Top 5 Weirdest Music Videos: Part 2

The strangeness continues, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Last week we looked at part 1 of some of the weirdest music videos out-there. They were certainly some bizarre ones, but they’re only the tip of the iceberg. Today, we go further down the insanity mountain, and observe another selection of music videos that probably should have been locked up in the insane asylum. Without further delay, let’s look at the top 5 weirdest music videos......part 2!

5) Type-O Negative - Everything Dies (Video)

Let’s start off part 2 with a rather morbid video.

I’ve talked about Type-O Negative twice so far on this blog. The first time during my review of October Rust on Halloween of 2014, and my overview of the band in April of last year. Once again, the band has come forth on this site, and it’s at their most depressed. I’ll eventually talk about it more in depth, but World Coming Down is the bleakest that Type-O Negative will ever be, and this is more than evident in the only video from this album, Everything Dies.

All throughout this video, Pete Steele sings of death, loss, missing family members, and even suicide. It’s done very plainly, and without much spectacle. Most morbidly, parts of the video took place at the docks were Pete Steele’s father worked, and he passed away only 4 years prior to the release of this album. What is most weird about this album is that there’s an odd kind of beauty behind what’s going on. I can only assume that this was unintentional, but that doesn’t stop Everything Dies from being one of the weirdest music videos out there!
                   
4) Green Jelly - Three Little Pigs (Video)

I absolutely loved this video back in the day, but man did I not realize how screwed up it was!

For starters, everything was made right out of clay, and it gave off a really childish vibe. However, this childishness immediately goes away when you find out that Green Jelly decided to turn a nursery rhyme into a Heavy Metal story. The first pig is a farmer with dreams of being a rocker, the second pig is a stoner, and the third is a famed architect. Then there’s the big bad wolf, who’s dressed up like the terminator, and hunting down the pigs for sport. It all concludes in a violent confrontation with Rambo of all people, as he blasts the wolf into Swiss cheese. If you watched this back in the 90s, then your childhood was awesome!

3) Primus - Mr. Krinkle (Video)

Sometimes, insanity & artistry go hand in hand. From Devin Townsend to modern artists at Mass Moca (An art museum in Massachusetts I know about), the most creative are also the most bonkers. Primus is a great example of a band that’s off it’s rocker, and Mr. Krinkle is perhaps their most insane video. For starters, you’ve got Les Claypool in a pig outfit playing a cello, and the camera is set right square on Les and all the shenanigans. The camera never moves away in any manner, and you’re essentially forced to watch the bizarreness. There’s a dude on fire, a kabuki dancer on the drums, Chinese dragons, and circus performers coming in & out at various intervals. It’s simultaneously very confusing, yet creating a weird kind of clarity. Whether Primus intended for this or not, I don’t know. All I can say is Mr. Krinkle is a messed-up work of art, and you should give it a glance!  

2) Prince - Partyman (Video)

I have to admit that Prince might still be a touchy subject for some people. Having been dead for only 5 days, fans of the purple one are still pouring their hearts out for one of the most iconic rock/pop artists to have ever lived. The video placed on number 2 is definitely something that everyone still mourning should watch, and perhaps it will lift one’s spirits. It is simply Prince at his finest: the whole crowd is absolutely mesmerized by his mere presence, not to mention how ridiculous his getup is. Things go bonkers one he commands the band to start up the music, and the party knob is turned past 11! Prince is getting the whole room to go along with his antics, and the end result is just pure 80s magic. A treat for anyone interested in this glorious artist!

1) Betraying the Martyrs - Let It Go (Video)

And to end off part 2 of the weirdest music videos in the world, we have a rather tame one. Well, tame on the video part that is. It’s really nothing special: just the band singing and playing with their instruments, plus some small random things. What gets this on here......is that the band decided to turning the iconic Frozen tune.......into Death Metal. I’m not joking, friggen Death Metal! From the moment you hear the first chords, you just have to stay glued to the screen of your computer. Much like the number 1 of my first list, you just have to watch the video yourself to get the magic.

So this was part 2 of my descent into the world of weird music videos. Certainly a group of brain scorchers, that’s for sure! I’ve got a part 3 in the works, but that’ll have to wait until July. In the mean time May is fast approaching, so it’s time for the 3rd metal overview of the year, and trust me when I say that it will be the quickest one yet. See you soon!

Top 5 Weirdest Music Videos: Part 1

Hey fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

It seems that weirdness is still clinging to this blog of mine. So far, we looked at 2 bands in a single overview, and last week I reviewed a rather strange anime. This week, I thought I take a break from anime, and concentrate a bit on the world of music (Metal included). More specifically, I wanted to look at music videos. Even more specifically, I wanted to look at the videos that are a little odd. The kind of videos that leave an impression on your brain.....and said brain stays bruised because of the oddity that went through your eyes. With that said, let’s take a look at some of my top 5 weird music videos..........part 1!

5) Stereo Type-O Negative - Last Christmas (Link)

We start off this list with perhaps the most harmless of these videos. A few years back, a tribute band for the legendary Type-O Negative formed from Sweden (If I remember correctly), and has been rocking out as hard as their source of inspiration. This group has the distinct fame of covering the songs of other great bands, but putting a Type-O twist on things. Late last year, Wham was in their sights, along with their Christmas classic....Last Christmas. A little redundant, I admit.

Like I said above, the video itself is rather harmless. It’s basically portions of the original video spliced together, but with a green splash on the footage. The actual song is great, as Stereo Type-O Negative add a healthy dose of sensuality to the track, while simultaneously following the letter of the song in a strange way. Of course, since this is a tribute to Type-O Negative, the ending is.....well, I won’t spoil it. Just watch the music video, and you’ll see what I mean!

