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

Top 10 Heavy Metal Love Songs

Welcome to the week of love, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

With Valentine’s Day at the end of the week, we’re getting ready to celebrate a day of love with our significant other. Whether it’s a fancy dinner, a nice play, or a quiet time at home (with maybe a little dirty fun), we’re all going to be doing something with somebody. For me, my friend Amanda & I are gonna catch a viewing of Deadpool, since we never take this holiday seriously.

To go along with this lack of seriousness, I’ve made a list of love songs. Heavy Metal love songs, to be exact. Sure, this genre of music isn’t normally associated with Valentine’s Day, but if you look through the Metal catalog, you’ll find a surprising amount of love-related songs. Some are serious, some are a little lighthearted, but they’re all surprising in some way. So with that out of the way, here are my top 10 Heavy Metal love songs. Enjoy!

10) Sodom - One Step Over The Line (Song)

Damn I’m starting this list off with a dark one!

What Slayer is to the United States, Sodom is to Germany. Embracing the darker side of Thrash Metal, Sodom has belted out some impressive thrash music, mixed with hints of Death Metal and even taking an element or two of Black Metal on rare occasions. One Step Over The Line comes across as a more traditional Thrash Metal song: steady & furious, with vocals to match. This song forgoes the more traditional subject matter, and instead deals with prostitution, the damage it causes, and the desperation women might feel. One Step Over The Line is definitely one of the darker songs Sodom has ever made (If not the darkest), but for whatever reason I’m attracted to this track. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel a dark charisma emanating from this tune. It’s something that draws me to listening to One Step Over The Line everytime I put the respective album in the CD player. If you want to be a little darker this Valentine’s Day, this song is a great way to go about it!

9) Soundgarden - Loud Love (Song)

From a dark love song, to a track that deals with a different kind of love. Grunge (Yes, I consider Grunge to be a metal subgenre) more often than not can be a mopey music style, but every once in a while there are exceptions. Loud Love is one of these exceptions: while one could connect this with the love between two people, the love in this song doesn’t deal with that. Instead, Loud Love talks about the kind of love that affects the kind of change people wanted & died for. The kind of love that individuals like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and even Jesus fought for. If you want to make a change this coming Sunday, this can be the song to initiate this change!

8) Turmion Kätilöt - Shuttle To Venus (Song)

Love can be one of two things. It can either be subtle, or it can be obvious & blunt. Shuttle To Venus is in the 2nd category. Truth be told, Turmion Kätilöt has never been subtle! The band has always been up front & in your face, and they never backed down from anything. Even if you weren’t familiar with the band, you can pretty much tell what’s in store just by looking at this track’s name. It’s naughty, raunchy, a little filthy, and most definitely fun. If you’re not moving & going along with the beat in anyway, then this song just isn’t for you.

7) Korn - I Will Protect You (Song)

I talked about this song in my Metal Overview for Korn last week, so this track was definitely a shoe-in. As I said in my description of the album, I Will Protect You is simultaneously a dark yet loving song. The track is dark because one of the loving individuals is dead. How he died (I’m assuming it’s a he) is never said, but the listener knows that he’s gone. Where the love comes in is when you find out that the guy’s admiration for the girl he was with never left. In fact, he vows to continue loving this girl from beyond the grave, protecting her from all sorts of danger. A vow like this in life is impressive, but in death? That takes some dedication! Coupled with the dream-like instrumentation & Jonathan Davis’s ethereal & emotional singing, and you have a classic song in Korn’s discography. Definitely recommended!

6) Judas Priest - A Touch Of Evil (Song)

Now here we have a fun metal love song!

Come 1990, Judas Priest released the iconic Painkiller. It’s a universally praised album, and the pinnacle of the band’s discography at the time. The whole album is fantastic, but if there was one song that was unforgettable, A Touch Of Evil is that song. Given how often Rob Halford put in homoerotic innuendo in his lyrics & song titles, this track is a bit different. Instead of being obvious, the vibe from this song much more in the middle. As you’re listening to you, you can’t tell if things are gay, straight, or even bi. Because of this, A Touch Of Evil is a true universal metal love song. Gay couples can enjoy it, straight couples can enjoy it, and individuals straddling the line can enjoy it too. A true classic!

