Album Review: Megadeth's Greatest Hits (Back To The Start)

Compilation Month 2 ends today fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I’m deeply considering making April the month of looking at compilations. It’s kind of fun to listen to them, even if finding background information can be hard. We’ve already looked at 2 neat releases early & mid of this month, so let’s end this on a nice note. The Ozzy compilation I looked at in 2017 was a gift from my folks, so this time around let me talk about a compilation I purchased myself a few short years afterwards, and one that holds up well at the same time. Let’s take a look at the mid 2000s Megadeth compilation Back to the Start, and what it’s all about shall we.

Background
Much like Voices Of Transgression from 2017, and the Ratt review from the middle of this month, there’s not much info about Back To The Start. However, what is around (Mainly from Wikipedia) is actually interesting. The songs on this compilation were picked mainly by fans, who voted in polls on Megadeth’s website (With the exception of 1, but more on that in a bit). Then, on the 28th of June, 2005, Greatest Hits: Back to the Start was released.

Back To The Start managed to get to No. 65 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 17,441 copies within it’s first week according to Nielsen SoundScan. By the 16th of December in the same year, 133,000 copies were sold. By July of 2011, Back To The Start was actually certified gold in Canada for 40,000 copies, and on the 23rd in Ontario, Megadeth was presented with gold plaques by EMI in recognition of the achievement.

Basic Description
A fantastic thrash medley.

Back To The Start is just one of those compilations that’s just fun to listen to. You’ve got stuff from the band’s start in the mid 80s, and things go all the way to the super early 2000s. This length of time allows for a wide variety of tunes to roost on this release, and thanks to the fan voting, it feels like a compilation that’s truly meant for fans rather than a simple cash grab. There’s plenty of classic songs that the longtime Megadeth fans will sink their teeth into, but at the same time this release acts as a great gateway for anyone even remotely interested in Megadeth! Definitely a spicy release if I do say so myself.

Best Track
There’s a pretty good buffet of songs from a wide stretch of time here. From their beginning days in the 80s, all the way to the super early 2000s, there’s something for just about everybody. However, I gotta go with a perfect middle finger to the man in the form of Kill The King. Ironically taken from another compilation (Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years. I’m definitely gonna take a look at this one during Compilation Month 3!), Dave Mustaine himself insisted that this track be on here, and I can see why: harkening back to some of Megadeth’s earlier work, it simultaneously has a more polished sound & feel thanks to the then modern recording technology available. The end result is a song that’s equal parts nostalgic & yet fresh and new.......fresh & new at the time at least.

Kill The King

Worst Track
Kinda like The Least Worst Of & Voices Of Transgression: A 90s Retrospective from 2017, Back To The Start’s only real flaw is it’s organization. One of Allmusic contributor Jason Birchmeier’s critiques of the compilation was that it came across as more of a sampler than an actual look at a career. To a certain extent this is true, as the selection of songs feels like they were singled out, despite what I talked about above. However, this release does share one thing in common with Voices of Transgression, and that’s the organization. Things definitely flow somewhat smoothly, as some songs seem to be alongside others from a similar timeframe.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, check out the link below:

Greatest Hits: Back to the Start

Overall Impression & Rating
Greatest Hits: Back to the Start is a wonderful assortment. It could have done with some better organization, but at the same time there’s a nice vision of Megadeth’s career up till 2005. People who are new to the band are going to get a lot more from this what compared to those who’ve been following the group for a while, even though they’ll get a kick out of something on this CD. It’s easily an essential Megadeth record for the collection, and one of my favorite Megadeth releases period!

Greatest Hits: Back to the Start gets an 8 out of 10. Newer fans of Megadeth might give it a 1 point higher score, but longtime listeners will probably keep it at 8.

So that was Back to the Start. A fine selection of song from a respectable length of time within Megadeth’s career, new fans will like the width, and old fans will appreciate what’s here. Well, Compilation Month 2 is at an end, so I figured that I’ll take it easy in May before the summer festival I got planned. See you soon!

Album Review: Tourniquet's Stop The Bleeding

Happy Easter fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I’ve had a bit of fun doing surprise posts on this day. In 2017 I did an overview on iconic Christian Hair Metal legends Stryper, and last year as a prank I decided to take a look at the discography of the hidden gem known as Grim Reaper. I didn’t necessarily know what to do this year, as I had a couple ideas swirling around in my head, and didn’t know what to pick. Low and behold, a suggestion on Youtube pointed me in a direction of a band that’s absolutely perfect for today. On Easter Sunday 2019, we’re gonna take a look.....at Tourniquet!

That’s right, we’re delving into the realm of Christian Metal for this review! Like their 80s counterpart Stryper, there were a band known for speaking the good word without the holier-than-thou preaching, and for crafting some fantastic music. However, while Stryper was rooted in Hair Metal and the early years of Power Metal, Tourniquet was all about Thrash Metal. From 1990 all the way until last year, they wielded their instruments & vocals as wild as any other Thrash band, but stayed truth to their faith in their own unique way. I figured it would be interesting to examine their first ever release, so grab some Easter candy, and take a look at my review for Stop The Bleeding. Let’s begin!

Background
Taken from wikipedia:

“The band recorded Stop the Bleeding at Mixing Lab A & B studio in Garden Grove, California. The band's line-up consisted of Ted Kirkpatrick, Guy Ritter, and Gary Lenaire. Session musician Mark Lewis played nearly half of the album's lead guitar solos.

Prior to the album's recording, during an "Artists vs. Label" softball game, a label executive accidentally ran over drummer Ted Kirkpatrick's foot (his main kick foot) while rounding second base, requiring Kirkpatrick to record the album under a great deal of pain.