4) Metallica - Enter Sandman (Link)

Okay, a little story: this video came out in 1991 (It’s 25 years old this year). I was four years old. So imagine little-old me, sitting on the couch with my Dad, watching this music video play before me. The images were so jarring, that I had nightmares for the rest of the week. Suffice it to say, my Mom wasn’t happy.

By today’s standards Enter Sandman might come across as a little hokey, and to a certain extent I agree. The band really comes across as cheesy, as they’re doing the best they can to look as menacing as possible, and failing ever so slightly. During the nightmare portions they all look cheap, and come across as tablescraps from a late 80s/early 90s horror movie. However, when Enter Sandman first came out, it was spectacular! Maybe not as amazing of a debut as Michael Jackson’s Thriller, but it was most definitely attention-grabbing. It also marked itself as the last time that Metallica was truly a great band. If you want to watch a thrash relic from way back, then Enter Sandman might be for you!

3) Slipknot - Psychosocial Baby (Link)

I.........um........where to begin.

For starters, anything involving Justin Bieber is sure to be a disaster. Going from an annoying little kid to an absolutely obnoxious young adult, his vocal work sounds like the death throes of a cow at a slaughterhouse. Considering that he’s singing insipid boy-band style lyrics, it’s not surprising as to why people hate him. However, even a black hole of talent such as Justin Bieber can have a moment or two to shine. For starters there’s the moment where he got shot to death on C.S.I., and then........there’s Psychosocial Baby.

Perhaps the most horrifying thing about this video is just how well the two mesh with one another. The beats & rhythm of Baby just seem to go along with the vocal work & pacing of Psychosocial. Both sides create what is the most Yin/Yang viewing experience: the bubbly nature of Justin Bieber placed alongside the violent lyrics that Corey Taylor is spewing, not to mention the dark atmosphere of the video. A truly bizarre experience that one should experience at least once in a lifetime.

2) Genesis - Illegal Alien (Link)

Alright, here’s where things get a little offensive.

When one thinks of the 80s, Genesis is typically one of the first bands that comes to mind, and why not! Whether fronted by Peter Gabriel or Phil Collins, one can’t deny that the group has created some classic 80s pop music, many of which are still sung today by many of us. However, Illegal Alien comes from a more.....shameful moment in Genesis’s history. Let me paint the picture: in the early 80s Phil Collins was trying to get a VISA citizenship into the United States, but was met with roadblocks coming from the U.S. side of things. In response, Phil Collins equated his situation with that of Mexican migrant workers. As you can see, this creates a rather awkward situation, and a awkward music video.

For starters, Phil (Who has a stereotypical mustache, btw) and the band decided to go full-blown brownface in this video, and do the best they can to look & act Mexican. Wow Phil, just wow! On top of that, the whole things comes across as rather racist, but whether it was intentional or not, I’m not sure. However, Illegal Alien is a guilty pleasure for me. This is definitely offensive, no question, but the dark part of me can’t help but smile when no-one is looking. If you lean towards the politically incorrect side of life, you might get a chuckle from this.

1) Jan Böhmermann - Be Deutsch! [Achtung! Germans on the rise!] (Link)

Now, I’ve only know about this for the past few weeks. A month or so ago, I joined the Encyclopedia Dramatica group on Facebook, and while some of the content is morally.....questionable, I can’t deny I’ve gotten a chuckle or two. Earlier this month, I happened to watch a section of what would eventually become my number one, and about a week ago I watched the whole music video. Wow, this was quite the thing!

Before I describe what I saw, I should preface the fact that my knowledge & grasp on politics is tenuous at best. World politics even more so. So if I misquote something, or misjudge, please feel free to say something.

So onto the actual video. Right away, it brings up the state of the world. To be more specific, the video.....well, here’s what It actually says (Translated from German):

“The world is going completely nuts! Europe feels threatened by 0.3% refugees, the USA are about to elect a man, of who no one really knows who is pulling the strings under the toupee and just as if that was not bad enough, Germany of all nations has to disabuse the world of how to behave morally right. I mean GERMANY! They did not even win one single world war in history!”

Yeah, the video is comedic political satire. Quite scatting political satire, might I add. Taking stabs at how insane the U.S. political system is, there’s no punches pulled, and there’s certainly a positive message in here somewhere. I honestly can’t describe what I’ve seen, so you’ll just have to watch it for yourself. You’ll probably leave scratching your head.

So this was part 1 of some of the weirdest music videos I’ve ever seen. Some oddballs to be sure, but this is just the tip of the insanity iceberg So come back next week, when we’ll have another look at some more bizarre music videos. See you then!

Anime Review - Oshiete! Galko-chan

It seems I’ve made an unofficial theme this month, fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

A little over a year ago, February was devoted to some weird reviews. I didn’t realize it when I but my 2nd overview this past Friday, but it seems like insanity has once again crept onto my blog. Today, I’ve got a review for a very recent anime. I honestly don’t know how to describe this show. Equal parts informative, odd, and entertaining, this series really came out of nowhere, and I’m kind of glad I found it. With that said, lets look at a review for the educational & strange slice-of-life series Oshiete! Galko-chan. Here we go!