5) Ministry - Lay Lady Lay (Song)

I think we’ve all heard of Bob Dylan. A 60s icon, his protest & love songs are classic tunes that still hold up today. What many non-metal fans know is that one of the most legendary Industrial Metal bands covered Lay Lady Lay back in 1996. Although this was on one of their most infamous albums, Ministry went all out with their rendition of this song. This starts off an odd tradition for the band: covers that don’t follow the letter of the original, but ironically stay true to the spirit of the track. There’s a lot of emotion in Ministry’s vision of the song, just like Bob Dylan’s original. It’s actually rather moving, and the instrumentation & Uncle Al’s vocal work provide much of the moving feelings. I’ve never cried when I listened to Ministry’s take on this classic song, but I’ve been moved all the same.

4) Kiss - Calling Dr. Love (Song)

I had to admit I’m stretching this one a little. KISS isn’t a metal band by any stretch, but their heart & soul is made of the stuff, so I had to put them on here. The band knew how to put out more tender tracks, but Calling Dr. Love isn’t one of them. Okay, maybe there’s a little bit of tenderness, but not much. The band is putting on a great performance, but I must give Gene Simmons credit. His vibe is just oozing out of every lyric, every guitar lick, etc. Hell, the  lead singer is the demon himself, so you could see why I’d feel the vibe. If you want your Valentine’s Day a little on the sleazy side, you might want to call Doctor Love!

3) U.D.O. - Sweet Little Child (Song)

If there was every a time where power ballads were king, it would definitely be the 80s! No other time in Heavy Metal history could contain such awesome & hokey songs, and standing near the top was U.D.O.. Fronted by the former lead singer of Accept, U.D.O. brought Power Metal to the masses, and Sweet Little Child spearheaded their time in the 80s. Slow instrumentation, catchy beats, vocals that can get people to sing along, and the emotion. This song is incredibly sappy, but not quite overwhelming, and is right at home in the 80s. You know this is a 80s ballad when there’s an emotional guitar break about halfway through, and that’s when the sap factor rises. If you want Valentine’s Day a little more on the nostalgic side, then give Sweet Little Child a listen to.

2) Ozzy Osbourne - I Just Want You (Song)

Perhaps even more so that U.D.O., Ozzy Osbourne is the king of the metal ballad. While his 95 release Ozzmosis is rather notorious among fans of the Ozz, it has more of it’s fair share of great songs. On the crown of this album is the highly powerful & emotional Just Want You, a song that almost seems tailor made for those looking for love. While the instrumentation is great, Ozzy is most definitely the star. He’s really letting things out with every verse, and doesn’t let up at anytime throughout the track. In fact, Ozzy turns it up as the song goes on, with the conclusion being the point where his singing comes across more like wailing. Single people, this is the song for you! 

1) Type-O Negative - Creepy Green Light (Song)

Are any of you surprised by this one?

I talked about this way back in my Metal Overview of Type-O Negative last year when discussing World Coming Down, with my basic premises being that this track is the only song that has a sliver of positivity. I still stand by this, but make no mistake: this song is still dark! Sung from the 3rd-person perspective, Pete Steele sings about a spell that was cast on Halloween night, reuniting two lovers who were separated by death. The mood definitely fits the song, with guitars that go between haunting & furious, drumwork that can sound like thunder, and Pete’s recognizable way of singing connecting everything together. If you absolutely need one song for your Valentine’s Day, just look into the creepy green light. You’ll never forget what you see.

So these were my top 10 Heavy Metal love songs. Hopefully you’ll find something here to play with your sweetheart this Sunday, and even if you’re single, maybe you’ll like something here just for the sake of it. See you all next week, when I’ll put up the first in my “Which is Better” series. See you then!

Metal Overview: Korn

Happy February, fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

Well, with my past posts fixed up, it’s time for me to get some content up, and I found it only fitting that a Metal Overview article was one of the first things to do. Thinking of a band to cover was a little tough to pick-out, but during my fixes of my 2014 posts, I saw the first album review I did, and things were sealed. You might have figured things out from the end of my top 10 books who the band in question is, and for those of you didn’t figure it out, the band for today’s overview.....is Korn.

Indeed folks, Korn. I’ll fully admit that when I first discovered this band, my younger self loved the music. It was the kind of stuff that my parents (Especially my Mom) disliked, and Nu Metal has always been a sub-genre that’s been looked down upon. Even more so that Hair Metal, Nu Metal is talked about in the shadows, hoping it’s not seen or heard, and it’s fans often have to lie about it. Not me. I love this band! Are they flawless? Absolutely not! As you’ll see, Korn has had it’s ups & downs throughout it’s career, but they’ve stuck through it all. Without further delay, lets look at the career of Nu Metal icons, Korn!