The band faced other recording obstacles as well, such a power failure that forced the producer to mix the songs over again. In an interview, then-vocalist Guy Ritter reminisced:

    At about 3:00 a.m., we are still trying to sleep. All of a sudden the lights go completely out in the studio! Gary was, like, "What was that?", and I said, "I think it was a power failure!" [laughing], and we looked at each other and went, "Uh-oh!" We called [producer] Bill [Metoyer], and he was screaming, "What?!" He had to come back in and mix a lot of the stuff over because of that power outage.

    Another funny time was when we were recording "Tears of Korah," and we completely forgot a verse! We did not even notice it ‘cause, well, the song is, like, 35 minutes long! We used to have the joke, "Oh, it’s a Gary [Lenaire] song." The whole second side of vinyl would be just Gary songs or maybe just one, since they were so long! (laughter) "Harlot Widow" was like twelve minutes. "Tears of Korah" was like eight minutes or something. So anyway, we didn’t even notice it was missing, it was so long. And, remember, we were recording on two-inch tape, so it’s expensive to do, to put an eight-minute song down. So, I am in the vocal booth recording my parts when, all of a sudden, I go to sing the third verse, and there is nothing there. I was just stunned! The guitar solo was there, and I was supposed to sing another verse. (This is back in the days of tape.) So, what Bill did was he switched over to a couple of tracks, and I recorded the vocals to the third verse to the second verse on different tracks. I was going, "How are you going to fix this?! How are you going to fix this?!" when we were mixing the album. He bounced down the second verse to half-inch tape, and then he bounced the same verse again to the third verse to half-inch tape, and then the rest of the song to half-inch tape, and then got out a razor blade and cut it up and spliced it all back together so we had a complete song.
In the original booklet, the band gave co-production credits to Roger Martinez, vocalist of fellow California-based Christian thrash metal group Vengeance Rising. However, Metal Blade Records' Bill Metoyer actually produced the album. Ritter said about this:
   
    Roger Martinez was asked to co-produce our first album. I think he asked to do it. (Imitates Roger:) “I need some, uh, co-producing points here. I would, uh, like to, uh, co-produce Tourniquet. Yeah, that would be really great, uh, if I could, uh, co-produce Tourniquet, yeah.” So they [Touniquet] let him. It was kind of weird, and we were okay with it just for the name on the credits. Everybody in the world at that time loved Vengeance Rising, so if they saw his name on the album, more power to Roger, but we would be in the middle of a session and Bill Metoyer would be getting everything perfect and everything set up great, and Roger would turn to Bill and say, “Yeah, um, Bill, um, yeah, can I have one more DB, please, on track two, um, yeah, one more DB?” And so Bill would pretend... I don’t think he would even change it, and Roger would say, “Yeah, sounds good, bro.” (laughter) That, to us, was one of our favorite things, and we did that continually on the next two albums. We would always say to Bill, “One more DB please.” (laughter)

Musically, the album was said to be "unlike anything else on the market at the time" and incorporates classical music to 1980s-inspired speed and thrash metal riffs. Guy Ritter's vocals on the album, which he said were inspired by glam metal vocalists, shift between low-baritone and high-falsetto vocals, although they were performed higher on the demo versions:

    In some of the early demos of those songs there were lots more high parts. That whole first verse on “You Get What You Pray For” was all high. Only on the final versions in the studio are all the parts lower. So we did tone it down a little before we recorded it.

Ritter's falsetto vocals are often compared to those of King Diamond:

    ...it is true, a lot of people used to ask me [Guy Ritter], “Have you heard King Diamond sing?” And, seriously, I had not ever heard him sing until after Stop the Bleeding came out. So many people said, “Oh, come on, you probably listened to a lot of King Diamond.” Finally, I was at Ted’s apartment, and he pulled out a CD, and he said, “Okay. You have got to listen to this King Diamond and see what you think," and I had to agree that, “Wow, this is kind of similar” (laughing).    

The album cover art features a snake restrained by chains, representing the power good has over evil and how that relates to the death and resurrection of Christ, which was the ultimate victory over Satan. The bible verse 1 John 4:4, which reads in part, "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world," inspired this concept.”

Basic Description
Thrash Metal Surprise.

Kind of like when I delved into Stryper’s discography back in 2017, I did a double take or two when I first listened to this record. Two forces, seemingly at odds with one another in so many ways, somehow manage to compromise & create something special. The Christian side lends it’s countless stories, myths, and fables to the Thrash side, while the Thrash side sharpens the Christianity into a fine edge, and acts as a vehicle for it’s delivery into your veins. It might seem jarring at first, but Stop The Bleeding is right up there with the Thrash Metal classics of Metallica, Slayer, Sodom, and many others. Whether you believe or not, this has to be in your music collection at some point!

Best Track
Ark Of Suffering is a pretty brutal song on an album of already brutal music. Taking on the rough topic of animal rights, the lyrics are a mix between gruesome violence & exploitation intertwined with a little bit of religious doctrine. It does come across as a little condescending & preachy, but it never gets overwhelming to the point where you feel like you’re at a fanatic’s sermon. The instrumentation is Thrash to the 10th degree, and coupled with vocal work from Guy Ritter & Gary Lenaire, keeps the imagery stuck in your memory at least for a short time. The music video for the song was eventually taken off of MTV due to complaints about it being too graphic, but in a ironic twist, it was the winner of the “Rock Video Of The Year” from the Christian News Forum Contemporary Christian Music Award, and readers of Heaven’s Metal voted it their favorite music video of the year.

