Food For Thought/Thought For Food No. 35: Biscuit (My Precious Furbaby)

With how crap the world is right now, I think we all need a heartwarming story.....and I’ve got the story for you!

As of late last week, Biscuit, my precious furbaby, turned 5 years old. Since the summer of The Plague, this adorable but exceptionally squishy cat has been a source of smiles & joy in a world that’s increasingly going to hell in a handbasket. For half a decade, this chonky cat lies right next to me whenever I’m in my room, doing the best she can to conform to my leg & ask for belly rubs, and purrs hard enough my leg jiggles ever so slightly. Yes, this kitty of mine has been a source of smiles for half of this seemingly sordid decade, and her origins is surprising.

Let’s rewind to last decade. Around 2014 to 2016 if I recall correctly. Some asshat had dropped off a small box of kittens near my house, only for them to somehow make their way towards me & my folks. Once day, my Mom opens the door to the porch, only to see one of them, and the rest after a few seconds. Immediately she tells my Dad, who reacts as her normally does when it comes to cats at the time. Mom gets some kitten food from the store that day, and begins feeding & watering them so they don’t die. This in turn got Pops to jokingly call Ma “Sucker Finder”, and I’m not going to lie when I say that I did to (Even though I loved those little kitties). For a few years, we’ve tended to them as they grew up, and oddly enough a few more showed up over time. Mom & me loved them with all our hearts, while Dad was his usual self about it. 

Fast forward to 2020. More specifically, Father’s Day 2020. That day, one of the cats was tragically hit by a local, and this cat recently gave birth to four kittens, and recently at that time moved to a spot by the creek near us. The woman that did it was a local, who came to our house sobbing & saying that she hit the most beautiful cat in the world. Mom & me immediately knew who it was, and went out to grab her body & bury her on the property (We got a tiny Cat graveyard). However, an oddly bigger issues was trying to rescue her babies. We knew they were still at the creek, but we didn’t know what part. Not only that, but when a mamma cat communicates with her kitten, they chirp rather than meow, so Ma gets some mamma cat chirp noises ready on her phone, and over the course of a few days (That’s kind of a story in & of itself) we rescued them & brought them inside.

We knew we couldn’t keep them, so over the course of a few weeks we looked for homes for the kittens, and we were pretty successful. Two of them, ironically enough, went to a local in town (Might have been the same woman I mentioned earlier), and one had gone to a friend of my Mother’s daughter, only for it to be returned cause of issues they were going through, and they went to another friend of my Ma.

So now we get to me. It was early August if I recall correct, and I just got to the bathroom after waking up. Before I could close the door, this is the conversation with my Father: 

“Josh, do you wanna keep the cat?”

“Dad, she going to a good home. It’s okay.”

“Okay, so here’s what you’re gonna do. You’re gonna take the two kittens, and you’re gonna start juggling. You’re gonna juggle the kittens. Which ever one stays up in the air the longest, is the one you’re gonna keep.”

I was almost going to slug my Dad for that joke, but Mom came in to basically translate what he said before something actually happened. After that, the rest....is history.

So that was a warm & fuzzy story about Biscuit, my precious furbaby. With the kind of year everyone has been having, it seemed only right that I talk about her. Stayed tuned throughout the rest of this month for some more goodies. See you soon! 

Album Review: Marilyn Manson's We Are Chaos

Chaos comes fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Like I hinted at in my revised review for Ordinary Man around the middle of the month, the musician in today’s review is one I actually haven’t looked at in more detail, despite mentioning them twice on two of my lists (Once last year, and the other obviously in 2020). Throughout much of the 1990s, shock icon Marilyn Manson scared & offended conservative individuals who were too quick to judge, and delighted his fans with his on stage antics & provocative themes. Even when he lost some relevance in the 2000s & 2010s, he still had a grip on the Zeitgeist of his fanbase. The dawn of this decade, despite the copious amount of pestilence, was no different. If anything, 2020 wouldn’t have felt even remotely right if one of the icons of Shock Rock didn’t make their presence known, and what they put out that year certainly fit the time. So, sit back, check & see if everything is all messed up, and take a look at my review for We Are Chaos. Let’s begin.

Background
2020, as we all seemingly know by now, was an incredibly awful way to start off this decade. COVID-19, or as I now simply call it The Plague, swept the entire Earth. Untold numbers of people across the world were infected, and the lucky ones were simply hurt by the virus. Because of this once-a-century plague, there was a isolating lockdown in every single country in an effort to slow the spread of the disease & slow death from it. Save for essential workers & going out for necessities, everyone was required to stay home & hunker down, and while it wasn’t perfect the plague was stymied somewhat until a vaccine was ultimately created. Though we’ve recovered quite a bit since then, there’s still some damage from that time that still lingers in plenty of people. Mainly, as I see it at least, the psychological scars from being isolated for so long. Without getting into a lot of detail, at one point I thought that my friends & extended family were hallucinations. Even when I actually saw them during that time, there was always one small part of my mind that thought that maybe they weren’t real. On top of that, COVID forced those in the entertainment industry to adapt to a time where they might not have the resources they normally use.....which is where our story with Marilyn Manson begins.