Korn (1994)

And so kicks off the genre of Nu Metal, as well as the career of this band. Released on October 11, 1994, Korn’s first album sparked a revolution in early 90s metal. Composed of singer Jonathan Davis, guitarists James “Munky” Shaffer & Brian “Head” Welch, bassist Reginald Quincy "Fieldy" Arvizu, and drummer David Silveria, the group signed to Immortal Records, sighting the reason that they didn’t want to “sign away all of their creative freedom".  This certainly shows, as this is a damn good starting album! Dealing with the themes of child & drug abuse, as well as bullying, their beginning record is a intense release. The heaviness of the instrumentation, the rap/hip-hop beats & sounds, and Davis’s singing created a CD that was quite unique for it’s time.

Best Track? For me it’s a two-way tie between the album’s opener, Blind, and a track from about the midpoint, Clown. Both of these songs contained sick riffs, pounding drums, and singing that was highly flexible. Jonathan Davis always had a surprising flexibility, going from almost whispering to wailing at the drop of a hat. It’s kind of mesmerizing in a way, and is quite artistic as well.

Blind

Clown

Worst Track? Like I said above, the band’s opening album dealt with some serious subject. While not as bleak or soul-crushing as World Coming Down was, this record is still pretty oppressive with the environment it creates. However, if you can get past this, you’ll have one of the most popular metal albums of the 90s, and I definitely recommend it. Next album!  

Life Is Peachy (1996)

There’s a general rule regarding bad albums: you either release them at the beginning of your career, or later in your career. Sometimes a band can get away with releasing a okay/bad album later on, due to their earlier success. With Korn, they decided to take the former, and release one of their worst albums, Life Is Peachy, very early on. Released on October 16, 1996, this album eventually sold over 2.5 million copes by 2013, and 6 million worldwide. This is quite surprising, since the album received mixed reactions upon it’s initial release. For me, I’m in the negative crowd when it comes to Life Is Peachy: with such a great first album, this one is it’s exact opposite. Despite James “Munky” Shaffer saying they were building up “Blue Balls of Creativity” between albums, this comes across more as a band that’s drained of creativity. Everything comes across as weak & uninspired, despite having a heavy sound across a majority of the album. Even Jonathan Davis’s singing seems basic at times, and he has a surprising range to his voice. The end result is that Life Is Peachy is a slump of an album, at a time in which the band didn’t need to be in one.

Best Track? Hands down, it has to be A.D.I.D.A.S.! Fully spelled out, this acronym means “All Day I Dream About Sex”, and isn’t in anyway related to the sports brand with the same name. This is ironic, given how the band would wear products from the company in their earlier years. Regardless, A.D.I.D.A.S is a heavy track, as the instrumentation never lets up, and show’s off how versatile Jonathan Davis’s singing voice can be. This song is really the only reason you should buy this album.

A.D.I.D.A.S.

Worst Track? Pretty much everything else. Even with mildly good tracks like Mr. Rogers, Life Is Peachy really is an awful album. I don’t know what Korn was thinking when they were making this album, apart from coasting on their early popularity. Definitely not recommended. Next album!

Follow The Leader (1998)

With one of their worst albums behind them, Korn were looking to the future for their next album, and that’s exactly what happened. Released on August 18, 1998, Follow The Leader is the most Nu-Metal out of all their albums, and is their most successful. This album charted at number 1 on four different music charts, including the Billboard 200 (It sold 268,000 copies in it’s first week alone). In March of 2002, Follow The Leader went 5x platinum in the United States, and 3x in Australia & Canada. The album’s two singles charted on more than 3 music charts, and the videos for these are generally considered to be the first music videos retired from MTV’s “Total Request Live” show. Follow The Leader was received quite positively by fans & critics, and Allmusic.com said: “an effective follow-up to their first two alt-metal landmarks.” It’s definitely an effective follow-up when compared to Life Is Peachy, but let’s not talk about that album anymore!

Best Track? While singles like Got the Life & Freak on a Leash are fan favorites, I’m selecting the incredibly depressive Justin as Follow The Leader’s best track. The story behind this song is outright soul-rending: a young man by the name of Justin was suffering from terminal cancer (I believe he was 10 or 13), and it was his Make-A-Wish request to meet Korn. The encounter touched both sides, with Justin getting his final wish, and Korn feeling both good & haunted from meeting this kid. This encounter created one of the most haunting songs in Korn’s library, and to discuss it any further would be a disservice.