Ark Of Suffering (Video/Caution for shocking imagery)

Worst Track
If there was one bad thing I could say about Stop The Bleeding, it would be mainly towards the Christian crowd, and it would mainly be how they like their faith in their music. Do they like the lighthearted & fun nature of Stryper, or do they prefer a more serious interpretation/implementation. Luckily with Tourniquet, they don’t get preachy & holier-than-thou when it comes to the faith based lyrics & message. That being said, they get pretty brutal with the subject matter, especially on the previously mentioned track. Even among non-Christian metalheads, this decided factor will most definitely be the tone & vibe.

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

Stop The Bleeding

Overall Impression & Rating
Stop The Bleeding is two things. For starters, it is further proof that Heavy Metal never mysteriously disappeared or “died” once the 90s came around. It easily got stuck in the brains of those who listened to it, and gave further credibility to the idea that Christianity & Heavy Metal can get along in some circumstances. Secondly, the album cements itself as a classic, and Tourniquet as a Thrash Metal titan. It might be a strange experience at first for new listeners, but Stop The Bleeding is one of those albums you need to listen to at least once.

Stop The Bleeding gets a 10 out of 10. Earns every point!

And that was my surprise post for Easter 2019 everybody! Marking one of the few times that Christianity & Heavy Metal can not only get along, but can create some surprisingly awesome art! Standing alongside their hairier counterparts Stryper, both them & Tourniquet are great bands for Christians to get into if they want to try metal. Heck, they’re great bands to get into even if you’re a non-believer. Heavy Metal is for everyone, after all! I’ll see you all in about a week or so for the conclusion to Compilation Month 2.0, so put a bandage on that wound in the meantime will ya!?

Album Review: Ratt's Collage

Welcome back to Compilation Month 2.0 fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

We started things off with a garbage release of a compilation in the form of The Best Of Type-O Negative. A soulless, commercial, deceptive release of a compilation, it’s one of the most worthless of albums ever released (Apart from the Highway Star cover). Today’s release? Not so much! The compilation I’m covering today is fun, doesn’t reek of commercialism, and might be a bit hairy. That’s right, we got a Hair Metal compilation today, and from one of the greats of the 80s. So put on your clothes that would make peoples’s heads spin, put on so much makeup & hairspray that would turn you into a walking fire hazard, and enjoy my review of Ratt’s 1997 compilation, Collage. Let’s begin!

Background
Kinda like the Kreator compilation I covered back in 2017 (Read here), there isn’t that much info to go on for Collage. Even Wikipedia doesn’t have much, but what little they do have will be enough. Effectively consisting of alternate recordings, B-sides, and versions of songs from the band's Mickey Ratt period, Collage was mostly recorded and released in 1997 concurrently with their reunion tour at the time, which in turn would help them promote a new album. In 1998, Ratt would go on to sign a new major deal with Sony.

I should make mention of some odd facts about Collage. The track Mother Blues first appeared as an Arcade (A Hair Metal supergroup that had ex-Ratt members on it) song off their 1993 self-titled record, but was originally a Ratt demo. Meanwhile, Steel River is an alternate version of the Mickey Ratt song, Railbreak. Again, some odd facts right there.

Basic Description
A motley collection.

Ratt has always put out fun music. From the early 80s all the way to today (Supposedly a new album is coming out this year or next), the band was always on the fun side of Hair Metal, and Collage is no exception. It’s cool to hear material that didn’t make the cut the first time around get a little moment in the spotlight. As a way to announce a comeback, this is definitely a good way to do it. Even if you’ve never listened to Ratt before, Collage is certainly a gateway for potential fans to come into the fold.

Best Track
If there’s one thing about compilation albums, it’s that there’s a “Chinese Buffet” feel when it comes to songs. There’s definitely something for everybody, whether it’s the more popular songs or the ones that the fans might not know about. For me, I’d go for the laidback Mother Blues. There’s always something about a metal band going for a Blues style track, but Ratt doesn’t do that. Instead, they go for a full-blown Blues song, and it’s the best thing on Collage. Mother Blues is the kind of tune you’d here on the Mississippi Delta, sitting on your porch, and just enjoying the day. It’s easy listening, and it’s easy to get into your head.

Mother Blues

Worst Track
There honestly isn’t a single bad thing on here. Every song is great, the band seems to be at the top of their game, and the production value is good too. The only complaint I could give was that the selection of music is a little scrapped together, but even then I can’t really complain. It was 7-ish years since their last release, so they might have had a little bit of rust on the joints.

Other
This is the first time that I can’t link an album in a review. You can find a few songs from Collage on youtube, but this looks like the only time you can find this release on Amazon or one of the many music streaming sites. Sorry.

Overall Impression & Rating
Collage is certainly a fun collection of songs. It definitely comes across as scrapped together, but Ratt wasn’t really trying to release something grandiose. The band was trying to release a statement, and that was the fact that they were still around despite Hair Metal not being in the public eye anymore. Whether you’re a longtime Ratt fan that’s never picked this up, or somebody that has an interest in the band, Collage is definitely something to consider.

Collage gets a 9.5 out of 10 objectively, but a 10 out of 10 due to the fun factor.

So that was my look at Ratt’s 1997 comeback, Collage. A fun collection of songs, and unlike my first review this month, is definitely worth your time. There’s plenty more of Compilation Month to come, so come back at the end of the month for a......unique conclusion. See you them!

Wrestlemania 35 Review

Man, people haven’t been looking to this year’s Wrestlemania, haven’t they fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

To be honest, I’ve been dreading this year’s show alongside most people. 34 from last year wasn’t necessarily a bad show, but in hindsight it was a rather boring show that had some end results that didn’t quite make sense. This year’s buildup, however, has been abysmal! I don’t know what’s up WWE’s ass, but outside of maybe 2 to 5 matches, the “Road To Wrestlemania” seems like a dirt path that hasn’t been paved yet. With the show now a few days behind us, is it the flaming 5-car pileup a lot of people have been suspecting it would be? Well, let’s take a look at my review of the show (As well as Raw. Skipping Smackdown this year, cause....yeah, you’ll see.), and see if there are any bodies within the wreckage. Fingers crossed.

