Bear

Holy cow, I cannot get over how ADIS nowadays Destruction is. Did they learn ntohing from the abysmal Thrash Anthems? They took 9 fantastic songs from Sentence of Death/Infernal Overkill/Mad Butcher/Eternal Devastation, and 4 good songs from Release from Agony/Cracked Brain and completely butchered them. And now they are releasing Thrash Anthems II. I have no doubt that this will be another abysmal release from these pussies. Band re-recording classic material should just go and die.

The only good thing that's come from the re-recorded metal classics like Thrash Anthems, Let There Be Blood, The Greater of Two Evils, Battle Hymns MMXI, No Place for Disgrace 2014 and so on is that it shows how metal is about so much more than just good riffs. These are all abysmal recordings, even though the source material is as classic as it gets.

Day 8:

Don't Breathe - Very good film that actually suffers a bit from Alvarez wanting less blood and violence than previous films. So, this is basically a new and updated Wait Until Dark, even though Alvarez claims to not have seen the film before after he made this. It's dark, gritty and suspenseful as fuck, but every single time there's a violent scene it comes off as incredibly half-hearted. It's like Alvarez tried to avoid violence and blood so that he could get a lower rating, which is stupid for a film like this. I mean, just imagine if you'd taken away all the violence in Green Room. That's what this feels like in many ways. But it was very good nonetheless, but it won't get any status as a classic and people will forget for the simple reason that there's not enough violence shown. This isn't a psychological thriller/horror where the elements you don't know or get to see is half the scares. It's a fairly plain and straight-forward suspense-horror with a lot of violence, just not graphic or shown. Stephen Lang is sublime tho!

By the way, I don't buy Alvarez' words about him not seeing Wait Until Dark until after Don't Breathe. Fuck off with your lies. Jesus.

8/10

Let's talk about some real shit right here:

Two years after their debut EP Luzifer strikes back with a new single and the first track is out. Lovely stuff once again, and even though they wear their inspiration on their sleeve they sure as hell got their own thing going. Very distinctive sound. Awesome cover art too!

https://stalkerofficial.bandcamp.com/

Stalker offers nothing new to the genre, but this new track is superb. Pure speed metal madness. Speed metal kills!

After some drama within the band, Maniac Neil decided to kick the entire band and continue by himself. At least that's the impression I've gotten. Anyway, Blood Freak is back and I am interested. Maniac Neil and his Blood Freak will never be able to top the masterpieces that is Sleaze Merchants, Live Fast, Die Young... and Leave a Flesh-Eating Corpse! and Multiplex Massacre, but I am always interested in something new from Maniac Neil. Squalor was a huge step up from the mediocre Mindscraper, and this sounds decent. But it lacks the thrashy, grindy and punky attitude of the first three albums. A bit too straight up death metal.

https://xanthochroid.bandcamp.com/album/of-erthe-and-axen-act-i-2017

The cinematic extreme metallers in Xanthochroid returns with no less than two albums in 2017. Very over the top orchestrations and stuff, but not in the same, disgusting way as newer Wintersun. Imagine something like Ne Obliviscaris meets mid-era Opeth  meets big, epic filmscores. Grand and cheesy, but very enjoyable and fun.

Krull - Krull wasn't exactly well-received at the time, but it has gone on to gain a massive cult following. And the reason why is because it's so damn unique. Krull is a mixture of classic sword & sorcery and sci-fi, and the film both looks and feels like the lovechild of Star Wars and Excalibur. The story is quite standard, but the film is visually stunning, superbly-acted and director Peter Yates (Bullitt) always knows what he wants and where he wants to go with the film. The sets are stunning, the special effects are as brilliant as they are charming and the score is magnificent. 

The film is incredibly epic, and while the story is generic, the adventure as a whole is not. It's massive! Recommended for fans of both fantasy films and sci-fi/space opera. Cult as fuck. Masterpiece way beyond words!

Day 7:

Hatchet III - A step up from the very enjoyable Hatchet II. While it does have some comedic scenes, especially the one with Sid Haig which was as dumb as it was funny, it goes back to a more serious tone. And it progresses nicely from the last one, taking a different path to it all. It's the first and only not to be directed by Adam Green, instead it's directed by BJ McDonnell, and so far this is his only feature length. It's more brutal and over the top than ever, and it's a real pleasure to the eye. I love gore, and the more brutal it is the more fun it is. I would go as far as say this is as good as the first one.

