Metal Overview - Carnivore/A Pale Horse Named Death

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

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

Carnivore (1985)

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

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

Carnivore

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

Legion of Doom

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

Retaliation (1987)

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

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

Technophobia

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

Jack Daniels & Pizza

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

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

And Hell Will Follow Me (2011)

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

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

To Die In Your Arms

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

Lay My Soul To Waste (2013)

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

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

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

Day Of The Storm

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

When The World Becomes Undone (2019) **

Taken from my album review: 

“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.””

Best Track? Like I said in my 2020 review of the album, Love The Ones You Love To Hate was the right choice of single to show off the record. Reminiscent of something you’d listen to off of Slow Deep & Hard, it’s got pacing and vibes that are similar to songs from that release. Coupled with nice instrumentation & vocal work, and you’ve got a great song to help open things up. 

Love The Ones You Love To Hate

Worst Track? Also like I said in my review, the only real fault lies with the Grunge experimentation that can be felt in certain parts of the album. It was a rush of judgement on my part thanks to the comments at the time, yet there is some of that style on here if you know what to listen form. Other than that, can’t really think of anything else negative to say.

When The World Becomes Undone. Maybe a step backwards for some, but at the same time it just works somehow. Certainly not as highly recommended as their prior 2 releases, but it’s definitely a curiosity for anyone that wants to try it out.

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


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

Metal Overview: Type-O Negative

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Updated on 7/22/2026, 9:43 PM (Eastern Standard Time)

Wrestlemania 32 Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Raw gets a 8 out of 10

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


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

Wrestlemania 31 Review

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

In Memoram: Brussels

It seems the world can't escape tragedy, fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

Earlier today, Brussels was the target of a terrorist attack. An explosion at the departure hall of the Brussels Airport, along with another explosion at the Maelbeek subway station an our later, has left 31 people dead, and over 100 with injuries. One of these explosions is known to be the work of a suicide bomber, but at this point it is undetermined whether or not these were the work of ISIS. It is also undetermined whether or not this attack was related to the arrest of Salah Abdeslam, the sole survivor of the Paris attacks from late last year.

On the one hand, this truly is tragic. No-one should ever have to be the victims of such a cowardly assault. On the other hand, fewer people have died in this sneak attack, so the lesser amount of lives lost is a bittersweet blessing in disguise.

At this moment in time, Brussels is on lockdown. The metro is closed down & flights to & from the city are canceled. The European Union complex, which wasn't far from the 2nd explosion, has had it's security increased. Only workers & employees with a badge can get in or out. The prime minister of Belgium has told civilians to “avoid all movement”, as authorities are getting ready for any potential violence.

If you could spare a minute or two, send a prayer to the people of Brussels. Send one for those that departed, one for those that are wounded, and one for those that are still alive. If any of you have family in the city, be sure to give them a call and see if they're okay.

Also, here's some news articles from the internet about what's going on. If you have time, read these, as I may have missed a thing or two when typing this up.

BBC: Brussels Attack

The Guardian: Brussels Attack

NY Times: Brussels Attack

I'll post updates here when they come out over the day. Suffice it to say, I'm not looking forward necessarily to doing so, but I feel it's right. In the meantime, to soothe our hearts & minds, here's a pug in a leprechaun costume.

Doug the Pug: Leprechaun

My Top 10 Anime: New-School Edition

Hi fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

A little over a year ago, I put up a list for my top 10 old-school anime. Those are the older series that I hold close to me heart, and practically nothing has changed since then. That’s the appeal of old anime: the moment you watch even a single episode of a shows from the 90s & before, it will stick with you until the day you die! Today isn’t about old-school anime. This list is devoted to new anime. The anime of now (2000 & onward) so to speak. A period that is far more random & chaotic, with styles & tastes going all over the place. So lets not waste anymore time, and show you all my top 10 favorite new-school anime. Enjoy!

10) Bible Black Franchise (Clip)

If La Blue Girl was a infamous 90s hentai franchise, then the Bible Black franchise dominated the 2000s.

