Album Review: Motörhead's Bad Magic (Revised)

Hello there fellow Otaku & Metalheads. This one’s gonna be rough.

Five years ago on this day, Ian Fraser Kilmister, better known to the metal world as Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead (Lemmy for short) passed away at the age of 70. His death sent out shockwaves in the world of Heavy Metal, and to this very day you can still feel a ripple whenever you turn the speakers up to 11. With the passing of such a legend, one of the world’s most iconic bands stepped into the ethereal mists of time, forever becoming a force of metallic nature. At concerts of all genres, you can still feel the aura of this monumental British export in everything. From the guitars, to the drums, and to the energy of the crowd & the stage, the essence of Motörhead is felt by all.

So this all leads us to the subject of my final review of 2020, and a bunch of you are scratching your heads. Didn’t you review this back in 2016, you’re probably asking. Yes I did, and at the time I did it to pay tribute to Lemmy’s passing from a year prior. However, with the 5-year anniversary of Lemmy’s ascent into metal Valhalla, I wanted to do something a bit different. What you’re about to read is a first for me, as I’ll be giving an expanded revision of my original Bad Magic review from a few years ago. My views, not to mention some info surrounding the record, have changed and new ones rose to the surface since then, and rather than updating my original post I felt that creating a revised version was more appropriate given the circumstances. Anyways, here is my revised review of the final album of Motörhead’s legendary career, Bad Magic.....Let’s begin.

Background ***
After the success of Aftershock, Motörhead continued onward with tours & such. However, it seemed that Lemmy was breaking down. Health issues were cropping up, and the band found themselves cutting concerts short, or cancelling parts of tours outright. That being said, the band was still capable of making music, and on the 28th of August of last year, Bad Magic was released. The recording sessions of this album were a bit different from before, as drummer Mikkey Dee said in a interview:

“..this time we were in a recording studio writing the album and all playing it together, actually. Before, we used to be in a rehearsal studio, write the songs and then we'd go in and record it one at a time, but here we kind of recorded it live, right away, as we had the song. We used to write very spontaneous, and this is probably even more spontaneous than any [previous] Motörhead [album]. But we really do enjoy the album. And it's a very live, very spontaneous record. I think that works best for us..”

Lemmy had a different view of things, saying that the whole album wasn’t recorded live, but did about 5 tracks together, so that part of it was true. Reception for Bad Magic was generally well received, getting a 80 out of 100 over on metacritic. Commercially, the album premiered at no. 35 on the Billboard 200 (Along at no. 2 on the Hard Rock Albums chart & no. 5 on the Rock Albums chart), selling 10,325 copies in it’s first week. By June of this year, it sold 36,000 copies in the US alone.

Three reviewers in particular had good things to say about Bad Magic. Chad Bowar of Loudwire wrote that the songs on the album had a “timeless sound, meaning that listeners wouldn't know if they were written during the year the album was released or in the early '80s”. Ray Van Horn Jr from Blabbermouth.net, noted that with Bad Magic, given Lemmy's health problems:

“..[they're] on the verge of what might be [their] swan song...[Lemmy] exhibits the vocal wear and tear of a man whose long-beaten, gravelly pipes are betraying him due to a natural aging process..”

Ray goes on to say:

“..Lemmy is a freak of nature, and it's great to hear him ralph, croon and snarl with a give-a-damn will to live—you're a total piece of crap if you knock a guy who has given us his all for decades.”

Finally, Sean Barry of Consequence of Sound points to the song, "Till the End", and writes that:

“..here the frontman relates his story and woes in some rundown pub on the outskirts of town. It also finds Lemmy coming to terms with who he is, and despite all his flaws, pledging to continue living as he has through the remainder of his life. And while the 70 years of said hell-raising show in the way he slightly slurs his vocals, he’s just as virile and robust as he was on Overkill..”

He ends the review, saying:

“..'Bad Magic' feels ancestral; you can feel it in your blood and in your bones. Even for those new to Motörhead, the album will have the power to recharge your love for all things rock ‘n’ roll. As a band that’s been around for generations, Motörhead isn’t just hanging around trying to keep themselves relevant. They’re partying until the sun goes out and celebrating their own immortality..”

Background (Personal)
So this is the part of the review were things git a bit personal, as it obviously states.....please bear that in mind when I repeat that things are gonna get a little rough.

My history with Motörhead is....interesting to say the least. Probably like a huge chunk of people, we are only familiar with Ace of Spades the song, and that’s all we listened to. I was definitely one of those people, and it would be this way for a pretty long time. Flash forwards to the 16th of December, 2014, when metal hipster & future Trump cultist Razorfist released his original Metal Mythos episode on Motörhead, and like almost all of this series he released, it illuminated my metallic tastes. I already knew who the band was despite my incredibly limited knowledge, but after watching I had to finally began diving into the group’s iconic discography. I definitely dipped my toes into the pool, but it wouldn’t be until a year later that I finally dived in.

By the time the summer of 2015 rolled by, previews & singles for Bad Magic began popping up on Youtube, and for the first time ever I took genuine notice. I love all of the singles (More on that in a bit), and it was interesting to see what was happening behind the scenes. September of that year comes by, and I decided to give it a listen to. It was good. Damn good, in fact. For the first time ever, I finally understood why Motörhead was such an important household name, and for the first time I became a legitimate fan of these titans. Christmas of that year comes around, and what do I find in my pile of gifts? Bad Magic! In fact, it was the special edition release (The one with the extra art & the alternative cover), and once the festivities died down I promptly put it in my CD player, and enjoyed every single note.

Tragically, that would be one of the few times I ever genuinely listened to Bad Magic in it’s entirety, as just 3 short days afterwards Lemmy Kilmister would pass away due to cardiac arrhythmia & congestive heart failure, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer (He found out about it on the 24th if I recall correctly). I felt devastated, as it came across like losing a brand new best friend, and this feeling was even worse when Phil Taylor died a month prior. Ever since then, this reluctant final album is a hard pill to swallow for me. I can listen to a few songs just fine, but I’ve only ever managed to listen to Bad Magic once since then (Sometime in 2018 if I recall correctly). As great as this album is, I find it too emotionally difficult to listen to all the way through. Regardless, I was glad I got into these legends, and despite their ascension into the afterlife, I will keep the torch aloft until my dying days!

Basic Description
The best damn thing they’ve ever made.

What Innuendo is to Queen, Bad Magic is to Motörhead. Out of everything in their entire discography, this is the ultimate Motörhead album. This is the album where everybody came together, and delivered what is the strongest release in their entire career. Stronger than Ace of Spades. Stronger than Sacrifice. Stronger than Inferno, and even stronger than Aftershock from 2013. This is the definitive Motörhead album. Newer fans (Like myself back in 2014/2015) will get pulled in, and older fans will find the music to be reassuring in terms of quality and style. I do find the album a bit of an emotional soulcrusher at times, but given the state of the band’s iconic frontman, I can give said soulcrushing a big pass.

Best Track
Like I said in 2016, Thunder & Lightning is best damn thing on Bad Magic. The modern day spiritual successor to the legendary Ace of Spades, this blistering opener never lets up with the speed. From beginning to end, Motörhead takes you on a fast & wicked ride that never lets up, as their mastery of Speed Metal is highly evident from beginning to end. If you’re not ready for it, then this track will hit you with the force of a storm!