Story/Setup
Now here’s the first component of what makes Oshiete! Galko-chan so strange. Instead of a single story that spans the entire show, instead the anime covers the subject matter that girls go through. Feminine Hygiene, clothing, physical oddities, and even facts about the body of girls/women are covered throughout the entire anime at one point or another (Galko’s ample chest is often the subject of jokes, and even a little bit of men’s health is covered as well). Even something as simple as friendship (Not the MLP kind) & the construction/destruction of personalities are discussed in this series. All of these are really bizarre things to cover in an anime, and guys watching it might get weirded out by some of the more girly things show discusses sometimes. For me, I thought this was quite refreshing! With a lot of modern anime covering the same subjects, it great for a show to come around that deals with something a little more real. Oshiete! Galko-chan is actually quite an educating anime for boys & girls (Or men & women), and is a highlight for the series.

Animation
A big plus for Oshiete! Galko-chan is it’s animation. This is a damn good looking show: backgrounds are simple but nice, characters look fantastic, and in a pleasant change of pace, the series uses color wonderfully. With some modern anime relying are darker colors & tones, it’s quite refreshing to see an anime look & feel so vibrant, not to mention cheery. If you don’t feel perky while watching this, I will be shocked!

Voice Acting
At this moment in time, Oshiete! Galko-chan isn’t available in the states on a physical level. As such, there are only subtitles available right now. I should say, however, that the Japanese voice actors suit their assigned characters perfectly. Nobody comes across as overtly annoying, but nobody is weak either. If this ever gets dubbed in the U.S., I sincerely hope the actors do it justice!

Characters
Characters are a double-sided coin for Oshiete! Galko-chan. On the one hand, there isn’t much to the characters. Due to the pacing of the episodes (More on that below), you don’t have that much time to get to know them. They almost have a “Flash In The Pan” kind of vibe around them. On the other hand, what personality that does exist gives you a clear picture of what that character is. Galko is a very stylish girl, but unlike the typical Gyaru (Transliteration = Girl), is actually quite innocent. She can be very emotional, enough to the point where she can cry if she gets involved with a book or movie. Galko even makes her own bento lunches & bread, so she’s a little more hands-on than other Gyaru of her generation.

Galko’s friends are personable as well. Otako is her nerdy book-minded friend, who tells & ask Galko about suggestive subjects (And enjoying the embarrassment), and gets annoyed when Galko falls asleep. Ojou is the airhead of the trio, but is quite friendly & innocent, and is the daughter of a rich household. All three complement each other, whether through their strengths or their weaknesses, and it’s fun to see them interact with each other.

The other characters that populate Oshiete! Galko-chan are kinda fun as well. Otao is a young otaku boy that’s quite shy, but has a big crush for Galko. Bomou is a quiet fellow, but changes his attitude one Galko changes his hairstyle. Nikuko, known as “Sonic Meat”, is a chubby girl with a bubbly personality to match. There’s plenty of other side characters as well with their own personalities, but you’ll have to watch the show to find out!

Availability & Pricing
As I said in the “Voice Acting” section above, this series isn’t available in the west on a physical level. Luckily, websites all over the internet have the show available for viewing. In fact, Crunchyroll is one of the major sites that has Oshiete! Galko-chan for people to watch. Here’s a link:

Oshiete! Galko-chan (Crunchyroll)

If you don’t want to deal with the commercials, here’s a youtube playlist:

Oshiete! Galko-chan (Youtube)

Other
Oshiete! Galko-chan, as I’ve stated before, is an outright bizarre anime. Along with it’s subject matter, the show’s structure is what makes things strange as well. As per most modern anime, Oshiete! Galko-chan is the typical 12/13 episode long series, but each individual episode is just a minuscule 7 minute & 50 seconds. Due to the runtime, Oshiete! Galko-chan goes by so fast you’ll have to watch them all a second, maybe even a third time to remember them. If there was ever a major flaw to this anime, it would be this.

Also, Seven Seas has recently licensed the manga for Oshiete! Galko-chan. However, you’ve got a while to wait before the 1st volume comes out. November 22nd of this year, to be exact. On top of that, not many chapters of the comic have been translated online, so finding them might be a little tricky.

Overall Impression & Rating
Oshiete! Galko-chan is just one of those anime that comes right out of nowhere, and leaves an impact you can’t quite make out. It’s so down to earth, but so strange, you don’t know how to interpret was you saw. Yet, this series makes for a highly refreshing change of pace, especially when you compare it to most of the modern anime out there. Even when compared to some other high-school based anime, something about Oshiete! Galko-chan makes it better. Despite a short running time, I’d highly suggest giving Oshiete! Galko-chan a watch. Even if you don’t remember all of it, what you will remember will not leave.

Oshiete! Galko-chan gets a 9 out of 10.

So that was my review. I’ll see you all next week, when I’ll have something else a little out there to review. See you soon!


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If you’d like a more in-depth look at the Gyaru culture, check out the Wikipedia link below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyaru

Metal Overview - Carnivore/A Pale Horse Named Death

Today’s overview is an odd one, fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

Last April was the 5th year anniversary of the death of Pete Steele, iconic lead singer of the equally iconic Type-O Negative. In my overview of the band, I spoke in brief of the group that he was in before, Carnivore. I didn’t get into much detail on Carnivore, since I only just got into them in 2015. I also just recently got into a band created in the aftermath of Pete’s passing, known simply as A Pale Horse Named Death. To knock off two birds with one stone, I felt that it was necessary to cover both of these bands at the same time. So without further delay, here’s my overview on Carnivore & A Pale Horse Named Death. Enjoy!

