Monster - Kiss review

this review is gonna be short and sweet. it's Kiss. Kiss is awesome. this new album of theirs, it's awesome too. so much better than Sonic Boom was. if you like Kiss you'll like Monster.

***RATING***- 4/5

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E.B.A.H. - Tech N9ne EP review

i don't always listen to rap music, but when i do it's Tech N9ne. or Eminem. but in this case, it's Tech. after just finishing the biggest tour he's ever done, Tech N9ne was right back in the studio to record his E.B.A.H. (Evil Brain, Angel Heart) EP.

and, it's pretty good.

coming from someone who only listens to 2 rap artists out of however many there are, i really liked this EP. Tech's flow and lyrics are as good as they've ever been, maybe even better. "Don't Tweet This" and "Rock Yo Head" stand out as my favorites from the EP. if you haven't already, get it. it's worth it.

***RATING***- 3.5/5

¡Uno! - Green Day review

probably the least brutal but still one of my most anticipated album releases of 2012, ¡Uno! kicks off Green Day's upcoming album trilogy ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!,¡Tré!.

after hearing 2 of the 3 released singles (Oh Love and Kill the DJ, Let Yourself Go being the third) i was pretty unsure of what Green Day were trying to do with this first album; Kill the DJ driving those thoughts home. however, after hearing the entire album i'm happy with what happened here. i'm honestly happy that they weren't trying to do another 21st Century Breakdown. (am i right, guys?)

to me, ¡Uno! sounds like American Idiot and Dookie got thrown into a blender. the punk sounds of Dookie and the overall catchiness of American Idiot make for a great sounding album. if the other two albums follow this pattern, they'll definitely be 3 more hits for Green Day.

¡Dos! releases November 13 and ¡Tré! can be expected January 15.

***RATING***- 3.5/5

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SoundLogic wireless Bluetooth earbuds review

this is my second review of a pair of earbuds (the first being the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Billets from Munitio), and i must say i'm more pleased with this pair than the more expensive MW3 ones.

why, you ask? one simple reason: Bluetooth wireless connectivity. i can connect these to my iPod, keep my iPod in my pocket, and not have to worry about anything happening to my headphone wires while i'm using them. i can connect them to my Macbook, start playing a movie or something, and not have to worry about being tied down by wires. they also feature remote controls, my first pair to feature this that has built-in volume controls. they also have a microphone next to the control buttons, so they can also be used as a Bluetooth headset for phone calls and such. if none of the included rubber tips fit your ears, you can take the ones off your last pair of earbuds and put them on.

however, they aren't without their downsides. first and most noticeable is a dramatic sound difference between the two individual earbuds. the right channel (also the one that has the control buttons and microphone) is quite a bit louder than the left one. this could be just a flaw in the pair i have, but it's there. second, and quite a minor complaint, is that the included USB charger cable is pretty short. an extension cable of some sort is a necessity if you don't have a conveniently located USB port to charge with.

the package includes the pair of earbuds, 2 pairs of replacement rubber tips in different sizes, the USB charger cable, and instruction manual. when charging the earbuds, plug them in and find something to do to kill 3 1/2 hours while they charge. i picked mine up for about $20 from a store called Tuesday Morning; i'd imagine they go for roughly the same price anywhere online. these are a good buy for those who want wireless headphones without the wireless headphone price tag.

***RATING***- 3.5/5

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The War Across The Stars - Alex Pennington book review

A WILD BOOK REVIEW APPEARS!

IT USED "SCI-FI ACTION!"

IT'S SUPER EFFECTIVE!

that's right, it's my first book review. The War Across The Stars was written by my good friend Alex Pennington over a course of five years. although Alex is a friend of mine, that doesn't mean that my review of his book will be biased in any way.

that being said, his first book is an excellent one. the characters are relatable, i had no trouble understanding the plot as i usually do with sci-fi novels, and most of all, a plot that draws the reader in until the very end. the ending is a satisfying one, but i can't help but wonder if there will ever be a sequel of any kind.

the book is only available through Amazon (at the time of this writing), in Kindle or paperback format. the Kindle edition costs $3.99 and paperbacks run $12.99 + shipping. BUY HERE

