Album Review - Faith No More's Sol Invictus

Hey fellow Otaku & Metal Heads!

I’m glad that I’m getting back into the normal swing on here. That little gap I had was something I didn’t intend to happen, but it did anyway. Thankfully, I’m back on schedule, and with the two anime reviews out of the way, I’m not right onto the metal review, and it’s a doozy! A release from a band that’s been out of the game for almost 2 decades, and a release that people were absolutely blind-sided by. Filled with 90s goodness, it’s an album that’s sure to stir music fan’s nostalgia to a frenzy. With that said, let’s look at the 7th studio album from the returning Faith No More, Sol Invictus, and see if they still got it. Let the review begin!

Background ***
“On February 24, 2009 after months of speculation and rumors, Faith No More announced they would be reforming with a line-up identical to the Album of the Year era, embarking on a reunion tour called The Second Coming Tour. To coincide with the band's reunion tour, Rhino released the sixth Faith No More compilation, The Very Best Definitive Ultimate Greatest Hits Collection, a double album that includes their hit singles and b sides & rarities, in the UK on June 8. Faith No More then played in major European festivals including, Download Festival in the UK in June, Hurricane and Southside festivals in Germany, Greenfield Festival in Switzerland, Hove Festival in Norway and Roskilde Festival in Denmark, among other dates. The tour continued into 2010 with appearances at the Soundwave Festival in Australian cities throughout February and March. During their tour, the band added covers to their repertoire including "Switch" by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

After an eleven month hiatus, Faith No More played four shows in South America in November 2011. On the first date (November 8, 2011), the band played a "mystery song" - later confirmed as "Matador" - which led to speculation of new material. They played Sonisphere France on July 7, 2012.

In a January 2013 interview, Mike Patton suggested that the band would not remain active beyond the reunion tour, stating that "it's sort of petered out" and the band was "maybe a little too conscious for [their] own good." In July 2013 Billy Gould hinted the band may record new material in the future, saying "We will do something again only when all members are with the focus on that, and ready for the challenge. This is not the time... yet." On May 29, 2014, Faith No More posted a message (along with a photograph of Mike Patton) on their Twitter account, saying that "the reunion thing was fun, but now it's time to get a little creative." On July 4, Faith No More played their first show in two years at Hyde Park in London, supporting Black Sabbath. At that show, Faith No More debuted two new songs "Motherfucker" and "Superhero" (also known by fans as "Leader of Men"). On August 20, the band posted "The Reunion Tour is over; in 2015 things are going to change." These tweets led to speculation that the band was working on new material. On August 30, Gould said that the band was "considering doing something new", and might begin work on a new studio album at some point in the not-too-distant future, explaining, "to do something creative would be a really good thing to do." On September 2, Bill Gould revealed to Rolling Stone that Faith No More had begun work on a new album. On February 10, 2015 the band announced the title of their new album, Sol Invictus, and was set to be released on May 19, 2015.”

Basic Description
The 90s have returned!

Yeah, I know that sounds like a ridiculous thing to say, but it’s true! When you put this album into your CD Player (Or put the MP3 files onto your player), it’s like the band never broke up. Sol Invictus make for a surprisingly good time machine: all of the music on here sounds like a great continuation of their previous release from 1997, Album of the Year. The Nu-Metal, the funk & rock-n-roll, the whole thing! Everything that was great about Faith No More, and maybe some things that weren’t so great, can all be heard on Sol Invictus! If you miss the 90s, and want a nice journey back, then this album is perfect for the job!

Best Song
Picking a best song is difficult, ladies & gentlemen. Sol Invictus was built with such craftsmanship, such skill, and such artistry, that one could call this album a glorious work of art (If one was narcissistic enough). After listening to this release a couple times, I ultimately decided to pick Matador as the best song of Sol Invictus. As only Faith No More can, they created a strange yet sincere return to the world of music. Strong vocals, odd sound effects, heartfelt piano, and groove-laden guitars practically built this song. If you were to pluck someone from the 90s, and put this song into their ears, they’d swear that it was something straight out of the band’s material from 2 decades earlier. Heck, even I was surprised by the 90s vibes that was coming from not just this song, but from the whole album as well.