In actuality, our story begins in 2013. In that year, former Manson bassist Twiggy Ramirez introduced to his ex-bandmate Shooter Jennings, the son of country singers Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter. The two hit it off, and later on in 2013 the producers of Sons of Anarchy asked the duo to record a song for the finale to the sixth season of the show. Their version of the track remains unreleased to this day, with both of them saying they were unhappy with the finished product. Titled "Join the Human Gang", it was written by Jennings alongside the show's creator Kurt Sutter, and was eventually rewritten and released by The White Buffalo as "Come Join the Murder". From there, Manson portrayed a character in the seventh season of the series, and recorded two albums with Tyler Bates (Who’s work includes): The Pale Emperor and Heaven Upside Down (The two records before We Are Chaos). Manson and Jennings also collaborated on a cover of David Bowie's "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)" for Jennings's album Countach (For Giorgio).

Fast forward to 2019, and drummer Gil Sharone (Who performed on The Pale Emperor & Heaven Upside Down) announced he was leaving the band to pursue other projects. His replacement would come in the form of Brandon Pertzborn, who was the former drummer of the legendary Punk band Black Flag. Shortly after his hiring, Manson announced that Tyler Bates was no longer involved with the group, and that the upcoming release would be co-produced by Jennings and feature contributions from his drummer Jamie Douglass. Pertzborn and the band's touring guitarist Paul Wiley were also confirmed to perform on the album, and it seemed that things were finally solid. During the recording of the new album, Manson and Jennings would record a cover version of The Doors track "The End" for use as the theme song for the miniseries The Stand. It didn’t appear in the series however, as show director Josh Boone said a license to use it proved too expensive for a series made on a limited budget.

The album that would eventually be called We Are Chaos would be released on September the 11th, 2020. Manson would go on to say that because of the album being written & recorded in quarantine, remotely, and not in his new home studio, he had to adapt to the situation and forced him to adapt to a new musical territory. As he said in an interview with Rolling Stone: 

“This was recorded to it’s completion without anyone hearing it until it was finished. There is most definitely a side A and Side B in the traditional sense. But just like an LP, it is a flat circle and it’s up to the listener to put the last piece of the puzzle into the picture of songs.”

Commercially, We Are Chaos was received pretty highly on it’s release. British magazine NME praised Manson for focusing more on craft rather than spectacle with the lyrics, and AllMusic said some pretty similar things as well, elaborating: 

 "As the years of shock tactics and theatrics fade into memory, Manson's left with just the music, aging as gracefully as he can with another expertly crafted offering for the altar."

Other music reviewers commented more on We Are Chaos’s musical diversity. Consequence of Sound would go onto say that the production, musicianship and songwriting on the record were among the best of the band's entire discography, and that the musical variation on the record was intriguing. The Arts Desk said that as a result of the musical variation, the album was "more tuneful and affecting than anything else" the band had ever released. The collaboration between Manson and Jennings would also be praised by many publications as well, with Clash magazine in their review that the pair had "created, if not perfected, a rousing ballad of angst for the Millennials", while Exclaim! said the record continued the band's creative resurgence, describing it as a "logical and welcome next step" in their discography, and said the best tracks on the album were among the strongest of their latter discography. Their summary of the album was that although the vocalist "may not be the pop culture figure he once was, Marilyn Manson is still capable of churning out some of modern rock music's finest work."

We Are Chaos did get some mixed reviews however. Rolling Stone said the songs on the album were not memorable, Mojo magazine said the best songs on the record were the tracks where Manson "actually emotes" and summarized: "Manson's Iggyesque croak begs for the pared-to-the-essence Rick Rubin treatment; We Are Chaos isn't that record, but it's a step in that direction.", and while The Independent complimented the quality of musicianship and variety found on the album, saying that the music "spans everything from Satanism to angry Enya", their writer simultaneously lauded and criticized the lyrics for both critiquing the MeToo movement and for lyrical content they perceived as misogynistic.

Basic Description
Chaos. In all the right & wrong ways.

I’ll get into the wrong ways a little later, but for now it’s time to talk about the right ways. By being forced out of his home studio/comfort zone, Manson had to adapt when it came to recording this record, and that in turn added to the chaotic nature of this record. However, by not being in a place that’s comforting & familiar, this made Manson’s creative gears move in a way that have never moved before, and the end result is an album that’s up in the air in some surprisingly exciting ways. On top of that, the chaotic nature of We Are Chaos lends itself to music where there’s quite literarily something for everyone. Each song across it’s 42 minute run time is unique, and they’re all completely different from one another. It’s so hard to nail down what this release is despite the gimmick, that the only way you can genuinely understand it is to listen.

Best Track
As the first single of the album, the title track ultimately became the face of the record. Kinda like Rammstein’s 2022 release Zeit, it has a bit of buildup before the metallic elements appear, then it hits hard like a truck.....only for it to go back to the same cycle of buildup/metallic release (Keep your mind out of the gutter!). Annoying for a second, it actually helps create a vibe that was oddly positive & optimistic. It’s got great guitar & bass, the drumwork is tight, and the inclusion of some piano playing gives it a mildly melancholic attitude as well. Manson’s singing is especially potent here, as he somehow manages to perfectly sound like how we all felt 5 years ago. If there was a song that could have represented what 2020 was like, it’s the rightful face of this release.

We Are Chaos

As for what is considered to be the best from the “B” side of the album, Infinite Darkness has a completely different atmosphere when you compare it to the song above. It’s much more dark & bleak, which probably fit what some people were feeling half a decade. The instrumentation reflects this, as it goes from creeping dread to loud & intense. Manson’s voice matches up with the instruments as well, going between both sides with ease. It certainly is a darker song when compared to the album’s title track, but with how chaotic & jumbled this record can be, then it’s not surprising to come across a track like this.