Thunder & Lightning

Then of course there’s the ode to the grim reaper that is When The Sky Comes Looking For You. Even if Lemmy wasn’t going to die, and even if Bad Magic ultimately wasn’t going to be their last album, something about this song just gives off the indication that perhaps things were going to end. Lemmy was going to pass on, and Motörhead would eventually be no more. If this was to be the eventual case, then things are going to end in the most badass way possible! The guitarwork is sublime, the bass just grabs you, the drums are pounding, and it’s all tied together with Lemmy’s signature crooning. If there was ever a way for a band as legendary as Motörhead to go out on, it would be this tune.

When The Sky Comes Looking For You

Even taking these two songs into consideration, virtually everything on Bad Magic is fantastic. Despite having some critical health issues, Lemmy is really giving his all on this record. From his voice to his basswork, he can still create some kickass music well into the 2010s. Phil Campbell and Mickey Dee are no slouches in their own right, as the guitar and drumwork respectively sound perhaps of the highest quality that’s ever come from the Motörhead camp. Definitely the best from the best!

Worst Track
Like I said back in 2016, the only flaw to Bad Magic is that it doesn’t do anything new. If anything, it feels like a release that just shows off what the band was known for. Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, Hard Rock, Rock n Roll, Blues, etc. Just shows off what they were known for, and doesn’t really rock the boat. Looking back in hindsight, and taking Lemmy’s health into consideration, it’s understandable why Motörhead didn’t go down a different path when making the album. Still, for some longtime fans of the group looking for Lemmy & the gang doing something different.....they’ll possibly go somewhere else.

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

Bad Magic

Overall Impression & Rating
If Dead Again would ultimately be the reluctant final release from Type-O Negative, then Bad Magic is the same thing for Motörhead. Even if it wasn’t the case & Ian didn’t die, this record is perhaps one of the most badass releases of the prior decade! As heavy as it is, the album also acts as a gateway into the mind & thoughts of one of Heavy Metal’s most enduring titans, not to mention the emotions of said titan. Lemmy, if you somehow have a computer up in Heavy Metal Heaven, and you just so happen to be reading this, then I just want to say one thing.....thanks!

Bad Magic gets a 10 out of 10. No iffs, ands, or butts about it!

Now my posts for the month are truly done. 2020 was an absolute dumpster of a year, but maybe.....just maybe.....the years to come might not be so bad. I’ll be back in a few days to kick off 2021, as I really need a break. See you soon in the next year!



***
If you’d like to see my original review of Bad Magic, then click on the link below:

Album Review - Motörhead’s Bad Magic (Original)

Also, part of the “Background” section was taking from the original review.

Album Review - Everfrost's Blue Eyed Emotion

Man it’s cold outside fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

If you recall towards the end last year, I assaulted my blog with a 3-pronged assault about the obscure & weeby Power Metal team from Finland known as Everfrost. They were at my no. 2 spot on my top 5 albums of 2019 list (Which you can read here), and they stood alongside Rammstein for being an album worthy to close out the 2010s (Which you can read here). However, what I didn’t realize at the time was that I was listening to their second record. Not long after discovering Winterider, I also came across the release that put them on the map, Blue Eyed Emotion. In an odd way, these two albums are like night and day, and because of that, I’m going back to my more relaxed approach of looking at a record. I felt that if I used my standard/more formal format for reviews, I don’t think I would be able to put my thought together properly. Anyways, let’s get to it!

I should make mention of one thing: the band on Blue Eyed Emotion is different from what would appear on Winterider. We still have Benji Connelly (Nicknamed Benjamin Snowkid on this release), as well as Markus Laito, but the only other band member is vocalist Hew Wagner. We have a 3-man band this time around as opposed to 5, and this would simultaneously be a benefit & hindrance in disguise.

Unfortunately, before I get to praising this record, I got to complain about some things. First, Blue Eyed Emotion comes across as the more amateur of the two records. Amateur in production, recording, instrumentation, and vocal work (More on that in a bit). Now, I’m not saying that Everfrost were incompetent in any way, cause they sure as hell aren’t! Benjamin Snowkid is great on the drums, guitars, keyboards, and arrangements, and Markus Laito is fantastic on lead guitar & vocals. Even Hew Wagner does a good job as the lead singer. Everybody on here knows what they’re doing, and they show that they can hang with the big boys pretty damn well.

Since I’m talking about the band, I may as well talk about Hew Wagner. Now, I don’t think he’s a bad singer. If anything, I think he has a genuinely beastly set of vocal pipes! He can hit pretty high when he sets his mind to it, and he’d probably be able to shatter most of the glass in a cathedral. My only problems with his singing is that he’s in the higher ranges almost constantly, which is annoying for songs that feel like they needed a lower volume. In addition to that, there are times where he gets so loud it almost sounds like he’s straining. I may be mishearing things in that regard, but I swear I hear his voice crack once in a while. Again, maybe it’s just me.

Availability is another fault to this album’s name. While Winterider you can find on both Amazon & their bandcamp in both physical & digital forms, Blue Eyed Emotion can only be found digitally on Amazon, and in both versions on their bandcamp page. I’m a firm believer in physical media, and that doubly applies to music. In their defense, the record company at the time of it’s original release was fairly small, so I can see why you can only find it directly from them. Once I get the cash scrounged up, I might just buy it from them when I get the chance! Nothing else to say in this department.

Perhaps one of the more frustrating issues I have with Blue Eyed Emotion would be it’s storytelling and characters. Not that they don’t suck, cause they don’t. Not that they weren’t written well, because they were. My issue with the story and characters is that things are told and displayed in a far more cryptic matter. On my first listen through last year I didn’t know how things were progressing, and who was where & such. Listening to the album more & more made it far easier to piece events together, and it was easier to figure out who the characters were as well as their motivations. Winterider was a considerable upgrade in this regard, as the storytelling & characters were considerably more clear and understandable.

And finally, my biggest issue with Blue Eyed Emotion is that it is one of the most emotionally heavy records I’ve ever listened to. While Winterider was certainly heavy in terms of the emotional aspect (If you’ve listened to Whisper In A Frozen Tale, you’ll know what I mean), at the very least there was a cushion to fall on thanks to the more lighthearted songs. On this release, there is no safety net to fall on after getting kicked in the feels crotch. Even the concluding track, despite it’s mild usage of happy, will grab you by the nuts and twist really hard. Blue Eyed Emotion is a far more serious and grey album than what their second release would be, and it was really surprising upon my first listening to. Even if I did listen to their discography in order I would still get whiplash, but for somewhat different reasons.

So with all of this complaining I’ve done, you’re probably thinking I hate this album. No! Far from it in fact! I love this album! I may not enjoy it as much as Winterider, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it at all! I’ll be repeating myself towards the end of the review, but much like the previously mentioned album above, Blue Eyed Emotion rightfully earns a 9 out of 10! The band is giving it their all, as the instrumentation & vocal work is pretty top notch, and while the storytelling is more cryptic & it’s confusing as to who’s who, it is easy to follow once you figure things out. Like their second release, their love & muse that is anime and manga shines through, and they don’t give two festering shits what the critics say. It’s that kind of attitude that’s kept me endeared to Everfrost, and for every release to come that endearment will just get stronger.