On one hand, it’s got some things that I like. The women look great, the animation is fine (Although I think a couple more years down the road, this might get dethroned by something better. Probably has already, but I haven’t noticed), the sex is intense, the characters can be interesting, and overall has a good story behind it. However, I didn’t like it as much as La Blue Girl, and I don’t think I will ever like it as equally as the previously mention series.

For starters, Bible Black has some of the most horrendously iconic voice acting. If you ever heard even a pinch of it, you’ll know that it is some of the most laughable dubbing for a hentai that’s ever been recorded (Although La Blue Girl is a pretty close second place). Secondly, some of the sexual content is a bit on the graphic side. If you’re not a fan of futanari, you’ll be annoyed by how much of it you’ll see. At some point a girl is inflated with water, and the main villainess (At the time, anyway) proceeds to make out of her while her victim is holding the water in (Don’t worry: you don’t see shit when the water comes out...for the most part). There’s even a point where there’s a virgin sacrifice, and there’s a lot of blood as a result of said sacrifice (If you’re squeamish about that kind of stuff.....walk away!!!).

With that being said, I can’t deny the allure of Bible Black. It doesn’t pull any punches with it’s story, sex, or it’s rather bleak nature. If you want a more serious hentai series to get your jollies off, then you can’t go wrong with Bible Black.

9) Rosario + Vampire (Clip)

In hindsight, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to put this show on here. After reading the manga, I found the show to be incredibly disappointing. Whereas the manga is surprisingly smart & has depth and emotion, the anime is basically a devolution edition, focusing mainly on the love-comedy and fan service, & throwing out a lot of what made the manga great. With that said, there is one reason alone why this is show is on this list.

It was 2007. During the fall semester of my time at college, I was still having trouble making friends, but I managed to get a couple at this point. One day, I was eating lunch in the downstairs hangout area, I noticed a girl sitting in a chair, watching a particularly fan-service anime scene. When me and my buddy Will came up to her and asked her what she was watching, she simply/shyly said “Rosario + Vampire?” I’ve been friends with her ever since. 

8) Love Hina (Clip)

The sheer amount of blind, seething, juvenile hatred towards this show is absolutely staggering. My stance on Love Hina is this: it’s flawed. Not massively flawed, but flawed enough that it’s noticeable.

Now, I’ve watched the anime, and I’ve read the manga. The anime is good. It’s really good in fact! I can’t deny, however, that it’s got problems. For one, it doesn’t exactly follow the manga (I don’t have as much beef with this as others might), and the characters aren’t quite as likable as they were in the comic (A complaint I can agree with slightly). Secondly, the voice acting isn’t exactly perfect. Most of the characters sound alright, but there are at least 2 of them (*cough* Kitsune & Su *Cough*) that have garnered some hate because of how they sound. There are also a host of other things that people have nitpicked about this show, real or imagined, but I’m not gonna put them all here.

There are things I do like about this show. The animation still manages to hold up, the characters are likable, the voice acting has withstood time (Apart from the obvious), and it’s honestly just a simple & fun show. Nuff said.

7) Strike Witches (Clip)

If I ever do a “Top 5 Anime I’m Ashamed of Owning” post, this is sure as hell getting on there. For starters, all of the girls aren’t wearing pants. Secondly, most of the girls are a little underage (The youngest is 12, while the oldest two are 20). Third & finally, the fanservice sometimes can be a tiny bit creepy. There’s been some moments in both seasons where something dirty happens, and I’ve honestly squirmed in my seat a little. If there was any one positive thing I could say about this, it would be that it’s imaginary girls getting sexually glorified instead of real girls. Yeah that maybe sounds just as sick as the fanservice I just mentioned, but it’s the lesser of two evils.

Despite this, Strike Witches is an interesting show. The alternate WW2 setting is something that got my interest immediately. Secondly, the mix of real-world technology with magic is an intriguing concept, and lends itself to the story quite heavily. The animation is great, with each of the girls looking different from one another, in terms of both physical appearance & thought (Other shows in the past have had problems in this regard). The voice acting, while a little irritating at times, is good enough that your ears won’t be bleeding. If you don’t mind some questionable moments, then you’ll have a friend in Strike Witches. Still winning the war against pants!

6) Ground Defense Force! Mao-Chan (Clip)

If you hated Love Hina, you will absolutely loathe this series!