Matador

Worst Song
Curiously enough, I consider Sol Invictus’s first single, Motherfucker, to be the worst song. Even then, I actually don’t consider it to be the worst thing on here. To me, this song’s only real flaw is monotony. There’s some great & catchy beats here, and Mike Patton’s singing is perfect, but I’m getting the feeling that maybe the track needed a little more energy injected into it’s veins. Again, Motherfucker isn’t a bad song, but I wish a little more could have been done with it.

Motherfucker

Overall Impression & Rating
Sol Invictus is a modern day blast-from-the-past! Faith No More have returned to the world of music with force, and this album spearheads this return. Bringing their 90s mix of Nu-Metal, Rock, and Funk, the band has proved that not every bit of music from the 1990s sucked. I cannot talk anymore about how much you need to buy Sol Invictus, so go grab it!

Sol Invictus gets a 9.5 out of 10

Well guys, I’m taking the next few weeks off. With September not to far off, I’ve got to get ready for the 1-year celebration of this blog. Hope you don’t mind the wait, and I’ll see you soon!


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Taken from Wikipedia

Anime (Episode) Review - Monster Musume Ep. 1

Hey everybody!

Well guys, it’s here! A show that I’ve been waiting for, ever since I first heard it’s announcement back in March. A show who’s manga has brought me all sorts of merriment & delight, not to mention some particularly delicious fan service. I’ll eventually review the full show when it’s fully released, but for now I’ll just give you a sample. So let’s not waste more time, and take a look at the first episode of Monster Musume, also known as Everyday Life with a Lamia. Let the review begin!

Basic Story
Taken from Wikipedia:

General Background (Whole Series)
“For years, the Japanese government has kept a secret: mythical creatures like centaurs, harpies, and lamias are real. Three years before the start of this story, the government published the existence of these creatures and passed a legal bill, the "Interspecies Cultural Exchange Act". Since then, the "liminals" have become a part of human society, living with ordinary families like foreign exchange students and au-pair visitors, but with other duties and restrictions (the main one being that liminals are forbidden from harming humans and vice versa).

Kimihito Kurusu did not volunteer for the exchange program, but when Ms. Smith delivered the very scared and embarrassed Miia to his door by mistake, he did not have the heart to send her away and they started living together. As the story continues, Kimihito meets and gives shelter to other female liminals, each of a different species. Some arrive more or less by accident, some are forced upon him by Ms. Smith—or force themselves in, and it does not take long for him to find himself in a hectic environment where he struggles to live in harmony with his new housemates while dealing with both their constant advances and the dramas of helping them get along in the human world. The situation takes on a whole new twist after he is told that because of expected changes in the law dealing with human-liminal relationships, it is hoped that he will marry one of the girls.”

Part 1 (Episode 1)
“Kimihito wakes up to find Miia crushing him in her sleep. After escaping, he draws a bath for her to warm up and goes to make breakfast. In the kitchen he is surprised by Smith, who has come to make sure he isn't engaging in any prohibited activities with Miia, such as sex. After Smith leaves, Miia tries to seduce him, only to accidentally dislocate his shoulder.”

Part 2 (Episode 1)
“The two go on a field trip, including a visit to an all-species lingerie shop. Afterwards, they run into a racist couple who harass Miia, and Kimihito has to jump in the way when she tries to strike them with her tail, to keep her from breaking the law. Trying to escape from a curious crowd, they hide in a love hotel, where they are ambushed by the Interspecies Exchange Security Squad. However, Smith recognizes them and fixes the situation. Leaving the hotel, they encounter the couple, and when they begin harassing Miia again Kimihito punches them. At home, Miia resumes her advances on Kimihito, only for them to be interrupted by Smith.”

So this pretty much covers the basic premise of the episode. Two separate but clear stories, and the characters within are fleshed out nicely. The episode also goes into why Miia & other monster girls show up, and talks about their side of the story a little. Nice!

Overall Mood
As you could tell by the beginning of the episode, Everyday Life with a Lamia, and all of Monster Musume in general, is a goofy & silly fan-service show, with girls that are a bit atypical. It’s incredibly lighthearted, and Darling & Miia make for a ridiculously cute couple. However, there is a moment or two where things are a little more serious, with my personal favorite beings Miia’s explanation as to why she was so nervous meeting Darling for the first time. Luckily, the show knows how to go back to it’s funnier & dirtier atmosphere. A nice balance, if I say so myself!