Justin

Worst Track? Kind of a two-way tie between BBK & All In The Family. The former of which is a highly obnoxious tune with an annoying chorus, and the later is an unholy abomination......due to the simple fact that it has Fred Durst as guest vocals. That’s all you need to know about how bad All In The Family is.

BBK

All In The Family

Follow The Leader: a massive improvement over it’s predecessor, and a great album in it’s own right. However, it was only going to get better from here. Next album!

Issues (1999)

With the momentum gained from Follow The Leader, 1999's Issues continues the previous album’s dedication to quality. Released on November the 16th, the album debuted at number 1, selling 575,000 CDs in it’s first week alone! On December 22nd of the same year, Issues went 3x platinum, with 3,450,000 copies sold at that time. As of January of 2013, the album sold over 5,500,000 copies in the US, and over 13 million copies sold worldwide, thus making the release Korn’s second best selling album.

Best Track? It might be very obvious, but Falling Away From Me is this album’s best track. The song comes across as very alien, with a eerie 18-second opening setting the mood. Immediately afterward, a heavy rush of guitar & drum work comes right towards you, and Jonathan Davis’s vocal work is top notch. Sound effects are used at certain points as well, adding more to the weird mood the song provides. Definitely a top song in their library!

Falling Away From Me

Worst Track? This album’s damn near perfect. Nu Metal’s peak was at the height of the late 90s, and despite the appearance of other bands that played the genre, Korn was still spear-heading the style. That said, Issues’s only weakness comes in the form of a couple of mini-songs. 4 or 5, to be exact. All of them last a little over a minute, and they’re really just taking up space on this album. Regardless of this one complaint, Issues is a fantastic record, and a perfect record to close out Korn’s 90s run. Definitely recommended. Next album!

Untouchables (2002)

As I talked about in my review for this album, the early 2000s were a tough time for Korn. Drug issues, tensions between the band, and creative problems formed a very volatile environment. However, this volatile landscape help the band create one of their most experimental albums to date at this point, Untouchables. Released on June 11, 2002, the album itself was hampered at first. An early demo edition of the record was leaked out onto the internet for anyone to download, and Jonathan Davis himself blamed this leak for it’s initial (Ironic, given his “Download Music” stance). Despite the leak, Untouchables managed to go a month later in July, and wound up selling over 2.4 million copies in the U.S. by 2013 (It sold 5 million copies worldwide in 2013 as well). Review for Untouchables were generally positive from the critics, with Metacritic giving the album an 80 out of 100.

Best Track? As I said above & in my review for this album, Untouchables is more Experimental Metal than Nu Metal. Considering the events of the late 90s, it’s a little understandable. 3 tracks, however, stand out over everything else on this album. Here To Stay, Thoughtless, and Alone I Break are the songs that have retained the band’s signature Nu Metal style. Even with some of the experimental aspects in the 3rd song, they all act as a glimpse into the band’s past.

Here To Stay

Thoughtless

Alone I Break

Worst Track? Once again, the band’s transition from Nu-Metal to Experimental Metal is Untouchables’s only problem. They weren’t completely transformed by this point, and like I said in my review, this created a bipolar atmosphere. Some songs were Nu Metal, some were Experimental Metal, and others were right in the middle between the two (See Alone I Break above). You really can’t focus on anything as you’re listening, and as such, makes Untouchables a record I would moderately recommend instead of highly recommend. Next Album!

Take a Look in the Mirror (2003)

The tough times decided to continue for Korn. With poor sales on Untouchables, the band rushed to make an album that would hopefully recover their loses. The result was Take a Look in the Mirror, the album that Brian Welsh said was “The worst record we ever did”. The numbers somewhat reflected this statement: the poorest selling album to date, as it debuted at number 19, and only peaked at number 9 due to 179,000 copies being sold in the first week. The critics certainly had mixed reactions as well, with a divide between good & bad reviews. Ironically, fans enjoyed this album, and I’m definitely in this group. Unlike their previous albums, Take a Look in the Mirror felt far more like a Nu-Metal album that Untouchables was. There’s still a little bit of experimentation here & there, but the band seems to reign it that in. Despite this, Take a Look in the Mirror remains the band’s poorest selling album, with only 1.2 million copies sold in the US & 2 million copies sold worldwide as of 2013.

