Bear

Uada just finished their recording of the new album. Again, great cover. Love how it's basically just a different version (past/future/another dimension/what?) of the first cover. That is very interesting. Loved their first album and look forward to this hella lot.

https://mesacounojo.bandcamp.com/album/back-from-the-grave Entire album is up for streaming. I wasn't wrong. This is a filthy piece of Japanese metalpunk. Top stuff!

Two tracks from the debut albums of Austrian black/thrashers Transilvania. I really liked their debut EP and split and was very much looking forward to this, and so far I am diggin' it. Nice, epic and majestic. Really 90's atmosphere and stuff. This will be good.

Black Mask - Chinese action film starring Jet Li as a genetically-engineered super-soldier that's taken on a mask and robe and acts as a superhero. The hero itself is pretty much a homage to Kato from The Green Hornet, but that's cool. Kato is very cool and all. The film, directed by Daniel Lee, is also really cool and it features a lot of nice martial arts and action scenes choreographed by none other than Yuen Wo Ping. I will not lie though, it's far from perfect. It's weirdly lighted and some shots feels off, but the action and its characters makes up for it. Jet Li is fantastic! Boone: The Bounty Hunter - Boone: The Bounty Hunter is 85 minutes of pure low-budget cheese about a TV-star that is loosing his ratings and has to pull off something incredible to be able to get a new season. Sounds silly, and it is, but I thought it was really fun. Some cool stunts, some funny characters and some funny dialogue. It's not a well-made film, but it's a damn fun film, that's for sure. I liked it quite a lot.

Watched Louis Theroux' mini-series Dark States which is about three different dark, destructive subject in three different american towns. The first episode is called Heroin Town and is about a small town where something like 1/4 adult is an heroin addict. My favourite episode for sure. Dark, bleak and destructive. Next up is Trafficking Sex which is about prostitution and the dark, negative sides about it. But what Louis gets right is that he doesn't paint a picture where every single of the girl is innocent and were only used by their pimp. It does touch into that subject too, but it's very nice and balanced. In the third episode, called Murder in Milwaukee, he checks out Milwaukee which has got an insane homicide number. Again, it's so balanced. He questions the murderers and why this happens, but he also asks brilliant questions about the police force and how they work. He don't put the blame on either side of them, nor does he make anyone the hero. It's not as black and white as too many human beings seem to think, and Louis does right by painting it with a lot of colours. It's not as easy as pointing fingers and call someone villain and someone heroes. There's villains and heroes on both side of the fence, and Louis points this out brilliantly. As usual, Louis Theroux comes off as incredible nice and professional, and he always knows which strings to pull to get the best information out of his subject, but at the same time he also knows how to make a joke without saying something that's out of place. Such a likeable chap and his awkwardness is amazing. And he just makes such honest documentaries.

Black Scorpion II: Aftershock - The first one was decent, but here they stepped up their game quite a bit. Unlike the first film, this one doesn't take itself serious at all. Black Scorpion is the same as in the last, but the vast majority of the characters are more cartoonish and there's camp everywhere. Aftershock is a sexy as fuck villain, but the supervillain in the film is Gangster Prankster, a hybrid of the Joker and Two-Face. And even more over the top than both. And I am not even joking. Quite hilarious! Anyway, liked this. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 & 2 - I'll just review these as one film. I never liked The Hunger Games and from the first film it was always obvious that it was not aimed towards someone like me. But since I watched the first, I had to watch the rest. Thought the entire franchise became better and better as it started focus more and more on the politics, but the characters are lame, the dialogue is poor and Jennifer Lawrence is really off. I actually quite like Jennifer Lawrence, but I don't think she's good in these films. Overly dramatic performance, and every single time she screams in a sad/mad/whiny way it's hard to take it serious. 3/10 to the two first, 4/10 to the two last. Thank god I am finished. The Accountant - Fun action-thriller with Ben Affleck and Anna Kendrick about an autistic accountant that's totally fucking badass. It's not perfect, but it was good and Ben Affleck is really good. I do however wish they had spent a bit more time going in the depth of his autism and so on, but what can one expect from a film like this. Good fun!

A few other releases to look forward in 2018: Myrkraverk - Nær døden Myrkraverk have since its birth in 2007 only released two EPs in 2009 and 2011, and now the debut album is here. Both EPs are very good. Flk/black metal inspired mainly by Isengard, with Infamroth from Throne of Katarsis and Skuggeheim. Deathstorm - Reaping What Is Left Violent thrash metal inspired by the two first Kreator albums, Morbid Saint and demo/debut by Sadus. The cover art is really disappointing though. Previous covers: Really diggin' these covers. Album should be good anyway.