Let me just say this: Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan is cute. Undeniably, sickening sweet cute. This show has the kind of cute that would give you diabetes in an instant, and you’ll have to take insulin every single day to fight off said diabetes. Hell, even the “villains” of the show are basically giant cute animals & goofy looking aliens! With that said, I like the cuteness. The way I look at it, you need cute shows to balance out the serious shows, and this definitely belongs in the cute category.

The animation quality is once again typical Ken Akamatsu. It’s bright, colorful, and the characters look nice. The story is sweet & simple but a little emotional, and the voice acting fits the show. Ground Defense Force! Mao-chan is a good example of a fun, fluff series, and one you should watch at least one.

5) Tenchi Muyo GXP (Clip) & Tenchi Muyo Ryo-Ohki (Clip)

The sheer irony of this spot on the list is that I watched the both of these series before I ever laid eyes on the original OVA series. True, I did know a tiny bit about the OVA before I watched these two shows, but for the most part I knew nothing else about it. In the case of Tenchi Muyo Ryo-Ohki, it’s right after the events of the OVA, and there’s enough references to the original show that I wasn’t confused. As for GXP, it’s within it’s own world that I didn’t have to know anything about the OVA, but little bits & pieces show up from time to time to let you know that it’s the Tenchi world. Truth be told I find that it shows off the Tenchi world much more effectively than War on Geminar, but that’s for another day.

Both of these series are honestly good. If you want to see what the original gang is up to after the OVA, then Ryo-Ohki is your deal. If you want something that’s familiar yet different, then try out GXP. You won’t be disappointed either way.

4) Cat Planet Cuties (Clip)

This is by far one of the most recent shows on this list. Airing in Japan back in 2010, and coming to the United States in 2012, Cat Planet Cuties is one of the more interesting shows I’ve seen. Sure, there’s cute & sexy girls (Catgirls & otherwise), and a plethora of fanservice to boot. With that, this actually has things other than just fanservice & women.

There’s actually a bunch of stuff going on. You’ve got government & alien conspiracies, a story that actually has some depth despite the naughty moments, characters that have backgrounds (Not all of them, but enough to make the world interesting), and a fun & action-packed experience. Mixed with some nice voice acting & good animation quality, and you have a fun & quirky series. Bottom line: buy Cat Planet Cuties, watch it, and give it some loving pets!

3) Inuyasha (Clip)

Inuyasha & Love Hina should go on a date together. They should go on a date, and for the entire time, talk to each other about how often they get made fun of. Seriously, these two shows are some of the most targeted anime I’ve ever watched!

I can understand why Love Hina gets picked on, and I can also see why Inuyasha is made fun of. It went on for too long (Though it was finally completed with The Final Act), it wasn’t perfectly loyal to the manga, a fair amount of what was in the show was made exclusively for the TV series, and the characters could grate on people’s nerves. I can understand & agree with these complaints, but at the same time I’m a little more forgiving, and perhaps I’m a little impartial in this regard.

Back in 2005/2006, I was getting into anime more seriously than I did when I was in high school. I finally had the freedom to explore things that interested me, and Japanese cartoons were definitely high on the list. When I was with my girlfriend of the time, we went to the mall that was near where I live, and we were wandering around in the Best Buy that was there. I went to the “Anime” section of the store (BTW, the section now is laughable depending on which Best Buy in question you happen to be at), and spotted the second Inuyasha film. While the movie was a gateway, the series was the vehicle in which I traveled down the anime road I’ve been on.

I like the animation. I like the voice acting. I like the characters (Despite some of them that can grate on my nerves), and I even like the story, in all of it’s flawed glory. If you want something that’s just some nice action-packed fluff, you’ll like Inuyasha.

2) Comic Party Revolution (Clip)

When I was talking about Kekko Kamen in my top 10 old-school anime list, I talked about watching the trailer for the show. Well, there were a couple other trailers I saw, and the one for Comic Party Revolution was the second most memorable trailer. It’s goofy, laid-back nature caught my eye practically immediately. Adding to the irony of seeing the trailer for this

There’s been plenty of anime that explored Otaku culture. Some of them did a good job, but others were either too over the top, or didn’t have enough effort put into them. Comic Party Revolution strikes a perfect balance.