Best Track? Y’all Want A Single, hands down! I remember when I first heard this back in 2003 I was immediately hooked, although my Mom was certainly horrified by it (Despite being censored on radio). I’m still a fan today, although I wonder now if the band made this song to cover their tracks on what they said in the Untouchables era. Regardless, this track is a big middle finger to the music industry at the time, and is certainly still usable as a middle finger today. Coupled with a memorable music video, and you have a great “Anti-Establishment” tune.

Y’all Want A Single

Worst Track? Unlike Untouchables, Take a Look in the Mirror is a far more consistent record than it’s predecessor. That said, you can tell that this album was rushed in many different ways. Lyrics, instrumentation, and even vocal work comes across as a band that’s backed into a corner. Regardless, this record is a step-up from it’s precursor, and I definitely recommend it. Next album!

See You On The Other Side (2005)

It seems like Korn can’t catch a break. In February of 2005, longtime guitarist Brain “Head” Welch left the band, and the ensuing saga would have made for some juicy news (It did, but I’ll leave that can of worms closed until the time is right). For the rest of the band members, however, they continued to carry on the name of Korn. Their first release without Welch was 2005's See You On The Other Side. Released on December 6th, See You On The Other Side is the band’s most mainstream & commercial release in their discography. For the production of this records, the band teamed up with “The Matrix”, a production team known for their previous work with Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, and Shakira (Hence the mainstream aspect). This resulted in critics giving more favorable reviews towards this release when compared to their previous two albums, and it also debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200. For me, I wasn’t fond of this album: at first I definitely enjoyed it, but overtime I slowly began to not like it. Maybe it’s because I found the “Mainstream” flavor of the album to be too overwhelming, maybe I thought the lack of Brian Welch took something away from the band, I’m not sure. See You On The Other Side isn’t lacking in heaviness, but I find that much of what’s on this album feels hollow in some way.

Best Track? For me it’s a two-way tie, between the opening track Twisted Transistor, and the thudding & rhythmic Coming Undone. To me, these tracks don’t have as much of that mainstream coating slathered all over them. Both of these songs sound much like their older material (Follow The Leader/Issues era, to be more specific), and as such I find I enjoy listening to these songs the most.

Twisted Transistor

Coming Undone

Worst Track? Again, the mainstream feel is this album’s biggest dent in it’s armor. There’s potential lying within this album, and I can tell that Korn really wants to cut loose. If they didn’t team up with The Matrix to produce this record, they probably would have made something special. Sadly, I can’t recommend this release to anyone other than hardcore Korn fans. Next album!

Untitled/Korn II (2007)

Good god Korn, you ever gonna not keep running into problems!?

After the tour for See You On The Other Side, longtime drummer David Silveria left in December of 2006 to pursue other interests (Running restaurants, suing his former bandmates.....long story), and Jonathan Davis later stated that Silveria would “probably not” be on their 2007 album. His eventual replacement came in the form of Ray Luzier, a younger drummer with a interesting resume. Trust me when I say that his Wikipedia page is chock-full of interesting stuff. With his drum work, Korn would go on to put out their 2007 release. It was never given a name, because Davis reasoned that "Why not just let our fans call it whatever they wanna call it?", which is an alright reason enough. The release was perhaps the most experimental album of Korn’s career, perhaps more so that Untouchables. The music was still very much in the vein of Nu Metal, but the band went into many different territories during the recording of this album. I definitely enjoyed this album about as much as Untouchables, but only just. I’ve never really liked it when Korn went for the weirder areas of Metal, as they either tried too hard, or didn’t try enough. Their 2007 album isn’t any different, but I appreciate the effort in which they made the music.

Best Track? Kinda of a tough one this time around. There’s definitely more consistency this time around, as the Experimental & Nu Metal aspects are more mixed this time around, and thus is more cohesive. It’s evident in every song, but nowhere is it most evident than in the closing track of the album, I Will Protect You. Sung in the 3rd person perspective, I Will Protect You tells the story of a soul who’s only remaining desire is to protect the one that he loves. It’s haunting, beautiful, and a great track to conclude an album.

I Will Protect You

Worst Track? Again, Korn doing experimentation really makes this a make or break for me. I’m still not a fan, but in it’s defense, this album does the experimentation/Nu Metal mix the best. Sadly however, this would be the last time that I’d ever buy a Korn record.....physically. I downloaded the crap out of everything from here on out. With perhaps one exception, I don’t regret what I did. Next album!

