Top 5 Greatest Anime Chests (For Breast Cancer Awareness) No. 4

 Salutations fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

It’s that time of year again! No, not Christmas, but Breast Cancer Awareness month. A brutal sickness that can wound at the best, or at the worst kill those who have it. Those who’ve managed to have been cured forever have not just a physical scar, but a psychological one also. Breast Cancer is nothing to trifle with, but thankfully, there are many who are working to eradicate it, or at the very least lessen it’s awful effects on the body.

And so, the top 5 greatest anime chests list return! I know these won’t wipe the disease straight off the map, but I’d like to think of them as a lighthearted way to bring attention to something that’s all too real. This year, I’m kind of shaking things up a little. This time around, I’m going for more of a personality route than physical. Make no mistake: physicality when it comes to breasts is easy to get a hold of. However, sometimes the personality of the girl or woman behind them gives them character. So, without further delay, here are my top 5 greatest anime chests for breast cancer awareness no. 4. Let’s begin!

5) Komoe Harumachi - Eiken

One word......Dafuq!?

Okay, I gotta explain something. Eiken as a series is trash. The kind of trash that you shouldn’t watch & enjoy, but the dark part of your mind goes “Give it a try”. The kind of trash that’s an exceedingly guilty pleasure, and you feel kinda dirty for watching it.....much less owning it. As much as I enjoy constant fan-service moments of all kinds, even I found that what happens in Eiken to be overwhelming & tiring. Case in point is the nice & sweet girl from the show, Komoe. For starters, she’s 11. Secondly, she’s L cup. Those two things shouldn’t go together at all! That being said, she is a rather kind person. She likes hanging out with the others, and does her best at her tasks & keeping a big smile on her face. A nice character, but a mix of things that shouldn’t mix.

4) Coconut - Nekopara Franchise

I think anyone who enjoys this visual novel series does so for 2 reasons. Either because of the genuinely good story....or because of the cute catgirls and fan-service moments that follows many of them. I’m kind of in the middle on this, but I must confess that I’m partial to the more.... bustier of the nekos. While I believe that Cinnamon has the more ample busom out of everybody, I was always more charmed by one of the more innocent catgirls, Coconut. Based off of a Maine Coon cat, she looks like the’s the oldest but is in fact one of the youngest in the group. This can be especially confusing, as her breasts are very well developed. That being said, Coconut is a kind catgirl. She is a bit on the clumsy side, but she’s also strong and means well when she does a job. Certainly not unrealistic as Komoe from above, but it’s still odd to see such a combo.

3) Sayuki Tokihara - Hensuki: Are You Willing to Fall in Love with a Pervert, as Long as She's a Cutie?

I find myself conflicted with my number 3 choice. On the one hand, I absolutely love this character! Simultaneously one of the most perverted girls on the show as well as having a realistic yet still impressive chest, Sayuki also has something of a backbone & knows what she wants at the same time. She can either be dirty and wanting her man to treat her like an animal (Or a Dog as she sometimes says), but she can be very iron willed if she wants something. On the other hand, I’ve actually never watched this series. The reason? I just never did. What I know about the characters is due to info I looked up, as well as some clips I watched. I definitely need to see this series, and hopefully I’ll get a review up some time down the road.

2) Silvervale - Twitch/Youtube Vtuber ***

Finding myself further conflicted with this choice, my number 2 technically is not an anime character......but she’s brought into the fold by proxy. Currently one of the most popular Twitch streamers and Vtubers, Silvervale is just an absolute treat to watch. On the one hand she dirty & flirty. Her model has a bosom that is thicc & squishy, and when she does one of her dance videos, the rest of her body is also shown to be quite curvy. She’s got all sorts of outfits, and they’re all colorful & show off her virtual figure in all the right ways. Along with that, but when she wants to be sexy, her voice can sound as soft as silk. On the other hand, Silvervale can also be incredibly adorable & sweet. Her fans aren’t devoted to her because of how raunchy she can be, but because of how genuinely nice she is. Silver always says thank you whenever people join the stream, smiles whenever someone donates to her, and is always bouncy & bubbly because of how happy she is. This is a mix I can sink my teeth into, but there is one girl that managed to surpass her......two girls, actually.

1) Miia - Monster Musume: Everyday Life With Monster Girls & Saphentite Neikes - Monster Girl Doctor

It seems to be that Monster Musume can’t escape these lists, and if you’ve at least seen a few pictures of the series, you’ll understand. This time around, there was only 1 girl from that franchise that was going to be on this list.....and if you know me even remotely, you won’t be surprised.

Ironically, the resident lamia of Kimihito’s group has breasts that are big, yet they’re not the largest out of the household (And the manga by extension). Miia can be incredibly possessive of being the first girl to come to the house, and she gets rather jealous when any woman gets close to him. Not only that, but she’s a horrible cook, and can sometimes be a klutz when it comes to chores. However, her love for her host is quite genuine, and she’s equally genuine when it comes to caring for the rest of the girls. Granted, she does care for everybody else in her own odd way, but she will put her jealousy to the side if one of her friends is having a spot of trouble. Also, she’s my waifu, so there’s that.

And then there’s her direct counterpart from this year’s newest ode to monster girls, aka Monster Girl Doctor. Actually, that’s not completely true. For starters, her chest is actually reasonable. Still nice & juicy, but more realistically shaped. Our resident lamia nurse is also far more skilled at doing a job, and she also use to be a skilled assassin & poisoner when she was younger. Also, while she may get jealous when some of the other female characters approach Doctor Glenn, she does have better reactions. Even her personality isn’t completely the same, as she carries herself with a bit more dignity, and can be scary under rare occasions. She is also my waifu.....so there’s also that.

And those were my top 5 anime chests for breast cancer awareness, number 4. A yearly tradition I enjoy doing, and hopefully this and the prior lists in this series bring some attention to a very real & horrible disease. Well, Halloween isn’t far away now, so join me on that day for when we take one last look at Paradise Lost. See you then!


***
If you like to see who I talked about last year, click on the link below & enjoy:

The Top 5 Greatest Anime Chests (For Breast Cancer Awareness) No. 3

Also, if you’d like to take a look at Silvervale’s content, check out the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm8Dj7dQ0oRHXNUXF31kjEw

Metal Overview: Paradise Lost (Part 2)

Welcome back to Paradise Lost month fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

At the beginning of the month we took a look at the band beginnings in the 90s. A time of finding one’s self, and a time of experimenting. The 1990s is considered by many to be the band’s heyday, and when they released some if not all of their best work. By the end of that decade, however, the fanbase became divided by the group’s decision to charge their sound. Would this carry over into the new millennium? Yes.....and no, but let’s find out anyways!

Believe In Nothing (2001)

Original

Re-Release

With the band’s Gothic Rock/Metal branches seemingly trimmed off by the end of the 90s, Paradise Lost looked to stay on their new path seemingly for the rest of their career. However, the band’s creative gears never did truly stop, and for a good chunk of 2000 they were recording their 8th studio album. The plan was originally going to be a September the 18th release in that year, but as the band said around that time:

“As you know near to Christmas many artists all rush to release "Best Of" albums in a hope of increased sales. Paradise Lost feel that the new album is far too special to merely be lost among thousands of others and, by releasing in January will avoid this.”