Happy Death Day - Meta-horror that is very compearable to films like Scream, The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014), Final Girls, but could just as well be compared to Groundhog Day, The Edge of Tomorrow and so on because of the way the film is built. But at the same time it's very fair to compare it to Mean Girls. Which says all about the film really. A romantic horror comedy that's a bit all over the place and with several big plotholes, but I was genuinely entertained throughout the film. I thought it was really fucking awesome, and Jessica Rothe is brilliant throughout. She's in more or less every single scene and she does a superb job. This entire film took me a bit off guard in the same way as All the Boys Love Mandy Lane did, but hopefully Jessica Rothe doesn't make the same mistakes as Amber Heard did. I thought she'd get HUGE after her brilliant performance in AtBLMJ, but she kinda didn't. Anyway, if you like horror-comedies and meta-horrors then check this out.

I'm totally into this as I am somehow a bit of a movie freak, but if you want people to actually do more than to make a list try add some words as to why you like the films you've listed and why people should check 'em out (if they're into that type of films). I'll come back, even though making a list with 15-25 films is close to impossible. I might choose 25 films today, and yet in a week the list would look very different with 15-20 different films on it. But this'll be fun.

Sweet cover and fantastic song. Some surprising elements, but at the core it sounds Gost as fuck.

Anguis Dei released an EP last year and it sounds really good. The band consists of Ur Èmdr Oervn (Arkha Sva, Avsolutized...), Hakuja (Hakuja, Funeral Elegy), Juno Nitta (Juno Bloodlust) and italian drummer Summum Algor (Juno Bloodlust, Adversam). Semi-symphonic melodic black metal with great riffs, superb vocals (with included falsettos!!!), amazing keyboard-work and some stunning guitar solos. It's quite gothic in nature, but never in a very cheesy or boring way. It's more gothic in a dark and twisted way. I am diggin' the shit out of this!

Damn, that's the cover art for the upcoming EP by the recent death metal giants Rude. They've given us two of the finest death metal albums in recent time and I can't wait for this to be released. I'm really diggin' the new cover art for the upcoming Cist EP too. Like Rude, Cist draws a lot of inspiration from mid-era Pestilence, old Death and old Morbid Angel, although much thrashier. They've been superb up until now, and I don't expect this to be any less.

The Disaster Artist - James Franco will most likely never become a fantastic director, but he's done exceptionally well with The Disaster Artist and he's also turned into one hell of an actor. For those unaware, The Disaster Artist tells the true story of Tommy Wiseau and the making of The Room. I saw it with a couple of friends and we were all laughing throughout the entire film. One of the funniest comedies I've ever seen, but it just offers so much more than simple jokes. It's fantastic on a comedic level, but there's also an amazing story to it all. The story of a proper weirdo, a great friendship and so on. It's also nice to see that James France has made this the hard way. It would be so easy to just make fun of Tommy Wiseau, but he's actually treating Tommy Wiseau with the greatest respect and paint him more like a weird, socially awkward and misunderstood person in general, than anything else. Which I really liked. No poking fun at Tommy or anything. Fantastic film! Eastern Condors - Re-watched this masterpiece the other day. It's directed by none other than martial arts-god Sammo Hung (one of my favorite directors of all time!) and it's, like I already said, a masterpiece. It's a very different type of Sammo Hung film tho. The martial arts and great action is present, but it's got more straight-forward action than his usual films. You know, lots of gun and explosions and shit. He takes a lot from The Dirty Dozen, but that doesn't matter. Brilliant cast with Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah, Lam Ching-ying, Yuen Woo-ping, Corey Yuen and Billy Chow. Total classic! Ms .45 - Raw, mean and bleak rape and revenge exploitation thriller about a mute girl who is raped twice on the same day and just looses it. You won't have to watch many minutes before you're reminded of classics like Thriller - A Cruel Picture, Death Wish and Taxi Driver, but it's got something of its own going on for sure. While it's not very violent, it's not for the faint-hearted. The atmosphere is so fucking depressing and destructive. Cult classic! House of Fury - Silly but very entertaining martial art-comedy. The story is absolute nonsense, but it's got enough action and humour to make up for it. Remote control scene alone makes this film well-worth your time. So well-made and fun. Rolling Vengeance - A 90 minute long cheese-o-rama about a guy who builds a big, fat, badass monster truck and makes the lives of several rednecks/white trash scum miserable. It's not great film-making, but it's really fun and badass. Absolutely worth a watch if you're into cheese. Raw Deal - While not Arnold's best, Raw Deal is a cool action film that offers lots of fun. Simple, straight-forward action with a total badass Schwarznegger. The Guyver - The first of two films based on the classic manga by the same name. This isn't a very good adaption, but it's a cool enough film in general. Cheesy as fuck, but some really cool monster designs and action. However it's set back by lots of poor attempts at humour and a weak, weak Jack Armstrong in the lead. Mark Hamill however is very good. Guyver: Dark Hero - For the sequel David Hayter replaced Jack Armstrong, and what a smart choice that was. David Hayter is actually a decent actor. Another thing is that this film is hella lot darker than the first one and more similar to the source material. This is actually a good film. Darker, more brutal and bloodier, and lot funner. This one gained a cult following over the years and it's easy to see why. Very good and cool film. Hands of Steel - Mid-80's Italian cheese of the highest order. The first thing you'll notice is the cover which looks like a billion. It's so badass! It's complete trash, but it's the kind of trash I cannot get enough of. It's badness is nothing short of beautiful and this is close to perfection for fans of cheap mid-80's exploitation and general trash cinema. Cult as fuck! Arena - Bloodsport in space. A fucking space-opera-esque version of Bloodsport. It's decent fun, but I wish it was grittier with more blood and gore. But it's a fun watch for what it is. The Abyss - Re-watched this and I kinda regret that decision. It's technically a fantastic film on every level, but it just didn't do as much for me now as when I was younger. Felt like the atmosphere was lacking and there was just no real suspense or anything. This film could've done with a good monster tbh. But it's a great film otherwise and most people should be able to enjoy the shit out of it.