(No Pre-Show section this year. Due to.....issues, I wasn’t able to watch it in time. I saw a little bit, but not enough to include it in the review)

Main Card
Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins (Universal Title Match)
Prediction: Seth Rollins
Actual Winner: Seth Rollins
- The show starts off with perhaps one of the most bizarre opening matches in recent memory. Paul Heyman comes storming down to the ring, furious that Brock wasn’t going on last. He goes on further, saying that if they wouldn’t go on last, him & Brock would leave. Instead, they had this match first, with Brock entering the ring first, and Seth second. Before the bell actually tung, Brock proceeds to maul Seth outside the ring, and it’s a pretty typical Lesnar-style mauling. Eventually, Seth manages to get into the ring, and Brock executes his typical “UFC meets WWE” style of wrestling, while Seth can barely fight back. Eventually, he does get some energy back, and manages to get a low blow on Lesnar (The referee gets knocked out in the scuffle, but another comes in not long after). Eventually, Seth manages to pin Brock for the win. Just a weird way to start things off, and a quick one as well.....but a satisfying conclusion at the same time.

AJ Styles vs Randy Orton
Prediction: ?
Actual Winner: AJ Styles
- I didn’t have a prediction for this match. The buildup to this wasn’t half bad, and it was one of those rare times where it seemed like either side could win, and the crowd would probably enjoy it.
- AJ heads to the ring first, followed by Orton. Things start off with some grappling, during which Orton goes for an RKO but fails. From there both guys trade control of the match: first it’s AJ after he jumps out of the ring onto Orton, then Randy has it for a while (Throws AJ around, then gets him back in the ring, and grapples him), then Styles manages to get out of the grapple. Weirdly enough, it looked like Orton’s left knee was hurt somehow, but whether it was fake or not I’m not sure. AJ manages to get a Calf Crusher in, but ends up letting go because Randy grabbed the bottom rope. Styles goes for the pin, but Orton kicks out & gets some offense in. After a superplex, both wrestlers were weakened, but Orton tried to get the pin. Randy gets some energy back into his system, starting with a DDT, and then a RKO, but AJ kicks out of that & lands a jumpkick. Orton tries again, and actually lands the move, but Styles kicks out. Orton tries to get AJ onto the ropes for a 3rd RKO, but once again AJ slips out of it. The two make it outside the ring, then Styles lands 2 phenominal forearm, with the 2nd one inside the ring for the win. A good fight overall!

The Usos vs The Bar vs Shinsuke & Rusev vs Ricochet & Alister Black (Fatal 4-Way Tag Championship)
Prediction: ?
Actual Winner: The Usos
- I was so confused by this match. Kinda like AJ & Orton, all of the teams here deserved the tag titles in some capacity. What left me scratching my head was just how random everything seemed in the ring. It came across like a Tornado Tag Team match, but without the normal tornado tag rules.
- Usos are first. The Bar was second. Shinsuke & Rusev were 3rd, and Lana followed her husband out (Seemed kinda cute). Ricochet & Alister Black were last, and Black’s entrance was awesome as always. Jay Uso & Black were first to square off, but Shaemus tags in to get some offense. Rusev comes in for a bit, but then he tagged his partner Shinsuke into the match. Ricochet & Nakamura fight, then Cesaro gets Nakamura out. Shaemus joins his partner in beating up Ricochet, and Cesaro keeps him in a hold. Jimmy Uso breaks it up, and then Alister comes in & almost gets the win, but Nakamura breaks it up. He gets tagged in & attacks Black, but get Rusev back in and almost pins Ricochet (Who got tagged in beforehard), but Ricochet kicks out. Cesaro gets Rusev out, then Shaemus & Cesaro & Usos get involved, then Rusev & Shinsuke get involved, and the match turns into a giant cluster. Alister takes Shinsuke out, then Ricochet almost gets pin but the other teams come back in to break it up, turning things into a cluster again. The Usos fight back once again, and manage to keep the titles in the end.

The Miz vs Shane McMahon (Falls Count Anywhere)
Prediction: The Miz
Actual Winner: Shane Mcmahon
- Now here was a match that had some pretty decent buildup. For months, The Miz & Shame McMahon had been together as a team, and their chemistry worked really well. Due to them losing the tag titles a month or two ago, Shane turned on Miz, and leading up to Wrestlemania things were building up between the former teammates. Miz got a lot of sympathy, and became quite the babyface (Something that hasn’t been done in a while). Then, just a week or two before the big day, the fight between the two became a Falls Count Anywhere match.....and it was damn good!
- Shane was the first to the ring, and in a disappointing twist, the Mean Street Posse didn’t come out with him. The Miz was second to the ring, and the crowd was behind him 100 percent. Shane’s first action was the mess with Miz’s Dad, and this distracted the Hollywood A-Lister. In a move that became a meme almost overnight, Miz’s father comes into the ring, and strikes a fighting pose so weak, it was fantastic. He & Shane traded a few blows, but ultimately fails. Miz makes it back in the ring to save his pop (Basically got him out of the ring), and to proceed to go all out on Shane. When they make their way into the crowd, it actually gets kind of violent. Miz manages to go for 3 pins, and each time Shane kicks out, yet he never lost control. Shane does get a little bit of offense back, and tries to leave Miz behind by climbing up some rigging. Miz follows, and once he’s cornered Shane begins to play the sympathy card pretty hard. Miz doesn’t buy it, and then grabs his opponent for a flip off the rigging......and Shane wins.....by a technicality....I think.......WHAT!!??