Ironically enough, my favorite track happens to possibly be the most emotionally heavy song on the album. Opening up this frosty behemoth, The Lonesome Prince rightfully claims it’s spot in spades. The opening is some sad but beautiful piano work, and shortly afterwards a battalion of guitars & heavy drumming comes charging at you, then the vocal work of Hew Wanger comes in pretty strong. For the entire duration of the song you’re treated to a lot of intensity, and more often than not it’ll tug at the heartstrings pretty tightly as it matches the emotional aspect very well. As for the story.....without giving most of the story away, we find one of the titular main characters right beside the grave of a friend he dearly loved, and the tune deals with this heavy grief....or is it the other way around? Hmmmm......

The Lonesome Prince

As I said above, Blue-Eyed Emotion gets a 9 out of 10. Like the album after it, the rating it gets is highly earned.

And that was my review for the first Everfrost album, Blue Eyed Emotion! Again I don’t enjoy it as much as Winterider, but hot damn is it still a hell of a lot of fun to hear in my headphones or my speakers! Everfrost, if you happen to read this, I just want to say you need to sign up with a bigger record company (*Cough* Nuclear Blast *Cough*). You are too damn good, and too damn unique, to be so obscure and hidden from the rest of this metal world! There are plenty of weebs all over this world that would happily devour your work, and buy the everloving hell out of your merchandise. I hope that with 2021 and beyond, your wintry presence becomes stronger & we all feel it.

With that, my posts for 2020 are complete, and it’s time for......wait, there’s actually one more thing I gotta do this year. I’ll take some time off for Christmas & such, but please join me on the 28th for a tribute to a metal legend....and it’s gonna be rough. See you then.


***
If you’d like to see more about this band (Not to mention my Winterider review from last year), as well as their music they’ve released so far then click on the links below:

Everfrost (Facebook)

Everfrost (Youtube)

Everfrost (Bandcamp)

Everfrost (Official Website)

Blue-Eyed Emotion

Winterider

Album Review - Everfrost’s Winterider

The Top 5 Albums of 2020

Welcome back fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I do want to apologize for this coming out later than normal. Some newer albums came out pretty recently, and in a rare instance I’m putting end-of-year records onto the list. On top of that, 2018 has come back in force here in 2020, as everything on this list is composed of nothing but ties. Even my honorable mentions aren’t safe this time around, as they’re both ties as well! With such a bevy of metal this year, let’s not waste anymore time. Here are my top 5 albums of 2020! Let’s begin!

5) Haunt - Mind Freeze (Song) & Alestorm - Curse of the Crystal Coconut (Song)

So this album came out of nowhere!

Released pretty much at the very beginning of the year (The 10th of January to be specific), this fairly recent Thrash Metal band from Fresno almost borderlines on Power Metal at certain times. Using themes of the supernatural, witchcraft, and fantasy, Haunt has the heavy nature of Thrash, but at the same time the songs make you want to wander a medieval fantasy kingdom. You’d be kicking goblins in the ass, slaying the dragon, rescuing the princess, and all the while you’d be headbanging pretty damn hard! It may be confusing at points in terms of figuring out which style is being performed, but I can’t deny that I have fun whenever I listen to Mind Freeze. Definitely an album for fantasy lovers!

This leads into the other band that shares the no. 5 spot this year, and that’s Alestorm! Funny enough, this is the first time that I’ve genuinely taken the band seriously, which is ironic considering they’re anything but serious. Curse of the Crystal Coconut is an absolutely silly experience, but it’s one that’s incredibly fun at the same time. The band have always made catchy tunes, filled with obvious references to the pirate life, complete with a bit of lighthearted trolling and other surprises. I can see exactly why some people wouldn’t like this release, but at the same time I see why some do like it. Give it a listen, and judge for yourself.

4) Lordi - Killection (Song) & Turmion Kätilöt - Global Warning (Song)

Ah Lordi, how much I love thee!

Not too long ago, I talked about these B-Movie monsters on my top 5 movies of 2018 list, and lo & behold they return! Killection it a bit of a strange release: a fictional compilation album with songs that cover anything from the early 70s all the way to the mid 90s, the gimmick seems like an odd one at first. After listening to it a few times, said gimmick is actually really clever, and it’s obvious that Lordi was trying really hard to make it feel like you were listening to a genuine compilation record. It may take a few rotations in order to get what the band is trying to do, but with how catchy the music is.....it’s worth it.

And then there’s Turmion Kätilöt. 3 times this band has appeared on these lists. 2015, 2017, and 2018......why not a 4th time! Global Warning almost comes across as a throwback to some of their earliest work, as while there’s still some of the dance aspects from their last 4 releases, it’s obvious that they decide to go for a heavier and more metallic record. Thunderous, pounding, and all around an album that hits you like a Mack truck, Global Warning seems eerily relevant in 2020, yet despite that I highly recommend it to anyone who likes some heavy industrial.

3) Paradise Lost - Obsidian (Song) & Draconian - Under A Godless Veil (Song)

Wow was this a treat!

Paradise Lost has had.....a rather weird history with these lists. Twice they’ve been in the “Honorable Mentions” section due to the vocal work, and 2018 they finally made their main list debut thanks to some great remasters of their electronic phase. Now, they have released what is perhaps their darkest output yet with Obsidian. I won’t talk about it too much again, since I talked about it back in October, but I can say that Obsidian finally scratched my itch! A considerably more gothic release than their prior 2 releases, not to mention Nick Holmes lets up with the raspy vocals somewhat, The album shows that one of the titans of Gothic Metal still carries significant weight during these plague-ridden times, and I for one am thankful for this release.

Then, we got Draconian. It’s been since 2015 that this band had released anything, and if you recall my top 5 list from that year, you know that I gave Sovran some pretty high praise. Under A Godless Veil? I might actually like this album more than the previously stated one. It’s not drastically different than that release, but it’s the little things that make it better in my opinion. The whole record comes across as a little more grander & epic. The gothic, doom, and Death Metal aspects feel more flesh out, and the production behind this record is just a little bit better. Under A Godless Veil is definitely a modern Gothic Metal masterpiece, and it should be something to seek out if you’re curious.
    
2) King Diamond - Fatal Portrait (Song), Abigail (Song), Them (Song), Conspiracy (Song), & The Eye (Song)

The King has returned!

2020 saw the return of one of metal’s most iconic shock legends, and by god it was a show of force! For starters, let’s talk about the remaste...no wait, that’s wrong. The 1st 5 records (Yes......5 RECORDS) here aren’t re-masters, but full-blown re-releases of the original audio for the public to consume once again in this plagued age! Fatal Portrait, Abigail, Them, Conspiracy, & The Eye are absolute juggernauts of classic horror metal, and to see them all return in 2020 is a treat! I spoke about my love of King Diamond back in October last year, but listening to these tasty scary feasts once again was just wonderful!

However, as incredible as the king’s output in 2020 was, there was a album that surpassed all of these. Three albums actually! More than anything, these records are ones that everybody needs to listen to at least once. Whether you’re into Heavy Metal or not, they’re the ultimate example of a bright light in the deepest dark, and people in 2020 need some light.