Carnivore (1985)

Long before the gloom & dark beauty of Type-O Negative, Pete Steele was the youthful leader of Carnivore. Inspired by the Brooklyn music scene of the time, Peter, along with his friends Keith Alexander (Guitar) & Louie Beato (Drums), were equal parts Thrash & Speed Metal, along with a healthy dose of hardcore punk that was popular in the city at the time. To add character to the band, the trio became barbarians of a post-nuclear wasteland, after the nations of the world waged war with one another. Donning fearsome & exotic names (Pete - Lord Petrus Steele/Louie - Louis Beateaux/Keith - Same Name), the three carved a bloody path through the city with their music, and giving the middle finger to anyone who looked at them in the wrong way.

Best Track? You simply cannot go wrong with the title track. Carnivore speaks to the bloodthirsty behemoth in us all, whether you’re man or woman. While the opening track Predator might be imbued with this spirit even more, Carnivore stirs up a primal essence within humanity that has been lost to the mists of time. If you don’t hear this song when you’re devouring a  hamburger or a great steak, you truly can’t be called a Barbarian (or a Valkyrie).

Carnivore

Worst Track? Legion of Doom, but even then this song isn’t bad. The only reason I consider this tune to be the worst is because of it’s connection to the album’s theme. A tune about a group of badass bikers riding around, drinking booze & taking names. Compared to everything else on here, Legion of Doom follows the post-apocalyptic theme of Carnivore much more loosely than everything else, to the point where it really doesn’t fit the album’s theme at all. Still a great track, but potentially disappointing due to it’s lack of flavor.

Legion of Doom

Carnivore. A fine record to start a career. While it might sound dated, there’s still a raw intensity that most metal bands can’t even begin to harness. Next album!

Retaliation (1987)

After the success of their first album, Carnivore experienced a change of the guard. Due to differences with the band, guitarist Keith Alexander left the band. His replacement came in the form of Marc Piovanetti, another fellow Brooklynite. Peter & Louie also decided to change other aspects of the band as well, forgoing the post-apocalyptic theme that the band, and embrace a more punkish/blue-collar look. Then in September of 1987, Carnivore’s second album Retaliation, was released. If you think that because of the removal of the previous album’s they wouldn’t have any sting, you’d be wrong! Peter & the boys still have just as much bite & venom as their 1st album contained, maybe even more so. The themes of war, violence, & sex are stronger in Retaliation, and the intensity comes at you with the force of a hundred angry Brooklyn natives!

Best Track? Like I said last year during my Type-O Negative overview, Technophobia is the best track of the album. A tale of technology taking over the planet, Pete really drives home the fear that this song conveys, and Marc & Louie add to the tensions with their drumming & guitar work. If you’re paranoid about robots taking over the world (You know who you’re are), this might be the song for you.

Technophobia

Worst Track? Jack Daniels & Pizza. Like I said back in my overview last year on Type-O Negative, I considered this a disgusting track & a waste of space. However, upon reading Soul on Fire (See my top 10 books list), I discovered some surprising facts about this song. It wasn’t Pete Steele actually puking as I & most other listeners thought, but instead was a bunch of soup cans dropped into a bathtub, accompanied by the slamming of a door. I still consider this track to be weak filler, but I give Jack Daniels & Pizza a little more respect, because of the cleverness of what when into this.

Jack Daniels & Pizza

Retaliation. Simultaneously it’s own record & a extension of what came before it, Retaliation is an album that’s just perfect for the angry soul within us all. Definitely recommended!

And thus ends the look at Carnivore, the band that was, is, and will be. As well all know, the band broke up after the release of their second album, and a few years later, Pete Steele would form a band that would last throughout the ages. Now it’s time to leave the before, and see what the after has to offer. It’s time to look.....at A Pale Horse Named Death.

And Hell Will Follow Me (2011)

After Pete Steele’s death in April of 2010, the Goth Metal world lost one of it’s most iconic figureheads. To this day, there are Type-O Negative fans that still miss the green giant. However, fate is a strange creature, and a band can fill in the cracks. That band happens to be A Pale Horse Named Death, and their first release was And Hell Will Follow Me. Released on June 14th of 2011, the band was formed by original Type-O Negative members Sal Abruscato & John Kelly, along with artist Sam Shearon, background vocalist Keith Caputo, Lou Reed's saxophonist Ulrich Krieger, and Biohazard guitarist Bobby Hambel. The end result can only be described as a spiritual successor to Type-O Negative: dark, gloomy, but with just a hint of beauty.

Best Track? To Die In Your Arms is a dark love song. Doomy & gothic, with a healthy touch of dark sensuality, To Die In Your Arms is the kind of track you listen to on Valentine’s Day if you don’t want something sickly sweet. You & your gothic sweetheart will absolutely enjoy it!

To Die In Your Arms

Worst Track? I honestly can’t pick a song on here to be called worst or bad. And Hell Will Follow Me’s only real flaw is that it’s missing something, but I’ll talk about that in the next album. If you want some great goth metal, then this is a nice album to start at!

Lay My Soul To Waste (2013)

With the arrival of 2013, A Pale Horse Named Death announced their second album. The sophomore release of the group, Lay My Soul To Waste was released on May 21, 2013 to thunderous applause. As Sal Abruscato said on the band’s website:

“I can't express in words how proud I am of our accomplishment. To finally complete our sophomore album, sit back and listen to what we have done is a great feeling. From our performances to Matt Brown's mixes and finally having the album blessed by engineer and mastering great Ted Jensen, this album sounds bigger than the Grand Canyon. This album will surpass all expectations; it will be a privilege and an honor to present this album to all the fans.”

Best Track? Day Of The Storm, hand down! This a song that the apocalypse would put on it’s personal soundtrack: dark, depressive, gothic, yet contains such a fury that it can only be expressed through a more lo-fi manner. The Doom Metal elements complement the heavier aspects of the song, and it turn creates a great & bleak musical environment.