***RATING***- 4/5

Dark Roots of Earth - Testament review

Testament is, in my opinion, one of the greatest thrash metal bands to walk this Earth. they should probably replace Metallica in the Big 4; but that's just me. i listened to their last album, The Formation of Damnation, so many times on the way to classes and back that the lyrics were stuck in my head...and some still are.

so you can imagine my excitement when i first heard Testament was planning to release a new album toward this Christmas. then, my excitement when the release date was brought up to July 31 in the US. not as exciting was the European release date of July 27, so i could hear it ever so much earlier. two singles were released from Dark Roots Of Earth - "Native Blood" and "True American Hate". both songs have since gotten high play counts since their download.

so, what about the rest of the album? simply put, it's an amazing piece of thrash metal. my personal favorite part is their cover of "Powerslave" by Iron Maiden, available on the Limited Edition along with the rest of the covers ("Dragon Attack" by Queen and "Animal Magnetism" by Scorpions.) as far as Testament's songs go, it's hard to pick favorites but "Cold Embrace" is definitely among them.

to end the review, i'm borrowing the words of my friend Clayton: "Goddamn Testament, y u so gewd?"

***RATING***- 5/5

OS X Mountain Lion review

in what is quite possibly the earliest time i've adopted anything new technology-wise, last night i took a chance and upgraded my MacBook to the newest version of Mac OS X - Mountain Lion. Apple certainly does like naming things after cats....somewhat like Atari did back in the day.

OS X Mountain Lion is full of new features, such as Airplay Mirroring which allows those with a compatible Mac and Apple TV to stream content from their computer to their Apple TV. another useful new feature is Twitter integration to allow sharing of content from supported apps. Facebook integration will be arriving at a later date as a beta. speaking of Twitter, Mountain Lion borrows the Notification Center from iOS 5 and it seems to be working pretty well. notifications for new emails, Twitter activity (including the ability to Tweet right from the notification center), future Facebook activity, Messages (another thing borrowed from iOS), and so forth show up there (the gray panel on the right side of my desktop).

when my Macbook booted into Mountain Lion after the install, i noticed the overall appearance didn't change much from OS X Lion. one very noticeable difference is the new dock. another is the fact that you can't have your menu bar display the time left on your battery charge; either the percent remaining or just the icon. personally, i think the new dock is a much better look than Lion's was. Mountain Lion is a nice update as far as looks go.

Apple had said when they first announced Mountain Lion they were wanting to use it to tie iOS devices and your Mac computer even closer than before, and they certainly have. the new Reminders and Notes apps sync with your iOS device through iCloud, just like Messages does. Messages replaced iChat in OS X but you can still use all the other accounts that you could in the past. in fact, those who have used an iOS device should have seen the download progress bars that show up when a file is being downloaded. OS X Mountain Lion uses these as well, as pictured here:

this is the download bar that shows up under my Downloads folder on my dock. also, if you transfer a file to your desktop, for example, you get a download bar there as well as an "X" icon in the top left corner just like iOS has. clicking the X will cancel the transfer if you change your mind.

don't get me wrong, the Twitter integration and all the tie-ins to iOS are really nice to have, but my favorite part of Mountain Lion is the fact that Safari has gotten a major overhaul. you can search from the address bar just like you would if you were using Google Chrome. additionally, Safari 6.0 seems to have lost its hunger for your system's resources because i've noticed a far faster browsing experience in this version than in past versions. if Safari keeps this up, i might have to switch back from Chrome. the search engine can be customized, if for whatever reason you don't like using Google.

Apple has started taking a bigger interest in system security with Mountain Lion, adding a new feature called Gatekeeper. Gatekeeper can be customized to allow app installations from only the Mac App Store, the App Store and "established developers", or from anywhere at all. if you have common sense with the apps you download and install you shouldn't have to worry so much about turning Gatekeeper off.

and, for what it's worth, i've noticed that my MacBook runs A LOT faster and smoother than it did when i had Lion on it. that's just my system though, it may not be quite so fast for everyone's.

there are supposedly over 200 new features in OS X Mountain Lion, and there's no way i've seen them all so that's why this review might be considered lacking a bit. if you're a heavy user of an iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch that can use the iCloud syncing features, or someone who wants to stream a movie or something from their Mac to their Apple TV, Mountain Lion is really aimed toward you. however, as someone who doesn't use those features, it's not a bad upgrade for a pretty reasonable price  -- $19.99 on the Mac App Store. the installer is roughly 4GB in size so you'll need a good internet connection to download it. downloading it is your only way to get it - Apple won't be selling it on a USB drive like they did Lion.

my honest opinion on OS X 10.8? i say go for it. the few features i've messed with so far have been pretty useful, and i really enjoy the new and improved Safari. even my iTunes is faster now.