One fun fact, which truly helps this series in becoming more enjoyable, is the fact that Adam Green prides his NO CGI" rule and constantly challenge the special effects crew to come up with sicker ways to die. And it works really well! We get some truly remarkable death's through out this series.

The Sword and the Sorcerer - The debut film of Albert Pyun, the man who gave us gems such as Cyborg, Captain America (1990), Kickboxer 2: The Road Back, Bloodmatch and Nemesis. In other words, a cult hero to many an b-film and action fan around the world. As you might get from the title, The Sword and the Sorcerer is a sword & sorcery flick, and it's from the 80's. 82 to be exact. While being panned by film critics over the world, over the years this film has gained a cult status and with good reason. The entire film is so much fun. It's not great film making, but it's got lots of heart and captures what this sub-genre is all about, even though they could've toned down the humour and worked a bit more on character development and story. But it was great!

There's some truly gory moments too, and Richard Moll is and sounds amazing as Xusia, who should've been a bigger part of the film tbh. Some of the scenes are like pulled out of an ultra-violent horror film. Superb!

Not the first film I'd recommend to people wanting to get into sword and srocery, but people already familiar with the major classics should check it out for sure.

You never got into Altars of Madness or Thy Kingdom Come? Two of the best death metal releases from that era IMO. And Abominations of Desolation also. Great release.

As for the album cover, it's so bad I'll never spend any money on that release unless it's released with a different cover. When I pay for music I pay for everything from the music to the cover, and I pay for the entire package. Everything gotta be good. Looks like the cover for a new, semi-technical deathcore band or a super technical death metal band without any actual money to spend on cover art.

That is how death metal covers should look in 2017

Cheap and fucking ugly cover art. Why the fuck would they think this shit is OK? And why is the logo so small and place where it is?  It's so bad it feels like an insult. The new song, which is up on spotify, is not too bad however, but it's a bit too chugging and the mix is way off IMO. But Steve Tucker sounds very good.

Should be noted that I am not a fan of Morbid Angel post-Covenant, tho. And this sounds a bit more Formulas Fatal to the Flesh- and Gateways to Annihilation-esque, and I am not a fan of those albums at all.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdGURdnqIJly3SLmki0Lkxg

I recommend anyone who's interested in horror beyond just watching a few films to take a look at this channel. Uploads horror film documentaries, films, interviews, beyond the scenes and revisited videos, horror stories audio books, documentaries about witchcraft and the occult and so on. Lots of candy for anyone interested in the genre, as well as other dark things.

Just watched these myself:

Why Horror? - Some guy who is obsessed with horror wonders why he is, and decides to take a closer look at it. A bit messy, but at times very interesting.

British Film Forever - Magic, Murder and Monsters: The Story of British Horror and Fantasy - This is a single episode from a mini-series, but it takes a look at British horror and it was very, very good. Provides lots of great info and even though it skips a lot of films and such, you get a good idea about British horror in general. 

Day 6:

Hatchet II - As with 99% of all slasher sequels, this isn't nearly as good as the original. But you can just see that director Adam Green is a huge fan of horror films and especially slashers, and while the first one is mainly a tribute to the original late 70's/early-80's slashers, this is mainly a tribute to mid 80's slasher sequels. It's more over the top and got a very comedic edge to it, but without being a full blown horror-comedy. This isn't great film making, but it's fun film making and it's easy to tell that it's made with a big amount of passion and heart. That really shines through. And when it's violent and gory it look a-fuckin-mazing. The gore is so awesome! Recommended for slasher fans who like some mindless, over the top violent fun.

The sex scene was absolutely brilliant btw. Holy fucking cow did it make me laugh out loud in real life. I'd be surprised if my landlord didn't hear me laugh. Hilarious! Two thumbs up. Creative, original and fun.

The ending was also top, top notch. The last 25-30 minutes in general. But the last 3-4? Holy cow! Yes, more of that please.

7/10

Day 5:

Hatchet - I saw this film years ago, maybe as much as 8-9 years, and did not like it at all. However, Hatchet is a film that's gained quite a status among horror fans so I thought I had to give it a new chance. And holy cow, do I not regret it. What a great film. Dark, gritty, brutal and gory as fuck, with a nice score and some surprisingly well-written and fun dialogue. It's not original or anything, but it sure does the trick if you want something that's just simple and fun. Especially if you like classic 80's slasher films.