However this January release date didn’t come to pass, and instead Believe In Nothing would come out kicking and screaming on February the 26th, 2001. I say kicking and screaming, because the band wasn’t exactly fond of it at the time. As Nick Homes elaborated in 2007:

“We were never really happy with the production on that album. I think the songs on the album were good, but I definitely wouldn't rank the album overall in amongst our top five albums ever. We were all very confused by a lot of things going on around us at the time, hence the cover! (Laughs) I think they were pretty grim times, and I think that's reflected on the rather dour tone of the songs. Practically all of us were on prescribed drugs at that time! (Laughs) I was taking such strong anti-depressants at the time that I didn't really know what was going on at the time. The artwork for the album is a classic example where our brains were at the time. There were just bees in my head! (Laughs) I have no idea what that cover was supposed to represent. On a personal level, Believe In Nothing represented a really dark time in my life. I don't think anything positive comes out of being depressed or down like that. My personal life was kind of in a bad way at that time, and I think that album is a direct result of that. I know a lot of people really love that album, and I think that's great. But for me, I think the most disappointing element is the production, which I think could have been punchier, and the feelings the album conjures up. From Host through to Believe In Nothing, we didn't really kind of know where we were going. We were really in a dilemma.”

It also didn’t help at the time that EMI forcibly asked Paradise Lost to add rock elements to their new synth sound, and it was because of this lack of creative control that Gregor Mackintosh said that the album "doesn't really exist for him". However, leave things to time & fate to change things around, as this album (And Host from part 1) was kind of rediscovered as hidden gems by both the band & fans in recent years. As Holmes stated in 2018:

“It's no secret that we were never entirely happy with the production on this record, despite really liking the songs. It's been a long time coming, but we finally found the right moment to go back into the studio with Gomez (Orgone Studios) and play around with it. We hope you all enjoy the remixed version so you can hear how the songs were meant to sound.”

Best Track? I kinda gotta give it to Never Again. The song seems like the band’s past & present are colliding on this specific track, and in rather surprising ways. On one side you got their Gothic past from Icon & Draconion Times, and on the other side you got their Electronica/Synthpop present. The two sides combine in a way that feels natural on an album that’s anything but, and it’s because of this that it stand out among everything else on Believe In Nothing. Definitely something to not skip.

Never Again

Worst Track? Really the forcing of the rock elements from EMI was what ultimately hurt Believe In Nothing. Paradise Lost were comfortable in their Electronica/Synthpop chair, and didn’t appreciate having to put a cover on said chair that they didn’t want in the first place. Thanks to the 2018 remaster it doesn’t feel so forced (And by extension the band doesn’t quite have an issue with it), but you can still sort of tell that the rock aspect feels partially out of place.

Believe In Nothing. Not a bad album by any means, but it was stained by the forcing of elements that the band didn’t want to use at the time. However, with the bits of Gothic Rock & Metal creeping back in (By force, but creeping back in), it appeared as if the band may return to their old ways. Merely a year later......said appearance was something of the truth. Next album!

Symbol Of Life (2002)

With an album the band wasn’t fond of in their rear view mirror, Paradise Lost looked to their next musical venture to clear their heads. In May of 2002, the band would sign onto GUN Records for the next leg of their career, and from June to July of that year were in the recording studio working on their 9th album. Then on October the 21st of 2002, Symbol Of Life was released. The album was something of a departure from their Electronic/Synthpop phase (Despite still using some of it), as they worked with producer Rhys Fulber to bring back their heavy & metallic sound from years prior. Bringing on guest musicians like Devin Townsend, Jamie Muhoberac, and Lee Dorrian certainly helped with this, as was the occasional usage of Industrial aspects. The end result was an album that not only seen as the beginning of the return to the land of metal, but was also seen by some as a unique & varied release.

Best Track? Bit of a tie between the 2nd song Erased, and the cover of the Bronski Beat classic Smalltown Boy. The former is one of the tracks where I think that hint of Industrial the band found was used, and at the same time almost feels like a lost song from the early 90s that they re-recorded. It an energetic tune that really gets you moving, and shows that Paradise Lost were much more versatile that people give them credit for. The latter track may not have as much of the gay politics that the original band put into theirs, but that doesn’t mean this cover isn’t any less potent in terms of emotions. This definitely is one of the most metallic songs on the album, but it still has a little bit of Electronic/Synthpop at points. Though you can only find this song on the limited edition version (More on that below), that should not stop you from listening to it.

Erased

Smalltown Boy

Worst Track? Like I said in part one at the beginning of the month, Symbol Of Life’s only flaw is that it’s an album that doesn’t know what it wants to be. Whereas One Second was an album going into a new genre, Symbol Of Life was leaving a genre. To give the band some credit, they seemed much more certain as to what direction they wanted to set foot on with this record. Having been Electronic/Synthpop for a few years (Along with a hint of Industrial on this release), the time was right to go back to their Gothic past, and in the process found themselves in at a fork in the road. Luckily, the fans would know which route they’d walk down on 3 years later.....but I’ll get to that in a minute.

The only other fault with Symbol Of Life isn’t with the music itself, but the availability. This album is rather difficult to locate, and as I type this there is only 1 used copy on Amazon for purchase. It’s not the special edition, but instead is the original. With the remastered versions of Host & Believe In Nothing put out not that long ago, I can only hope that this album gets the same treatment.

Symbol Of Life. Quite possibly my favorite album from their time in the 2000s, and while it may be mildly confusing as to which way they would go, it’s a far more confident & solid release than One Second. If you weren’t a fan of the band Electronica/Synthpop phase back in the 90s, then weirdly enough you might get a kick out of this release. It’s definitely surprising, that’s for sure. Next album!

Paradise Lost (2005)

With their return to their metallic ways now in full, it seems as if things were back on track for the band. However, they would run into a bump on the road in March of 2004 when Lee Morris left the band over “personal and musical differences”. His replacement would take the form of Jeff Singer, who’s work prior to the group included the bands China Beach, Kill II This, and Blaze. With their second new drummer on the team, they went back to studio (In this case, Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire and Hollypark Lane in Los Angeles) from between January to June of 04 or April to September of that year (Wikipedia has 2 dates. I’m not sure which is which). Then on the 17th of March, 2005, the band’s self-titled album was released.

Paradise Lost, as an album.....is the return that older fans were waiting for! Virtually all of the Electronic/Synthpop trappings are gone, and instead they went right back to their familiar Gothic Metal stomping grounds. As much as I like their late 90s to early 2000s work, I found it to be incredibly refreshing to hear the band perform in the style that’s obviously a comfort zone for them. In a way it feels as if they never actually left the genre they helped make as I was listening to this album, but I’ll get to that in a second. Suffice it to say, Paradise Lost hit it out of the park with this album. It not only signified a return to their past, but it was also a statement. A statement that would tell everyone that the band was back, and they weren’t leaving in any way!

Best Track? Sun Fading & Accept The Pain come across like lost tracks from the band’s Icon or Draconian Times days (Pick whichever album you prefer). Gothic, gloomy, and haunting beauty are just some of the ways to describe these two song. The former comes across as a little slower paced, but both are equal in my ears’s minds in terms of quality. Don’t skip either of these!