It has simplistic but nice animation, and the voice acting is equally simple & good, but it’s greatest strength is how it looks at Otaku culture. It treats the characters with a surprising amount of respect, it knows how to show the serious & silly sides of being a Otaku, and in the end it never takes itself seriously. There are plenty of Otaku culture focused shows, but if there was a definite series you had to watch, make it this one.

Before we get to my number 1 new-school anime, I wanted to give you some of my Honorable Mentions in this category. Shows that, while very enjoyable, just didn’t make the cut. Maybe it’s because of the story, or it’s voice acting, or whatever other reason comes to mind. With that said, here they are:

HM1) Bleach (Clip)
- I often find myself switching Bleach with Inuyasha, and Inuyasha with Bleach, on a constant basis. I’ve found that the two shows share a lot of issues with one another: fluff composes a fair part of both shows, stories can drag on from time to time, and characters can sometimes be grating at times. At the same time, Bleach & Inuyasha also have good points too: when the action kicks in it’s great, there are good stories once in a while, and characters can have their good moments. Both of this shows are very commercial, but if you can get past their faults, then you’ll find some easy shows to watch.

HM2) Monster Musume: Everyday Life With Monster Girls (Clip)
- I took a look at this series a few months back with my review of the show, and just a couple weeks ago with my 1st “Anime or Manga: Which is Better” article. I still mean it when I say that Monster Musume the anime was treat to watch. Maybe a little more flash in the pan than the manga, but it’s still very entertaining. A simple & lighthearted story, humorous & fan-servicey, and filled with nice characters you won’t forget. If you want your harem anime a little different than most, Monster Musume: Everyday Life With Monster Girls is for you!

HM3) HaNaYaMaTa (Clip)
- Iiiiii didn’t want to put this show in the honorable mentions sections. I really didn’t. If you recall back to the early days of this blog, I flat-out gushed about this series. In fact, I gave it a 9.5 out of 10! Practically everything in the show works. Story was great, characters were cute yet flavorful, and the overall mood was a nice mix between silly & emotional. The only reason HaNaYaMaTa got put here is because of a lack of dubbing. A silly reason, perhaps even childish, but it’s the one thing that holds this series back from getting onto the main list.

1) XXXHolic (Clip) & Chobits (Clip)

If there’s any flaw that can be had with XXXHolic, it’s that I don’t find it to be a very accessible show. It’s very serious, and often dark & morbid nature, can really be a turnoff for some people. With that said, I really like what I saw. I found the animation style to be very artsy, and I normally don’t like artsy things. The voice acting really fits in with the show, as they sound like people you’d meet in the street. The characters were a treat to watch, as they were all pretty likable What I really like about XXXHolic is that it’s in it’s own universe. The original manga crossed over with Tsubasa frequently, and didn’t really feel like it was it’s own thing. In this show, it was pretty much on it’s own, although there were plenty of references to other shows. A nice mix of funny & serious, if I do say so myself.

As for Chobits, all I have to say is that the moment that I watched the first episode, I was immediately hooked. I’m not kidding!

I liked the nice but simplistic animation. I liked the story, and how it mixed serious & silly practically seamlessly. I liked the characters, as there was nobody (Except maybe the bad guys) that I didn’t like. I liked the intro song, and I’m not normally a fan of Japanese music. Hell, I even liked how they used the fan service, as it was never too over-the-top, but never too underwhelming either. To put it simply.....BUY THIS SHOW!!!

So this was my top 10 favorite new-school anime. I hope you liked what you saw, and maybe you’ll find something here you haven’t seen before. See all at the beginning of next month, when we’ll examine a two-headed metal overview. See you soon!



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If you’d like to take a look at my top 10 old-school anime, check out the link below:

My Top 10 Anime: Old-School Edition

Album Review (Obscurus Metalus) - Draconian's The Closed Eyes of Paradise

Hey there fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

I’ll be getting my schedule back to normal around April. Genericon definitely shook things up, but with the next convention coming up in July, I’ve got time to get things in their normal spot, as well as planning something special (Hint, Hint). To spice things up a little this month, I thought it was time to read from the tome of Obscurus Metalus once again. Last year I only read from this weird tome twice, covering an obscure release from an unknown band, and one from a very popular artist. This time around, I’m covering an odd release from a fairly popular band. So sit back, relax, and enjoy my look at Draconian’s 1999 demo, The Closed Eyes of Paradise. Let the review begin!

