Had this album kept up it's great start throughout, it would be a
shoe-in for my album of the year. As it stands though, it loses it's
appeal upon reaching track 6. Luckily for them, the first five songs
are all great, with the Queen-esque United States of Eurasia (+
Collateral Damage) being the standout, along with Uprising and
Resistance.
14. Creed - Full Circle
*casually ducks incoming missiles* Yes, I know Scott Stapp is a
douchebag, but that doesn't stop this from being a very good album.
Guitarist Tremonti is allowed to show that he can actually play the
instrument, and Stapp's "can I be Eddie Vedder now?" vocals are
actually good. Stand-out songs are Overcome, and A Thousand Faces.
13. John Frusciante - The Empyrean
We all know that John is fantastic when he uses his voice for the
ballads, as he shows again on Song to the Siren. However, his vocal
talents really shine through on songs like Dark/Light (the falsetto
that comes in on 2:45 is wonderful) and God (with it's vicious snarl).
Before the Beginning is also a great track for those people that favour
the "less is more" style of guitar playing.
12. Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions
Puzzle was one of my favourite albums when it was released, so it
stands to reason that I was looking forward to the follow-up too.
Whilst I don't think Only Revolutions is as good an album as Puzzle,
it's still a very strong addition to the Biffy Clyro discography. The
lyrics are as strong as ever, and this time they have the incredibly
catchy The Captain which was destined to be a single from the moment it
was recorded.
11. Powerwolf - Bible of the Beast
Haters of cheese, look away now. With songs themed on werewolves, this
band was never meant to be taken seriously. Luckily the decision to
include a vocalist with a gruff voice manages to save them from the
curse of being "flowery." The choral vocals at the start of Moscow
After Dark are a great start for people who haven't heard this band
before. However, the stand out track on the album is Panic in the
Pentagram.
10. Andrew WK - 55 Cadillac
A piano album, from the man who wrote Party Hard? It boggles the mind.
Even more confusing is how Mr. W.K. managed to turn this into a good
album. Andrew's knowledge of the instrument shines though, as he puts
out an album with technical playing. Whilst an improvisational album,
at no point does his playing meander into pointless drivel, keeping the
music interesting throughout. I recommend listening to Night Driver, if
only for the wonderful moment when he taps the top of the piano to
create a brilliant percussion noise.
9. Breaking Benjamin - Dear Agony
Firstly, if you disliked the more mainstream direction of Phobia, then
you will almost certainly disagree with this pick. Breaking Benjamin
have gone even further in the "pop" direction with this latest release.
However, I like it. Burnley's vocals are getting stronger with each new
album. Yes, the raw feel of Saturate is now long gone, but with songs
such as I Will Not Bow, and Give Me A Sign, I welcome this new Breaking
Benjamin. Now if only they'd bloody well travel over here.
8. Lost in Chaos - Lost in Chaos
Quite easily the least well known band in this list, Lost in Chaos
could be quite easily summed up as being a more concise Genesis, as the
vocalist sounds quite similar to Phil Collins. Keyboard and guitar
solos feature throughout the album, and the band sounds wonderfully
tight for their first album. The stand out songs here are the beautiful
Not on Your Life and Who's There?.
7. Heaven & Hell - The Devil You Know
At 67 years of age, Dio could be forgiven if his voice had lost some of
it's edge. The thing is though, it hasn't. His vocals, and Iommi's
guitar riffs are a match made in heaven, as Ozzy Osbourne sits weeping
quietly in a corner somewhere. Recommended songs are: Bible Black and
Roll and Roll Angel.
6. Alestorm - Black Sails at Midnight
After their excellent debut album (Captain Morgan's Revenge), Alestorm returns with yet more piratey goodness. Admittedly, it is more of the same, but "the same" can work quite well at times (just ask AC/DC). When stand out tracks include a Eurovision cover (Wolves of the Sea) and part of the Pirates of the Caribbean theme (No Quarter), then you know you're in for a fun album.
5. Eric Stuart - Empty Frame of Reference.
The "only good country artist in existence" strikes again with another
great album. Eric doesn't smoke, but he has that wonderful husky
quality to his voice on some of the songs. Equally adept at the upbeat
numbers (Big Dog, Wake Up) and the ballads (Crying in the Rain, Looking
for a Friend), Eric's doing a great job in his music career. Not bad
for the guy that voiced Brock in Pokemon.
