978962222012-11-18T20:29:00.001-06:002012-11-18T20:30:17.419-06:00Review -- Black Ops 2 MultiplayerHey! What have you all been up to? Apparently, not reading anything new on this blog. So let's fix that!<br />
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Black Ops 2 came out last week and I've been playing a bit of the online multiplayer. Here's my review:<br />
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We're just over a month away from my year-end 'Best Of' lists! I bet you all can't wait!Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-68076565919173942242012-09-17T16:33:00.001-05:002012-09-17T22:26:33.387-05:00What Mitt Romney thinks of Obama votersThis is how politicians talk at fund raisers when they think no one is recording them.
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EDIT -- A writer for Bloomberg.com predicts that <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-17/today-mitt-romney-lost-the-election.html" target="_blank">today is the day that Romney lost the election</a>. I can't help but agree. Saying you don't worry about 47% of the country is bad politics, no matter how you slice it.Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-19636073580809016292012-09-11T09:40:00.000-05:002012-09-11T09:40:26.002-05:00Never Forget<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzP5MygagxAHW3-fEXSqFa9PY_KN2fDwZXQXY0MKUTR9IMK160_a9_r0d-NlGWK79etJbqIJ96wgJp2XoifesbI-L7-K7BJkn1I6rzbHUj6lHmNCoM7742au49jYj1iwX_OTJU/s1600/closest+some+of+us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzP5MygagxAHW3-fEXSqFa9PY_KN2fDwZXQXY0MKUTR9IMK160_a9_r0d-NlGWK79etJbqIJ96wgJp2XoifesbI-L7-K7BJkn1I6rzbHUj6lHmNCoM7742au49jYj1iwX_OTJU/s400/closest+some+of+us.jpg" width="312" /></a></div>
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Never forget that you shouldn't trust anyone who promises you great things after you die.</div>
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Never forget that we are consistently lied to by those in power, and by those seeking power.
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Never forget to listen to as many sides to an argument as possible.</div>
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Never forget to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.</div>
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Never forget to think for yourself.</div>
Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-24204367819921739022012-08-01T17:25:00.000-05:002012-08-01T17:25:04.441-05:00Dallas, prepare your diddly-hole.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqi6ZqcvxtzRLRQRbTPK-rh8MQazhNoyvp8fttjhYI_FxbEeRGKFj-mPlcAvQ06U4xMnR-FAq04Do2TIKo3KQSahIQRe7oAIOWRAl6SmH1cz44sjiAjEuob-VldeGu_YxGkDtF/s1600/prepare+your.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqi6ZqcvxtzRLRQRbTPK-rh8MQazhNoyvp8fttjhYI_FxbEeRGKFj-mPlcAvQ06U4xMnR-FAq04Do2TIKo3KQSahIQRe7oAIOWRAl6SmH1cz44sjiAjEuob-VldeGu_YxGkDtF/s400/prepare+your.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Dallas, in less than five hours, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/06547896008559706255" target="_blank">The Miles</a> will be in you. I can't be held responsible for what happens. At the very least, there will be golf. A Texas Rangers game. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QuakeCon" target="_blank">Quakecon</a>. Perhaps a viewing of the 'oh-my-fucking-hell-why-did-we-pay-to-see-this' remake of <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/total_recall_2010/" target="_blank">Total Recall</a>. And from there, it gets ugly. So ugly, I can't even put it in writing. Let's just say I have <a href="http://www.bettercallsaul.com/" target="_blank">Saul Goodman</a> on speed dial.<br />
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Dallas, I hope your <a href="http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/my-body-is-ready" target="_blank">body is ready</a>.Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-6338509064461432242012-07-03T15:04:00.003-05:002012-07-03T15:04:48.880-05:00Battlestation picsI got a new TV for the game room! My battlestation is now fully operational:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vOqcrG7hnuZ_PP__sjldo03QGM6WKRfjTZxgVgUkyXvWPtdfrqH9Jj_Zai1yIRk0poR9Vz58LlZj2kzGkYTQ4CL06jRuUfL7jhOy8dnFtpffWsxLY-JjptLeIIcIg4Jlex8E/s1600/photo+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vOqcrG7hnuZ_PP__sjldo03QGM6WKRfjTZxgVgUkyXvWPtdfrqH9Jj_Zai1yIRk0poR9Vz58LlZj2kzGkYTQ4CL06jRuUfL7jhOy8dnFtpffWsxLY-JjptLeIIcIg4Jlex8E/s640/photo+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The first TV I got was defective (dead pixels along the entire bottom couple of inches), but Amazon took it back and replaced it for me for free. It's the new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-VIERA-TC-P60ST50-60-Inch-Plasma/dp/B00752VKBY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341345065&sr=8-1&keywords=p60st50" target="_blank">ST50</a> model, and it's pretty sweet.<br />
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Since one picture isn't enough to contain the awesomeness, here's the other side of the room:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT3mtTwJLtsyMmb2-W4NVpctpdyzBWD1KfLGj0X_quIxz8PeNOroZvnD62VERLJpg7LQkuS8diDJlPyiJn5FY0HnQ-5EQZwdTb1lRxeHTZOf-B7eTh7y737mBUETS6pDFnprz/s1600/DSC02266+copy+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT3mtTwJLtsyMmb2-W4NVpctpdyzBWD1KfLGj0X_quIxz8PeNOroZvnD62VERLJpg7LQkuS8diDJlPyiJn5FY0HnQ-5EQZwdTb1lRxeHTZOf-B7eTh7y737mBUETS6pDFnprz/s640/DSC02266+copy+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Gaming sessions can go pretty long, so comfort was a major key. Well, it is for me. The Player Two chair isn't nearly as comfortable, but it has a Charlie the Unicorn blanket (thanks <a href="https://live.xbox.com/en-US/Profile?gamertag=Lord%20JLaw949" target="_blank">JLaw</a>!). With my old setup (including <a href="http://atypicalsnowman.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/2001_monolith.jpg" target="_blank">Monolith-sized</a> CRT rear-projection TV), I didn't have room for a Player Two chair. Now, I have everything I need!<br />
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See you online....Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-71354739953210768552012-06-09T12:33:00.002-05:002012-06-09T12:34:33.922-05:00Movie Review -- PrometheusDue to my work connections, I got to see Prometheus a few days early. I was at E3 last week so I wasn't able to post the review until now. Here it is, spoiler-free.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDM3AD5F6nbc7MFr6c7e4Q0ZO3l9t0tH25Ox3_mWWLbLG0i1Sc2t_l5h9Af6krCq5sq7qRUmBwh1z3MvYorYzbxohOij6Lk4bUMZSykM1xD58GByS1eOtRul2SXV4oDD8-dQzE/s1600/Prometheus+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDM3AD5F6nbc7MFr6c7e4Q0ZO3l9t0tH25Ox3_mWWLbLG0i1Sc2t_l5h9Af6krCq5sq7qRUmBwh1z3MvYorYzbxohOij6Lk4bUMZSykM1xD58GByS1eOtRul2SXV4oDD8-dQzE/s640/Prometheus+poster.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I liked it a lot, but wanted to love it. There were a couple of small missteps in areas like shallow characterization and predictable foreshadowing, but nothing 'deal-breaking'. The visuals were amazing, and the 3D was really well done. It added depth and wasn't gimmicky. It was filmed in 3D and not done in post, so feel confident in seeing it with the additional dimension.</div>