Background
If you thought my look at Substance For God's only release Assembly Of Flowers was an obscure release, let me tell you that information about The Closed Eyes of Paradise is practically non-existent. Apart from the band building this demo off of John Milton’s classic poem Paradise Lost, there is absolutely nothing out there I can find. Sorry if this part feels rather weak.

Basic Description
Goth & Doom mastery!

Draconian is a band that’s a little more varied than your typical Gothic Metal band. That’s certainly their focus, but they supplement things with the slow & sludgy aspects of Doom Metal, and some sprinkles of Death Metal to smooth it all out. The Closed Eyes of Paradise, however, is firmly within the realms of Goth & Doom metal. It’s moody, dark, and the production value (Despite it’s flaws) adds much to the atmosphere. This is definitely a rainy day kind of album: the clouds are grey, rain is gently pouring down, thunder is rumbling off in the distance, and a flash of thunder can be seen out of the corner of your eye.

Best Song
For me, The Closed Eyes of Paradise has 3 standout tracks (The Morningstar, Serenade of Sorrow, The Gothic Embrace). Curiously, Draconian would redo these songs on their compilation album, The Burning Halo, in 2006. I’m not particularly fond of those versions, as the higher production value seems to take something away from them. These versions, however, are downright fantastic! They’re moody, atmospheric, and darkly beautiful in ways people might not understand. A great trio of tunes!
               
The Morningstar

Serenade of Sorrow

The Gothic Embrace

Worst Song
Honestly, there’s nothing on The Closed Eyes of Paradise that can be considered bad. It’s only real flaw is the production. This is a demo, and as such the sound quality isn’t necessarily the greatest out there. Sound effects sound dated, instrumentation comes across as slightly muted, and the vocal work could use a little more polish. It’s a crying shame, since the dated quality somehow gives this release is flavor & atmosphere.

Other
If you’re liking the music on this album, then good luck finding this! Amazon doesn’t have it, none of the typical music stores, and even Ebay doesn’t have it. Considering it’s age, as well as it’s relative obscurity, it’s understandable why The Closed Eyes of Paradise is exceedingly difficult to locate. This is one of the few times in which downloading is the only way to acquire this release. However, every once in a while you can find it up on Youtube, so click on the link below!: 

The Closed Eyes Of Paradise

Overall Impression & Rating
The Closed Eyes of Paradise is a long lost relic. An album from one of the most chaotic times in music history. Draconian proved through this demo that they were a force to be reckoned with, and while a little hokey & dated, it still contains some great music. Find a link, download it, and enjoy!

The Closed Eyes of Paradise gets a 9 out of 10

So that was my first Obscurus Metals review of 2016. Hopefully, I’ll get more up this year when compared to 2015. See you all next week, when another top 10 list makes itself know. See you soon!

Convention Review: Genericon 2016

Hey fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Well, I got home from Genericon 2016 last night. I was tired (I’m still a little tired, truth be told), my belly was full of Sushi, and I had a damn good time! All of the people I knew were there, and I managed to come across some new folks as well. The con & it’s staff have always treated me well, and have provided me with a damn good experience! Well, let me not waste anymore time with this intro, and give all of you a review of Genericon 2016. Enjoy!

Good Points
I know I may repeat some things from last year’s review on this convention, but I can’t help myself!

First things first. The convention goers are always great! People from all over the city of Troy & the state of New York (Not to mention some outlying states as well) flock to RPI for a weekend of fun & friendship. There are normal folks, average cosplayers, and some of the best costume wearers you’ll find along the east coast! I saw people in costume from classic shows, and individuals who were wearing creations from recent series as well. Regardless of whether they were in costume or not, it was always a blast running into someone and talking. Even if it was just for a few seconds, they were always interesting in some way. Leading to interesting people....