Korn III: Remember Who You Are (2010)

After the release of 8th studio album, the members of Korn took 10 months off to pursue solo projects. James Shaffer started up Fear and the Nervous System, Reginald Arvizu recorded some guitar work for StillWell’s debut album (Dirtbag), and Jonathan Davis recorded his first solo album along with his back-up band (The SFA’s). After their Escape From the Studio Tour in late 2009, the band went back into the studio to record their ninth studio album, Korn III: Remember Who You Are. Reuniting with the producer that helped with their first two albums, Ross Robinson, the band opted for a older sound with this album. They discarded Pro Tools (Which they used in previous albums), and instead recorded on a analog 24-track tape machine. They also did away with the keyboards that were used on the previous, and decided to record things as a four-piece band with guitars and lap steel. The end result was a return to their early years, and felt far more like a full-fleshed Nu Metal that most of what they released in the 2000s.

Best Track? Let The Guilt Go is a song that got my head to bob along a little. Everything on here is pretty intense, but this tune really gets my blood going. Davis seems to been venting out some frustration as he’s singing, and Shaffer, Arvizu, & their new drummer Luzier are just unleashing a tide of fury as they play. There’s a brief moment where it seems like things might calm down a little, but then they come out of the shadows with a bat, and blindside you beside the head with it. A good sign of a great track!

Let The Guilt Go

Worst Track? My only real gripe is that Korn seems to be trying a little too hard to sound like their older selves. Going this far to create an album that sounds & feels like their early material is nothing short of overkill. That said, I’ll give the band credit in wanting to invoke their older sound & vibe, and I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt in want to return to a Nu Metal state. I don’t flatout recommend this record, but I definitely suggest if to anyone who’s curious. Next album!

The Path Of Totality (2011)

I was afraid of this album. When I first heard that Korn was going to release a Dubstep record, douche-chills went up my spine in such a way that even today, I still get a tingle if I think about this record. This.....I don’t even know why the hell they made this album!? I’ll give them credit for the fact that they’re trying something out of their comfort zone, but they’ve already done that in the past! Their experimental touches they put in their albums in the 2000s were definitely something a little out there for the band, but even then they seemed comfortable with the experimentation they were doing. But with the release of The Path Of Totality? This comes across as a midlife crisis, and an attempt to cater to a certain crowd (a.k.a People with poor taste in music). Truth be told, this doesn’t even come across as Korn album, but a dubstep album that happens to have the band members of Korn in the songs. Even with Burn the Obedient (The only track I can stand to listen to), there’s nothing on here I can stand! I wouldn’t wish this album on my enemies. I wouldn’t wish this album on politicians. Hell, I wouldn’t wish even wish this album on Isis, and they’re total scumbags! The Path Of Totality? More like The Path Of Assality! Next album!

The Paradigm Shift (2013)

Now this.....this is a Korn album!

Released on October 3, 2013, The Paradigm Shift was once again a return to their Nu Metal roots, only this time it seems more genuine than Korn III from 2010. After finally burying the hatchet after a nearly decade long feud, this album saw the triumphant return of Brian "Head" Welch, who had last worked on Take a Look in the Mirror all the way back in 2003. The stylings of this album were older as well, mixing the dark themes of Issues with the heaviness of Untouchables. The end result was The Paradigm Shift, which was received far more favorable than The Path Of Totality from 2011, and with good reason. Unlike their last return to Nu Metal, this venture felt far more natural when it came to that style, and Korn really didn’t have to force themselves to do so!

Best Track? For me, the opening song Prey For Me is the best track on here. Everything on The Paradigm Shift is fantastic, but this track is the best representative of the content on this record. There’s definitely an old-school vibe coming off of this song, as there’s a bleakness found only on Issues mixed with the heaviness & a hint of Untouchables grade experimentation. If you skip this song for whatever reason, you’re doing yourself a big disservice!

Prey For Me

Worst Track? Again, I can’t find a bad track on this album. The Paradigm Shift is perhaps the freshest record Korn has put out in a long time, and I commend them for it. My only gripe is the exclusion of the track Hater. Found only on the world tour edition of the album, Hater is a middle finger raised in the face of every bully & hater (Hence the name of the song) in everyone’s life. The track comes across as experimental at times, but for whatever reason I don’t seem to mind. Whether it’s because I’m numb to the band experimentation, or because said experimentation works better on this song, I’m not sure. Point is, Hater is the unsung hero of The Paradigm Shift.