This shit is so much better than all the crappy remakes of classic slasher films made over the past 10-15 years. 

8/10

Day 4:

A Dark Song - Another film that is firmly rooted in drama, and just like It Comes at Night it also features a very small cast. The debut film by Liam Gavin focus on magic and everything that it involves, and unlike other films I've seen that's heavy on the use of magic and rituals this shows the hard and dangerous work involved. It showcases study, labor, the chalky graphics into the floor, and is very much about how everything must be very precise and accounted for, and the smallest mistake will fuck both you and the ritual up. But there's also a lot of tension laying beneath because you can feel Gavin is holding something back about all and everything throughout the film.

Gavin got a limited budget and limited time to shoot within the house, but it's shot in such a way that it looks like he spent years on getting it perfect, instead of the actual 20 days he did get to film inside the house. Ends up being very claustrophobic and nice.

I wasn't too keen on the ending and it looked cheap to my eyes as well, but it worked.

8/10

Been getting into Jim Kirkwood lately and it's so good. It's not entirely dungeon synth, but with some releases he more than just touches upon the genre. He's put out something around 70 albums and EPs, so it's a lot to get familiar with. But the 4-5 releases I've heard so far are nothing short of sublime. I've seen his music being described as "electronic fantasy ambient" and that's a tag just as fitting as dungeon synth. I've also seen people call several of his releases dungeonwave, which is another fitting tab. It's really unique and the releases I've heard are perfect as background music when reading fantasy literature.

Train to Busan -  A thrilling ride that has a lot to offer. Not only is the premise and execution of the premise quite unique and extremely good for being a zombie film, but it's got actual characters and lots of development in both characters and plot and is, at this moment, a sorely needed addition to a genre that's not had much to offer over the last decade. It's hella lot more than just a two hour long fast-paced zombie-actioner, even though there's a lot of action and zombies throughout. 

In many ways it's just Snowpiercer with zombies, but that's good. Snowpiercer was awesome to say at least, and this is just as good if not better.

8,5/10

Anyone want to come out with their melodic death metal favourites? Been massively into melodic death metal lately but I feel like I know all the good bands already. I'm more or less interested in bands actually rooted in death metal.

In Flames - Lunar Strain

Sacrilege - Lost in the Beauty You Slay

Sacrilege - Fifth Season

Dawn - Apparition

At the Gates - The Red in the Sky Is Ours

At the Gates - With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness

Hypocrisy - The Fourth Dimension

Hypocrisy - Abducted

Cenotaph - Riding Our Black Oceans

Cenotaph - Epic Rites (9 Epic Tales and Death Rites)

A Canorous Quintet - Silence of the World Beyond

Intestine Baalism - An Anatomy of the Beast

So basically melodic death metal bands that actually sounds like death metal. So I am kinda looking for bands that are really rooted in death metal and sounds nothing like Slaughter of the Soul The Jester Race, the two albums which made (melodic) death metal into a household genre for the entire fucking family to enjoy. And the popularity of both spawned a billion clones and most of them took the main sound of both these two albums and just watered it down to something as radio friendly as Iron Maiden and Lady Gaga. Would love it if it actually sounds like it was made pre-95.

I'm not too familiar with newer melodic death metal as it takes 100 tries to find a decent band. But if anyone got a good, new band in the vein of the mentioned above, don't be shy.

October is already upon us and you know what this means: a month of horror!

Day 1:

It Comes at Night - Dark, gritty and intense psychological horror that'll keep you on the edge of the seat for sure. It's beautifully shot, well-written and superbly acted all the way through. Starts off as a strong drama before things get more and more claustrophobic, intense and frightening by the minute. If you're looking for a fast-paced horror film that'll feed you answers, this isn't it. This is far from it. This is slow-burning, intense and gritty horror-drama with a lot of focus on the latter genre.

8/10

Day 2:

The Love Witch - The Love Witch was one of my most anticipated films of the year, and Anna Biller's second feature does not disappoint at all. The Love Witch is a comedic horror film about a modern day witch who uses spell and magic to make men fall in love with her. Sounds silly? You bet it is! It's silly, it's sleazy, it's witty and it's looks and feels very much like a lot of  the late 60's-early 70's sexploitation films, but it never becomes trashy or cheap. It stays classy throughout. This horror film isn't meant to scare anyone. Quite the opposite. It's both playful and gentle, strange and odd, but it all blends together into a very original and unique film.