Boss & Hug Connection vs Nia & Tamina vs The Iconics vs Natalya & Beth Phoenix (Fatal 4-Way Women’s Tag Championship)
Prediction: Boss & Hug Connection
Actual Winner: The Iconics
- Honestly, I’m not gonna type much here. Kinda like the 4-way from earlier, this came across like a cluster. Whereas I enjoyed the men’s match, this one was just meh. Even the notes I have don’t inspire me enough to write things down here in detail. To give it a little bit of credit, Beth Phoenix was pretty good. She didn’t come across as rusty in any way, and if they brought her back to Raw or Smackdown, she might be a good draw for a program with somebody. Sadly, we got perhaps the worst tag team in the Iconics winning the match by literarily stealing the pin. Easily the worst match of the night.

Kofi Kingston vs Daniel Bryan (WWE Title Match)
Prediction: Kofi Kingston
Actual Winner: Kofi Kingston
- There were definitely a few “Feel Good” moments on this show, but I think this one might be the best out of them all. Though this came about completely by accident, not to mention because of pressure from the fans, it still would up getting just about everybody to smile. Both men were fantastic in the ring, with Daniel Bryan playing up his "Psycho Vegan/Humanitarian" really well (Even though I think he works better as a face), and Kofi coming across as highly reminiscent as Bryan from 5 years ago. Another thing I liked was that the rest of the New Day & Eric Rowan didn't interfere for their respective side, keeping things pretty personal between the two. All thoughout the match, everybody in the arena was completely on Kofi's side (There might have been a few that weren't), and any time that Bryan got offense in, the boos were loud. There are definitely some matches throughout the night that had a nice ending, but this one was easily the best!

Rey Mysterio vs Samoa Joe (U.S. Championship Match)
Prediction: Rey Mysterio
Actual Winner: Samoa Joe
- The shortest match of the night, and the worst match of the night. It’s kind of sad, as I was looking forward to a “David vs Goliath” style of fight. Boy oh boy, did that optimism drain away quick! Rey is the first to come out, and his moment was nice, and Joe came out second. Joe managed to get in some offense pretty early, but not long after Rey goes for a 619. It fails, and almost immediately he got put into the Cocina Clutch, & fell right asleep, with Samoa Joe as the winner. Now, due to Rey ankle issue, I can see why they would go for something quick......but it didn’t have to be a single minute!

Drew McIntyre vs Roman Reigns
Prediction: Roman Reigns
Actual Winner: Roman Reigns
- I think this match is the first time in years where people were actively in Roman Reigns’s corner. Given that he beat his Leukemia into remission, it would probably make someone into a monster if they booed a cancer survivor. Him announcing in October last year that he had the disease basically gave him a medically induced babyface turn.....but I digress.
- Drew comes out first, and he’s got the NYC police bagpile band playing along with his theme. Reigns is next, and for what seemed like a flashback to the middle of this decade, the crowd was actually behind him. In fact the cheering from the audience last for quite a bit. In anycase, the two men had an intense staredown, only to trade a barrage of punches, kicks, and throws a few seconds afterwards. Drew actually goes for a pin in the early moment, only for Reigns to kick out. Drew keeps control of the match for a bit, but Roman gets a little time in. Reigns gets a hold put on him, but manages to stand up and get out of it. Roman misses a move (Forgot what it was), and Drew gets right back on him for some punches, and a suplex onto the floor. Staying in control for a little more, he goes for a second pin, only for Roman to kick out. Reigns gets a tiny bit of offense in, only for Drew to flip him onto the mat shortly afterwards. Feeling tired at this point, Reigns looks beat, but after some taunting from the Scottish Psychopath, he basically taps into his inner Incredible Hulk, and just gets an immediate boost of energy. Reigns wins the match by landing a brutal spear on Drew, and pinning him without any resistance. Definitely a feel good moment of the night!

Batista vs Triple H (No Holds Barred)
Prediction: Batista
Actual Winner: Triple H
- Right away, the buildup to this match was terrible. For starters, they made Batista the heel for no reason! He’s come off of many successful movies, especially both of the Guardians of the Galaxy flicks. Everything he did came across as weak, with the exception of him beating up Ric Flair, which was kinda scary to be honest. Triple H didn’t look that much better, but at least he had the home advantage. Then it comes to their entrances: Batista got some quasi-Hollywood escort, while Triple H got a dorky Mad Max intro on a post-apocalyptic dune buggy (Which looked kinda awesome). From there.....well, I’m not sure.
- The match itself wasn’t terrible. Due to the weak buildup, a lot of it was underwhelming, but it wasn’t bad. There was a lot of physicality from both men, and some of the spots weren’t half bad (The spot where Batista’s nose ring got pulled out looked brutal). What ultimately made me go “Meh” was when Flair showed up to give Triple H a hand (Despite not being in any of H’s promos building up the match), and the fact that Hunter won the man, when Batista said this was basically his last ever time in the ring. Absolutely frustrating!

Kurt Angle vs Baron Corbin
Prediction: Kurt Angle
Actual Winner: Baron Corbin
- Right away things seemed screwey about this match, for the simple fact that John Cena wasn’t picked for this match. Angle & Cena had numerous bouts over the years, and it was their first encounter that birthed the term “Ruthless Aggression”, not to mention the subsequent era in WWE at that point in time. Secondly, the reasoning behind Kurt picking seemed odd, as it related to both of their terms as GM of Raw. Given the rumors swirling around Kurt & where he was going after he retired from active competition....people should have lowered their expectations.
- Anyways, Corbin goes down to the ring first, and there’s nothing that separates his entrance or attire here than on any other night on Raw. Angle is next, and the fans went nuts. He goes for the offense once the match starts, but Corbin is unusually slippery, and gets some attacks in. Kurt gets creative in avoiding the blows, and gets in a suplex in the process. Goes for a pin, but Corbin kicks out. Angle goes back in for an ankle lock, but Corbin gets out. Then Corbin goes for a Deep 6 and goes for the pin, but Kurt barely kicks out of the move. Angle goes for an Angle Slam, but doesn’t get the pin. Then he tries another ankle lock, and gets thrown into the turnbuckle for his troubles. Luckily, he recovers in time to get some suplex on Corbin, but fails in giving his opponent a moonsault. This gives Baron the window he needed to win the match.....barf! Luckily, Angle is given a moment in the ring to speak with the fans before he left, so there was that.