Sun Fading

Accept The Pain

Worst Track? To be perfectly honest, I don’t think there’s a single bad song on this album. Over the Madness comes across as a little weak, but even then it doesn’t impact how genuinely awesome Paradise Lost is. One could complain about how long it took the band to get back to their metallic roots, but only the most pickiest of listeners would try this.

Paradise Lost. My other favorite album from the band’s time in the 2000s, this self-titled record showed that they were back in their metallic suit, and they weren’t going to get out of it anytime soon. If you were put off by their electronic-flavored period, then you won’t be disappointed by this one. Next album!

In Requiem (2007)

With their return to Gothic Metal now etched in the wall thanks to their self-titled album 2 years before, Paradise Lost were back as the fans wanted them to be. After making a deal with Century Media, they began work on their 11th studio album from 2006 to 2007. Going between The Chapel Studios in London and Strait Sound Studios in Gibson, Vancouver, In Requiem was released on the 21st of May in 2007, and the people couldn’t be happier. The album was generally well-received and rated rather favorably by music critics and the band’s fans, as both were pleased to see Paradise Lost return to their heavier, gothic metal sound similar to that of earlier albums like Draconian Times. To aid in this badassery, they acquired the artistic services of Seth Siro Anton (Real name Spiros Antoniou, the lead singer of Septicflesh) to do the album cover, and as you can see.....it definitely is badass.

Best Track? Like their self-titled album, I gotta pick 2 songs as the best representatives of the album. In one corner is Unreachable: at first coming across like a lost track from the Host days, it quickly becomes apparent that it is a full blown Gothic Metal tune. It does have some Host-like vibes here and there, but it’s heart and soul is quite Gothic. In the other corner we have the 3rd to last tune, Beneath Black Skies. There’s a faster pace on this as apposed to Unreachable, and unlike that track there’s no Host vibes to be felt. Beneath Black Skies is a pure Gothic song, and harkens back to that Draconian Times era where they were on top of the world. As I said above...don’t skip either of these!

Unreachable

Beneath Black Skies

Worst Track? Absolutely nothing! As with their self-titled album from 2 years prior, virtually every single song on In Requiem is great to listen to. I do find Nick Holmes’s mild usage of gruffer vocals to be slightly jarring at first when you consider the 3 albums before this one, but it in no way diminishes how potent the music is on here.

In Requiem. A little harder than their self-titled album, but never loses that gothic edge they gained back in 2005. If you liked the record prior to this one but wanted a little more bite for your buck, then this one will be to your liking. However, with this success in the books.......another challenge would appear on the horizon. Next album!

Faith Divides Us-Death Unites Us (2009)

In Requiem proved to be a big success for the band in May of 2007. So much so, that a documentary was released in November of that year called Over The Madness. On it documented the impact they had has had on gothic metal and provides insight into the mindset and workings of the band, while the 2nd part included further interviews & rehearsal footage, along with backstage and memorabilia sections. With all of this success it appeared as if nothing could stop them, but that would not be the case.

On the 13th of August, 2008, drummer Jeff Singer announced his departure from Paradise Lost on the band’s website. He stated that he wanted to be with his family, had an upcoming job, and the incoming South American tour would interfere with that. Sadly, the band would have to cancel this tour, and just a few days later on the 28th of August, it was officially announced on their website. Mark Heron from Oceansize would take over on drums for a time, but when it came to early 2009, that would change. At that point, the band had recorded an album with producer Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden. At that time there was no full-time replacement for the drummer position, but they would played by Swedish drummer Peter Damin. On 16 March 2009, when recording for the album was done, the band recruited Adrian Erlandsson (Who’s prior bands included At the Gates and Cradle of Filth) as a full-time drummer for the band.

After all of this, the band’s 12th studio album, Faith Unites Us-Death Divides was put out. Released on Century Media Records on the 25th of September in 2009 in Germany, on the 28th in the rest of Europe, and on the 6th of October in the US that year, the album was still a further sign that the band were staying put right where they were. Maybe even more so on this album, as Paradise Lost brought back a little bit of their old Death/Doom days to round out the album’s sound. The end result is an album that’s slightly heavier than the last two, but still manages to be quite gothic at the same time.

Best Track? First Light is just a meaty song. Nick Holmes brings back a little of his Death/Doom style vocals for parts of the track, and some of the instrumentation matches this, but at the end of the day it is a Gothic Metal song through and through. Not much more to say than that!

First Light

Worst Track? About the only complaint I can give this album, and even then it’s more of a nitpick, would be the mild return to their earliest material. I’ll get into this more when we get to part three, but it seems as if Paradise Lost never tries anything different when they try to sound like their old selves. Again, they’re not going completely back, but it’s noticeable enough that anyone who didn’t like the band’s Death/Doom period may be turned off by this record. Emphasis on the word may.

Faith Divides Us-Death Unites Us. A potent & serious album, it continues to prove that Paradise Lost is back to stay as we once knew them. Even with a mild return to their earliest material, it’s still a Gothic masterpiece of the highest quality. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is interested.

And that was part 2 of my analysis of the career of Paradise Lost. The 2000s was a time of a little bit of experimentation, but it was also when the band realized that their old ways were still awesome. With the return to the past practically set in stone, the 2010s were set for the boys from Halifax to conquer.....and it would be quite a time indeed. See you all on Halloween day, but before that happens.....there is one special post that must get made. Join me next week to find out what it is!


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If you’re curious about listening to this band, click on the links below:

Believe In Nothing

Symbol Of Life

Paradise Lost

In Requiem

Faith Divides Us-Death Unites Us

Anime Review: Monster Girl Doctor

A fall wind blows through fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Back in May I finally managed to get some anime reviews up for you to read....and them seemingly managed to never get anymore back on the blog. Luckily, it’s Halloween, and there’s all sorts of tricks & treats. Today’s review is most definitely a treat, and it just happened to end fairly recently. This series shares much with the famous Monster Musume: fun fantasy, great fanservice, and lots of cute monster girls. However, it also happens to be different in some aspects also. How different you may ask? Well, light a candle in case any beasties try to sneak up on you, have some candy nearby, and read my review for Monster Girl Doctor. Boo!  

Story/Setup
Taken from Crunchyroll:

“Welcome to the town of Lindworm, where humans and monsters coexist and rookie doctor Glenn carries out some…risqué medical examinations! Whether probing deep into the gills of a mermaid, suturing the thigh of a flesh golem, helping a harpy lay an egg, or palpating each and every scale of a dragon… No matter how different their looks, bodies, and properties, Glenn devotes his all to saving them—and, in the process, winds up in some pretty dangerous liaisons…? But don’t worry—it’s all just a part of his medical exams!”

Okay....that’s actually not the whole story. In years pass there was a war between the forces of humanity and the monster races, and this went on for quite some time. However peace from both sides was declared, as the cause of the war was lost to history. The city of Lindworm was formed as one of the unions between monsters & humans, and it the process became one of the most powerful of it’s kind. Glenn Litbeit, a doctor who specializes in treating the various monster people, along with his Lamia assistant Saphentite Neikes (Who is best girl, btw). Like it says above, he runs into all sorts of monster women and interesting adventures.....and it’s all fun.

