Weekly Update, News, & Discussion

Hey friends! I apologize for not posting on here in a while, I will do my best to make my posts more weekly, with news, topics for discussion, and reviews of all kinds! 

For start, I'm listening to the soundtrack for the upcoming blockbuster and first film of one of my favorite times of the year, Summer Movie Season!! And of course, I'm talking about the Avengers!! What happens when you take artists like Black Veil Brides, Bush, Five Finger Death Punch, Soundgarden, Buckcherry, Rise Against, and so many others, and you take original songs from each artist and throw it on a movie soundtrack, you get a pretty sick soundtrack. I'm not one for buying soundtracks, mostly because they're filled with a lot of hip-hop, pop, mainstream garbage, but this soundtrack is a compilation of some of Rock n' Roll's best bands. The song currently streaming across the airwaves, I'm sure you've heard it on the radio, is Soundgarden's Live to Rise, which is a pretty good track, but there are a number of other songs that I believe to be better. 5FDP's track, From Out of Nowhere, is a solid track, very catchy and fun to jam to, but don't expect their intense gutteral sound and shredding guitar play on this soundtrack. These guys definitely pull back for the commercial, family-friendly album. I have more tracks to listen to, but so far, I recommend for you rock lovers out there. It's a good addition to your library collection, especially since the Avengers is expected to be one of the biggest movies of the decade, if not EVER. I am seeing the movie Thursday night at midnight, and to add to the excitement, Warner Bros. announced a week or so ago that a third trailer for the The Dark Knight Rises, the third and final installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, will debut before opening credits roll on the Avengers. Finally, for those not aware, The Avengers is currently playing in Europe and I believe, some parts of Asia (don't quote me on that), and the reviews and feedback on the movie is that the film is phenomenal. This furthers my excitement for Thursday night. Hope your excited to. Can't wait!

THE OFFSPRING IS BACK!!!

Some of you may be hearing Offspring's new single, Days Go By, on the radio. If not, then get on the phones and request it. I just downloaded it off iTunes, and I've heard it a few times on the air, but the more I listen to it, the more I enjoy it. The Offspring is back with a new single, and a new album that, I am assuming, will release later this Summer. It's been four years since their last album, Rise and Fall/Rage and Grace, and so far, I think I can safely say that this album is going to be a lot of fun and awesome. If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong, but I have high expectations and hope I'm not disappointed.

WHAT THE HELL LINKIN PARK!!!

When I was in high school, Linkin Park was one of the biggest bands at the time, and if you think they still hold water today, then I think I should dunk your head in that water. We all remember Meteora and Hybrid Theory, amazing albums that put LP on the map! In 2007, they released Minutes to Midnight, and I enjoyed that album, but that was the last album I got any satisfaction out of. When A Thousand Suns released in 2010, I was somewhat excited after hearing the single, The Catalyst, on the airwaves. It wasn't their best single, but I didn't hate it. When I sat down and listened to the deluxe edition of the album, I was horrified. I had never heard an album so awful. At the time, LP claimed that they had spent some years experimenting with their sound. Well, have you ever heard the the saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." News to Linkin Park, DON'T FIX IT!!! To this day, I still hear Waiting for the End and Iridescent on the radio, and I cringe. The point I am getting to, if you've been listening to the radio lately, LP is coming out with a new album, Living Things, in June, and their new single, Burn it Down, is burning my eardrums. Maybe that was a little much, I don't hate it, but it's far from being a favorite. According to iTunes' notes, Linkin Park is returning to its roots with the new album. If you think Burn It Down is returning to their roots, someone's gotta clean out their ears. I remember tracks like Crawling, In The End, Numb, One Step Closer, Faint, and it was such tracks that got my blood pumping. To me, that is Linkin Park's roots! I don't know what these guys are thinking, but they gotta get it together and just bring back the good ol' days, stop the politics, stop the humanitarian environmentalist nonsense, stop writing pussy-whipped songs. Just cut loose and jam!

If you agree, disagree, or wanna comment, I wanna know what you guys think. Let's get some feedback. 