Infinite Darkness

Worst Track
Now we come to the bad side of this album’s chaos. This release is one of the most random records I have ever listened to: odd vocals & lyrics, instrumentation that’s all over the place, recording & production that seems disjointed, you name it. If this was all done in keeping with the record’s theme, then it’s some incredible levels of genius. If it’s more due to the fact that Manson was outside of his comfort zone & didn’t know what to do, not to mention how he was feeling at the time, then I feel a little worried. Luckily, he made it through a low point in his life, and would release a monster of a record 4 years later.....but I can’t say anything else.

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

We Are Chaos

Overall Impression & Rating
We Are Chaos definitely lives up to it’s name. Chaotic when it comes to the variety of music, but also chaotic when it comes to everything else. Given what 2020 was like, it was easy to consume the album back then without much trouble, but in the time since then it’s gotten oddly harder to listen to. At it’s best, We Are Chaos is a delightful whirlwind of creativity that shows how imaginative Marilyn Manson can be, but it’s an odd mishmash of various elements at worst. It’s really hard to describe what this album was upon it’s release & is still like nearly 5 years later, so pick the album up and listen to it for yourself!

We Are Chaos gets a 6 out of 10 at it’s worst, but an 8 out of 10 at it’s best. 

And that was my review for We Are Chaos. Over the top, random, and chaotic, Manson’s offering in 2020 definitely reflected what that year was like, and oddly reflects what 2025 has been like so far. It’s all over the place, but there is definitely a theme if you dig deep enough. So with that, we’ve made it to my number 1 albums of 2020. I’ll begin taking a look at them soon, but beforehand I’ve got a bit of a heartwarming story to tell you all. See you soon!


***
If you would like to see more details into the background of this album, then click on the link below: 

We Are Chaos (Wikipedia)

Album Review: Ozzy Osbourne's Ordinary Man (Revised)

We’re nearing the end fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

I’m starting my look at the other musical honorable mentions of 2020 today. Ironically, I did a review for this one back in 2021, but it wouldn’t be right to leave it off the table during this look back at the most plague-ridden year of this decade so far. A triumphant return in the early parts of 2020, Ozzy Osbourne came back after almost a decade from his last album, and after touring with his old bandmates from Black Sabbath for their final tour towards the end of last decade. Coupled with the fact that he was diagnosed with mild Parkinson’s, it seemed like the Blizzard Of Ozz would never make his own music again.....until he did.  So with that out of the way, here is my revised review of Ordinary Man. Let’s begin.

Background
The 2010s was an interesting time for the Blizzard Of Ozz. 2010 saw the release of Scream (Which wasn’t a bad album at all), and a few short years later he regrouped with his old bandmates in Black Sabbath to release the album 13 in 2013, and go on for a farewell tour that lasted until early February of 2017. For a brief time after that, Ozzy went quiet, until a weird encounter by the end of that decade. In September of 2019, he would be featured alongside rapper Travis Scott on the Post Malone track “Take What You Want” (From Post’s 3rd album Hollywood's Bleeding). The song would go onto be Ozzy’s first Billboard Hot 100 top 10 in over 30 years, marking the occasion as the longest gap between top 10 appearances in the chart's history. However, rumblings from the shadows of a new Ozzy Osbourne album was in the works, and on the 9th of November of 2019, it was shown that such a record was coming. In an interview on that day, the Blizzard Of Ozz revealed that he worked with Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan, and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith on the album, and when it came to the recording of it he said that the entire process was done "in just a short time", adding ""Duff and Chad came in and we would go in and jam during the day and I would go work out the songs in the evenings. I previously had said to Sharon I should be doing an album, but in the back of my mind I was going, 'I haven't got the fucking strength.' But Andrew pulled it out of me. I really hope people listen to it and enjoy it, because I put my heart and soul into this album."”. Then on the 21st of February in 2020, the release known as Ordinary Man would be put out for the public.

Ordinary Man would go on to chart pretty highly on the Billboard 200 & UK Albums Chart. The number 3 spot on both of those lists, to be exact, and was Ozzy’s 8th top ten album as a solo artist. The record would also be met with mostly high praise upon it’s release, with Allmusic critic Fred Thomas giving it an almost positive rating, writing “The production is huge but the energy is spontaneous, sounding like it was as fun to make as it is to listen to. 71 years old at the time Ordinary Man was released, Osbourne's voice is in great shape, sounding more or less like he always has. How he's making music this strong after riding the crazy train for more than half-a-century is anyone's guess, but the better songs here rank among his best.”, and Josh Gray of Clash magazine saying that “Ordinary Man is far from perfect, but all Ozzy Osbourne's solo releases tend to reflect their creator's flaws to one degree or another. It does, however, absolutely succeed on its own terms, serving its purpose by reminding the world just what we'll miss when this titan among titans finally departs us for good.”

Basic Description
Ozzy’s supposed final goodbye.

Now, we all know that Ordinary Man wasn’t a goodbye mostly due to Patient Number 9 in 2022, but at the time in early 2020 it felt it. Similarly to Rammstein’s retrun in 2019, the whole mood surrounding the record came across like the end of something incredible. That’s not to say that it’s a perfect experience, cause there are issues for sure. However, what we get outside of those faults is one of the most emotional releases that Ozzy has ever put onto a CD. As old as he was at the time & with the health issues he was facing, he none the less managed to get onto his feet, and delivered a pretty introspective album. I’ll be repeating this at the end of the review, but if he was to have ended his time in the spotlight with Ordinary Man, it would have been a nice way to go. Flawed, but nice.