Before we get to these bright albums, I just wanted to take some time and talk about some honorable mentions. My choices this time around are......odd to say the least. Three of these are from this year, and the other is technically a release from last year that I finally got to listen to in 2020. I’m interested to see how you’ll all react to these choices, so let’s not waste anymore time, and take a look at the honorable mentions of 2020.

HM1) Moonspell - Sin/Pecado: Deluxe Edition (Song) & Moonspell - Memorial (Song)

If I hadn’t discovered Haunt (Or listened to COTCC), chances are I may have put this CD at number 5. Released on the 13th of December last year, it’s late release prevents it from getting onto the main list (Ironic, given what’s at my no. 1), but at the same time it’s great to see a group’s older material getting put out again. Kinda like Paradise Lost’s re-masters of Host & Believe In Nothing from 2018, Sin/Pecado feels fresh because of the touch ups. Coupled with the out of print Second Skin EP, it’s a great little trip back into the band’s past of the late 90s, and for anyone remotely interested in Gothic Metal from Portugal, it’s worth your time.

Another re-release from this band that’s worth your time is Memorial. Younger than the original Sin/Pecado by 8 years (Sin/Pecado came out in 98, while Memorial was 2006), there doesn’t seem to be as much work done on it, but I don’t think there needed to be. Memorial is a much fresher album, and due to that not muck work is needed to fix any cracks. Chances are you’re probably seeking this remaster for the special tracks, of which there are 6. The first two are bonus songs, while the other 4 are live from CC Estúdio & CC Estúdio 2. This puts this newer version of Memorial up to a monstrous 19 tunes. You’re definitely in it for the long haul if you sit down & listen to this......which is exactly what you should do!

HM2) Ozzy Osbourne - Ordinary Man (Song) & Marilyn Manson - We Are Chaos (Song) 

Much like the titanic return of King Diamond, it’s been a long time since the Prince of Darkness put out. Not since 2010 with Scream has Ozzy put anything out, and the fans were waiting with baited breath. A mix of finishing up with Black Sabbath, not to mention health issues that still somewhat exist today (Some have gotten worse), made the next album something of a distant dream....until it wasn’t. In recent years the Ozzman has made a partial recovery despite his health issues, and when news of a new release began to surface. Then, as of the 21st of February of this year, the long awaited return of the Blizzard of Ozz came out and...... it’s good. Not great, but good. It’s definitely got problems: a lot of the instrumentation sounds the same, Ozzy’s voice has had effects added to it (Probably due to his health), and some of the songs have missed potential. That being said, there’s definitely some fun to be had on Ordinary Man. The teamups with Elton John, Post Malone, and Travis Scott have a lot of energy to them, and despite his health, the Blizzard of Ozz still manages to pour his heart & soul into this album. He’s definitely showing off some pretty personal stuff on this record, and if this is going to be his final release it’s not necessarily a bad note to go out on. Ordinary Man may not be the most essential Ozzy Osbourne album to listen to, but if it somehow comes your way, you might want to give it a go.

I can say something similar to We Are Chaos. Now, it’s been quite a long time since I listened to a Marilyn Manson album. He always came across like a phase to me, yet he never fully left my memory when I stopped listening to him. 2020 seemed like a bizarrely appropriate year for the scourge of uptight & politically correct individuals to make his return, and his 11th studio album was definitely up to the task. Is it perfect? Not exactly. I should say that I had a lot of fun listening to this, but the album was all over the place. Given the album’s name, it’s not surprising to have it be chaotic in terms of feel, but for that chaos to affect the quality.....that’s definitely something. Still, We Are Chaos is an album that could only come from the mind of Marilyn Manson, and it’s at least an intriguing concept. Might be worth your time if you’re curious.

1) U.D.O. - We Are One (Song) & Iron Savior - Skycrest (Song) & Majestica - A Christmas Carol (Song)

Let’s be honest: 2020 was absolute garbage. Sure there were some positive things here and there, but for 75 to 80 percent of the year it sucked nothing but canal water. Rampant plague, so much cancelled and ruined because of said plague, corrupt politics simply unheard of in U.S. history, and so many other depressing things I won’t put here. It was unnerving, sad, and genuinely soul-crushing.....until this album came along.

As silly as this is going to sound, We Are One is an album the whole world needs to hear (or as many people as possible). 2020 has far too much negativity to it, what with rampant disease & death, political corruption, exploding racial tensions, and so much more. U.D.O. seemed to know how much everybody and everything was hurting, and so they crafted an album that simultaneously reflected this, and to give to people light & hope. Yes, 2020 was hell, and we’re all going to have a scar or two from this horrid experience...but there is hope. There is light at the end of the tunnel. There’s going to be a way out, and it’ll be beautiful when we get there. That alone is enough to get We Are One to the number 1 spot on this list.

However, U.D.O. isn’t alone this year! Iron Savior, one of the sadly lesser known Power Metal artists out there, managed to make their presence still known right here at the end of the year. Their 13th studio release, Skycrest, is one of the reasons why this list came out so late this year, and is one of the few times that I put an album on this specific type of list that came out so late. Like some of the others on here, Skycrest was an album that needed to come out in 2020. If Obsidian from earlier was the slice of bitter reality, then this album was the delicious fluffy piece of chocolate cake we all need once in a while! Soaring guitars, drumming that sounds like horses charging, fantasy & sci-fi flavoring everywhere, and vocal work from Piet Sielck makes the entire release something that brightens smiles everywhere & makes you feel warm & fuzzy. To everyone that’s still here at the end.....Skycrest is a more than worthy reward for a quest well done!

And this leads us to Majestica! Another reason why this list came out so late, this band is actually the resurrected group of current Sabaton guitarist Tommy Johansson’s old gang by the name of ReinXeed. Ironically, they released Above the Sky last year, and while I didn’t listen to the whole album, the songs I did manage to hear were fantastic. So when it was announced towards the end of October that they would be releasing not just another album, but a Christmas record, my eyes lit up like a freshly decorated tree. So when I saw down literarily this past Friday (The same day that Skycrest came out, btw) to give A Christmas Carol a listen to, and holy shit this was damn good! Much like We Are One and Skycrest, we needed something like this to end 2020 on. Taking the original Charles Dickens story and putting it through a Power Metal filter, the album is chocked to the brim with Christmas goodness & positive vibes. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll feel warm and fuzzy by the time it’s done playing. That feeling I got was the reason that A Christmas Carol made it to the number 1 spot, and I have a feeling that it’ll be your no. 1 for some of you as well!

And those were my top 5 albums of 2020 list. Perhaps a bit scattered-brained in comparison to prior lists, but this year was so up in the air that if I made it normal I don’t think it would work properly. I hope that you all found something on here that you enjoyed, cause I certainly liked what I put up here. Now, I must leave you all for a few days, because I made a promise to a certain group of beautiful Finnish weebs......and I intend to keep that promise. See you all on the 19th!