(I should point out that I’m only looking at the show’s story specifically. I’ve never read the book series, and the translations of the manga have been rather slow & not completed at this time.)

Animation
Monster Girl Doctor has some pleasant animation. One thing I especially like about it is that we see some of the more monstrous specials moving around, and it doesn’t look half bad!  Even not  taking that into account, MGD’s world looks nice. There’s a great usage of color, the architecture was well done, and still shots & everything else is nice (Aside from 1 moment from the 1st episode). The animation may not look like it comes from a modern series, but once you see things move around a little, you’ll realize it.

Voice Acting
Despite not having a physical release in the states, Monster Girl Doctor has both an English dub & original Japanese. I’m not that familiar with the dub, but from what little of it I have heard I enjoyed. The original Japanese voice work is great, and they’re all suited to the characters that they were given with. Unlike most other shows, the voice acting of the secondary characters seems to be on par with the primary cast. There is an exception or two, but apart from them the voice work is top notch.

Characters
The characters of Monster Girl Doctor are great...but at the sametime something is missing. Like I said above I’ve never read the book series, so I don’t know how they are in that, and I only have a limited understanding of how some of them work in the manga. On top of that, the anime cut out certain aspects & scenes of the characters. Weakening them, if you will. For example, you never get into the flesh golem’s origin story for the most part, and you never see her interact with the mermaid after a fight she has aside from a glance the two give each other. Despite that issue, I like virtually everybody in this show! Whereas the girls in Monster Musume seem to be at odds with one another at times, the cast in Monster Girl Doctor get along rather swimmingly with each other. There is a scuffle or two, but for the most part everybody seems to get along with one another nicely. Doctor Glenn is very reminiscent of Kimihito from MM, and while he’s just as kind & caring as the previously mentioned character, he’s far more in control of his emotions, and due to his profession is quite.....professional. About the only flaw that he has is that he’s rather oblivious to the feelings of the girls around him (Apart from maybe Sapphee), although given the style of show MGD is, it’s not surprising either.

I should briefly mention the shocking lack of fan-service in Monster Girl Doctor. Much as I enjoyed how over the top and numerous the fan-service scenes were in MM, I can also appreciate when it is used & it’s timing. In most episodes there is 2 moments of fan-service, and even then that’s not always the case. Again, I love it when breasts, panty shots, and jiggle moments occur, but it’s nice to watch a show that knows how & when to use that stuff.

Availability & Pricing
At this moment in time, Monster Girl Doctor has just finished airing, and despite it’s English dub, there hasn’t been any signs of a release (Unless I’m missing it). Given that the plague is still abundant, it may be some time before a physical collection is released. If you’re curious about giving it a watch, then click on the link below:

https://www.crunchyroll.com/monster-girl-doctor

Overall Impression & Rating
Monster Girl Doctor is just a load of fun. Sure, it’s not as over the top or fan-servicey as Monster Musume is, and it does borrow some elements of that series, but there are far more differences than there are similarities. Though it may not be the second season to MM that hordes of people asked for, it’s more than worthy of being a great spiritual successor. If you like Monster Musume, but want a less fan-servicey & mildly more mature experience, then go visit the doctor & see what he says.

Monster Girl Doctor gets an 8 out of 10.

So that concludes my review of Monster Girl Doctor. A fun little series with fun characters, it’s sure to hold the attention of anyone who likes monster girl shows. With that out of the way, it’s time to go by to my look at Paradise Lost, so join me next week as I examine the band’s time in the 2000s. See you then!

Metal Overview: Paradise Lost (Part 1)

 Happy October everybody, and welcome.....to the month of Paradise Lost!

That’s right, we’re taking a trip over to merry ole England this year! In 2018 I took a gander at Portugese legends Moonspell, and last year I examined the horror icon King Diamond. It seemed especially appropriate to cover this gents due to new material that got released earlier this year, but we’ll get to that on Halloween day. For now, we’re taking a look at the band’s golden era. The era in which Paradise Lost played many different styles. Death-Doom, Gothic, & some Electronica came from this particular period, and even today this time is still looked at fondly....for the most part. With that being said, here is part one of my look at Paradise Lost. Let’s begin!

Lost Paradise (1990)

Our story begins in Halifax, England in 1988. 5 British gents decided to form a band: Nick Holmes on Vocals, Aaron Aedy on Lead Guitar, Gregor Mackintosh on Rhythm Guitar, Stephen Edmondson on Bass Guitar, and manning the drums was Matthew Archer. After their formation, the group recorded three cassette demos (Paradise Lost, Frozen Illusion, and Plains of Desolation), they signed to Peaceville Records in 1989. They then went to Academy Music Studio in December of that year to record their first release, and on the 5th of February, 1990, Lost Paradise was released. This would be the first release that features the band’s signature Death/Doom style of metal, but it wouldn’t last for long. Still, it inspired many other bands to perform similarly (Moonspell as an example), and have their own Gothic evolutions also.

Best Track? I kinda love the crushing nature of Internal Torment II. The ending track of the original release, this oddly named song captures the signature Death/Doom stylings that helped put the band on the map. Slowish pacing, thunderous drums, and crushing guitar riffs & vocals. It’s all there, and it’s merciless with it’s power. Perfect for ending an album!

Internal Torment II

Worst Track? The only real complain I have with Lost Paradise is just how same-y a lot of the songs sound when compared to each other. None of them are bad per-se, but you can hear similar drum beats, guitar riffs, and usage of vocals in practically everything. This would lessen over the next two albums, but it would seemingly return in full force in 2015 (More on that when we get to part 3 at the end of the month). The only thing that seems to be different is the usage of effects  & keyboard/piano, as that aspect of the album is used in bits & pieces depending on the track in question. It’s almost like a treat to come across the previously mentioned things in a song, as the usage of them is well-timed.

Lost Paradise. If you were to listen to something like Draconian Times or even Obsidian before you made it to this release, your neck might snap due to sheer whiplash cause of the style changes. If you are a Death-Doom fan and are looking for a juicy piece of meat to sink your teeth into, then Lost Paradise will be that meal for you. Next album!

Gothic (1991)

With their first album in the books, Paradise Lost went back to Academy Music Studio in November of 1990 to record their second release, Gothic. Put out on March the 19th, 1991, the album would begin their transformation into goth titans as the added in keyboards and female vocal accompaniments. Eventually, Gothic would be inducted into the Decibel Magazine Hall of Fame in June of 2005, becoming the fifth album overall to be featured in it.

Best Track? Shattered is equal parts heavy & humorous to me. It’s funny cause I think Nick Holmes is trying way to hard to imitate Pete Steele’s voice, as it’s way too deep when he sings. On the other hand, the instrumentation & vibe is still very much Death/Doom. A little faster in terms of speed, but still firmly within that subgenre. Certainly a song that might make you laugh, but you’ll be headbanging at the same time.

Shattered

Worst Track? For anyone that were a fan of Lost Paradise’s pure Death/Doom ways, they might be disappointed by the keyboard usage and female vocals. I don’t see an issue for this, as I like the fact that Paradise Lost were trying to experiment with an established genre, and adding their own flair. This is a point that only sticklers or Death/Doom elitests would ever go for, but not me.