4. Hurt - Goodbye to the Machine
Even the supreme selloutness of added Seether's vocalist to a song
can't stop this album from being very good. From the moment Got Jealous
begins, Loren's tortured vocals have an immediate impact. It's a good
job that the albums not all doom and gloom, as the band manages to show
they do actually have a sense of humour on Flowers. Whilst the anger
and sorrow shines through on this album, as with the band's previous
efforts, 1331 is actually a downright nice song, to the extent that
it's almost sweet. 3.Buckethead - A Real Diamond in the Rough.
Dropping his drowning R2D2 nonsense for this album, Buckethead has released a primarily acoustic album that has moments that are as haunting (Squid Ink) as they are beautiful (Big D's Touch). Not one for the fans of shred, although Bucket does let his soloing prowess lose on Separate Sky. The "heaviness" kind of makes a return with final track, The Return of Captain EO. Highly recommended for fans of Colma and Electic Tears.
2. Devin Townsend - Addicted
What? Devin's gone disco? What sheer bloody madness is this? Yet a quick listen to the song in which Devin decides he wants to be in Abba, Bend it like Bender! pretty much confirms that when Devin decides he wants to have a go at another style, he usually ends up being bloody brilliant at it. The addition of Anneke van Giersbergen ends up being a great decision, as her voice shines throughout. Along with the aforementioned Bend it like Bender! Resolve! also serves to make this Devin's catchiest album, and are two of the standout songs, along with the apparently "love it or hate it" In-Ah!
1. Sonata Arctica - The Days of Grays.
After the disappointment that was Unia, Sonata needed this album to be good. It wasn't. It was incredible. The admittedly quite mad decision to have a guest vocalist starting the album ends up being a good one, as the lovely voice of Johanna Kurkela leads into Deathaura, a song that twists and turns as Kakko switches from his well known vocals to snarls at will. The album goes from strength to strength from then on, with Flag in the Ground hailing back to the bands former style, Breathing including a wonderful guitar solo, and Zeroes being...madly brilliant. Yes, the keyboard/guitar duels have been dropped, but if the new progressive Sonata keeps this up, then dropping the power metal was a great decision.
5 easy ways to tell if someone is a prick on the i
Obviously if someone goes into a thread about tennis saying "tennis sucks," they're a prick. But here are some of the lesser known ways to spot a prick online.
1. They italicise their post, or write it in an unusual font
Writing like this does not make you look intelligent. It makes you look like a pretentious turd.
2. /Thread
"Look at me! My opinion is the be all and end all!"
3. They hold down the final key in their sentence.
"Bumppppppppppp" You utter moronsssssssss.
4. They demand every thread cater to their every need.
"I don't know what this thread is about. Therefore it and it's subject sucks."
5. They write blogs about how to tell if people are pricks.
Alternatively titled "wot I did on my holidays, by Minky aged 19 3/4"
Firstly, let me just say American keyboards are the work of the devil.
Secondly, I haven't finished this yet. I'm editing it as I go along
Day 1: Wednesday 10th June
Plane journey was great. Our entertainment systems messed up, so they moved us into premium. I was actually sitting in front of Aaron Lennon and Tom Huddlestone. Ahead of us, in the really expensive seats was Djibril Cisse (he came down to talk to Lennon). Plus one of the stewardesses was Irish, and really pretty.
Oh shit, last minute. You can have Thursday and Friday soon. Now.
Day 2: Thursday 11th June
Our hotel was called Riu. Just before I forget.
A day mostly spent by the pool, although I must mention that the Americans don't do anything small when it comes to food. Even the breakfast was a bloody buffet.
We spent the night ambling around one of the shopping districts. Well, I ambled, my dad marched, and my mum hovered. There was much advertising of restaurants going on though, I lost track of the number of times we were walking along, and some nutter came charging out at us with "YOU LIKE SEAFOOD YES? I HAVE BEST LOBSTER IN THE WORLD EVER. MY LOBSTER SHITS ON EVERY OTHER LOBSTER. MY LOBSTER IS LIKE JESUS, AND THE OTHER LOBSTERS ARE LIKE RUSSELL BRAND."