Day Of The Storm

Worst Track? While they’re aren’t any band songs.......you get the lingering feeling that the music on here was made for Type-O Negative, not necessarily this group. From the atmosphere, to the instrumentation, to even the vocal style, it feels like Type-O Negative 2.0, but there’s something missing. Something nagging you in the back of your mind, and you can’t quite place your finger on it. Regardless, Lay My Soul To Waste is a great album. The green ghost of Pete Steele has come back to Earth, and has bessed a group of musicians to carry on his cause. I definitely recommend giving this a listen to!

When The World Becomes Undone (2019)

Update Coming Soon......

So this was my look at the before & after of Type-O Negative. The band that laid the foundation, and the band that finished construction. Even shorter than my overview for Turmion Kätilöt, this one is definitely bittersweet, but it’s one that most certainly brings back some fond memories for some of you. For me, I regret getting into Carnivore & A Pale Horse Named Death this late in the game. I’ll see you all next week, but in the meantime, feed your inner beast!


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If you want to take a look at my overview for Type-O Negative, click on the link below.

Metal Overview: Type-O Negative

Wrestlemania 32 Review

Welcome back to the world of wrestling fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Last Year, I watched & reviewed Wrestlemania 31. Overall, I thought it was fairly good. It was problematic most certainly, but I thought there were some enjoyable matches & stuff. Fast forward to 2016: all of last year’s champions are out with injury, stock & viewership is dropping, and there seems to be such a state of silent panic in the air. As you can tell, I’ve been rather nervous about this year’s show. I guess I’m not the only one: it seems that a majority of people aren’t necessarily looking forward to Wrestlemania. But is it as bad as people thought it will be? Well, take a look below at my review for Wrestlemania 32, and see if the fine WWE fans were right.

Pre-Show
Kalisto vs Ryback (United States Championship)
- Prediction: Kalisto
- Actual Result: Kalisto
    We begin Wrestlemania with the first of 3 matches for the pre-show. It’s quite appropriate that this stayed on the pre-show, as if it was on the main show people would probably start suffering a case of the rage shakes, but I digress. You know things are off to an interesting start when the first guy comes out to cheers, and the other guy was cheered & booed. Kalisto & Ryback were rather underwhelming at first, as Ryback was making things rather one-sided. He was throwing him around like a rag doll for the most part, but Kalisto did get a little offense in. As the match was going on, Ryback was getting booed fairly generously. Given that he’s going heel again (Something that I didn’t know about), it’s not surprising. Ultimately, Kalisto would retain his US Championship, but it would be because of a exposed turnbuckle, which Ryback exposed earlier to gain an advantage.

The Total Divas vs Team B.A.D & Blonde
- Prediction: Total Divas
- Actual Result: Total Divas
    Of all the matches on the pre-show, this was the one I liked the most. Yeah, I like good-looking women, but the girls actually brought a little something to the table (Excluding Eva Marie, who’s a Holocaust of women’s wrestling). Continuing on with Eva, she had boos rained down on her like a hurricane, but all the other women in the Total Divas team got cheered rather well. B.A.D. & Blonde came out to a more indifferent reaction. Given who was on that team, I’m not surprised. Perhaps the funniest thing about the match was the clothing, and in particular Natalia & Tamina’s looks. Natalia came out in what I can only describe as a bedazzled dominatrix, and Tamina looked like a post-apocalyptic butch lesbian biker. The entire match was very catfight-like, but there was some technical work going on in certain moments. Despite not wrestling herself, but Lana actually did okay for her first time. She was acting more like a figurehead/leader, constantly rallying the other members of her team. Brie Bella was cheered surprisingly well, especially when you consider her background. Ultimately, the Total Divas team won, with Brie using the Yes Lock to secure the win. Nikki managed to come out to congratulate her sister, along with the rest of the Divas team.

Usos vs Dudleys
- Prediction: Usos
- Actual Result: Usos
    The conclusion to the pre-show, this was another match that I liked. Both teams got cheers from the audience: Usos got a lot of cheers, and the Dudleys were cheered pretty good as well. What made this great was the “Fire & Water” vibe I got from the bout. Usos know how to work on the ground, but their strength is in their high-flying acrobatics. The Dudleys are reverse: they can fly around alright, but their really strength lies in their tank-like strength. What really surprised me was the mention of Umaga by the announce team during the Usos’s lineage, since Umaga hasn’t been talked about since his death. In the end the Usos managed to get the win, but the Dudleys tried to gain revenge by ambushing them, and trying to get them through some tables. Sadly, the Usos managed to do some trickery, and got their foes through the table instead.

Guessed all pre-show matches correctly. I’m a little proud of myself right now, so let’s see if I guessed all of the other matches right. Let’s look at the undercard!

Undercard
Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn vs Dolph Ziggler vs Zack Ryder vs Sin Cara vs The Miz vs Stardust (7-Man Ladder Match for Intercontinental Championship)
- Prediction: Kevin Owens
- Actual Result: Zack Ryder
    And here’s where things begin to go downhill!
    I knew things were going to be off when it didn’t transition from the pre-show to the main show. Because of that, I missed a majority of what happened. By the time I got in, there was carnage all over the place. Ladders were strewn in & out the ring, and bodies were dumped outside. At one point, Stardust was laid out on a ladder, and I believe Kevin Owens jumped right on him, breaking the ladder in half. Right towards the end, The Miz (Ugg) managed to get on top of the ladder, but just sat there like a goofus, only for Zack Rider to knock him off & take the title. Umm, okay I guess?