Gothic. Still firmly in the Death/Doom camp, it’s has smoother edges that don’t make it quite as sharp & rough upon first listening to it when compared to their first release. If you weren’t a fan of Lost Paradise, then you might get a kick out of this one.

Shades Of God (1992)

After the release of Gothic, Paradise Lost left Peaceville Records and were signed to the Music for Nations label, and went to Longhome Studios, Northants from March to April of 1992 to record their 3rd album, Shades Of God. Released on the 14th of July in 92, Shades Of God saw the band move further away from their origins, and adopt a more smoother outlook like on the concluding song of Gothic:

As I Die

There were quieter passages in the songs, Nick Holmes's death grunt was soften, and Gregor Mackintosh's incorporated acoustic guitar into his sound. This resulted in an album that was still Death/Doom, but had a thin coat of goth painted on it, and because of that had more depth to it’s musical passages.

Best Track? Your Hand In Mine has to be the most Gothic track on the album, and it shows. The instrumentation, though still within the Death/Doom realm, sounds & feels much smoother than anything on the band’s prior two albums, and Nick Holmes uses snipbits of a much clearer vocal style. He still goes for the guttural growling most of the time, but it’s those moments that he changes the way he sings that reveals something coming in Paradise Lost’s future. Definitely a catchy song!

Your Hand In Mine

Worst Track? Pretty much the same issues here are the same issues from Gothic. The stylistic shift will put off those who like a more pure Death/Doom. Perhaps even more so, as the keyboard usage and female vocals are more obvious here than on the previously mentioned record. They’re still used at the right moments, but it’s not a subtle as before.

Shades Of God. Still firmly in the Death/Doom camp, it also showed that a big change for Paradise Lost was not far off. In fact, it would come one year later, so let’s see what this change was. Next album!

Icon (1993)

And here is where Paradise Lost became Gothic! Released on the 28th of September, 1993, Icon saw the band finally go full blown Gothic Metal. This transformation is what cemented the band’s reputation as a cornerstone of the genre, and a Nick Holes said in a 2008 Kerrang interview:

“We were pretty much the first band to coin the phrase 'gothic metal' so I don't have a problem with that label. We've actually done gothier albums than Icon, but if people want to say that it sums up something that's fine with me. At the time there was also black metal, thrash metal and everyone wanted to describe what type of something was so we went 'Okay, we've got The Sisters of Mercy elements in our music, let's call it goth metal'. We were getting better as musicians as well and I was hopefully getting better as a vocalist. When that happens you want to fine-tune what you're doing. It's also about not wanting to get stuck or pigeonholed into one particular musical place. We've kept the whole gothic thing going right throughout our career, but we did want to do something a little different. With the vocals, a lot of it was kind of shouting in key as opposed to just shouting, it's okay singing like Beelzebub, but your voice can get into trouble if you have a big tour.”

Icon would eventually go into Decibel Magazine’s Hall of Fame in 2018, where it would be the 2nd album from Paradise Lost to be featured as such (Gothic came first). Sadly, in December of 1994 original drummer Matthew Archer would leave the band, and his replacement came in the form of Lee Morris, who’s prior work included Wyzed & Royale.

Best Track? Take a pick is what I have to say! Everything on Icon is absolutely, and that’s not a joke. From the slow paced Embers Fire, to the somewhat Metallica-like True Belief, and to the closing number Deus Misereatur, the album has something for everybody!

Worst Track? Like I said above, everything on here is fantastic. The only point I can see someone nitpick would be the shift in Nick Holmes’s vocal approach. For 3 records prior he was singing in his Death/Doom style, but on this release he settled for what Wikipedia describes as a “James Hetfield-style bark”. Those who liked his guttural & visceral singing prior to Icon’s release probably did a double-take upon first listening to this album, and I’d completely understand why.

Icon. A Gothic behemoth that stands the test of time to this day, and was also an inspiration for many bands to go down the goth path. I can’t say much more......other than it’s damn good. Next album!

Draconian Times (1995)

After the success of their first truly Gothic release in Icon and departure of their original drummer, Paradise Lost entered the studio once again in January of 1995, and would eventually release what is their most successful album in their entire career, Draconian Times. Coming out on the 12th of June, 1995, Draconian Times, as Gregor Mackintosh would say:

“that it's the album by which everything else we do gets judged. Rightly so, as it’s the backbone of our career and sound.”

So successful was Draconian Times, it would chart in the Top 20 album chart in a number of European countries, including the UK and Germany. Daevid Jehnzen of Allmusic gave it a 4.5 out of 5, calling it a mix 'between stark, oppressive goth rock and crunching heavy metal' and praising Paradise Lost's ability to 'create and sustain a mood', and Ulf Kubanke of Laut.de calls the album 'a perfect mix between beauty and morbidity' and also points out that the album sounds 'as if Hetfield took a bite out of the album First and Last and Always'. That’s some impressive praise if you ask me!

Best Track? I kinda have to pick the opening track Enchantment for this, as it was actually the first song from the band I heard (That I recall correctly). I had been listening to Type-O Negative for about 4 to 5 years by the time I discovered this song, and I was blown away by it. Whereas Pete Steele had a domineering yet seductive quality to his voice, Nick Holmes was more along the lines of a Gothic storyteller. Weaving together a goth tale, there’s a fantasy-like power to the words he’s singing, and the piano that’s used in some parts just enforces this feel more. Couple with the gentle yet powerful guitar & drumwork, and you have a worthy album opener.

Enchantment

Worst Track? About the only fault of Draconian Times would be how clean the record sounds & feels. Icon had this as well, but there was still a little dirt on it from the band’s earliest work. On here it sounds maybe a little too professional, and Nick Holmes may be trying a little too hard on his James Hetfield impression. This doesn’t impact my enjoyment of the album in any way, but these elements are very noticable.

Draconian Times. Further driving home just how Gothic the band was, it may became an even more popular album than Icon was. However, as Paradise Lost got comfortable in their new style, a change was not far off the horizon.....and it would divide the faithful of the band for some time. Next album!

One Second (1997)

And here we come to what is considered the beginning of a rather....maligned period for the band. Despite the success of Draconian Times, the 4 years of non-stop for the album made the band feel bored with it. As Nick Holmes said in Decibel:

“After we recorded Draconian Times and toured it non-stop, we just felt like doing something else—something a bit less up-tempo and darker, also Greg bought a keyboard! The result was One Second. It was greeted on the whole very positively, but quite a departure from Draconian Times and pissed off a few people naturally. However, it’s very much a part of the band’s journey—like every album has been—and we enjoyed making it.”

Like he said in the quote, the band began experimenting with synth-pop and electronica, and it was because of this experimentation that we got One Second. Released on the 14th of July, 1997, One Second would actually become the bestselling record of their entire career! It cracked the German, Swedish, and Finnish top ten charts, and it was because of this success that enabled the band to sign a deal with the German branch of EMI. However, as it was stated above, many of their older fans disapproved of the band’s shift in styles. In their eyes, this change was seen as a betrayal of sorts, and thus they stopped following the band.

Best Track? I’m kind of fond of the trio that is Disappear, Sane, and Take Me Down. The final 3 tracks of the album, they all have the strongest concentration of gothic elements. On top of that, the electronica/synthpop aspects are also apparent, but in comparison to everything else there’s a perfect balance on these songs. The gothic doesn’t overpower the electronica, and the synthpop doesn’t consume the gothic. Both sides serve one another equally, and because of that this trio stands out over everything else....even though the rest of the album isn’t a slouch in any way. As a way to end an album, these tracks are most definitely up to the task!