We also found the supermarket. There was nothing super about it.
Day 3: Friday 12th June
Only found out today about the England/Andorra result. Crouchy's celebration was hilarious, that "did that actually go in? It went in! YAAAAAY!" thing.
Anyway, we went on a tour of Miami. I'll have pictures up when I get home, to help jog my memory, but we saw Little Havana, the Venetian Pool, the Versace Museum, and the houses of the rich and famous. Jackie Chan and Carmen Electra, for example.
Played table tennis back at the hotel. I lost. Played pool too. I lost.
Day 4: Saturday 13th June
Not much going on today. Left the hotel at noon. We're now staying at a friend of my parent's house. They're going on holiday, so we're looking after their pets. Said pets include:
Jessie - Golden labrador. Has a split personality. Inside she's sweet as anything, but get her near the pool and she WILL dive in on your head. Billy - Chocolate labrador. Has a strange obsession with balls, which I think stems from previous visits to the vet. "Put them back!" he's saying. Probably. He was my favourite though. Lou - A black cat, who likes to bite hands. Weasel - A ball of fluff that is apparently a cat. Rosie AKA Fuckoff - A demented creature that lives in the garage. This demon takes the form of a black cat. The Fish - He's a fish.
They also have a computer, which is how I'm typing this.
Day 5: Sunday 14th June
Sorry to report I don't have much to tell you about today. This was just a "drive around to get to know the area" day, as well as a "laze around the pool, and get crushed by diving dogs." Jessie contributed the diving dog part.
Going off on a tangent here, I watched the two Confederations Cup matches. How funny was it when that African bloke cleared the ball of the Iraqi line? Spain are such a joy to watch too, I can't wait till they play Iraq, that could end in double figures.
Day 6: Monday 15th June
Spent the earlier half of the day at the Everglades. Really good tour of the river there, I got some really good photos of the wildlife, including a raccoon, a woodpecker, and an alligator. I also held a baby alligator. It was less than impressed.
The rest of the day I spent watching football, whilst my parents searched for a mall. I do not do shopping. Anyway, Egypt were so unlucky not to get the draw with Brazil. Kaka deserves all that hype though. I thought the Americans did really well against Italy too, I had that down as a walkover for the Italians. Rossi's first goal was beautiful though. Can we sign him back up now?
Day 7: Tuesday 16th June
Lazed by the pool again. Thrilling.
Oh, we did go to a bar with live music. Unfortunately it was a band that seemed to think "how to play basic blues" was the be all and end all in musical books. You know those websites that mockingly tell you how to write blues? These were living examples of what happens when you follow those.
Day 8: Wednesday 17th June
Spent
the day at the Hard Rock resort in Hollywood, FL. I spent literally
hours looking around all the guitars/memorabilia. I've got pics of some
of the stuff there, so I'll get that up as soon as possible.
Also saw Bad Company at Hard Rock Live. Paul Rodgers' voice is still fantastic.
Day 9: Thursday 18th June
Was forced into shopping with mother. I have no will to live.
On the plus side, I did manage to get into Barnes and Noble, and brought a CD. Led Zeppelin - Mothership.
Day 10: Friday 19th June
Went to one of those fancy waterparks. Almost suffered an untimely death at the hands of the Lazy River.
Day 11: Saturday 20th June
Went back to the Hard Rock Cafe for my dad's birthday. He pretended not to want a fuss, whilst telling them three times it was his birthday. Got kicked out of a bar for not being 21. Gits.
Day 12: Sunday 21st June
Just spent the day with the family we were house-sitting for.
I feel I should clarify that City of the Silent is not in fact played by me. It is a piece I wrote on Guitar Pro, then recorded from that. The composition is all mine, the playing, alas, is not.
You'll know when I put actual clips of myself playing up. They'll be rubbish.
You're a loose cannon! You're running wild like a pedophile in an orphanage!
chubbychunks wrote on Feb 27th, 2008 at 4:25pm :
Oh, you again.
Kayfan wrote on Feb 28th, 2008 at 1:48am :
***Minky dances around his room to: Liz 20Vicious 20- 20My 20First 20Hardcore [14:12m/981kbps/44kHz] pwnpwnpwnpwnpwn
/endspam
Minky note: stupid AMIP.