Bobby Lashley vs Finn Balor (Intercontinental Championship)
Prediction: Finn Balor
Actual Winner: Finn Balor
- Usually when a match is place within the deadspot of Wrestlemania, that means it’s one they wanted to get out of the way earlier in the show, but couldn’t because of timing. In regards to this match, not much was being built up, and thus kind of deserves being here. That said....it was actually okay! Not amazing. Just okay.
- Lashey & Lio Rush come down to the ring first, and may I ask.....what the hell is with the contacts Lashley is wearing!? It makes him look like a bald Michael Jackson werewolf. Luckily, Balor’s entrance wasn’t dumb, as we haven’t seen the demon in what seems like ages. Finn immediately goes for the offense, but Bobby turns things around for himself quick and gets the Demon to the floor, but his infernal foe gets some attacks in. He’s then met with a spear outside the ring, and when the two get back inside the squared circle, he gets another spear, and almost gets pinned. Luckily he kicks out, and delivers Lashley a coup de grace for the win. Again, nothing amazing before the main event, but it wasn’t boring either.

Becky Lynch vs Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair (Winner Takes All Women’s Championship)
Prediction: Becky Lynch
Actual Winner: Becky Lynch
- Two things. On the one hand, the right woman won the match. The story leading up to this match had been going on since late last year. All thanks to an accidental punch, Becky Lynch has been getting stronger and stronger, not to mention more competent on the microphone, and more credible as a wrestler in WWE (Despite having some accolades outside of the company). If The Man didn’t win this fight, it would mean that the buildup was all meant for nothing, and it would show to the crowd & those watching at home that it never mattered. Luckily, the right choice was made, and Becky won!
- On the other hand.....this match had so many problems! For starters, this should have been between Ronda & Becky only. Charlotte added a bit of randomness to things, but at the same time she really didn’t provide anything of note, and her winning the title from Asuka (Who seems like an abuse victim in the company at this point) felt cheap. On top of that, this bout came across as incredibly rehearsed. For the first ever Women’s main event at a Wrestlemania, it should have come across as incredibly organic. Instead, it was stiff, full of botches, and not quite as energetic as people thought it was going to me. Anthony “Missionary” Thomas of the Wrestling Soup podcast said it on their WM35 review episode (Which you can listen to here) that a Women’s match will never headline any future Wrestlemania ever again, and pins the blame all on this bout. While I would like to think otherwise, I reluctantly agree with the points he’s made.

Overall Impression & Rating
Wrestlemania 35 was shockingly good. It had some big issues, and the end result for some of the matches could be questionable, but it’s amazing at how much fun things were. Maybe the overall spectacle wasn’t a 5-car pileup, but perhaps a 2-car instead. A considerable improvement over last year’s show, and once I most certainly recommend.

Wrestlemania 35 gets a 7.2 to 7.5 out of 10.

Raw Review
Hour 1: (Missing 1st half-hour)
- We have Baron Corbin coming out, gloating about his victory over Kurt Angle, and the crowd was almost as mad at him as they were at Roman Reigns back in 2017. Ironically, Angle comes out, and the crowd is right behind him. He wishes Corbin luck in his future endeavors, but grimly says “Bad Luck”, and give him an Angle Slam, then proceeded to put him in an ankle lock. This was short lived, as Lars Sullivan (Who was supposed to show up months ago) comes out, and proceeds to turn the olympian into ground beef, slamming him onto the mat, then landing a pretty brutal dive. Makes Kurt’s leaving active wrestling look pathetic!
- After this spectacle of stupidity, we got another one in the form of Alexa Bliss vs Bailey. This must have lasted maybe a little over 3 minutes, and it almost seemed like Bailey was being punished for something stupid, as it was a clean pin on the part of Alexa. Again, Bailey must have pissed somebody off in the back. It can be the only reason why she was decimated so quickly.

Hour 2:
- Becky Lynch, fresh off her botched win, comes out to wild cheers from the crowd. She talks about how she was feeling, and thanking the crowd for sticking with her for as long as they did. She leaves the ring with a still positive crowd, when the “Southern Bell” Lacy Evans, comes down, and at first it seems like a cool encounter.....then Lacy lands a blow to her, and the two women proceed to fight. So the woman who walks down to the ring for the past few months, and has done nothing of note, is the first to try & take the titles......WHY!?
- We get a glimpse of Seth Rollins in the back, being interviewed by somebody new. He talks about why he accepted the challenge from Kofi Kingston (More on this in a moment), and speaks about some other stuff I can’t recall.
- Up next was a match between Ricochet & Alister Black vs Bobby Roode & Chad Gable. Alister’s entrance was a little screwed up, as his normal gimmick was not working, and crawled up from the floor instead. It was a good match for what it was, and they won. Afterwards, Roode & Gable proceeded to ambush them, showing off the potential for a heel turn. Might be interesting sometime down the road.
- We get a quick segment with Elias in the back, complaining about Cena coming out and ruining the concert he was going to host (A pretty cool moment from this past Sunday, as John Cena came back as his “Doctor of Thuganomics” character from last decade, and he brought his rap game. Huge wave of nostalgia if you ask me). He then said he was gonna come out a little later to sing, but I’ll get to that in a bit.
- Next up was Dean Ambrose vs Lashley, but it wasn’t really a match. For a guy that gave a good amount of time to WWE, this was a giant slap to the face. Lashley started out with a cheap heat move of creeping on Dean’s wife, and proceeded to basically have control the entire time. Things mercifully ended when Dean was slammed through the announce table. One third of the Shield’s exit everybody!