***
The Dark Sides & In Concert 1987: Abigail aren’t here because I didn’t manage to listen to those two. Also, if you're curious about what I thought of last year's music, then click on the link below: 

The Top 5 Albums of 2019

The Top 5 Atypical Christmas Albums

Season’s Greetings fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Despite 2020 having been absolute garbage, that doesn’t mean the holiday spirit is dampened here on the Heavy Metal Otaku blog. It’s just gotten......weird. In fact, that weirdness gave me the idea for today’s list!

I think we all enjoy the traditional Christmas songs this time of year. The classics that are standards when we decorate the tree, wrap/unwrap presents, and spend time with our families. However, sometimes we want seasonal music that’s just a little off the beaten path. Sometimes, the music we crave in December just doesn’t fit the mold that the classics do. Right below are what I consider to be some of the more atypical Christmas albums that have been made, and let me just say right away that you should listen to all of these. Why? Let’s find out then!

5) Everfrost - Blue Eyed Emotion (Song) & Winterider (Song)

I confess that my number 5 spot was just another excuse to take about my surprise hit of 2019. In comparison to pretty much everything else on this list, the connection to the holidays on these two albums is rather weak. The world that these releases take place in is indeed rather wintery, but that’s about it. What these records do have in common with the season is the instrumentation. Throughout both records, there are sleigh bells, church bells, chimes, and uses of various sound effects like wind & snowstorms. Yes, both Blue Eyed Emotion and Winterider aren’t necessarily Christmas/Holiday albums, but they can be grandfathered in at the very least. Gets these releases for the weeb in your family!

4) King Diamond - The Puppet Master (Song)

Now we’re talking!

King Diamond has been cranking out horror classic after horror classic since 1986, and while his time in the 2000s started out rocky enough, when it came to 2003 he hit it out of the park, delivering his bleakest & most tragic album ever in the form of The Puppet Master. Not only was it a scary good time, but it oddly can put a listener into a holiday mood. A dark mood, but a mood regardless. There are far more references to Christmas & the month of December on this album than the two above. Hell, at one point in the story there’s a puppet show centered around The Little Drummer Boy! Can’t get more Christmas-ey than that....or can you?

3) South Park — Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics (Song)

I think when South Park comes up in any capacity, political incorrectness & oddball humor aren’t far behind. Even with the more recent seasons where perhaps Trey Parker & Matt Stone are a bit more conservative & selective with who they pick on, there’s still plenty of moments of disgust and delight. When it comes to the holidays, they can get really outrageous, and Mr. Hankey’s Christmas Classics is proof of this! Weirdly enough, there’s actually quite a bit of heart on here, but make no mistake when I say there’s plenty of points where your jaw will definitely hit the floor. Songs like Merry F***ing Christmas and The Most Offensive Song Ever are reasons why South Park got on the radar of Conservatives & people who can’t take a joke, and it’s that reason why the series still has fans to this day. If you want to have a Christmas that’s a bit incorrect, then see if Mr. Hankey can come over for a visit!

2) Twisted Sister - A Twisted Christmas (Song)

Twisted Sister will always be an 80s Hair Metal legend. As Dee Snider once said, they were the scourge of Washington D.C., and with good reason. They looked wild & unkempt, and their lyrics were more against the system than most other bands in their style. Despite only having a minimal amount of time in the 2000s, they came back into the light due to sheer force of nostalgia & a desire of the newer generation of metalheads to catch a glimpse of the past. It was this nostalgia that ultimately became the fun but flawed Still Hungry, and what would ultimately be their final album, A Twisted Christmas. Simultaneously a love letter to themselves, metal acts they liked, and a healthy respect for the songs that they covered, this is a Christmas/Holiday record that could have only come from the warped minds of Dee Snider & the gang. Not only was the album fun, but the live show in Las Vegas was a blast as well. Yep, A Twisted Christmas is indeed atypical, and for a while it was my number 1 album on this list......but there was one record I discovered that managed to surpass Twisted Sister. Barely.....but it did.

1) Savatage - Dead Winter Dead (Song)

The very ground on which Trans Siberian Orchestra would be born, this prototype is nothing short of incredible! You got the orchestra, you got the grandeur, you got the guitar and drums, and you got the singing that leaves as lasting impression. Not only that, but it’s here that the storytelling capabilities of Paul O'Neill really came into being. Centered around the Bosnian War, we’re told a story of death, tragedy, and as silly as this is going to sound.....true love dissolving boundaries & bringing opposite sides together (A Serbian Man & Muslim Woman to be specific.....but no more spoilers!). Even the Christmas Spirit is alive and well on Dead Winter Dead, as the feelings of snow & warmth come through at just the right moments. If you are a Trans Siberian Orchestra fan but don’t know where the idea first came from, then explore the wintry battlefield that is Dead Winter Dead. You won’t regret it!

And those were what I consider to be the top 5 atypical Christmas albums of all time. These were all a rather odd bunch to be sure, but like I said earlier, 2020 definitely brought out this oddness. I got my top 5 albums of 2020 in just a few short days, and I got one final review in the works.......along with a promise to a bunch of beautiful Finnish weebs that I said I’d fulfill. See you soon!


***
If you’re curious about listening to these albums, then click on the links below:

Blue Eyed Emotion

Winterider

The Puppet Master

Mr. Hankey’s Christmas Classics

A Twisted Christmas

Dead Winter Dead

The Top 5 Games of 2020

So....this year has been interesting, hasn’t it fellow Otaku & Metalheads?

I’ve certain been through some stuff in recent memory, but nothing like a plague that kept me housebound & locked up my country. Coupled with ever increasing incompetence from 99% of the politicians in this country, it seems that things are going to continue to burn in the United States for quite some time. Luckily, I wasn’t completely bored, and had access to plenty of games to get me through 2020. Sadly, there’s not going to be a top 5 movies list this year, due to some very obvious reasons, but I do have a surprise to make up for this later this week. My top 5 albums list will come out next week, as some late comers will get released in just a few short days. In the meantime, here are what I think are the top 5 games of 2020, and what a bunch we have this year. Let’s begin!

(I didn’t realize it at first, but this year’s list is FPS filled again. A little bit more than 2019.....but that’s for the link at the end.)

5) Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare (Clip)

We begin with a game that I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I have. After forgoing Black Ops 4 in 2018, I didn’t think I would return to the franchise because of my absolute loathing for what was basically a game that was just trying to leech off of fornite (Not gonna capitalize the F). Color me surprised when I found out that not only did this return to the series’s grittier days, it actually made me feel dirty doing some of the things it wanted me to do. Granted things were still over the top & action-oriented, but for the first time in bit I felt that this franchise got some bite back. Even the story & characters felt improved, and weren’t necessarily a collection of action movie cliches (As much as I like a lot of that stuff). Couple with a fun & expansive multiplayer, and a battle royale mode I actually had fun with, Modern Warfare is my sleeper title of the year.

4) Borderlands 3: Steam Version (Clip)

2 things. First, the Epic Game Store exclusivity for 6 months was absolutely stupid. It was done purely because of money, and for Randy Pitchford to look like he was fighting against the juggernaut that was Steam. Secondly, the storytelling was absolute garbage! Filled with more plotholes, inconveinences, awful new characters (For the most part) and watered-down versions of old characters (Again, for the most part), it actually made me apologize to B2 & TPS’s storytelling. That being said, it was definitely worth the wait for the Steam version of the game! Gunplay & firearms even more unique and varied than prior games (I still love the weapons & combat in B2, btw), worlds even more detailed than B2, and DLC that was just delightful, Borderlands 3 is sure to last me quite a while.