***RATING***- 5/5

At The Gate Of Sethu - Nile review

Nile is a band that likes two things: Egyptian mythology and long song titles. their seventh, and newest, album At The Gates Of Sethu keeps both those trends going. for quite a while, the longest title in my iTunes library was "I Tamper With The Evidence At The Murder Site of Odin" by Dethklok, from The Dethalbum II. since i got my hands on Nile's newest, that award has gone to "The Gods Who Light Up The Sky At The Gate Of Sethu". the band also has the distinction of being the first death metal band that i can clearly understand the lyrics from.

considering all of Nile's previous works that i've heard came from their last album, Those Whom The Gods Detest, i'm not too sure what to say about At The Gate Of Sethu compared to their older albums. it is, however, the only time i've been able to bang my head while something about Osiris or Ra or what-have-you is playing. 

***RATING***- 3.5/5

Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition review

yesterday, i bought Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition and pretty quickly found out how addicting this game really can be once you know what you're doing. i tried it before on my laptop, and just couldn't get into it. i think it was the fact that unless you have a guid or something pulled up when you're crafting things, or are playing with a friend who knows what things go into what spots on the crafting window, nothing really happens too quickly.

the part of the game that really drew me in was the 360-exclusive tutorial level. you spawn into a world with quite a few things already prepared for you, one thing included is a partial shelter for the first night that you have to finish building. it tells you how to pull up and use the inventory window (pictured above)  and so much more. once you survive the first night, you are free to wander the rest of the tutorial world. there's a small village just a short walk away from your first shelter that can be used. i personally didn't keep going in the tutorial world, i jumped right into multiplayer with some friends and started doing things with them.

the crafting in the Xbox 360 edition is different than the computer version. for one, you don't have to drag the individual pieces into the crafting window; instead you simply pick from the list of things to make and if you have all the items, you press A and then it appears in your inventory.

the Xbox 360 edition is my first real Minecraft experience, and as far into it as i am i really enjoy it. not only is it a pretty fun game, it's also a good booster for your gamerscore. the achievements are simple to get and pretty much revolve around crafting/cooking items. there are a few avatar awards to unlock as well. if you have 1600 MSP to spend, spend it on this.

***RATING***- 7/5

(by the way, my gamertag is kbyyru.)

Burger King video game reviews

after cleaning out my game collection recently, i found that i still had my copies of these gems. Burger King put out 3 Xbox/Xbox 360 games in November 2006 as marketing tools. at the time, they cost $3.99 each with the purchase of a combo meal. i got all 3 from Amazon for around $6-$7 plus shipping.

first up is Sneak King. Sneak King is what happens when you crossbreed the Burger King and Solid Snake. it's a stealth game much like Metal Gear Solid or Manhunt, minus the weapons and violence in general. the point of the game is to sneak around the level handing food to the hungry people. this is where the stealth really comes into play: if anybody at all sees you, hungry or not, you lose any multiplier you've gotten (some missions will fail you if you are seen at all, or if your multiplier goes below a certain point). you can find hiding spots throughout the level, which actually give you a higher score per delivery if you give someone food while hiding in them. the people wandering around hungry don't just stay that way either; they get hungrier and hungrier until they simply pass out right where they are.

Sneak King is not like many other stealth games. beside the fact your goal is to feed the hungry people, you can wander the level and actually choose which missions you do in what order. you can even skip half the missions so long as you complete the other half. if you complete all 80 missions throughout all the levels, you unlock a stealth suit. i haven't actually gotten this far in the game yet, so i can't say what the suit looks like or if it has any bonuses to it.

***RATING***- 3.5/5

next is Big Bumpin'. this is almost exactly what it looks like: bumper cars driven by Burger King characters. there's different game modes such as hockey that can be played. on certain modes, traps appear in the arena, such as pits that you fall in and power saws that damage your car. naturally, bumping your opponents' cars damages them too. once your car takes enough damage, you're out of the game. i actually haven't played this one very much at all because the AI is some of the worst i've ever seen and is practically unplayable solo. i'd suggest getting at least one other person to go through a game or two with you so it's not so bad.