Hour 3:
- Hour 3 starts off (Technically in Hour 2's end) with a surprise return from Sami Zayn, and he asks for a match. Out comes Finn Balor (Minus the demon getup), and the two have a bout for the Intercontinental Title. It’s not half bad, with Finn managed to pin Sami for the win. Afterwards, Sami basically has a bitch fit, and seems to go back into his heel role he embraced nearly a year before. Barf!
- We get that Elias concert, and it was actually a rap similar to how Cena performed the night before. After saying the words dead man, we get a surprise appearance from the Undertaker, and it was easily the best spot of the night. Undertaker looked pretty good, as he was losing weight & getting back into shape. Again, the best spot of the night!
- Now it comes to the final match of the night. Seth Rollins vs Kofi Kingston for a winner takes all match (Announced in the half hour I missed). We never got this bout technically, as the two did face off....only for The Bar to screw things up, and then things turned into a tag team match. So as not to completely screw the fans, Kofi & Seth did get the win for a feel good moment. A weak one, but it was a feel good spot.

Overall Impression & Rating
Man......Raw was hot garbage! After the surprisingly good Wrestlemania this past Sunday, the Monday night afterwards felt like the exact opposite. There was little effort in essentially everything, and what little good there was felt like faint motes of light in the deepest darkness. Those motes keep this Monday Night Raw at the average point, but only just.

Raw gets 5 a out of 10, and that’s being kind.

And that was my review of Wrestlemania 35, not to mention Monday Night Raw. Again, 35 managed to surpass a lot of people’s expectation and ended up being a lot of fun. Raw, on the other hand, ended up being the biggest bait-and-switch dumpster fire after a Wrestlemania in a long time. Hell, I was gonna review Smackdown, but given how Raw played out, not to mention hearing how pathetic Tuesday was, I can only assume it was just as bad. Well, with this out of the way, Compilation Month 2.0 marches on, and in just a few days I got a review of a release that’s considerably more pleasing to the ears than what I started April out with. See you soon!



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If you want to see what I thought of last year’s Wrestlemania, check out the link below:

Wrestlemania 34 Review

Also, check out the video below on why we never really got the real “Winner Takes All” match. Absolutely infuriating!

WWE Raw April, 8 2019 Full Show Review & Results: RAW AFTER WRESTLEMANIA 35 WAS COMPLETE GARBAGE

Food For Thought/Thought For Food No. 13: #ChangeTheChannel (1 Year Later)

I remember it like it was yesterday: In November of 2011 I was invited over by a then brand new friend's place to hang out for the weekend (He ended up being one of my best friends of all time), and we did a bunch of fun stuff. Ate food that probably shortened out lifespan, played games, and watched a movie or two. However, it was watching my first ever episode of the Nostalgia Critic that somehow stuck in my head from that day. Now I had known about AVGN for a few years by this point, but I never heard of the man I would later learn to be Doug Walker, nor did I ever hear of the group of reviewers he was with, Channel Awesome. I tore through all of NC's videos, found myself baffled by the bad comics reviewed by Linkara, laughed at the absurdity of Spoony, and overall enjoyed the content the site provided. But then, something happened......

Doug Walker offed the Nostalgia Critic in 2012, only to bring him back after a few months due to the show that replaced him (Demo Reel) sucking so bad. However, his return seemed to bring a wave of.....something. Whatever this something was, it made all of the content creators I watched feel.....not as good. Everybody seemed to be trying a little more harder than they had too, and things didn't feel quite as free-spirited as they did when I first started watching (Maybe even before). It got worse as rumors started coming out about some behind the scenes stuff, and people began leaving. It was a trickle at first, then it became a flood. Eventually, it seemed as if Channel Awesome became the most desolate of internet deserts.

Why am I talking about this? Well, today marks the 1-year anniversary of the release of the Change The Channel google document, not to mention the briefly popular Change The Channel hashtag. It was a lot to absorb back in 2018, and still is kind of a shock to be honest. In the time since then, not a single positive thing has happened. The apology they issued was condescending & horrendous, their fact refuting post about the google doc was filled with holes, and due to a mixup of info (Accidental or Purposeful, you be the judge), Channel Awesome outed a rapist no-one saw coming (Still shocks me to this day)! By staying silent and doing nothing, the site somehow managed to avoid doing anything, got off scott-free, and are somehow still around!

Like it says in the meme at the start of this, you either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Although, I wonder at this point of Channel Awesome was the villain all along, and nobody noticed until it was too late. Makes me sad, and a part of me kind of regrets liking the once awesome bastion of internet creators. Wish it doesn't though. Luckily I'm here, and I'll do the best I can to provide quality reviews & posts, so see you about mid next week with my annual Wrestlemania (Raw & Smackdown) review. Until then, if the channel sucks.....you might want to think about changing it.

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Right below are some great video that speak about #ChangeTheChannel. The 1st is a fantastic documentary about the site's rather (In hindsight) sordid history, a morbid birthday of the hashtag, and a quick video about how maybe we should move on because nothing will get changed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL3hOA0XgPc&t=444s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX-HKiM7bAQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_lt35NyLYc

(Updated on May 16th 2019, 7:41 PM Eastern Standard Time) 

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If you're curious about the google doc & all of the sordid details within, check out the link below:

Change The Channel (Google Doc)

Album Review: Type-O Negative's The Best Of Type-O Negative

Hello fellow Otaku & Metalheads, and welcome......to the return of Compilation Month!