3) Serious Sam 4: Planet Badass (Clip)

This game is what BFE back in 2011 should have been!

That’s not to say it’s perfect, cause there are some issues. Not all of the jokes works, there is a bug or two, and while the horde system Croteam put in is cool, it’s not always used the way it should. Despite the issues, Planet Badass is a blast! Much like the criminally underrated Serious Sam 2, you go to a variety of locales to fight the forces of Mental, with a mix of old enemies & new foes composing said forces. Granted it’s similar to The Second Encounter in that you’re on Earth the entire time, but each locale feels unique & distinct from one another. You got a nice bevy of weapons & tool to use, and there’s also a light skill-based system that gives you small upgrades to your combat abilities. In an interesting twist, you also have side missions along to the main one of the level, and said missions get you access to certain items & weapons early. I can certainly see why people didn’t necessarily like the game when it first came out & still don’t like it today, but I can appreciate the charm that only Croteam can provide. It’s definitely not for everybody, but a trip or two to Planet Badass once in a while isn’t a bad thing.

2) Nekopara: Vol 4 (Clip)

Perhaps more than any other year, 2020 needed some warm & fuzzy games. Though Fall Guys definitely fits this, I haven’t had a chance to pick it up and play it yet. However, one other source of sunshine & happy came my way last week, and it’s one I’m quite thankful for. At this point, the Nekopara series practically lives on some of my lists, and I don’t care! With a simple world & story, along cute and easy to understand characters, and just a touch of ecchi (Uncensored versions keep the sex in), makes each entry quite a treat. Though I’m not finished with it yet, Volume 4 may be my favorite. The animation seemed to be improved slightly, as the movements come across as a little more fluid than before, and the backgrounds have just a hint more color than before. The voice acting is the same as ever, but that’s not an issue as it never came across as horrible in any way. With it’s cute charm, not to mention a fun and sexy undertone, Nekopara: Vol 4 is a nice getaway from the hellhole that is 2020!

Before we get to my number 1 this year, I wanted to talk about some honorable mentions. The two here are certainly an odd pairing, as they’re worlds apart in terms of gameplay. Anyways, here are 2020's honorable mentions in the world of gaming.

HM1) Chex Quest HD (Clip) 

So this one was a surprise!

I had actually heard about this one from time to time. I recall playing the original 2 episodes back in the mid/late 90s, and though I never played the 3rd episode from 2008, I somehow look back at it fondly. So when I downloaded this back in May (For free might I add), I was shocked by how fun it was. There are some slight issues, mainly being not being able to save & the movement is a little tanky, but it’s incredibly at just how good the game is. Harkening back to my childhood,
Team Chex Quest HD and Flight School Studio showed that they genuinely cared about the legacy that Chex Quest still has in 2020, and made a remaster that still has that original spirit. It may be on the short side, but for a free game, there are exceedingly worse options. Give it a go, and see what you think!

HM2) Mortal Shell (Clip)

Once again we got a game locked behind Epic Game Store exclusivity. Once again we have to wait for a game to come to Steam (1 whole year to be exact). That being said, I kind of understand the reasoning why this was done: Cold Symmetry is a smaller studio, and so Epic came to them with a deal to put their product on their platform, and I won’t completely pitch a fit over it. That being said, I loved everything I saw on Youtube about this game. Players are not wrong in saying that this game is a spiritual successor to the Dark Souls franchise, as it’s brooding & gothic atmosphere, not to mention the ambiguous storytelling as well as the brutal combat, harkens back to that classic franchise. It’s not quite as long as those 3 titles, and while it may need some DLC down the road to make things last longer, Mortal Shell more than lives up to the “Dark Souls-like” label it’s been given....and I look forward to play it next summer.

1) Doom: Eternal (Clip) & Doom 64 (Clip)

Doom 2016 was a beast of a game, and was also a massively needed shot of adrenaline to ID Software’s arm. It was bloody, brutal, metal, and a return to the FPS genre’s glory days......then Doom: Eternal smokes 2016 out of the water! With combat even more fast & vicious, weapons that pack more of a punch, demons that are even more violent than their 2016 counterparts, a world and story that expanded upon more, and a improved multiplayer (I never touched it. Only heard things about it), Doom: Eternal is a great example of a sequel that improves upon the original, and a FPS title that shouldn’t be missed by anyone interested in it. Simply put....damn good game!

And then there’s the curious side release that is Doom 64. A proper remaster, it just so happened to be done by Night Dive Studios, who were responsible for Blood: Fresh Supply from last year. After getting some buzz and backing in recent years, this oft-forgotten Doom entry is just delightful. Using an updated version of the original Doom engine, the remastering allows for improved lighting, sound, and graphics, and the transition to the PC is just fantastic. Up until this release, the only way PC players could enjoy this game was through console emulators & specifically engineered versions, but now people don’t have to worry about that. All in all, Doom 64 is also a nice throwback to FPS’s more simplistic days, and that’s a-okay in my book!

And those were my top 5 games of 2020 everybody. A nice selection if I say so myself, and one that I think you’d enjoy as well. See you all in a few days, when I’ll show you the top 5 albums of the year, but before that I got a holiday treat for you all. Can’t wait for that one!



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If you’d like to look at what I thought the best games were of last year, check out the link below:

Top 5 Games of 2019

Album Review: Rammstein's Rammstein

Hi fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Well, here we are. A review for my number one album of 2019. I still find it hard to believe that this record came out, when before hand it had been nearly a decade since the Industrial titans known as Rammstein had put out anything. Sure, Emigrate managed to out 2 records that were good, and Till Lindemann started a supergroup sideproject with Peter Tägtgren that went by the name of Lindemann (Original, I know), which in turn was also good. However, it wasn’t Rammstein. It wasn’t the sound of one of the most iconic metal bands in all of the world. Then, rumblings towards the end of the 2010s began to ripple out from Germany. Rumblings that got stronger & stronger, until the 17th of May, 2019, when said rumblings became a worldwide earthquake, and the Teutonic Titans return with what is quite possibly their finest piece of work yet. An album so great, it brought me back to my mid teens for a moment in such a nostalgia blast.......I’m somehow still feeling it’s effects today.

That’s right, we’re talking about Rammstein's untitled seventh studio release today. Much like Everfrost’s second album from last year (And a surprise I have for next month), I’m opting for a more relaxed & personal approach to how I look at this record, and with good reason. This thing hit me like the force of 20 stars, and over a year since it’s release I still get smacked in the face whenever I listen to the whole thing. This emotional impact alone convinced me that this relaxed route is the only way to proceed, and proceed I shall! Let’s talk about Rammstein’s self-titled album, and see what the fuss was all about!

In many ways it still feels like a dream that the band put out an album. The side projects that both Richard & Till continued and started respectively certainly generated buzz for their stuff, but for Rammstein itself it seemed like false hope to a certain degree. In particular was Emigrate’s 3rd released at the end of 2018, as while it was a great release, but again it raised false hope. However, 2019 seemed to slay that false hope, as when March came around with the 1st single practically hit everybody in the head with a force of a stealthy sledgehammer. By that point it had be roughly a decade since they put out Liebe Ist Für Alle Da, and it would be an actual decade that October, so to see and hear anything new from them was nothing short of a million volt shock.