RHCP94 wrote on Apr 2nd, 2008 at 9:12pm :
In that case...you're so back to getting raped.
stepco12345 wrote on Jun 24th, 2008 at 2:51am :
*Thrusts Minky*
RAWR! >_>
Slone wrote on Jul 27th, 2008 at 2:27am :
I like your white fluffy thing. It looks soft and cuddly and I wanna touch it.
Minky note: I'm almost certain he means my avatar.
stepco12345 wrote on Nov 19th, 2008 at 1:28pm :
*Sings some songs by AC/DC and some songs by Led Zeppelin*
Just for you.
Jack Off Jill wrote on Jan 22nd, 2009 at 12:48am :
So uhh.. You posted a picture of you and your grandma awhile ago. I wanted to tell you that ever since then, your grandma has been my desk top. I cut you out.
demitriv wrote on Jan 28th, 2009 at 12:45pm :
Minkaro wrote on Jan 27th, 2009 at 5:19pm :
Lol.
Good reply, it shows what a jackass you are.
radomu wrote on Feb 17th, 2009 at 7:48am :
thanks mink. Great stuff you're playing on the guitar there.
Minky note: I have absolutely no guitar playing on my profile. This fellow is mental.
S)E-Javelin wrote on Mar 24th, 2009 at 6:51pm :
"No v.s. threads.
*reported*"
grow a penis if u can.
nightraven wrote on Mar 26th, 2009 at 7:55pm :
grow a penis if u can.
Minky note: Ah, that S)E-J...wait a minute...GOD DAMMOT NICK.
Honourable mentions: Alestorm - Captain Morgan's Revenge, Alice
Cooper - Along Came A Spider, Avantasia - The Scarecrow, Black Stone
Cherry - Folklore and Superstition, Hinder - Take It To The Limit,
Testament - The Formation Of Damnation, and Trivium - Shogun
10 - Nickelback - Dark Horse
With songs like Burn It To The Ground and Last Afternoon, Dark Horse is quite simply a fun album. Nothing groundbreaking in there, but the choruses are catchy, and at least it doesn't have Rockstar.
9 - Shinedown - The Sound Of Madness
Perhaps a step away from previous albums, to the point where some may see it as "selling out." The Sound Of Madness is still a great display of Brent Smith's incredible vocals. The chorus from Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide is one that will stay in your head for days.
8 - Grand Magus - Iron Will
After
a solid performance from the band at Bloodstock, I was keen to pick up
this album. Filled with great riffs, it's almost impossible to keep
your head from bobbing up and down to the song Iron Will, with it's deliberate sounding chorus.
7 - Edguy - Tinnitus Sanctus
Described by vocalist Tobias Sammet as "the album we'll be measured by in the future." Well, it isn't quite as good as 2006's Rocket Ride, but that doesn't mean it isn't great. Typical Edguy humour is found on the final track, Aren't You A Little Pervert Too? Fans of the usual epic style of the band won't be disappointed either, with Dragonfly and Sex Fire Religion being stand-out tracks.
6 - Paul Gilbert & Freddie Nelson - United States
One
of the most unpredictable performers of recent memory. Is he going to
release an instrumental album next? A strange acoustic performance in
Korea? Nope, he's going to join forces with Freddie Nelson. Paul's
guitar work in this album is fantastic, and Freddie's vocals serve to
give the album a sound reminiscent of Queen. The Last Rock And Roll Star is one to listen to from this one.
5 - Pyramaze - Immortal
The album that reintroduced Matt Barlow back into the metal scene. The minute Year Of The Phoenix
kicks in, you realise just what the genre has been missing these last
seven years. Sadly, Jon Schaffer would poach Matt back for Iced Earth,
meaning that further Pyramaze albums will be without his talents.
4 - Metallica - Death Magnetic
Opening ominously with the acoustic riff that begins That Was Just Your Life, Death Magnetic powers on through great songs like The Day That Never Comes, All Nightmare Long, and Unforgiven III, a sequel to the first two that more than deserves it's place among it's predecessors. Death Magnetic is almost Metallica's way of saying "look, we're sorry for St. Anger, here's some fucking METAL." It's OK Metallica, I forgive you.