Best Track
Like I said in my original review & in part 3 of my overview, it is so hard to not like the title track. On an album that’s seemingly introspective, this song is the most in that regard. Opting for a slow pace, Ozzy is singing like an old crooner that’s at the end of career, looking back at how expansive it was, and not wanting to go away like an average joe. The instrumentation is equally soulful, with Slash on the guitar, Duff McKagan on bass, and Chad Smith on drums pouring their hearts out. Perhaps the most important guest on the song is Sir Elton John, who provides some beautiful piano playing & singing himself, and even feels like he’s just as much of a part of the song as Ozzy himself. It’s really hard to not get misty-eyed when you listen to this, as it really feels like he could go away at any point. Never.....skip.....this.....song.

Ordinary Man

Over on the energetic side of things, It’s A Raid is one of the funniest songs I’ve ever heard! Based on a highly humorous story of his time in Black Sabbath, the track is incredibly fast and energetic, with the instrumentation and vocal work matching the pace. Post Malone manages to get in some singing as well, and he actually sounds pretty good when you can hear him. It’s genuinely hard to not laugh when you know the story, and even if you don’t know it, you’ll get a really big smile when you listen to this from beginning to end. There was no other way to conclude Ordinary Man than with this track.

It’s A Raid *

Worst Track
Like I said in my original review & part 3 of my overview, there were no bad songs per se, but a bunch of issues that definitely weighed the album down. Ozzy had issues with his voice, and thus a bunch of auto-tune was put in. There was also the 54 additional musicians brought onto the record, which was way too many, but Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slash from Guns & Roses, Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine, and rapper Post Malone were perhaps the best and didn’t feel like they were taking up space (Post Malone especially). Finally, you had up to 26 people working on the engineering, mixing, production, and recording, which is way too many individuals if you ask me. All of this ultimately felt like too many cooks at the soup pot.....even if the end result was still tasty to a degree.

That being said, Darkside Blues is the lone bad track. Available only on the Japanese edition of the album, it’s a minute & 47 second long, but it’s oddly forgettable. It’s basically Ozzy & the crew trying way too hard to sound like an old-school blues song, complete with effects that try so hard to sound dated. Another version would appear on Patient Number 9, and while I still don’t think it’s a great song there, it’s faaaaar better on that record than on this one.

Darkside Blues (Ordinary Man Version)

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

Ordinary Man

Overall Impression & Rating
Ordinary Man was far better than what many of it’s critics said at the time. Yes, it’s got some problems. Major problems in some cases. However, if you are able to get past it faults, you will find one of the best Ozzy Osbourne albums that has ever been released. Though the record to come after would be improved to an extent, there’s just something about the raw emotion on this release that grabs you a little faster. I can understand why some wouldn’t like Ordinary Man, but it’s managed to gain a big following of fans.....myself included.

Ordinary Man gets an 8 out of 10.

And that was my revised review on Ozzy’s first release of this decade. Faulty for sure, but there’s a lovely diamond underneath that’s worth seeking out. If Ozzy would have ended his career on this record (As many thought was going to happen), then it wouldn’t have been a bad way to go. So, join me at the end of the month for a look at my other 2nd honorable mention of 2020.....and the musician in question is one that I’m surprised took me this long to finally look at here. See you soon!


***
If you’d like to read my original review of this album, click on the link below:

Album Review: Ozzy Osbourne’s Ordinary Man


*
The story in question, taken from a comment on Youtube:

“The song is based on the time when Ozzy was in Black Sabbath, and he wanted to turn the A/C down. But, he got the thermostat confused with the emergency police call button. So, when everybody saw the incoming squad cars, they thought it was because of the massive amounts of cocaine and marijuana that they had. So, Ozzy was hiding in a bathroom with a toilet backed up from pot, and trying to snort a buttload of Coke with one of his roadies when the maid answered the door, and he heard a cop say "Yeah, there's this button next to the air conditioning that you can use to call us in the case of an emergency. You'd be surprised how often this shit happens. Have a nice day." So, Ozzy turned to his roadie and said, "Y'know, we really need to teach Bill how to use the fucking air conditioning."”

MTG Set Review: Ikoria (Lair Of Behemoths)

Halfway through 2025 fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

Halfway through what is so far the worst year of this decade. Maybe even more so than the plague ridden hellscape that was 2020, this year so far has been nothing short of protracted misery for us here in the United States, and in so many other places in the world it seems. But, I will continue to do the best to avoid that negativity, and so the look back at 2020 will continue. My other musical honorable mentions of 2020 will continue later this June, but beforehand I’ve got another look at the Magic The Gathering landscape of that year. This time around, we travel to a brand new plane! One in which nature explodes so many forms of life, and the forces of humanity do the best they can to live their lives & defend themselves from whatever creature assaults the town! So, get on your most protective armor, sharpen up your sword, and take a look at my review for Ikoria: Lair Of Behemoths. Let’s begin!

Story & Setting
Taken from the fandom wiki: 

“The setting is Ikoria, a plane of beasts and monsters. As the world of Ikoria developed, humans quickly realized what types of defenses were needed to stave off monsters. The humans were quick to become both militaristic and ingenious. Unfortunately for the humans, the monsters of Ikoria have begun to mutate and the fortresses that were previously successful at protecting humans have now become fodder for the monsters to annihilate.”