AJ Styles vs Chris Jericho
- Prediction: AJ Styles
- Actual Result: Chris Jericho
    From a cluster of a match, to a match that let the combatants loose. Despite Chris Jericho winning (More on this in a moment), this was a lot of fun to watch. When Jericho came out, it was to a weird mix of boos, cheers, and a dash of indifference. On the other hand, AJ Styles came out to a great amount of cheers, and chants for him started almost immediately. The two were flying as fast as fireflies all over the ring, but they got some decent ground work in too. AJ & Chris were mauling each other like a salmon fighting a bear, and in the process both wrestlers put out some close pinfalls. The wrong guy won, but a great match!

The New Day vs The League of Nations (Handicap Match)
- Prediction: The New Day
- Actual Result: League of Nations
    Despite being the 3rd match of the night, this might very well be my favorite. While I think the gimmick has worn out it’s welcome for a while now, The New Day cane certainly entertain, and their intro was nothing short of magic. A giant box of Booty-Os (Part of their gimmick for anyone who doesn’t watch the show) was on stage, and then it tipped, spilling fake cereal & The New Day themselves. Their outfits were equally ridiculous, as they were obviously taken from DBZ. On the other hand, the League of Nations had no routine when they came out, and were booed almost immediately. This....was another “Fire & Ice” kind of match, but in a different way. The New Day were class clowns: they were laughing, smiling, being silly, but they had an intensity to them when they got serious. Meanwhile, the League of Potato (Wrestling Soup reference) were as boring & bland as they normally are on Raw.
    In the end, the LoP won. Why in god’s name did they go over. What was the point!? The New Day losing served absolutely no purpose! Again, I’m not the biggest New Day fan, but holy hell the ending sucked! This might have been a blessing in disguise, as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Mick Foley, and Shawn Michaels came out to beat the potatoes. From there the 3 & the New Day interacted with each other in silly ways, culminating in a dance off & beer bash.

Brock Lesnar vs Dean Ambrose (Street Fight)
- Prediction: Brock Lesnar
- Actual Result: Brock Lesnar
    Two things wrong this match:
- 1) A Street Fight during the PG era, where blood is a no-no
- 2) Brock Lesnar
    Yes, I’m a Lesnar hater. To me, the man is the Antichrist of wrestling. Him going over Dean Ambrose, who actually has character to him, is nothing more than a slap to the face of his fans. On top of that, Lesnar came out to a surprising amount of boos. Dean Ambrose came out to cheers, and was cheered all throughout the match. Considering who he was up against, Dean got weapons out almost immediately, and was using everything he can get, including a chainsaw of all things! The chainsaw actually added a little to the dark humor of the match, which also included a baseball bat with barbed wire (Which wasn’t really used, despite it being a story component). Ultimately, Lesnar got in 12 suplexes, and grabbed the win. Did I mention I had a bottle of booze during this whole event?

Charlotte vs Sasha Banks vs Becky Lynch (Triple Threat for Divas Championship)
- Prediction: Sasha Banks or Becky Lynch
- Actual Result: Charlotte
    If you’ve noticed a pattern so far, you’ll noticed that the wrong people have been winning consistently so far. That’s to her father Ric Flair, Charlotte once again won a match through shenanigans. Despite that, I actually enjoyed this match! The story elements were perfect: Becky Lynch & Charlotte have a beef with each other, and Sasha Banks (Yum, btw) has the sass & entitlement that puts the other two women to shame. The crowd were clearly in Becky & Sasha’s corner, as they were both cheered when they came to the ring, and chants for the two were being shouted at them constantly. Charlotte, by comparison, came out to what seemed like a mix of applause & booing. What made me chuckle a little was Becky’s outfit, which had a bit of a Steampunk element to it, and I thought that was great. As the match went on, things got a little more surprising. Charlotte tried to pin Becky & Sasha at the same time, Becky took out Ric Flair for a little bit, and Sasha Banks had perhaps one of the biggest high spots of the match. Unfortunately, Charlotte won through her dad, as he pulled Sasha (If I remember correctly) out of the ring before she could interfere with the pin.
    And that was the Women’s match. The wrong girl won, and the match was a bit of a mess at times, but there’s definitely some fun to be had in seeing these girls fight.

The Undertaker vs Shane McMahon (Hell in a Cell)
- Prediction: Shane McMahon
- Actual Result: Undertaker
    I love the Undertaker. If you’ve met me personally, you know I can go through the roof about this guy. He was one of the first wrestlers I saw live when I went to my first show (Smackdown, if you were curious), and the impression left has never faded.....Undertaker shouldn’t have won this match.
    For the past few weeks, it had been built up that Shane McMahon (Who, btw, was cheered immensely on his night back) had come back, and was going to make Raw great again. Hell, he even said what was wrong with the company, something than no other wrestler/speaker working for WWE has talked about yet. Things got a little more intense when the fire between him & Vince was getting hotter, and the promos between the two were quite bloodthirsty. When the Deadman got involved, it just amped up the intensity more so. Hell, Monday before Raw Shane actually managed to get the upper hand on Undertaker, and managed to put him through the table. So for Undertaker to win, it just destroyed any story potential, and made the buildup a pure waste of time.
    But what about the match? It’s was actually pretty good! Despite the outcome, I loved everything that happened before hand. Shane came out to cheering & praise that rivaled the night he returned to the company. It was almost deafening, if you could believe it. Meanwhile, Undertaker came out to his usual theatrics & cheers from the fans, but his age came through once in a while during the match. He seemed a little sluggish in spots, but more often than not still brought it to the match. Shane was a surprise in the bout: while he’s never had any formal wrestling training, he can actually really perform well. You can tell that he’s doing good when chants for Shame went on & off throughout the arena.
    So let me get to what people were talking about, and that’s Shane dumping off the cell. The cell’s 20-something feet tall. That should make your butt clench up tight. Only one other man has jumped off the cell & lived, and you see how he’s doing today. I fully admit I was going “No No” under my breath, but luckily Shane managed to survive, and when the match was over, he was taken out on a stretcher to a hero’s triumph.
    For some of you this was probably the highlight of Wrestlemania, and I can certainly understand why.