Genericon 2016 had a great cast of guests as well! Robert Axelrod made a return (His last appearance was Genericon 2010), and Uncle Yo (The geek-specific standup comedian & all-around incredible human being) put on a fantastic show as he always does. Special panelists The Con Artists put on great event of their own. Also, while they’re not necessarily guests in of their own right, I do want to mention the inclusion of the various student associations, plying their wares & being quite friendly to us con-goers. There’s was the Chinese Association, Hawaiian Association, and I believe the Japanese Association as well. It was a really great addition to the convention, and I hope that RPI & Genericon continue to partner up in the future!

The convention staff was great too! I’ve always found them to be highly helpful, friendly, and very speedy. At no point did I ever hear one of them complain about anything, apart from maybe a lack of sleep, which I can definitely understand. Considering how I’ve felt after a long night at the con, I can definitely sympathize.

Artists & Dealers were on top this year! I had an issue with last year’s Genericon when it came to the dealers (The artists were fine), but this year it felt like there were more vendors, and thus more options to choose from when it came to purchasing something. In a change of pace, the dealers were moved from the rather cramped dining hall, to the armory across the room. The space in which the dealers and artists gave far more space to everybody involved that the ones before. In fact, the new artist & dealer space feels like a miniature Connecticon, and anyone who’s gone to that convention will probably know what I’m talking about.

Lastly, I’ll conclude this section with food. In recent years, the Genericon staff teamed up with Jazzman’s Café, the food station that was located in the great hall. I said it last year, and I’ll say it here: decent food, and decent prices. If you don’t want to go for Jazzman’s café, there is the cafeteria across the bridge. While a little more expensive, you’ve got your choice of pizza, burgers & fries (My choice for this year), a Subway-like sub shop, and even a miniature Ben & Jerry’s! Good options in all of these, and the general convenience shop is also open to convention goers as well.

Okay Points
Honestly, I really don’t have anything major to complain about for this year’s Genericon. This was a damn fine convention! Even Sunday, the day that normally doesn’t have much going on, had a good amount of stuff to do this year! Apart from perhaps one thing (See below), my only nitpick was the pre-registration/registration line. Due to the moving of it to the armory, it may have been given more room, but things weren’t labeled properly. I didn’t have to use these lines, as I was a panelist, however I did pass these lines on the way to the dealers & artists, and let me tell you that there weren’t labeled well. The lines themselves were quite long as well, circling a fair amount of the armory, and going through the lines was a little annoying.

Bad Points
Okay, now it’s time to talk about the bad stuff. Even though there’s something bad I want to talk about, I have to admit I may be a little childish. Maybe even whiney. So yesterday afternoon, I had wandered to the dealers & artists to get a autograph from Robert Axelrod, the voice of Lord Zedd from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I even brought along my original tape of the Power Rangers movie for him to sign. Sadly, he told me that it was 20$ for an autograph. I was a little heartbroken, but in defense the price was considerably more reasonable than most other actors (Voice or otherwise) might say an autograph costs. I know this is something I shouldn’t complain about, but it just bugged me.

Overall Opinion & Rating
Genericon 2016, you did a bang-up job! Minor quibbles aside, this has to be one of RPI’s best. Events were varied & fun, guests were great, and the venue itself was filled with some very entertaining panels. Come next year, RPI is gonna have Genericon XXX.....here’s hoping to have a convention with a more adult edge.

Genericon 2016 gets a 9.2 to 9.4 out of 10.

So that was Genericon 2016. A pretty damn good convention, if I do say so myself! So I’ll see you all next week, when I’ll get some proper reviews & such up. See you soon!





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If you want to see what I thought of last year’s Genenricon, click the link below & enjoy:

Genericon 2015 Review

Anime or Manga: Which is Better? (Monster Musume)

Hello there, fellow Otaku & Metalheads, and welcome to the first of my “Anime or Manga: Which is Better?” series!