***RATING***- 2/5

last up is Pocketbike Racer. this is a throwback to the old school kart racing games such as Mario Kart. you have the same Burger King characters to choose from, as well as a few different bikes. there's 5 courses to race on, one being the parking lot of a Burger King restaurant (who'd have thought it?) powerups can be collected to use against your opponents; these vary from bottle rockets (homing and non-homing) to a disruptor that reverses the controls of the opponent that it hits. the gates on the track unlock better weapons as players go through them.

***RATING***- 2.5/5

out of all 3 games, Sneak King is probably my favorite. the other 2 are full of glitches and like to freeze a lot. also, Xbox Live players are all but nonexistent. the ones who do play i seriously think have hacked their games because the Pocketbike Racer leaders always have lap times of 0:00. if you really want any of these games, go to your local Gamestop and dig through the bargain bin. they're about $.99 a piece last i saw them.

Born Villain - Marilyn Manson review

Born Villain, Marilyn Manson's first release in almost three years, was intended by Manson to be his comeback album. this was welcome news after expecting another High End of Low-type album. when the first single, No Reflection, was released online i snapped it up (well, having a bit of Amazon credit helped) hoping for the best. what i got was something similar to the days of Holy Wood were upon us again.

as Born Villain goes on, it turns into something like a punk version of Holy Wood. it honestly sounds like Manson has found a new sound for himself that doesn't stray from the norm. this album is definitely his comeback, but i think he was a bit off when he described it as "suicide death metal". i'm not sure what his definition of death metal is, but this really isn't it. also, the bonus track at the end (You're So Vain) includes Johnny Depp on guitar and drums. i was originally thinking he was going to be a guest vocalist or something.

***RATING***- 4/5

A fine evening with Cannibal Corpse and friends.

so, my good friend The Cynical Death Metal Elitist is demanding i do a review of this concert because he was unable to go. this was back on April 19, my memory of the little details of the show are pretty much gone but i'll write down what i can remember.

the first band up, Arkaik, was nothing special in my opinion. didn't care much for their performance, music, just did not like them.

Abysmal Dawn was surprisingly good. i mean, they were really good. nice facemelting solos and the music was just begging to be frantically headbanged to. they got one more fan that night, that's for sure. i'd gladly go to another Abysmal Dawn show.

Exhumed had some of the best stage presence i've seen in a long time. a couple times during their set they had some demented doctor-looking character come out and rev a chainsaw over the audience. then, during the last song, he came out with a prop severed head and poured fake blood out of the neck onto the  people in front of the stage. musically, i thought they were pretty mediocre. their stage antics saved them for me. and, i met up with their singer while waiting for Cannibal Corpse to come on and got a picture with him.

then, came Cannibal Corpse. out of their 20 or so songs played, 3 were from their newest release, Torture. (Demented Aggression, Scourge of Iron, As Deep As The Knife Will Go, for those who are interested.) also played were some from Vile and Evisceration Plague, along with older songs than those. George (their singer) actually challenged the crowd to headbang enough to keep up with him. "You will fail, but you can still try," were his words on the subject. then of course they dedicated a song to the ladies of the crowd, "horny or not" as George put it. (they did Priests of Sodom instead of their usual Fucked With A Knife.) i shook the hand of, and got a picture, with their bassist Alex Webster after the show was over. i stayed a bit longer hoping to meet George in person but he never showed.

amazing concert, easily worth the wait to see it.

oh my god you guys you don't even know how amazing it was.

Torture - Cannibal Corpse review

as a somewhat new Cannibal Corpse fan, i was initially hesitant to buy this album. BUT, the pre-order exclusive shirt bundle was too awesome to pass up. (i actually got mine today, and the release date is tomorrow.)

(told you it was awesome.)

anyway, there were more tracks released early than i was honestly expecting for something from this genre: Demented Aggression, Scourge of Iron, and Encased In Concrete. Demented Aggression was the song that got me interested in Cannibal Corpse, and after listening to their previous albums Kill and Evisceration Plague i became a fan. 

Torture's first 2 tracks honestly remind me of Vile. don't know why, they just do. but as the album goes on, i don't know if it's reminiscent of their previous works or not so i'll just say it's totally brutal. (because it is either way.) also, Torture has none of those smaller, 1:30 or so long tracks. all 13 are full-length songs.

all in all, Torture is a great album. i'm glad i got it.