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royale
- Prediction: ?
- Actual Result: Baron Corbin
    When this match first came out in 2014, it was a pretty fun idea. Flash forward to now, and it’s already become a joke. Cesaro won it the first time in 2014, and he got shoved down the card in no time. Big Show won it last year, and nothing came of it afterwards. Was anything better this time around.......maybe?
    For starters, the battle royale this year had some surprises in store, not the least of which was the entrants of Diamond Dallas Paige, and Shaq....Okay, that last one’s a surprise! With everybody in the ring at first, it was a big mess, but there were some fun moments. Fandango got eliminated in the most hilarious fashion, Shaq & Big Show got taken out at the same time, and the Social Outcasts got taken out 1 at a time. Towards the end the battle royal was more organized, but that’s more because there weren’t as many wrestlers in the ring.
    In the end, Baron Corbin from NXT won the Battle Royale. As I didn’t really know all the combatants in this match, I couldn’t really make a guess as to who’d win. So in a way, I’m neither disappointed or happy about the result.

Main Event
Triple H vs Roman Reigns (World Heavyweight Championship)
- Prediction: Roman Reigns
- Actual Result: Roman Reigns
    And here we come to the main event. Triple H, the husband of Stephanie McMahon, and one of the figureheads of the Authority. Roman Reigns, former muscle of the shield, and newly positioned babyface lead of the company. Having been built-up since the Royal Rumble a few months ago, this was the match (Besides Shane vs Taker) to watch, and it certainly was.
    Let me just say that this is the only match I guessed right on the main show. The only one. I’m honestly glad that Reigns won. I truly am. Yes, they’re trying to make him into John Cena 2.0. Yes, the guy has booes rained down on him. However, it was good that he took the title off of Triple H, as that may have finally weakened the Authority angle. Hopefully, it will actually end later this year.
    Anyways, onto the match. As per the norm these days, Triple H had a elaborate intro. It was very dystopian Sci-Fi, with masked minions, and Stephanie McMahon looking like something from the Hunger Games. In contrast, Reigns’s intro was very plain, and was booed just a second into his music. In fact, Reigns was booed throughout the entire match, and “Roman Sucks!” chants came in & out. In contrast, Triple H, who’s supposed to be the heel, is cheered constantly (Reigns was also booed whenever he got an inch in). Stephanie stayed round ring-side, and provided the distractions necessary for her husband to get the upper hand. At one point, Reigns speared Triple H through the ring-side barricade, and in that brief moment got a little cheered. In the end, Reigns took the title, and I was actually glad.

Overall Impression & Rating (Wrestlemania)
Wrestlemania 32 is so bipolar for me. On the one hand, I like the quality of the matches. There were some hiccups here & there, but overall I thought the superstars put on a great show. On the other hand, the wrong people won in just about every single match. If you include the pre-show then it’s looks a little more positive, but 4 matches where the right people won as opposed to 8 where they didn’t makes for a conflicting event. For me, I don’t regret watching WM32, but I’m somehow still angry.

The match quality of Wrestlemania 32 gets a 8 out of 10, but emotionally I’m giving this a 3 to 4.5 out of 10. Too many villains won this year. So will things be better on Raw? Well, let’s take a look.

Raw After Wrestlemania
Hour 1:
    We start the first hour with someone you won’t be surprised to see, Vince McMahon. He comes out, and brags about his son losing his match the night before. Then Shane comes out to a roaring waterfall of cheers from the fans. You wouldn’t have expected him to be on the show, considering what he went through the night before. In fact, he had a good bruise on his face under his left eye. Shane goes on to thanks the fans, which causes Vince to flip, saying that no-one can outstage him. Shane stays around a bit, then Vince just says that his son can be the general manager of Raw, but only for the night. Then Vince stormed out, while Shane just took the crowd in.
    Then our first match of the night, a rematch between the New Day & League of Potato, began shortly after the first segment. It reminded me a lot of their match the night before: class clowns vs blandness. The movement between the two groups mirrored that of their previous match, only this time around the New Day won. However, what made this 1st match great was that Wade Barrett got kicked out of the group. Shaemus had a speech, citing that the weak link had to be cut. Considering that Barrett is leaving in a couple months, this was the only logical way to go.
    Afterwards, we find Vince backstage, leaving the arena. He explains to the interviewer that he’s leaving because he doesn’t want to see the show become a mess, due to his son running things. From there, we had a match between Summer Rae & Sasha Banks. Summer had a bitchy attitude before & during the match, but Sasha was bringing the sexy the entire time, and she won the match in quick time.
    Hour 1 concludes with a match between Tyler Breeze & Apollo Crews. I feel a little bad for Tyler. From what I heard he was actually kind of a hit down in NXT, and to see where he is now, will make want to have the NXT stars stay on their show, lest Vince screws over their character. On the other hand, Apollo came out to mild cheering at first, but as the match went on, it got louder. It would be fair to say that Apollo practically dominated the match, throwing Breeze around like a ragdoll, and giving him almost no room to work. He then won the match, a tower of a man in a small ring.