We have cells phones, modern cars and all that. But despite these things, The Love Witch always feels like an authentic late 60's-early 70's horror film. The bright, beautiful Technicolor-coloring and colorful clothes and sets offers a film that is visually stunning, and the script, acting and direction is very playful. Everything about this film, with the exception of few elements, just screams of early 70's and I love it. 

This film is a future cult-film and it's a film that will divide the horror fans. I for one loved it and am really looking forward to see it again.

9,5/10

3 hours ago, chemicalpictures said:

I really don't get why japanese bands feel like they need to disclosure every single break they have. Western bands often go radio silence for very long periods of time and nobody could care less... really, what's 3 months to a band so accomplished as MUCC?

It doesnt seem to be a thing for the majority of bands and artists that's got no connection to the vk/jrock/jpop tag in general. Japanese punk and metal artists goes silent for years without announcing anything. Not a problem for anyone at all. Akways thought announcements like thid was very weird.

Not sure why standard "jrock"/vk bands feel like they got to announce stuff like this. If they didnt announce ut no one would notice or care. And it's three months ffs.

Someone know the exact reason for this? Japanese bands and artists not considered "jrock/jpop"/vk never does stuff like this. Very curious.

Edit: posted before reading the other posts, but just a couple of posts above me someone was thinking the same. High five!

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials - I was really taken by surprise by The Maze Runner, and because of that I was really looking forward to this. But this is nothing but one big fat disappointment. It's cheap, it's lazy and it plays like a B-grade Resident Evil film. The first one had a proper story, it had character development and it had a huge sense of mystery to it. This has nothing of that. It's just another D-grade zombie film that offers nothing but some decent CGI and boring action. It had nothing to offer.

Really, really disappointed!

January 5th!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - I really liked all of David Yates' Harry Potter films, so I was naturally really looking forward to this. Did it live up to my expectations? Yeah, I'd say it did. It's not a masterpiece, but it's just a real fun, light-hearted fantasy film that draws enough from Harry Potter's universe and mythology, but without relying much on the Harry Potter films. There's just enough references to Harry Potter to give you a familiar feeling but without going to deep into those. It's a film that stands firmly on its own two feets, and it does what it does really well.

On the negative side there's a bit too CGI-heavy to my taste. The problem with the CGI is that it's so obvious it makes the things that are real really stand out, and that is never a good thing. 

As soon as the villain steps into the screen you also know who the villain of the film is. Why do it like that in a film like this?

Also, I am not sure what I think about Eddie Redmayne. I can't decide if I liked him or if I just want to punch his weird-ass face. There was just no energy in his performance, but at the same time I felt that it kind of suited the role he played. I'm not sure.

Also, because it's a small spoiler:

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales - Dead Men Tell No Tales is the shortest film of the series, but still feels like it's an hour longer than any of the previous films. Pirates of the Caribbean started off with a proper bang and The Curse of the Black Pearl is a modern action-adventure classic as far as I am concerned, but the series has gotten weaker with every film. But to my big surprise, I've actually found great/good pleasure in watching every single installment of the series...until this. It's so polished, it's so fake and it's so fucking safe and boring. Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg are simply the most overrated directors in Norway, and two of the most overrated directors in the whole god damned world. It was the same with Max Manus and Kon-Tiki. It's so safe. No risks taken. They just do whatever 68765716514561 directors did before them because they know it'll please the masses.

Fuck 'em, and fuck everyone who enjoys their garbage films.

Discovered an australian band named Runespell the other day. Been spinning the demo a few times and happen to be really impressed. This statement sounds so weird, but I feel there's a lot of truth in it: Runespell sounds like a darker, more medieval and grimmer Macabre Omen. It got the majestic feeling to it, but without being quite as epic. There's something so fucking triumphal about the entire demo which is top notch!

War-Wolf Virtue is one of the songs of the year. Holy fuck!

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/runespell-aeons-of-ancient-blood

Will play the debut album later tonight.

Haven't enjoyed a single Taake release since Hordalands doedskvad, but that cover art is fantastic. So simple and so little - but so much at the same time. Atmospheric! Looks like a Paysage d'Hiver cover tbh. Love it!

Tickets bought. May 29th cannot come fast enough.