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I like how they raised some very large questions about the creation of life. Considering how the first Alien film was essentially 'truckers in space', they made a huge leap into thought-provoking sci-fi here. There apparently is even more depth underneath the surface than I'd originally thought. After you've seen the movie, go <a href="http://cavalorn.livejournal.com/584135.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> to read more ... but don't go now because it's filled with spoilers.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gbpuRx8VVfWkXKRgijGdMZdfN2J8DsvF5BRoe8rL_VmrP-jSXNIfkecH_LzkZ6utjADzXA6655N6Dv4sz1VNnV_VaBk_YjUNLuuvNsOIld95uqyEsVTzKXUOskyq-y-6oOhj/s1600/Prometheus+ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1gbpuRx8VVfWkXKRgijGdMZdfN2J8DsvF5BRoe8rL_VmrP-jSXNIfkecH_LzkZ6utjADzXA6655N6Dv4sz1VNnV_VaBk_YjUNLuuvNsOIld95uqyEsVTzKXUOskyq-y-6oOhj/s640/Prometheus+ship.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The film is just over two hours long, but it could've used about 30 more minutes. It was paced really well for about the first 75 minutes, and then goes into a mad dash to the finish line, almost feeling like they were fast-forwarding to hit major plot points. There are two lines spoken by the ship's captain in the last act that explain about 80% of the film. It felt forced, but due to the pacing near the end, they were necessary. I really hope we get an Extended Cut on Blu-Ray.</div>
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I wish the characters weren't so cardboard. Every one of them were stereotypes. I understand that it's not "about them" but I think it would've helped my opinion of the movie if I cared more about the decisions they made in the final act. The performances are all good (Rapace and Fassbender being the standouts), but they didn't really 'need' to be.</div>
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The score was most effective when it wasn't being used at all. The first Alien film was about tension, and silence. Prometheus is at its best when it follows that model.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZb9W-u8-TBDxUlPbdbSpS-y4G-lqMhZJkdZvM8a854tSj7jibBfHzBrOqer-yLjUydczCDg_8O25dszYXQCUA-zNnVwCXx1C1dk7qORrrdkHBwqL4EZ8-Q631d8nz6pgM1uN/s1600/Prometheus+space+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZb9W-u8-TBDxUlPbdbSpS-y4G-lqMhZJkdZvM8a854tSj7jibBfHzBrOqer-yLjUydczCDg_8O25dszYXQCUA-zNnVwCXx1C1dk7qORrrdkHBwqL4EZ8-Q631d8nz6pgM1uN/s640/Prometheus+space+map.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My score? 8/10. Definitely worth seeing on the big screen, but don't go in expecting a masterpiece.</div>Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-80255069549475591512012-05-09T12:49:00.000-05:002012-05-09T12:49:06.726-05:00New music -- May 8thTwo really good albums came out yesterday!<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Storm-Corrosion/dp/B007DJUO8O/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1336584566&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Storm Corrosion</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLUJaqElCV2u4_uYbQyO-vBrh5v234OZ9vrCfloBrXF8npYjTL5Y3D6IoZ4QKlVoii40OUjKwwGzI8M94QT2bLpousbOXjnll3sLRCb87oP9joG2u3Og9m7wsWJYl6-hfR0qP/s1600/stormcorrosioncover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLUJaqElCV2u4_uYbQyO-vBrh5v234OZ9vrCfloBrXF8npYjTL5Y3D6IoZ4QKlVoii40OUjKwwGzI8M94QT2bLpousbOXjnll3sLRCb87oP9joG2u3Og9m7wsWJYl6-hfR0qP/s200/stormcorrosioncover.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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This is a collaboration between Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth). Wilson's previous projects are varying levels of prog-rock, and Akerfeldt has taken Opeth down an increasingly proggy path as of late. The album is very dark; think King Crimson in a padded cell. But there are moments of beauty, as you can hear in this, their first single:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Monolith-Inhumanity-Cattle-Decapitation/dp/B0079JOYAM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336584545&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Cattle Decapitation -- Monolith of Inhumanity</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7RJ8Kg7ROEAOmo8WTVV3Fu8S_RGvwEo00BLP_9G09g57NYJgHDBb8sWlg4nU3-cLYKlHVi4zDwQ305DPFOHHqZgZWo8kZvVJ88xEYZD_3VWSpUIpk2Urvb0fMIGaNqnib43D/s1600/cattle-decapitation-monolith-of-inhumanity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7RJ8Kg7ROEAOmo8WTVV3Fu8S_RGvwEo00BLP_9G09g57NYJgHDBb8sWlg4nU3-cLYKlHVi4zDwQ305DPFOHHqZgZWo8kZvVJ88xEYZD_3VWSpUIpk2Urvb0fMIGaNqnib43D/s200/cattle-decapitation-monolith-of-inhumanity.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://ryantheangrymidget.blogspot.com/2009/03/video-of-week-heaviest-thing-youll-hear.html" target="_blank">I've written about these guys here before</a>, when their last album released in 2009. I liked <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Harvest_Floor" target="_blank">The Harvest Floor</a> quite a bit (and it made my <a href="http://ryantheangrymidget.blogspot.com/2009/12/lord-blings-top-10-albums-of-2009.html" target="_blank">honorable mention list</a> that year), but it was also inconsistent in the songwriting quality. That's not really an issue with this new one. Every performance is top-notch, especially Travis Ryan's double-take-inducing vocals. If their first video is any indication, I think this will be their year:<br />
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<b>P.S.</b> -- Another album came out yesterday, and it was from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silversun_Pickups" target="_blank">Silversun Pickups</a>. I loved <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Swoon-Silversun-Pickups/dp/B001T46UG4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336585420&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Swoon</a> (and ranked it #4 on my 2009 list), even if it was unapologetically a Smashing Pumpkins / My Bloody Valentine mash-up. They brought the hooks, and that's all that really mattered to me. But <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neck_of_the_Woods_(album)" target="_blank">their new album</a>? Hookless. It's also toothless, as they stripped away almost all crunch and added a lot more electronic elements. That can work (and has worked for many bands), but without the hooks, it's meaningless. Maybe you'll find more in it to like than I did, but I was left wishing they could've spent more time on the melodies instead of thickening the production.<br />
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So, what have you been listening to lately?Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-47618689906933133482012-04-22T10:59:00.001-05:002012-04-22T10:59:58.130-05:00Random rantsHappy Earth Day! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81c4mjsT6_yBEwpiwbtKXj8PT636d_fpQ3T7bEi0bjtnua-4H1W4blBTJFHJoD5zlc4aP0PCIBy1RzwNI4gfyRaI9Ax0f56tvSmU7odpSfOyEkPC7xR8eVegdIRR1NWxBaEEj/s1600/earthdie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81c4mjsT6_yBEwpiwbtKXj8PT636d_fpQ3T7bEi0bjtnua-4H1W4blBTJFHJoD5zlc4aP0PCIBy1RzwNI4gfyRaI9Ax0f56tvSmU7odpSfOyEkPC7xR8eVegdIRR1NWxBaEEj/s1600/earthdie.jpg" /></a></div>