Characters
Only 3 characters really have any presence in this first episode. There’s Kimihito Kurusu, Ms. Smith, and Miia. There are also 2 bullies that appear in the second half of the episode, but they aren’t seen again until episode 4. Each of the 3 characters in question are distinct from one another in terms of personality, so let’s go over them separately.

Kimihito, a.k.a. Darling, is a strange character. On the one hand, he kind, gentle, and surprisingly sweet. Despite the predicament he’s been put into, regardlessly he attempts to help Miia adjust to modern human society. He constantly keeps a happy disposition, but sometimes Miia (and later the other girls) can drive him to the edge. On the other hand, he has moments where he can get quite angry, and unleash a fist of fury. The bullies in question found out the hard way that no-one messes with darling!

Miia is next, and I absolutely adore the hell out of her! The one thing that Monster Musume (Both the anime & manga) does well is it gives the girls their own personality & set of traits. Miia is perhaps one of the simplistic: she’s a girl that loves darling because of his kindness, and does everything in per power to get close to him.....and into his pants. Ironically, Miia calls out Darling for being a pervert when he sees her in the bath, or when he accidentally grabs her panties. Pretty simple if you ask me!

Last up is Ms. Smith, the coordinator that brought Miia to the house. Smith is something of a bipolar character: on the one hand, you want to smack her! She’s a mooch, she basically over-complicated Darling’s life, and really does whatever she can to avoid work or not do as much of said work. On the other hand, she does have some legitimate good moments. She has something of a heart, does have the best interests of Miia & the other girls, and actually has a strange charm to her. Certainly one of the harder character to grab a hold of & understand.

Despite having just 3 characters, they’re established, given backgrounds, and they’re all incredibly likable. As the show goes on, more & more background, not to mention personality, is added onto them, and thus they become more fleshed out. Nice job episode 1!

Animation
The animation in this first episode, and indeed the entire show, is pretty damn good! The environments are detailed, and the characters look fantastic. It’s interesting to see Miia animated, and she moves around like you’d expect, but I have 1 issue. Considering that her lower half is a snake tail, you’d think it would be pretty tricky to see her move around, and for the most part you’re right. You see her in plenty of scenes where she’s sitting down & using her tail to grab things, but there’s only 1 or 2 moments where you see her physically move. As the series goes on, there’s a couple more scenes where you see her move, but she’s very still in a lot of places.

Final Opinion & Rating
Everyday Life with a Lamia is a great episode to start off a series! I said in my episode review of the first episode of Seven Deadly Sins that it was a nice way to start off, but Monster Musume’s first episode practically knocks that down the mountain. This series certainly isn’t for everyone: the fan-service, harem schlock, not to mention how different the girls are, it certainly might spark a nerve. For me, I’m going to enjoy the hell out of this show, and it’s all thanks to this first episode. If you want a harem series with a twist, then give Everyday Life with a Lamia a chance!

Everyday Life with a Lamia gets a 9 out of 10

See you for the album review, when I’ll be looking at a highly acclaimed & relatively recent album!




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If you’re interested in watch the first episode, click the link below:

http://www.crunchyroll.com/monster-musume-everyday-life-with-monster-girls/episode-1-everyday-life-with-a-lamia-682321

Anime Review - Genshiken

Finally, a new review fellow Otaku & Metal Heads!

I’m deeply disappointed with the delays in my schedule. The last anime/heavy metal review I did was all the way back at the end of June, effectively making it a month since the last time I put something up. Luckily, I’m refreshed from Connecticon & hanging out with my friends last week, and I’m ready to go! So let’s start off with a review of a show I required during my trip to Hartford. A show that’s down to Earth, and reflects the life of anime fans with a fair degree of accuracy. A show with character, charm, and wit! So grab some plushies, a box of pocky, and take a look at my review for the Otaku slathered Genshiken. Let’s begin!

Story/Setup
Kanji Sasahara is a simple-minded Otaku. Entering Shiou University, he’s looking for a group that will accommodate him & his peculiarities. Enter Genshiken, also known as the Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture. Contained within are all manner of geeks, nerds & freaks: Makoto Kousaka the gamer, Harunobu Madarame the hardcore Otaku, Souichiro Tanaka the costumer & photographer, Mitsunori Kugayama the artist, and Kanako Ohno the cosplayer & resident geek girl. Along with Kousaka’s otaku-hating girlfriend Saki Kasukabe, the members of Genshiken go about their lives, working at school, and continuing their appreciation of all things otaku! It’s a wild ride, and you’re strapped in the front seat!