***RATING***- 5/5

Blood For The Master - Goatwhore review (or, the most metal Valentine's Day in recent memory.)

as the title said, Goatwhore's newest offering Blood For The Master dropped on Valentine's Day this year. sadly, i wasn't able to get hold of it until just today. i had heard one song from the album, Collapse In Eternal Worth, early on and thought "no intro? must just be a teaser or something." nope, that's how the song starts. about half a second of intro then the song kicks in.

after Collapse ends, the album just keeps going, not missing a beat. and when i say "not missing a beat", i actually mean "it just keeps kicking you in the gut after the first track knocks you down."

i'm actually finding it pretty hard coming up with things to say about it other than "brutal". it's just something that you'll have to listen to to understand.

late Valentine's present to myself, totally worth it. \m/

***RATING***- 4.5/5

Of, Monstrous Design EP review

local metal bands around here are somewhat hard to find; only 2 seem to exist: Of, Monstrous Design and Nothing Is Everything. the former just released their first EP, which i'm going to call a self-titled one as no official title has surfaced yet. oh well, onto the music.

the EP hits just as hard with its 4 songs as their 1 previously released song, Someone. i really like the consistency between the two and hope that the band keeps this sound through any and all future releases. all the new songs sound great, but my favorite would have to be Silence Is Golden but Duct Tape is Silver.

Of, Monstrous Design: i expect great things from you. don't disappoint me. 

***RATING***- 5/5

A Different Kind of Truth - Van Halen review

so far, A Different Kind of Truth is my most anticipated album release of 2012. (Marilyn Manson's Born Villain is rumored to be released in February, but nothing more than that has surfaced. sad panda.) anyway, after listening to the first single released (Tattoo) i was still pretty excited for the album but i really don't care for Tattoo. Van Halen finds themselves with Wolfgang Van Halen (Eddie's son) playing bass, Alex Van Halen (Eddie's brother) playing drums, Eddie staying on guitar, and David Lee Roth coming back to handle the vocal work; this bit being the best part of the new lineup. (because come on, Hagar was good but nothing compared to Roth, and Van Halen III just shouldn't have happened.

i'd have to say the best songs on the album are She's The Woman, China Town, Blood And Fire, Bullethead, As Is, The Trouble With Never, and Big River.

A Different Kind of Truth is a pretty good album. get it if you're a Van Halen fan at all, you'll like it.

***RATING***- 4.5/5

Munitio MW3 Billets review

i happened to see these on sale at the local Best Buy, so i picked up a pair. (mine were marked down because they were a floor model or something.) now, why exactly did i get these? simple, really: i wanted to try a new brand; one that wasn't Skullcandy. the pair in question cost almost as much as two pairs of Skullcandy, so i figured that was a good sign right off the bat. (when it comes to headphones, i've noticed that when you buy cheaper, you really get what you pay for.)

taking off the white MW3 slip cover revealed a large black box. pulling the red ribbon to slide the headphones out revealed the headphones themselves in a foam card along with 9 extra rubber tips (affectionately referred to as "Silicone Hollow Points" to keep with the bullet theme). as pictured, the extra tips come in plain black, as well as a clear/green to keep with the MW3 colors. the actual earbuds are made from aluminum rather than plastic, which was an immediate plus to me. also, the ends of the headphones have green rings on them (where the primer would be on a real 9mm bullet).

as you can see, the place where the cord splits off to each earbud is inscribed with the MW3 logo with the Call of Duty logo on the other side. this is also a nice touch; the headphones don't scream "LOOK AT ME, I'M A MODERN WARFARE 3 MEGAFAN!!!!!1!!!11!" but still say "yeah, i like MW3." this is actually the only place on the headphones themselves that the game is mentioned.

now, for what headphones are really meant for: sound quality. out of all the pairs of headphones i've ever owned, these sound the best. by far. the bass is noticeable and you don't have to have the volume cranked up to hear it. in fact, the volume level i have on my iPod through my last pair of headphones had everyone around me hearing my music. with these, however, it's only me that hears it. speaking of volume, there's no in-line volume control like i was expecting. there's an in-line microphone and a button to control play/pause and phone calls if you have them hooked into your cell phone.

also included in the box was a carrying case, a warranty booklet, and a registration card (which i can't seem to get to work.) i was expecting the case to say MW3 on it somewhere, but it's just a plain black case. overall, i'm very pleased with these headphones. they seem to be extremely durable, and definitely worth the extra cost. in fact, the only thing i don't like about them is how stiff the play/pause button is. when i hit it twice to skip a song, it often just pauses (as if i only pushed the button once), but i suppose that might vary from pair to pair.