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You can always tell when it's about to be Earth Day. How? Every major TV station changes their logo in the bottom right corner to the color green. See? NBC cares about the environment!<br />
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People stopped talking about that Kony guy, so I guess that means they caught him, right?<br />
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Only one Coachella hologram joke is funny -- this one:<br />
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"The Mayans were right! The world will end in 2012 because Dick Clark is dead!" -- every other post on Facebook last week<br />
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I'd quit Facebook, but I don't know any other way to cyber-stalk.<br />
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As if there aren't enough reasons to hate Texas -- I renewed my car registration online, and was charged $1 for a 'mail-in fee'.<br />
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If you are a staunch supporter of the designated hitter, we can never truly be friends. Ever.<br />
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Remember when TLC used to stand for 'The Learning Channel'? Does it still? Because I don't want to learn about preschool beauty pageants.<br />
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Same for A&E. There is nothing 'Arts' about Storage Wars.<br />
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I'm thinking of opening a gun range that requires its members to be liberal atheists. Revenue projections will be conservative.Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-59403517418156818052012-03-20T15:05:00.001-05:002012-03-20T15:05:25.557-05:00So, who do you think will win the AFC West this year?I have a prediction.<br />
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Considering Denver won it with Tebow's dead-duck passing, it's gonna take some miracles on draft day for the other three teams to have any chance at all. Well, that or a neck injury relapse.<br />
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... and yes, that's a LOT of forehead in that picture.Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-76843921506869992002012-02-27T15:21:00.000-06:002012-02-27T17:59:54.344-06:00Samuel L. Jackson reads "Go the Fuck to Sleep" (Autotune)This one goes out to the Midge, who reads this to his children on a nightly basis. <br />
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Props to Dave "The Hitman" for sending it to me.Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-14981166797604872222012-02-17T20:59:00.000-06:002012-02-17T21:03:35.087-06:00My new obsession: Sherlock (BBC)<div>
A while back, Lady Bling tried to get me to watch the new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Season-Blu-ray-Benedict-Cumberbatch/dp/B004132I20/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1329533701&sr=8-3" target="_blank">BBC version of Sherlock</a>. She explained the premise. My response: "Update Sherlock Holmes stories in the modern day? What a terrible idea. Seriously." And it was on <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/" target="_blank">PBS's Masterpiece</a>, which is almost always stuffy period drama crap that I don't care about. But then one day, I caught the end of the first series finale during a rerun she had on in the background, and thought, "<a href="http://youtu.be/EKy3qcbwnA0">WHOA</a>. What have I missed?" As it turns out, a LOT.</div>
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The scripts, the casting, the performances, the editing .... it's all top-notch. So I bought the first series on Blu-Ray and it's amazing. Each series is only three episodes, but each is 90 minutes with no commercials, so it's like watching three movies. The first two episodes are very good, but the third is outstanding. Then we tracked down the second series (which is already on <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005UL53AQ/ref=s9_simh_gw_p74_d5_g74_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1CMNA50WYFV08BG2KN5J&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=467128533&pf_rd_i=468294" target="_blank">region-free Blu-Ray in the UK</a> but won't be on <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/sherlock/" target="_blank">PBS in the States until May</a>). It's even better than the first. The premiere episode (<a href="http://youtu.be/7PhzRmUD4mI" target="_blank">A Scandal in Belgravia</a>) is some of the best television I've ever seen, and the finale ends with a cliffhanger that has large pockets of the internet trying to figure out what happened.</div>
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She won't get me to watch Downton Abbey though. A man's gotta draw a line somewhere.</div>Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-75773866868011669162012-01-13T14:43:00.003-06:002012-01-13T15:00:42.987-06:00Why Tim Tebow Makes Me UncomfortableFirst, let me make one thing clear: this has nothing to do with any commentary on Tebow as a football player. In that respect, it has a lot in common with 97% of every thing written about Tebow. I'm not even going to take any cheap shots at Tebow the football player. I truly hope the Donkeys start him in every game for the next 8 years. They should totally do that. He is clearly an excellent NFL QB. There is absolutely no one better than him to fill that role. And, just to be clear, read those sentences again: if you read in sarcasm, that says something about you, not me, because I wrote them straight. <br /><br />No, this is a screed about Tebow The Evangelical Christian. And, unlike many other screeds on this topic, this is written by an actual Christian. And, as a Christian, I want you to know: Tebow makes me uncomfortable.<br /><br />This is largely for a single reason: I was always taught that the relationship between a person and his or her god is highly personal and private. You could get together once a week to commune (literally and figuratively) with God in the company of some like-minded individuals. But otherwise, you just didn't speak about it alot. Polite people didn't do that. Ever. Religion fit up there with money as subjects that you just didn't raise.<br /><br />Now, in this Bachmann era, where wearing ones religion on one's sleeve is not only accepted but well nigh required, some might perceive my belief as quaint and old-fashioned. But the reality is that the current "being Christian for gain and profit" movement only underlines the importance of actual adherence to this old tradition. Whomever you are, your merits should be weighed on their merits (so to speak) rather than based on whether we both subscribe to the same flavor of Judeo-Christianity (look, if you come from a wholly different school, like Hinduism or Rastafarianism, you're screwed in this country. I'm not gonna lie to you).