That right, we’re returning to the world of metal compilations. This was easily one of the weirdest mini festivals I’ve done for the blog, but it’s one that was simultaneously a lot of fun! It’s always challenging finding information about a collection of songs put together, and while some might be easier than others, the amount of work it takes to locate the info can be a little hard. Again, through the hard work, finding the info is fun in and of itself.

Sadly, we’re starting things off with one of the worst metal compilations every produced. Ironically, the compilation of the band in question wasn’t needed at all, as they already had one out beforehand. Sadly, corporate greed interfered, and what we got was.....something. So, get on your best funeral clothes, weep, and read my review for......The Best Of Type-O Negative. Let’s.....begin.

Background
Type-O Negative, despite their return with Life Is Killing Me in 2003, weren’t the top band for Roadrunner Records anymore. With bands like Slipknot & Soulfly on the payroll, their position within the company wasn’t quite as impressive as it once was. To further issues between the band & Roadrunner, Pete Steele described the situation as a noose around his neck. With tensions rising, the band decided to jump ship to SPV records in hopes of being treated better. Just as they left, Roadrunner decided to release the unsanctioned compilation, The Best Of Type-O Negative.

Released on September the 12th, 2006, The Best Of Type-O Negative came out alongside other unsanctioned compilations of Sepultura, Fear Factory, and Ill Niño. There’s not that much else: finding other pieces of information are difficult at best, and I’ve only found one review of any note (Read here). Said review goes against what my opinion on it is, but I’ll let you judge things for yourself.

Basic Description
A slap to the face.

It’s not often that a metal album makes me shiver. Even before I managed to buy this, I heard stories & saw comments about how bad & unnecessary The Best Of Type-O Negative was. At first I somewhat dismissed all of it, as I chalked it up to hardcore fans blowing things out of proportion. Then as time went on, said stories & comments seemed to stick around a little harder, so I didn’t blow them off as much. Finally, I managed to get a copy back in November of 2015 due to an impulse.....and yeah, this is bad! This is perhaps one of the most cynical, soulless, cheap cashgrabs a record company has ever pulled! As I saw it in Pete Steele’s biography book, The Best Of Type-O Negative wasn’t made for the fans.....it was made for people who’ve never heard of the band. The tragic thing is, the songs that were picked for this.......were great! Christian Woman, My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend, right up to Life Is Killing Me......Roadrunner picked a fantastic group of tunes! However, because of their greed, every moment of music on this compilation (With the exception of one song) is tainted.

Best Track
Like I said way back in 2015 in my overview on the band, Highway Star is the only good song on this compilation. Originally off of the Nascar compilation Crank It Up (Which I might actually pick up if I can find it), this is the only other CD you can find it on, and it’s a shame it wasn’t on Life Is Killing Me from 2003. This is one of those covers that doesn’t follow the original form of the song, but somehow manages to stay true to it’s spirit. Right after hearing the revving of an engine, it goes right into a nice guitar & track beat that’s pretty damn fast for later-era Type-O Negative, and things feel like it might drive off the end of a cliff. Highway Star is easily the biggest highlight of this collection of songs, and should be the only reason to buy this release.

Highway Star

Outside of the music, the only other good thing about The Best Of Type-O Negative would be how ordered the track listing is. Outside of some exclusions (More of that below), listening through it feels like a natural progression of the band’s career. It starts at the beginning, and ends at what would ultimately be the band’s end at Roadrummer. This is the one thing that sets itself above The Least Worst Of......barely.

Worst Track
Oh boy. Where to begin!

For starters, the songs (For the most part) aren’t the original version. Instead, they’re the edited for radio/music video editions. That in theory isn’t bad, but The Least Worst Of already did something like this! Not only that, the track listing on the back of the album doesn’t display the fact that they’re the edited versions. Secondly, Roadrunner completely excluded tracks from The Origin Of The Feces and the bands original compilation from 2000. I can sort of understand why tracks from The Least Worst Of wouldn’t be on here, but Type-O’s 1992 release? Sure, it’s a fake live album, but it’s still a step in the band’s career!

But the biggest issue isn’t with the music per se, but with the fact that Roadrunner released this. Since they were leaving, I can understand why they couldn’t stop the company for putting it out. However, the fact that Roadrunner put it out when they were going to another company is an act of greed & cowardice of the highest degree! The fact that you put this out when you already got a compilation from Type-O Negative shows that maybe you just wanted them to be a cashcow from the beginning, and were just waiting for the right time to do so!

For a more minor bad thing, even the album cover isn't new, as it was originally the cover used for the band's Love You To Death single. Really!!??

Other
If for whatever reason you want to listen to this, click on the link below.

The Best Of Type-O Negative

Overall Impression & Rating
The Best Of Type-O Negative is an example of a record company trying to make a quick buck off of a band that garnered them fame & money, and it shows. Released without their permission, hastily put together, and excluding material in the process. What little good can be found on here does not wash away how awful everything else, and I’m furious that this was released! It really is just a shallow compilation of music, and I’m shocking that I willingly purchased. My advice: only acquire this if you’re a die hard Type-O Negative fan!

Highway Star, on it’s own merit, is easily a 10 out of 10. As for a collection of music? I’m giving it a 2 out of 10. Easily the worst album I’ve reviewed so far!

So that ends the start of Compilation Month. It’s a shame that I began April on a bad note, but I promise you that things will definitely get better in a few weeks. In the meantime, be sure to realize that not everything that’s called the best.....isn’t the best.


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If you want to see a good Type-O Negative compilation, check out the link below:

The Least Worst Of (Review)