Now, despite the incredibly short blurb I put up above, I will say that the story for Ikoria was one of the better ones in 2020. While Theros Beyond Death felt rushed with it’s lore, here it is far more fleshed out in a lot of ways, and there’s more time given to creating more believable characters & the “Civilization vs Monsters” theme of what the plane is going for. So much so, that a few of them were still around during the Phyrexian Invasion, and after in some cases.

Art
Art is different this time around for Ikoria. Whereas Theros’s visuals were heavily inspired by Greco-Roman mythology, Ikoria is of two worlds. Among the forces of humanity, everything (Outside of the Bonders & the more rough towns) is organized, clean, and most of the people look like they’re ready to defend themselves whenever their home is threatened. When it comes to the wilds of Ikoria, things are very different. Outside of the various human settlements, nature is practically wild & untamed. The landscapes come in a variety of locales, and each one is brimming with details, with the wildlife being especially on top in that regard. All of the various beasts & creatures come in so many different shapes and forms, with the ones with Mutate having the most extreme forms of them all. It really feels like Yin-Yang on Ikoria because of that artistic duality, and that made for some of the best MTG art of 2020.....though not the best.

Mechanics
Ikoria had an interesting set of mechanics upon it’s release, and still kinda does to this day. We had the return of Cycling, which was pretty surprising since we had it come back in 2017 (And waaaay back during Shards Of Alara) with a lot more support, and the same is true here. For those few who don’t know, Cycling is paying a small mana cost to draw a card, or search for a land or creature in some circumstances. It’s not deep by any means, but if you need to draw a card for something, it works great in a pinch.

What really stood out in Ikoria mechanically was Mutate, and the quasi-partners known as the Companions. Mutate reflected the incredibly unique & bizarre nature of the plane’s wildlife: if you target a non-human creature with a creature that has the mechanic, one of two things will happen. If you put the creature with Mutate on top of the target, then the creature will become that creature & gain it’s ability. If it’s mutated underneath that creature, then that creature will get a boost to it’s power & toughness equal to the creature that was put under it. Flavorwise it absolutely fits Ikoria’s world, and gameplay wise it led to some interesting stuff.....both good & bad.

You also had the Companions, and that’s where things get intriguing. Like I said above, they’re basically quasi-partners for your deck, but with a twist. For starters, you had your companion in it’s own zone, and it came into play when you payed it’s mana cost (Don’t think it went back to that zone when it died). Each & every single one had it’s own weird quirk to it that kinda had EDH shape any potential deck they were making around it. If you just put it in the deck like a normal card, then it’s fine, but if used EXCLUSIVELY in it’s companion role, then you must abide by the rules it has. Some are easy to work with, others are a little more frustrating, and a few more than that are irritating to follow......except for the example I used, which is adorable. 

Finally, Ikoria marked the first time that keywords could be given to creatures as counters. It’s happened on & off since then, but it was in this set that it came from, and it’s exactly as it sounds. Various cards from various card types can give out Lifelink counters, Trample counters, Fear counters, and so on. It really added to the gimmick of the whole “Make Your Own Kaiju” thing the creators were going for, and much like the various other kinds of counters, they don’t go away unless an effects says so.

Negative Aspects
Unfortunately for Ikoria, there are some issues that did hamper it’s success. First, and perhaps a more minor fault, would be the complete lack of other fantasy races. Outside of the various creatures & other beasts that the plane generates, the only other significant group on Ikoria are the humans. It’s weird just to see humanity, as while the various groups are all interesting in their own right, it does make for a somewhat plain setting. I don’t know if anyone else had issues with this back in 2020, and while I didn’t at the time, in the years since it has bugged me....but only mildly.

Next fault, and this was a bigger issue, were the companions. Conceptually, they were a cool idea, but in practice they has faults. Like I said above, the older version of the companions limited how a EDH deck could be made, and while this did present an interesting challenge, more often than not it was a pain to plan around. Some companions were easier to work with most definitely, but others were just frustrating. One companion in particular was so infamously (and unintentionally) overpowered, that it was banned before the set came out! You know the one.....

Finally, there was Mutate. Kinda like the companions it was a neat idea in theory, but ended up frustrating a lot of players. Also like I said above, Mutate on top of the creature you’re targeting and it gains the abilities of said creature it was put on top of, but if you mutated it underneath the creature it would gain a boost to it’s power & toughness equal to what was put under it. Simplistic, but it made a lot of gamers back then scratch their heads, and because of that I don’t think we’ll be seeing the mechanic make a comeback anytime during the rest of this decade. 

And though I don’t think it was a problem 5 years ago, I should make a quick mention of the pre-built decks. For the first time in MTG’s history, the commander decks released that year were tied to a specific setting, and that proved to have a lasting impact on the product. All of the pre-built decks since then have been tied to a plane to show off more of what that area of Magic’s universe is like. It will be interesting to see how Edge Of Eternities will be like come this late July, as that set takes place in Outer Space, but regardless the pre-builts are now just as much the face of the set as the main set itself.

Overall Impression & Rating
Ikoria was the oddball set in 2020 in my view. Make no mistake: it was absolutely fun to collect & play with, and the plane itself was cool and quirky! But the frustrations with Mutate & the Companions, not to mention the complete lack of fantasy races, makes this one a bit lower on totem pole that what came out at the start of this decade, but it was still a neat experience to feel. Definitely pick up a pack or two if you can. 

