Not just five minutes ago did I bight into a deliciously prepped, thoroughly baked meat-lovers stuffed pizza from one of the local pizzerias in town. Being from deep southern Texas, people don’t think we have pizza to compete or compare with Chicago or New York, and while those two are globally known as the dual Mecca of North American pizza – and they are incredible – my whole body quivered and I may have experienced a tiny death of the French expression.
And for those of you that don’t understand what I’m saying, I may have had an orgasm, and if you were any more ignorant I would’ve projected the fluids directly into your face for being so lame.
With that, I’ve been catching up on music and movies as of late, and while I rarely write full reviews anymore I do like sharing my opinion, or rather beating my opinion through your ear drum with my keyboard.
On the music end of things, the new Anthrax album – Worship Music is an absolute blast. It is Joey Belladonna’s first album with the group since departing in the early 90’s, replaced by John Bush. The music is a fine mix of both old and modern Anthrax, and you can tell that the band was able to broaden their writing skills by writing in higher keys to appease Belladonna’s voice. Originally, they lowered them in order to make it work for John Bush. I have been a lifelong Anthrax fan and by now after so many singers, guitarists, sounds; I thought I might have tossed them to the wayside, but the nucleus of their sound and energy is still alive and well with Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, and Frank Bello. They are still great.
Scooped up Foster the People’s debut – Torches – they are picking up where Gregg Alexander left off with The New Radicals but adding another layer of retro sauciness that does them well. I just fear that anyone listening to this band and others such as Fitz and the Tantrums will think that these sounds are fresh when they are truly not. Nothing has been fresh since the mid-70s.
The Other are a blend of punk and hard rock, the likes of post-Danzig Misfits. Actually, they sound exactly like post-Danzig Misfits, but that’s no reason to discard them right away. They do well for what they are.
I’ve taken a great liking to Arsonists Get All the Girls. They mix black metal with new wave and their attitude is all punk. I’m really enjoying this band. Powerwolf is another power metal group that seems to owe their sound to Iron Maiden, much like Iced Earth, but they too are good for what they are.
Finally, Switchfoot has put out yet another new album – Vice Verses. Ever since they released New Way to Be Human back in 1999 each album has either surpassed or has been as equally good, most of them have blown that album away; and Vice Verses is no different. It is a great album and their songwriting skills continue to obviously mature.
On the movie front – I recently watched and reviewed Bereavement from Steven Mena; decent story with typical plot holes and intense kills.
I got to see Stakeland the other night: a movie about an older man and his young sidekick trekking across a post-vampire-epidemic America. Money is useless; the only credit is bartering or vampire teeth. The creators did a good job of transforming their locations and the overall mood into a destitute living with only the characters reliance on one another providing hope. Good for a character study rather than a typical horror venture.
The Killer Elite was a good, if dry espionage thriller. There was something off-tier about seeing Jason Statham and Robert De Niro acting together, but considering neither of them veers far from a basic on-screen persona, it worked out well enough. This Statham is The Bank Job, Snatch Jason Statham; the one that puts some effort into the acting part. I’m hoping to one day see a larger portion of the Jason Statham that had a minor role in London. That guy had hair and was still intense. Although, the entire time I was watching The Killer Elite, even though it is based on a true story, i couldn't help but think that we have Jason Statham and Clive Owen, just bring in Gerard Bartler and Sean Bean - we could have an extended British version of The Expendables.
My favorite film this week though has to be Drive. It is flashback to a 1980’s Italian gangster film, from the pop-heavy 80s-style soundtrack to the flashy, vibrant cinematography and bright pink lettering on the credits, right down to the unapologetic brutality and nerve-flinching gore. Ryan Gosling once again makes you fall in love with his fragile psyche; Ron Perlman and Bryan Cranston yet again prove that they have always belonged in the upper echelon of great actors as they go stride for stride with Albert Brooks. Nicholas Winding Refn did an outstanding directorial job.
Back to work I go….
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