3 - Opeth - Watershed
Upon hearing Coil for the first time, you could be forgiven for thinking that Watershed is Damnation II. Then Heir Apparent kicks in, with it's dirgelike opening riff, and earth shattering growls from Mikael Akerfeldt. Burden concludes
with a fantastic piece of originality, as an acoustic guitar is played
whilst being detuned, creating an amazingly warped effect. Whilst not
quite matching the standards of Blackwater Park, Watershed is still a great addition to the Opeth catalogue.
2 - Guns N Roses - Chinese Democracy
15 years in the making, Chinese Democracy opens
a little shakily with the title track, but then turns into one of the
most memorable albums for a long time. Buckethead's riffs on Shackler's Revenge work brilliantly, as does Bumblefoot's solo over an almost tribal chant. There Was A Time
features a solo that matches with some of Slash's best, and Axl's
vocals are absolutely spot-on. Unfortunately, line-up changes continue
to haunt the band, as guitarist Robin Finck has departed to rejoin Nine
Inch Nails. Whether he will return for the second album in the Chinese Democracy trilogy remains to be seen.
1 - Ayreon - 01011001
How do you top one of metals greatest operas in The Human Equation?
Simple, you bring together some of the greatest voices in the genre and
let them lose on what is quite simply a modern epic. Hansi Kursch,
Daniel Gildenlow and Jorn Lande are just a few of the vocalists on this
album. Stand-out tracks? Try the whole album. Michael Romeo makes his
return to Ayreon to play the guitar solo on E=MC2 (he first appeared on Universal Migrator II's Dawn Of A Million Souls, playing one of the best solos I have heard), and Derek Sherinian plays the keyboard solo on The Fifth Extinction, meaning that the instrumental parts have their share of big names too.
Originally tried to post this in a thread about starsigns. That was closed. It's here instead.
I'm a cancer. We're supposed to be:
Positive:
Tenacious - Nope, I give up really easily Retentive - I don't even know what that means. Resourceful - I have yet to build a nest. Home-loving - Probably Loyal - I think so Intuitive - Nope Generous - Nope Conservative - Dunno Emotional - I'M NOT EMOTIONAL Loving - I probably could be Shrewd - I'm about as shrewd as a spoon
Sensitive - Yep Protective - Well, I did punch someone who was bullying my brother once, but then I punched my brother. Introverted - Yes Cautious - Yep, probably why I've never had any serious injuries Purposeful - Nope Wise - Ha! Easily flattered - I don't receive compliments Romantic - How would I know? I've never had the chance Imaginative - Yep Security-oriented - In my spare time, I'm a padlock Warm - Of course, that's when I'm not being a radiator Sympathetic - Yep
Patriotic - Not a bit of it. Sentimental - Not really Caring - Maybe Maternal instincts - I feel sorry for the bugger that thinks I'm it's mum. Sincere - Yes Kind - I can be. Don't tell anyone though.
Negative:
Changeable - Nope. I only change clothes once a month. Moody - Gloomy at times - I like to have a moan, what's wrong with that? Devious - Maybe Clinging - I have nothing to cling to Indecisive - Nope. Wait, yes. Insecure - Not really
Two support acts. Don't remember either of their names, and I probably won't be looking them up. That's all I'm going to say there. Although during the first support act a leather jacket wearing skinhead biker type cannonballed towards me flashing the devil signs yelling "THEY ROCK, DON'T THEY?"
"Yes, they do indeed. Please don't eat me." (I didn't say the second sentence out loud, of course).
As for Jorn, he was amazing, as I had expected. I'm not going to bother with a full setlist, as I don't actually know the names of some of the songs, but he did play War Of The Worlds, Out To Every Nation, Dio's "We Rock", Thin Lizzy's "Are You Ready?" Tungur Kniver, and The Duke Of Love.
I've got some good photos from the gig, but I won't be able to upload those until I get back to university, where my camera cable linky uppy thingamawotsit (I'm technical) is.
Finally, during almost the entirety of the gig, I was standing next to Magnum's Bob Catley.
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Minkaro's blogs, last updated : December 8, 2009