***RATING***- 5/5

Gears of War 3 Fenix Rising map pack review

i got this map pack when it was released (January 17th) but haven't bothered to use any of the new content until today. i suppose i've been distracted by MW3.

anyway, this pack features 5 maps from events in the life of Marcus Fenix: Academy, Anvil, Depths, Escalation, and The Slab. Academy is the campus of Oracle Academy, which Marcus' father Adam planned for him to attend. however, Marcus broke tradition and followed Dom into the COG army. Anvil is based off of the Anvil Gate fortress seen in Gears of War 3. (which is not where Marcus betrayed orders to save his father, that was some other battle.) Depths is a piece from the island Azura, where (if you somehow haven't finished Gears 3's campaign yet, major spoilers ahead. be warned) Marcus rescues Adam and in the process kills all the Locust and Lambent.

(spoiler free zone again)
Escalation is a map that's been in the Gears franchise since the beginning (or at least, Gears 1 on PC) so there's not much else to say about it. and, fans of the series will recognize The Slab as the prison that Dom breaks Marcus out of in the first Gears game.

Fenix Rising also comes with 4 new character skins: Recruit Clayton Carmine, Cole Train: Limited Edition, Savage Kantus: Limited Edition, and Savage Maurader. this is where the pack takes a nosedive. unless Clayton was in the same training as Marcus, i don't see any connection to Marcus' past like the maps have established. as those who played the beta know, Cole Train (or, Thrashball Cole) was originally exclusive to those who completed enough matches of the beta. i personally think Epic should've kept it that way. now, what makes this one different from the beta unlock? the Limted Edition character has blue pants rather than white ones, the blue ones also have a silver reflective stripe going down the side of each leg. that's it.

the Limited Edition Kantus model, is the only Savage Kantus i have so i don't have much to compare him to. i'd imagine there was also very small changes done to his armor or something, much like there was to Cole Train's. the Marauder is without a doubt the best character in this pack. his face is covered in bandages, except his mouth which has fangs sticking out of it. his skin also looks to be a bit rougher and more spiky than any other Locust thus far.

(i mean, look at it.)

overall, i'm somewhat disappointed with this pack. the maps are really great from what i've played of them so far, but the characters left a bit to be desired. half of them are just rehashes of already existing characters. at least the Horde Command pack gave some interesting character variations (such as Big Rig Dizzy). what really grinds my gears here is that those of us who did the work in the beta to unlock Cole Train for the retail version should be the only ones who get to have him, not just anybody with enough points for the pack. what's next, the beta-exclusive flaming weapon skins will be up for purchase? at least i'd still have my beta tester medal.

***RATING***- 3/5

Dark Adrenaline - Lacuna Coil review

Dark Adrenaline is undoubtedly not my most anticipated album release of 2012 (that honor goes to Van Halen's upcoming A Different Kind Of Truth), but nevertheless i was still happy to see some new stuff from Cristina and the boys.

the first two songs released, Trip The Darkness and Kill The Light, were nice previews for the album. Trip The Darkness got its own music video, whereas Kill The Light was simply released as a song on YouTube.

(the video for Trip The Darkness)

the band also covered a song by REM, Losing My Religion. as far as covers go it's a pretty good one. honestly, i'm not sure what else to say here. the album itself is actually pretty good. however, since i'm not much of a fan of theirs, i have next to no knowledge of their past material to compare this new release to. i'd say if you're a fan at all of Lacuna Coil, get this one.