Later on this week:

Cover of the Week

The Avengers: Movie Review

A Breakdown of the Dark Knight Rises' 3rd Trailer

& Much More!

Movie Review: God Bless America

Actor/Comedian/ Director, Bobcat Goldthwait, has directed and released his latest movie, God Bless America, starring Joel Murray and Tara Lynne Barr. Joel Murray (brother of comedic legend, Bill Murray) stars as Frank, a middle-aged, divorced, opinionated man who has become fed up with everything in his life. After getting fired from his job (for being nice to a receptionist when she took it as sexual harassment), and being diagnosed with a brain cancer that will soon kill him, Frank pulls out his Colt .45 and puts the gun in his mouth. Before pulling the trigger, Frank witnesses an episode of "My Sweet 16" where a spoiled brat girl gets pissed at her parents for ruining her party and buying her a Lexus when she wanted an Escalade. Watching in disgust, Frank travels to the girl's school and puts a bullet in her head. Roxy (played by actress, Tara Lynne Barr) witnesses the murder and commends Frank for silencing the whiny, spoiled high school brat. Roxy convinces Frank that there are plenty of others that she and Frank believe deserve to die. And so the road-trip, killing spree commences. Some of there killings involve teenagers/college kids in a movie theatre, talking, texting, and throwing popcorn, a guy who double parks his car, and many others. 

This movie is a movie I have been waiting for, creatively tapping into our societal pet peeves and annoyances and seeing karma at its best. We've all been to the movies and dealt with annoying teenagers and people on their cell phones, doing things that disrupt your movie-going experience. We've all gone to the mall and noticed an empty parking spot in the very front, closest to the doors, and realized no one took the spot because someone decided to park their car in two spots.  For all those who had those times, who turned on MTV or VH1 and watched all the crap shows they air, I recommend this movie. 

Now some of you are probably thinking, what a horrible movie, how morbid, how dark? All I say is, EXACTLY! This movie is a dark comedy. The death scenes are so over-the-top that you can't help but laugh, and when that guy who double-parked his Hummer gets a bullet in the chest, you can't help but laugh, and cheer! We all can find something wrong with society, or we all have pet-peeves and this movie takes an AK-47 and blows those frustrations away. This movie is enjoyable, and the back and forth rants between Frank and Roxy are funny and you can't help but agree with almost everything they say. It's a Bonnie and Clyde of 2012. This movie gets 3 out of 5 stars. 

You can find this movie On Demand and will be hitting theatres on May 11.

Now you can notice that I don't write too many reviews on movies, but practice makes perfect. My next review will be the Avengers, which releases on May 4th. I haven't been able to watch too many movies lately due to my college budget, but I will do my best to post a review on a weekly/monthly basis.

Enjoy guys!!

BONUS: Cover of the Week!

Something you guys should know about me, I am a sucker for covers. I have heard good covers and I've heard bad covers. If you don't know what a cover is, it's a song that has been redone by another band. For example, we all know Maroon 5's song, Moves Like Jagger. Crown the Empire is a metalcore band that does a cover of that song. It's a great example because it's a GREAT cover. 

Once a week, I'm gonna introduce a cover song to you all to check out and listen to. If you like covers like I do, you may enjoy this too. So this week, following the theme of this post, cover of the week is gonna be: Moves Like Jagger by Crown the Empire. There's nothing funnier than when a rock band comes a long, does a cover of a pop song that was all over the charts, and makes it sound BETTER. I posted a link below where you can stream and/or download it. Check it out, let me know what ya think.

Moves Like Jagger by Crown the Empire

http://www.mediafire.com/?z4b9ohpix64czj1

Special Plug for a Certain Author

           Are you a military fan? Possibly a fan of biographies? Are you looking for a new book to read? Then I recommend this book, Peace Was His Profession, by MG Petranick. MG is my father who wrote this book dedicated to my grandfather (his father), who devoted his life in the USAF and the bulk of his career at the Strategic Air Command (SAC) in Bellevue, Nebraska. To those who know a little bit of the American military, SAC was once the backbone of our armed forces and was the number one target of the Russians during the Cold War. My grandfather is seen as a legend to those who worked or ever dealt with him during his career. He went from a poor, labor intensive childhood to being a Notre Dame graduate and went on to serve this great country we live in. 