<br /><br />Thus, every time Tebow Te-bows, to kinda-privately, kinda-look-at-me-ishily commune with his very specific variety of God, I shudder a bit. The same way I would if he pulled down his pants and took a dump. Some things are just not for public display. (Unless you're Japanese, apparently.).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-90484738516343893842012-01-09T08:33:00.001-06:002012-01-09T08:33:16.063-06:00By the way....As you can tell, I've not posted anything political in quite some time. Frankly, I'm fed up. The Occupy protests only succeeded in one thing: Causing the 1% to push through updates to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Defense_Authorization_Act_for_Fiscal_Year_2012" target="_blank">NDAA</a> that allow 'indefinite detention' to Americans who are deemed 'terrorists'. And Obama signed it. He snuck it through on New Year's Eve, when he thought no one was paying attention. And we just now got out of Iraq (technically). And Guantanamo is still open. And he extended the Bush tax cuts to the rich. He's been more of a Republican than Dubya was. Granted, he got that Healthcare thing passed (in a completely butchered and gimped form, and wasted all of his political capital to do it), and repealed Don't Ask Don't Tell, but neither of those affect the average citizen. If he signs <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act" target="_blank">SOPA</a>, I hope the Founding Fathers pop out of their coffins and feed on the brains of all three branches of government.<br />
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I haven't posted anything political because I'm disillusioned, but that doesn't mean I'm not paying attention.Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-82506184806841214932012-01-09T08:12:00.000-06:002012-01-09T08:14:22.001-06:00Yet another Battlefield 3 video (this time, from the Xbox)<br />
If you're not playing Battlefield 3 ... what's your excuse? <br />
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The footage is from the Xbox, and all taken from one evening of play. <br />
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The wonderful Lady Bling (not her real name) got me a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hauppauge-1212-Definition-Personal-Recorder/dp/B0018LX0DY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326117663&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Hauppage HD PVR</a> for Christmas. It was easy to set up, and works just like advertised. Then I bought <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere-elements.html" target="_blank">Adobe Premiere Elements 10 </a>and have been learning how to use it. It's not as full-featured as the more expensive editing programs, but it's a hell of a lot better than the free ones I'd been messing around with.<br />
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I hope your New Year has started off well. Now, go use one of those giftcards your grandma gave you for Xmas and get Battlefield 3 for the Xbox, and hop on with us some night. I'll make you famous!<br />
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P.S. Blogger.com has changed their interface, and you can't just paste embed code into the blog anymore. That's why the video is smaller than the ones I'd posted previously. Click the name of the video in the upper left hand corner to view it in all its teabagging glory.Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-40432213687907184712011-12-22T02:06:00.001-06:002012-01-26T19:41:33.209-06:00Lord Bling's Top Ten Games of 2011This has been an interesting year for video games. Some titles that I'd feverishly anticipated ended up disappointing. Some I thought would suck ended up impressing. And a couple weren't very good at launch, but improved with patches. While many on the list may not be in my rotation a year from now, I'd put this year's top 3 up against the top 3 from any other year. But enough setup ... let's get into it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBr6Yr0dbrkTwcTFejTtfpJsE5tfNXF_FgjMm89R_myz8ycum6n8uYNqiFvVsDNCfT-LiyG7VgVGLLeJpuWcBMAcJ_213pCvuzldOGp5fsfcXeFsfX8qnjfgymr6l4xyalIFq/s1600/MW3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBr6Yr0dbrkTwcTFejTtfpJsE5tfNXF_FgjMm89R_myz8ycum6n8uYNqiFvVsDNCfT-LiyG7VgVGLLeJpuWcBMAcJ_213pCvuzldOGp5fsfcXeFsfX8qnjfgymr6l4xyalIFq/s200/MW3.jpg" width="70" /></a></div>
10. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Call-Duty-Modern-Warfare-Xbox-360/dp/B00503E8S2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324530889&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3</a>. MW2 was my #1 two years ago, and Black Ops was #3 last year. My, how the mighty hath fallen. Considering over half of Infinity Ward left the company (and it took four other dev teams to help finish it), it's practically a surprise that it ended up on my list at all. But I have to say, the campaign tied up the plot threads fairly well (even if the gameplay is just Michael Bay on speed). <a href="http://www.1up.com/news/call-of-duty-elite-costs-49-per-year" target="_blank">CoD Elite</a> was a failure for weeks after launch, but the free version is actually pretty robust. As for the multiplayer .... I'm severely disappointed. Over the years, they've turned a solid fast-paced tactical shooter into Quake. All of the maps are tight, run-and-gun close-corridor death traps. This makes sniper rifles mostly worthless, and they had to nerf the range on the shotguns (or else that's all anyone would use, because you're rarely looking further than 15 feet ahead before you hit a barrier of some kind). Kill Confirmed is a fun new game play mode, but the concept was stolen directly from Crysis 2 earlier this year. All of these things aside, it's still as polished as any shooter you'll ever find, and it's still the top-selling game of this year so they're doing something right. I just don't consider myself much of a fan of the franchise anymore.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwSVY72NJzZ5sIp0EOMcALl0fM_h4eXRKPQEVy8bxnXtfjsuYspGz-VJReiUpQ3_YE07h7dBhnxc9tMkkBpt6YNlSltPopjYr8q_6K0s6qBm1NL4cSQFIykuQ0YEcGAakQIXT/s1600/Crysis+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwSVY72NJzZ5sIp0EOMcALl0fM_h4eXRKPQEVy8bxnXtfjsuYspGz-VJReiUpQ3_YE07h7dBhnxc9tMkkBpt6YNlSltPopjYr8q_6K0s6qBm1NL4cSQFIykuQ0YEcGAakQIXT/s200/Crysis+2.jpg" width="70" /></a></div>
9. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crysis-2-Xbox-360/dp/B002BSA1MQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324530913&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Crysis 2</a>. When I bought this game, I expected a gorgeous sci-fi shooter. That's what I got. But I didn't expect to enjoy the single-player campaign as much as I did. I even got some time into the multiplayer. Well, I did when EA's servers let me. The MP was pretty much broken at launch, and when you could get into a game, the client-side hit detection was completely lop-sided. Subsequent patches have improved it, but it's not a great experience. Maximum Armor is a waste, and the unlock progression is a very slow grind. Still, the campaign is worth the price of admission. The pacing is almost perfect, and the set pieces are amazing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPR8iUJraW49mTykE1E3ozKqs1lNIygEyDtQXKA3S9KHYbSwWgpXiLyUFlqERKQDiPPeEmnRWpu8YBcMuEaRPCU-ALXZUucRgteGuhBHeao69_-v3GhV1YFJJ-IWxyWPE_4Byf/s1600/Uncharted+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPR8iUJraW49mTykE1E3ozKqs1lNIygEyDtQXKA3S9KHYbSwWgpXiLyUFlqERKQDiPPeEmnRWpu8YBcMuEaRPCU-ALXZUucRgteGuhBHeao69_-v3GhV1YFJJ-IWxyWPE_4Byf/s200/Uncharted+3.jpg" width="78" /></a></div>
8. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Uncharted-3-Drakes-Deception-Playstation/dp/B004EQCCI4/ref=sr_tr_sr_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1324530930&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception</a>. Speaking of set pieces, here's a franchise that lives and breathes them. No matter where Nathan Drake is in the world, expect everything to go tits-up and you'll be racing to escape a crashing airplane, a sinking ocean liner, etc. They also included some multi-segmented MP maps, which felt different from everything else I've played this year. So why isn't the game higher on this list? Part 2 was #2 in 2009. Unfortunately, this one doesn't live up to the gold standard of that game. The campaign's story and dialogue aren't nearly as sharp, and weakly ties the set pieces together. The aiming and shooting mechanic was tweaked, and now it felt a lot sloppier (Naughty Dog has since patched this, but I haven't replayed any of the campaign since). Worst of all, I wasn't really rooting for Nathan in this one. His motivation is largely selfish and stupid. But wow, those set pieces.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SB0VMnGIN_c8FZPiyDHf5QL7FIUjety23hyiEnzC0C37Am9LfT-pZeh1ufXroEiAlUZzXGRMhqGp-2ln4lo2UsyjvE-piQEnFVU39ueFj5Aag-egrnxpIbz-G2S94q-8QaU4/s1600/AC+R.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SB0VMnGIN_c8FZPiyDHf5QL7FIUjety23hyiEnzC0C37Am9LfT-pZeh1ufXroEiAlUZzXGRMhqGp-2ln4lo2UsyjvE-piQEnFVU39ueFj5Aag-egrnxpIbz-G2S94q-8QaU4/s200/AC+R.jpg" width="70" /></a></div>
7. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Creed-Revelations-microsoft-xbox-360/dp/B004YVOCYG/ref=sr_1_1_title_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1324530976&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Assassin's Creed: Revelations</a>. A franchise that has steadily improved over the last two iterations finally runs out of gameplay innovations. AC2 perfected the exploration, tightened the combat, and deepened the story. AC: Brotherhood added assassin's guild trainees you could call on to assist you, had a whiz-bang of a cliffhanger ending, and created a one-of-a-kind multiplayer experience. I guess after the last two games, I was expecting another round of miracles. Instead, we got a hookblade and ziplines, and a Den Defense mini-game (which is like a really bad and unbalanced version of Plants vs. Zombies). The story ties a lot of threads together, but is still weaker. The setting (Constantinople) isn't nearly as compelling or varied as Rome. MP is improved and deepened, but still has a very high learning curve (and upper-level players have strong perks unlocked which throw off the balance). But the game was improved so much up to this point that it still is a lot of fun to play, and free running in a Renaissance setting still hasn't gotten old. But Ubisoft, please: For the next one? No more Den Defense.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLLtPVSGwOcY-a_rz4d9_iS3BCYoKXWTzudHlY-VlyagnQkMBjsWweH_Y8-gL8lNTYQS5sGPw2skSPNWGetEyfPavEzsMnRrbsYr1DgBI2qXpoW6kSfanYm1KMuvXrkEjyRsK/s1600/Gears+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLLtPVSGwOcY-a_rz4d9_iS3BCYoKXWTzudHlY-VlyagnQkMBjsWweH_Y8-gL8lNTYQS5sGPw2skSPNWGetEyfPavEzsMnRrbsYr1DgBI2qXpoW6kSfanYm1KMuvXrkEjyRsK/s200/Gears+3.jpg" width="70" /></a></div>
6. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gears-War-3-Xbox-360/dp/B002I0H79C/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1324530992&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Gears of War 3</a>. Serious improvements all around here. Four-player co-op (which the series has begged for since the beginning). Dedicated servers for multiplayer (no more Host Shotgun rampages!). An improved story that ties up many loose ends (although I could've done without the entire 4th chapter .... sorry Ice-T). And the new bad-guy version of Horde mode (called Beast) is fun. Being a Berserker and smashing through people got a lot of laughs out of me. I haven't played it in a while, as the overuse of shotguns is still annoying, but I feel like I got my money's worth already.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilrZFF0_04lKqKLINk659b2ln69zjADDNdgbmG5J91crMxVr3cxDzpEqfsiN6sZjMhkq71S-sCrbkvqSsu90dAs2tYm-73gdn47bXrD83EifFnjerEO6dtDkWZZTV1No4rWpS/s1600/jetpack-joyride-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiilrZFF0_04lKqKLINk659b2ln69zjADDNdgbmG5J91crMxVr3cxDzpEqfsiN6sZjMhkq71S-sCrbkvqSsu90dAs2tYm-73gdn47bXrD83EifFnjerEO6dtDkWZZTV1No4rWpS/s200/jetpack-joyride-1.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
5. <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jetpack-joyride/id457446957?mt=8" target="_blank">Jetpack Joyride</a>. An iOS game in my top five. Yes, I did. Don't look at me like that! Have you played it? If so, you wouldn't judge. I've put over 20 hours into this stupid little 99 cent game. I say 'stupid' because it's extremely simple. One-tap gameplay, and that's it. But somehow I can't quell the desire to get a better score (or more coins). It's perfect for mobile gaming. Tiny bite-sized experiences, with that 'one more quick one' that keeps pulling you back. If you have an iPhone, you need to download it. If you don't find yourself as hooked as I was, you're only out 99 cents.<br />
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4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Island-Xbox-360/dp/B004PAGJOC/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1324531034&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Dead Island</a>. Hands down, this is the biggest surprise on my list. It's buggy, the combat feels unpolished, and a couple of the boss battles were uninspired. But I'll be damned if I didn't put about 30 hours into it. In a first-person RPG, the right atmosphere means everything. This game brings it. I felt like I was really on this island, struggling to survive and help those who were less fortunate. There's no humor or tongue-in-cheek references; it's a bleak affair, right up into the final cutscene. The co-op could use a little improving (it's no Borderlands), but it was playable and held some promise. I hope we see a sequel of some kind, and that they have enough time to give it more polish.<br />