I said it before last year on here & when talking with some friends, and I will be saying it here again: listening to this self-titled album felt like meeting an old friend I haven’t seen in a decade. Not only that, but said friend has changed so much.....but he changed so much in all of the right ways. Rammstein have never felt so smooth. Never sounded so clean, and never came across like they lost their edge. In fact, this self-titled record is the most flawless thing they’ve ever released. Their last album definitely held this title for quite a while, but even by the time that no. 7 came out, a dent or two ultimately showed up. On this album, the band shows off their 25 years of experience, and their signature sound sharpened to a obsidian edge. For 46 minutes and 20 seconds, you’re bearing witness to perhaps an essential modern Industrial Metal album......and a release that more than earns the right to help close out the 2010s.

If I was to say what the best songs off of the album are, it would have to be the singles they picked to show off what the release was going to be about. For starters, there’s Deutschland. The longest song at 5 minutes & 23 seconds, it’s perhaps their most introspective track to date, as it examines the history of their home country at various different points. Factor in the music video, and this introspection becomes incredibly obvious. The pacing is perfectly balanced, as it’s not too fast but not too slow, and Till’s voice reflects this as well.

Deutschland

Next up is Radio, and much like Deutschland it’s also something of a introspective piece. However this one is a bit more personal, as it’s more about when radio laws in East Germany began relaxing, and more western/capitalist music came through. In the minds of the band when they were younger, it came across as incredibly naughty......even pornographic at times! To reflect the theme, they made a more Electronic/Industrial song that would be right at home in a dance club. Full of bleeps & boops, they never forget the drums and guitar, and weirdly enough add just a hint of Art Deco to the vibe. I don’t know how that’s possible, but somehow they did.

Radio

Then finally we got Auslander, and hoo boy they got a little politically incorrect with this one! The track that harkens back to some of their earlier material, but has the modern recording & production behind it to not make it sound and feel so old. The lyrics themselves can actually be interpreted in a variety of ways. When the song came out before the music video, there were two camps of thought in this regard: either it was a story about Till’s feeling of being abroad, or it was about the group’s experiences traveling all over the world. How did they decide to interpret the lyrics? Colonialism of course!

Auslander

But throw a dart everybody! Virtually every single song is damn good to listen to. Even Diamant (“Diamond”) is fantastic, and the only flaw is it’s 2 minute & 43 second running time. Nothing on here is skippable, and if you do then it’s a massive shame. The decade-long wait really rubbed out all of the band’s kinks from prior releases, and what we’re left with is the smoothest & cleanest Rammstein album ever, but at the same time a hint of their earliest raw edge came back to remind everyone where they once came from.

If there was anything bad to say about this album, it would be one thing......what took you so long Rammstein!? I thought that Liebe Ist Für Alle Da would be the release that stands the test of time, but after listening to this record things have massively changed. No release beforehand has every sounded so flawless, and no album has ever had such perfect recording & production quite like this one. I understand that after their 2009 outing, they didn’t want to push their luck with another recording in case they broke up, and for so long it felt like nothing was ever going to get released. We definitely had stuff from Emigrate & Till’s supergroup sideproject with Peter Tägtgren, Lindemann, but nothing would ever be as awesome as something from one of Germany’s most iconic bands. So when the first 3 singles came our they were incredible, and when the whole album finally released......it was like discovering them all over again after nearly 20 years.

Rammstein gets a 10 out of 10. No iffs, ands, or butts!

Well, that was a review of my number one album of last year......Rammstein. Not that many records in my collections pulled at my heartstrings so strongly in recent years, but this one does so with incredible swiftness and force. Even if you’re not a fan of Rammstein, or of Industrial Metal in general......this self-titled colossus should be the lone exception to that rule. Well, with this review done, I’m taking the rest of the month off to recharge & get some things done for my final posts of the year. December is just a few weeks away.....and you know what that means!

Album Review (Obscurus Metalus): A Pale Horse Named Death's When The World Becomes Undone

Hi fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

This year for November, I wanted to start a new tradition for the blog. More specifically, I wanted to cover some records from the prior year. The stuff that I enjoyed quite a bit, but I didn’t want to cover every single album I listened to. To make things easier, I wanted to cover what my number one album of 2019 is, but before that I believe something from the honorable mentions portion of the list should start things off. For the honorable mention I’m covering, it’s a piece of music I may have judged too harshly. The music in question is from a band that carries on the spirit & tradition of one of the most iconic Gothic Metal bands to have ever existed, and they’ve done so incredibly well. So sit back, relax, and take a look at my review for A Pale Horse Named Death’s long awaited 3rd record, When The World Becomes Undone. Let’s begin.

Background
It’s 2014. It’s been a year since APHND second record, Lay My Soul To Waste, was released. Sal Abruscato rejoined his other side project, Life Of Agony, for a triumphant comeback tour and contributed musical arrangements on the 2017 album A Place Where There’s No More Pain. Meanwhile on the 23rd of December in 2017, a new album was in the works for A Pale Horse Named Death per the announcement on their twitter page. A year later on the 29th of January, it was announced on their website that Matt Brown and Johnny Kelly were going to be replaced. The new band members would come in the form of Joe Taylor (Lita Ford, Doro Pesch, Corey Glover & Cycle of Pain) & Tommy Spano (Corey Glover and Sekond Skyn) as the band’s new guitarist and drummer. On the 5th of April, 2018, the band signed a new deal with SPV records and that the new album would be released on the label's Long Branch Records imprint. It was also revealed in this announcement that Johnny Kelly has rejoined the band on drums. Fast forward to October the 24th, A Pale Horse Named Death announced that their first album in six years, titled When the World Becomes Undone, would be released on January 18, 2019.

The story of the album’s name is also interesting. Sal Abruscato said that the name came to him back in 2014 during the Life Of Agony tour. As he explains:

“You could see what was beginning to happen in the world at large. Just turn on the news or look around. At the same time, there were a lot of crazy things happening in my personal life. Those struggles all became fuel for the music. It was like I had this partial sketch a while ago, and we finally filled it out this year. It evolved into what we have here.”

As for the album concept, he said this in a Kerrang! interview:

“The album is very dark and depressing about personal things that have gone on in my life, too. It’s a conceptual ride about dark things that have gone on in my life. I try not to write too specifically, so people can interpret it into their own situations. The record goes on a long, tribal, funeral [sic], up-and-down kind of vibe. The first two singles were the most upbeat songs on the album; everything else just goes at a kill yourself tempo. By the end of the album, everything is so dark, that by the time you get to the closer, which is a recording of an actual outdoor funeral with a priest speaking over a casket, it takes you really down and dark. But, you also hear a bird singing in the background, which gives it a sense of enlightenment, of something to look forward to in the end. It’s a journey — I like things very cinematic and grand.”

Basic Description
Type-O Negative in body & spirit.