Hater

The Paradigm Shift. The only album post-2007 that I regret downloading, I recommend this release more so than anything else in the 2000s. If you’ve become disillusioned with Korn during this time, then The Paradigm Shift is a great way to get back in. Next Album!

The Serenity of Suffering (2016) #

With The Paradigm Shift bringing back many who were dissatisfied with prior releases, Korn had a lot of momentum behind them, and with Brian "Head" Welch back in the fold, much of their old-school sound was present & accounted for. So with their release in 2016, there was definitely a lot of expectation riding on it. Then, on October 21, 2016, The Serenity of Suffering was release to a hungry crowd. Debuting at no. 4 on the Billboard 200 (Selling 57,000 units, 55,000 of which was physical albums), and getting some genuinely positive reviews from a variety of music sources. Brian Welch advertised this album as being "heavier than anyone's heard us in a long time"  and that the record "contains their most intense music in a long time vocally as well". For the most part he's right, but I'll get to this in a little bit.

Best Track? Much like Burn from Titan, there's something about Take Me that just draws me to it. Located right smack dab in the middle of the album, Take Me comes across as a b-side track from the Untouchables period, and I'm not the only one that thinks this. There are plenty of people on Youtube who've left comments of a similar nature, especially on the music video's page & single release. In a strange way I don't have a problem with this, as somehow that experimental/alternative nature works far better on this album than their 2002 release. There's a vibe that Take Me has that's alluring in a dark way, and with Brian "Head" Welch back at the helm, that old-school quality that was missing for so long is still very apparent.

Take Me

Worst Track? Like their previous album, The Serenity of Suffering is a damn fine record. Since the return of Brian "Head" Welch, that old-school sound & feel has been rightfully returned to Korn. That said, this release isn't quite as metallic or heavy as The Paradigm Shift. Make no mistake, this album still has plenty of intensity behind it, but maybe not as much as prior records. Truth be told, I can't completely complain, as Johnathan Davis & the rest of the band were incredibly excited about this album, and as such I'll chalk it up to being over excited.

The Serenity of Suffering. Maybe not quite as heavy or intense as their 2013 release, but is still a fantastic record in it's own right. Proof positive that Nu Metal can still hang in the 2010s, this is an album for you!

The Nothing (2019) ##

The period after The Serenity Of Suffering was filled with what seemed like better days for Korn. A revitalized band thanks in part to the return of a former member, big shows, and overall an increased bond with all of the guys in the group seemed to give a sunny future for them. Sadly, tragedy would strike Johnathan Davis, as in August of 2018 his wife Deven Davis passed away after succumbing to a drug overdose of 5 different kinds of substances (She'd been battling this issues for 20 years). Coupled with some health issues afterwards (Diabetes & possible Bipolar Disorder), Johnathan was perhaps at the worst point in his life, and it reflected on The Nothing. Released on September the 13th (Which coincidentally is just barely under the 20th anniversary of their 90s classic Issues), The Nothing may very well be Korn's equivalent to the equally bleak World Coming Down, which also happens to be celebrating it's 20th anniversary this year. Like that monolith of depression, The Nothing is filled to the brim with the thoughts of a man who's perhaps at the lowest point in his life. As with some of the band's earliest work, when you hear Davis cry, scream, and rave......it's the real deal. Ironically, The Nothing may have saved the drained frontman, as he said in one interview that music was his therapist, and the venting on this record help him recover somewhat.

Despite how dark it is, The Nothing has received critical acclaim among music critics and Korn fans. Allmusic gives perhaps the best review, saying: "Over atmospheric NIN-like piano and towering drums, he exposes his guilt-stricken soul in a final confessional. As the swell fades away, he weeps, "I failed, I failed." It's one of the saddest moments in their catalog, a low point that ironically elevates this album to one of their strongest statements. Korn have always excelled at pain, but with The Nothing, this is the most authentic it's ever been". As for me, I did the hell out of this album! Everything I said about World Coming Down I can say here: despite how dark & depressing it is, it's simultaneously one of the most powerful albums ever produced by the band.

Best Track? Gotta give it to the 3-headed hydra that is Cold, You'll Never Find Me, and the Queen Of The Damned-like Can You Here Me. Smartly used as the singles of the album, each track provides something different to the listener: Cold has a rhythm & blues like feel with it's instrumentation, You'll Never Find Me come across like something you'd hear off of Issues, and like I mentioned above, Can You Hear Me feels like a song left off of Queen Of The Damned's soundtrack. All three are the paragons of Nu Metal songs, and given how great this album is on the whole.....that's saying something!