You can find this book on Amazon or download a PDF version of the book. Links below:


http://www.amazon.com/Peace-Was-His-Profession-Sacrifice/dp/1432781561

http://outskirtspress.com/webpage.php?ISBN=9781432781569

Hope you all enjoy! Would love to hear feedback!

First Blog, Bear With Me

Ok so for my first blog, I'm gonna try this out by giving all of you reviews of new albums that came out today. For the record, I am a rocker, I don't do pop music, rap, or any of that crap, Rock n Roll and Metal is where it's at for me, you've been warned! 


       First on the list is an album I was looking forward to for the longest time. True Defiance by Demon Hunter is the 8th studio album released by the Christian Metal band. I've listened to this album 2-3 times all the way through and though it doesn't carry much of the heaviness their past albums had, it's still a great album to roll down the windows in the car and headbang to. Great songs like My Destiny, Someone to Hate, Crucifix, and God Forsaken are great examples of tracks that'll get the adrenaline pumpin' and devil horns up in the air. Other songs like Dead Flowers and, from the Deluxe Edition, I Am A Stone, slow it down and allow the neck muscles to relax. The album starts out heavy and fast and gradually slows down as it progresses through the 14 tracks (12 tracks if you have the standard album). Overall, I rate out of 5 stars and this one gets a solid 3.5 out of 5. It's not the greatest album they've ever put out, but it's enjoyable and I'll be jammin' to this one for a while. I have not seen these guys live because they're always touring in Europe, but my goal is to be front row at one of their shows in the future, Dear Bucket List.....


       Next on the list, The Strange Case of.....       By Halestorm. I've seen Halestorm live before and their front girl, Lzzy Hale, is a hottie with a range that most singers wish they had. Forget the auto-tune and the computer-manipulated singing that you see in pop music, Lzzy has got it going on and this band has serious potential to be one of the biggest bands out there with their second studio album. Tune in to your local rock station and I'm sure you'll hear their hit song, Love Bites (So Do I), all over the airwaves! In the near future, I'd like to hear less of that song and more of their 8th track on the album, Rock Show. That's a song I can't get enough of. Mz. Hyde which is the second track is another bad ass track that one can crank up and enjoy. Great riffs, great singing, great album. It's slower than I expected for the second half of the album, but everyone who listens can find something to enjoy from this album. I rate this album 3 out of 5. 


      My final review is on a band not known to many. Their known to me as something I like to call an underrated band. Out with their second studio album is Thick As Thieves by Cavo. Cavo got the majority of their fame when one of their singles, Let It Go, made it on the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen soundtrack. This isn't a heavy band by any means, they remind me of bands like Adelitas Way, Emphatic, and My Darkest Days. With solid singles like Celebrity, Thick as Thieves, California, Never Gonna Hurt, and two acoustic recordings of Celebrity and Thick as Thieves, and I don't know about you, but I am a sucker for two things in rock music, acoustic recordings and covers. If your looking for a new band to listen to, something considered modern rock, give Cavo a listen. Listen to both albums, I guarantee there will be something on those albums everyone can enjoy. I give this album 3 out of 5 stars. 


So those are my three reviews for now, and to set the record straight, I'm not going to get super critical and break these albums down song by song and make my decisions based on the riffs, singing, drumming, etc, if I like the band, the album, or certain songs, I'll tell you what I think, and on that note, the same goes for bands, albums, and songs I don't like. 


Currently, I'm listening to other albums, such as the new album by Manafest, and I'm gonna try to make some time to watch a couple movies and post reviews ASAP. If you like what you read, wanna give feedback, want to suggest a review, feel free to let me know what you think, and if you like my blog and like the direction I'm taking it, spread the word. I look foward to hearing from you. Take care, signing out!