Disappear

Sane

Take Me Down

Worst Track? While there’s no bad track per-se, One Second’s only real flaw is that it doesn’t know what style it wants to be. There’s still plenty of Gothic Metal/Rock elements, but there’s just as many electronic/synthpop elements as well. Both sides are used interchangeably, and in some moments it’s hard to tell which is which (Outside of the songs I talked about above). I pretty much lump One Second in with Snake Bite Love from Motorhead & Devin Townsend’s Infinity: great production & recording quality, but doesn’t have a solid identity. This issue would be shared with Symbol of Life, but that’ll be talked about in part 2.

One Second. Certainly not a bad album by any measure, but definitely a shift from Paradise Lost’s original Death/Doom & Gothic values that got them popular in the first place. If you like more electronica-style metal music, then One Second is a good place to start. Next album!

Host (1999)

Original

2018 Re-Release

With the huge success of One Second, the band seemed to begin shedding off their metallic skin, and instead grew into their electronic suit with surprising ease. After to EMI Electrola in Germany, they began working on their next album from September 1998 to February 1999, and on the 24th of May in that year, Host was released. While it continued to alienate their traditional fanbase in places like the UK, it would be their highest charting album in Germany, entering at number 4 on the charts.  Despite it’s immense success, people’s views on it are still split to this day. As Nick Holmes said in 2007:

“From Host through to Believe in Nothing, we didn't really kind of know where we were going. We were really in a dilemma.”

However, Host & the first album of part 2 would actually be rediscovered by both the band and fans in recent years. Despite the non-metallic approach, people seemed to appreciate the different direction in musical style. So much so, that even the band sort of turned their opinion around, and put out a remaster in 2018 along with Believe in Nothing. I’m glad that these albums were back in the spotlight for a moment, as I consider Host to be an underrated gem. Believe in Nothing is underrated as well, but I’ll get to that in part 2.

Best Track? So Much Is Lost opens for the album, and right away you can tell that this will be a different experience. There’s not a metallic element to the song to be heard, as it’s a mashup of electronic/gothic rock, darkwave, and synthpop. This whole album is that mashup, but like this song.....I don’t think it’s bad. Regardless of the genre, I’m all for metal bands trying different things. Whether it’s because they’re stuck or bored, it’s good that they walk down a path they’ve never gone down before when they need to. I like the different sound the band took, and while that also may have hurt them (More on that below), it’s a cool take from a group that was willing to do something different.

So Much Is Lost

Worst Track? Host only flaw is that it doesn’t sound like Paradise Lost. Lost Paradise does, as does Gothic, Shades of God, Icon, Draconian Times, and even One Second. Host’s rather dramatic shift in style, instrumentation, and tone make for an album that sounds like it was done by somebody else, and they just happened to get the members of the band to come along as if it was a collaboration.

Host. If One Second began the wedge between older & newer fans at the time, then this album further spread things apart. Still, it’s actually a whole lot of fun, and while it may have pushed away some of the older audience, it did manage to bring in a newer one that may not have heard of Paradise Lost before hand. If you’re up for some electronica & synthpop, then you’ll like this late 90s cake.

And that concludes part 1 of my look at Paradise Lost. A period of experimentation in a decade that was full of musical experimentation, the band definitely made a name for themselves by seemingly going all over the board in the 90s. Would they be able to change back in the coming decade? Come back in the middle of the month to find out, but beforehand.......I got a monstrous surprise for you before hand!

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

Lost Paradise

Gothic

Shades of God

Icon

Draconian Times

One Second

Host

The Top 6 Albums of 2014 to 2019

 Here’s the end of September fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Now we come to what was perhaps the hardest list to make. My number one lists on movies & games were tough, but I was able to make a list without too much trouble. For my no 1 albums? Yeah, this was tougher than the others. I loved all of these albums, and while not equally, they manage to stay in my brain in good yet different ways. 2020 looks to be a good year for music in it’s own right, but we’ll get to that when the time comes. For now, let’s take a look at the top 6 albums from 2014 to 2019, and see what’s up!

6) Faith No More - Sol Invictus (Song)

I noticed that, outside of perhaps 1 or 2 records....everything on this list were comeback albums. Practically everything at my number 1 spot from 2014 to 2019 was a comeback in some way. Starting things off is 2015, when on the 19th of May...Faith No More returned to the scene. It had been 18 years since their last release, so the fans (And even non-fans) were shocked to see them return. They had been laying down a hint or two about something in the years prior, and when Sol Invictus came into being...it was a shock!

I confess that this album is the one I least recall. Not saying that it’s bad, cause Sol Invictus isn’t in any way. As I said in my review back in 2015, Faith No More brought back the 90s for a brief time, and it was welcome by anyone that liked it. However, if there was one issue that I see in hindsight, it would be that the record may be a bit too artsy for it’s own good. The band were always odd, and whether sung by Chuck Mosley or Mike Patton...the group wasn’t afraid to show it. However, Alternative Metal groups (Faith No More was more than that) tend to have an ego, and Sol Invictus seemed a little full of itself. Still, it’s a great release from a band that never always got their just due, and I recommend it to anyone who’s even remotely interested in.

5) Ministry - AmeriKKKant (Song) & Turmion Kätilöt - Universal Satan (Song)

Now we’re talking!

To this day, I consider 2018 to have the weirdest top 5 list of albums. For anyone who may not have read that list, I basically have everything be a tie that year (Outside of it’s honorable mentions), but the albums had to match stylistically. Ministry & Turmion Kätilöt just so happened to be Industrial Metal giants from their respective countries, and they also had some shakeups as well. In Ministry’s case, they came back 5 years after they said they wouldn’t, and Turmion Kätilöt had one of it’s original singers leave. Still, they came back strong!

While AmeriKKKant wasn’t necessarily received well, at the same time many Ministry fans were delighted to see a legend come back, and while Turmion Kätilöt had an original singer leave, his replacement was just as good if not better. Both bands were swinging wildly, and while they weren’t hitting the target all the time....when they did, they hit hard!

4) David Bowie - Blackstar (Song)

Nearly 5 years later, the passing of one of music’s most iconic figureheads is still felt by everyone. I didn’t matter if you were a Metalhead, Punk, or Rapper......David Bowie’s death was a colossal earthquake, and the aftershocks still ripple out on rare days. 2016's Blackstar seemed to be a herald of his coming’s death 2 days after it came out, and even though he was dying....he never showed it. Sure, the music is perhaps some of the darkest he’s ever done, but even standing on the razor’s edge of the grave he sings his heart out! Even at his age at that time, he was still imaginative, artistic, and most importantly.....weird. Blackstar also happens to be the only non-metal album to reach no. 1 on any of my end-of-the-year lists, which I guess makes it special in another way. Even if you’re not the biggest David Bowie fan (Which I technically am), Blackstar is something to seek out if you enjoy music that’s more on the artistic/alternative side.....take your pick.