Even though it’s just a day after Valentine’s Day, love is still in the air. We’re still close to our sweethearts, and many of us are probably going through a sugar high with all the chocolate & sugary sweets we’ve devoured. The sap factor is probably rather high still, so what better way to continue this that with a look at monster girls. Yes ladies & gentlemen, once again we’re taking a look at the surprise hit that is Monster Musume: Everyday Life with Monster Girls. Coming out of nowhere, the manga has been a smash with fans, and succeeded on getting to the New York Times top 10 manga list numerous times. What wonder & joy I experienced when fans found out last year that Monster Musume would be getting a series! Despite being only 12 episodes long, I enjoyed every minute of it (As well as my friend Amanda). So I only found it fitting that this new series was targeted by me, and without further adieu, an examination to see which is better: Monster Musume the anime, or Monster Musume the manga. Let’s begin!

Story
The story of both series is essentially the same: 3 years ago the existence of Liminals (Lamias, Harpies,  Centaurs, etc) was exposed to the world by the Japanese government. After the signing of the Interspecies Cultural Exchange Act, these girls began to transition to human society, despite the resistance from some individuals. Enter Kimihito Kurusu: despite not signing up for the program, he reluctantly becomes a host to a Lamia named Miia. Although he became a host by accident, he decided to take on the role so she wouldn’t have to go elsewhere. Over the course of time, other monster girls came into the fold. Some were brought to him, others found him, and so on. It’s a wild ride, as the girls all want Kurusu (Later called “Darling” by Miia), but he does the best he can to keep his hands off these lovely ladies.

The anime follows the manga pretty accurately. Perhaps, a little too accurately. I didn’t talk about this in my review for the series for a reason: the show.....is rather predictable. If you’ve just watched the show, then it won’t be a problem. However, if you’ve read the manga before watching the show, you’ll be able to predict what’s coming from a mile away. On top of that, the series seems to exclude all of the side stories.....to a point. The anime covers up to chapter 25, which is in the early part of volume 6, and that’s actually rather impressive! Despite this accolade, the show excludes many of the shorter stories, including the story about what Kurusu’s favorite kink is (It’s legs, by the way). Only one specific chapter is actually excluded from the show, but they still managed to give the character from that chapter some cameos. Apart from that, the early appearance of Rachnera (The Arachne) & the slight shift of certain events I could complain about, but these are rather minor in the grand scheme of things.

Setting
Both the anime & manga take place within the same Japanese city. It’s never named where he & the girls live, but if I had to guess, it’s either Tokyo or Kyoto. That said, you’ll recognize many of the locations right away. From Kurusu’s house to the love hotel that he & Miia hid in, you won’t get lost as the show goes on.

Characters
Much like the story, the anime incarnation of the girls hasn’t changed much. Miia’s still clingy, Centorea’s still noble, etc. As I said above when I was talking about the story, the characters are predictable. Unlike the story, everybody is the same when it comes to their moods & actions, so that’s a great plus! My only gripe comes with the tone of the characters, as everybody seems to be a tiny bit more lighthearted when compared to their manga counterparts. Considering how much story they covered in the anime, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was the reason for the character difference, but maybe it’s just me.

Mood & Atmosphere
The one thing that definitely hasn’t changed between the manga and the anime is the mood & atmosphere. Okayado did something interesting with the manga: he created a series that’s goofy, silly, and full of fan-service, but at the same time managed to fit in some serious & surprisingly touching moments. This actually translates over quite well to the anime: the happier elements are there, but the serious moments haven’t gone away either (Unlike like other shows I know of). Again, the mood & atmosphere is predictable if you’ve read the manga, but I’m not going to complain about it this time.

So Which Is Better
This is a pretty tough one. I absolutely love the manga, but the anime is subperb as well. They’re so similar, it’s honestly hard to compare the two! I was going to pick something that would be a little easier to talk about, but considering what was yesterday was, I found this to be more appropriate. In short, you can’t go wrong with either of these.

Monster Musume: the anime & manga are equal!

So this concludes my first Anime or Manga: Which is Better entry. I enjoyed writing this up, and I hope to get a few more in later this year. I’ll be taking a break for the next few weeks, as Genericon is coming up, and I need to get my selected panel touched up on & other things situated as well. I’ll have my review for the con put up shortly after. Seen you in March!





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If you’d like a look at my review for the anime, then check out the link below. If you like to check out the manga in the meantime, check out the link after.

Anime Review - Monster Musume

Monster Musume Manga