Ikoria gets a out 7.5 of 10.

And that was my look at Ikoria. Maybe not as good as Theros Beyond Death, but it still managed to provide something special to the MTG landscape back in 2020. It can still be found in various hobby stores, so grab it before it’s gone for good! So with that, we now move onto the other musical honorable mentions of 2020, and join me around the middle of the month for a revised look at Ozzy’s return after nearly 10 years. See you then.

Album Review: Moonspell's Memorial

Part 1 of my 2020 honorable mentions ends today fellow Otaku & Metalheads. 

I’m so surprised that 2025 is going by so fast. Despite how exceedingly dogshit things are in my home country, I’m experiencing an odd sense of relief that the year is moving on by. However, we’re not talking about right now! We’re talking about what my tunes in 2020 were, and did Moonspell deliver back then. Sin/Pecado was a nice return to the late 90s, but now we come to the mid 2000s. Once the era of Grunge has ended, Heavy Metal came roaring back into the popular consciousness, with both old-school acts and new-school bands playing on the airways once again here in America & in the rest of the world. Moonspell had already rocked throughout the decade by the time it hit 2006, but the results beforehand were mixed (Depending on who you asked). When it came to 06, things seemed to solidify for the band, and what they put out that year was quite nice indeed. So sit back, relax, and enjoy my review for the 2020 re-release of Memorial. Let’s begin!

Background
Taken from part 2 of my Overview on the band. *

“As the 2000s went on, Moonspell seemed to be going further & further away from the experimenting of the late 90s & early 2000s, and decided to return to their Gothic roots as a way to anchor themselves so as not to stray anywhere. Boy was I surprised when I decided to give Memorial a go! Released on April the 24th, 2006, Memorial finds the back once again back in the experimental seat. Not only were they experimenting a little bit with Industrial, Orchestral parts & even some Operating vocal work can be found on this album. It was perhaps this experimentation that managed to get the album Gold On January 16, 2007, by the Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa for selling 10,000 copies in their native Portugal. I’m happy for the band, and I have to admit I’m kind of fond of how & what they experimented on this album.....despite my issues.”

* My description in this review is somewhat different than how I first described it back in October of 2018.....again.

Basic Description
Goth Metal, nice and clean.

Memorial is Sin/Pecado’s opposite. Not in terms of quality, as both records are top notch when it comes to their songs! What separates them is their refinement: Sin/Pecado has that 90's roughness to it, while Memorial is more clean when it comes to the recording & production. That’s not necessarily a bad thing for anyone who likes their music more on the polished side, but there are times where things do come across as too clean. Even with that factored in, the record is still filled from top to bottom with some of Moonspell’s best music of the 2000s. The band was willing to try new things once again to diversify themselves once again, and the end results.....speak for themselves.

Best Track
Also like when I was talking about this album the first time back in 2018, but Upon The Blood Of Men was just too catchy to not put upon a pedestal. An absolutely thunderous track, the instrumentation hits hard & never lets up, but it doesn’t feel like the train is gonna ride off the tracks. Fernando Ribeiro vocal work is particularly vicious here, as at no point does he ever singly quietly, opting to bellow and furiously growl throughout the whole thing. Do not skip this song!

Upon The Blood Of Men

Worst Track
Really the only fault in this remaster’s armor, and then only in my case, is that I can’t tell that it has been remastered. Kinda like Devin Townsend’s remaster of Infinity back in 2023, you have to listen really carefully in order to hear any kind of different between the 2020 version, and the original released back in 2006. Because of that, it almost feels pointless that Memorial got a re-release/remaster, as while older content getting a second outing is welcome, if nothing new is around then there was no point.

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

Memorial

Overall Impression & Rating
Memorial hits like a Gothic tractor trailer, and leaves a nice smear all over your eardrums. While it’s incredibly difficult to tell if it’s actually been remastered or not, and there’s moments where the music might have been too over-produced, it’s still a badass record that you just gotta try. Memorial also has the distinction, at least in my opinion, or being a piece of proof that Gothic Metal still had what it takes to stand on it’s own two feet in the 2000s, alongside titans like Type-O Negative and Paradise Lost. You definitely don’t want to miss this one! 

Memorial gets an 8.5 out of 10.

So that was my look at Memorial. More modern than Sin/Pecado was, and maybe a touch too clean, but it still shows that the band was willing to try anything to keep themselves out there. Original 2006 release or the 2020 re-release, the album is definitely something to consider when snagging some new tunes. So with that, tomorrow is the first of June. I have my other musical honorable mentions of 2020 to talk about, but before that I’ve got another look at one of Magic’s big releases from then. See you all tomorrow!

Album Review: Moonspell's Sin/Pecado

The Honorable Mentions of 2020 are here fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

Okay, the first half of them are. We’re taking a look at the other two next month, but for now we got some Moonspell to cover for May. I’ve spoken pretty highly of Portugal’s biggest ever since I started covering them all the way back in 2017 (Read Here), and I’ve been listening to them since 2013. Today’s review was one that technically didn’t come out in 2020, but re-released in late 2019. The 13th of December, to be exact. Because of such a late release, it seemed appropriate to grandfather it into the most plague-ridden year of recent memory, and I’m glad I did in hindsight. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy my review for Moonspell’s 1998 classic, Sin/Pecado. Let’s begin.