Cold

You'll Never Find Me

Can You Hear Me

Worst Track? Every single song on The Nothing is fantastic. From beginning to end, you're treated to some of the bleakest music that Korn has ever produced, and given how dark some of their prior output can be, that's saying something. The only real fault to be had is that tracks do become a little more repetitive towards the end in terms of instrumentation (And maybe lyrics), but I suspect that may have been done by choice rather than taking shortcuts. It's not massively apparent that this happens, but you'll notice it if you pay really close attention.

The Nothing. An absolutely brutal record on an emotional level, and a fantastic release in terms of quality. If you enjoy albums like World Coming Down, Dark Side Of The Spoon, and Still Not Black Enough, then you'll find good company with this release. Recommended to anyone who like to travel along the dark side of life. Next Album!

Requiem (2022) ###

Requiem. If there was ever a more apt name for a Korn album, and was there ever a more apt time for the release of such an album, it would be now. Released just a few weeks back on the 4th of February, 2022, Requiem came after a particularly tough & emotional period for the band. The dark memories of The Nothing were still fresh for a time, & then of course 2020 came, and we all know what happened that year. 2021 showed up, and frontman Johnathan Davis caught The Plague (Other members would get it as well). Fortunately he'd kick it's ass, but would suffer some after effects that still someone trouble him to this day. Equally tragic would be the leaving of Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, as he needed time away from the band to work on health issues & his spot in life (Though his bass part would be included on Requiem). However, despite the issues that the band was going through, they managed to crank out another hit once again, as they used where they were going through/feeling as fuel to power the rockets on this record.

Requiem would be met with high praise upon it's release. Allmusic's review stated: 

"Against the odds, Korn have done it again with Requiem, a quick and ferocious blast that finds the band still hungry and innovative nearly 30 years into the game."

Wall Of Sound gave Requiem a 7 out of 10, saying:

"Requiem isn't going to end up listed among the great Korn albums, but it's short, punchy and hooky. After more than 25 years I reckon that's OK for a band who are comfortable with what they do."

Best Track? Start The Healing one of the most definitive statements I've ever heard from a metal band (Nu Metal or otherwise). The first single off of the album if I remember correctly, and the 3rd opener to boot, STH is perfectly in line with what Korn was trying to do with this record. The band decide to stay in the middle when it comes to pacing: both the instrumentation & vocals never go too fast, but they're not sludgy either. The one thing that STH has a lot of.....is heaviness. Though every track on Requiem has this vibe of release, it's most prevalent on this track. Davis & the rest of the band are letting everything negative flow out of them, and as the song title suggests....the healing may start.

Start The Healing

Worst Track? Requiem has a odd parallel with Type-O Negative's monolith World Coming Down. Mainly, the fact that the music on here simultaneously tugs at our emotions pretty hard, and that the songs were a way for everybody in Korn to release what they've been experiencing negatively the past few years. I do think that this release is slightly superior to WCD in that it seems to vent said negative feelings a little faster, and because of that Requiem doesn't tug as hard. It still holds on tight, but it's not quite as painful weirdly enough.

Requiem. The album that helped both Davis & the band vent out what they were feeling in recent years, it's also proof positive that Korn can continue to make surprisingly great music long after Nu Metal faded from the public eye. This is definitely going on my top 5 list of 2022, and I'd say it's one of the group's best records of the new millennium.

So this was my overview on the Nu Metal icons, Korn. Like I said at the beginning, if there was ever a band that got the genre right (Despite the hiccups), it would be these guys. If you’ve had some slight curiosity about this subgenre of Heavy Metal, give this band a try. I’ll see you all next week, when I’ll have something Valentine’s Day related for you, and I’ll see you in April for a double-header of a Metal Overview. See you then!

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(Updated on 1/2/2017, 2:26 PM, Eastern Standard Time)

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(Updated on 9/22/2019, 10:23 PM, Eastern Standard Time)

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(Updated on 3/13/2022, 12:00 A.M., Eastern Standard Time)

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If you’d like to take a look at my Untouchables review, check it out below:

Untouchables (Album Review)

On top of that, if you’re interested in the history of Korn (Along with their albums), click on the Wikipedia link below. It’s a pretty interesting read, if I say so myself.

Korn (Wikipedia)