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3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Portal-2-Xbox-360/dp/B002I0J9M0/ref=sr_1_1_title_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1324531053&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Portal 2</a>. Expectations can be a bitch. When The Orange Box was released, Portal was the sleeper hit of the year, and for good reason. The first-person puzzle gameplay was one-of-a-kind, and the writing was whip-smart and laugh-out-loud funny. It not only told a compelling story, but did so in about two hours. So here comes a sequel, which is around six to eight hours long, and adds a meaty 2-player co-op mode. And people still flooded Metacritic user reviews to complain. "It's too short! It's not worth $60!" Wrong wrong wrong wrong WRONG. They added to an already deep and rich universe, with new gameplay mechanics that somehow don't break what had been established previously. That alone is worth celebrating. And then there's Wheatley, the best character in a video game in a long damned time. I had very high expectations for this game, and it met every single one of them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhKT1jh9VtNWnRRq1yQuFPNal3zVFvSvjyO7MTKlvfe-iEjJ7Eq98DgQKuWIDLRQ76ctCJOLR37FefV38QrmS8qsWdI633qnuzg4FmEsZT2uVfekUGJ9sZXB7RieA4RKymykp/s1600/Battlefield+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVhKT1jh9VtNWnRRq1yQuFPNal3zVFvSvjyO7MTKlvfe-iEjJ7Eq98DgQKuWIDLRQ76ctCJOLR37FefV38QrmS8qsWdI633qnuzg4FmEsZT2uVfekUGJ9sZXB7RieA4RKymykp/s200/Battlefield+3.jpg" width="70" /></a></div>
2. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Battlefield-3-Xbox-360/dp/B003O6G5TW/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1324531082&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Battlefield 3</a>. Let's get it out of the way right at the start: This game was never going to out-sell Call of Duty. Why? Because A) the gameplay isn't simple enough to appeal to the masses, and B) those of us who play EA shooters online know their servers will be trashed at launch. They even ran a beta which they claimed was meant to be a server stress test. And sure enough, this game was unplayable on Xbox on Day 1. It's a good thing I also bought it on PC! That's right, I gave EA over $100 for this game. And I have zero regrets. Yeah, the campaign is a Call of Duty knock-off, but by the time the last two levels were over, I found myself with a slight appreciation for the way the story was handled. The co-op grind to unlock weapons? Not cool. But the multiplayer. The sweet, sweet multiplayer. The only thing I miss from Bad Company 2 is the buildings you can bring down, killing everyone inside. But this was meant to be a full sequel to Battlefield 2, not the Bad Company games. I will be playing this game long into 2012. In fact, I could sell all of my other games and not miss them this year. Well, all but one....<br />
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1. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Elder-Scrolls-V-Skyrim-Xbox-360/dp/B004HYK956/ref=sr_1_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1324531107&sr=1-1" target="_blank">The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim</a>. This is the most immersive video game I have ever played. It should come with a warning label: "May cause a lack of sleep, decreased interest in bathing and eating, and a marked decline in contact with the outside world." It's not a game you pick up and play for 30 minutes or an hour. It's a game that becomes the world you live in, and the real world becomes a nuisance that is keeping you from Skyrim. Shortly after it launched, I had a conversation with a coworker that I ended like this: "What did I do last night? Oh, nothing much, just KILLED A DRAGON BY SHOUTING AT IT." How does anything in real life compete with that? <br />
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I haven't had the time lately to play the game like I want to, so I have been avoiding it. Maybe part of me is even scared of it. The world is just too big, and there is too much to explore and see and do and loot. It's daunting. The developers say there is up to 300 hours of content in the game. Three HUNDRED. I put about 100 hours into Fallout 3, and I put about 130 into Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Those were two of my favorite games of this generation. And yet, at this time next year, I will probably have both of those combined on this, and I still won't see everything the game has to offer.<br />
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It's not flawless, but no game of this size and scope is. However, the drawbacks are so small in comparison to what you get. In fact, at the moment I can only think of one real negative: I'm not playing it right now.<br />
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<b>Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order):</b><br />
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-- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Arkham-City-Xbox-360/dp/B002I0JAVK/ref=sr_1_1_title_0?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1324531128&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Batman: Arkham City</a>. This could've ended up on my top ten, but didn't for one main reason: It didn't really add anything to the original besides a bigger environment. Still a solid game though, and has polish to spare.<br />
-- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brink-Xbox-360/dp/B002DC8GKE/ref=sr_1_1_title_0?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1324531139&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Brink</a>. I bought this game on sale, even after reading some rough reviews. I wanted to like it, but the maps were lackluster, and the feel of the weapons was off (recoil was terrible). Then later in the year, Steam had it on sale for $5 on PC. I bought it, and then realized they'd patched it. The weapons now feel much better, and the new maps are pretty solid. Worth a look if you find it cheap; just don't expect a good single-player experience.<br />
-- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/L-Noire-Xbox-360/dp/B002I0HBZW/ref=sr_1_1_title_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1324531161&sr=1-1" target="_blank">L.A. Noire</a>. I have a love / hate relationship with this game. I really had to slog through the last few hours of this game, but when it was over, I was glad I'd played through it. Part of what I didn't like was the lead character was unsympathetic, but looking back, I have to admit that he was compelling all the same. And the motion-capture? Ground-breaking.<br />
-- <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/app/99300/" target="_blank">Renegade Ops</a>. A fun throw-back to the 80's drive-and-shoot arcade games. Four-player co-op online is a blast. It's not a deep game, but it's only $15. (Full disclosure: I work for the publisher that released this.)<br />
-- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Saints-Row-Third-Xbox-360/dp/B004QEV0MI/ref=sr_1_1_title_0?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1324531237&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Saints Row: The Third</a>. I just got this game about a week ago, so perhaps it would've ended up higher on the list had I had more time with it. But after about 90 minutes or so, I'm already enjoying it more than the first two. It's completely over-the-top and zany, and it knows it and has fun with it. I mean, they start you off with a purple dildo baseball bat. I stand corrected; THIS is my Game of the Year! Okay, maybe not, but I gotta give 'em credit for going the insane route.<br />