Background
Taken from Part 1 of my overview on the band. *

“Despite the success of Irreligious, there was trouble on the horizon for Moonspell. Due to lawsuits, original bassist Ares left, and was subsequently replaced by Sérgio Crestana. Once he was fitted into the band, it was time to crank out their 3rd album, and in 1997 the band did their work in Woodhouse Studio, located in Hagen, Germany. Then, on the 3rd of February, 1998, Sin/Pecado was released. Translated as Without/Sin (Pecado is the Portugese word for “Sin”), the album was something of a departure from their previous 2 releases, as Moonspell went for a more experimental route. There was little in the way of their Black & Death Metal roots, as their Gothic aspect was heightened, and the usage of keyboards brought in something of a Electronic/Industrial component. The end result almost comes across like a precursor to Kreator’s Endorama, which would be released a year later. Personally, I like what the band has done here: while some of their early stylings is gone, the new pieces added create something radically different from what first came out. This would actually hurt the band in the next year....but I’ll get to that in a bit.”

*: My description in this review is somewhat different than how I first described it back in October of 2018.

Basic Description
90s Goth Goodness.

Goth music might have had it’s roots in the 80s, but it was in the 1990s where the flowers bloomed. Type-O Negative’s heyday was from that time, and Paradise Lost showed off some of their best work from that time as well, and Moonspell is no exception either. They already showed off what they could do with Wolfheart in 1995, and proved that they were willing to improve & diversify their music with Irreligious. Sin/Pecado, obviously, is an advancement of the previously mentioned record: there are similar vibes for sure, but the band try a few new things here so the album doesn’t completely sound like their prior work. There’s the Extreme Metal and the Goth & Progressive rock elements they’re known for, but they also experimented with stuff like Electronica, Industrial, and even Folk if you can believe it. Metal Archives reviewer Lukretion describes Sin/Pecado as an album that has a “unmistakable Mediterranean warmth in the sound”. He goes on to say that “It is one of those fully immersive records that take you by the hand and transport you in a completely different universe where you can lose yourself for a while, marveling at the strange sonic creatures you encounter along the way”, and I completely agree. There’s just some kind of exotic warmth all over this release, and it somehow stays with you for a while after you’re done listening to the record.....which is always a plus if you ask me.

Best Track
I stated this when I did part one of my overview of the band all the way back in October of 2018, but Second Skin was just a perfect track. It had the right pacing, the right instrumentation, the right atmosphere, incredible vocal work from Fernando Ribeiro, and thanks to the touches to the recording, it sounds better & even newer somehow. Even if the music wasn’t touched up on for this re-issue, it’s still a powerful and sensual song that just hits all the right notes from beginning to end, and doesn’t let up at any point.

Second Skin

Worst Track
Really, the only fault in Sin/Pecado’s name would be the dated 90's vibes. Now, I’m a huge sucker for stuff like that, regardless of whether or not the album in question has been remastered or not. This is a fault that’s only going to make people who aren’t exactly a fan of 90s metal react, and in which case why would you have listened to this album.....or read this review for that matter.

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

Sin/Pecado

Overall Impression & Rating
Sin/Pecado was just fantastic back in the day, and is still great now. The band were still comfortable in their gothic wheelhouse that they established in 1995, but they weren’t afraid to experiment with new things in an effort to grow & diversify their music. While the 90s vibes are off-putting to only a handful of people, the nostalgia vibes of that era come in hard for those that love it. If you missed the album back in the day, or you just want a nice slice of late 90s Gothic cheese, Sin/Pecado will be quite the tasty slice.

Sin/Pecado gets a 9 out of 10.

So that was my review for Sin/Pecado. A wonderful advancement from their previous 2 releases, it showed that Moonspell was comfortable in trying new things while staying their path. With it’s re-release from 2019 (That I grandfathered into 2020), a new generation of fans that might have missed it back in 1998 get to experience it for the first time. So, join me at the end of May for the other release of Moonspell that came out in 2020. Until then, take care!

Game Review: Doom 64

Happy beginning of May fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I don’t know how we’re all still here in my home country. The political landscape keeps getting worse, our living conditions keep getting worse, and who knows what will happen to us in the future. However, I don’t want to think about it too much, so let’s skip all of that & take a look at something that’s more fun. Back in March, I reviewed the beast that was Doom: Eternal. An absolute modern classic when it comes to slaying the forces of Hell, it set the table for what is sure to be a smash success with Doom: The Dark Ages in a few weeks. However, there wasn’t just one game at the no. 1 spot back in 2020 for me. A surprise from the Nintendo 64's past came back officially for the first time ever, remastered & given some new blood thanks to additional content made just for the occasion. It was such an experience for me, that it had to be at no. 1 standing beside the giant of 2020. So, dust off your old armor from Mars, load up your shotgun, and get ready for my review of Doom 64. Let’s begin!

Story
Like the games before it, Doom 64 does not have the deepest story, but what little we do have is interesting. Following the events of Doom, Doom 2, and Final Doom, a policy was established by the U.A.C. to quarantine the research installations with apocalyptic levels of radiation. As the years go by, the installations were completely abandoned & silent, but one day a satellite that was long forgotten and subjected to the radiation managed to send a message back to Earth. Within the message, it was indicated that an entity, with vast rejuvenation powers and masked by the extreme radiation, escaped being detected in its crippled state. The entity systematically began altering decaying dead carnage back into corrupted living tissue, resurrecting all the demons that were killed before. As the only survivor of what would be called the Doom episodes, the Marine was sent back in alone to exterminate the demons & the entity. He later realizes that the demons planned this, after he unknowingly allowed himself to be lured back into Hell. With the aid of the Unmaker, he fights the hordes of demons, and eventually encounters the entity that would eventually be known as the Mother Demon. Upon slaying the Mother Demon, the Marine decides to stay in hell forever to make sure that no demon uprising ever happens again, on account of him not being able to have a normal life anymore.