Hour 2:
    Hour 2 begins with Roman Reigns coming out. Coming out to a sea of boos so bad, you probably couldn’t see through things. His short speech only made things worse, as it came across as heel-like, and at this point the boos were practically deafening. Luckily, Chris Jericho came out to interrupt Reigns, and the crowd began cheering him. From there, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayne all showed up with a desire for his title. A fight broke out between all of them, with the concluding moment of Jericho getting a spear from Reigns. Shortly afterwards, Reigns & Shane were talking in the back, and Shane told him that the 4 men that came out would partake in a 4-way match, with the winner gunning for the World Heavyweight belt in the coming weeks.
    Next up was a match between Baron Corbin vs Dolph Ziggler. Dolph came out to a indifferent audience, and they were indifferent towards Corbin as well, but not quite as much. There was definitely a difference between the two, with Corbin being a little on the brutal side, and Ziggler being his usual scrappy self. As the match went on, there were 3 nearfalls, and they were actually pretty intense moments. Sadly, the match ended on a count-out, as Ziggler managed to get Corbin out of the ring, and they had sometime out in the crowd, with Corbin just beating him into the dirt.
    Perhaps the strangest segment of hour 2, and indeed the entire show, was a recap of the bout between Brock Lesnar & Dean Ambrose. It was weird that Lesnaer & Heyman didn’t show up, bragging to the crowd that they conquered another fighter that the people liked. Triple H & Stephanie weren’t at the show as well, but considering their loss, that’s a little more understandable.
    Concluding the 2nd hour of Raw was a match between the Intercontinental champion Zack Ryder & The Miz. Considering he was pushed down the card so much in recent years, it was shocking to hear so much cheering for Zack. He was out there, letting everyone know how thankful he was, and thanking his Dad for helping him get to the top. Then Miz showed up, with the crowd mixing some boos in with their indifference. He then goaded Zack into the a match for the title, and like the goofus he is, he went for it. The two were scrappy as always, and the both got in some great nearfalls. Unfortunately, it seemed that they wanted to push Zack down the card every further, due to interference from Miz’s wife, and Miz is the Intercontinental champion once again. Easily the worst match of the night.

Hour 3:
    Hour 3 begins with the formal introduction of the new Women’s Championship belt (which was introduced during the pre-show for Wrestlemania). Charlotte had a strange mix of boos & cheers directed towards her, and there was even some applause for her as well. However, a lot of the positivity for her was negated almost immediately when she started going back to her bratty heel mode. Again, the moment that Charlotte hooked up with her Dad, any momentum she had started going away. She got so obnoxious, that all the other women left the ring, except for Natalia, who was still wearing her bedazzled dominatrix outfit. She decided to beat some respect into Charlotte, and proceeded to maul her like a grizzly beat. Welp, we know who Charlotte’s next rival is going to be.
    Next up was a quick interview with AJ Styles. He was pretty amped up for his match later on in the hour, and seemed quite hopeful that he would win.
    Another rematch from last night was the Usos vs the Dudleys, with the only change that it was an actually a tables match. I really don’t have much to say about this bout, as it seemed almost exactly the same as their pre-show match, although there seemed to be a little more theatrics in this one. This time the Dudleys won, due to trickery. Sometimes, it’s great to have some tables up, and let your opponents do the damage themselves.
    Afterwards, we got another brief interview with one of the men in the 4-way, Sami Zayn. Or so we though, as Kevin Owens (Who, btw, said he wanted nothing to do with him), came up from behind in an ambush.
    We come back to the ring, and the Dudleys were still hanging around. Things changed when the Tag Team of Enzo & Cass from NXT came out to a horde of positive vibes & cheers. They came into the ring, introduced themselves to the arena, and proceeded to smack talk the Dudleys like no tomorrow. The two teams almost had a fight, but the Dudleys backed off at the last minute.
    Concluding Raw is the fatal 4-way match to determine the next opponent for Reign’s title. AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, and Chris Jericho showed up, but due to the ambush, Sami wasn’t in the match. Instead, the returning Cesaro would take his place to thunderous applause. This applause would continue as Cesaro would dominate the first portion of the bout, but Jericho would managed to control the second portion. At one point Owens butted into the match, and after AJ & Chris got thrown out, it was down to Cesaro & Owens, and the two had a few minutes with each other putting on a fantastic fight. AJ managed to break things up & almost win, but Cesaro started dominating the rest of the wrestlers again. At this point, the fatal 4-way was insane, with everybody going all over the place like debris in a tornado. In the end, AJ Styles managed to squeeze into the tornado, and won the right to fight Reigns for the title.
  
Overall Impression & Rating (Raw)
Raw was not a bad show. Not at all. There were some things that were off, to be sure, but overall there was a lot to enjoy. It might not have moved much foward, but as an episode of Raw after Wrestlemania, it did the job it was supposed to do.

Raw gets a 8 out of 10

So this was my look at Wrestlemania 32 & the Raw afterwards. I’m a little more conflicted this time around. There was definitely some stuff I liked during both shows, but there seemed to be as many things I had issues with. It seems that this is the mentality of a lot of people that watched Wrestlemania & Raw. I can only hope that the rest of their events don’t fall into this pit. I hope to see you all soon, when I’ll get back to our regularly schedule reviews & such.


***
If you want to see what I thought of last year’s Wrestlemania, check out my review below.

Wrestlemania 31 Review

Also, I’ll still get my overview up this week. You’ll probably get it towards the end, but you’ll see it soon!