This album is gonna be so damn good.

Wasn't very impressed by the new Satan's Satyrs myself. A very ordinary track with nothing unique or special to it. Both Wild Beyond Belief! and Don't Deliver Us gave us something new, unique and fresh at the time of release. Die Screaming and this new track does not. It's not bad, but I'll rather listen to Electric Wizard tbh.

For me, I can't hear anything because I don't listen to that song. Still can't tell if that album is a serious attempt at making good music, or if the entire album is a god damned joke.

Watched and finished Westworld last week. I was really looking forward to the series, but due to my immense love for the movie I kinda struggled to see how they were gonna turn this into a long TV-series. But after I was done I was incredibly impressed. I feel like they've broken down the original film(s) and expensed on the original ides into something deeper, more intelligent and unique. Now, I will forever consider the film a masterpiece and better than the series, much of it because the original idea is so original and cool and it's got plenty charm. But this was fantastic tbh! I loved the performances, the characters, the dialogue, the violence and use of blood/gore, the nudity and so on. Thought it was all-around amazing! Really looking forward to a new season. Also started on The Deuce. So far so fucking good. James Franco has really turned into a brilliant actor. Watched The Disaster Artist last week (review will come later), and he's just turning into pure gold. Holy shit! He's no longer just this funny guy with the punchable face. He's a seriously talented and loveable guy with a punchable face. Amazing!

Gallhammer - Ill Innocence Back in 2004 when this band released their debut album there was a lot of hype surrounding them. Main reason was the fact that their debut was a black/doom/crust album that was clearly inspired by Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, Amebix, Darkthrone and Burzum made by three Japanese girls who looked as stunning as they looked awesome. But they also did have more to offer, and that more was great music. Dark, gloomy and sludgy doom/crust black metal. This second album contains much of the same, but it is less crusty and black. But it's filled with great vocals, cool riffs, a sweet production and lots of character. It sounds like Gallhammer and no-one else. And it's very varied. From the doomy At the Onset of the Age of Despair to the punky Ripper in the Gloom to the blackened Speed of Blood to the droney Slog. It offers a lot of diversity. It's a step down from their debut, but a sweet album nonetheless. Blind My Eyes Endless Dismal Moan - Ruin Ruin was Endless Dismal Moan's last album before sole member Chaos 9 committed suicide. An album was released 2 years after his death tho, but it was supposed to have been released before this but was delayed because of some label issues. Anyway, Endless Dismal Moan plays black metal that is pretty hard to get into. We're talking black metal of the weird and semi-original kind, almost touching the industrial at times. The atmosphere is dark, grim, and really fucked up and it's topped off by some really tortured vocals. It's very different for sure. JYUSO Fastkill - Nuclear Thrashing Attack Fastkill's second album just continues down the road they began walking with the first one. Fast and brutal thrash metal in the vein of Morbid Saint, old Kreator, Sadus, Dark Angel and so on. The album is more of the same as the first topped with those wicked screams by Toshio Komori. It's not superbly written or performed, but it's a total badass thrash metal assault that is exactly that: a fun, thrashing album fill with fast, brutal and heavy thrash metal tracks. A step down from their excellent debut, but a fun album nonetheless. Bloodbath That's all I had.