It’s genuinely incredible that a band has been able to effectively continue the legacy of an iconic band, but somehow A Pale Horse Named Death did it. Their first two releases certainly showed that the group was capable of conjuring up the sound & vibe of Pete Steele’s legacy, but it’s When The World Becomes Undone that proves that the band also managed to bring the soul of the Green Man into their work. This even includes how dark Type-O Negative can be, as things got personal on this release because of what Sal Abruscato was going through at the time. Strangely enough, the heavy emotional aspect of the album makes it more suited for this year than 2019. There’s enough creepy connections between this plague-ridden time and what on When The World Becomes Undone, that said connections are highly coincidental.....yet oddly welcome at the same time.

Best Track
Love The Ones You Hate was a smart choice as the first single off of this album. The band needed something to show off the fact that they returned to the scene, and it doesn’t disappoint! The song kind of reminds me of something that could have theoretically been on Slow Deep and Hard. It has far better production & recording behind it, but it’s got a similar vibe and pace when compared to some of the songs off of Type-O’s inaugural release. Great guitarwork, drumming, and vocal work from the entire band makes the song a perfect way to show the world that A Pale Horse Named Death is back.

Love The Ones You Hate

Worst Track
Like I said last year when I talked about this record in my honorable mentions section of my top 5 list last year, I mention that APHND seemed to be more like a Grunge group experimenting with Gothic Metal than a actual Goth Metal band. After listening to it more closely this time around, I realized that was a rush of judgement thanks mostly to the comments in the album’s first single. That being said, I can at least understand why some would say that. A couple of the songs definitely have a Grunge vibe at the very least, and a little bit of Grunge instrumentation as well. As for the weak descriptor I gave it.....yeah, I don’t know why I did.

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

When The World Becomes Undone

Overall Impression & Rating
When The World Becomes Undone was a long awaited album from a band that carried on the mission of one of the world’s most iconic Gothic Metal bands. They may have stepped outside the boundaries of their turf a little, but at the end of the day delivered another slice of Gothic Metal perfection. When The World Becomes Undone is a damn fine release, and like I said earlier, fits disturbingly well in 2020. If you haven’t checked the album out already, then do so when you have the chance. You won’t be disappointed!

When The World Becomes Undone gets a 9 out of 10.

And that was When The World Becomes Undone. Again, the album fits eerily well within 2020, and maybe it should have been released this year instead of 2019. Always, with this honorable mention out of the way, it’s time to take a look at my number 1 album of last year, so join me a little later this month when we’ll examine what was perhaps one of the most highly anticipated releases of the 2010s. See you soon!

Anime Review: Xin

Hello fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

With the recent dethroning of Donald Trump, my thoughts turned toward anime where the bad guys have ruled over people for years, letting their greed & ego run wild. Not only that, but the hero of the day comes from a rough background, and has gone through many trials & tribulations to get to where he needs to get the job done. After thinking about it for a bit, an obscure series I was introduced to many months ago by a dear friend was floating into my mind. A series that easily meets all of these requirements, and yet.....isn’t actually an anime at all. That’s right, today marks my first “Not-Anime” anime I’ve ever watched. It’s more of a Flash series to be exact. So get on your school uniform, be sure to not piss off the bully or security force, and check out my review for Xin. Let’s begin.

Story/Setup
Taken from AnimeNewsNetwork:

“Public schools are being over run by gangs and dangerous fighters. Xin is a badass fighter that takes down who he thinks is worthless, he's been kicked out of schools for his violence. Now he's transferred to Public High School # 1368, to take down the major gang members, but he's not who they thought he was.”

Alright, let me get this out of the way....Xin is one of the most tropey shows I’ve ever watched! More specifically, it’s filled with enough shonen tropes to gag a maggot. You’ve got the lead with a mysterious past, you’ve got the spunky girl that falls for the lead, you got the sinister bad guy, etc. Even the setup for the series screams shonen, as just by that blurb alone typed above sounds like a series that would come from the land of the rising sun. It’s definitely tropey & stereotypically shonen, and yet.......that’s kind of Xin’s charm. Yes it’s tropey, but somehow it’s quite charming because of that. Sure, it’s stereotypically shonen, but there’s an innocence with the stereotyping. It’s so head-scratching when you watch the first few episodes, but it makes by the time you’re done it makes sense, and in a way acts as something of a portal to an earlier time for anime’s popularity in the United States. It’s certainly not a deep story by any means, but it’s interesting in it’s own way.

Animation
Perhaps one of Xin’s biggest issues is it’s animation. Back in 2003 to 2006 it probably was fine, but nowadays it’s perhaps the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen! It’s incredibly dated, and feels quite primitive. If I wanted to be brutal, I’d almost say it’s on par with how the original season of South Park was: characters move in a stiff manner, special effects look weak, and the passage of time has not been kind to it. I don’t feel ill in anyway when I watch it, but Xin is quite unpleasant to watch in terms of it’s looks.

Voice Acting
Much like the animation, Xin’s voice acting was fine for 2003 to 2006, but nowadays is absolutely terrible. The recording & production as far as the audio’s concerned definitely comes from the early/mid 2000s. The effort is definitely there, but by god does it not sound well. I don’t know how it sounded back in the day (Since I never watched it during it’s original release), but it has aged horribly since then. Don’t have much else to say other than....yeah, it sucks.

Characters
Much like the story, Xin’s cast of characters are the very incarnation of shonen tropes. Like I said above, there’s the lead that’s mysterious, the bubbly girl that has a thing for the lead, and the bad guy that’s effectively twirling his mustache whenever & wherever he can. But, like the story, the tropes that the characters embody adds to the charm of the entire package of the show. Granted a horde of shows nowadays is filled to the brim with shonen tropes (Something I don’t completely have an issue with), but back in the early to mid 2000s it was considerably a more novel thing, and not in so many shows. Like the story, the cast of Xin isn’t deep, but is interesting in it’s own right.

Availability & Pricing
As far as I’m aware, Xin has never been released on any physical form. DVD, Blu-Ray, you name it. On top of that, the original website that hosted it has long been since shut down. Luckily, the whole series can be found over on Youtube, and probably on Vimeo & Dailymotion as well. Right below is a link to the complete show on Youtube:

Xin (Complete Series)

Overall Impression & Rating
Xin is such a baffling show to me. On the one hand, the show has aged as well as Trump’s pre-presidental tweets. It’s dated, not visually appealing, and the audio could have had some better production behind. On the other hand, there’s something oddly charming about at the same time. Yeah it looks and sounds awful, but some of the most iconic anime weren’t necessarily the Mona Lisa either. On top of that, as shonen tropey as Xin’s story is, there’s something oddly comforting at the same time. Almost like it harkens back to a more innocent time in Otaku culture, when we didn’t take things quite so seriously & weren’t so nitpicky, and when we were having fun. I’m not sure what else to say, other than to give it a try if you’re curious.

Xin on a practical rating is a 5 to 6 out of 10. On a fun “warms my weeby heart” kind of rating.....9 out of 10. Maybe even a 10 out of 10 on some days.

And that was Xin. Quite possibly one of the oddest shows I’ve ever watched, but oddly comforting as well. As I said above, I was looking for series that best fit our political climate at this point in time in some way, and this obscure flash series managed to do just that. Well, 2019's number 1 album is getting it’s own review in just a few short days, so see you then!