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<b>Biggest Disappointments (in alphabetical order):</b><br />
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-- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Space-2-Xbox-360/dp/B00309U0M6/ref=sr_1_1_title_0?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1324531256&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Dead Space 2</a>. The first game was a great survival horror experience. Then we get this, which is 99% action and almost no suspense. They also took away most of the ammo, so you're forced to use kinesis to throw objects at bad guys when you get cornered. And you will get cornered a lot. Plus, the story was a huge step down from the first. And then there's the unnecessary multiplayer. Some liked this game, but I miss the suspense and pacing of the original.<br />
-- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rage-Xbox-360/dp/B00354NAYG/ref=sr_1_1_title_0?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1324531276&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Rage</a>. What a beautiful game. What boring gameplay. It could've been Doom meets Fallout, but instead ended up being a bunch of lame fetch-and-carry missions. It launched two months ago and is already below $20. I'm sure id Software will have plenty of success with the engine, but that doesn't get me my $60 back.<br />
-- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Test-Drive-Unlimited-2-Xbox-360/dp/B002I0HD9G/ref=sr_1_2_title_1?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1324531353&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Test Drive Unlimited 2</a>. The original was an innovative overachiever, streaming the entire island of Oahu for you to drive on. It also was the first racing game I can remember that had on-the-fly, drop-in / drop-out multiplayer. I put over 40 hours into it. But the sequel fails to improve upon the original in any way. The voice acting is laughable, and the character models are PS1-quality.<br />
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Well, that's it for the top ten lists for 2011. Have a great holiday break, and we'll see you again in the year where it all ends.Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8965939.post-65992359928933387822011-12-21T21:12:00.000-06:002011-12-21T21:45:53.212-06:00Lord Bling's Top Ten Albums of 2011It was a very good year for metal, but the top spot came from out of nowhere.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZKI39Ou6mndpq52i5r7vok3ToDrNVS4IP5IgOwZ6JGiJN7-6y0ArKtYRcsdDuhkMZG155NHcO-pFkEUxVDPjiR_XIpbUkXXE13oOt5vSXshFNoegmXOwxIX9cvsK8J-uThD1/s1600/Scale-The-Summit-The-Collective.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ZKI39Ou6mndpq52i5r7vok3ToDrNVS4IP5IgOwZ6JGiJN7-6y0ArKtYRcsdDuhkMZG155NHcO-pFkEUxVDPjiR_XIpbUkXXE13oOt5vSXshFNoegmXOwxIX9cvsK8J-uThD1/s200/Scale-The-Summit-The-Collective.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
10. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Collective-Scale-Summit/dp/B004ISVH98/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_1" target="_blank">Scale the Summit -- The Collective</a>. Instrumetal. I hate the word, but that's exactly what it is. I really liked their debut, but this one feels like it will stay with me longer. And the production? Top-notch. <b>Favorite Track</b> -- <a href="http://youtu.be/6hnVO6sGEKo" target="_blank">Whales</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlZYX0NKHRYQo6mTB-3Mo2VcrFC7KGUjcS4e6C21UV_sTnpS23gCW0D6V2AwPbDz0elrkT10NZ_SJ4-C81RrCD91PJ0jnAr754QE1SIqT4q7bOlD6kZUFfta6HEiOQ7h00F6m/s1600/Mastodon+hunter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlZYX0NKHRYQo6mTB-3Mo2VcrFC7KGUjcS4e6C21UV_sTnpS23gCW0D6V2AwPbDz0elrkT10NZ_SJ4-C81RrCD91PJ0jnAr754QE1SIqT4q7bOlD6kZUFfta6HEiOQ7h00F6m/s200/Mastodon+hunter.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
9. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunter-Mastodon/dp/B005DKLPF6/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1324513988&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Mastodon -- The Hunter</a>. Their last album made the top of my list in 2009. Perhaps it was a bit pretentious, but they had never been more ambitious. When it worked, it really worked. So it was impossible not to compare their new album to it. It's more of a step backward in scope, and more inconsistent. But it's still got some great jams on it. <b>Favorite Track</b> -- <a href="http://youtu.be/fte2YrMta7g" target="_blank">Stargasm</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFB2HerM3xQyIQq453NzwDg-o9p-xSdF9dz2H2V5Fs0COviEw6J57Pgz60ahCG0DV0D0pO8pXdLD_0AOpi3HQwqomfkjrsEsUOoRn84ADwkYjILi0jcOq3iqcV8_kXLP8kw-tl/s1600/Crowbar+sever.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFB2HerM3xQyIQq453NzwDg-o9p-xSdF9dz2H2V5Fs0COviEw6J57Pgz60ahCG0DV0D0pO8pXdLD_0AOpi3HQwqomfkjrsEsUOoRn84ADwkYjILi0jcOq3iqcV8_kXLP8kw-tl/s200/Crowbar+sever.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
8. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sever-Wicked-Hand-Crowbar/dp/B004H1Z7GK/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1324514474&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Crowbar -- Sever the Wicked Hand</a>. Their first album in six years also happens to be one of their best. No experimental song structures or covers, just a really good sludgy hard rock album. <b>Favorite Track</b> -- <a href="http://youtu.be/KOhH1GdOd_w" target="_blank">Liquid Sky and Black Earth</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzklakHYJhe_3_gJXYLqn-g-nd_YwN2kQJCu7OkZM7LFmkOY_JIwJLEd-Qh8dcavPJNMKu73XzYj_mm0nYUo3Re1FkQxLbYlDAKfKxmDNdAjF7GaHjMc5ZUfzBxTtGZN0vz1U/s1600/animals+as+leaders+weightless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzklakHYJhe_3_gJXYLqn-g-nd_YwN2kQJCu7OkZM7LFmkOY_JIwJLEd-Qh8dcavPJNMKu73XzYj_mm0nYUo3Re1FkQxLbYlDAKfKxmDNdAjF7GaHjMc5ZUfzBxTtGZN0vz1U/s200/animals+as+leaders+weightless.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
7. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Weightless-Animals-As-Leaders/dp/B005NZ63CG/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1324514799&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Animals as Leaders -- Weightless</a>. More instrumetal! I've written about Tosin Abasi twice on this site in the last year, and for good reason. He's the most talented guitar player in metal today. And that probably makes him the most talented guitar player on the planet. This record isn't as shreddy as his debut, but it's probably more tasteful and inspired. Years from now, I'll still reach for his debut first, but this one deserves to follow it. <b>Favorite Track</b> -- <a href="http://youtu.be/xYbu9YRzD3Y" target="_blank">Isolated Incidents</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTz-cREQAJLzl1MpZH3uipx8xKHB0SI4euTNIrpeD7kr84WwW4MXBGSp7t-fDqTJ_tD1GV33rnD3fkN0rl4pMV6qKipleOdHF86xb9rOwxSfcL95Tepkc-3jG-hqsLJhRKMvM/s1600/Opeth+Heritage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTz-cREQAJLzl1MpZH3uipx8xKHB0SI4euTNIrpeD7kr84WwW4MXBGSp7t-fDqTJ_tD1GV33rnD3fkN0rl4pMV6qKipleOdHF86xb9rOwxSfcL95Tepkc-3jG-hqsLJhRKMvM/s200/Opeth+Heritage.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
6. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Heritage-Opeth/dp/B004G25V9S/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1324515035&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Opeth -- Heritage</a>. The two-decade long transformation from death metal to prog-rock is now complete. Gone are the growling vocals. Gone are the 15-minute long songs. Stripped down, jazzy, and something your parents might actually like. And that's not meant to be an insult. Having said that, I still miss the Watershed / Ghost Reveries style of prog-death, but Akerfeldt's talent and craftsmanship cannot be denied. <b>Favorite Track</b> -- <a href="http://youtu.be/at7nIxemKjc" target="_blank">I Feel the Dark</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIZDPpP7RzM0sS6eA5s3ynh_s9Sfqbj63Pujvaa4gJFN6Fq3g_SKoCxOylx93AkHNE1lyN1iSKpuPVe74xk4Gfw1l78k1RMB6psnXS0tg_D1BCzhldt7_XhMckoBFWkyh0bxX/s1600/Anthrax-Worship_Music.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIZDPpP7RzM0sS6eA5s3ynh_s9Sfqbj63Pujvaa4gJFN6Fq3g_SKoCxOylx93AkHNE1lyN1iSKpuPVe74xk4Gfw1l78k1RMB6psnXS0tg_D1BCzhldt7_XhMckoBFWkyh0bxX/s200/Anthrax-Worship_Music.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
5. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Worship-Music-Anthrax/dp/B0058VA2U4/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1324515435&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Anthrax -- Worship Music</a>. Finally, a true follow-up to Persistence of Time. I like John Bush's voice, and I like some of the songs they wrote with him, but it just didn't feel like "Anthrax". Now with Joey Belladonna back for the long haul, they sound re-energized. A couple of riffs may sound recycled from older stuff ('Fight 'Em Till You Can't' is an awful lot like 'Gridlock'), but no matter. Of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_4_Live_from_Sofia,_Bulgaria" target="_blank">Big Four</a>, they're the band that's still writing and recording the strongest material. <b>Favorite Track</b> -- <a href="http://youtu.be/TT76uz21TNg" target="_blank">The Devil You Know</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZ9LVhXBFVhjrvyA9TnnfwQeR644lsnKcyqIWlTITRTRa9qrg54Uo-vVhJiA6Tg5WtB2Z3KWzQIFZRPCrBaz-krl2Xv_N7PRQkr5fzagyncDG_d6O8nDLBTjX-RJfQboaz7VW/s1600/amon+amarth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCZ9LVhXBFVhjrvyA9TnnfwQeR644lsnKcyqIWlTITRTRa9qrg54Uo-vVhJiA6Tg5WtB2Z3KWzQIFZRPCrBaz-krl2Xv_N7PRQkr5fzagyncDG_d6O8nDLBTjX-RJfQboaz7VW/s200/amon+amarth.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Surtur-Rising-Amon-Amarth/dp/B004FN7ZOC/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1324515781&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Amon Amarth -- Surtur Rising</a>. This band has perfected their sound, no doubt. With Odin On Our Side was the beginning of their ascent (and still my favorite of theirs), but this one is a close second. I think the songwriting is tighter than their last one too. And on top of all of that, they even stepped out and wrote a song that wasn't about Norse mythology. <b>Favorite Track</b> -- <a href="http://youtu.be/6oFjHDFVJc0" target="_blank">Slaves of Fear</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyqD_HGVO064V6uYdJ1KIxleYKTUaW5fK_nGHpiXoaxH73Dp6xD3esrMVu3ioMaVlsZ2oCF_3wduWc7jz7NgsGPNdS5_z4rLAUwFakmqzCk32YZyt-0sQjJPyBHVjhiSMJvCQ/s1600/decapitated-carnival-is-forever.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyqD_HGVO064V6uYdJ1KIxleYKTUaW5fK_nGHpiXoaxH73Dp6xD3esrMVu3ioMaVlsZ2oCF_3wduWc7jz7NgsGPNdS5_z4rLAUwFakmqzCk32YZyt-0sQjJPyBHVjhiSMJvCQ/s200/decapitated-carnival-is-forever.jpg" width="100" /></a></div>
3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Carnival-Forever-Decapitated/dp/B0051ERPIK/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1324516746&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Decapitated -- Carnival is Forever</a>. This Polish death band was starting to climb the ranks a while back, but then their insanely-talented drummer (and brother of the guitarist and chief songwriter) Vitek died in a bus accident. They disbanded for a couple of years, but then Vogg decided they needed to continue, since it's what his brother would've wanted. It's also what the fans wanted, and they deliver their most focused album yet. <b>Favorite Track </b>-- <a href="http://youtu.be/oNUvP5E6bqY" target="_blank">Homo Sum</a><br />
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2. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Tesseract/dp/B004MQ6VTC/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1324517512&sr=1-1" target="_blank">TesseracT -- One</a>. A good vocalist can make or break a band. This is true in most genres, but not quite as much in metal .... until now. This album defies so many metal rules, and gets away with it. The vocalist could probably go on American Idol and make the finals. There isn't a single guitar solo on the entire album. The lyrics aren't about death or evil demons. But it's all about the hooks, and this album is full of them. Think of what Meshuggah would sound like if Jeff Buckley were their vocalist. It shouldn't work, but oh does it ever. It's just too bad that they now have a new vocalist. <b>Favorite Track </b>-- <a href="http://youtu.be/asNMm8Y99Dk" target="_blank">Concealing Fate Pt 1: Acceptance</a><br />
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1. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Were-Here-Because/dp/B004WOXM3M/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1324517580&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Anathema -- We're Here Because We're Here</a>. Buy this album. Find a quiet corner where you will be undisturbed for an hour. Put on a good pair of headphones. Listen.<br />
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Released in the UK last year, it finally saw an official release here in the U.S. last April. While they started in the early 90s as a doom metal band, they no longer feel bound to any specific genre. If Pink Floyd were raised on trip-hop and prog-rock, this is what it would sound like. The lyrics are as hopeful as any album I've ever owned. It is beauty stacked on top of beauty.<br />
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A great work of art can change the way you look at the world. When I play this album, I feel that there might still be hope for the human race.<br />
<b>Favorite Track </b>-- <a href="http://youtu.be/xZYlmBOcqdM" target="_blank">Thin Air</a><br />
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<b>P.S.</b> -- With all the metal on the list this year, you might be wondering where the new Devin Townsend Project album is. The readers on Metalsucks.net voted it the best metal album of the year, but I found it to be overproduced and lacking. It pains me to say it, as someone who absolutely loves Devy's work.<br />
<b>P.P.S</b> -- I also didn't include the new Cynic EP because well ... it's not a full album. But if you've followed them over the years as I have, you have no excuse for not buying it.Lord Blinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13309529830363457895noreply@blogger.com1