3) Kreator - Gods Of Violence (Song)

Looking back in hindsight, it seems coincidental that one of Germany’s most iconic Thrash Metal bands would release a particularly potent political (For the most part) album shortly after our current (Hopefully one time only) president Donald Trump was inaugurated in early 2017. Not only that, but it had been half a decade since the band had put out a record. It was quite welcome to have Kreator come back, and while Gods Of Violence didn’t surpass Phantom Antichrist from 2012, it did manage to stand alongside it & further helped to gain a presence among Metalheads here in the States. Full of potent instrumentation & vocal work, the album is the very definition of Thrash, and like their brethren Sodom it hit me hard. In the short time since then our country’s politics has only gotten worse, and in turn this album has become that much more with the times. Definitely something to seek out in 2020 if you’re interested.

2) Septicflesh - Titan (Song)

Picking who would go in this position was easy. It was the order in which they would be placed that proved to be difficult, as both records turned out to be some of the most important things I’ve ever listened to. However, what I ultimately decided which album would go where due to emotional impact, and 2014's Titan just barely missed the no. 1 spot. Make no mistake: I genuinely adore the 3rd venture into Septicflesh’s journey of Symphonic Death Metal. It was this album that finally got me to understand the subgenre that is Death Metal, and got me to understand Death Metal’s fans as well. Even if I’ll never be a full-blown fan, I can appreciate this style of metal I’ve judged for so long, and in the years since my library has be graced by a few Death Metal releases. Despite this, one fairly recent album made it to number one.....and I have a feeling that none of you will be surprised by this.

1) Rammstein - Rammstein (Song)

I said it in 2019, and I’m say it again here: this album is like meeting an old friend you haven’t seen in a decade. An old friend that has changed so much, but in all the right ways. It had been nearly a decade since Rammstein had put out an album before this self-titled release, and for a long time fans wondered if they ever would put out anything again. Sure, they still toured all over the world,  Richard Kruspe brought back his side band Emigrate for 2 more albums, and Till Lindemann started up a special project with Peter Tägtgren in 2015, but there seemed to be nothing from the Rammstein camp. Cut to May the 17th of last year, and one of the best ways to close out the 2010s was released.

Received almost universally in a positive light, the album takes everything that the band has done over the 25 years of their existence, distilled it, and released it as a fine vintage spirit for everyone to enjoy. There is not a single bad track through the entire running time of the record, and while you could argue it took forever for the band to release a proper record, I would counter argue and say that this decade-long wait is what allowed the album to be that genuinely perfect. Again, nothing on here sucks, and the touring for the record after this release was just as good as the album itself. Once this plague subsides, I hope that they come again to the states, cause if this record is to be the last one like it supposedly is......then it’s not a bad way to go out on by any means.

And those were my top 6 albums from 2014 to 2019. Again, this was the hardest of the 3 lists I made for this month, but it was still fun to do. With October coming, some gothic wind will be blowing through this blog......so let’s see what it brings in a few days!

The Top 6 Movies of 2014 to 2019

It’s the middle of September fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

No, there’s nothing special going on. I just wanted to put a little pep into our steps, and with how the world is right now we kind of need it. Anyways, on the 1st of this month, we took a look at what I thought were the number one games from 2014 to 2019. That was a fun list, but so is this one! Now we’re onto the number one movies from those respective years, and I gotta tell you....this one was tough. I loved all of these movies, and putting them into a specific order was a challenge. With that moment of complaining out of the way, here are my number 1 movies of 2014 to 2019. Let’s begin!

6) Kung Fury (Trailer)

I kind of feel bad for putting this movie so low on the list.  Released back in May of 2015, this half-hour ode to the 1980s was an absolute treat to watch! It was funny, corny, cheesy, and surprisingly heartfelt & genuine at the same time. Heck, even the deadpan acting and absurd story were part of Kung Fury’s charm, and further keeps it nestled in your brain long after you’re done watching. The only reason I have Kung Fury so low on this list......is because I want more. It obviously sequel-baits itself at the end, and luckily for us......a second film is getting made. It’s taken a while, but we’re returning to Kung Fury’s world. Hopefully, the plague that has ravaged this planet won’t prevent it from coming back!

5) Lego Batman (Trailer) & Lego Ninjago (Trailer)

If there’s one thing that can be said about the Lego Movie franchise, it would be successful. Thanks in part to the first release in 2014 (More on that later on down the list), it paved the way for other movies to follow & expand the franchise. 2017 gave us not one, but two Lego Movie releases! I was surprised that two movies came out in the same year, but looking back it was a welcome surprise at the same time. Between the two, I easily enjoyed Lego Batman much more than Ninjago. Not that Ninjago is bad, cause I found it to be entertaining, but at the same time I considered it the weakest release (Ironic, given The Lego Movie 2 from 2019). At the same time despite it’s weak nature, it’s more than worthy to stand beside the Dark Knight as he fights the various baddies of Gotham City. If there was ever a combo that’ll bring back your childhood, it’ll be these two movies.

4) Christopher Robin (Trailer)

There were 2 times where I cried during this movie. Well, it was technically one that I cried. When the original scene came up, my Mom noticed and held my hand (I saw this with my folks). Then, the scene I actually cried at.....was this:

Tigger Song

Let’s make one thing perfectly clear: Disney has been shooting themselves in the foot in recent years. Live action remakes that shouldn’t have been done (Mulan anyone?), not to mention some rather choice business decisions have really soured people to the company’s name, has put them in a rather odd spot. However, when they get something right.....they genuinely get it right. Such is the case of my no. 1 movie of 2018, Christopher Robin. Equal parts mature & sunny, it’s also amazing and how much nostalgia is packed into each and every scene. Parents who saw the older Pooh series will get a kick out of it & cry, and younger people like me who saw the newer Pooh series will love Christopher Robin also. Good job Disney, you did something right!

3) Deadpool (Trailer)

2016 proved that Marvel could make a M-Rated movie.....that, or the Merc with a Mouth was pointing a gun at the exec’s heads. Take your pick.

The point is, Deadpool was a blast to watch! It practically redeemed Ryan Reynolds in the eyes of moviegoers, and compared to every movie before (And some since) it was the dirtiest thing Marvel Studios had ever released. The film is filthy, funny, bloody, and all manner of politically incorrect. I think the 2nd one may have tried too hard in terms of it’s political incorrectness & humor, but the original Deadpool still holds up well nearly 5 years since it came out. If you don’t like how clean most of the other Marvel features are, then Deadpool is for you.

2) The Lego Movie (Trailer)

It’s only by a few hairs that the inaugural Lego film misses the no. 1 spot on this list, but that doesn’t mean it sucks. As I said above, the movies to come out after this would not have been possible if The Lego Movie wasn’t made, and it’s blatantly obvious why. This feature created the world of Cinematic Legos, and for the entire time it plays, it feels as if your childhood came back to life. The animation is incredibly realistic, or at the very least they took Legos & animated them to lifelike status. The voice acting is great thanks to the actors picked, the music is fun to listen to, the characters are likable, and the story & moral are simplistic but not insulting. The Lego Movie is indeed a warm and fuzzy movie.....but there is a film that is warm & fuzzier.