Slice-Of-Life is the name of the game with Genshiken. There have been only a few anime I’ve ever watched that I can relate to in even the slightest way, and this series is right at the top, if not close to the top. Anyone who’s reading this review right now has probably gone through the troubles of at least one of the club members: from spending too much money of manga, to finding the right costume, to being the girlfriend that isn’t necessarily big on her boyfriend’s hobbies (Clean & Dirty). You can probably relate to somebody in the club at some point, and this so-called relation is something that will still with you for the rest of your days.

Animation
Right away, you can tell that this comes from the early 2000s. 2004, to be exact. The hand-drawn elements can be seen quite clearly, but it’s evident that computer work was used to smooth things out & clean scenes up. For the most part, I like the animation! Genshiken is a slice-of-life anime, and as such doesn’t need anything over-the-top or fancy. The simplistic stylings of the characters animated looks nice, and the various unique features really separate everybody from one another as far as looks. Every once in a while a character might have a face that looks odd, but apart from them Genshiken’s animation is great!

Characters
If the story is relatable to our own geeky lifestyle, then we can connect to one of Genshiken’s characters right off the bat. Never have I watched a show in which it’s cast is eerily similar to someone I met in real life. Hell, I’ll admit that I’ve mirrored at least 2 of the characters in question, but I’ll leave said characters up in the air so you can guess who’s like me. Apart from that, practically everybody here is likable. Saki is the only one that really isn’t likable, but even then she manages to improve over the course of the show, and embraces her geeky side a little!

I do want to talk about 1 character in particular, and that’s Kanako Ohno the geek girl. I’ll flat out fully admit it, but nerdy girls are my thing! Whether they’re the busty & sexy kind, or those that are more like Ohno. The more kind, innocent, and perhaps humble kind of nerdy girl. Maybe it’s because one of my dear friends, but said friend reminds me of Ohno so much! Ohno is the kind of female geek/nerd/otaku that all others should aspire to be, and I’m proud to know the real-life equivalent!

Voice Acting
As much as I enjoyed this show for what I talked about above, it has it’s fair share of problems, and the voice acting is one of them. This is a Media Blasters/Anime Works title, and as such has a dub that’s.....questionable at best. It’s not that the voice actors don’t do a good job, because they do! The voices that project from each of the character genuinely fits them, but I wished that everybody put in more effort. One voice actor did come out at me however, and that was Rachael Lillis. Providing the voice for Kanako Ohno, she really brings out that character’s positives & negatives pretty damn well, although I didn’t realize it was her at first. Certainly the only voice most, if not all of you, will enjoy. 

Availability & Pricing
In addition to the voice acting, Genshiken’s other flaw is it’s availability. Now, I’m strictly speaking of the 3-DVD collection, not the individual releases (Please leave a comment if you want to know how much they cost & where to find them). Already, you know it’s going to be tough to find when Best Buy & F.Y.E. don’t have copies available. Actually, that’s not completely true: F.Y.E. may have a used copy available, but you’ll probably get one through sheer dumb luck. Amazon is your only bet in this regard, but even then there’s issues! As I typed this review up, there are only 3 used copies available, each of which are $69.95 in price. Yeah, this is a tough one to grab folks!

If you’re curious as to how I got my copy, get this! Back at Connection a few weeks back, I went to the Swap Meet they were hosting, and as folks were heading out, one of the people at the tables asked if I wanted the show. Nothing to trade, no need to pay, etc. It was just given to me.....Sheer dumb luck folks!!!!

Overall Impression & Rating
Genshiken is one of those shows that I’m surprised doesn’t have a large following. While it’s gotten a revival of sorts in recent years, it still doesn’t have much widespread popularity. This is legitimately depressing to me, as there’s a lot of things going on in this show that many anime fans would enjoy. It might be hard to find, but seek out this geeky gem. You won’t be disappointed!

Genshiken gets a 9 out of 10.

Well, hopefully I can get back onto schedule with this review. Sorry for the delays, and to compensate, I got 2 more reviews I’ll crank out. September is gonna be a big month for the Heavy Metal Otaku blog, as it’ll be the 1st birthday of the site! See you soon, and see you in September as well!