***RATING***- 3.5/5

Gears of War: The Board Game review

(i might as well do a quick review of this while i have this tab open, so here goes:)

i must admit, i was pretty skeptical when i first heard that Gears of War was being ported to the old school board game. so, i picked it up, unpacked it, and looked at the monstrous pile of bits and pieces the box held. the game comes with a bunch of map tiles (this is the board, which is randomly put together each game by a deck of cards that controls which pieces are put down in what order), a large bag of figurines (which are my personal favorite out of the whole thing, they're extremely detailed little pieces), about 5 or 6 separate decks of cards: one to control the Locust AI (this is a strictly co-op game, for 1-4 players), black and red die to figure up the attack and defense values (respectively), a small mountain of tokens (symbolizing ammunition and grenade counts), and a good sized instruction manual; among other things.

like i said before, the board is made up of individual tiles which vary according to the mission you choose to play (the missions are based off Gears 1 & 2, perhaps there will be an expansion pack to cover the recent third Gears game) and are put together randomly each game by what order you draw the cards in. after the board is assembled, Locust enemies are spawned in the right locations (the specific ones based off the number of players), cards are distributed (each player has a hand of 6 cards, except the one playing as Marcus; they get up to 7), and the game begins.

remember when i said this would be a quick review? here's why: i've only gotten to play this game twice so far, both times ending in defeat. (the second time we made it farther.) it all boils down to the roll of the dice and lucky drawing of cards. i haven't even thought of trying the "Insane mode" rules, because the first mission (supposedly the easiest one of all) still has yet to be beaten. Insane is supposed to be just as masochistic as the console games are on that difficulty.

from what i've played of the game, it's just as fun as playing it with a controller. Horde mode even made its way here, but that'll have to wait also until the first mission is won. sorry if this review is a little lacking, this game is just so massive compared to any other board game i've ever played.

***RATING***- 5/5

(here's a picture of what the game actually looks like when it's being played. not sure which mission this is.)

Beyond Magnetic EP - Metallica review

ah, Metallica. what hasn't been said about them: they're but one of the founders of the thrash metal genre, also they've been called one of the biggest sellout bands of all time. their 2008 album Death Magnetic (fun fact: this was the first Metallica album i ever bought) was a welcome return to their thrash metal roots after the discography stains that were Metallica, Load, ReLoad, and St. Anger. this EP is a collection of 4 songs that didn't make it onto the final release of Death Magnetic: Hate Train, Just A Bullet Away, Hell and Back, and Rebel of Babylon.

Hate Train is an excellent way to kick off the EP, the song honestly reminds me of Ride The Lightning. and yet, i cannot help but to think of Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory (because of his love of trains). totally unmetal thought, but i digress.

(just think of an evil Sheldon here)

Just A Bullet Away keeps the metal flowing, but now it's reminiscent of Master of Puppets. actually, it's like if Master and ...And Justice For All had a baby, this song would be that baby. i don't think i've ever headbanged to a song about putting a gun in your mouth and pulling the trigger. first time for everything, i suppose. also; this song just stops about 4 minutes in, a second or so of silence, then a slow interlude-type sound. oh, wait. it goes back to the starting sound. nevermind.

Hell and Back starts slowly, like the break in Just A Bullet Away, but it steadily picks up as the song plays. this one i can't place a similarity to any of Metallica's previous works on. it just kinda does it's own thing, i guess. i don't even know what else to say about it.

Rebel of Babylon is a tease. i was expecting a smooth, oh-so-sweet Metallica ballad somewhat like The Unforgiven I and III. (nobody likes The Unforgiven II so it doesn't count.) Rebel is also the longest song on the EP (total time 8:02), if you're keeping track. this is another song that i just don't know what to say about.

overall, Beyond Magnetic is pretty good as far as EP's go. if this is anything like what Metallica's upcoming studio album will sound like i am eagerly awaiting it's release. 

***RATING***- 4/5

Lamb of God - Resolution review

starting with a solid 10-second scream that sounds like one ripped out of a song by The Devil Wears Prada, i was unsure i had actually gotten Lamb of God's newest offering. however, Randy Blythe's soothing voice came in soon enough.

speaking of Randy's voice, it sounds so different on this album compared to their last release, 2009's Wrath. it has a much deeper sound to it, which kicks so much ass. when i heard the first single released, Ghost Walking, i thought they replaced him with a new vocalist. (side note: Randy has decided to do a fundraiser show with Cannabis Corpse to raise money for Cory Smoot's family. don't know who Cory Smoot is? Google it.)

back to Resolution: simply put, i strongly believe it's their hardest-hitting album to date. it sounds like good old Lamb of God, but with death metal vocals. it sounds awesome, the album art looks awesome. what else do i need to say?

***RATING***- 5/5