1) A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (Trailer)

Since 2018, we’ve gotten into something of a small Mr. Rogers resurgence. That year gave us the documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor (Trailer here), and 2019 gave us A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood. At first people weren’t sure what to think or expect, since the documentary was such a delight to watch & answered quite a bit of things. Not only that, but it showed that Mr Rogers was indeed that much of a genuine human being. Many wondered what a movie would bring to the table when a year before so many answers were given. As it turned out......quite a lot was brought.

Let’s get 1 thing out of the way: This is not a documentary. Despite what the trailers showed, this is actually more of a based on real events movie than anything. In fact, Mr. Rogers isn’t in the spotlight as much as the trailers let on. He’s more of a mentor/wiseman (Take your pick) to the main character, who is going through a bit of a rough patch with his marriage & estranged father as the film plays. It’s really touching, but also a little funny, and just a pinch sad in certain places. As much as it deserves to be the number one movie of 2019, with how the world has gone seemingly completely to crap........I think we need Mr. Rogers and the neighborhood now more than ever.

And those were my number 1 movies of 2014 to 2019. A little more difficult than what I posted on the 1st of this month, but sometimes a challenge is good for any content creator. However, with the final list at the end of the month......I may be facing the toughest challenge yet. See you all then!

The Top 6 Games of 2014 to 2019

 Welcome to September, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Normally with this month I talk about what are my highest viewed posts, as well as some other stuff I feel fits the moment. This year, I wanted to do something a bit different. Over the years on this blog, I’ve talked about what I considered to be the top 5 games, movies, and albums. To this day I still stand by what I selected, but in an effort to challenge myself I came up with an idea. What if I were to take the number 1 pick of each list from 2014 to 2019, and put them on a list of their own?

So that what I did! Over the course of this month, I’ve taken the number 1 game, movie, and album, and ordered them on a list. My opinion on some of these have changes over the years, while some of the others has more or less stayed put. To start things off, let’s talk about the number 1 games of 2014 to 2019. Where do they rank, and has anything changed? Let’s find out!

6) Hellgate: London (Trailer)

I confess in hindsight Hellgate was the number 1 game of 2018 due to sheer nostalgia. Though it was somewhat of a janky/buggy thing in 2007 & 2008, there was an odd charm to it at the same time. When I found out it came back nearly 2 years ago, I was genuinely surprised by it’s return. After watching some footage on Youtube, it seemed like things were fixed, and after a bit I bought it on Steam......that may have been a mistake.

If anything, it may have even been a more buggy experience than it was in 2007 & 2008! The gameplay was improved, thanks in part to it being the revised version used in multiplayer....but for whatever reason it just wouldn’t hold onto my saves! I was absolutely furious because of this, and yet that late 2000s nostalgia came back every time I played, and pretty hard if I’m being somewhat honest. So, due to said nostalgia it made my no. 1 on the 2018 list, but the jankness gets it to no. 6 here.

5) Resident Evil 2 Remake (Trailer)

I’ll be talking about Resident Evil a little later down the list, but I must say that as someone who’s not always a horror guy.......I genuinely loved Resident Evil 2!

I do admit there are some small things that keep me from putting this higher up: resources sometimes seem too scarce, sometimes you’re forced to use up resources, and while Mr. X definitely provides some scares & can be a great antagonist for the player, there are times where it seems all too convenient that he’s nearby. However, those nitpicks do not ruin what in my mind is a fantastic survival horror game. Not only that, but it helped restore some prestige to the Resident Evil franchise, and brought back some old-school fans who may have given up when things became too action-oriented. Definitely a game to check out!

4) Heroes Of The Storm (Trailer)

I feel pretty bad for Heroes of the Storm. Despite coming onto the scene towards the end of the MOBA craze, it managed to entice players with it’s quirky premise & more relaxed take on the genre. Pulling in heroes from across Blizzard’s various IPs (As well as 2 OCs), and creating some of the best battlefields to wage war on, HotS managed to get pretty popular. It even managed to have a big e-sports scene, and it seemed like all was right with the world. Then 2018 came, and things changed: e-sports scene was eviscerated, developers were moves to other games (Diablo: Immortal anybody?) and a skeleton crew is all that’s left, & due to the reduced team updates became significantly slowed. However, there’s still many players to this day, and getting into a game isn’t hard at all. Even with Heroes no longer being in Activision/Blizzard’s eye, it still manages to be a game that’s separated from the rest of the MOBA genre, and that’s a-okay in my book!

3) Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Trailer)

Even more so than the RE2 remake, Resident Evil 7 is proof positive that Survival Horror is still a force to be reckoned with in the gaming world. Though the use of first person was seen as odd at first, it actually made the horror even more impactful. There was no over the top action, and there sure as hell were no horde of zombies or other mutated freaks. It was just you, 3 diseased rednecks, mold monsters, devious traps & puzzles, and most importantly......Survival Horror! You weren’t a walking tank like you were in RE5 & 6, but instead just a normal guy looking for his wife, and instead were plunged into a situation that was way beyond anything you’d ever imagine. Resident Evil 7 brought prestige back into the franchise, and it got a new fan in me.

2) Overwatch (Trailer) & Shadow Warrior 2 (Trailer) & Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary Edition World Tour (Trailer)

2016 had a hell of a lot of great games, and when it came to number 1 I jam-packed it with 3 of the biggest release that yeah, & I still agree with it to this day. Each of these releases have shifted in gamers’s opinion: Overwatch didn’t evolve enough over it’s 4+ years of existence, SW2 didn’t have much added outside of 3 pieces of free DLC, and World Tour came out while Megaton Edition got taken off of Steam (Although people who bought it were allowed to keep it). Despite these shifts in opinion, I still get a lot of joy out of these 3 FPS titles. Overwatch was welcomed with open arms (Especially since it was the 1st original Blizzard game for over a decade) with it’s bright colors & unique characters. Shadow Warrior 2 continued the resurrection of a 90s classic, and World Tour was welcomed more strongly than DNF from 5 years prior. 2016 was indeed filled with great games.....but what ended up being number 1 in 2014 just barely passed these 3.

1) Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls (Trailer)

Let me say this right now.......Reaper of Souls saved Diablo 3. People who got into it in recent years may not know about the rough times back in 2012 & 2013, when things weren’t quite as well received. Legendaries weren’t always great, some skills & passives were more overpowered than others, difficulty spikes were scary, hacking was somewhat rampant (I got hacked at one point), some of the monster affixes were overpowered, and in general the game was a bit of a grind and not always fun to play. For a little bit it looked like D3 was going to be abandoned, but then Reaper of Souls came out in 2014....and things were going to be okay.

Reaper of Souls did some pretty significant stuff. It killed the often reviled Auction House, revamped items, skills, and affixes (As well as removing certain monster affixes), revised the difficulty system, added an alternative game mode, a brand new episode, and for anyone who weren’t fans of the more bright look/feel on the base game....the dark gothic tones of Diablo 1 & 2 came back with force. There was still an issue or two (Mainly the always online thing), and there was some further updates later on down the road (The Necromancer class pack as an example), Reaper of Souls was proof that game companies sometimes do care about the products they put out.....and the gamers that buy what they make.

And those were my top 6 games from 2014 to 2019. Definitely some top games from those years, and it was interesting to order them here. Join me in the middle of September, when I’ll take a look at the no. 1 movies of those years. See you then!