Other enjoyable albums so far: Viölence - MotörDemon Filthy black/speed metal inspired by Venom, Midnight, Mötorhead, Bathory and so on. Incredibly catchy stuff. "We worship chaos, whisky is our wine, our death is brewed and our witches are divine." Luzifer - Black Knight Occult heavy metal in the vein of Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, In Solitude and so on. To be quite honest I've only heard the first track, but it's brilliant heavy metal. And consider the quality of the EP I can only assume that the second track is fantastic too.

New D666 from an upcoming album or EP. Not quite as good as their previous album, but it sounds good. Very heavy and speed metal sounding, but I get som viking-era Bathory-vibes from it too. The mix is bad tho, but I hope it's better on the actual release.

Track from the upcoming Drudkh album. Sounds great!

Cool. I'll throw in a few amazing metal releases from that year then. Sigh - Hangman's Hymn - Musikalische Exequien After years and years of different types of experimentation Sigh toned it down quite a lot for 2007's Hangman's Hymn, making it their most accessible and easy-listening album since their debut, Scorn Defeat. That however doesn't mean it's not original, because it truly is and you will not find a single album out there that sounds anything like this. The closest you'll come is Sigh's own Scenes from Hell from 2010, the follow-up to this. But even that is very different sounding. Anyway, I mentioned Scorn Defeat and they bear even more similarities than just being their most straight-forward albums. They are also the two albums in the discography in which Mirai and his men showcase their influence a lot more than they've done inbetween the two mentioned albums and after Hangman's Hymn. The tracks are short and furious, but they remain grand symphonic and epic throughout. Riff-vise it's full-on violent, furious and chaotic thrash metal inspired by German thrash like early Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, Exumer and more, undearneath symphonic arrangements and choirs inspired by Mozart, Verdi, tivolis and more. A very interesting detail about this album is how Mirai (band's main composer) re-uses certain themes throughout the album, sometime even in several different tracks. It works really well and is a sweet detail. I am a bit of a fanboy so you should probably take this with a grain of salt, but it's a perfect album and an absolute masterpiece. The clear winner of 2007 no matter country, genre or anything. Sigh - Me-Devil Arkha Sva - Gloria Satanae Arkha Sva formed in 1996 but didn't get their first demo out until 2005 and their debut album in 2007, which to this date remains their only full-lenght. Arkha Sva plays black metal inspired by the early french scene (Les Légions Noires), the early norwegian scene and probably the finnish scene. The riffs and melodies sounds melancholic and tragic, topped with both grim vocals as well as a shitload of singing in the form of falsettos, which really helps set this band apart from others. The music is more than good enough by itself, but the clean singing just sends it to a whole other level. Makes it stand out from a over-crowded scene where the majority are mediocre clones and rip-offs. A very cool detail is the use of the classic Les Légions Noires calligraphy with permission given by L.N.N. member M.T. Vordb Dréagvor Uèzréèvb (Belkètre, Moëvöt, Torgeist). For those unaware, L.L.N. was a french black metal collective formed in the early 90's by a bunch of black metal/dark ambient fans/musicians who created about a million bands either alone or together. It's about 11 different guys and 20+ bands. Vlad Tepes, Belkètre and Mutiilation are probably the best and most known acts. All three considered cult bands because of their early releases. Arkha Sva - 49 Evil Spirits

Heidi - Kasou Heidi's two first albums will forever and ever be among my favourite "jrock/visual kei" albums, and while I do not consider Kasou their best release, it's still a fantastic album full of great, superbly produced songs with a band who, without really doing anything new or original, found their own identity and managed to really sounds different in a scene where most bands and artists seems to be allergic of treading their own paths for the last decade+. Don't expect anything unusual or original, but Nao's way of riffing, Heidi's way of putting fantastic tracks together and the whole chemestry between the members really makes them stand out from the crowd. Another thing I will give Heidi, which I always felt the majority of "jrock/visual kei" artists failed at was to make an album where all songs seems to fit into the same album, and they all seem to have been written with a purpose of making a full album and keep a red thread going through all the tracks for an entire album. That is something I feel like too many bands fail to do in these scenes. They would get even better and reach their full potential with their next album tho.

Can I add some metal releases here? 2007 saw the release of a lot of fantastic metal albums, some even on the brink of being classics as far as Japanese metal goes.