Things get even more intriguing when it comes to the Lost Levels from the 2020 remaster. It turns out that the Mother Demon had a sister, known as the Resurrector. The Resurrector banishes the Marine back to a UAC base (Whether it was part of one he went to already or not, it’s never said), and this banishment forces him to fight his way back to Hell to stop the Demons. These levels branch the storyline between the original titles, and with Doom in 2016 & Eternal. Maybe it’s a little forced, but it still works out in the end.

Setting
Kinda like the original Doom, we’ve got a mix of human military bases & facilities, but a majority of the time we’re in hell. Due to the graphics (More on that later), each & ever level is dripping in atmosphere. So much atmosphere, in fact, that it almost feels like going through Quake more than a Doom game. Everything is soaked in an otherworldly dread: the Mars locales don’t feel completely within the realm of reality, while the various Hell locales are at the crossroads of Gothic & Lovecraftian (Doom 3 had a similar vibe, btw). This was never fully achieved in the Doom games prior to this, but Doom 64 manages to easily!

Characters
Unlike Doom 2016, Doom: Eternal, and the incoming Doom: The Dark Ages around the middle of this month, Doom 64 is more along the lines of the Doom Marine than the Slayer. Save for what we know from the minimum story, there’s nothing to the Doom Marine when it comes to his character & personality, but that’s okay. Back in the day, FPS games were more about the gameplay than the storytelling, and that’s no different here.

Gameplay
For the most part, Doom 64 is exactly the same as Final Doom & the Doom games before it. Run & gun, find keys and secrets, solve simple puzzles, etc. What makes things somewhat different are a few things. Pacing is a big change: while charging into a room of enemies is still valid, the Quake vibes due to it’s setting implies a small level of caution. Again, sometimes charging in works, but now it pays to be somewhat cautious & look around before guns go blazing. This also applies to enemies, as while the roster isn’t as big as that of Doom 2 (Believe the reduction was due to cartridge size), the ones that have stayed have been changed in small ways. Lost Souls, for example, have less health but are more aggressive, while Cyberdemons actually leader their target somewhat. The lone new demon that was added was the Nightmare Imp, which is similar to the Specter version of the Pinky Demon, but throws a purple fireball that travels faster than a standard imp projectile. Finally, the way that some of the weapons function changes combat slightly. The Rocket launcher slightly pushes the player back, and the projectile from the BFG explodes in more of a cone-shape pattern. We get a new weapon in the form of the Unmaker, and it’s a bit interesting. A laser weapon, when you first get it the damage isn’t much, but if you find the 3 secret levels, it does increase in power to the point where it’s a bit over the top, and it can hit multiple targets. There’s another reason that the secret levels are important, but I don’t want to spoil it in case any of you are new to the game, and are reading this.

Graphics & Sound
It may surprise first time players, but Doom 64's graphics are that of the original Doom! Highly advanced most definitely, but it’s still the original graphics engine underneath. There’s more colorful lighting, more detailed textures, enemies have newer models with extra details, and is capable of doing some interesting tricks thanks to some special coding, but it’s the exact same engine you first saw all the way back in 1993. If there is one issue with the graphics, and even then I think it was only on the Nintendo 64, it would be that the lighting at times was a bit too dark in places. It’s only mildly around on the PC Port, and thanks to the remastering, it’s more of a nuisance than anything.

Sound has changed quite a bit when compared to the prior Doom games. Instead of a metallic-like soundtrack, the music in 64 is more ambient & atmospheric, which just lends to the Quake vibes all the more. The monsters also have changed when it comes to the noises they make, and while some still sound demonic, others are more bestial & feral. It makes the overall experience familiar, yet somewhat different at the same time. Finally, some levels have great background noise, as sometimes you can hear thunder or some other creepy sound throughout your exploration. Definitely a nice cherry on the sundae!

Overall & Rating
Doom 64 didn’t deserve to be placed in the “Cult” status back in the day. True, being called it’s final name instead of what it originally was didn’t help matters (Doom: The Absolution), but even if that wasn’t the case it’s still a crime. Maybe not as graphically advanced as other titles, it still manages to pull some tricks out of it’s hat in many ways, and the end result is a Doom experience that’s unique yet familiar. If you didn’t play this obscure masterpiece back in 1997, then get yourself the remaster, and see what it’s fans are talking about.

Doom 64 gets a 10 out of 10. The Lost Levels get a 9 out of 10, but that’s due to the shorter length than anything else.

And that was my review for Doom 64. Obscured by it’s name & the powerhouse of other games from around that time, it still manages to be an action packed experience that’s still nice nearly 30 years later. Whether you’re new to the FPS genre, or a veteran that’s looking for something special, Doom 64 is for you! So, join me for the rest of the month, when we’ll revisit one of my favorite musical exports of Portugal. See you around the middle of the month!



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If you’d like to see a walkthrough of the main game & the Lost Levels, then click on the links below:

DOOM 64 - Gameplay Walkthrough FULL GAME (Remastered)

Doom 64 Lost Levels (PS4) Full Playthrough